Research facilities were built along the coast of Quardo Island, with separate areas assigned by country. Among them was a Korean branch that occasionally requested Espers to be dispatched to the country for the purpose of collecting research materials.
‘But I can’t say this.’
The reason I knew the mission details was simple. In the past, I had also been assigned to a Quardo Island dispatch mission. But on the day of departure, an A-class dungeon suddenly opened in the metropolitan airspace, and as a result, the mission was passed to another Esper.
“I haven’t been informed about that, so I think I’ll have to meet with the Center Director tomorrow to know the details.”
The current me was supposed to know nothing. I answered Jeong Seyeon’s question with a slightly awkward smile.
“But didn’t the Center Director tell you to bring a guide along?”
I flinched momentarily at Do Wonjin’s words. ‘Accompanied by at least 1 guide.’ I had been planning to cleverly hide this fact that the Center Director had earnestly requested of me and go alone, but he pointed it out too accurately. Do Wonjin must have noticed my unease, as a slight gleam appeared in his eyes.
“What? Were you trying to leave us behind and go with just the Center Director?”
This is too much.
Contrary to his words, which were full of feigned disappointment, his face was filled with a smirking smile.
“Is this true?”
Jeong Seyeon, who had caught the hint from my conversation with Do Wonjin, asked me, and I had no choice but to confess the details of my conversation with the Center Director, albeit reluctantly.
“If it’s at least one person, then there’s no limit to the number.”
Do Wonjin nodded and pointed at himself.
“Take me, Jeongjae.”
“You, the hospital…”
“It’s fine. I’m perfectly well. There was nothing wrong with me to begin with.”
His answer came immediately, as if he had predicted my response. I wasn’t sure if Joo Seolhyeon would go or not, but since I had already mentally excluded him from the situation, it wasn’t bad that Do Wonjin was volunteering like this.
When I nodded in permission, Do Wonjin smiled with great satisfaction.
“Seolhyeon hyung, are you going? Since it’s at least one person, if I go, you don’t necessarily have to.”
His manner of asking about Joo Seolhyeon’s intentions on my behalf seemed quite relaxed.
Feeling that Do Wonjin was particularly enthusiastic about this mission, I was also waiting for Joo Seolhyeon’s answer, when Joo Seolhyeon, who had been frowning throughout this meeting, gave me a brief glare.
“What time tomorrow?”
“8 AM.”
“I’ll go.”
For a moment, I wondered what answer I had heard.
Joo Seolhyeon? Going? Why?
“Then can I leave first?”
Even after answering, Joo Seolhyeon pressed his brow, which stubbornly refused to unfurrow, as if tired, and stood up from his seat. Since the conversation was essentially over, I nodded.
“Yes, get some rest.”
I responded out of courtesy, but even after he went upstairs, I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding.
I didn’t hear wrong, did I? He definitely said he’d go?
Why on earth?
“Hyung, can I come along too?”
“Garam, it’s not like we’re going on a vacation abroad.”
I turned my head, thinking Yang Garam was calling me, but Do Wonjin was the one who answered.
If you look carefully, Do Wonjin treated Yang Garam like the youngest just as much as I did. Yang Garam paid no attention to Do Wonjin and stubbornly kept looking only at me.
“I can’t even bear being apart for a day, how am I supposed to not see you for two days? Please take me with you too, okay? Consider it a lifesaving favor.”
“What about your school?”
“This is a mission. Even if training isn’t recognized as official business, for missions, temporary guides are also recognized as official business.”
Yang Garam had somehow approached right in front of me and was showing all kinds of affection. If it had been Woo Jeonghyun, I would have pushed him away, saying it was gross, but Yang Garam, who was trying to make his large frame smaller by hunching over as much as possible, was cuter than I expected.
I almost felt my heart soften for a moment, but then I realized that even if it was recognized as official business, missing classes could make things difficult for Yang Garam later.
“Weren’t you busy preparing for the competition?”
“I’m not busy at all.”
Today again, Yang Garam was the one who returned home the latest due to night training. I heard that he had eaten dinner briefly at school, but I wasn’t sure whether to believe this or not.
“And from tomorrow, the seniors will be in a training camp for competition preparation, so first-years don’t have training for a while.”
As if knowing what I was worried about, Yang Garam caressed my hand and kept looking up at me pleadingly.
School had been the biggest obstacle, but with him saying all this, it became difficult for me to refuse.
“Alright.”
Why did they say ‘at least’ 1 person? Belated regret washed over me, but I couldn’t take back the decision they had already made to go. At my answer, Yang Garam shouted hooray and hugged me, and Do Wonjin, who had been watching this behavior with exasperation, kicked his side to separate him from me.
“…”
I looked at Jeong Seyeon, who had remained silent until the end.
As things stood, 4 out of 5 people would be leaving, and I felt a bit concerned about leaving him alone in the house for 3 days and 2 nights.
“Would you like to come along too, if you don’t mind?”
Since it wasn’t just one day but three days and two nights, I didn’t necessarily ask expecting a positive answer. I was clearly going abroad for a mission, but the current atmosphere felt exactly like the eldest working to the bone while the younger siblings were all excited about going on a trip abroad without any consideration, and I couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable about it.
“Then I’ll go too.”
Seeing him answer promptly without the slightest hesitation, I realized.
I’ve dug my own grave.
‘No, wait, in the end, I’ve avoided going alone with Joo Seolhyeon, so that’s a good thing, right?’
I tried to think positively, but it wasn’t fine at all.
After the meeting ended, I contacted the Center Director while returning to my room to let him know that I would be going with all four guides. I received a brief reply saying okay right away.
And the next day.
I boarded a plane to Brazil, the country closest to Quardo Island, with the four guides.
Upon arriving in Brazil, we immediately boarded a ship without even adjusting to the time difference. It was an intense schedule that made it clear why it was a three-day, two-night trip. I fell asleep on the ship as if passing out, then woke up because I felt extremely nauseous. Looking out the cabin window, I could see a whitish shape that appeared to be an island at the end of the pitch-black night sea.
“How long have I slept?”
Even in my drowsy state, I clutched my stomach, which was churning.
“Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up.”
Among all modes of transportation, I was weakest on ships. Besides passing out, I had no way to deal with seasickness. Thinking fresh air might help, I thoughtlessly went outside the cabin and found Do Wonjin leaning on the bow. I naturally stood beside him and felt his gaze on me.
“Did you sleep well?”
Despite Do Wonjin’s natural greeting, I didn’t take my eyes off the sea. Since I had been continuously receiving guiding from him from the first day I moved in, even the nightmares I had seemed like a long time ago. Perhaps because of that, I now thought that the dark sea turning my insides upside down was like a nightmare.
“Don’t you get seasick?”
Instead of answering that I slept well, I blurted out my question, and I heard Do Wonjin’s laughter. Thinking he might be laughing at my seasickness, I tilted my head slightly and glared at him, meeting his sparkling eyes.
It was unexpected. He was smiling with the kind of pure smile that Yang Garam might make.
“What’s so funny? Let me in on it too.”
I hesitated for a moment, then asked in a disgruntled voice. Do Wonjin brushed away my hair that had been disheveled by the sea breeze and answered.
“I just find it interesting that even an S-class Esper gets seasick.”
His touch made me grip the railing tighter. Do Wonjin’s fierce eyes were curved gently like spring flower petals. It wasn’t the first or second time I’d seen this smug face, but strangely, I didn’t think it was as annoying as usual.
‘Have I developed some affection for him despite everything?’
Come to think of it, I had seen him every night, so it would have been stranger if I hadn’t developed any attachment. Especially since I was currently in a state of craving human connection.
“If your seasickness is severe, shall I guide you?”
It was too obvious a lie to deny that I wasn’t seasick, but I felt a little wounded in my pride to simply take the hand he was offering.
‘Who’s suffering from guiding deficiency.’
I had suffered from severe guiding deficiency before my regression, but not now. I looked at his hand with displeasure and then realized one thing.
‘No, wait, Do Wonjin wouldn’t know about my past.’
Do Wonjin wasn’t trying to tease me but was simply showing genuine goodwill, and I was the one who felt needlessly defensive. As my strange resistance subsided, my attention turned to my churning stomach.
After hearing that we would head straight to the sea after getting off the plane, I had deliberately eaten only a bird’s amount of food and water, but seasickness didn’t seem to allow even that, as something felt like it was about to come up my esophagus.
“Really, will guiding make seasickness better?”
I expressed my doubt but took Do Wonjin’s offered hand. I was tempted by his words, but as someone who knew his usual behavior, I didn’t completely trust him. His energy flowed into me through our connected hands.
“Well, I don’t know about that either.”
“Ugh!”
Do Wonjin’s glib answer and my covering my mouth happened simultaneously.
‘I’m a fool for trusting him.’
Do Wonjin’s guiding relaxed my tension, and as a reaction, the nausea I had been suppressing surged all at once. I pushed away Do Wonjin’s hand and leaned my head over the railing.
“Urgh!”
The hand patting my back was not only annoying but infuriating, but I couldn’t push his hand away because I was too busy throwing up. Due to Do Wonjin’s misdeed, I had to squeeze my stomach through consecutive dry heaves even though there was nothing coming out, and I had to hang on the railing for a long time. During that time, Do Wonjin disappeared, saying he would find medicine.
“We’re almost there.”
Hanging on the railing with my head down, on the verge of collapsing into the sea due to nausea, I discovered a ray of hope as I saw the island, which was much closer than before.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
