Chapter 119: A Backup Guide He Doesn’t Want

Su-ha’s voice continued from the other end of the line.

“Actually, I hesitated over whether I should call, too. I felt sorry.”

“Why… why would you feel sorry, Su-ha…?”

“Because I suddenly confessed and surprised you. I put you on the spot.”

“Ah…”

Chaewon stared blankly, mouth slightly open as though he had lost the ability to speak.

To be honest, Su-ha’s reasoning felt like a stretch, but since that stretch existed solely to comfort him, Chaewon shamelessly found that he didn’t dislike it at all.

As if he could see Chaewon’s reaction, Su-ha continued with a faint smile in his voice.

“I just… really wanted to hear your voice. And there’s something else I wanted to tell you.”

“Something you wanted to tell me…?”

“Yes. It’s just… well…”

Uncharacteristically, Su-ha hesitated.

Chaewon rubbed his cheek against his knee to wipe away his tears and quietly waited. Silence from others usually made him anxious, but strangely, Su-ha’s silence did not. He realized that was because he trusted Jin Su-ha.

Su-ha spoke again.

“I wanted to tell you that whatever choice you make is okay.”

“…”

“Even if you reject me, I’ll still stay by your side as Lee Chaewon’s paired guide. We’ll still be a relationship where we care for each other more than anyone else.”

Someone who would not leave him no matter what choice he made.

The idea was so unfamiliar that Chaewon couldn’t answer, only turning the words over in his mind.

Su-ha continued.

“And if… if someday you accept me… then…”

“Then…”

“Then we’ll spend a long time together, days happier than anything we’ve ever felt before. If you can’t trust yourself, you can trust me.”

For a moment, Chaewon wondered if Su-ha had somehow read his entire heart.

Someone he wouldn’t lose no matter what he chose.

Even if he made mistakes.

Even if he was clumsy and imperfect.

Someone who would still stay.

Only then did Chaewon realize that this was the kind of person he had longed for all along. He had believed such a person would never be allowed to him, and now that man stood close enough to reach out and take his hand. It was hard to believe.

Chaewon ended the call, but sleep did not come easily for the rest of the night.

****

“What do you mean by that?”

Su-ha demanded, his face pale as he raised his voice at Ye-seon. Ye-seon, as if he had expected this reaction, shrugged lightly.

“Why are you so shocked? Every Esper needs a backup guide. You know that better than anyone.”

A low groan slipped from Su-ha’s throat.

He knew. He had simply been avoiding the reality. For an Esper in a special situation like Chaewon, it was essential to secure a backup guide who could step in immediately during emergencies without additional testing.

He knew that.

Better than anyone.

Still unable to hide his dissatisfaction, Su-ha asked in a tight voice,

“…Does it have to be Guide Gong Tae-jun?”

It was bad enough that another guide would be guiding Chaewon, but of all people, the one undergoing the matching test was Gong Tae-jun. If there was anyone Su-ha least wanted as Chaewon’s backup guide, it was that man.

As though anticipating even that question, Ye-seon handed over several documents, predicted compatibility rates based on their wave data. Su-ha’s expression twisted further as he reviewed them carefully.

The numbers were significantly higher than those for other guides.

“And the management team leader from their side personally recommended him to me.”

“…The team leader?”

“Yeah. With a team leader’s recommendation and a high predicted compatibility rate, there’s no reason to refuse.”

It was unlikely that someone of a team leader’s rank would concern himself with a mere backup match unless Gong Tae-jun had strongly pushed for it.

“Isn’t he too valuable to use only as a backup guide?”

Su-ha pressed on. It wasn’t an unreasonable argument. Gong Tae-jun was top-tier among B-class guides, and given the shortage of high-ranking guides compared to Espers, using him as someone’s backup rather than pairing him outright seemed wasteful.

While it wasn’t unheard of for guides with existing pairs to serve as backups for other Espers, Gong Tae-jun had no established pair yet. The fact that he volunteered to back Chaewon made it hard not to suspect personal motives.

“Su-ha.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Are you jealous?”

Ye-seon’s question pierced straight through him.

Caught off guard, Su-ha blinked. “Excuse me…?”

With an amused smile, Ye-seon continued,

“It’s not like anyone’s asking you to give up your paired position. If a good guide is becoming Chaewon’s backup, shouldn’t that be welcome news?”

“That’s not… I’m not…”

“Are you worried Gong Tae-jun might have feelings for Chaewon?”

Ye-seon watched with open amusement as Su-ha’s complexion changed by the second. Despite working with him for years, he had never seen Su-ha like this.

“That’s not it, I just-”

“Well, no need to make excuses. It’s common for a guide to feel possessive over his ‘special’ Esper. Of course, you did insist at first that you didn’t want to be Lee Chaewon’s guide, but that’s old news now, right?”

Only then did Su-ha finally regain some composure.

“…I already regret that enough. Please stop poking at old wounds.”

“Oh? Is that so? Sorry, sorry.”

Ye-seon chuckled before turning serious again.

“As the Esper Management Team Leader, I don’t have grounds to refuse this. Even if Gong Tae-jun has a personal interest, he hasn’t caused any problems. I can’t penalize him for that.”

“…I understand.”

Su-ha did understand. He was simply venting his displeasure to someone he was close to. Ye-seon had likely called him in first out of consideration, so he could react more honestly before Chaewon heard the news.

The bond between a paired Esper and guide was delicate. Personal emotions had caused as many problems as battlefield failures.

Management staff knew well that sometimes they had to pay more attention to the partner than to the individual involved.

“Come to the matching test room at five with Chaewon.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“In truth, Gong Tae-jun isn’t the only issue, Su-ha.”

Now that Su-ha responded calmly, Ye-seon added quietly. Due to the nature of his job, he interacted often with the Guide Management Team. He knew very well who the hottest Esper among guides was these days.

“You know what I mean, right?”

There was concern in his voice. Su-ha was exceptionally capable at work, but having focused on one person for so long, there were areas where he could only be inexperienced. Ye-seon worried what might happen if similar situations kept provoking Su-ha’s emotions.

As if acknowledging that concern, Su-ha, his expression composed once more, nodded.

“Yes. I’m fully aware. No one knows better than I do how Lee Chaewon can unsettle a man’s heart.”

“…”

“I’m working on it. Please don’t worry too much. And thank you for always looking out for me.”

After sincerely thanking Ye-seon, Su-ha stood.

Though he still felt embarrassed thinking about yesterday’s flushed confession and facing Chaewon again, part of him was relieved he had spoken up when he did.

Leaving the office, Su-ha let out a short sigh and headed toward the training room where Chaewon was likely already working out.

For no particular reason at all, he suddenly missed him terribly.

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