Chapter 12: Temporary Guide

I worked hard with only goal in mind, and I’d finally started to think I could reach him. But then I was suddenly ordered to become your guide instead… Honestly, I still find it hard to accept.

The motion of stirring the coffee gradually slowed.

If that were really the case, if the Esper Su-ha had wanted was truly Min Ihyeon, then Chaewon might as well have had no chance at all.

Who could possibly dare to compete with Min Ihyeon?

Chaewon would struggle just to follow in his footsteps, and to be honest, he didn’t even harbor the desire to catch up to him.

“…At least he didn’t curse me out.”

Chaewon muttered in his usual calm tone.

Even when he’d first heard Su-ha’s circumstances, he’d been able to understand his feelings, but once the possibility that the target was Min Ihyeon crossed his mind, Su-ha’s attitude made even more sense.

If someone who had set Min Ihyeon as their goal were suddenly told to become the guide of a half-functional Esper, no one would be able to accept that willingly.

Chaewon shook his head lightly and let out a small sigh.

It wasn’t that he was worried about never being acknowledged by Su-ha at this point, but the uncomfortable feeling that he might be blocking someone else’s future lingered.

Even if it hadn’t been his intention.

Carefully holding the cup warmed by the hot water in both hands, Chaewon slowly made his way to the lounge.

For a brief moment, the warmth against his palms reminded him of the steady presence Su-ha had once used to gently calm him.

‘My strongest ally.’

The words Eunho had said still lingered somewhere in Chaewon’s heart, circling endlessly.

He’d never been certain he would meet someone like that in the first place, but even if he did someday, it seemed that person wouldn’t be Jin Su-ha.

Leaving emotions he couldn’t quite name – regret, or perhaps loneliness, to simply pass through him, Chaewon sat alone in the lounge.

For a very long time.

****

On his way back to the hospital room, Ihyeon paused in the hallway and turned around.

What had just happened left behind a faint aftertaste that pricked at his thoughts with every step he took away.

It had been a long time since he’d spoken one-on-one with another S-rank Esper at such close range.

There weren’t many S-ranks to begin with, and even among those few, there was rarely a reason to meet privately.

Like many others, Ihyeon didn’t particularly enjoy meeting other S-rank Espers.

No matter how careful they were, they couldn’t help but become instinctively sensitive to each other’s presence, and simply sharing the same space put their bodies into a subtly aggressive state.

It wasn’t uncontrollable, but staying in that condition for long outside of combat was undeniably bothersome and uncomfortable.

Because of that, the Center generally took care to prevent such situations.

And yet today, unexpectedly, Ihyeon had come face to face with the rumored S-rank, the first to appear in nearly five years.

The gentle face that had looked up at him in surprise came to mind.

Even setting aside his thin build and small frame, his appearance didn’t suit his rank at all.

His overall atmosphere was the same.

Usually, Espers of that level exuded a natural pressure regardless of personality, but Ihyeon hadn’t felt anything like that from Lee Chaewon.

He’d heard rumors that the side effects were severe.

Was that why?

Were the things preventing Chaewon from fully using his power also suppressing the sharp aura typical of an S-rank?

When Chaewon had asked if he was injured, the concern in his voice had been unmistakable.

Even in his surprise and confusion, the eyes looking at him had been remarkably warm.

Recalling that, Ihyeon resumed walking.

Once morning came, he decided he’d casually ask the management team about Chaewon.

Helping a fellow awakened individual who was facing difficulties was only natural, for a senior who was already well accustomed to this line of work.

****

Early in the morning, Chaewon stood in front of his bed, staring quietly at the blanket and the patient clothes folded neatly on top of it.

Like his clothes from yesterday, he’d rinsed the bloodstained areas by hand, but the blanket was in far worse condition than the sleeve had been.

He hesitated, unsure whether he should report it or simply leave it as is, and if he did need to say something, who he was supposed to tell.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Since he’d been informed in advance that there would be training and a detailed examination of power density that morning, Chaewon assumed Eunho had come to get him and hurried over to open the door.

“…Su-ha-ssi?”

But the person standing there wasn’t Eunho or Ye-seon, it was Jin Su-ha.
Caught off guard, Chaewon’s voice trembled slightly as he called his name.

Ignoring Chaewon’s reaction, Su-ha walked past him with a stiff expression and spoke.

“There was an order to conduct pre-guiding for this morning’s training.”

“Ah…”

Closing the door as he listened, Chaewon nodded readily.

He wasn’t overexerted at the moment, but with an examination coming up, stabilizing his condition further wouldn’t hurt.

What bothered him slightly was that it meant receiving guiding Su-ha didn’t want to give, but Chaewon was in a desperate enough situation that he decided to be a little shameless.

“Should I lie on the bed?”

Thinking it would be better for Su-ha as well to get it over with quickly, Chaewon asked right away.

At the question, Su-ha frowned, the words Is that really necessary? clearly written on his face.

Chaewon immediately added,

“I’m worried I might faint again like last time and cause trouble.”

If he collapsed on the floor, Su-ha would be the one who had to deal with it.

Chaewon didn’t want to be that much of a burden.

Between a typical Esper and guide, that level of care would be nothing, but for Su-ha, tending to an already-unwelcome Esper wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Well, do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Su-ha nodded indifferently, as if responding to something that had nothing to do with him.

He wouldn’t behave unpleasantly like before, but if some variable caused Chaewon to faint again, doing it on the bed would be far more convenient.
There was no real reason to stop him.

At Su-ha’s reply, Chaewon walked straight to the bed.

Su-ha’s gaze followed the light, almost weightless movement without much thought, then paused.

There was a reddish stain on the blanket Chaewon had pushed to the side of the bed.

It was faint, but clearly blood.

Under normal circumstances, Su-ha would have asked.

If he was hurt.

If he’d had a nosebleed.

If it was related to the side effects.

He would have asked thoroughly and done whatever he could to help.

The fact that Chaewon had been a patient before awakening flashed through his mind.

He’d been told the illness was completely cured upon awakening, but there was no guarantee nothing else had gone wrong.

But Su-ha didn’t ask anything.

He pretended not to see it.

If something serious had happened, the management team would have handled it already.

Su-ha was only Chaewon’s temporary guide.

For now, he’d do as ordered because there was no alternative, but once an opportunity arose, he would move to become Min Ihyeon’s guide.

Until then, he’d do the bare minimum.

Exactly the bare minimum.

He didn’t want to pry unnecessarily and end up developing emotions beyond that.
Su-ha’s job wasn’t to worry about Chaewon’s condition, it was to conduct pre-guiding.

His gaze moved away from the bloodstain.

By then, Chaewon had neatly placed his slippers aside and lay down on the bed. Watching him, Su-ha pulled over a small chair and sat down.

“We’ll proceed with contact guiding, holding hands, like last time.”

“Yes.”

Su-ha’s voice was cold and rigid, but Chaewon replied without much concern.
He already knew Su-ha found him disagreeable, and he understood why.
There was no need to be shaken by it.

Kindness, pity, disregard, indifference, even malice, Chaewon was accustomed to them all.

People became brutally honest in front of someone weaker than themselves, revealing their worst sides without hesitation.

Consciously or instinctively, they knew that the weaker person couldn’t retaliate.

Of course, Su-ha wasn’t treating him coldly because he saw him as weak, but regardless, negative emotions directed at him weren’t particularly difficult for Chaewon to handle.

It was Su-ha, instead, who felt uncomfortable at Chaewon’s excessively calm response.

The way he accepted I want someone else, not you as if it were only natural irritated him for reasons he couldn’t quite explain.

Even though he knew he had no right to feel that way, since he was the one who’d said it.

“…I’ll begin.”

This time, Su-ha didn’t wait for a response and immediately grasped Chaewon’s wrist.

He’d said they’d hold hands, but that level of intimacy felt awkward in this situation.

Chaewon didn’t show any particular surprise, he simply took a deep breath.

It seemed he was tense not because of Su-ha’s presence, but because of the act of guiding itself.