# Chapter 64
It was a complete disaster. Even though the Association prioritized Guides over Espers, that didn’t mean they could afford to lose them.
Besides, how many S-rank Espers had Han Jiwoo guided?
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nearly everyone, with only one or two exceptions, had been guided by Han Jiwoo.
“I-instead of this, let’s quickly find a solution. I’ll file a report and head to the research building. I’d appreciate your cooperation, everyone…”
At that moment, Han Jiwoo, who had been lying motionless like a dead person, suddenly sat upright. He stumbled out of bed and immediately tried to rush toward the door.
However, he tripped over the fallen blanket and fell, allowing the startled Ha Sungjin to quickly subdue him.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Aagh! Let go! I said let go!”
Everything was over. Any hope that he might survive if his guiding abilities were still intact was all in vain. Feeling terrified about his remaining future, Han Jiwoo struggled desperately, having lost all reason.
“Aagh! No, no! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”
Han Jiwoo, who had been raving, only went limp after being given a sedative. Only after forcibly calming the commotion did the others sigh in relief.
But they had no time to relax.
Beep-! Beep-! Beep-!
Everyone’s phones rang loudly. Startled by the simultaneous noise, they looked at each other and swallowed dryly.
Despite the painfully loud ringing, they couldn’t easily answer the calls. They instinctively felt that it wouldn’t be good news.
“…I’ll answer.”
Dr. Jung, the most senior among them, took the call. Following him, the others answered their phones one by one.
The voices coming through the phones were so loud that there was no need to wonder about each other’s conversations.
“Teacher! It’s an emergency!”
“Deputy Ha Sungjin! Bring Guide Han Jiwoo right now!”
The runaway they had feared had finally occurred.
* * *
The puppy who had stormed off didn’t return for several days for some reason.
No matter how much Hajin was supposed to be wary of him, it was impossible not to be concerned when he hadn’t appeared for two days, then three.
“Is Mr. Puppy away? I haven’t seen him for several days.”
When Hajin, who had come out to the living room for a drink of water, asked Choi Jihyung, the answer came back that he had gone on another mission.
“A-are you worried about Aji?”
This time, it was Choi Jihyung who questioned Hajin.
“Well, I am concerned.”
He was worried that the puppy might be talking about him somewhere. However, Choi Jihyung, who didn’t understand his meaning, hesitated before asking again.
“Do you… l-like Aji?”
With his drooping eyebrows, tearful eyes, and lifeless voice.
He looked no different from a young man with an unrequited love, but his eyes were sinking with a sinister and gloomy glint.
However, Hajin, who had his back turned to him as he drank water, didn’t notice the strangeness in those eyes. Instead, he was busy refuting the absurd misunderstanding that he might like the puppy.
“Surely you don’t think I like Mr. Puppy?”
It was a calm question, but his expression was utterly displeased, as if wondering how anyone could make such a mistake. Hajin wasn’t sure if it was Choi Jihyung’s standards that were strange or if the Espers here were just weird in general.
Hajin decided to clear up this ridiculous misunderstanding first.
It would be a serious problem if he just laughed it off and this was passed on to others, especially to the puppy, creating a misunderstanding.
‘That absolutely cannot happen.’
The puppy was already self-centered and did whatever he wanted. If he heard a rumor that Hajin liked him, he definitely wouldn’t listen to any explanations Hajin might offer.
“I don’t know why you’ve misunderstood, but it’s completely untrue, so please don’t say such things elsewhere.”
Hajin meant to prevent an absurd misunderstanding, but at his firm denial, Choi Jihyung’s face brightened.
“Y-yes, yes. I won’t.”
He acted shyly, as if an opportunity had opened up for him.
“Th-then… what about… me?”
What about me?
At that question, Hajin choked on the water he was drinking. Bending over and coughing as the water went down his windpipe, Choi Jihyung rushed over, startled.
“A-are you okay?! I’m sorry!”
Unable to calm down, he patted Hajin’s back with a very careful touch, as if handling a baby, but he was so cautious that it wasn’t helpful at all.
In the end, Hajin calmed himself down by coughing and repeatedly inhaling until his breathing returned to normal.
Only after his hiccupping subsided did he put down the cup he was holding. The floor was wet with water because he hadn’t been able to finish drinking when he choked.
“*cough* …I should clean this up first.”
“I-I’ll clean it!”
Before Hajin could move, Choi Jihyung quickly fetched tissues and wiped the floor. Squatting down and cleaning up the spilled water, he asked:
“C-can I hear your answer to my earlier question…?”
‘Earlier question?’
Wiping the water from his chin, Hajin tilted his head for a moment. Could he really be wanting to hear how Hajin felt about him?
Hajin looked down at Choi Jihyung with a displeased expression, considering how he’d ended up in this state because of that question, yet the other man still wouldn’t give up.
However, looking up at Hajin, Choi Jihyung was waiting for an answer, avoiding eye contact despite his timid attitude. Seeing his stubbornness despite being so timid, Hajin suddenly felt annoyed by everything.
‘It’s not like I’ll die from answering…’
Hajin refilled the cup that had spilled all its water and answered. If he was so determined to hear an answer, Hajin might as well give one.
“Among the people here, I suppose Mr. Choi Jihyung is the least objectionable.”
It wasn’t an answer expressed in terms of like or dislike, but Choi Jihyung only picked up on the part where Hajin said he was the best.
“M-me…?”
The voice sounded almost ecstatic, but Hajin didn’t notice as he was busy getting water. Only after filling his cup did he finally look away from it.
“Yes.”
Hajin wanted to emphasize the “I suppose” part, but remembering Choi Jihyung’s timid attitude so far, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
Other people wouldn’t even ask such questions, and Hajin was confident they wouldn’t get hurt by whatever answer he gave, but Choi Jihyung was different.
In any case, Choi Jihyung could be said to be the person who had spent the most time with Hajin lately.
Yet he still couldn’t properly meet Hajin’s eyes and stammered whenever he spoke, which unconsciously made Hajin choose his words carefully.
* * *
“…I shouldn’t have done that.”
With his hands and feet bound, Hajin regretted what had happened just a day ago. No matter how hard he tried to break free, the restraints wouldn’t budge.
Of course, if they had been tied with serious intent, they wouldn’t just be immovable—his wrists would have broken, but to Hajin, it was all the same.
Hajin wiggled his fingers, which were tingling from lack of blood circulation, trying somehow to get the blood flowing.
The effect was minimal, but it was better than nothing. As he kept wiggling little by little, the restraint around his wrist seemed to have loosened slightly. Very slightly.
“Damn it. As if that would happen.”
He had tried to aim for a placebo effect, but Hajin’s rational brain wouldn’t fall for such a pathetic trick. By then, his fingertips were starting to turn purple.
“H-Hajin-ssi.”
The culprit who had put Hajin in this state, Choi Jihyung, entered the room. He let out an ecstatic moan as he looked at Hajin lying modestly on the bed.
Hajin glared at him and bit his lip. He had reminded himself countless times not to let his guard down, yet he felt pathetic for having been caught like this.
“Ah, Hajin-ssi… y-you’re so beautiful.”
Hajin was about to curse at the disgraceful sight of him welling up with tears, but thinking that Choi Jihyung might even enjoy such a reaction, he kept his mouth shut and averted his gaze.
But that didn’t last long. As the sensation in his hands and feet began to disappear due to lack of circulation, he finally had to speak up.
“Would you untie this, please.”
“N-no, I can’t. It’s p-punishment. Because Hajin-ssi did something wrong…”
Hajin was dumbfounded. What wrong had he done to deserve punishment? And from this inexperienced young man, no less.
Hajin recalled the incident from just a day before.
Clearly, after the brief conversation with Choi Jihyung, he had shut himself in his room to read a newly received book. Until then, he had been enjoying a quiet time.
But then, Choi Jihyung had to leave briefly, and coincidentally, the puppy who had been away on a mission for a long time took his place.
“…What are you staring at?”
“Hmph.”
Every time Hajin spoke to him, the puppy would make a prissy “hmph” sound and turn his head away sharply, which was really quite irritating.
‘He could at least disappear from the doorway.’
All the while, he never crossed the threshold but sat right in front, watching Hajin with a sullen face, which couldn’t help but be annoying.
No matter how much Hajin claimed not to care about others’ gazes, this was different. It was hard to ignore when someone was staring directly at him, demanding attention and making huffing noises.
Finally, Hajin closed the book that was no longer registering in his mind and spoke to the puppy again.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
He swallowed the rest: “instead of being so annoying.”
If he said such things to someone who was acting like a child throwing a tantrum to get attention, this situation would likely continue for hours, if not days.
Once Hajin properly focused on him, the puppy finally opened his mouth and spoke properly.
“…I heard you like that bastard more than me.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
