Chapter 36: A Familiar Game

The gate simulation was divided into three types: individual gate simulation, pair gate simulation, and team gate simulation.

These three were conducted at least once a week, and since the Espers used their abilities as they would in the field during the simulation, their guiding levels dropped.
So on the days the Espers did a simulation, the guides were obligated to guide them.

I was paired with Sung Yohan, so when he did a gate simulation, I had to time it and guide him.

Currently, I was in his guiding room, watching his simulation on a monitor.
But no matter how much I watched, I couldn’t figure out his ability.

The monsters were cut into pieces as if by a sharp knife and then disappeared.
An S-Class Esper’s ability was a secret, so the Association would probably maintain its confidentiality, but since we were a pair, he might tell me if I asked.

The announcement that his gate simulation was over was heard.
The level on the Guiding Watch was on the cusp of the calm zone, so it didn’t seem necessary to guide him.

Sung Yohan, now neatly dressed in his uniform, entered the guiding room with light steps.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”

“No. Your guiding level is in the calm zone today, so I don’t think you need guiding.”

“But I want to do it until I’m in the stable zone.”

He seemed to want to receive guiding from me.
Come to think of it, I had never officially guided him except during guiding training.
It seemed like a good idea to actually try guiding him.
Since his current guiding level was 68%, it didn’t seem like it would take long to reach the stable zone of 80%.

“I understand. Please sit next to me.”

At my words, he smiled and sat right next to me.
I held out my hand to him and said dryly.

“I will now perform first-level contact guiding.”

“I want to do second-level contact guiding. Third would be even better.”

First-level was a simple hand contact, second was a hug, and third was a kiss, a contact between mucous membranes.
Since it was a gate simulation, not a real gate, first-level would be enough.
But Sung Yohan, who was mentioning third-level contact guiding, didn’t seem to have pure intentions, so I glared at him.

There was such a thing as etiquette when doing contact guiding, and his behavior now was slightly rude.

“Since you’re in the calm zone, you can raise your guiding level quickly just by holding hands.”

“I want to do second or third level.”

He said, opening his arms.
Seeing that, I frowned and said firmly.
If I gave in to him now, I would end up doing whatever he wanted.

“I can do up to second-level guiding in a field gate, but this is a simulation. Give me your hand.”

At my firm words, he finally seemed to agree and held out his hand.
Relieved, I took his hand and immediately guided him.
I checked the Guiding Watch to see the level, but it was still rising slower than with him.
It was strange since his matching rate was higher than his.

“The guiding level isn’t rising as much as I thought.”

“Then shouldn’t we move on to the second level?”

“I told you we don’t need to go up to the second level since you’re in the calm zone.”

“Shinui-ssi, you’re more stubborn than I thought.”

I had never been told I was stubborn in my life.
I had lived a life of giving up rather than being stubborn.

At his words, I looked back at my own behavior from a moment ago, and it seemed I had a slightly firm side.
But he was the one being stubborn now.

“Am I stubborn? Or are you, Sung Yohan-ssi?”

“Yes. Usually, everyone does as I please.”

“I’m different from other people.”

Sung Yohan chuckled as if he found my defiant words amusing.
He then looked at my hand, which was connected to his, and said.

“I think so. But… you’re very skilled at guiding. Like someone who’s done it for a long time.”

At his words, my hand flinched slightly without me realizing it.
No one knew I had regressed, and no one would even guess.

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Is it because our matching rate is high?”

He chuckled lowly and lifted the hand he was holding, scanning it over.
I felt uncomfortable with his gaze and lowered my hand again.

I wanted to end the guiding now, so I said briefly to concentrate.

Fortunately, he didn’t say anything more.
Before long, a notification that the guiding level had reached 80% appeared, and as soon as it did, I immediately released his hand and said.

“Guiding is over.”

“Do it slower next time. Because I want to be with you longer.”

‘I don’t think that will happen.’

I thought to myself and smiled along with his smile.
And then I said goodbye and quickly left.
As expected, guiding an Esper was a pain.
I thought it would be fine as long as it wasn’t him, but I was wrong.
Guiding itself was disgusting.

I didn’t want to guide while receiving such sexual harassment from Espers.
To be honest, I wanted to run away from the Association right now.
But now that I was an S-Class, the Association wouldn’t let me go easily.

I was on my way to the break room, feeling a throbbing headache, when I felt his wavelength.

Now, just feeling his wavelength made my stomach churn.
I felt his wavelength getting closer and tried to avoid him, but I hated myself for running away, so I stubbornly walked forward.

Suddenly, Sung Yohan’s words from before came to mind.
As he had said, I might be more stubborn than I thought.

When I turned the corner of the hallway, I saw him leaning against a wall.
It seemed he had been waiting for me to appear.

I had clearly told him not to appear, but seeing him appear again, I knew he was looking down on me.

Currently, the Association had not properly dealt with matters concerning him.
This was a breach of contract, and it might be an opportunity to leave the Association.

I tried to walk past him, ignoring him, but today too, he spoke to me first.

“Shinui-ssi.”

I could have ignored his words, but I responded, intending to use his current behavior as leverage against the Association.

“You must not be very smart, Hyun Taewoon-ssi. Didn’t the Association tell you that you are forbidden from approaching?”

“I know. And that you dislike me. But I’m in a desperate situation.”

A dry laugh escaped me at his words.
When I was a C-Class, he didn’t even acknowledge me, let alone come to see me, even though our matching rate was high.
He always just chided and reprimanded me.

I just stared at him, as if to say, ‘go on’.

“I need you. I’ve never had someone with such a high matching rate before.”

“So?”

“I’ve been relying on medication and machine guiding until now. My body is not accepting it anymore. If this continues, there’s a high probability that I will go on a rampage and die.”

I had never heard these words before the regression.
There was a high probability that it was a lie to deceive me.

“If I had been a C-Class, would you have acted like this now?”

He was silent for a moment, but in the end, he nodded.

“…If the matching rate was high, I would have.”

A loud laugh burst out of me without me realizing it.
Seeing my laughter, he frowned slightly, but I continued to laugh before stopping and becoming serious.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

His face, which had been watching me, hardened slightly.

Since I had my memories from before the regression, seeing his current behavior made my head become endlessly cold.

I wanted to tell him right now about all the things he had done when I was a C-Class.
I had died to save him, but seeing him still only thinking of his own life, I was sick of it.

“Hyun Taewoon-ssi, should I tell you a way to feel better?”

“What is it?”

“Go on a rampage. You’ll feel better when you’re dead.”

At my words, his lips slowly closed and hardened into a straight line.
I wondered if I needed to be so cruel, but my hatred for him was greater than I thought.

“You said you’d die without me. I have no intention of guiding you.”

“You must dislike me a lot.”

“Yes. I do.”

At my words, his eyebrows twitched, but I walked to the elevator as if my business was done.

The number of times he had come to see me was now more than I could count on one hand.
And even if I told the Association about this, there was no proper restraint.
The Association would have nothing to say even if I broke the contract.

I planned to file a request to terminate the contract with the Association with the help of the government, which was in a confrontational relationship with them.

As soon as I got home, I wrote down the dates and times of his contact one by one, and also wrote down my opinion on the contract termination.
After printing it out, my mind became so calm.
I just had to go to the government first thing in the morning tomorrow.

With that thought, I went to bed comfortably for the first time, but I had to wake up again at dawn.

I received a call that he had gone on a rampage.