I put my phone down and covered my eyes with trembling hands.
‘He has post-traumatic stress disorder. And a strong aversion to male Espers.’
I thought Joo Seolhyeon had issues, but it was the Center Director who deliberately matched him with me despite knowing this. He even went so far as to manipulate our matching rate.
“What the hell is going on here?”
I hadn’t completely trusted the Center Director from the beginning, but I never expected to be backstabbed like this. It felt like being doused with ice water, instantly sobering me up. I realized that in truly absurd situations, you can’t help but laugh.
“Ha, so it was me all along?”
My inability to let go of Joo Seolhyeon despite his dislike for me was partly because I fell for him at first sight, but our matching rate played a significant role too. A matching rate over 80% with an S-class Guide was too attractive a condition to pass up. If either Joo Seolhyeon’s grade or our matching rate had been lower, I might not have held onto him for five years. Back then, I thought that if he ever changed his mind and agreed to guide me, all the time I’d waited would be rewarded, and that there was no Guide more compatible with me.
So I really tried hard. If it had just been an issue between Joo Seolhyeon and me, my efforts might have resolved it. But there was a reason things weren’t working out.
‘Joo Seolhyeon must have been deceived too.’
If the Center Director manipulated things, then Joo Seolhyeon is also a victim. According to the Center Director’s memories, he already had a strong aversion to male Espers. That meant I never had a chance to win his heart from the beginning. But there was only one reason Joo Seolhyeon contracted with me.
‘If it weren’t for the matching rate, we would never have been tied together like this.’
When the matching rate between an Esper and a Guide exceeded 80%, the government could forcibly summon the Guide. Of course, this was predicated on the Guide not having a contracted Esper partner.
A Guide could refuse a contract if the matched Esper rejected them. But the reverse wasn’t true—an Esper couldn’t reject a Guide. That’s how absolute the matching rate was in establishing contracts.
‘This might be for the best. Now I can tell him the truth and request to terminate our contract.’
I don’t know what the Center Director was thinking by manipulating our matching rate to pair me with Joo Seolhyeon, but now that I knew everything, I needed to set things right.
Since I’d already mentioned something this morning, I decided I should go talk to him now and got up from my seat.
I’d barely taken a few steps before I was already in front of Joo Seolhyeon’s door. Although we’d lived together for a month, this was the first time I’d approached him of my own volition, not at his request. Before the regression, I’d lived with him for five years as his dedicated Esper, yet standing before his unusually unfamiliar-looking door, I couldn’t bring myself to knock.
“What are you doing there?”
My tense shoulders flinched at the voice behind me. When I turned around, Do Wonjin, who had just come up the stairs, was looking at me curiously.
“Did Serubi sneak into that room again?”
He probably thought it was Serubi, who frequently visits the neighboring room.
“No, I just have something to say.”
“To Seolhyeon hyung?”
I felt embarrassed remembering how I’d been hesitating in front of the door despite coming here to talk. Seeing me smile bitterly, Do Wonjin made a short nasal sound and smiled.
“If it’s not urgent…”
He showed me what he was holding in his hand.
“How about a drink?”
It was the sorghum liquor we’d stocked up earlier. Seeing another bag that appeared to contain snacks, I felt all the tension drain from my body.
“Was this your plan all along?”
“I can’t deny it.”
His smooth laughter and brazen proposition made me laugh in disbelief. Normally, I wouldn’t have gone along with it, but right now, his suggestion was quite appealing.
“But he’d kick me out before I could even start talking if I went to him smelling of alcohol.”
When I pointed at the door I was standing in front of with a regretful expression, Do Wonjin stepped closer to me.
He reached toward my head, and I stayed still thinking he was going to pat me as usual, but his hand moved past my head toward the door.
“Then Seolhyeon hyung can join us for a drink too.”
When the knock echoed in my ears like thunder, I grabbed Do Wonjin’s hand in surprise.
“You can’t just knock—”
As I was about to protest, clinging to his hand with both of mine, the door opened with a cheerful click.
“…”
“Hyung, let’s have a drink together.”
Without thinking to let go of Do Wonjin’s hand, I turned my head to look at Joo Seolhyeon. He glanced between me and Do Wonjin, then nodded slightly.
“Come in.”
I couldn’t believe that Joo Seolhyeon, who hated letting people into his room, had so readily accepted not just one but two people, and even those who clearly intended to drink.
“See? Problem solved.”
While I was momentarily dazed by Joo Seolhyeon’s attitude, Do Wonjin naturally put his arm around my shoulder and asked.
I pushed his face away with my palm and narrowed my eyes.
“You just made things more complicated, idiot.”
What I wanted to discuss with Joo Seolhyeon was a sensitive and heavy subject for a third party to hear. It involved exposing my direct superior, the Center Director, while also announcing that I would be kicking Joo Seolhyeon out of this house.
“Oh no, did I make another mistake?”
Seeing Do Wonjin grinning with an apologetic face reminded me of how his guiding had accelerated my seasickness on Quardo Island. He had the same expression then. He didn’t need to be this consistent in these aspects.
“It’ll be fine.”
Do Wonjin patted my head as he said this.
‘He has no idea what I was going to talk about with Joo Seolhyeon.’
I smoothed the hair Do Wonjin had patted while watching his back as he set up the alcohol and snacks he’d brought on the table.
‘I’ll have to discuss the contract termination another time.’
My heart was just being impatient; there was plenty of time. I glanced toward Joo Seolhyeon, who had already taken a seat, and followed suit. There were only two chairs at the table, but Do Wonjin had somehow procured a folding stool and naturally sat down next to me.
The bag Do Wonjin had prepared contained not only snacks but also various alcoholic beverages. There was soju, beer, and even makgeolli. The amount was considerable when laid out together.
I wondered if we would really drink all of this, but once we started drinking, I realized my concern was unfounded. Do Wonjin directed most of the alcohol toward Joo Seolhyeon, making me wonder if he’d actually come to drink with me at all.
“You and Jeongjae knew each other before, right, Seolhyeon hyung?”
Joo Seolhyeon, who had been drinking everything Do Wonjin offered without changing his expression, paused with his glass midair.
“The way you look at each other suggests you’re not just casual acquaintances.”
Do Wonjin rested his chin on his hand as he asked Joo Seolhyeon, a playful smile on his face.
‘He’s just fishing, right?’
Even though I knew our relationship wouldn’t be exposed if I just kept my mouth shut, I felt guilty and glanced at Joo Seolhyeon. He stared at me with eyes that revealed nothing of what he was thinking, neither confirming nor denying as he finished his drink.
“I didn’t pour that to silence you, that’s disappointing.”
Do Wonjin made a deflated expression at Joo Seolhyeon’s silence before turning to me. He noticed my empty glass and said, “Oops, when did your glass empty?” before pouring me some beer from a bottle he’d opened nearby.
“But why the sudden drinking session?”
“When I was discharged from the hospital, they said no alcohol for a month. I’m something of a drinker, you know.”
‘I thought he’d just ignore that and drink anyway. He’s surprisingly diligent.’
I nodded as I sipped the beer Do Wonjin had poured me.
“Does Jeongjae become honest when drunk?”
Confused by his question, I looked at Do Wonjin as he tapped his lips.
‘What’s with that hand? Is he asking for a kiss?’
“If I had to choose, I’d prefer a kiss over a peck.”
Suddenly I realized something was off about our conversation. I rolled my eyes to look at Joo Seolhyeon.
‘Why does Joo Seolhyeon look so disgusted?’
Suddenly, I heard Do Wonjin laughing beside me.
“Did you just call him Joo Seolhyeon?”
“What are you talking about?”
That’s when I realized what had felt odd.
“Did I just… say that out loud?”
I hadn’t felt drunk at all…?
“You just thought you weren’t drunk, right?”
I covered my mouth with my hand, looking at Do Wonjin with wide eyes. He was smiling broadly with crescent-shaped eyes. I drew in a sharp breath and turned to Joo Seolhyeon. He was leaning awkwardly in his chair, making no effort to hide his discomfort. More than the polar opposite reactions of the two men, the sudden realization of my drinking habit made my intoxication vanish instantly.
‘Shit.’
A warning light flashed that I needed to leave this place. Though I’d had alcohol before in my life, Woo Jeonghyun was an alcohol lightweight who got drunk on a single beer, and I hadn’t been close enough with Joo Seolhyeon, whom I’d known the longest, to drink face-to-face. As a result, I’d naturally distanced myself from alcohol, only occasionally sipping low-proof cocktails at government parties or events. Naturally, I’d never drunk enough to get intoxicated.
‘I’m going to cause an accident at this rate.’
When I tried to stand up, my vision spun ridiculously, despite having been confident I wasn’t drunk just moments ago. The possibility that an Esper could get seasick should have been a warning that I could get drunk too, but why had I thought I wouldn’t get drunk no matter how much I drank?
I felt my sense of balance momentarily falter, but I couldn’t stop blaming myself for my carelessness. As I reached out to steady myself on the table, my arm flailed through the air and my body tilted sharply. At that moment, someone caught me. Assuming it would be Do Wonjin, I looked up, but suddenly felt a chill run through my entire body. Joo Seolhyeon’s face was right in front of mine.
“Get away!”
My heart sank and my hand instinctively shot out.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
