# Chapter 59
“Cough, cough! Huhk, are you, are you crazy?!”
When would he suddenly kiss him, when he had been avoiding even the slightest touch until now? Hajin couldn’t figure out this madman’s behavioral patterns at all.
It was too vague to just think he should be cautious and careful because the other was crazy.
Moreover, Hajin had only experienced the Alpha Team as Espers so far, which made him complacent. Even the hot-tempered Han Seungho would pout but endure when Hajin stopped him.
After dealing with such people, Hajin was helplessly caught off guard by someone like the dog, who acted according to his own desires regardless of Hajin’s shoulder slaps and signs of rejection.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing out of nowhere!”
“Ah… this feels so fucking good. Let me do it just one more time. I’m so turned on. Now I understand why those bastards went crazy. Shit, they’ve been keeping this amazing feeling all to themselves?”
But even as Hajin got angry, the dog, entranced and dazed, didn’t seem to hear anything, muttering to himself as he stealthily reached for Hajin again.
“Get away…!”
Hajin pushed the dog away with all his might. He even used violence, something he had never used before, but the dog didn’t budge an inch.
His head, which he had turned to avoid the dog, was roughly grabbed, and their lips met again.
As a tongue parted his lips and explored inside, unwanted wet sounds mixed with breathing stabbed at Hajin’s ears.
‘Damn it, this crazy son of a bitch!’
The dog showed no signs of stopping. Hajin could tell from the hand that suddenly slipped under his clothes.
Constantly stroking his stomach, fiddling with his waist, and eventually feeling the hand reach his chest, Hajin finally had no choice but to use Guiding on the dog.
There were plenty of areas where their skin touched. Without regulating the Guiding through contact, he poured it in, and immediately the dog’s body went limp and fell to the floor. He had fallen asleep.
“Huhk, whew, damn it…”
Hajin cursed as his plan to avoid contact Guiding at all costs was ruined.
The dog’s lack of demand for Guiding indicated he hadn’t let his guard down against Hajin yet, but now that Hajin had used Guiding, he would surely be under more suspicion.
He had to hide this fact somehow. Though it seemed impossible, he had to try.
‘At least they rarely gather all together, so I just need to caution the dog.’
Hajin tried to calm his anxious heart. He should be able to silence one person like the dog.
He straightened his disheveled clothes. The dog continued to sleep with his face planted on the ground, making soft breathing sounds.
The problem was that since he had poured out Guiding without regulation, it would be a while before the dog woke up.
He would probably sleep for nearly half a day to a full day, and Hajin couldn’t stay here that long.
‘But is it even possible to wake him up…?’
No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t come up with a way to wake the dog within an hour.
“H-Hajin? Aji…?”
‘Damn it, why is that guy here now?’
As if things weren’t bad enough already, Choi Jihyung’s voice began to sound from a distance while Hajin was already troubled by the dog situation.
If he had been avoiding the dog, why would he suddenly come looking for him on his own? Hajin wanted to snap at him like that if he could.
“Hajin, oh?”
Being an S-rank Esper must make it quite easy to sense presence, as Choi Jihyung didn’t pass by but found Hajin.
Choi Jihyung, who was about to smile brightly upon discovering Hajin, noticed the dog face-down at Hajin’s feet and closed his mouth in surprise.
He was so shocked that even Hajin could see his pupils shaking uncontrollably.
“Uh, huh? What is this…?”
Hajin thought it was all over now. Having been caught using Guiding to put them to sleep, there was no way they would just let this situation slide.
‘Damn it… Should I try to persuade him with Guiding?’
It was unlike him, but he judged there was nothing to lose by trying since he’d been caught anyway. Just as Hajin was carefully attempting to spread radiative Guiding…
Choi Jihyung gulped and carefully approached Hajin, avoiding the face-down dog.
“Are, are you okay?”
‘What’s this now?’
Hajin felt puzzled that Choi Jihyung only gave a passing glance at the dog, focusing more on checking and taking care of him, yet simultaneously racked his brain for the hope that hadn’t completely disappeared.
Apparently, Choi Jihyung had given his heart to Hajin more than he had thought. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have cared for Hajin first after seeing this situation.
Anyone could see that Hajin had put the dog to sleep, and he wouldn’t be standing within arm’s reach.
‘Maybe…’
Using Choi Jihyung might allow him to get through this situation safely.
Though he knew nothing about his abilities, he was an S-rank Esper after all, so he probably had the ability to smooth over the situation.
Having quickly finished his thoughts in a short moment, Hajin looked up at Choi Jihyung and answered.
“Mr. Choi Jihyung.”
It was difficult to act as gentle and non-threatening as possible, but Espers would come running asking what was wrong if Hajin just lowered his eyebrows a little.
“W-what happened?!”
Despite Hajin’s obviously awkward acting, Choi Jihyung seemed to have blinders on as he examined Hajin with concern when his name was called, as if something serious had happened.
Hajin, though reluctant to admit it, felt relieved by that reaction and explained the situation to him.
It was quite unfamiliar to see Choi Jihyung’s frightening change of expression when he heard that the dog had suddenly pounced on Hajin and kissed him, but as soon as Hajin finished speaking, he reverted to the timid young man again.
“I suppose if this fact spreads, the surveillance on me will intensify.”
“That, well…”
When Choi Jihyung couldn’t finish his sentence and trailed off, Hajin shook his head as if he already knew.
“I know that much. Do you think I don’t realize that you all still don’t trust me enough to even receive Guiding?”
At those calmly delivered words, Choi Jihyung fidgeted as if he were the one at fault.
Hajin continued speaking while ignoring Choi Jihyung, because the more Hajin averted his gaze, the more anxious Choi Jihyung became.
“However, if that happens, even these short walks will be prohibited. That would be, well, quite disappointing.”
That much was sincere. If he were forbidden even this brief freedom in an already suffocating place, it might drive him crazy beyond mere disappointment.
When emotions he didn’t need to fake showed on his face, Choi Jihyung exclaimed as if he couldn’t bear it any longer:
“I’ll! I’ll take care of it!”
Choi Jihyung approached Hajin, not even realizing he was stepping on the fallen dog, and grabbed his hand.
Surprised by the sudden grasp, Hajin looked at him to find Choi Jihyung wearing a determined expression, as if seized by an important mission.
“…How will you do it? In the dog’s condition, he’ll stay asleep until tomorrow even if someone smacks him. And if we take out a sleeping person, it will all be captured by surveillance cameras.”
That was the very reason Hajin couldn’t think of a solution no matter how hard he tried.
Fortunately, there were no surveillance cameras where they were currently located, but as soon as they entered the corridor, cameras were everywhere.
People could be avoided, but how could they avoid the gaze of numerous cameras? After hesitating and fumbling with his lips one last time at that question, Choi Jihyung raised his head proudly and said:
“My ability can handle it.”
After saying that, Choi Jihyung turned and headed outside, telling Hajin to wait just a moment. When he returned about 5 minutes later, he cheerfully said they could leave now and hoisted the dog onto his back.
Hajin was anxious, not knowing what Choi Jihyung had done, but since he had already carried the dog out, there was nothing Hajin could do by staying there. Eventually, he had no choice but to head outside as well.
Had Choi Jihyung turned off the cameras? But the cameras Hajin examined upon leaving still had red lights on, indicating they were operational. So what exactly had he done?
Unable to contain his anxiety and curiosity, Hajin asked Choi Jihyung who was walking ahead:
“Are you sure it’s okay? The cameras still seem to be working.”
“I-I’ll explain later. For now, let’s go back.”
After he said that, Hajin couldn’t ask anymore. Though still concerned, Hajin quietly followed him. Hajin asked again only after they had returned to the living quarters and Choi Jihyung had carelessly tossed the dog into his room.
“Now can I hear an explanation of what happened?”
Of course, Choi Jihyung had no obligation to explain everything to Hajin, but Hajin shamelessly demanded an explanation. And Choi Jihyung explained as if it were only natural.
He seemed so pleased that Hajin was showing interest in him that he scratched the back of his head shyly and revealed his ability.
“Actually, my ability is hypnosis, brainwashing… I brainwashed the staff in the surveillance room to manipulate the footage from the moment we left for the garden until we returned here. So, um, you don’t need to worry.”
Though he appeared to be just a gentle and timid young man on the surface, Hajin had to try his best to act unaffected by the words that came out of Choi Jihyung’s mouth.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
