Chapter 54
Not being able to meet Dowoon for a while was truly a blessing in disguise.
‘Otherwise, he might have found out…’
Seoyul sighed with complicated feelings and buried his face in his bed.
How could he not have realized this?
Seoyul realized just how ignorant he was about emotions. And also the fact that the feeling of happiness was so intense that he had been constantly misunderstanding it.
‘I… like Esper-nim…’
To think that he had feelings for him.
Seoyul’s face turned red again as he recalled the incident. But still, to immediately imagine kissing Dowoon like that.
No matter how he looked at it, realizing his feelings in such a way seemed too embarrassing to lift his face.
He also felt at a loss about how to face Dowoon when he returned in a few days.
‘But at least I managed to hide it…’
Why did he say he wasn’t okay?
Because of that, he had made Dowoon worry even more. But at that time, those were the only words he could say. His emotions had overflowed too much to say he was fine. Even if he had said so, Dowoon wouldn’t have believed him anyway.
He couldn’t get Dowoon’s face out of his mind—the way he kept looking back even after being told to hurry and go.
“Ugh… what should I do…”
Seoyul writhed in embarrassment as he made plans for the future. He needed to calm his emotions as much as possible before facing Dowoon again.
Otherwise, he would become a burden.
‘He’ll find it burdensome.’
For Dowoon, Seoyul was his only Guide. How burdensome would it be to hear that such a Guide had feelings for him?
Because he was his only Guide, Dowoon couldn’t coldly reject him, and even if he did reject him, they would still have to see each other. Things would certainly become awkward.
‘I absolutely can’t let him find out.’
Seoyul wanted to remain as Dowoon’s Guide for a long time. He thought that if his feelings interfered with that goal, he would have to thoroughly hide or erase them.
But it was too late to erase the feelings that had already grown. Then thoroughly hiding them seemed to be the wisest option.
‘How… can I hide it well?’
Having never liked anyone before, Seoyul had no idea what to do in this situation.
But as if the heavens wanted to help him, a good opportunity arrived.
* * *
“Team 1?”
Seoyul asked in surprise. Insung nodded and continued to explain.
“Yes. It’s time for you to officially join a team and start formal activities.”
Time had passed so quickly. Seoyul felt that his status had risen slightly from being a half-fledged intern Guide.
“The choice is yours, Guide Seoyul, but I recommend my team, Team 1. Team 1 consistently ranks first in ability evaluations, and our Team Leader is the most recognized Guide within the Association.”
He explained with a more determined face than ever, clearly having great pride in his team.
Seoyul listened carefully. Since interns usually stayed in the same team after becoming full-time employees, he needed to choose carefully.
But he was taken aback by what seemed like a scouting offer.
“Of course, you must have received many offers from other teams as well, but even if you’re considering another team, how about working with Team 1 at least for your internship period?”
When Seoyul didn’t give a definite answer, Insung quickly added persuasive arguments.
“Although our team has somewhat more work compared to others, you can learn quickly, and since our Team Leader pursues perfection, it will be a very valuable experience.”
A workplace with heavy workload and a boss who pursues perfection.
For an ordinary office worker, these would be things to avoid, but Seoyul was different. Rather, his eyes sparkled at the thought that he could improve his skills more quickly.
“Have you already decided on somewhere else?”
Insung asked cautiously. Only then did Seoyul realize his response was delayed and quickly opened his mouth.
“No, no. This is the first time I’ve heard such an offer, so I was just considering it.”
“Pardon? This is your first offer?”
Insung seemed surprised and asked with quite an astonished face. That reaction made Seoyul feel a bit intimidated, wondering if everyone usually received many such offers.
Was it because he was C-grade that he hadn’t received offers? Or because his actions weren’t quick enough?
Various thoughts crossed his mind. But soon Insung nodded as if understanding and said:
“Ah, you were a special case. I understand.”
“Pardon…?”
Special… case?
Seoyul wanted to ask what was special about his case, but Insung spoke first.
“So, will you join Team 1?”
“Ah, yes! Since you recommended it, and I want to experience it too!”
“You’ve made a good decision. I look forward to working with you, Guide Seoyul.”
“Yes!”
Seoyul quickly took Insung’s outstretched hand as he smiled with satisfaction. Though he wondered if he should decide so quickly, it didn’t seem like a bad choice.
The most appealing thing for now was…
‘If I’m busy and occupied, I’ll soon get over these feelings.’
Working mindlessly would gradually dull these emotions.
That’s what Seoyul thought.
* * *
His expectation was exactly right.
Team 1 was truly busier than he could have imagined. In Team 1, they not only guided Espers but also handled various other tasks.
He had thought Guides only needed to be good at Guiding, but that wasn’t the case at all. Since the Association was also a profit-seeking organization, there was an overflow of work beyond Guiding.
“Guide Seo. Please revise this.”
“Ah, yes! Understood.”
Thanks to this, he was extremely busy adapting to the work. Creating proposals, securing budgets, making and submitting estimates.
Not only these, but many more tasks fell to Seoyul as the newest intern, and he also had to provide Guiding without fail and submit reports.
“Too… too busy…”
As a result, thoughts about Dowoon automatically decreased.
“That’s what happens when you join Team 1.”
Minjun clicked his tongue as he stuffed his mouth with food. Seoyul, too tired to even eat, slumped down and weakly protested.
“But I’m learning a lot.”
“Sure, sure. Seoyul is always diligent. Good job, good job!”
Whether he was teasing or encouraging, Seoyul couldn’t properly judge, so he gave up thinking and focused on shoveling food into his mouth.
He needed to eat well to work harder. Though it was difficult, Seoyul was satisfied with this life and felt relieved as his feelings for Dowoon seemed to be gradually fading.
But soon, an incident occurred that forced him to realize this was a big misunderstanding.
“Seoyul!!”
Dowoon had returned. He searched for Seoyul immediately upon his return and quickly ran to embrace him.
“Seoyul! Give me Guiding quickly!”
“E-Esper-nim?!”
Flustered, Seoyul struggled to break free from the embrace. But it was impossible to separate from an Esper who was completely absorbed in the temperature and scent of a Guide he hadn’t seen for a long time.
“I really worked hard this time. Okay? Hurry.”
Dowoon whined like a child. With a completely reddened face, Seoyul hugged him back reluctantly and thought:
‘T-that’s right. If I pull away now, Esper-nim might notice my face and figure it out.’
In that case, it might be better to continue Guiding until he calmed down a bit.
With that thought, he began transferring Guiding energy little by little. However, Seoyul overlooked one thing—they weren’t alone but in the middle of the Center’s lobby.
‘Huh…?’
Once he realized this, he noticed people glancing at them as they passed by.
To be providing Guiding in a place where so many people were passing by…!
Of course, since the Association was mostly filled with Guides and Espers, no one found it strange.
But it was a big deal for Seoyul. It felt like he was caught in an act of affection, not just Guiding.
A reunion embrace with a lover after a long time apart.
Guiding was just mixed in, but the situation itself didn’t feel much different, so his heart began to race.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
‘Ah, what should I do…’
Seoyul stamped his feet anxiously. He couldn’t push Dowoon away nor continue Guiding like this, making him feel dizzy.
Unaware of Seoyul’s feelings, Dowoon exhaled contentedly against his ear and whispered:
“Haa… this feels really good.”
Seoyul froze completely.
He felt his emotions rapidly swelling, like a stimulant clinging to his exhausted body.
“E-Esper-nim. Um. So.”
Feeling that this couldn’t continue, Seoyul quickly called out to Dowoon.
“Whaat. It feels good, so just a little more. Okay?”
Sweet words were whispered in his ear. Seoyul felt a surge of desire to continue providing Guiding, but he knew he shouldn’t.
So, gathering as much courage as he could, he made an excuse.
“P-people are…”
“Ah…”
As if finally aware of the people around them, Dowoon created some distance. He turned his head sharply, glaring at the people who were glancing at them, then met Seoyul’s eyes.
“Ah, sorry. I was too impatient.”
“Ah…”
He was… impatient…
Seoyul bowed his head deeply to hide his face, which had turned bright red again. Dowoon let out a pleased laugh and took Seoyul’s hand.
“Let’s go home. You can give me the rest at home.”
It seemed that… Seoyul had completely fallen into Dowoon’s trap.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
