Lim Haeyul wondered what conversation the two were having, but they quickly disappeared into Cha Jae-woo’s room, clearly indicating that it was none of his business.
Lim Haeyul lingered outside Cha Jae-woo’s room, trying to eavesdrop, but eventually gave up and returned to his own room. He knew that Cha Jae-woo, being an Esper, would easily detect him. Besides, unlike Espers, ordinary people like him couldn’t hear a thing once the door was closed. Standing right outside the door was futile; he wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.
“…….”
Eventually, Lim Haeyul settled down in front of his own room. Squatting, he didn’t care how pathetic he might look as he mulled over what Lee Ju-yeon had said to him.
“Guide Lim Haeyul’s ability being discovered is only a matter of time.”
“It will cause harm. To Esper Cha Jae-woo, and to me, who is in the same boat.”
The phrase “in the same boat” stuck with him.
What were they planning? Even if he didn’t know their goal, he had a gut feeling that Jang Gijun, the Guide Association President, was their target. Lee Ju-yeon seemed to be against him, contrary to what he had initially thought.
Additionally, based on past experiences, it seemed that Cha Jae-woo also had a similar stance against Jang Gijun. Therefore, it was highly likely that their conversation was about him. It could be about something else, but he felt certain it was about Jang Gijun.
‘Did Cha Jae-woo really break into Jang Gijun’s house?’
Honestly, calling it a “break-in” seemed a bit off. Cha Jae-woo wouldn’t need to steal for money. There must be another reason…
Before he knew it, Lim Haeyul had convinced himself that Cha Jae-woo was the one who had broken into Jang Gijun’s house. His intuition told him so, even if it wasn’t always reliable.
‘What was Cha Jae-woo trying to find at Jang Gijun’s house?’
The questions kept coming, but they were not something he could figure out on his own.
Moreover, there were other doubts.
Suddenly, Lim Haeyul wondered if Cha Jae-woo had been going to the Gates at all. Cha Jae-woo’s outings had become more frequent lately.
Until now, Lim Haeyul had assumed that Cha Jae-woo was busy with everything from Cha Seong-ju’s affairs to the Gates. However, Cha Seong-ju’s matters had been resolved. Although Cha Jae-woo was supposedly training the absorbed Espers, it wasn’t something that happened every day. Besides, Cha Jae-woo wouldn’t handle everything alone. This led to the conclusion that the frequency of Gate appearances must have increased…
‘But that doesn’t seem right.’
A long-overdue question finally surfaced. Lim Haeyul glanced at his laptop in the distance. If he quickly scanned the recent news articles, he could get an idea of how many Gates had appeared.
He now knew that not every Gate appearance made the news. Plus, with Cha Seong-ju’s situation, they might have tried to keep Gate-related news to a minimum.
However, there was a chance that some Gate appearances were reported as natural disasters or accidents. Especially if there were casualties, a quick search would likely turn up several related articles.
Actually, there was an even more reliable method: asking Kim Sol. As an S-rank Guide, he would know almost everything.
‘Do I really know nothing?’
The thought of Kim Sol brought up another question. He felt uncomfortable, as if everyone knew something he didn’t.
But how could he know? He was practically Cha Jae-woo’s personal Guide, so he had been staying at home. It had been a while since he last visited the Guide Center, so he had no way of knowing what was going on.
Initially, he didn’t mind this arrangement. In fact, he preferred it because he could maintain his usual routine and also spend quality time with Cha Jae-woo.
“…….”
But today, he felt a bit resentful. Couldn’t they at least keep him somewhat informed? Was he only needed for guiding, and nothing else mattered? His thoughts spiraled into assumptions that hadn’t been confirmed by anyone.
‘Should I give him a call?’
Lim Haeyul took out his phone and pulled up Kim Sol’s contact, hesitating for a moment.
Lim Haeyul wondered if he should ask Kim Sol how many times the Gates had appeared recently, but he hesitated. Ultimately, he decided not to contact Kim Sol and turned off his phone screen. He thought it would be better to ask Cha Jae-woo directly.
He considered asking Cha Jae-woo what was going on and why he was going out so much. Maybe Cha Jae-woo hadn’t told him because he hadn’t asked. Perhaps Cha Jae-woo didn’t think it was necessary to inform him. So, it made sense to ask him directly. Cha Jae-woo would surely explain if it was important.
At least, that’s what Lim Haeyul thought, unless Cha Jae-woo didn’t trust him.
* * *
After a period of silence in the house, Lim Haeyul heard a small sound. His heightened awareness allowed him to pick up on it. It seemed that Lee Ju-yeon and Cha Jae-woo had finished their conversation.
He heard footsteps going down the stairs, indicating that Lee Ju-yeon was leaving. Lim Haeyul considered going out to check but decided against it. He didn’t want to face Lee Ju-yeon again.
He stayed in his spot, wondering when would be a good time to go to Cha Jae-woo’s room. He thought about how long he should wait after hearing Cha Jae-woo’s returning footsteps to make it seem like he hadn’t been eavesdropping.
“Aah!”
His thoughts were interrupted when Cha Jae-woo suddenly opened the door to his room, nearly causing Lim Haeyul to fall backward. Fortunately, Cha Jae-woo’s quick reflexes saved him from an embarrassing tumble.
“Why are you sitting here instead of on the bed or a chair?” Cha Jae-woo asked.
“Ha ha…….”
Lim Haeyul felt embarrassed, knowing he had been obviously eavesdropping. He tried to come up with an excuse, “This spot is comfortable… I sit here often.”
Cha Jae-woo laughed as if he didn’t believe him. Lim Haeyul decided to change the subject.
As he tried to stand, Cha Jae-woo helped him up by placing his hands under his armpits. Lim Haeyul felt a bit like a child, but he didn’t mind the attention.
He had serious questions to ask, but Cha Jae-woo’s playful demeanor made it hard to stay focused. He cleared his throat and looked up at Cha Jae-woo.
“Um, Cha Jae-woo,” he started, but Cha Jae-woo interrupted him by suddenly lifting him up and carrying him to the bed.
“W-what are you doing?!” Lim Haeyul exclaimed, but Cha Jae-woo just smiled and continued to carry him.
Lim Haeyul instinctively wrapped his arms around Cha Jae-woo’s neck, a habit he couldn’t break.
“I need some guiding,” Cha Jae-woo said, placing Lim Haeyul on the bed.
Lim Haeyul had many questions, but the mention of guiding made him pause. “I… I have something to ask you,” he stammered.
He wondered if Cha Jae-woo was trying to distract him from asking questions. Cha Jae-woo’s hand began to slowly lift his shirt, making it hard for Lim Haeyul to concentrate.
“Ah…” Lim Haeyul gasped, feeling his body respond to Cha Jae-woo’s touch.
He grabbed Cha Jae-woo’s collar, intending to ask him to wait, but Cha Jae-woo spoke first. “After guiding, I’ll answer all your questions,” he promised.
Lim Haeyul hesitated, but Cha Jae-woo’s touch was making it hard to think. “I’m tired from talking to that stubborn guy,” Cha Jae-woo added, likely referring to Lee Ju-yeon.
Lim Haeyul took a deep breath, trying to focus. “Alright. But you have to answer everything afterward,” he insisted.
“Okay,” Cha Jae-woo agreed.
Lim Haeyul nodded and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on guiding. He wanted to push Cha Jae-woo’s hand away, but he remembered that his touch actually helped with the guiding process.
He felt Cha Jae-woo’s hand moving under his shirt and shivered. ‘Let’s get this over with,’ he thought, determined to finish the guiding quickly so he could ask his questions.
“Ngh…” He tried to ignore the sensation of Cha Jae-woo’s hand exploring his ribcage like piano keys.
It took him a while, but he finally began to channel mana into Cha Jae-woo. He already felt exhausted from the effort.
