# Chapter 50
Youngwoo’s voice didn’t reach Jaeha.
Instead, Jaeha became sensitive to his persistent stare and showed wariness in an unexpected direction.
“Hey, don’t I have any human rights?”
While Jaeha desperately struggled to protect his younger brother from the merciless flashing cameras, the gap in the gate had shrunk until it was barely visible. When the gate disappeared, the space they were standing on would vanish too. Since people’s curiosity was uncomfortable and they needed to move locations anyway, Jiho approached them.
“Sunbae, let’s go back together.”
Jaeha hesitated, not knowing what to grab when he saw Jiho holding Haeil’s and Jaeyoon’s wrists, one in each hand. Seeing this, Jiho smirked and stuck out his neck.
“Why are you sticking your neck out?”
“It could be dangerous if you fall from mid-air like before. Grab me properly.”
Jiho wasn’t wrong. Jaeha hung onto Jiho by putting his arm around his neck. Like his brother, Jiho was also bigger than him, which was embarrassing. Before he could finish wondering if he should just hold his arm instead, Jaeha’s view changed.
While Haeil and Jaeyoon showed no particular reaction to the spatial movement, Jaeha stumbled slightly even while holding onto Jiho’s neck. Jiho immediately let go of the two men and embraced Jaeha.
“Sunbae, it was hard moving three people at once. Please give me some guiding too.”
“Okay. I’ll do it now. Give me your hand.”
As Jaeha pushed away Jiho who was hugging him and held out his hand, Jiho shook his head in disapproval.
“Hey, you were about to give that person a kiss just now.”
When Jiho pointed, Haeil gave a slightly awkward smile. Seeing Jaeyoon’s face harden, Jaeha hurriedly made excuses.
“That was an emergency situation earlier.”
“When I was nearly dying, you only gave me a hug.”
“I was distracted because my brother was in danger. Otherwise, I would have just held your hand.”
Jaeha’s desperate excuse was because of Jaeyoon’s hardened face, but Jiho seemed satisfied with this and smiled brightly.
“Since it was just an attempt, it’s okay. Give me a hug instead.”
“A handshake is enough, Hyung.”
Jaeyoon set aside other comments and advised Jaeha not to make unnecessary actions. In response to Jaeyoon’s interference, Jaeha defiantly held out his hand. Though disappointed, Jiho interlaced their fingers and clung to Jaeha.
“Hey, why do you always hold hands like this?”
“I always hold hands this way.”
Though Jaeha shook his hand irritably, their hands moved together without separating. While the two were bickering, the Association’s doors opened and staff members rushed out.
“Are you alright?”
“Esper Kwon Haeil, we’ll measure your mana.”
“Please report about the gate.”
The staff who had been guarding the lobby had watched the situation in front of the gate through a large screen. They moved quickly, anticipating that the Espers who suddenly disappeared would appear at the center entrance. Among them was a researcher. The researcher measured each Esper with a device and told Jaeha the results.
“Esper Kwon Haeil’s levels are the most serious. When his levels drop by about half, you must immediately provide guiding to Esper Seo Jaeyoon.”
Though not as bad as Jiho’s case, Jaeha also tensed up and nodded at the researcher’s serious words. As Jiho released his hand with regret, Jaeyoon stepped back and refused.
“No. I’ll go to the guiding room.”
Sensing determination in his actions and voice, the researcher turned to Jaeha instead of Jaeyoon and tried to persuade him.
“The guiding room’s efficiency is too low. If there’s no alternative, we can’t help it, but Guide Seo Jaeha can easily handle two or three people.”
The term “Guide” referring to Jaeha made Jaeyoon uncomfortable. Even though he had anticipated this, he couldn’t control his emotions due to fatigue and became irritable. When Jaeha turned toward Jaeyoon, he quickly refused again.
“I’m not doing guiding with you, Hyung.”
With his firm words, the atmosphere among those looking at Jaeyoon changed subtly. The mood shifted from not understanding why Jaeyoon was being stubborn. Instead of looking frustrated, some staff members nodded in agreement as if they understood his feelings.
“Well, it is embarrassing to hold hands.”
“Unless you’re a baby, holding hands with your brother when you’re grown up is kind of…”
“I don’t even like it with my sister, let alone with my brother.”
Hearing comments from here and there, even Jaeha nodded.
“Then face the wall. Your brother will personally give you a hug.”
As Jaeha playfully spread his arms, Jiho quickly interrupted.
“Sunbae, what about me?”
“Butt in where you don’t belong, seriously.”
“I’m sorry, but please guide Esper Kwon Haeil first.”
The researcher intervened with a serious face amidst the playful atmosphere. Jaeha, who had been trying to lighten the mood with jokes, approached Haeil, whose condition had worsened.
“I’m sorry. I almost neglected Gilma Hyung while worrying about my brother.”
“Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for making Jaeha uncomfortable in the field.”
“You two, I’ll escort you to the guiding room.”
As the researcher ran ahead, Haeil and Jaeha followed behind. Jiho also didn’t miss this brief moment and grabbed Jaeha’s hand, intertwining their fingers. After holding hands all night, it no longer felt awkward and seemed natural. Looking back, Jaeyoon had already disappeared, and Jaeha couldn’t hide his worry.
“Seo Jaeyoon will be back soon.”
“It would have been nice if I could have at least held his hand… Jaeyoon seems to be shy because he’s still young.”
“Jaeha Sunbae, he’s an adult too. He’s only one year younger than me.”
At Jiho’s grumbling, Jaeha laughed awkwardly.
“Oh, really? He looks much younger than you.”
“If anyone looks younger, it would be me.”
“No, that’s not true.”
While Jiho and Jaeha were bickering about Jaeyoon’s age, Haeil who had been watching them concluded:
“He must be a cute younger brother to Jaeha.”
He was indeed a brother, but Jaeha wished the adjective “cute” could be removed.
While Jaeha was slightly pouting, a guard came and led Jiho to another place. It seemed they were uneasy about Jiho wandering around using his abilities at will, especially after yesterday’s risk of going berserk. When the researcher started nagging while following along, Jiho apologized with a smile and followed them.
With his hand now free, Jaeha shook it vigorously and followed the researcher walking ahead, with Haeil guarding his side with a straight posture.
“Guide Seo Jaeha will be familiar with this.”
“Ah, yes. That’s true.”
The guiding room mentioned by the researcher was close to where they had conducted the guiding test.
“I’ll just help put on the patches and do the monitoring from another room. We’ll only check the data unless there’s a problem, so feel free to do the guiding.”
Had there ever been a time when the words “feel free” felt as uncomfortable as today? Unlike Jaeha, who was standing awkwardly against the wall, Haeil carefully examined the room while the researcher attached patches.
Unlike the guiding room that Jaeyoon had created using various items, this one was ordinary. With one sofa and a bed, it looked almost like a single hospital room. Only the mana wave meter and monitor beside the bed made it look less like a hospital room.
While attaching patches to Haeil’s chest and back, the researcher mentioned once more:
“Even if the patches come off, please prioritize the guiding. We’re trying to get data for the benefit of the Espers.”
“I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
Despite his poor complexion, Haeil was as polite as ever. Before leaving, the researcher gave a thumbs-up to Jaeha. The trust and familiarity the researcher had developed for Jaeha after visiting the isolation room together was clearly evident.
Jaeha reluctantly nodded at the researcher’s encouraging attitude.
As the researcher left, they also turned off some of the lights, changing the previously bright space to a soft ambiance.
“Um… shall we do the guiding?”
“If Jaeha is comfortable, I’d like to request it.”
Left alone together, Jaeha felt awkward and rolled his eyes. The monitor’s graph wasn’t smooth and spiked sharply at times, showing how much Haeil was struggling. Unable to stay like this, Jaeha decided to at least start, even if they had to proceed slowly.
“May I hold your hand first?”
“Of course.”
Despite Jaeha’s slow suggestion, Haeil didn’t rush and extended his hand. He turned his hands with both palms facing up and offered them to Jaeha without any sense of hurry. Yet when it came to actually holding hands, it felt extremely awkward.
This was all because the researcher had made suggestive comments and turned off half the lights before leaving. Unable to bear the awkwardness, Jaeha hesitated without taking Haeil’s hand and looked toward the door, when Haeil spoke to him.
“Jaeha.”
“Yes, yes!”
“I can wait, so please be comfortable.”
When Jaeha unknowingly raised his voice in tension, Haeil smiled and sat down leaning his back against the wall. Jaeha felt a bit more at ease as Haeil physically moved slightly further away. Additionally, Haeil closed his eyes.
When it became clear that Haeil had no intention of making the first move, Jaeha felt more relaxed. The graph still moved ominously, but Haeil appeared completely peaceful. Even his uniform, disheveled from the attached patches, couldn’t detract from Haeil’s neat and trustworthy image.
It’s only embarrassing because I think it’s embarrassing, Jaeha thought. With that mindset, he pressed his hands firmly against Haeil’s, and heard a low laugh.
Seeing Haeil laugh genuinely, Jaeha was puzzled but soon laughed along, feeling the tension release. Holding both hands meant facing each other, which was awkward, so he tried to lighten the mood with conversation.
“Gilma Hyung, what were you doing back there?”
“I was closing the gate.”
At such a simple answer, Jaeha closed his mouth thinking it might be confidential, but Haeil slowly began to explain.
The sudden opening of the gate. The existence of a double gate. How he hunted with Jaeyoon when there were several monsters around the entrance while escaping after destroying the gate stone. How he overused his mana to set fires to prevent other monsters from passing through the gate. After hearing all this, Jaeha’s face had hardened.
Reading the worry in Jaeha’s expression, Haeil realized he might have been too honest and tried to smooth things over.
“There was no danger. Thanks to Seo Jaeyoon’s excellence, there was no problem… Jaeha?”
“I’ll do the guiding properly.”
Jaeha released his hands and grabbed both sides of Haeil’s loosened shirt, pulling it open.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
