Chapter 122: Romantic Rivalries Don’t End Quietly

He didn’t want to mindlessly do whatever Su-ha told him to do. Chaewon deeply agreed that he shouldn’t live that way. But that didn’t mean he had to completely ignore Su-ha’s opinion either. He didn’t want to do that.

Instead of blindly following Su-ha’s words, he could listen to Su-ha’s thoughts, take them into consideration, and still make his own decision.

Su-ha looked at him with a strange, almost unfamiliar emotion. Chaewon, who had always dismissed his own opinions as worthless, who had thought it natural to adjust every decision to suit other people’s circumstances, was now speaking up and trying to stand by his own thoughts.

It felt unfamiliar, yet deeply welcome.

Watching the small world of a single man grow and expand in astonishing ways from up close brought a surge of exhilaration that no one who hadn’t experienced it could ever imagine.

Barely suppressing the urge for his lips to curl up foolishly, Su-ha answered,

“You’re right, Chaewon.”

Only after hearing that did the tension melt from Chaewon’s slightly stiff expression. Su-ha continued, looking at him with eyes full of affection.

“As long as you’re not just trying to prioritize me, or anyone else, over yourself, listening to different opinions is a good thing.”

“…Thank you.”

Chaewon’s face lit up as if he had just received praise from a teacher. He knew Su-ha wasn’t his teacher, but hearing approval from the man he most wanted to be acknowledged by made his chest tingle.

He wanted to grow more. Physically and mentally. He wanted to become someone strong enough to stand proudly beside Jin Su-ha. Clenching both fists under the table, he waited for Su-ha to continue.

“If I were to give my opinion… honestly, your ability would be a powerful asset in either team right now. A strong telekinetic ability has broad applications.”

“Ah…”

“So rather than thinking about where you’d perform better, or which kind of combat your power is most optimized for… I hope you’ll think more about where you’d feel a greater sense of fulfillment doing this work.”

Chaewon blinked slowly, listening carefully so as not to miss a single syllable.

Where would he feel more fulfilled?

At those words, he thought back to when he had first realized he’d awakened as an esper, what kind of battlefield he had imagined himself standing on.

It had been a vague image, but perhaps the very setting that had come to mind in that vagueness was the place he had truly desired deep down.

Seeing Chaewon sink into thought, Su-ha went on.

“I’m the guide who’ll stand on that battlefield with you. It’s true that I trained a lot with the Special Response Team in mind because I wanted to join it, but even if I’m in the Accident Response Team, none of those skills become useless. And besides…”

He paused briefly. Without meaning to, Chaewon held his breath.

“I wanted to join the Special Response Team because of Team Leader Min I-hyeon. But my goal has changed now. So the necessity of being in that team has changed too.”

“…”

“My goal is you now, Lee Chaewon. Being your guide, carrying out missions with you, that’s my goal.”

Chaewon’s eyes trembled at the firmness in Su-ha’s voice. He still hadn’t given Su-ha an answer to his confession, yet Su-ha spoke as if the possibility of parting ways wasn’t even a consideration.

Chaewon was afraid. Afraid that because of his choice, now, or someday in the future, he might lose Su-ha forever. That fear kept him from rejecting Su-ha’s feelings, but also from accepting them.

And yet Su-ha spoke as though he would stay by his side no matter what.

For Chaewon, who had lost everything precious as if “loss” had been the only fate written for him since birth, it was hard to believe. As if reading that doubt, Su-ha smiled with absolute certainty.

“Wherever it is, as long as you’re there, I don’t mind.”

For Chaewon, “I don’t mind” had always meant resignation. No matter the disadvantage, the misunderstanding, or the scorn, he had endured it all quietly, pretending it didn’t matter because hardship in his life had never been something he could overcome head-on.

But the “I don’t mind” that came from Su-ha’s lips was different. It wasn’t surrender. It was a challenge. It was resolve and confidence, the belief that he could handle anything.

In that moment, Chaewon felt again how completely his world had changed. It amazed him how two men living in the same time and space could see such different worlds.

“Thank you, Su-ha. I’ll… I’ll think carefully and decide.”

After a long pause, he spoke slowly, like a child trying out a newly learned word. “I’ll” think. “I’ll” decide. It was still unfamiliar, but he didn’t dislike it. He wanted to stop giving up and resigning himself. He wanted to leave that kind of world behind.

Su-ha answered warmly, as if cheering him on.

“Good. Think it through carefully and choose what you want. Whichever side you pick, you’ll do well.”

Chaewon wanted to do well, on his own terms, not just by doing as he was told.

The changes within him felt dazzling. Looking straight at Su-ha, he smiled brightly. He felt like crying, but it wasn’t a sad day.

****

“Hello, Chaewon. We meet again.”

“Yes. Hello, Gong Tae-jun.”

Chaewon had arrived at the examination room first for the guiding test. He warmly shook the hand Tae-jun extended with an easygoing smile. Standing protectively at Chaewon’s side, Su-ha’s gaze dropped to their clasped hands.

After gently shaking Chaewon’s hand a few times, Tae-jun let go and turned to Su-ha.

“I’m Gong Tae-jun.”

“Jin Su-ha.”

The atmosphere was entirely different from the greeting Tae-jun had just shared with Chaewon. They didn’t even shake hands. Watching the childish tension, Ye-soen and Eunho exchanged glances and quietly shook their heads.

It wasn’t unusual for this to happen when an awakened man with an established pair underwent a backup test, but they hadn’t expected Jin Su-ha to be like this too.

Before the tension could escalate, Ye-seon hurriedly intervened.

“Alright. Chaewon, this is just a simple matching-rate test. Guide Gong Tae-jun is highly skilled, so there’s no need to be nervous.”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Ye-seon had been worried Chaewon might tense up, considering how things had gone during the last matching test with Su-ha, but Chaewon’s voice was lighter than expected. He had noticed it before, but this confirmed it, Chaewon had changed in many ways.

“Then Chaewon, come this way.”

Eunho led him toward the bed to connect the testing equipment. A suffocating awkwardness settled among Su-ha, Tae-jun, and Ye-seon.

Su-ha spoke first, his voice stiff.

“Chaewon’s energy is extremely sensitive, and it’s hard to predict how side effects might manifest. I’d appreciate it if you could guide him as carefully as possible.”

Tae-jun smiled lightly, as if it were obvious.

“Of course. I’m aware.”

It was a natural exchange, but standing right beside them, Ye-seon barely held back a sigh.

As a team leader, he normally wouldn’t concern himself with something as simple as a matching test, but since Chaewon was under his direct management, he had come. It had been a long time since he had witnessed such juvenile tension.

Usually, the backup guide didn’t have personal feelings involved, so it was typically the paired guide who reacted strongly. But Tae-jun’s situation was different, which made Ye-seon even more uneasy.

Romantic rivalries among awakened men rarely ended quietly.

“Alright, Su-ha, come observe from this side with me. Tae-jun, adjust your output more finely than usual.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll make sure Chaewon doesn’t get hurt.”

As if he knew Chaewon well enough to speak so familiarly.

The words rose to Su-ha’s throat, but he barely managed to swallow them.

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