“The time’s up.”
“Hurry inside and get some rest.”
He responded with his back still turned, even for the final goodbye. Didn’t he know it was basic courtesy to at least face someone when speaking, no matter how awkward it was? Even so, the red aura surrounding Delroz still flared chaotically. Maybe it was because he’d spent too much time near Banteon. Though calmer than when he first arrived, he still wasn’t in a normal state.
It really didn’t feel right to just let him go like this.
“You’re really okay, right?”
“……”
Even when asked again, there was no answer. If anything, the person going through it would know best how abnormal they were. How much longer was he supposed to spoon-feed him? Banteon sighed and took off his gloves once more.
“Stop being stubborn and grab it. I’ve had some rest—I’m feeling better.”
“I said I’m fine, now go away.”
Delroz didn’t even flinch in response to the outstretched hand. As Banteon moved closer, the aura twitched instinctively, as if welcoming a Guide. It was plain to see—so why was he being so obstinate?
Banteon reached out to grip Delroz’s shoulder, intending to turn him around. Just before his white hand touched that firm shoulder, Delroz’s own hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, lightning-fast. The force was stronger than usual, enough to wrinkle his sleeve.
“Ah…”
“Ah—sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Delroz, who had stubbornly kept his back turned, spun around and examined Banteon’s wrist. Only then could Banteon see his expression, carefully inspecting to see if he’d left a mark. Furrowed brows filled with worry, lips pressed tight. That shadowed throat…
As Banteon focused on the lowered posture, the reason Delroz had turned away became clear.
Beneath the neatly fastened belt buckle, there was an unmistakable bulge. It was something no man could overlook.
This was bad. Seriously bad.
He should have turned back the moment he was refused—but instead, he’d acted on pointless concern. Banteon averted his gaze as if he hadn’t seen anything.
“Just… take a bit of Guiding before you go.”
He forced his voice to sound casual, unaffected, like always. If he backed off awkwardly now, it would only confirm that he’d noticed Delroz’s condition. He had to act as if nothing had changed.
Banteon grabbed the hand that was checking his wrist and slipped off his right glove. He pressed his fingertips against the small exposed patch of skin between Delroz’s sleeve and wrist. He ignored Delroz’s startled reaction to the skin-to-skin contact and proceeded with the Guiding.
“You—!”
“Stop being so stubborn. You know this won’t just go away by enduring it.”
If only he’d accepted Guiding from the start, they wouldn’t be in this kind of mess now. Banteon forced his gaze back up, away from the distracting sight below. It wasn’t easy.
Even after seeing many others, he couldn’t get used to the sheer size—it naturally drew his eyes. Same human, yet the presence he gave off felt so unfamiliar.
“……”
“You’re feeling better than before, right?”
The radius of the red aura swirling around Delroz had shrunk. But in its place, the more pronounced form below had become harder to ignore. Banteon pretended not to notice. Emotions affecting physical reactions—he couldn’t control that.
Delroz, who had been enduring silently with clenched lips, immediately rubbed the wrist that had been touched with his opposite hand once Banteon let go. He stayed quiet, not saying a word. Feeling like he’d unintentionally committed something indecent, Banteon turned away.
“I’ll head out first, then.”
“…Yeah.”
Trying to appear natural, he walked calmly out the door. Not a sound followed from behind. He passed down the hallway with steady footsteps and turned the corner. Only when he was far enough that Delroz wouldn’t sense him did he lean against the wall, drained.
‘This is seriously a problem.’
The image of what he’d just seen wouldn’t leave his head. He knew Delroz was attracted to him—he’d made efforts to look good, expressed that he wanted to get along, hadn’t even flinched at a kiss.
It was understandable that there might be some sexual interest too. Even having thought that, seeing it firsthand had been more shocking than expected. There was no better way to describe it than “problematic.”
When the back of his head touched the cold wall, the whirlwind in his mind settled a little.
As the heat in his head cooled, the previous situation felt even more surreal. There had been plenty who reacted to him before. In fact, it was rare to approach someone and not get a response. He often used that to his advantage, charming those he liked with ease.
Many of them had wanted relationships different from what Banteon sought. Having experienced that since childhood, he’d developed countless ways to withdraw cleanly and naturally. And yet now, his mind was blank, like it had been wiped with sugar—white powder scattering and clouding his thoughts.
‘This is insane.’
His throat suddenly parched, and he unfastened the collar button he never touched in public. The cold air, like winter wind, slid into his chest and soothed him.
***
[Teacher. I can’t even describe how shocked I was when I heard the news from the capital. I couldn’t sleep properly, worrying that you might’ve been hurt. I’m finally returning to the capital tomorrow. As soon as I’m back at the Center, I’ll come straight to your office. Please take care of yourself until then. I miss you.]
A long message appeared on the terminal. There weren’t many people who would send such affectionate messages to Banteon. A familiar face surfaced faintly in his mind over the unfamiliar code. Now that he thought of it, he’d given that code to Keslan once.
So much had happened since then that he’d forgotten about it for a while. As he read the message, he tapped the screen with his finger. At the time he shared his code, he’d definitely had some interest in Keslan.
But after dating Keslan, those feelings had gradually started to falter. Was the person he had seen up to now truly the real Keslan? The evaluations from others were entirely different from what he himself had seen. And then there was that sharp attitude when Keslan said he’d be leaving first.
It wasn’t much to go on to reassess all their time together from just a fleeting moment. Maybe he was being overly sensitive—but his instincts were rarely wrong. And Keslan wasn’t someone worth taking risks for just out of fleeting attraction.
Banteon, who had long since reached his conclusion in his heart, picked up the terminal.
On the darkened screen, his own expressionless face was faintly reflected. If things became inconvenient, he could simply cut ties. It wasn’t a relationship that warranted lengthy explanations or emotional farewells. Keslan might cling to him with hurt feelings, or he might walk away resenting him.
Since they’d spent some time together, maybe offering a suitable parting gift and backing away would be the best approach. In time, Keslan would become just another of the many who had come and gone. Banteon dismissed it without much thought and withdrew the interest he had momentarily extended.
Click.
He opened a drawer and took out a small box. It was a particularly valuable item, one he kept locked in a secret drawer. He might have use for it soon. Opening the small box, he fastened its contents to the lapel of his shirt.
***
[Teacher. You must be busy these days. If you ever have a moment, could you give me a call? I’ll be waiting. Sorry if I’m bothering you.]
He closed the message that came like clockwork twice a day. The training team Keslan had been dispatched with was reassigned to capital restoration work as soon as they arrived at the Center. While the previous team returned for rest, they were swapped out. Even with him back in the capital, they wouldn’t be crossing paths anytime soon.
If in the meantime Keslan picked up on his thoughts, that was fine. And if he happened to show up, Banteon would deal with it then. He’d just say that his interest had faded and it was time for them to return to their respective lives. It wasn’t a difficult conversation.
He hadn’t said so through messages because he didn’t want to leave behind evidence that might start rumors. So it would be better to settle things face to face.
“So annoying.”
Without Tearot around to barge in if notifications went unchecked, Banteon had to stay on top of checking his terminal himself. Having to constantly glance at those repetitive and bothersome messages was unexpectedly grating.
Shaking his head, he picked up the book he’d been reading. Banteon, who usually stayed in his private study, had made a rare visit to the central library. His own collection consisted only of work-related and instructional materials. For miscellaneous content, this place was the best choice.
Since all classes had been suspended, there weren’t many students here. Just a few researchers stopping by briefly for their work. Thanks to that, he had the spacious room mostly to himself.
Quietly brushing his fingers across the covers, he searched for a book of interest. It was a section filled with civilian beliefs, oral folktales, and other tabloid-like stories he’d never bothered with before. Titles that normally wouldn’t even catch his eye passed by in a blur.
The Shocking Tale of an Esper Who Became a Legend.
The Effects of Color Therapy on Espers.
101 Ways to Boost Compatibility with Your Desired Guide.
He shook his head and moved on. Just the titles were enough to make him never want to read them by accident. He was only investing time into these ridiculous books because they were the only source that might contain anything about Psychic-Types.
Even the story about the “magician who tried to assassinate the king,” which he’d come across years ago, had been buried in a book like this. As a child, curious about his unique ability to see certain auras, he had dug through countless books. Only to ruin his eyes and come up empty-handed.
He never thought he’d be doing the same thing at this age.
Hopefully this time, he’d find something worthwhile.
He grabbed five books at random. A few scattered students sat here and there at a distance. As he looked around for a secluded spot, he found an empty desk by a large window at the end of the corridor.
