“But it’s frustrating because the gauge won’t drop below the early 60% range. It needs to drop more for the ability side effects to completely disappear.”
Jiwon, who had been grinning after being praised, became gloomy when he remembered Seo Gangwoo’s gauge that wouldn’t drop. Researcher Han Hyewon nodded.
“It can be frustrating. But there’s nothing we can do. The waves that have been suppressed and pressed down for such a long time are no joke. Not only the amount, but they’ve been stacked layer upon layer hundreds, thousands of times and hardened, so it won’t be easy to soften and completely release them. The fact that he’s been able to endure like this is itself miraculous.”
Jiwon let out a deep sigh at the words that there was no particular solution.
Researcher Han Hyewon comforted such a Jiwon.
“It’s something that needs time, so don’t be impatient. You’ve passed the dangerous stage now, right? I believe that if Guide Kim Jiwon continues guiding like now, that part will also be resolved sufficiently.”
“I suppose so? I guess I just lack patience.”
Feeling upset, Jiwon fiddled with a snack in his hand without even opening it.
Jiwon knew that Seo Gangwoo’s condition was improving, but the blocked wall he had felt through guiding was too overwhelming. It felt like tapping a solid, thick steel door with a thin thread needle.
When he used his ability, it filled up quickly when rising, but why was it so turtle-slow when going down? Because the S-rank Esper’s inner strength was extraordinary, it felt even more so.
“Hmm. If there’s a method we can use, it would be to raise the guiding stage. As Guide Kim Jiwon knows, the higher the stage, the more the guiding efficiency changes. The larger the surface area where mucous membranes touch…”
“Ah…!”
Though it was a small sound, Researcher Han Hyewon noticed and cut off her words. Looking at Jiwon, he was clearly feeling awkward.
After the signs of instability that seemed like he might go berserk disappeared, there was no need to even go as far as kissing, so just holding hands or hugging for guiding was sufficient. Jiwon was also a guide capable of highly efficient direct guiding, so he hadn’t even thought about raising the guiding stage.
“Of course it would be good if you did, but there’s no need to force it. As I said, just guiding like now is already quite fast improvement. So there’s nothing to be impatient about. The guide’s will is the top priority in guiding. Understand?”
Researcher Han Hyewon, who barely held back from teasing at Jiwon’s reaction of not knowing what to do over just talk of guiding stages, spoke as calmly as possible.
Socially too, except for some conservative people, free love and relationships were normal.
What more needed to be said about ability users who had to give and receive guiding? Innocent reactions like Jiwon’s were rare.
“Y-yes…”
Jiwon, whose cheeks had flushed red, made awkward movements as if broken, not even realizing he was crushing the snack in his hand.
Jiwon, who had no particular interest in romance or sex and thus naturally became closer to having conservative tendencies, had no immunity to such talk.
Jiwon hadn’t properly received the sex education conducted in elementary and middle schools because he was either hospitalized or constantly going back and forth to the hospital even when not hospitalized. Still, he knew theoretically through the sex education book his mom had brought him to study, saying it was important.
When he learned through text, it was just interesting and he had no particular reaction, but when he applied Seo Gangwoo to it, his body twisted and his head spun.
It seemed he would have to look up the ability user guide education videos he had glossed over without properly watching even now. Just in case he might do this and that with Seo Gangwoo. Just imagining it brought embarrassment flooding in.
Aaah, go away! Shoo, Kim Jiwon, stop thinking.
Jiwon banged his head on the desk repeatedly.
Researcher Han Hyewon beside him couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud, but it didn’t enter Jiwon’s ears as he was in the middle of innocent imagination.
As Jiwon banged his head on the desk and rustled with both hands the snack that had already turned to powder, a large hand came in below his forehead and blocked it before it hit the desk again.
Jiwon flinched and raised his head. Seo Gangwoo, who had finished his examination and come out at some point, was looking at Jiwon’s face with a worried expression.
“Ahem, ahem. Are you done with the examination?”
Jiwon tried to ask as if nothing was wrong, but Seo Gangwoo became serious at his flushed face. He raised his hand to check Jiwon’s forehead temperature and examined his complexion.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“Um… I’m fine. Wa, wait! It’s because it’s hot.”
Jiwon panicked and pulled down Seo Gangwoo’s hand. Under the gaze that kept examining him, his awkward eyes wandered lost.
“Pfft, Esper Seo Gangwoo, just a moment.”
Fortunately, a helping hand appeared.
Researcher Han Hyewon, pressing down the corners of her mouth that wanted to grin at the unexpectedly affectionate sight of the two, called Seo Gangwoo and explained the examination results in more detail and at greater length than what she had explained to Jiwon.
Relieved to be free from Seo Gangwoo’s gaze, Jiwon barely calmed his reddened face while the explanation continued beside him.
“Now I’ll modify the detailed examination from twice a week to once a week. You can come on Wednesdays.”
After finishing the conversation and exchanging greetings with Researcher Han Hyewon, they left the research building. In Jiwon’s hand was a paper bag full of various snacks.
“So now you’ll participate in conquests?”
“Probably so.”
“Mmm.”
It was good that Seo Gangwoo’s condition had improved, but he became anxious hearing that he would go out on conquests. Because he hadn’t completely recovered yet.
“I don’t move in team units, so I had a higher proportion of being dispatched to dungeon conquests rather than regular gates, but I’ll have to see what contact comes to know how it will be now.”
“Dungeons? Dungeon gates have long conquest periods.”
“Depending on the dungeon grade, some conquests have long periods, but there are also dungeons that end on the same day.”
“Couldn’t you rest a bit more before doing it? Since you improved faster than expected, they’ll sufficiently adjust the schedule.”
“Probably the Center also knows my condition, so a simple mission will be assigned according to that.”
Seo Gangwoo smiled gently, telling him not to worry.
Though the wave state had stabilized considerably and he himself said he was fine, Jiwon’s “just in case” feeling didn’t disappear. So he resolved to work harder on guiding.
He hoped the Center would please give missions slowly and that weren’t difficult…!
* * *
A few days later, a mission was assigned to Seo Gangwoo.
While Seo Gangwoo was out performing his mission, Jiwon was working in the Center’s private room. Though he knew with his head that the Center had given an easy mission, he couldn’t help but worry.
His mind was distracted and unfocused to one side, and even though he wasn’t doing direct guiding, the guiding was cut off several times. Thinking it wouldn’t work, he stopped accepting guiding requests and just waited for Seo Gangwoo to return safely.
And perhaps that wish reached, as he was able to hear the news that he was returning after completing the mission without problems.
Several large dedicated vehicles entered the Center.
Soon the doors on both sides of the vehicles opened and dozens of ability users got out. There were one or two people who appeared to be guides, but most were Espers.
Jiwon, who had come out in front of the Center to greet them, could quickly spot Seo Gangwoo among them.
Although he was visible because he was tall even among Espers who basically grew into bodies ideal for combat after manifestation, he couldn’t help but stand out immediately because Espers who felt S-rank Esper Seo Gangwoo’s unique aura found it hard to approach easily and kept their distance.
Seo Gangwoo, who was walking toward Building A carrying simple luggage, stopped abruptly when he discovered Jiwon running toward him with a bright smile. Though he had texted asking about the arrival time and replied, Seo Gangwoo hadn’t expected him to come out to greet him.
Regardless, Jiwon, who had come close, held Seo Gangwoo’s hand and examined his body here and there.
“Did you go well? You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”
Because the Center had assigned an appropriate mission considering his current condition, he was able to return after performing the mission without overdoing it. Still, it was inevitable to become a bit sensitive while dealing with monsters after a long time.
On top of that, worried that the internal waves that hadn’t been released yet might become unstable, he had to use his ability while paying more attention to controlling his energy than usual.
Even during the return to the Center, that state was maintained and Seo Gangwoo’s face, which had been stiffly hardened, melted smoothly and gently thanks to Jiwon approaching as if he had been waiting only for his return.
“I went well.”
Seo Gangwoo, coming to his senses at Jiwon trying to check from head to toe, answered belatedly.
The gauge had filled up close to 80%, but fortunately there was no phenomenon of the waves suddenly rampaging.
“Still, let’s do guiding briefly in the private room before we go.”
Jiwon, who checked the inside while guiding and felt relieved, pulled the hand he was holding as it was.
As they entered the lobby, an Esper who faced them head-on couldn’t hide his surprise, making an “Uhup!” sound. It was an Esper who was seeing the two together for the first time because their mission times didn’t match.
