Chapter 46
“Oh my. I should be the one asking for your guidance.”
He closed his eyes with a sly smile. Unless people were close, it was usually awkward to face each other for dozens of minutes.
That’s why most people closed their eyes like this.
‘Good.’
Seoyul also closed his eyes to concentrate and slowly began to let the energy flow.
He guided carefully, controlling so that a large amount of energy wouldn’t flow in.
‘This is… better than I thought?’
His heart always pounded when guiding Dowoon. It beat with the thought of wanting to do well and with the expectation of whether it had helped.
No, even now it was like that.
He wanted to do well and wanted to be helpful. But it felt different from when he guided him.
‘Is the… desperation different?’
A thought crossed his mind that it might be different in Dowoon’s case because it was connected to past memories. He also felt that there was definitely a difference between a stranger with whom you have no connection and someone with whom you’ve built an intimate bond.
‘I think I’m… starting to understand a bit.’
The feeling that emotions were seeping in through his fingertips, through guiding.
So he thought that perhaps it flowed in more easily between people whose walls had already been broken down.
Beep!
The alarm signaling the end of guiding sounded. Seoyul carefully opened his eyes and let go of his hands. Then, Gicheol spoke in an amazed voice.
“Wow. Well. It seems I don’t need to be careful, do I? Your guiding is really good!”
“Of course. He’s the top scorer of this batch.”
“Oh! Is that so! I heard you were C-class, but to be the top scorer. Isn’t that amazing?”
“It is amazing. A capable guide.”
“Like you, Guide Choi?”
“…Let’s go if we’re done.”
The two started conversing while bickering. But Seoyul blankly stared into space and repeated one phrase.
‘Top… scorer?’
Seoyul thought he had misheard. This was because the center entrance exam officially only notified whether you passed or not, and rankings were not announced.
But among insiders, rumors spread in whispers.
“Huh? Looks like Guide Seo didn’t know?”
Gicheol said with a sly smile. Then Insung looked down at Seoyul and continued.
“You wouldn’t know. I found out by chance too. So you can have confidence, Guide Seoyul.”
“Oh… th-thank. Thank you.”
Seoyul was bewildered. Seeing them talk like this, it seemed to be true.
‘Am I really the top scorer?’
Seoyul had taken the C-class test. Given the low grade, it wasn’t easy to receive the top score no matter how well you did.
‘Could it be because of my good matching rate?’
Since cases like Seoyul with good matching rates were unusual, it seemed quite plausible.
‘I’m… the top scorer!’
Seoyul’s heart started pounding.
Even though it wasn’t a perfect score like Dowoon’s, being the top scorer made him feel closer to him, and he couldn’t hide his joy.
“Guide Seoyul. Then please write a report on the guiding you just did and submit it before lunchtime.”
Startled by those words, Seoyul quickly contained his joy. He had almost let out S-class guiding energy.
“Yes. I understand, Guide-nim.”
Nodding, Seoyul spent time writing a guiding report as he had been taught.
Although he had read many times and copied a lot, actually writing one was a different matter.
‘This is harder than I thought.’
Still, he was able to finish the report on time. It was most important to keep to the schedule since he had to guide another Esper in the afternoon.
“Okay. Now to contact Minjun hyung…”
Since he was told to contact him when finished, he habitually took out his phone.
Just as he was about to send a message, the door of the guiding room opened with a “bang” and someone came in.
“Seoyul!!”
“Esper-nim?”
It was Dowoon. Just as Seoyul was about to open his mouth, wondering what was happening so suddenly…
“Why didn’t you tell me!!”
“What?”
Seoyul was taken aback and opened his eyes wide. He had heard the same words before, so he rolled his eyes and looked at him.
Then, Dowoon shouted in an urgent voice.
“About the guiding! I heard you guided today!”
“Ah…!”
Seoyul finally realized what he was talking about. It seemed he was curious about whether he was doing well.
“Yes. Fortunately, I finished it well. I was even praised for doing a good job!”
Seoyul smiled brightly and assured him that everything was fine. But Dowoon staggered as if shocked and mumbled.
“F-finished… well? P-praised… too…?”
“Yes! And I also heard that I got the highest score! Esper-nim, did you know… Esper-nim?”
He was excited to boast, but Dowoon’s condition seemed strange. Seoyul hurriedly ran and supported the staggering Dowoon while asking.
“Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“…”
Dowoon blankly stared at Seoyul who approached with a worried face.
His face was so… pure.
‘Where did the Seoyul who was so conscious of me go!’
Dowoon was greatly disappointed.
Lately, he had been too busy sending warning notices to those targeting him. But to forget such an important moment because of that!!
‘Aaaaargh!’
Dowoon screamed internally. If he had known in advance, wouldn’t he have sent a warning to that guy too!
Yes. First, he needed to find out who it was. After that…
“Esper-nim?”
Seoyul called Dowoon once more. At that moment, a lightning-like realization struck Dowoon’s mind.
‘Right!’
What was important wasn’t those awful Esper guys. What was important…
“Guide me!”
Dowoon quickly grabbed Seoyul’s hand and shouted.
“Pardon?”
“I want you to guide me too!”
Dowoon spoke as if throwing a tantrum to the puzzled Seoyul.
“That guy too… I mean, this is unfair. I’m your Esper. I have the right to receive guiding too!”
Yes. What was important was Seoyul. Making him pay attention to Dowoon came first.
Instead of removing those around him, he needed to make Seoyul look only at him. Even if he tried to remove them, they weren’t the type to go away anyway.
Dowoon felt like he had finally found the right path.
“I just came from training and need guiding. That’s why I’m here.”
He casually told a lie. And he didn’t forget to send a pitiful look to Seoyul while clinging to him.
“Seoyul…”
“Uh… well… that is… um…”
Seoyul stuttered in embarrassment. Somehow it was difficult to keep meeting Dowoon’s gaze.
His heart was pounding, his face was burning, and the hand holding his felt hot.
‘Why… why am I like this?’
It didn’t seem right to guide in this state. He had a strong conviction that he would trouble him again.
“I… I mean… right now is a bit…”
It couldn’t be helped. It seemed that guiding should be done after calming down a bit.
But Dowoon didn’t seem to want to grant Seoyul’s wish, as he met his gaze again and conveyed his will.
“You can’t?”
“…”
“Really?”
“…”
Dowoon’s pleading eyes pierced straight into Seoyul’s heart. His heart felt heavy and began to pound loudly.
He was worried that if this sound was loud enough for Dowoon to hear, what would happen?
So he tried to create a bit of distance, but before he could, Dowoon closed the gap first and said,
“I’m really struggling. Okay?”
The sparkling handsome face filled his vision up close. At the same time, a thought crossed his mind that the distance was too close. But he couldn’t move an inch from that spot.
Because he was captivated by Dowoon’s eyes, and his mind was filled only with the desire to grant his wish.
‘W-what should I do…’
Seoyul closed his eyes tightly. Should I do it since he’s asking like this? Will he find it troublesome?
Various thoughts crossed his mind, but there was only one thing he could say.
“Then…”
It couldn’t be helped. This was an irresistible force. Seoyul carefully raised his head and opened his mouth.
“I’ll… guide you a little…”
It was Dowoon’s complete victory.
* * *
“What’s going on with you today, not sending warning notices?”
Jin Cheolwook, the team leader who led the special team, casually asked Dowoon, who seemed unusually in a good mood.
“Oh. I decided to stop doing that from today.”
“Gasp. Really? Then can I go see your guide now?”
Cheolwook asked in surprise. But Dowoon immediately growled with a menacing look and shouted.
“Don’t even dream about it! Don’t come anywhere near! Got it?”
As expected.
How he clung to his guide. Cheolwook, who had never properly seen the rumored guide, shook his head.
Still, since he was the team leader, it ended at this level for him, but for others, Dowoon openly threatened and intimidated them, causing a huge commotion.
“Doesn’t your guide know you’re like this?”
“…”
Dowoon didn’t answer. Instead, he just flashed his middle finger and spat out a retort.
“I’ll handle it myself, so mind your own business.”
“Hey! I’m still your team leader…!”
“Whatever! I’m going to train now.”
He, who treated the team leader so dismissively, rushed out of the office. Somehow his steps as he went outside seemed lighter, which was quite suspicious.
And then Cheolwook realized.
“Wait! It’s not his training time now, is it?!”
Espers without missions would usually write training logs from the previous day or delayed mission reports in the morning.
Training was conducted in the afternoon. But what time was it now? Cheolwook carefully checked the time.
[AM 10:31]
It was an unauthorized departure.
“Hey, you jerk! Get back here right now!!”
While unauthorized departures by Espers were common, Dowoon’s case was more serious. He had thought that with a guide now, he was behaving quite well these days, but…
“Haah. Looks like his condition has worsened again.”
Cheolwook shook his head and sighed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
