Chapter 57: A Dangerous Alliance

After lunch, I was resting on the sofa with Wonjae.
I felt my phone vibrate and looked at the screen to see an unknown number.

Since it was an unknown number, I pressed the reject button, but the same number immediately called back.
Thinking it probably wasn’t a wrong number, I hesitated for a moment and then pressed the call button.

“Who is this?”

• [Guide-nim, it’s Dr. Yoon Jeongho.]

I was a little surprised at the name Dr. Yoon.
Since I had never contacted him privately, I felt a sense of wonder and asked about the purpose of the call.

“Doctor, what’s going on?”

• [Did you have a good trip to the US?]

“Yes. I did.”

• [That’s a relief. I’m calling to propose the guide project we talked about last time again.]

Seeing him propose it again even after I had refused made me think that he might be in a desperate need of my help.
But I was still not in a position to help.

I didn’t know how long I would be at the Center, and I had many things on my mind to focus on the project.
Most of all, the memory of my body deteriorating while doing the project before the regression weighed on my mind.

“I don’t think I can.”

• [We need your help for the project.]

When I didn’t answer despite his repeated earnest requests, he made an offer that I couldn’t refuse.

• [I know a way for you to safely leave the Association.]

At those words, I couldn’t help but ask back immediately.
His words, coming from someone who had been at the Association for a long time, had credibility.

“Really?”

• [Yes. I will tell you if you participate in the project.]

I was tempted by his words, but if I were to interpret them, it meant that he would tell me how to resign after I had successfully completed the project.
After all, if I resigned in advance, I wouldn’t be able to participate in the project.

Since it was a project with no end in sight, I couldn’t rashly agree this time either.
He must have sensed my hesitation, as he said he would wait.

• [Please contact me immediately if you change your mind. Then I will be waiting for your call.]

“I understand. Goodbye.”

Even after the call with him ended, I was still hesitant.
First, I thought I should meet with Sehyun tonight and then decide what to do.

He had also contacted me on the day I returned from the US.
I had hesitated at his words to meet for a moment, but in the end, I made an appointment.
I judged that it would be better to make at least one more person on my side to leave the Association even a little bit sooner.

When I checked the time, it was already 5 o’clock.
Since he was scheduled to pick me up at 6 PM, I had to start getting ready to go out.

Since he was one of the most handsome people I had ever met, I also paid attention to my appearance when I met him.
I got up from the sofa and headed to the bathroom.

As I came out wearing my casual clothes, Wonjae, who was sitting on the sofa, asked me with a puzzled face.

“Hyung, where are you going?”

“I have an appointment, so I’ll be out for a bit. Have dinner.”

“Who are you meeting?”

He followed me as I went to the entrance and asked.
I didn’t want to lie, so I told him the truth.

“With Cha Sehyun-ssi.”

“Aren’t you meeting him too often these days? He’s a government official…. You’re not really going to move to the government, are you?”

I had clearly said no last time, but since I was meeting him often, he seemed worried.

“I told you no last time.”

“Still, there are a lot of stories at the Center lately that you might move to the US or the government.”

I shook my head at his frowning words and conveyed my thoughts as I had before.

“I have no intention of going. And even if I do, I won’t hide it from you.”

At my words, he made a face as if he believed me, but his worried expression was still not good.

“I know…. I hope you’ll stay at the Association.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of going to the US or the government.”

I said it again to relieve his worries even a little.
Fortunately, this time, I could feel the worry in his face lessen.

“If you do go, please take me with you.”

“Okay.”

The chances of me leaving the Association with him were slim, but I answered that I would, at least hoping to reassure him.

“Hyung…. Promise me.”

He held out his pinky finger to me.
He was cute.
He was bigger than me, but his actions were like a child’s.

“What’s with the childishness. Don’t worry and just watch the house well.”

I couldn’t link my pinky finger with his.
I didn’t want to make any more promises I couldn’t keep.
So I playfully retorted and put on my shoes.

At that, his expression turned to one of worry again, but I ignored it and came out.

His now-familiar car was parked in front of the apartment’s main entrance.
At the sight of his car, my steps quickened without me realizing it.
He must have seen me too, as I saw him getting out of the car.

“Shinui-ssi!”

I smiled and approached him.
As expected, my mind was at ease when I was with him.

“You’re early.”

“Yes. Please get in.”

He opened the passenger door for me.
I had told him he didn’t have to open the passenger door for me every time, but he shook his head and always opened the door.

As I sat in the passenger seat, he closed the door for me.
And while I was fastening my seatbelt, he returned to the driver’s seat.

“Where are we going today?”

“A place you’ll like.”

He said he would start the car and drove somewhere.
The place we arrived at was a members-only restaurant on the outskirts of Seoul, and surprisingly, they said only S-Class Espers and guides could enter.

An S-Class exclusive restaurant.
If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would have never known.

I still didn’t know the reason why I had returned to the past or why I had become an S-Class, but the treatment was incomparably better than in the old days.
I felt a dual sense of bitterness and peace.

Guided by a staff member, we entered a private room and had a light conversation while eating.

“Did you have a good trip to the US?”

“Yes. I bought a gift for you too, but I forgot and left it behind.”

“Really? I’m happy you even got me a gift.”

“It’s nothing big.”

“It’s okay. It’s the thought that counts.”

He smiled as if he were happy about the unexpected gift.
And then he returned to his original expression and asked.

“I heard about your performance at the US gate. They said the American Association made a scout offer. Are you thinking of accepting it?”

At his words, my smile disappeared without me realizing it.
I didn’t know how he knew this, but I shook my head and answered.

“I refused that offer.”

“Didn’t you want to leave the Association?”

“I dislike the Association, but I don’t want to leave Korea.”

I had no intention of leaving Korea.
I had learned that while I was in the US.
It was more comfortable to live in Korea.

“That’s a relief. I was worried you might go abroad. Did you come to a good agreement with the Association?”

“The agreement wasn’t exactly good.”

It was certain that the Association was trying to please me, but they would never accept my resignation.

“Shinui-ssi, you want to leave the Association, right?”

I nodded my head slightly.
The biggest mistake I had made after returning to the past was joining the Association.
The Association seemed to be considerate, but they always treated people as they pleased and looked down on them.

“Shall I help you?”

“Can you help me?”

“Yes. But there’s something I need your help with in return.”

At him, who was setting a condition, I felt a slight sense of disappointment, and the conversation I had with Dr. Yoon came to mind.
But I thought it was unavoidable.
I was currently an S-Class Guide, and there would be many places, whether the government or the Association, that needed my help.

“What is it?”

“A friend’s younger sibling disappeared a few years ago.”

“Where?”

“Well…. I heard that the child is at the Association.”

Surprised at the words that they were at the Association, I hurriedly asked for the name.

“What’s the name?”

The moment he was about to answer my question, my phone suddenly vibrated.

At the sound of the vibration, he stopped talking.
I hurriedly rejected the call, but the vibration rang again.
When I checked the screen, it was Wonjae.

This time, I sent a message saying I would call back later, but the calls kept coming.
Something felt wrong, so I had no choice but to ask for his understanding.

“I’m sorry to interrupt our important conversation. Can I take this call for a moment?”

“Yes. Of course.”

At his words, I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear.
As soon as the call connected, his urgent voice was heard.

• [Hyung, Esper Sung Yohan came to the house saying he’s going to live with you.]