# Chapter 16
“Now, let’s get to the real point.”
The Director pulled out a sheet of paper from the file holder tucked under her arm and handed it to me. At the top of the paper was written ‘Contract’.
“This is what I’m proposing to you. Take a look.”
The contract she handed me was very simple, not even requiring time to examine it thoroughly.
‘Son Jaeo’ (hereinafter ‘Party A’) and ‘Earth Peace Research Institute’ (hereinafter ‘Party B’) hereby draw up the following contract with mutual cooperation.
- ‘Party A’ promises to work for ‘Party B’ for a period of one year. Work refers to periodic Guiding.
- ‘Party B’ shall pay ‘Party A’ a contract fee of 100,000,000 won (one hundred million won) in cash.
- ‘Party A’ shall remain silent about all matters occurring at ‘Party B’ and information related to its employees, and may not disclose it to a third party. If this is violated, ‘Party A’ must compensate ‘Party B’ with 10 times the contract fee.
I blinked at the contract amount written on the contract.
Did I read this correctly? They’re giving this money to me?
Thinking I might have misread the numbers, I rubbed my eyes and read the contract again. No matter how many times I read it, the thin A4 paper contained a contract amount that felt completely unreal.
100 million won.
As I stood there with my mouth hanging open, the Director flicked the ash from her cigarette into a tin ashtray and shrugged.
“Jaeo, you need money, right? Your sister will be going to college soon. Even if not immediately, you’ll need a lot of money for the future.”
“W-well, that’s true, but this…”
It’s too much money. I was so shocked that I could barely speak. It was an absurdly large amount to just hand over to a part-time worker. For someone like me who would be wide-eyed at even 10 million won, 100 million was a sum I could only touch in dreams. I already couldn’t believe that I had the qualities of a Guide, and now they were offering me this kind of money—it made my head spin.
“Yesterday, I acted too emotionally, so I’m making a more rational offer today. Think about it realistically. The contract period isn’t even that long—just one year.”
“The 100 million written here, it’s not illegal money, is it?”
“What do you take me for, Jaeo? I own a 10-story building in the business district. Want me to show you the property registry?”
At least it doesn’t seem to be illegal money. I read through the contract again. My hands holding the thin paper trembled, still unable to believe the amount.
I needed to keep my wits about me in this situation, but my body was already reacting to the figure of 100 million. Blood rushed through my body making my heart pound, and saliva pooled in my mouth. Noticing my reaction, the Director folded her arms with a slight smile.
“I won’t force you. If you want to quit, you can do so as of today.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
“Well, it’s a shame, but the contract money flies away, and I’ll have to find another way to silence Jaeo, who now knows confidential information.”
The Director gave a meaningful smile, and I flinched. I didn’t know what “another way” meant, but it didn’t seem like a pleasant method.
“I’m joking. I have no intention of bothering you as long as you don’t go around talking about us. What will you do?”
“Well… I…”
I swallowed hard and looked at the Director. Unlike yesterday, she had regained her composure, which made me feel more anxious.
100 million won. To be honest, it was an ambiguous amount for doing something in society. It wasn’t enough to buy a house, and the interest from putting it in a bank would be minimal. But for me, it was an enormous sum. At least I wouldn’t have to worry looking at my overdrawn bank account, and I could give my high school sister enough allowance. Wasn’t that why I started this part-time job in the first place?
If Heerim was an uninvited guest disrupting my daily life, 100 million won would be the foundation that would stabilize my chaotic daily life.
So as the head of the household, I had to make the most realistic and best choice for my life.
“I’ll do it.”
***
A very small storage room at the back of the office. Originally it was filled with unused junk haphazardly thrown in with barely any space to step, but it had been hurriedly cleaned up this morning.
I sat face to face with Heerim in there. Despite being cleaned up, the space was still so cramped that our knees touched with two adult men sitting in it. Unlike me, who was extremely tense, Heerim was looking at me with a slightly flushed face. Having his pretty face so close made me even more nervous.
This storage room was a space the Director had created for us to successfully complete our first official Guiding. I didn’t understand why Guiding had to be done so secretly in such a confined space.
“I’m so excited that Jaeo hyung will be my Guide.”
“Are you?”
I’m beyond worried.
Swallowing words I couldn’t bring myself to say out loud, I laughed hollowly. Boldly signing the contract was one thing, but now that I was actually trying to do the Guiding, I had no idea how to proceed. Moreover, I still hadn’t fully accepted that I was a Guide.
“Heerim. Give me your hand.”
“Here you go.”
“You don’t need to be so shy about it.”
Heerim blushed like a bride on her wedding night as he extended his hand to me. The already awkward and embarrassing atmosphere became even more embarrassing.
“Ahem. Hem.”
I forced a cough and took Heerim’s hand. I just wanted to get this over with quickly and go home.
“Hmm. Hmm…?”
But I didn’t feel the thrilling sensation like last time. Previously, just holding Heerim’s hand had given me a tingling shiver, but for some reason, I felt nothing now.
The most basic Guiding was to hold an Esper’s hand and transfer energy. So when I asked the Director how to do it, she said:
“How would I know? I’m neither an Esper nor a Guide.”
No one had taught me how to do Guiding. I was anxious about becoming an unscrupulous person who couldn’t do anything after receiving 100 million won.
“Hyung. That tickles.”
“Ah, sorry.”
I must have fidgeted with his hand too much in my confusion, as Heerim’s face turned red. Heat rose to my face as well. I immediately let go of Heerim’s hand and smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t know how to do Guiding. Last time, just holding hands made me feel a tingling sensation, but now I feel nothing.”
As I subtly wiped my palm, which still retained Heerim’s warmth, on my pants, Heerim furrowed his brow and let out a hum.
“Could it be a matter of mindset?”
“Mindset?”
“Do you remember when you kissed me on the pedestrian overpass?”
“That wasn’t a kiss; it was emergency care.”
“Anyway. What were you thinking when you did that?”
I blinked, recalling the memory of that day. At that time, I was only thinking that I had to save Heerim. He was in a situation where he could have really died. I can’t describe how shocked I was.
“I thought I needed to save you.”
“So you were only thinking about me?”
“What? Ah, well. I guess you could say that?”
It was a strange leap of logic, but since it wasn’t wrong, I nodded. Heerim seemed to ponder something for a moment before suddenly grabbing my hand.
“Then this time too, focus on me and only think about me. Don’t think about anything else.”
“…”
“I’ll only think about you too, Jaeo hyung.”
Heerim’s eyes, meeting mine, curved into crescent moons. That innocent eye-smile was as soft and sweet as cotton candy given human form.
“Come on, let’s try again.”
Heerim shook my hand like we were playing a hand-clapping game. I, momentarily entranced by Heerim’s appearance, swallowed hard and concentrated.
“Hyung, where are you looking? You should look at my face.”
“Ah…”
I raised my slightly lowered head to look at Heerim. An exclamation involuntarily escaped from my parted lips. A face so pretty and handsome that it was admirable every time I saw it was staring intensely at me. That serious expression made it impossible to read what Heerim was thinking. Sometimes the air around him would feel heavy, and at those times, Heerim would have a bland, cool expression.
Wait. Could it be that he used his ability to shatter the pervert’s ankle back then?
“Hyung. Are you thinking about something else again?”
“…”
“Come on, let’s focus again.”
He smiled again, folding his eyes. It was a completely different expression from when he had looked down at the screaming pervert with a broken ankle without any emotion.
As I naturally looked at Heerim’s face and inwardly expressed admiration, a numbing electricity rose from the tips of our intertwined fingers, traveling up my spine to the top of my head.
“Ah.”
I could see the tips of Heerim’s hair sparkling. It was as if stardust had been sprinkled on his head. Following that, a dizzying pleasure flowed throughout my body and then into Heerim through our joined hands. Rather than having my energy stolen, it felt like we were connected as one, sharing energy. It was strange and peculiar.
“Ah, hyung. It feels so good.”
“H-Heerim. You’re holding my hand too tight.”
“This is the first time I’ve felt this way. Haa. It really feels good.”
Heerim exhaled roughly, gripping my hand tighter.
“Heerim! It hurts! Ugh!”
When I grimaced in pain that felt like my bones would break, he finally seemed to come to his senses, releasing my hand with a start. My hand had turned bright red where he’d gripped it.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“No. It hurts.”
When I deliberately answered gruffly because of the throbbing pain, Heerim’s face crumpled.
“I’m really sorry. The Guiding you gave me felt so good that I lost my mind without realizing it. What should we do? Should we go to the hospital?”
“No, it’s not serious enough for the hospital.”
Tears welled up in Heerim’s large eyes as if he might burst into tears at any moment. I had to sigh slightly at Heerim’s restless appearance and tell him it was okay.
“Then you’ll Guide me again tomorrow, right?”
Heerim looked at me with moistened eyes. His face was filled with expectation. I quietly observed Heerim, who was looking expectantly at me while watching for signs that I might scold him. Come to think of it, from our first meeting until now, Heerim had been trying to gain my favor. He had been waving an invisible tail, his whole body crying out for me to like him.
But why is he pretending to be so docile with me? Does he really need to make a good impression on me? Is it really because I’m his Guide? If so, was saving me from the Rift also part of a scripted plan from the beginning?
No. I shouldn’t think too deeply.
I shook my head slightly as my thoughts raced to extremes. Even if my thoughts were true, I had already signed the contract. Whatever ulterior motives Heerim and the Earth Peace Research Institute people had for me, they hadn’t harmed me so far. I had received 100 million won, and I just needed to go along with them for a year.
“Did the Guiding go well? Is Heerim okay?”
As soon as we entered the office, the Director asked as if she had been waiting. I nodded, staring blankly at my palm, which still retained Heerim’s warmth. Only then did relief wash over the Director’s face.
“Good job, Jaeo. I’m counting on you in the future as well.”
“…Yes. I’ll do my best.”
The Director extended her hand to me for a handshake. I felt nothing from the handshake with the Director. It only took away the warmth of Heerim that had remained.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
