Chapter 70: A Matter of Duty

“Esper Hyun Taewoon is being strange today. His ability control is unstable.”

He was definitely using his abilities in the empty air, not at the boss monster.
Sehyun was in the direction he was using his abilities.
It seemed he was aiming for him and using his abilities.

In the end, I saw him being hit by his ability and falling far away.
I was worried about what would happen if he was injured by his ability.
In the end, I had no choice but to borrow Wonjae’s earpiece.
Because his earpiece was connected to his exclusive, Hyun Taewoon’s earpiece.

“Wonjae, can I borrow your earpiece for a bit?”

“Why? Are you trying to talk to him?”

“Yeah.”

At my words, he hesitated before handing me the earpiece.
I skillfully put the earpiece on my ear and said.

“Hyun Taewoon, what are you doing?”

• [Huh? Shinui?]

“You’re deliberately using your ability on Esper Cha Sehyun right now.”

• [No, I’m not.]

“Stop it. If you keep this up, I think I’ll dislike you even more.”

I said that to him and handed the earpiece back to him.
He was looking at me with a frown.

“Hyung, since when did you two start speaking informally?”

I had used formal speech when people were around, so I was taken aback.
If I got flustered here, the quick-witted him might sense something strange, so I said nonchalantly.

“We’re the same age.”

“Still. You two look close.”

“We look close?”

It was a short conversation.
I wondered in what part we looked close.

“We’re definitely not close, so don’t worry.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

At my serious expression, he thankfully didn’t say anything more.

Team Leader Park must have also felt him using his ability on him, as he went to his side and restrained him.

Fortunately, Team Leader Park’s words must have worked, as he started to use his ability on the boss monster again.

“What is he thinking, using his ability like that? His level is already at 50%.”

He said, looking at his Guiding Watch.
His guiding level was dropping rapidly because of his ability use and side effects.
I had learned this while living with him; he released an enormous amount of energy every time he used his ability.

“I don’t want to guide him.”

“Let’s just think of it as a job.”

“That’s right, you didn’t guide Sung Yohan because you liked him either, hyung. I was being too childish.”

I told him it was okay and patted his shoulder, then I looked at his figure again.
His ability was a match for his power.
Every time he used his ability, a gasp of admiration came out.
Perhaps because it was an electric type, the ability itself was flashy and its power was strong, so the monsters were quickly annihilated.

The boss monster quickly turned to ash with his lightning and his flame.
Come to think of it, their abilities seemed to have a good compatibility.

As soon as the gate door was completely closed, he returned to the guiding shelter.
Although he was a government official, since the gate had closed with his help this time, the Awakened and the staff said he had worked hard.
I also hurriedly ran to him.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“My left forearm doesn’t move well because of the monster’s attack earlier. I worked hard, trusting the promise I made with you.”

“I remember. Let’s go to the guiding room.”

I immediately took him to the private guiding room.
And I checked his guiding level with the guiding level machine in the guiding room.

[Guiding Level: 52%]

I was relieved that it wasn’t in the danger zone.

“Is it okay if I do contact guiding? I’ll guide you quickly.”

“Okay.”

At my words, he held out his hand.
They were long, white, and beautiful fingers.
But in my haste, I hugged him.
Then his body stiffened.
I patted his back and tried to catch his wavelength.

I had never imagined that I would be guiding him, so it was a strange situation.
His wavelength was unexpectedly sharp and stinging.
It felt like it was hurting me.

“Your wavelength is sharper than I thought.”

“I’m sorry. Because of the side effects.”

It seemed that each Esper was suffering from different side effects.
Being an Esper wasn’t all good.

“Your wavelength is gentle.”

His stiff muscles relaxed, and he also hugged my back.
His wavelength was still raging at my unfamiliar wavelength, but the level was gradually rising.

“But what is your ability, Sehyun-ssi?”

“It’s a secret.”

As expected, it seemed to be a secret because he was an S-Class.
But from the ability he used, I could tell that it was related to electricity.
Even though I had a vague idea, I continued in a joking tone.

“Can’t you even tell me your ability, between us?”

“I might tell you if you come to the government.”

“Then I’ll have to think about it.”

“If you’re going to move, you can tell me anytime. I’ll process it quickly for you.”

I was guiding him with a smile at his words.
His phone started to ring.
He looked at the screen and said with a slight frown.

“It seems the government has already heard that I participated in the gate.”

“You’re not going to get disciplined because of me, are you?”

“No. I chose to do it. I’ll be going in now.”

At his words that he was leaving, I released my hands, but I felt a sense of disappointment.

“Okay…. I’ll see you out.”

Soon, he and I came out.
But unlike when we went in, the outside was noisy.
Looking at the situation, it seemed to be because of a fight between him and Wonjae.

“I have no intention of guiding Esper Hyun Taewoon. Tell him to get machine guiding like he always does.”

He shot back at him sharply.
He looked so different from his usual cold self that I was flustered.

“Wonjae, what’s wrong?”

“He keeps forcing me even though I have no intention of guiding him.”

Soon, I could see his injured figure.
He had looked fine on the monitor, but his body was covered in blood.
He was not in a good condition.
In any case, he was his exclusive, so if he refused to guide him without a reason, he could be disciplined.
I patted his shoulder and soothed him.

“I told you guiding is a job.”

“But I still don’t want to.”

But he was firmly refusing to guide.
He, who was next to me, looked at him and said.

“The Association has deep-seated problems.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he glared at him.
Why did I have to show him this situation of all things?
I was embarrassed.

“First, I’ll be on my way now. I’m an uninvited guest.”

“Thank you for today. I’ll contact you.”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

I looked at him as he was leaving.
First, I had to persuade him to guide.

“Wonjae, you’re his exclusive. No matter how much you dislike it, you have to do your job.”

“But I still don’t want to. You know how I feel, hyung.”

As he said, I hadn’t become a pair with Sung Yohan because I wanted to either.
But if he were injured and collapsed in front of me, I would guide him.
It wasn’t just him; it was the same if I saw an Esper with a low guiding level.
Because that was a guide’s job.

“Don’t say such irresponsible things.”

“Hyung…”

He looked at me with a face as if he were about to cry.
I didn’t feel good about his expression, but I couldn’t leave them like this.

“Or I’ll do it.”

“I don’t want that!”

“Then you have to do it.”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

He really had a face that said he didn’t want to.
He, who had been watching us, finally opened his mouth.

“I’ll get machine guiding.”

Looking at his current state, if he didn’t receive guiding, he might go on a rampage as his level dropped.
Soon, he teleported to the machine guiding room just like that.
At that, he had a relieved face.

“Hyung, I’ll help if there’s an Esper who needs help. But I don’t like him.”

“Why? Why do you dislike him so much?”

“……”

He didn’t answer my question.
Since I didn’t want to force an answer, in the end, we arrived at the Center in silence.

“Go home first.”

“Can’t we go together?”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“…Okay.”

He probably knew that I was going to see him.
Any guide would know.
That he was not in a good condition right now.

And so, I headed to his guiding room.
The guiding room was filled with his wavelength and the smell of blood.

“Why…?”

He was surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to come.

“I didn’t come because I like you. I’ll just guide you until you’re in the calm zone.”

I went to his side just like that and turned off the guiding machine.
And I took his hand and tried to guide him.

“…Will you be okay?”

“I have to concentrate, so be quiet.”

At my words, he closed his mouth.
I immediately subdued his wavelength.
As expected, since we were used to each other’s wavelengths, we connected immediately.

“You must dislike me…. Thank you for coming like this.”

“I told you to be quiet.”

Despite my sharp words, he was smiling as if he were happy just to be with me, and he had his eyes closed.
Then he said in a small voice.

“The government Esper’s wavelength is clinging to your body.”

“Of course. I just guided him a little while ago.”

“You’re only supposed to guide me.”

If it had been before the regression, I would have been guiding him as he said.
But it wasn’t now.
The future he and I knew no longer existed.

And so, as I was guiding him, I saw the bracelet.
It was the same bracelet I had glimpsed at the birthday party.
The couple bracelet that was said to improve the relationship between an Esper and a guide.

He had hated this kind of accessory, so I couldn’t help but be surprised that he was still wearing it.

“What is this?”

“You don’t know what this is?”

I had known the meaning of this bracelet for a long time.
I couldn’t not know.
It was the bracelet that had plunged me, who had been begging for his affection, into despair several times.

My stomach churned.
Even though I had given up on my feelings for him, it seemed the sad feeling remained.
I wanted to know why he, who had no intention of wearing a bracelet with me, had gotten this bracelet and with whom.
I stared at the bracelet and asked him.

“I know well. Are you wearing it on purpose? For me to see?”

“Yeah…. Don’t you like it?”

“No, I don’t care. Whatever you wear.”

I said nonchalantly, but my chest still ached when I saw the bracelet.
Without saying anything more, I guided Taewoon.
I wanted to quickly get away from the place where I could see the bracelet.