Chapter 44: Tears of a Tyrant

I felt that my wavelength control had definitely improved compared to the past.
Even the fluctuating machine wavelengths, which were part of the advanced course in guiding training, would calm down as soon as my wavelength touched them.

Jinseok and all the researchers admired my guiding control.

“Guide-nim, you’re doing so well. I’ve never seen a wavelength with such excellent control.”

At their praise, I smiled and checked the machine guiding level.
It was currently at 74%, so I planned to leave work when it reached 80%.

To leave early, I released a large amount of wavelength and subdued the machine’s wavelength.
The guiding level immediately reached 80%.

Since the degree of fatigue was proportional to the amount of wavelength released, I had been controlling my strength as much as possible while guiding, but I pushed myself today because I wanted to leave early.

After filling up to 80%, I stood up.
When I left, the researchers also left, so they also said their goodbyes and went out.
I remained in the training room with Jinseok and cleaned up.
Originally, organizing the tools was the researcher’s job, but I always helped like this.

Just as we were finishing up, I suddenly heard the door burst open.

Following the sound, I looked at the door and saw Hyun Taewoon, his face flushed.
I had heard that he had been unconscious for a week, but to appear so suddenly and even come to the training room was baffling.

He and I stood silently for a few seconds, staring at each other.
He was the one who moved first.
He approached me with quick steps and hugged me so tightly that I couldn’t breathe.

“Lee Shinui.”

His voice and the fingertips of his hand wrapped around my body were trembling finely, unlike usual.
At that sight, my body froze for a moment, but I came to my senses and pushed him away.

“What are you doing!”

I tried to push him away, but he was holding me tightly, as if he would never let go.
I barely managed to push him away and was about to curse him out when my lips froze upon seeing his face.

He was silently shedding tears, his eyes red.
I was speechless at the sight.
He, who saw my frozen state, hugged me again.

He was always so cold and prideful that I thought tears didn’t exist for him.
To see him shedding tears in front of me made me wonder if I was seeing things, but the person holding me was definitely him.

“Thank goodness.”

He said slowly, his voice choked up.
But his voice was trembling with anxiety, just like his fingertips.

I didn’t know what he was thankful for, but I slowly came to my senses and pushed him away again and said.

“Hyun Taewoon-ssi, what are you doing, coming here so suddenly.”

“……”

Even at my words, he was still looking at me and crying.
Even if he wiped them away with his hand, the tears wouldn’t stop, and he cried endlessly, his eyelashes soaked.

This was the first time I had seen him like this, and I had no way of knowing why he was crying.
Had something gone wrong with his head after being unconscious for a week?
Or maybe he was pulling a strange trick to become my pair.

“Why did you suddenly appear and start crying? They said you were unconscious for a week. Are you really sick somewhere?”

Looking again, he was wearing a hospital gown.
Seeing him cry confused my heart, but I steeled myself to not feel any more personal emotions.

“Manager-nim, please help me get him out.”

At my words, Jinseok, who had been watching us from a distance, came closer.

“Shinui, I’m sorry.”

I had never wanted his apology, then or now.
As I looked at him with a cold face, his eyes quickly filled with tears.

“Esper Hyun Taewoon-nim, the Association has told you several times that contact with Guide Shinui is not allowed. Please leave now.”

At Jinseok’s words, he looked back and forth between me and the manager with an expression of incomprehension and asked.

“Why is contact not allowed? I’m so confused right now that I can’t understand.”

At his haggard cheeks and tear-streaked face, Jinseok handed him a handkerchief.
He, who took Jinseok’s handkerchief, clutched it instead of wiping his tears and opened his mouth again.

“Shinui, no, Shinui-ssi, can we talk for a moment?”

“I have to go home now, so I don’t think so.”

“Still, just for a moment before you leave…”

“I don’t want to.”

At my words, he looked at me with a resentful face.
That face made me even angrier.
I was the one who should be resentful.

“Will you please leave now? To be honest, this is unpleasant.”

“Going home together…”

“Why would I go home with you? You know you’re violating the restraining order, right?”

At my words, he still looked at me with an expression of not understanding.
His gaze, which was staring at me, suddenly landed on my uniform.
He opened his mouth with an expression of disbelief.

“…S-Class uniform?”

“Yes, is something wrong?”

He looked at Jinseok, then turned his head back to me and asked.

“Where is Jinho-hyung?”

“Why are you looking for Manager Kim Jinho here?”

At my words, he didn’t answer and suddenly went outside.
It was absurd.
To suddenly appear and stir up a person’s insides, and then leave without a word.
I thought it was just like him, but I couldn’t forget his crying face.

“I’ve never seen Esper Hyun Taewoon like that before. Why was he crying?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he was moved to tears after coming back from the dead.”

I had lived with him for three years, but this was the first time I had seen him like that.
His crying face kept coming to mind even after I went home.

I met him again two days later.

I was on my way to the guiding training room after lunch.
I saw a figure loitering in front of my training room.
Looking closer, it was him.

His complexion was worse than when I had seen him last.

“Shinui-ssi.”

He must have sensed my presence, as he turned his head and stared at me.
Fortunately, he wasn’t crying like last time, which was a relief.

“Why did you come again?”

“Let’s talk.”

“Hyun Taewoon-ssi, did you forget that you’re under a restraining order again?”

“I know. I have no intention of making you uncomfortable anymore.”

“Then don’t come. If you keep coming, I’ll have no choice but to resign.”

“I came today to apologize for what happened in the past.”

He said in a choked voice.
To be honest, I didn’t want to hear his apology either, but it seemed he wouldn’t leave unless I listened, so I had no choice but to nod.
I wanted him to say what he had to say quickly and leave.
I was sick of meeting him now.

“Say what you have to say.”

“I’ve made you uncomfortable in the past. I’m sorry.”

He bowed deeply and apologized.
Seeing him like that made my heart feel strange.
In the past, I had imagined him apologizing to me, but I had given up on that long ago.
Receiving a belated apology… didn’t feel good at all.

“I get it. Then don’t appear in front of me again.”

“…Can’t you give me a chance to atone?”

“There’s nothing to atone for.”

“I don’t want to grow distant from you like this.”

At my words, he said with a desperate face, but I firmly shook my head.

“I want to grow distant.”

“Can’t you tell me what the problem is?”

I had told him countless times, so I didn’t want to say it again, but thinking that this was the last time, I told him again.

“There’s no reason.”

I could see his face contort again.
I didn’t care and was about to go into the guiding training room, but I felt a familiar wavelength envelop my body along with the sound of heeled shoes.

It was Sung Yohan’s wavelength.

“Oh? Taewoon is here too. Aren’t you under a restraining order from Shinui-ssi?”

At Sung Yohan’s words, his brow furrowed.

“Shinui-ssi, good afternoon.”

I just nodded my head.
I had received a guiding request from him this afternoon, so I had called him to my guiding room.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

I opened the guiding room door and went in just like that.
He caught Sung Yohan, who was following behind me.

“Sung Yohan, why are you going in there?”

“I’m going to get guided.”

“So why are you going into Shinui-ssi’s room?”

“Because I’m his pair.”

“Why are you his pair?”

He said with a completely wiped expression, looking serious.
This was the Hyun Taewoon I had known until now.

“Because our matching rate is 88%. Higher than yours. You know that, right?”

Sung Yohan said with a smile, but his face was still hardened.

“How are you 88%?”

“Why? Can’t I have a high matching rate with him?”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense? Do you hate that he and I are on good terms?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he gently put his hand on my shoulder.
And he even kissed my hair.
I reflexively flinched and tried to move away, but his hand was holding my body firmly.

“Sung Yohan.”

He, who had been watching us, called him in a low voice, as if holding back his anger.

“Why, Taewoon?”

Being between him and him was so suffocating and repulsive.
I didn’t want to see him anymore, so I pushed his hand away and said.

“You two seem to have a lot to talk about. I’ll be leaving now.”

This time, I went inside before anyone could catch me.
I heard his shouts a few times from outside, but it became quiet at some point.

Come to think of it, whether before the regression or now, he had disliked it when I was with him.

I waited in the guiding room for him to come, but he didn’t.
I didn’t care whether he came or not and moved to the next training room on time.

I didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, but I sincerely hoped that I wouldn’t be harmed.