# Chapter 47
Hajin, who had planned to wait quietly until the Espers came looking for him, debated whether he should try to find an escape route on his own.
In movies, people often created trouble when they unnecessarily tried to do too much…
“Hmm…”
“What is it?”
Hajin, who had unconsciously let out a sigh, shook his head at the Puppy who immediately turned around, telling him it was nothing.
But there was no way the Puppy, who was focused on Hajin’s every move, would simply accept that answer.
In the end, Hajin came up with a random thought. Concerned that he might not even be allowed to walk around anymore, he had no choice but to give some sort of answer.
“Just thinking that the building structure is unusual.”
“Ah, yeah, it is. I don’t like it though. It’s gloomy and stuffy.”
“Well, it is quite stuffy without windows.”
“Well, we can’t have those anyway.”
From the Puppy’s response, Hajin was now completely certain that they were underground. He looked at the Puppy with a slightly dejected expression.
As he had noticed since the time the Puppy was being played by Seo Juan, he was an incredibly simple-minded person, beyond what Hajin had imagined.
‘What makes him spill hints so freely like this?’
Soon Hajin stopped wondering about it, thinking what did it matter? If the Puppy’s stupidity was helpful to him, why should he worry?
The Puppy, thinking he had broken the ice with Hajin, continued chattering, listing his complaints about the “ant colony.”
Although the constant grumbling was annoying, the information coming from the Puppy’s mouth was quite valuable, so Hajin responded appropriately to keep the conversation going.
‘I’ve really grown.’
While maintaining a conversation for ulterior motives wouldn’t normally be considered personal growth, Hajin felt a small sense of pride.
As they walked down the long corridor that seemed to have only one path, they eventually came upon a staircase.
Seeing stairs going both up and down, it seemed that Hajin was somewhere on a middle floor.
‘This place is much larger than I thought.’
Since he couldn’t tell how many floors there were, it seemed impossible to attempt any hasty escape.
“Let’s head back now. We’ve walked enough, right?”
Excluding the fact that they were completely enclosed, they had walked far enough for it to qualify as a decent stroll. How many identical floors were there?
Hajin hid his weary expression and responded to the Puppy.
“Yes. If it’s all right, could you come with me again tomorrow? I’d like to walk like this daily.”
“You want to be with me every day?”
The Puppy’s tendency to interpret everything as he wished was tiresome, but since he was the easiest to manipulate, Hajin nodded willingly.
Giving people what they wanted to hear was something he was all too familiar with.
“You’re the most comfortable to be around.”
“M-me?”
The Puppy blushed as if he’d just received a confession. Hajin’s inner feelings grew increasingly weary, but none of it showed on his face.
Given the personality the blushing, shy Puppy had displayed so far, Hajin expected him to immediately boast that he would definitely accompany him.
Instead, his actual response was an ambiguous answer about asking for permission.
“I see.”
Hajin struggled to keep his frown in check. The fact that permission was needed suggested there was someone above them, a leader like the Association Chairman.
There was nothing good about having his story reach that person’s ears.
Of course, how could he not attract attention? Hajin was well aware that he was already receiving excessive attention.
But there was no need to be imprinted twice in the mind of someone who was a leader.
“I didn’t realize it needed permission. I’m sorry. Let’s just forget about it. I didn’t mean to trouble you.”
As Hajin tried to back out, making it seem like he was sorry for the excessive request, the Puppy predictably jumped up in protest.
“What are you saying? It’s not troublesome at all! It’s fine! I only said I’d ask because I don’t want to hear nagging, but there’s no real need for permission. So let’s walk together every day from now on.”
Hajin had to use all his strength to transform what would have been a victorious smirk into a gentle smile.
The Puppy, seeing Hajin’s smile for the first time, flushed bright red and began walking ahead with stiff steps. Even so, he wouldn’t stray too far, as if he couldn’t leave Hajin alone, which was quite annoying.
Upon returning to where he had first awakened, Hajin no longer kept his door tightly shut.
Not only was it suffocating, but he also felt the need to lower the Espers’ guard around him.
‘Guiding would be the easiest, but…’
That method was too conspicuous. Considering that they hadn’t asked for Guiding in over a week, it seemed they also wanted to lower his guard first.
If he suddenly changed his mind and began providing Guiding freely, it might raise suspicion.
He had already used Radiative Guiding once, but since contact Guiding seemed more effective than Radiative Guiding, they might overlook it this one time.
For now, he needed to reduce the watchful eyes directed at him.
He would show them a gradual lowering of his guard, like someone getting wet in a drizzle without even realizing it.
In this way, he would gradually increase the time spent with them, showing himself becoming more relaxed as time passed. Then they might not be suspicious when he provided Guiding to the Espers.
‘The problem is that it will take time…’
Hajin swallowed his sigh. These people could hear even the slightest sounds. He had to be mindful of even his breathing. But the more careful he had to be, the more his insides twisted with worry.
Surely they would have known by now that he was missing and would be searching for him, but the problem was that he was the only one who could Guide them.
He now understood all too well that they weren’t the type to rest when it came to searching.
‘They can’t go berserk again.’
Instead of sighing, Hajin clenched his fist so tightly that his slightly grown nails dug into his palm, then released it.
Then he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. Thinking too much only increased his worry and anxiety.
Neither was particularly helpful in plotting an escape. It was better to think positively and focus on what he could do.
Having decided not to shut himself in his room anymore, Hajin retreated briefly to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face to clear his mind, and then went to the living room.
The Puppy, who had been there until just a moment ago, was gone, and instead, the bespectacled man—what was his name again?—anyway, the timid man was sitting there.
“H-H-Hajin-ssi! You finally came out!”
“Ah… yes. It was getting too stuffy being in the room all the time.”
Unable to recall his name, Hajin sat down some distance away from the timid man.
Hajin wasn’t particularly sociable, and the timid man only glanced at him without initiating any conversation, so the living room was filled with an awkward silence.
If only he would stop looking, Hajin wouldn’t even care about the silence, but the man kept glancing at him as if he had something to say, yet never actually spoke.
Hajin finally had no choice but to speak first. He didn’t want to continue the conversation since he didn’t want to reveal that he’d forgotten the man’s name, but he had no choice.
“…Do you have something to say to me?”
“What?! Ah, no!”
When Hajin turned his head and made eye contact while asking, the man immediately avoided his gaze and even turned his head away, which made Hajin feel absurd—did he expect to be believed?
Hajin looked for the remote control, indicating that if the man didn’t want to speak, he wouldn’t bother either.
‘Of all places, it’s over there.’
It was awkwardly placed—the timid man was holding the remote control in his hand.
“Could you hand me that remote you’re holding?”
“This one?”
“Yes. Am I not allowed to watch TV either?”
Thinking that if that were the case, he would just go back to his room, but the timid man jumped in surprise and shook his head vigorously. He seemed to get startled by many things.
“N-no! You can watch! H-h-here.”
The timid man stood up abruptly and approached Hajin with the remote. As Hajin thanked him quietly and reached out to take it, their fingertips brushed.
It was such a minor touch that shouldn’t have warranted any attention, but the timid man suddenly flushed red and began breathing heavily.
‘…This feels concerning.’
Seeing a reaction that anyone would recognize as excitement, Hajin unconsciously backed away, but there was nothing behind him except the back of the sofa. If anything, he was now trapped against it.
The timid man, with his flushed and excited face, was approaching slowly, step by step. This wasn’t good. Hajin should go back to his room now.
Just as Hajin was about to get up to avoid the hand reaching out to him, the door to the outside opened and Seo Jihan entered.
He looked at the timid man extending his hand toward Hajin, frowned, and spoke.
“Choi Jihyung.”
‘So his name was Choi Jihyung.’
Even though Seo Jihan was someone who showed dislike toward him, Hajin felt relieved at someone’s appearance.
Hajin could have the nonchalant thought of learning the timid man’s name, which he had forgotten, despite the hand right in front of his face.
“Step back.”
At the firm voice, Choi Jihyung startled as if waking from sleepwalking and withdrew his outstretched hand.
“Gasp! S-s-sorry! I was just, eek!”
Not only that, but as he was backpedaling as if to get away immediately, his leg caught on the table and he fell flat on his back.
The person who had been disturbingly excited just moments ago had disappeared, and now showed a clumsy demeanor, though in a different way from the Puppy.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
