Perhaps because they’d rubbed shoulders like real siblings since he was seventeen, he doesn’t know how much he worried that his body might break down at this rate. Yeo Dowoon maintained a handstand position without even taking breaks.
“Five hours is an appropriate level, so how embarrassing would it be to collapse.”
Especially, he had an overflowing record of wasting half his training on handstands in his early twenties. Back then too, Kwon Jeonghoo seemed to have drawled that he was a bastard without sense.
After ordering the handstand, he didn’t even glance at him.
“Minoh will be in the common lounge. Haseong-ssi guided him.”
As Yeo Dowoon was absorbed in thought, Cha Uihyeon gently conveyed content he might be curious about. It was consideration, wondering if he couldn’t ask because he felt ashamed.
“Ah, I’ll go see.”
Yeo Dowoon, who’d been recalling how he could easily do seven hours of handstands during his heyday, answered a beat late. Cha Uihyeon, who was both meddlesome and thoughtful, was finally satisfied and headed to the shower room.
“Phew.”
If he visited like this, he’d probably reek of sweat, but finishing a shower before going also left a bitter aftertaste. It was because the conversation with Kwon Jeonghoo who’d taken him out earlier flashed and struck his mind.
‘You didn’t even half-listen to what I said last time, Yeo Dowoon.’
He’d reproached with eyes full of disappointment.
‘You’ve been young before and were a rookie once too, can’t you overlook that little bit?’
There were no questions and answers about what caused the situation or how emotions escalated.
‘He’s only twenty years old. Abusing your ability against a young kid will only make you feel bloated inside, what good will it do?’
‘I was reckless.’
‘I can see you don’t really think that.’
Kwon Jeonghoo added while pressing between his own eyebrows.
‘Dowoon. If you really can’t stand it….’
‘…….’
‘Rather take off your rank insignia and have a fistfight.’
And then he pinched Yeo Dowoon’s cheek with medium strength.
Yeo Dowoon noticed he was exercising patience. Since he couldn’t look into the detailed circumstances, it seemed he didn’t want to determine right and wrong about the incident based on his own subjective view.
‘Don’t forget to come in and start the handstand.’
But he definitely emphasized one thing.
‘After training ends, it’d be better to go apologize. Suppressing your pair with your ability, and a junior at that, was clearly a mistake. The more time passes, the more regret you’ll have left.’
Yeo Dowoon understood, so please, please, he hoped only Yoon Minoh would be staying in the lounge.
He didn’t want to put on an outdated melodrama with spectators in front of him. Just imagining it drained him and made him feel reluctant.
‘Let’s get rid of this damn training gear first.’
First, he decided to stop by the changing room to change clothes, then go straight to find Yoon Minoh. His steps were brisk, and knocking on the lounge door and pushing it open also proceeded sequentially without mishap.
If it was a situation he had to resolve anyway, dragging it out seemed like it would cause more stress.
“……Oh.”
But in the lounge, a man with completely different features from Yoon Minoh was leaning against the sofa, sleeping soundly. His head bobbed up and down. Yeo Dowoon spoke as if certain.
“I know you’re pretending to sleep.”
Before knocking on the lounge door, he’d heard the rustling noise of a person’s hand or foot brushing against something beyond it. So he’d been guessing that Yoon Minoh was awake too.
Cha Haseong smiled broadly and raised his eyelids.
“You got it right this time.”
Though it wasn’t clear if it was praise, Yeo Dowoon made empty sounds saying thank you. Cha Haseong also didn’t pay it much mind and gestured to the seat next to him with his eyes.
“Your legs must hurt, come sit.”
Come to think of it, today several Guides including Cha Haseong had also been present at the training ground.
The moment Cha Haseong appeared from behind him, his heart hurt from shock so much he couldn’t assess the situation, but as time passed and his mind settled, questions arose.
“It seems there’s a joint operation, is that right?”
Yeo Dowoon asked while going to sit not next to Cha Haseong but across from him.
It was even a seat selection far across from him, making the reason for the choice quite curious. Cha Haseong raised his eyebrows. He muttered.
“Doing things you didn’t used to do.”
It was an answer not on the same track as the question. Yeo Dowoon didn’t care and opened his mouth in succession.
“If it’s an operation related to suppressing the coastal gate that broke out on Yeongjong Island, civilian risk is high because of the Sirens. The central strategy still hasn’t been grasped at all…, can you explain?”
“Civilian risk is high, but Guide risk isn’t high.”
“I understand even less.”
“Did you come here to hear the operation report?”
That wasn’t it, but since he’d met him anyway, it seemed better to obtain related information. Yeo Dowoon spoke while meeting Cha Haseong’s eyes intently so his sincere feelings could be conveyed.
“I’m worried. If you’re really planning a joint operation, I have absolutely no intention of participating.”
As he just said, the coastal gate on Yeongjong Island was teeming with the ocean’s outlaws, Sirens, making it a situation where even Espers couldn’t easily set foot. Probably their scream-like singing voices would be laid out like distant background music.
Fortunately, only the gate existed and a dungeon hadn’t occurred yet, but even going out to hunt whales while avoiding that sonic attack would be sufficiently troublesome. In this chaos, to have to bring Guides along too—wouldn’t that just increase matters that would disperse concentration?
“Why?”
Cha Haseong asked smoothly. Since it wasn’t a sarcastic tone, Yeo Dowoon could also maintain a calm attitude.
“When bringing Guides along, the operation failure probability becomes higher than the success probability. If it’s an operation considering the survival possibility of many, I’ll carry it out, but if it’s not such an operation, I’ve always been educated not to carry it out.”
Wondering how long it had been since he’d had a normal conversation with Cha Haseong instead of an emotional fight, Yeo Dowoon was newly moved.
Perhaps because of that, he completely forgot the original purpose of having come here to offer an apology to Yoon Minoh. With Cha Haseong in front of him, there was no room to think about other bastards. Especially if it was related to Yoon Minoh, he thought it would be all the more a waste of time.
“Hmm…….”
Cha Haseong, who seemed to be carefully pondering something, smiled broadly and answered.
“It seems Guides feel like baggage to Dowoon-ssi.”
It was quite a gentle-looking expression. But Yeo Dowoon could notice the subtly chilling atmosphere flowing between them. Wondering if perhaps Cha Haseong’s pride was hurt, he cleared his throat noticeably. It was completely unnecessary, so he hoped he wouldn’t pay it much mind.
“Absolutely not. When I’m a subject who can’t even grasp a lifeline without a Guide…, how could I have such thoughts?”
If it were the days when berserk possibility converged close to 0%, maybe, but now it was nonsense.
Moreover, wasn’t he not simply doubting an S-class Guide’s operation execution ability? He was just pointing out the operation’s flaws based on the essential difference between Espers and Guides.
“Operations are combat, and Guides are civilians. At least in the sense of not receiving combat education, aren’t they the same as civilians?”
If they could narrow that gap with long-term training, maybe, but raising combat power by matching up in a short period was utterly unrealistic.
Furthermore, weren’t Guides beings not specialized for combat even just looking at physical conditions? After operations ended, their assigned mission was to handle and care for Espers’ injuries.
So there was no need to needlessly drag in those with different uses into combat. Yeo Dowoon added.
“Speaking as an Esper…, I was educated that I can’t go into combat with civilians no matter what situation arises. Rather than just increasing the number of victims, it’s better to operate alone.”
If they proceeded with gate suppression while bringing Guides along, that alone would overflow with various problems to consider.
Therefore, Yeo Dowoon couldn’t help but feel doubt about what Kwon Jeonghoo was thinking to plan and try to execute a joint operation. If he wanted to know the exact intention, he’d probably have to visit his office.
Cha Haseong, who seemed to be listening attentively to Yeo Dowoon’s words, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Dowoon-ssi, you’re really a natural.”
“Pardon?”
“At the habit of making people angry.”
“…….”
“You seem properly born with it.”
At the criticism directed at him that came out of nowhere, Yeo Dowoon rubbed the nape of his neck as if awkward. It seemed okay to ignore, but there was no change in the fact that he’d been hit at the vital point. Yeo Dowoon, who couldn’t hide his bewilderment for a while, spoke taking advantage of the silence.
“I’m really sorry you got angry. I’ll fix it as soon as possible.”
When he apologized quickly, Cha Haseong instead stiffened his lips into a straight line.
He who’d separated his upper body from the sofa backrest bent his waist forward. His brown hair, whose texture looked really soft, swayed near his forehead.
“……Dowoon-ssi.”
The moment he placed his elbow on the table in front of the sofa and rested his chin, his sharp head tilted slightly to the side, revealing his deeply hollowed collarbone.
Yeo Dowoon instinctively became distracted by his neckline. It was because just looking at that white jade-like skin filled him with distant lust. If he bit down hard, it seemed like sweet sap would pour into his mouth.
“Does Dowoon-ssi have absolutely no thought or desire to gain favor from the other person?”
