Chapter 45: A Shift in the Wind

Friday was the day for the team gate simulation.
However, since the team leader, Sung Yohan, was absent, the simulation was conducted by the team members without him.

Perhaps because he was often absent, no one seemed to mind.

The team members put on their special combat suits and moved to the team gate simulation room.
I also took my energy gun and entered the simulation with them.

As always, the Esper team members dealt with the boss monster near the gate, while the guide team member, like me, dealt with the monsters that descended to the ground from the gate.

The monster hit by my aimed bullet had its head shattered and was annihilated.
A team member who was watching me said in admiration.

“Guide Shinui, you’re so good.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Would you mind helping me during individual training later?”

“Sure.”

When other guides were eliminating one monster, I was eliminating three, so I thought I was better than average.
Since it was a simulation, even though the monsters were exactly like the real ones, their attacks didn’t damage us.
So, as I participated more actively in the training, the results were good.

Come to think of it, it was also thanks to the training I had with Team Leader Park for three years.
For some reason, I missed training with him today.

After nearly an hour of hard training, my special combat suit was soaked with sweat.
I wanted to wash off the heat and sweat from my body with cold water.

After saying goodbye to the team members, I immediately took a shower in my exclusive room.
I carefully wiped myself dry and was putting on my uniform when I felt his aura from outside.

Feeling his aura, I was reminded of the time he had come to see me a few days ago.
I had wished he would no longer approach me, but I was curious about why he had cried that day.

When I came out of the exclusive room, as expected, he was leaning against the hallway wall.
But as soon as he sensed my presence, he immediately straightened up.

“Shinui-ssi.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk. We haven’t had a proper conversation, have we?”

It was a strange desperation, different from usual.
But my heart was not moved.

“I won’t take up much of your time.”

Contrary to his words, he had come and tried to talk to me so many times that I couldn’t even count them on two hands.
And every time, he had always taken up my time.

“I don’t want to.”

“Please. Just once.”

“I said I don’t want to.”

I ignored him and walked down the hallway.
He followed behind me.
At his persistent behavior, I finally stopped and said sharply.
Just as he had done to me before the regression.

“I said I don’t want to be with you!”

He was surprised by my informal speech.
Did I have the same expression as him now, back then?

“Why? We’re the same age, can’t I speak informally?”

“……”

He was still surprised by my words.
I sneered at him and continued.

“If you don’t like it, you can speak informally too.”

“As you said, we’re the same age, so we can speak informally. Please speak comfortably.”

He should be showing his true colors by now, but seeing him still holding back, in contrast to before the regression, made me feel even more disillusioned.

“Why are you acting nice? That’s not your real personality.”

“What?”

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you at the Center.”

His face changed to one of bewilderment at my words.
He soon looked at me with a troubled face.

“They say you look down on guides and have such a bad reputation that there’s no guide who will guide you.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Come to think of it, even before returning to the past, the surrounding Awakened had spoken negatively about him.
But I had been deceived by his gentle appearance and hadn’t listened.
If I didn’t have the memories of the past three years, I would have been deceived again just like before.

“Yeah. I know. That’s why I dislike you.”

“……”

At my words, his eyebrows drooped.
He looked as if he regretted all the things he had done, which made me angry.

“Why are you frowning?”

“It’s nothing.”

He shook his head, relaxed his expression, and looked at me.
Seeing that, I decided to take this opportunity to say everything I wanted to say.

“I think you’re being nice to me because I’m an S-Class, but I have no intention of guiding you.”

“I know. I have no intention of being your exclusive anymore. I don’t want to force it when you dislike it.”

“I thought you wouldn’t know. You know well.”

“But I want to get along well with you.”

“I have no intention of getting along well.”

He nodded as if he had expected my words to some extent.
I wondered if he was really the Hyun Taewoon I knew.

Originally, I wanted to ask him why he had cried last time, but even if I knew the reason, our relationship wouldn’t change, and I didn’t want to have any more meaningless conversations, so I ignored him and passed by.

He knew I would dislike it if he followed me, so he stood there and said in a loud voice.

“I’ll try to become a person you like.”

At his words, I snorted, turned the corner of the hallway, and disappeared from his sight.

The year-end party was just a few days ago, but it was already the New Year.

Wonjae was excited all day, happy to finally be an adult.
And he pestered me to teach him about alcohol.
I told him it was still too early for alcohol, but to celebrate him becoming an adult, we headed to the department store together.

Since it was rare for us to go out like this, I was also a little excited, just like him.

“Choose whatever you want to buy. I’ll buy you everything.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

At my words, he smiled brightly and looked around the department store.
At that sight, a smile also formed on my face.
He and I went around choosing things to buy together.

But since neither of us enjoyed shopping, we didn’t know what to choose, so we decided to get help from a staff member.
Following his opinion that he wanted to buy new clothes, we moved to the clothing section.
There, after much thought, he chose two winter coats and a wallet.
His happy face was just like a child who had received a Christmas present.
I told him he could choose more, but he declined, saying this was enough.

“I’ll wear them and carry it every day.”

“Do you like them?”

“Of course. I’ll buy you a gift first when I get my salary too.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

After that, he held my arm and we walked around the department store.
After finishing our shopping, we ate at a restaurant we had reserved in advance and returned home.

He must have been tired, as he went straight to his room, and I showered and thought about what to do from now on.

It was about time for him to become independent.
But I was worried because he was still young.
Still, since the Association would provide him with a house and a housekeeper, I didn’t think I had to worry too much.
Come to think of it, I had been living alone in a factory dorm since my third year of high school.

The reason I had stopped my resignation plans until now was also because of him.
I had been waiting for him to become an adult, but now that he was an adult, it was time to start preparing for my resignation.

When I came out after showering, he was already sitting in the living room watching TV.
I approached him and spoke.

“Wonjae, now that you’re an adult, how about you start thinking about becoming independent?”

As soon as he heard my words, his face, which had been welcoming me just a moment ago, hardened in an instant.

“Why?”

“Now that you’re twenty, the Association will provide you with a house instead of the minor’s dorm.”

“I don’t want to.”

He immediately said no and shook his head.
It was unexpected to see him so strongly opposed.

“Why?”

I was curious about the reason for his refusal, so I asked him again, and his face contorted.

“Hyung, did you buy me gifts today to kick me out?”

“Of course not.”

Feeling that he was misunderstanding, I thought I had to clear it up quickly and opened my mouth.
But he cut me off.

“Then why are you trying to kick me out? Am I a burden to you?”

He looked like he was about to cry.
At that face, I felt a pang of regret.
Come to think of it, he was still young.
I thought I might have brought it up too early, with my own desire to resign taking precedence.

“I’m not telling you to become independent right away. I was just asking for your thoughts. You might be uncomfortable living with me.”

“I’m not uncomfortable at all. I like living with you.”

He said, taking my hand.
His hand was trembling pitifully.

“I’m going to keep living with you. Please let me.”

“…Okay.”

At his unstable appearance, I had no choice but to nod.

It had been less than half a year since he lost his parents.
It was my fault for not considering his current state.

Of course he would be scared to be alone again as soon as he became an adult.
It seemed best to ask Jinseok to find a place for him to live not too far away, and then to prepare for his independence slowly over time.

“Relax your face. It makes me sad when you do that.”

I said, pressing his furrowed brow with my thumb.
At my words, he relaxed his frown, but he still had a sad face.
He looked pitiful.

I comforted the anxious him for a while and decided to postpone my resignation for a little longer.