Chapter 33: The Lunatic Who Sat on the Street to Turn On a Phone

Why is he acting like this?

Yeo-jun had always been interested in people, but it was about the injuries he had to treat, not personal lives.

Lee Chae tried to give short answers and refocus on guiding, but the questions kept coming.

“How fast does your guiding take effect?”

“Pretty fast.”

“Then why did he avoid guiding in the first place?”

“Low matching rate.”

“I heard Cha Haejin’s attack power in combat is insane—is that true?”

“Seems like it.”

The endless interrogation was exhausting.

I’m busy guiding—why does he keep asking about Haejin?

A strange feeling crept in.

Lee Chae stopped answering and asked back.

“Why do you keep asking about him?”

Yeo-jun looked flustered for a second, then laughed.

“Because… try telling anyone here you’re close with Cha Haejin. They’ll all react like me.”

“Why?”

“It’s like celebrity gossip. Who hates gossip?”

But the questions felt less like gossip and more like… something else.

Lee Chae almost asked, Are you measuring combat power against monsters or what? but shut his mouth.

With the world going crazier every day, reactions to the hero Cha Haejin couldn’t be normal.

The world was insane, and so was Haejin’s talent.

Suddenly, his ability felt impressive all over again.

“I see. Guess I’m the only one who doesn’t care much about Cha Haejin.”

Was it a trick of the light? Yeo-jun’s eyes seemed to gleam.

No way… does Yeo-jun hyung have that kind of interest in Haejin too? Trying to imprint? Didn’t he hate high-rank espers?

Wild thoughts flashed one after another.

“Anyway, it’s not a special relationship, so I don’t know much to tell.”

Lee Chae finished guiding the last esper.

He placed the pad on the groaning esper’s leg and pressed energy in—feeling a glare from the side the whole time.

“Done. Good work today, hyung.”

“Yeah… I’m a bit tired today too.”

Yeo-jun, who usually cleaned up after everyone, stood up first.

He said he’d go ahead because he was sorry, then left.

Even the other guides whispered, What’s with him today?

Watching Yeo-jun’s hurried back, Lee Chae tilted his head.

It wasn’t like him to panic.

Something going on at home? Is that why he was on edge?

Lee Chae thought that while tidying the treatment room.

Outside the cleanup building, Lee Chae frowned at the figure leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

Haejin.

Ha, there he is again.

“I told you not to wait.”

Haejin uncrossed his arms and waved.

The sunset behind him burned red.

The closer the shadow came, the louder his broken heart pounded.

Damn it, again.

He looked away to avoid the gaze, but Haejin’s voice flew in.

“What’s the point of buying you a phone if you don’t even turn it on…? I was going to leave if you’d just turned it on.”

“I was busy the moment I got home.”

“No combat today—why would a cleanup guide be busy? Don’t you just wait for emergencies?”

Typical S-rank—he knew nothing about the cleanup crew.

Lee Chae looked at him like he was pathetic.

“In ruined lands, people scavenge anything worth money to sell to factories just to survive. In the process, leftover monster energy causes big and small injuries.”

“…That’s illegal.”

“Management knows but doesn’t stop it. If they did, more kids would starve. Understand now, young master?”

Lee Chae mocked and marched toward the bus stop.

The shopping bag swung with every step.

Haejin ran over, snatched the bag, and plopped down on the ground.

Lee Chae stopped and turned.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’ll open it and turn it on myself. Otherwise you won’t do it until tomorrow.”

Lee Chae ended up squatting in front of him.

A famous S-rank esper and a low-rank D-rank guide—who never lost a fight—now crouched on the street like idiots.

People passed with weird looks.

Was he getting immune? Or just too tired today?

Lee Chae blankly watched Haejin’s hands, surprised he didn’t care about the stares.

Every time Haejin opened the box and powered on the phone, blue veins bulged under the rolled-up sleeves.

Without thinking, Lee Chae pressed on Haejin’s forearm.

Haejin flinched and stopped.

“Wow… I use my arms a lot too, but mine don’t look like this…”

Haejin narrowed his eyes into a soft smile.

“Sexy?”

“No. Gross.”

“Then why touch?”

“Got it. I’ll never touch again.”

As Lee Chae tried to pull away, Haejin grabbed his hand with the other and placed it back on his arm.

Then flexed and relaxed repeatedly.

Lee Chae’s pale hand rose and fell on the thick forearm.

“Still?”

“…Idiot. Childish. Immature.”

Lee Chae quickly withdrew his hand.

The insult was more for himself than Haejin.

He hated how, whenever he was with Haejin, he acted on instinct like an animal.

Even if it was because of high compatibility, it was uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to be that harsh.”

Haejin grinned, pressed the camera button, and slung an arm around Lee Chae’s shoulders, holding the phone high.

“What are you doing.”

“Setting the wallpaper. Jung Lee Chae, smile. I won’t let go until you do.”

He tightened like he’d choke him.

The more Lee Chae struggled, the tighter it got.

“Fine! I’ll smile!”

“One, two, three!”

Click.

Haejin checked the photo and burst out laughing.

“F*ck, our hamster is insanely cute.”

“W-what is it.”

Haejin jumped up and held the phone high.

“Promise not to delete it and I’ll show you. Otherwise I’ll send it to mine first and give it back.”

“…What kind of photo is it.”

It was definitely teasing material.

Lee Chae jumped to grab it.

Haejin defended perfectly while giggling.

“Seriously so cute.”

He raised his arm, sent the photo to his own phone mid-air, then handed the phone back.

Lee Chae checked the screen immediately.

He was glaring hard, mouth wide open, smiling like a fool.

Definitely not cute—weird as hell.

He instantly hit delete.

Suspicious laughter made him look up—Haejin was smacking his lips while looking at his own phone.

He’d already sent it.

Fck, what now?*

“Pervert. Delete it while I’m being nice.”

“No way…”

Haejin glanced at him once and started running the other way.

Another escape.

“You’re so immature!”

Lee Chae was about to chase when he noticed the phone packaging scattered messily on the ground.

He had no choice but to sit and clean it up.

Haejin stopped running and came back to help.

If he was going to help anyway, why run?

Annoying and childish—but Lee Chae kept smiling for some reason.

After cleaning, they walked to the bus stop under a darkening sky.

Time had flown.

The bus arrived.

Haejin approached like it was obvious.

“You’re following me all the way home?”

“Not following—escorting. What if a Quickle shows up on the way?”

He spouted nonsense and laughed.

Lee Chae gave him a pitiful look and turned to the window.

The scenery blurred past.

Haejin suddenly asked,

“Do you get along with the people you work with?”

“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

“Just curious.”

Lee Chae remembered Yeo-jun acting weird today and frowned.

Haejin stared.

“Not great?”

“Not really.”

Silence again.

Even on the bus, people kept glancing.

Haejin was far more famous than expected.

If he was going to keep this conditional contract, he’d have to endure these looks forever.

Already tiring.

The bus reached the destination.

Lee Chae got off first; Haejin followed as if it were natural.

They walked the dim alley in silence.

Walking side by side on a path he used to run alone or flee from Haejin felt strange.

At the front door, Haejin grabbed his shoulders from behind and spun him around.

Lee Chae instinctively hugged himself.

Haejin smirked.

“I’m not gonna eat you.”

“Who said anything.”

In that moment of relaxation, a big hand ruffled his hair.

“Fruitful day. Got a photo, no Quickles on the way, no annoying flies stuck to you.”

“Go home quick. And don’t text for no reason.”

He was about to turn when he suddenly remembered—the photo he couldn’t delete was still on Haejin’s phone.