Chapter 55
Upon returning to his mission, Dowoon was desperate for Seoyul. To think someone could make him work this hard for so long.
As if trying to make up for all the unused energy, Dowoon was pushed to his limits.
But he didn’t feel particularly bad about it. Normally, he would have been excessively irritated, but he maintained his generosity throughout the mission, even volunteering for tasks that weren’t his responsibility.
Everyone unanimously said that the troublemaker had finally matured. But he had his own ulterior motives.
‘When I get back, I’ll receive tons of Guiding!’
The more energy he used, the more Guiding he could receive, right?
Dowoon returned to his mission with such ambitious dreams and hopes. And then he met Seoyul.
Seeing Seoyul after so long was, needless to say, adorable. The way he still struggled in embarrassment while in his arms was so fatally lovable.
Additionally, he felt proud that he’d reached a state where he could control his overflowing desire quite well.
‘I’m probably the only Esper who can restrain himself this well.’
So he thought he should receive plenty of rewards this time too. But perhaps his greed was too much…?
From the next day, he couldn’t see Seoyul often. Even worse…
“E-Esper-nim. I’ve been really busy lately. I think I should give you Guiding quickly.”
“Huh? Y-yeah… okay.”
Dowoon had wanted to hold him close for a long, lingering Guiding, but such opportunities rarely came.
It was because Seoyul was too busy.
‘Team 1…’
Ever since joining that damn team, it became extremely difficult to even see his face. It seemed busier than when he was simultaneously studying for school and preparing for job exams.
So Dowoon could only see him during lunch and late evening. And even then, for very brief moments.
‘What… is going on?’
Moreover, why was the Guiding so intense? Even with short, concise embraces, energy surged into him powerfully.
Dowoon was helplessly overwhelmed, and there were several moments when he nearly lost his rationality.
If before the trip, Seoyul had been an S-class Guide struggling to manage, now he felt like an S-class Guide who had evolved to the next level.
To develop so much in such a short time. The current Seoyul was so excellent that the risk of him being a Hidden wasn’t even noticeable.
While he was proud of Seoyul’s growth, Dowoon, having hit a huge wall, didn’t know how to resolve this situation.
Somehow that wall seemed… to be erected only for him.
“Aren’t you coming on too strong?”Â
Sunjeong replied indifferently.
“Me?! You don’t know how well I’m restraining myself, Team Leader!”
Dowoon protested, but she clicked her tongue with a cold gaze.
“You’re too obvious.”
“……”
“Want me to say it again? You’re telling the whole neighborhood that you like Seoyul. Mmph!!”
Unable to hear more, Dowoon hastily covered Sunjeong’s mouth.
Was he… that obvious?
All he had done was warn other Espers. It wasn’t uncommon, was it?
“You’re taking it to an extreme level.”
“…This?”
Dowoon couldn’t believe it.
“You’re like this! With fire shooting out of your eyes like this!”
Sunjeong drew a long line from her eyes forward to explain. She seemed to be trying to say that laser beams were coming out.
“Ah, I don’t know! So what should I do? Has he noticed? Is he distancing himself because I’m making him uncomfortable?”
Yes. That was Dowoon’s biggest concern now. Should he have approached more slowly? Should he have suppressed his greed more?
Countless moments of regret flashed through his mind.
…There were so many instances that his face automatically stiffened. It seemed he had been too obvious, just as Sunjeong said.
“Pushing harder now would make things worse. How about giving it some time and approaching slowly again?”
Sunjeong advised. Of course, this advice wasn’t for Dowoon’s sake. If Seoyul was drawing a line with Dowoon, it would be better to give him time to sort out his feelings.
Dowoon was impulsive and impatient, so he tended to recognize his feelings quickly. But Seoyul was different. With his cautious and calm personality, he’d likely need time to make progress.
‘I don’t think Seoyul is entirely indifferent either.’
Rather, he seemed to have feelings. At least, that’s how it appeared to Sunjeong, but since she wasn’t Seoyul himself, she couldn’t judge hastily.
“Even… slower from here?”
Dowoon muttered in despair. Sunjeong clicked her tongue and shook her head. Then Dowoon mumbled again, seeking guidance.
“How can I go any slower…?”
Oh my. What should be done with this hopeless Esper?
Sunjeong opened her mouth, thinking there was no other choice.
* * *
Seoyul had just realized that he needed to try harder.
He had thought that staying busy would make everything alright, but it was extremely troublesome as Dowoon kept popping into his mind at random times.
While working, the image of Dowoon running toward him with a smile would appear. While walking, he’d imagine Dowoon hugging him tightly, making him pause dozens of times.
And just when he might have forgotten due to being busy, Dowoon would come looking for him. It seemed he hadn’t fully recovered, so Seoyul had no choice but to give him brief Guiding sessions.
‘At least I have an excuse…’
Being busy was a very good excuse. Besides allowing him to give short Guiding sessions, it also meant he didn’t have to leave work early.
Additionally, making his body more tired meant that fatigue outweighed excitement, so he seemed to be hiding his feelings quite well.
“Aren’t you overworking yourself? Shouldn’t you switch teams?”
Concerned about Seoyul’s increasingly haggard appearance, Dowoon asked with a worried tone.
“It’s fine. They say it’s just especially busy right now, not every day.”
The team was truly busy, but since Seoyul was an intern, his unfamiliarity with the work made him even busier.
But he was genuinely managing, so it was okay. Seoyul just wanted time to pass quickly so his emotions could calm down.
‘I need to work harder.’
Seoyul thought everything would be fine if he worked hard. Although emotions can’t be controlled that way, the inexperienced Seoyul avoided confronting them by immersing himself in work.
As time passed, Dowoon also began to reduce the frequency of his visits.
He only saw him when Seoyul returned home, thoroughly exhausted. At those times, Seoyul would give him a brief Guiding, and Dowoon would pat his head, telling him to go inside and rest.
And suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
‘When was the last time I had a proper conversation with Esper-nim…?’
Is this really okay?
Finally having the leisure to examine his feelings, Seoyul became lost in thought.
But as if determined not to give him that opportunity, something happened to disrupt his heart.
“Guide Seoyul. Please greet him. This is Guide Shin Yujin, who leads Team 1.”
The Team 1 leader, who had been away on a mission for a long time, had returned.
‘So this is the impressive Guide everyone talks about.’
Surprisingly, he was an exotic man with bright blonde hair and blue eyes. Seoyul was taken aback, not expecting the Guide of Team 1, representing Korea’s Association, to be a foreigner.
“Uh…”
“I’m Shin Yujin. My mother is French, which explains my appearance, but I’m a proud Korean citizen.”
He gently explained, as if understanding Seoyul’s confusion, and extended his right hand. Seoyul, startled, shook his hand and spoke.
“I-I’m Seoyul. I recently joined as an intern. Please take care of me.”
His face felt hot, thinking he had stared too obviously when he should have hidden his surprise.
“Haha. Please be comfortable. I’ve heard so much about Guide Seo that you already feel familiar to me.”
“What? About me?”
He wondered how someone so important, who had been away on a distant mission, could know about him. Seoyul looked up at him with wide eyes.
Yujin smiled pleasantly and explained.
“It seems Guide Choi hasn’t told you about me.”
He looked at Insung, who explained with an indifferent face.
“My life motto is that there’s no need to talk about what isn’t asked.”
“I really like that about Guide Choi.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
…It was hard to tell if these were genuine compliments, jokes, or if there was some hidden meaning. Stuck between the two of them, Seoyul watched cautiously, not knowing what to do.
Then Yujin smiled brightly and said to Seoyul.
“The reason I already know about Guide Seoyul is because I have a connection with Esper Cha Dowoon.”
“What? With Esper-nim?”
Seoyul was so surprised that he blurted out the first thought that came to mind. Worried that it might have sounded rude, he quickly covered his mouth and looked anxiously at Yujin.
“Hahaha. Guide Seo is really cute. It’s no wonder Cha Dowoon likes you.”
“…Pardon?”
Seoyul was dazed and gradually became more vigilant. It was a startling statement, but it suggested he truly knew Dowoon well, which concerned him.
‘What kind of… connection could they have?’
But that was a question that didn’t need asking. An Esper and a Guide. What kind of connection could they possibly have?
Seoyul realized it.
“Before Guide Seo came, I was paired with Esper Cha Dowoon.”
Seoyul’s brain abruptly stopped functioning.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
