Chapter 61
A surprised face.
Incoherent speech.
That day wasn’t a dream.
‘Esper-nim really…’
Likes me.
Seoyul fanned his face vigorously, trying to cool it down. Just thinking about it made his heart feel like it would burst, and his face turned red at random moments.
His heart felt light and soft, and though it was strange, he couldn’t control his expression because he was simply too happy.
It still didn’t feel real, but seeing Dowoon’s reactions made him believe it was true.
‘From now on, we should only do Guiding in the Guiding room, right? No, no! Do it in the Guiding room! We should do it in the Guiding room!’
Dowoon paid careful attention to his every action, trying to keep his promise not to burden Seoyul. He was being cautious, worried that his actions might feel overwhelming.
Seoyul felt his heart pounding whenever he saw this. He didn’t know where to look, fumbling awkwardly.
‘I, I don’t mind anywhere…’
‘No! I can’t! Let’s only do Guiding in the Guiding room from now on!’
Dowoon strongly objected and made the decision. Seoyul’s face flushed hotly, understanding why he was acting this way.
But at the same time, he felt “disappointment.” Because Seoyul also harbored the same feelings.
‘I should also… tell him.’
Having missed the timing, it became quite difficult to bring it up. Plus, he was just now fully realizing that Dowoon liked him, so his mind had no room to spare.
“E-Esper-nim. Then I’ll start.”
Gulp.
The two sat quietly on chairs in the Guiding room. A large hand gently reached across the table to hold his, and he felt it trembling slightly as he flinched.
Even from this small action, he could sense how nervous Dowoon was. It wasn’t just him who was conscious of the other.
‘Esper-nim too…’
He was also aware and nervous. Recognizing this made Seoyul’s heart start racing again. It was a pleasant trembling, a heartbeat full of excitement.
Seoyul held Dowoon’s hand and quietly closed his eyes. He had been afraid that S-class energy might emerge, but now it was okay.
Because the emotions Dowoon brought him had opened another world for him.
“Ugh…”
As he channeled energy into his hand, Dowoon groaned and lowered his head.
Seoyul carefully opened his eyes and stole a glance at him.
His ears were red, and he was clearly trying his best to endure. Through this, Seoyul could fully feel Dowoon’s emotions, cherishing him.
Just then, Dowoon’s face fell onto the table with a thud.
“E-Esper-nim?!”
Startled, Seoyul half-rose from his seat. But Dowoon pressed Seoyul’s small hand firmly, indicating he was fine, and spoke.
“D-don’t worry. I’ve used a lot of energy recently… so that’s why.”
“Are you… really okay?”
“…Yes.”
The delayed response was concerning. Was his feelings making things difficult for Dowoon?
‘Get a grip.’
Seoyul shook his head quickly and carefully began sending Guiding energy. Slowly, with extreme caution, he conducted the Guiding so as not to cause any harm.
But the more careful he was, the more Dowoon fell into a troubled state.
‘Ah… why does it feel so good today? This is driving me crazy. Really.’
Was it because he had confessed? Or was it because Seoyul’s relieved feelings were being directly transmitted?
Dowoon couldn’t gather his thoughts.
Of course, part of it was due to his urgent need for Guiding. But this was a completely different sensation.
The maddeningly sweet and soft Guiding flowed through his fingertips, thoroughly disrupting his heart.
Were these his feelings, or Seoyul’s?
To cool his heating head, Dowoon exhaled a long breath.
‘Phew. Still, I’ve gotten more used to it.’
The consistent practice had paid off. His body gradually calmed down, and he could quickly escape the troublesome situation.
Dowoon finally let out a sigh of relief and raised his head. In front of him, Seoyul was tightly holding his hand with his eyes squeezed shut.
‘Cute.’
Dowoon smiled faintly, gazing at him endlessly. His anxious demeanor, worried about causing trouble, was unbearably adorable.
‘I wish this feeling was from Seoyul.’
While still experiencing the soft Guiding, Dowoon thought to himself. But since it was merely a wishful thought, he composed himself once more.
‘I need to be careful.’
He couldn’t act like before. Now that he had voiced his feelings, Seoyul would consciously be aware of him.
So he needed to approach slowly, showing his sincerity without being burdensome…
‘Aaaagh!!’
Dowoon let out a silent scream and lowered his head. Then he harshly criticized himself.
‘As if that’s possible!’
Why on earth had he done it? He should have just endured once more.
Dowoon reflected on his actions that had been full of personal feelings all along.
…It was such a waste.
‘Ah… how can I win Seoyul’s heart now?’
From now on, he had to maintain a proper boundary while still stirring Seoyul’s emotions. But he had no idea where that boundary was. Unable to charge ahead recklessly anymore, the path forward seemed unclear.
‘Should I seek advice from Team Leader again…’
The moment he thought of Sunjeong, her mocking laughter echoed through his mind. Dowoon shook his head.
‘…Absolutely not.’
Right. First, let’s think carefully again…
“Esper-nim…! How… was it?”
The Guiding had already ended, and Seoyul released his hand as he asked. With his eyes wide open and shoulders stiff, he appeared quite tense.
Dowoon opened his mouth to reassure him, and also to stir Seoyul’s heart a little if possible.
“It was really good.”
Whoosh.
When he showed an unconsciously emerging smile, Seoyul’s face turned tomato-red.
‘Is there… a possibility?’
Dowoon glimpsed a small hope.
* * *
Peaceful days were passing by. Seoyul’s life regained stability and proceeded smoothly.
He became more accustomed to his work, creating more free time. Wondering what to do, he suggested watching a movie with Dowoon as usual.
In his spare time, he always watched movies at home with him or played games. But this time, the answer was different from usual.
‘W-well… I don’t really… have confidence right now…’
Wondering what he lacked confidence in, Seoyul tilted his head. Then, with a reddened face, Dowoon further explained.
‘Um… it’s just the two of us there, so…’
It was still difficult to understand immediately. But soon Seoyul realized what he meant. Because he liked him, it would be hard to control himself when they were alone together.
Naturally, his face heated up to the point of exploding, and Dowoon rambled to the flustered Seoyul.
‘H-how about watching it outside? Yes, let’s go to the movie theater. It’ll be much more fun and better than at home.’
A movie date!
Seoyul blushed as he secretly named it that way in his mind. Somehow, it felt like they had become an ordinary couple, and he couldn’t hide his excitement.
So he eagerly awaited the upcoming weekend. Since they lived in the same house, they had to depart together. But this had its own charm.
“Sh-shall we go?”
“Ah, yes…”
They both stepped outside hesitantly. In the past, Dowoon would have reached out his hand first, but he didn’t.
Seoyul felt strangely empty at his vacant hand.
‘I want to… hold it.’
He quickly shook his head at the sudden thought. He thought it would be disrespectful to act that way without saying anything to Dowoon.
It was a typically Seoyul-like thought, but he wanted to follow the proper order.
‘I should tell him clearly first.’
They both liked each other. Having fully experienced Dowoon’s feelings, he now wanted to convey his own.
Seoyul swallowed hard and stole a glance at Dowoon.
Under his cold gaze, long eyelashes deepened his aura. His straight nose was handsome, and his lips were especially red, continuously drawing his attention.
As his handsome face newly caught his eye, his heart began to pound heavily.
‘G-get a grip. How can you be like this when you haven’t even spoken yet?’
Seoyul scolded himself, but the face that had entered his vision kept floating in his mind.
Moreover, it was a face he could see anytime by just turning his head. Seoyul found it difficult to stop thinking. To confess, he would have to face him directly, but it felt like everything was going dark.
‘Y-you can do it. You can do it!’
Only after repeating this to himself several times could he finally glance to the side. But Dowoon was also stealing a look at Seoyul, so their gazes unexpectedly met in midair.
“Huh…?”
“Ah…”
Dowoon quickly turned away in embarrassment, while Seoyul lowered his head with a reddening face.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His heart started beating wildly to a concerning degree, and the determination he had just moments ago suddenly disappeared.
Seoyul realized that what he was trying to do was more difficult than he had thought.
Even now his heart felt like it would burst, and he wondered how Dowoon could say such words.
“I-I wasn’t trying to peek. It’s just… you weren’t saying anything…”
Those words, spoken as if making an excuse, were clearly an excuse. But Seoyul could only nod and respond.
“Yes…”
Me too.
Seoyul quietly swallowed those unspoken words.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
