Heichi stared blankly at the back of Lee Heewoo, who was walking ahead wrapped up in his coat.
Fortunately, upon hearing that he’d be compensated, Heewoo had readily followed along, but since earlier he’d been deliberately walking far away from Heichi’s side. Having quickly noticed this fact, Heichi kept twitching his fingers, wanting to walk pressed right up against Heewoo’s side.
And the only one who noticed Heichi’s intention was AJ. AJ, who had subtly followed behind Heichi, spoke to him while suppressing his voice as much as possible.
“Captain, please act a bit more calmly. It’s not like you’re a newly awakened esper, so why are you being like this? You’re someone who knows everything worth knowing.”
“……What did I even do?”
“Then did you think I wouldn’t notice you reaching out your hand and pulling it back since earlier?”
Heichi, who had indeed been contemplating whether or not to speak to Heewoo since a moment ago, bit his lip and shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets. If he didn’t physically block himself like this, he felt like he’d immediately grasp Heewoo’s hand and pull him to his side.
“How shocked must the guide be right now, having even been forced to do guiding. If our esper image gets worse, it’ll be a big problem, so please exercise self-restraint today.”
At AJ’s earnest suggestion, Heichi answered ‘I understand’ almost dismissively. He knew AJ’s words were right. But thinking rationally and the instinctive desire to be in contact with Heewoo were separate matters.
The three of them were currently heading to the largest shopping mall in the vicinity. Heewoo, whose clothes had been torn and who had roughly covered his outfit with a large coat, was particularly conspicuous, and because of that, as soon as they arrived at the shopping mall, AJ guided the two of them to a private elevator inside.
“Where, where are we going now?”
“Ah, to prevent any possible accidents, I’ve prepared a private shopping room. A personal shopper will be with you today.”
“Yes……?”
Heewoo’s eyes widened, having naturally never heard of things like private shopping rooms or personal shoppers. But as if embarrassed to ask about things he didn’t know, he just opened and closed his lips hesitantly, and Heichi, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward to ask.
“What is that?”
“Ah. Ahhh. Oh my, how rude of me. Since that shopping mall has many life forms and there’s a risk of contact, I’ve prepared a place where you two can look around comfortably.”
“We can’t……make contact?”
Heewoo asked with an innocent face. Since it was natural to bump into people when walking around in a crowded shopping mall, it was a questionable story to him. However, accidental contact with others was what espers with their own guides were most cautious about.
In fact, on Epsilon, even if the esper themselves had to walk around because they had no money, it was common practice to definitely prepare transportation for their guide. The petty hearts of espers disliked even the possibility of their guide making contact with other espers, let alone other guides.
Because of this, places where many people gathered like this were rare on Epsilon, and it was even more unfamiliar to Heichi, who was a celebrity and rarely had occasions to go outside. AJ had tactfully prepared a private shopping room in consideration of such a Heichi.
“Because if you bump into someone, an accident might happen.”
Heichi quietly observed the glossy complexion of his adjutant AJ as he answered smoothly. If it had been Heichi, he probably would have simply said ‘Yes, you cannot’ to Heewoo’s earlier question about whether contact was not allowed.
Of course, Heichi also knew why AJ had answered in that way. Guides with different ways of thinking from Epsilon generally didn’t understand espers who obsessed and craved so seriously. After all, there were even bastards who tried to prevent contact even with family members, so it was naturally unpleasant.
The unwavering number one reason why espers and guides fought was precisely ‘jealousy,’ so there was nothing more to say.
AJ, who already had a guide he’d been with for a long time, had clearly anticipated all of that and blocked the cause of arguments itself. While Heichi envied AJ’s naturally flowing attitude, on the other hand, he gradually became irritated thinking that AJ was gaining favor with his guide.
“We’ll do the shopping alone.”
“Yes, of course. I’m also busy, so I should head back to the battleship now. Oh, but Captain. Just a moment.”
At the voice calling him aside, Heichi followed AJ out with a puzzled face. After leaving Heewoo alone in the private shopping room and coming outside, AJ scrunched up his face and said,
“Captain, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That the guide is in a very difficult situation economically!”
Having argued with the convenience store owner earlier, AJ had roughly learned the inside story regarding part-timer Heewoo. Of course, he’d heard about it from his superior before so he hadn’t been completely unaware, but he really didn’t know that Heewoo was dirt poor.
“Didn’t you definitely tell me to approach slowly? That if I recklessly thrust money at him or pushed with material things, it could have the opposite effect?”
“That’s! That’s true, but……”
Among moronic espers, there were bastards who, being completely infatuated with guides, thrust money at them before their hearts even grew close. That was because the planet Epsilon itself was a very abundant and affluent planet compared to other planets, so even someone of just lower grade was economically comfortable compared to life forms on other planets.
However, pushing with money like that usually ended up having the opposite effect. The guides who only received money would from then on become a relationship bound solely by material things, doing guiding only when given ‘money.’
Guiding was a very mental and sensitive act. If the guide didn’t sincerely care for the esper, naturally the efficiency wouldn’t come out at one hundred percent either.
Because of this, on Epsilon, they even educated unawakened espers to ‘give gifts to guides after forming a pair.’ AJ had also advised Heichi earlier with that intention.
“No, but still, right now they can’t even wear proper clothes, so you have to spend some money!”
‘Heewoo, tell that kid he doesn’t have to come in from tomorrow. That kid should, huh? Tell him to buy some clothes to wear. He wears the same clothes all the time. Stinking. Does he even wash them?’
Having heard the whole story from AJ, Heichi looked beyond the door where Heewoo was. Heewoo, sitting hunched over under the large coat, seemed somewhat intimidated and kept looking toward the door, hoping for someone to come in. He couldn’t adapt to the luxurious and secretive atmosphere of the room.
“Captain, from what I can see, your guide is the type who can definitely form a pair if you just make an effort. Spend some money generously today. Okay?”
Heichi just nodded silently. AJ, who had been sending worried glances until the end, eventually returned to the battleship where his guide was waiting.
Click.
When he opened the door and entered the room, delight swirled in Heewoo’s eyes. Yet at the same time, a bit of fear also lingered on his clear face.
“Um, you know……”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“I, I don’t need clothes. Could you give me the compensation in m-money instead, and can’t we just go today?”
Heewoo hesitated and tried to get up from his seat. But before his bottom could even leave the seat, Heichi, who had approached with large strides, plopped down right next to Heewoo. He could feel Heewoo’s shoulders flinch, as if a faint fear of him remained, but he didn’t care.
“I’ll of course give you the compensation money, and it would be better to buy clothes now.”
“Why, why?”
“Because I want to.”
No sooner had Heichi’s words ended than the shoppers in charge entered. At the same time, hangers lined with luxurious clothes poured in succession into the empty room. One of the shoppers cautiously stepped forward.
“Which person will be trying on clothes today?”
“This one.”
“Ah, excuse me. If you could stand up for a moment, we’ll help you put them on……”
“No. He’ll put them on by himself.”
When the shoppers showed signs of wanting to dress him, Heichi flatly refused. At his attitude that was beyond sharp and downright cold, Heewoo had no choice but to head to the fitting room alone with a few pieces of clothing.
Heichi’s coat that he’d been wrapped in was left abandoned on the sofa where he’d been sitting. While Heewoo was changing clothes, Heichi, left alone on the sofa, suddenly picked up that coat.
Heewoo’s scent came from the lining of the clothes.
At Heewoo’s scent that rushed intensely into his sensitive nasal cavity, Heichi briefly buried his nose in it and breathed, then immediately straightened his body at the sound of Heewoo coming out. The coat was carefully held in his arms afterward.
“This is a bit big……for me.”
“Ah, my apologies. Among men’s clothing of that design, this is the smallest size. If it’s okay with you, we’ll alter it for you directly.”
The length fit but there was far too much room in the body. When the knit he was wearing drooped loosely, Heichi ordered them to bring out different clothes.
But regrettably, similar things kept repeating. Heewoo was thin enough to suit the expression that he had nothing but bones left compared to his height, and so it was quite difficult to find clothes that fit his body perfectly.
Still, once he wore the clothes that had been altered and purchased, he finally looked presentable. Heichi looked at Heewoo, who was awkwardly tugging at his top, and said,
“It suits you well.”
“Th-this? I, this kind of thing doesn’t suit me……”
Heewoo’s face, having been praised, turned bright red. Like someone hearing praise for the first time. Knowing that wasn’t a negative signal, Heichi hurriedly added,
“You’re the prettiest among all the life forms I’ve seen.”
