Chapter 39
It wasn’t easy. This was the first time he’d felt it was hard to Guide with this body, except when Guiding Lee Seungwoo.
However, with Lee Seungwoo, rather than the Guiding method being difficult, it was closer to being hard because it was a body that had never absorbed Guiding at all, so he had to manually open and pass through the path. But how should he put it… The reason he was feeling difficulty with Cha Yeongheon was probably because Ko Eungyo didn’t Guide often.
Since Cha Yeongheon was originally Jang Iju’s Esper, he definitely knew how to Guide. Then this was Ko Eungyo’s problem, not Cha Yeongheon’s. Literally, it meant his Guiding experience points were insufficient. If before he’d easily done cat’s cradle with bare hands, now it felt like doing it with gloved hands. It was frustrating that delicate Guiding didn’t work as he wished.
If not for the experience of when he was Jang Iju, who could Guide with his eyes closed, he would have given up on Guiding Cha Yeongheon. If Cha Yeongheon had never been his Esper, or if he hadn’t been Jang Iju, it would have been Guiding that absolutely wouldn’t have worked.
Had about an hour passed? Ko Eungyo had done one round of ‘rhythm game’ with Cha Yeongheon reasonably well. As a result of looking through Cha Yeongheon’s body, it seemed he’d roughly calmed the blood vessels that had reached rampage state. Perhaps with this much, he could walk into the Guiding room on his own feet.
‘Since I’ve seen him after a long time…’
Why not give him one more service?
Cha Yeongheon still had his eyes closed, and he circulated Guiding energy inside Cha Yeongheon’s body, which had become more familiar. Even though he did one more round of rhythm game like that, Cha Yeongheon didn’t open his eyes.
‘That’s strange…’
Did not only his skills die but his senses too? He thought this much would be fine. Or had he perhaps fallen asleep?
Since he’d been unconscious, as his body condition improved, it could have led to a sleep state. After deliberation, he decided to wake Cha Yeongheon. He’d suddenly ended up doing Guiding he didn’t have to do while resting at the cafe, so he wanted to end Guiding now. He also had an appointment with Lee Seungwoo later.
“Wake up, Esper Cha Yeongheon.”
Ko Eungyo slapped Cha Yeongheon’s cheek with some feeling.
And before long…
“…Team Leader Jang?”
Cha Yeongheon opened his eyes.
*
He almost answered. It had been really long since he’d heard that name from someone else. At the same time, it was also very familiar. Fortunately, he kept an appropriate silence and was able to look down at Cha Yeongheon while acting bewildered.
And his eyes met with Cha Yeongheon’s.
Whether it was the aftermath of rampage, Cha Yeongheon’s dilated pupils contracted and narrowed, then repeated dilating again. As if trying to recognize who was in front of him. Like that, for a while, Cha Yeongheon seemed to look at him with an entranced expression.
“…Ah.”
The next moment, Cha Yeongheon’s expression seemed to distort and return.
‘Is it my imagination?’
Somehow he felt awkward. It felt like he’d done something he shouldn’t have. In any case, he couldn’t Guide Cha Yeongheon with Ko Eungyo’s body like before. Because he was no longer Jang Iju.
Cha Yeongheon was both someone around Jang Iju and an Esper who knew Jang Iju well. If he became Ko Eungyo’s Esper, he would surely recognize that Ko Eungyo was Jang Iju.
Rather, if that happened, it would be fortunate. If he thought Ko Eungyo was impersonating Jang Iju and informed people around about it, his position would become very difficult.
“Have you come to your senses? I’ll end the Guiding.”
“……”
Let’s not give Cha Yeongheon false hope. He had many things to resolve right now. Taking in an Esper with whom matching rate didn’t even match well and caring for him could be done later. He cleared his throat and completely wrapped up the Guiding energy.
Precisely… ‘he tried to.’
“…What are you doing?”
“Do more for me.”
Cha Yeongheon whispered with a languid expression. The Guiding that had been interrupted while slapping his cheek began to reconnect little by little as Cha Yeongheon gripped Ko Eungyo’s wrist.
But Cha Yeongheon must also know that unless Ko Eungyo decided to do a ‘rhythm game’ like before, Guiding wouldn’t work properly. What on earth was he thinking?
He tried to shake off his hand with furrowed brows, but the tightly gripping touch didn’t allow it.
“Look here.”
“Mm.”
“Not mm… Let go. Stop being ungrateful.”
“You slapped my cheek earlier. Aren’t you sorry?”
“Not at all.”
“You really have no fucking manners, just as I heard.”
Cha Yeongheon snickered and laughed.
Oh no. ‘Just as I heard…’? Then it’s a bit more troublesome. Did Cha Yeongheon… know Ko Eungyo? He hadn’t thought Cha Yeongheon would be among Ko Eungyo’s acquaintances…
“Let me go.”
“Don’t want to.”
Unlike his relaxed expression, the hand gripping his wrist was gradually applying more force. It was too strong a force to shake off and leave. Enough that he couldn’t escape with his strength alone.
Whether it was because it was lunch time, or because of the rampage Cha Yeongheon had caused, no one appeared at this cafeteria.
What on earth were the paramedics doing?
“Become my Guide.”
To make matters worse, Cha Yeongheon brought out the proposal he’d been worried about.
Cha Yeongheon didn’t have a low matching rate only with Jang Iju. He was like that with most Guides. Still, occasionally Guides with decent matching rates popped up, but for some reason when the Guides all quit the Center, he was an Esper who’d been inevitably assigned to Jang Iju.
The situation probably hadn’t changed much even now. Knowing Cha Yeongheon’s circumstances clearly, pretending not to know wasn’t easy.
“…What kind of nonsense is that?”
“I don’t have a Guide. Everyone said Guiding was difficult and ran away with their tails tucked.”
“I’m not good at it either.”
“You did it earlier, didn’t you?”
“What kind of Guiding was that?”
“It was Guiding. Why wasn’t it Guiding?”
“……”
Words didn’t get through.
When neither listened to the other’s words, it seemed there was no need to continue the conversation. He closed his mouth and quietly examined his surroundings. Then the grip strength in the hand holding his wrist became stronger. As if to draw Ko Eungyo’s attention, as soon as he looked at Cha Yeongheon, the strength of the hand gripping his wrist weakened.
At this rate, it seemed like hand marks would remain on his wrist. He looked down quietly at the wrist Cha Yeongheon was holding with furrowed brows. Meanwhile, Guiding energy flowed meaninglessly through their bodies.
Cha Yeongheon looked up at him with the corners of his mouth raised.
“There doesn’t seem to be anyone who can help anyway… Don’t look elsewhere. I don’t know nothing about you anyway.”
“I refuse.”
What is this slimy tone again?
“Why? Ah, is it because you have that great Esper?”
“……”
He already knew the fact that Ko Eungyo was famous. But he didn’t know even such facts were known.
“Those two don’t even show it anyway. You can give me a chance too, right? Since we’ve tried Guiding anyway, I passed the interview… How about taking responsibility for me from now on?”
Additionally, it seemed the fact that Lee Seungwoo was also his Esper wasn’t known.
Cha Yeongheon pulled Ko Eungyo toward him with the corners of his mouth slightly raised as if asking when he’d acted sly. Ko Eungyo reflexively put strength in his body to avoid being dragged to Cha Yeongheon. Of course, Cha Yeongheon was merciless.
When both sides exerted force, if one side’s force was markedly less, the reaction was greater. Ko Eungyo, who bumped his forehead hard against the solid chest, raised his head.
“…Fucking hell.”
When he glared at him with a haggard face, Cha Yeongheon, who’d been gripping his wrist so strongly that blood wouldn’t flow, giggled and laughed.
“I thought you couldn’t curse at all because you’re a young master… It’s fine. I like this more.”
“……”
He was surprised that this guy, whom he’d thought only knew how to roll around on the floor begging for Guiding, also knew how to threaten people. Whether it’s this bastard or that bastard, it was very ugly and absurd that they all started with threats.
Ungrateful bastard.
To threaten the Guide to Guide him after receiving Guiding.
Right, this was a threat.
Unlike the past when he’d lived a life where people always respected and acknowledged him, the current Ko Eungyo had no reputation to speak of. At first, didn’t he fail to properly face Woo Sihyun and explain the situation because he didn’t properly grasp his position? But what was the result? He was beaten like a dog by Woo Sihyun. If he hadn’t shown resourcefulness and stimulated his emotions, it would have been hard to escape.
Cha Yeongheon didn’t seem different. Still, with Woo Sihyun at least they were in a Guiding room, but this place was outdoors. People would soon come rushing in.
He absolutely didn’t want to be beaten here.
Of course, it didn’t mean Cha Yeongheon was a piece of trash bastard who beat Guides like Woo Sihyun. But the memory of being beaten by an Esper at that time was so shocking it silenced him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
