# Chapter 48
The world is praising Esper Seo Suhyun. America was no different. He had heard so many voices saying that they should bring Suhyun to the United States immediately that his ears were practically growing calluses.
Adam, the director of the American Ability Users Association, found this commotion simply distasteful. He clicked his tongue and said, “If the keyword is Esper ‘Seo,’ that’s rather troublesome.”
He understood people’s psychology.
An S-class Esper who entered the Riska dungeon and returned alive twice. Not only that, there was an opinion that he seemed to be immune to Riska’s mind control. Though several confirmations would be needed, Korea had confidently presented evidence that exceeded such expectations.
Thanks to this, Suhyun’s standing was rising day by day. There were even opinions that it would be disrespectful to Suhyun to group him with other S-class Espers.
Adam acknowledged that he was an exceptional Esper. However, people were overlooking one fact.
“……”
On Adam’s desk was a photograph of Suhyun and Jiwon together.
The Guide who accompanied Suhyun every time he entered a dungeon. Suhyun wasn’t the only ability user who survived the Riska dungeon.
If that was the case, shouldn’t he also be treated as a key to solving the Riska dungeon? Is there really no possibility that the S-class Guide Moon Jiwon has something special?
Wouldn’t it be better to bet on the possibility that he has some power?
“If it’s just the Esper’s ability alone, it’s meaningless.”
Adam sighed. Unless they could bring Seo Suhyun to America. His ability was just a pie in the sky.
“The Guide must have the ability.”
The situation was the same in that they couldn’t bring Guide Moon Jiwon over either. But if he had some kind of key, things would become much easier.
Instead of bringing him over, they could request that Korea allow him to guide their own country’s Espers.
If they said their country’s S-class Esper wanted to participate in Korean dungeons, the Korean Association would have no reason to refuse, right?
“Hmm…”
Placing hope in the Guide was the best that countries other than Korea could hope for. Only then would other countries have a way to overcome this situation.
Rather than having a monster-like Esper like Seo Suhyun appear, it would be much more hopeful if Espers who received Moon Jiwon’s guiding gained special abilities.
Three of their country’s S-class Espers had already died. Five A-class Espers, and those below were too numerous to count.
The wider the territory, the more dungeons emerged. As the damage continued to increase, they couldn’t afford to lose any more ability users.
Instead of relying on the single S-class Esper in Korea who was barely enough to monitor the dungeons there, they needed to target the S-class Guide by his side. If only their country’s Espers could break free from Riska’s control like Seo Suhyun…
“What did the Association President say?”
“The same thing. It’s dangerous to send our country’s Espers into Korean dungeons. He asked if it wouldn’t be better to just kidnap ‘Seo’.”
“He’s talking nonsense.”
If they could have kidnapped Suhyun, they would have done it long ago. He clearly thought that relying on the Guide was foolish.
“I’ll need to go to Korea. Would you book me a flight ticket?”
“Are you going personally, sir?”
“Yes. I’m going to ask to borrow the S-class Guide, so I should show the sincerity of going there myself.”
He was tired of waiting for approval from higher up. It was time to take action.
Jiwon was the first Guide to directly enter a dungeon. It would be difficult to do so without a considerable sense of responsibility.
Someone like that wouldn’t turn a blind eye even to the citizens of other countries. Adam was betting on that. If not, he planned to make him act that way.
***
Jiwon had realized something lately.
That he had really said just about anything to Suhyun all this time.
“……”
“……”
Humans can make mistakes. But one shouldn’t repeat mistakes, and even if the other person says it’s okay, one needs to be careful until they forget the mistake.
So as he tried to be careful with his words and actions, he realized something. Because he had always said whatever came to mind, when he tried to be careful, he had nothing to say at all.
Since Suhyun’s usual speech consisted mostly of responses to what Jiwon said, lately only silence surrounded the two.
Guiding sessions were absolute torture. That was precisely when it should be fine to sit quietly without saying anything, but strangely, he felt like he didn’t know what to do.
He would think about saying something, but just having their hands touch would remind him of his past transgressions, and his mouth would clamp shut. Thanks to that, guiding sessions lately had been almost like hell.
‘How can I have nothing to say…’
Of course, they didn’t always talk about profound and important things… but now he wished for even such serious matters to arise.
Why did I do that?
As the silence lengthened, his thoughts multiplied as well. Because of this, Jiwon kept ruminating over what had happened that day.
To begin with… the kiss itself was wrong. What on earth was he thinking to do something like that? They say the logic of a drunk person is beyond comprehension.
He had always been perfectly fine guiding with just his hands. So why did he press his lips to Suhyun’s?
“Haah…”
Jiwon unconsciously let out a long sigh, then quickly closed his mouth. Suhyun’s gaze lingered on him briefly but soon turned away as he was driving.
‘I want to explain…’
Though he wasn’t even making idle chatter for fear of making mistakes, the desire to somehow bring up what had happened that day, which they had somehow let pass, surged within him.
After that day, just thinking about how he might appear in Suhyun’s eyes made him anxious. Would he seem like someone who does that to anyone, anywhere?
He had made excuses that he’d never done that before, but whether Suhyun truly believed it was uncertain.
“……”
Perhaps he had unconsciously thought it was the best guiding method. When he first encountered the Riska dungeon, hadn’t he survived using that method? At that time, Suhyun’s wavelength stability even exceeded 80.
It seemed like that had been imprinted in his mind, and the thought that he needed to guide well, combined with the alcohol, manifested in that way. After much thought, Jiwon reached that conclusion.
‘What would change if I said that?’
Suhyun might have already forgotten about it. There was a high chance he didn’t care at all.
The fact that the stability had significantly increased. And the fact that the feeling of guiding afterward was somewhat different from before.
Based on those two points, Suhyun had suggested to the Association that they should retake the compatibility test. So now the two of them were heading to the Association.
Anyway, he hadn’t said a word about the process. Jiwon knew that he didn’t particularly want his explanation.
So Jiwon didn’t need to bring this up either. Rationally, he knew this very well.
Moreover, according to Jiwon’s logic, what happened that day was an unintended accident. An accident that occurred because he, as a Guide, was too conscientious about his profession.
But to consider it an unintended accident, the emotions and feelings he himself had felt at the time bothered him.
‘I wanted him to touch me more.’
It wasn’t just anyone; he had wanted Suhyun, who was right in front of him, to come closer.
In the end, his conclusion that it was a mistake stemming from the thought that he needed to guide well was contradictory.
He wasn’t trying to guide; he simply wanted Suhyun. Whether it was because of the alcohol or not.
His head was starting to ache. The more he thought about it, the more his emotions were laid bare, and Jiwon was sinking deeper into a quagmire.
“…Are you alright?”
Noticing something amiss, Suhyun asked. Jiwon, who had been consciously keeping his gaze out the window, adjusted his expression before turning his head.
“Why do you ask?”
At a glance, it seemed like his usual smile.
“You don’t look well.”
Not to Suhyun’s eyes, apparently.
“Really? I feel extremely good.”
Still, Jiwon answered firmly with a smile. He intended to insist that Suhyun had seen wrong.
“We’re almost there.”
Judging by the road conditions, it would take a good 15 more minutes from this distance, but Jiwon changed the subject, pretending not to know.
Surely Suhyun would respond with a brief “Yes.”
“We’re far from it.”
But contrary to Jiwon’s expectation, Suhyun retorted gruffly. He had seemed to be playing along with Jiwon’s strange behavior for days, but now it seemed he had reached his limit.
Jiwon laughed awkwardly.
“I can see the Association building.”
“By that logic, I can see Namsan Tower too.”
“…Namsan Tower is close too.”
“……”
Suhyun looked Jiwon up and down. Jiwon also knew that what he had just said was nonsense.
“Well, I guess you’re right that I’m not well. Maybe my condition is off.”
Jiwon turned his head, evading the topic, and quickly closed his eyes. Understanding the signal not to talk to him, Suhyun didn’t speak further.
‘What am I doing?’
Jiwon despaired. He felt like he was going to go completely crazy.
