Chapter 83
‘Maybe if I pretend to faint now… would Song Ji-hyeok clean up after me?’
But his next words snapped me back to reality.
“Do you want to do more?”
“No.”
Song Ji-hyeok had already released enough energy, so he was probably joking, but you never know. I managed to get up awkwardly, found and put on my underwear first, then gradually dressed in the clothes scattered around like shed skin. While doing so, I asked him a question I should have asked earlier.
“How do you feel?”
“Incredibly refreshed.”
Indeed, Song Ji-hyeok’s face looked very refreshed as he looked down at his fist, clenching and unclenching it. The irritable, annoyed expression had completely disappeared, leaving only his handsome features. It was a moment when I felt the reward of giving my all during guiding.
‘Of course, my body feels a bit worn out…’
I’ll sleep like a baby when I get home tonight.
After not sleeping well for several days, I felt like I could pass out the moment I closed my eyes. As I slowly put on my jacket, I suddenly realized Song Ji-hyeok was still there.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“Do you want me to?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
I thought he would immediately go to the skill training room or physical training room since I’d completely reset him. That’s what he’d always done before.
“I didn’t know you’d hint for me to leave after sex.”
“No, I never did that.”
I hurriedly waved my hands at his accusation. How unfair to say I was hinting. Even as a joke, I wasn’t in any position to do so.
Song Ji-hyeok shrugged and sat at the edge of the bed. If it were me, my legs would dangle, but his feet were firmly planted on the floor. He looked at his phone, which he had somehow managed not to drop during our intense session, then spoke to me again.
“What are you going to do now?”
“I need to write the guiding log.”
I flinched, feeling like he’d read my mind. Actually, I was planning to sprawl on the bed a bit longer after he left.
“Do you have to do it right now?”
“No, not necessarily.”
“Then come with me somewhere.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see when we get there. Hurry and report that you’re taking a half day off.”
“You want me to take a half day off?”
“Yes.”
He answered briefly and closed his mouth. Judging by how he was pretending not to notice my question, he had no intention of telling me more. That stubbornness of his, seriously.
I sighed lightly as I filled out the half-day leave form on my device. It felt wasteful since there were less than two hours left until the end of work, but I couldn’t just leave without permission.
Eventually, Song Ji-hyeok and I went down to the underground parking lot. Getting into his car felt like it had been quite a while, since he’d been in the dungeon for a few days.
After fastening his seatbelt, Song Ji-hyeok set the navigation. I looked over eagerly, but failed to figure out the purpose of our outing. Only a building name was set as the destination.
‘Maybe we’re going to eat?’
That seemed the most likely possibility. Meals in the dungeon were just for survival, with no expectation of culinary pleasure. Having returned after several days, and with his condition at its peak thanks to guiding, it would make sense for him to have an appetite.
I thought I’d fall asleep if I let my guard down, but that didn’t happen. Although a dull pain remained and my body felt heavy, my mind was surprisingly clear.
“What did you do while I was gone?”
Song Ji-hyeok suddenly asked. Feeling guilty, I flinched and looked at him.
His gaze was directed forward. Judging by his calm expression, it didn’t seem like he was fishing for information. Before our eyes could meet, I hastily opened my mouth.
“I kept busy. Continued intense physical training, studied dungeon strategy reports thoroughly.”
Yet I still felt oddly guilty and rambled on about whatever came to mind.
“Oh, the day before yesterday, I went to a spa with the guys. There’s a new place that’s supposed to be good. Gitae drove us there, and it really was nice. Have you ever been to a jjimjilbang?”
“No.”
“Let’s go together next time. It feels great to sweat it all out, and eating the hardboiled eggs with sikhye is delicious.”
I exaggerated enthusiastically. Song Ji-hyeok listened quietly before dropping a question.
“Did you think about me?”
“Huh?”
“I asked if you thought about me. Going into the death zone alone without a Guide.”
I was speechless at the unexpected question. I really couldn’t tell if he knew something, it had happened several times already today. And “death zone”? Shouldn’t that term apply to the monsters, not Song Ji-hyeok? They must have been slaughtered.
Many thoughts came to mind, but I answered his question first.
“Of course I did.”
“Just licking your lips.”
“It’s true. You’re my Esper. If I don’t think about you, who will?”
“This is what they call fishing for compliments, I think?”
“No, really.”
The conversation that started this way gradually descended into third-rate comedy.
‘How would you know what’s in my heart?’
‘I can just see it.’
‘Are you a descendant of Gung-ye?’
‘Don’t insult my ancestors.’
I wondered if this was what they meant by talking without using your brain. As we bickered with childish wordplay that even elementary schoolers wouldn’t engage in, the navigation announced we had arrived at our destination.
Song Ji-hyeok parked the car in a nearby public parking lot. Opening the car door and getting out, I saw a scene typical of downtown. Numerous vehicles were passing through a massive intersection, and the buildings behind the sidewalk were all impressively tall.
“Let’s go.”
Song Ji-hyeok took the first step. The place he entered was a car dealership. Before I could say anything, a staff member hurriedly approached us.
“Welcome. How can I help you today?”
“I have a test drive reservation.”
“Of course. Please come this way and I’ll help you with the identification process first.”
While Song Ji-hyeok was at the desk speaking with the employee, I stood a few steps away, watching.
‘Is he planning to change his car? The one he’s driving now still seems new.’
I discreetly glanced around the interior of the showroom. Import car dealerships were rare enough to see on the road, let alone actually entering one.
A person should know their limits. While having a car would certainly be convenient, it was still a burden for my financial situation. Even if I somehow managed to buy a used car, when thinking about gas, insurance, and other costs, it was better not to even look.
Once my sister fully recovers her health and our financial situation improves, maybe then I could consider it.
“Senior.”
Turning my head at his call, I saw Song Ji-hyeok giving me a slight chin gesture. Recognizing it as a sign to follow him, I approached.
Thanks to the employee, we had the luxury of taking the elevator just to go up one floor. When the doors opened, quite a few cars were parked here and there, showing off their gleaming finishes.
The employee’s kindness continued. After a test drive accompanied by explanations, Song Ji-hyeok got into the driver’s seat and I sat beside him. Finally alone with him, I could ask:
“Are you changing your car?”
“Yes. The car I’m driving now has too low a body.”
I immediately understood. When watching Song Ji-hyeok drive, his head did seem dangerously close to the car’s ceiling. But that wasn’t what he meant.
“When we had car sex before, it was really hard to move properly and super uncomfortable.”
I stared at him in shock at his unexpected words. While I was just opening and closing my mouth, Song Ji-hyeok was already turning the steering wheel as naturally as if he owned the car.
Soon he stopped briefly and turned his gaze toward me. The slight curl at one corner of his mouth gave me an ominous feeling.
“Try reclining the seat. Let’s see if it’s easy to climb on.”
Then he unbuckled his belt and made a movement as if he was really going to pounce on me, causing me to shriek in panic.
“Are you crazy?”
Song Ji-hyeok quickly returned to his original position, chuckling. As I looked around nervously, thankfully there seemed to be only cars parked in their places, no people.
Meanwhile, Song Ji-hyeok slowly drove the car again. Feeling annoyed at being needlessly startled, I pinched his thigh in retaliation.
“Ouch.”
As if that hurt. His muscles were too firm for a proper pinch.
After completing the test drive, we got out of the car. To the employee who asked how it was, Song Ji-hyeok confidently asked:
“Do you have a model with more headroom?”
“If you want something taller than what you just drove, you might want to look at our SUV models. Would you like to try one?”
Thus we went for a second test drive with a different type of car. At the same spot from before, which was probably a blind spot for the employee, Song Ji-hyeok stopped the car again and played the same prank before returning to the dealership. After getting out of the car, he coolly stated that he would contract this model.
While he had a second meeting with the employee, I sat on a lounge sofa, repeatedly muttering “Good grief” to myself.
