Taehyun blocking the monster and Seowoo coughing up blood.
Raon, who had been looking back and forth between the two, instinctively headed toward Seowoo. He had to guide Seowoo himself instead of Taehyun, who was too busy blocking the monster rushing at all three of them. He had to somehow hold out until the other team members arrived.
Recalling the guiding coach’s words and transferring his energy through his hands, Raon placed his hand on the back of Seowoo, who was prostrate and coughing up blood.
Cough.
With a loud coughing sound, Seowoo spat out a clump of blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“…Team Leader-nim. This is no joke, huh?”
Raon couldn’t understand the meaning behind his words as he made eye contact and chuckled, so he drew out a bit more energy. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how insignificant his guiding was for an A-grade Esper like him, but he still wanted to be as helpful as possible.
Raon, who had been stroking the back of Seowoo as he took deep breaths in and out, was helplessly dragged along when Seowoo grabbed his wrist and pulled. He who had been lying down just a moment ago had raised his body to sit on the floor, and Raon had somehow positioned himself between his legs.
“Is the guiding working even a little? I’m trying my best right now…”
When he did it with Jaehwi, it was as natural as breathing and he didn’t have to try to guide. Just lightly embracing him and patting or stroking his back would make Jaehwi comfortable. And he himself didn’t think about what he should do either.
But in his first guiding attempt with an Esper other than Jaehwi, Raon couldn’t predict anything. He didn’t even know if he was guiding properly, and it felt like his stamina was bottoming out along with the energy leaving through his hands.
Raon, who had never properly read Seowoo’s gaze or atmosphere before, was startled by his actions—holding his wrist with one hand while gripping his neck with the other. On top of that, the first emotion that arose was displeasure at the indescribable feeling in the eyes looking at him.
“Why a C-grade said they’d do S-grade guiding… I think I understand a little, but for that, you need to guide me properly.”
Murmuring in a low voice as his face drew closer, Raon could immediately tell what he was trying to do. Although it was said that Guides’ human rights had improved a lot, in front of an Esper whose instincts came first, a Guide was thoroughly the weaker party.
Even now, he was trying to break free from Seowoo, but in front of him exerting his strength, it wasn’t even like the small gestures of a young child. Rather, his wrist or neck might break under the Esper’s hand trying to suppress his struggling self.
“Kim Esper. Get a hold of yourself. What you’re doing right now, the Esper-Guide law…”
Bang-.
Espers who forcibly drew out and took a Guide’s guiding could be held legally responsible. Though he didn’t know if it would enter the ears of an Esper who seemed to see nothing, Raon, who had been bringing up the law, flinched at the loud noise. Countless dust particles and small debris flew around him. And Raon, who had been forcibly held in Seowoo’s embrace, was now standing up from his spot.
“There’s a limit to not listening to me. What are you doing here right now?”
“Huh?”
Raon, blinking his eyes, was held in Jaehwi’s embrace, who was grasping one of his wrists. The sound of Jaehwi’s unstable and rapidly beating heart pounded loudly in his ears. Unlike how his energy had been dragged out as if forcibly squeezed, the energy that had been gently circulating throughout his entire body passed over to Jaehwi as if seeping into him.
“Even if you’re fearless and willful, this is too much. Who told you to enter a dungeon on your own?”
Raon, who had inadvertently been held by Jaehwi with his ear against his chest, barely tilted his head back to look at Jaehwi. He could only see that impressive guy’s jawline and lower face.
“So I was trying to leave…”
Bang-.
Raon, who had been answering, closed his eyes at the loud sound that rang out simultaneously as Jaehwi slightly tilted his head to the side. His body trembled together with the vibration occurring inside the dungeon that looked like a narrow cave.
“What… What? Respawn?”
Nayeon’s voice could be heard amid the unsettled atmosphere, and judging by how the surroundings were getting hot, it seemed Hyungjun was using his ability.
“Ah… Today’s dungeon event must be respawn. Team Leader Lee-nim. Please give us a situation report.”
At Jaehwi’s voice that sounded extremely languid and annoyed, Raon reached out his hand to push against his chest and create distance. No. Why is this kid talking like that? This guy who’s only twenty years old, why is he talking like that to Team Leader Lee who’s well over thirty?
“Hyung, just stay still. We really have a lot to talk about, but if we do it here, it doesn’t seem like it’ll end easily, does it?”
The words of team members who had described Jaehwi as having no manners, being willful and arrogant came to mind.
Is he originally like this? Was he only a kind, innocent, and young Jaehwi to me? No way…
“There are more monsters than usual, and golems have been appearing from the 1/3 point, so Team B decided to join us too. We were exiting the dungeon to wait for that. We thought there’d be no problem going out since we cleaned everything thoroughly on the way in, but who would’ve expected respawns?”
Beyond Minji, who was answering while looking around, Seowoo could be seen receiving guiding from Taehyun. Covered in dirt from head to toe, blood could be seen flowing down from his forehead to his face, as if he’d injured his head too.
“That aside. Why did you bring this baggage along?”
Baggage? Baggage? You just called me baggage right now…
“Because Team Leader Kang was also in the team composition. He attended the meeting too.”
“…Hey! If only you had attended meetings properly every time, this wouldn’t have happened.”
At Minji’s words, when Jaehwi, who hadn’t been looking at him until now, lowered his head, Raon quickly answered. The biggest reason he’d been able to come here comfortably was Jaehwi’s absence. If by any chance he had come to the front of the dungeon in time for the dungeon entry, he would have left him at the entrance and gone, after all. So Raon deliberately reminded him that it was partly his responsibility too.
“What are you bragging about right in front of me now? What about what you promised me?”
“What did I!”
“We agreed that instead of receiving guiding, you wouldn’t enter dungeons.”
“I never answered that?”
“Ah, really, hyung, are you going to be like this?”
Minji couldn’t believe it even while actually seeing the situation unfolding before her eyes. Team Leader Kang, who disliked even having his collar brushed against and never touched anything with his own hands, whether it was an elevator button or a door, was now held in the embrace of the one and only supreme Nox.
They were clearly both raising their voices as if fighting, but Raon’s hand stroked Nox’s chest and also moved up to caress his neck or jawline.
Even when going through dungeons together, Nox, who would keep his mouth tightly shut except for absolutely necessary words and only charge forward with the purpose of conquering the dungeon as quickly as possible, answered all of Raon’s words one by one.
“And who asked you to guide me?”
“What! It’s natural for a Guide to guide an Esper when it’s urgent. A monster suddenly appeared and it was complete chaos.”
“Don’t you know that a C-grade guiding an A-grade or higher doesn’t even amount to a drop in the ocean?”
“Then you! You’re S-grade or higher, but why are you pretending not to know that if I guide you, you’d hit perfect? Yet that guy is now completely, completely receiving all the energy I’m giving!”
“Who asked you to? I’m receiving it because you’re giving it.”
“And what were you doing to come this late? Teamwork in a dungeon is so important…”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m not, though?”
“Fuck. Not my ass. Now you’re even trying to deceive me about this?”
The team members, who had unexpectedly come to witness a childish argument that even kindergarteners wouldn’t engage in between Nox, famous for being taciturn, and Team Leader Kang, who was nothing but cold and haughty, only poked each other’s sides.
It seemed they now understood what Team Leader Kang’s words meant when he said they’d know the relationship between the two when Nox came. So when did you two start dating? Judging by the guiding talk… When are you planning to form a bond? How, are you going to have a wedding ceremony? Can the center staff go too? That aside, we’re inside a dungeon and it’s a respawn situation, so couldn’t you either come closer to fight or let us regroup before coming in?
Bang.
Simultaneously as Nox, who had been conversing as if rapidly exchanging ping pong balls, slightly raised his head, a loud noise rang throughout the dungeon.
“Ah… So noisy.”
Um, so while talking while looking at Team Leader Kang’s face, how did he know a monster came out from the corner? And so he blew it away with just one glance?
Nayeon moved to Hyungjun’s side.
“Shouldn’t we exit the dungeon first?”
“Can noona go into that conversation right now and say, ‘Let’s move to a safe place’?”
“This dungeon doesn’t seem like a big deal to Nox. Plus, since Team Leader Kang is also guiding him, wouldn’t it be better for those two if we all quietly leave?”
“I’m in favor of leaving without saying anything.”
Minji smoothly inserted herself into their conversation.
“Squiiing! Ppyak! Ppyak! Ppaaak!”
In an already unsettled situation, Bbobbo’s clamorous sounds suddenly interrupted. And the entire dungeon shook violently as if it would collapse at any moment.
