It was also words to Moon Woo-shin himself, not just Seo Hae-il.
“Actions outside instructions, going around talking about me. There are no exceptions after this. Don’t irritate me.”
“As long as I have my spot, there won’t be such things anymore.”
In his clear eyes, there’s not even a trace of yesterday’s confusion.
The appearance of showing an extreme rejection reaction to his guiding and the precarious gaze crossed his mind in sequence, and the gloomy desire he’d been suppressing the whole time suddenly surged up.
I want to dig in and seize all the emotions reflected in those eyes. I want to mess up the inside of his head and read all the thoughts inside without exception, taming them one by one. To move only according to my will.
He’d had similar thoughts even at the moment the ability manifested. That he wanted to tie Seo Hae-il, who was trying to jump into danger, beside him and control him.
‘Did that induce the manifestation?’
It was only speculation, but if that’s correct….
It’s a strange connection. Even more so considering past events.
The existence of Seo Hae-il, who kept throwing variables into his life, became unbearably irritating again.
Moon Woo-shin smiled with narrowed eyes and pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“Clear all your time starting tomorrow. Until practicum ends, all your time except class schedules is mine. If you’re not confident you can do it properly, quit now.”
“Yes.”
A firm voice immediately returned. Along with a somewhat challenging gaze too.
The two eyes, each containing different thoughts, clearly reflected each other’s appearance.
***
“…The first guiding for Espers and Guides is special. That wavelength becomes engraved like a tattoo. Even without recognizing that they’re each other’s first guiding partner after manifestation, the matching rate generally comes out well, and the possibility of leading to mutual affection is also very high.”
Seo Hae-il mechanically wrote down the professor’s explanation. Even while doing so, his mind was full of other thoughts.
‘Why is he hiding it?’
The appearance of Moon Woo-shin warning fiercely circled in his head.
Training with Moon Woo-shin was proceeding just the two of them, secretly. The training location he’d notified was a remote place he’d never set foot near the entire time attending school, and he never used the ability at all except when practicing alone together.
So naturally, others except Seo Hae-il and Im Eun-myeong were completely unaware of the fact that mental-type ability had manifested in him.
If he opened up, his value would rise even more, so there’s no way it could be bad. If I had to pick something, it’s about the degree of becoming bothersome from more people’s attention being focused.
“However, first guiding or matching rate aren’t absolute. If you continuously exchange wavelengths with a fixed partner, you gradually develop blind attachment, and ultimately only each other’s wavelengths may become valid.”
Hae-il, who had been drawing only question marks on the screen, calmed his mind and listened to the class. While taking notes on the class content below that, he discovered the word ‘guiding’ and fell into other thoughts again.
‘Why did guiding feel different inside the Gate?’
The doctor explained it was presumed that confusion occurred in his senses in a panic state. Though she did add that even accounting for that, it was a peculiar phenomenon.
“This is also why the Special Abilities Agency doesn’t recommend one-on-one matching between Espers and Guides. It’s that maintaining many-to-many is more efficient and safer than one-on-one.”
Anyway, what’s important now is quickly overcoming the trauma.
‘I can’t depend on Moon Woo-shin.’
Rather, he had to train as if he weren’t nearby, and think of his existence only as a last safety device.
How do I know if Moon Woo-shin will kick me out of the team next semester? If he can’t somehow overcome it alone by then, he might really have to take leave of absence.
Hae-il pushed the complicated thoughts to one corner for now and tried to concentrate on class. Though at best not missing the notes was the best he could do.
As soon as class ended, Jo Gi-hyeon in the next seat spoke to Hae-il. It was an attitude hesitating as if he had something to say.
“Hey, Seo Hae-il. You today….”
However, Hae-il’s cell phone ringing came first.
Moon Woo-shin
Hae-il, who saw the name that appeared on the screen, made eye contact with Jo Gi-hyeon with a crumpled expression. As soon as he slid the screen to receive the call, a rigid voice was heard.
“Yes, sen….”
- If class is over, jump over right away.
“Yes, I’ll come right….”
At the call that cut off abruptly without him finishing even one phrase properly, Hae-il exhaled a long breath.
“…Why, what is it?”
“It’s nothing. I have to go. See you later.”
Hae-il, who tapped Jo Gi-hyeon’s arm, swept belongings into his bag haphazardly and left the lecture room with quick steps.
If I’m even a little late, it’s obvious what words he’ll strike with.
Even while quickly running up the uphill road inside campus, Hae-il didn’t forget to carefully observe his surroundings. Because he couldn’t let classmates or seniors and juniors he knew along the way find out his destination.
“Seo Hae-il, where are you going?”
“I have a part-time job!”
“Hae-il, what are you doing tomorrow? Let’s eat together!”
“Hello, later!”
After exchanging such short conversations about five times, even after people became sparse, he unnecessarily wandered around the area to shake off any possible gazes before finally approaching his destination.
This old building he wouldn’t have known existed if not for Moon Woo-shin could barely be seen at the edge only after crossing the highest hill on campus and turning into a corner.
Without even time to catch his breath, Hae-il, who checked the surroundings again, only opened the transparent glass door after confirming no one was there.
The lobby with old desks and chairs scattered randomly had a gloomy atmosphere flowing. Hae-il, who walked with long strides and quickly passed, arrived right in front of the training room only after turning a corner once.
As soon as he pulled open the large, thick door with good soundproofing, he hurriedly pushed his body inside.
“Hell….”
“3 minutes late.”
Before even beginning to greet, a rigid tardiness declaration was heard first.
Moon Woo-shin, who had been sitting with legs crossed in the chair visible right in front, slowly stood up.
Having experienced it for several days, I can now roughly predict what sarcastic remarks he’ll make.
He told me to jump over right away.
“I told you to jump over right away.”
Don’t you know there’s also team training scheduled after today, are you slow at running for an Esper?
“To match team training time, there’s only an hour—did you already forget in that time? Or are your physical abilities on the low side for an Esper?”
With such complacent mentality, when will you overcome it?
“What confidence is it that you’ll be in your right mind during the next Gate strategy when you can’t even match one time properly?”
Hae-il, who had let the words not much different from expected flow past, threw his bag in a corner and answered perfunctorily.
“Yes, it’s correct that I jumped over right away, I didn’t forget team training, the problem seems to be that you only gave 7 minutes for travel time in the first place, and above all, if senior starts right away instead of spending time saying such things over just 3 minutes, it seems we could do 5 more minutes.”
The moment dissatisfied eyes and crooked eyes met, Hae-il’s body started moving on its own again.
Hae-il, who walked as if running unrelated to his will, stopped only after closely approaching to a distance one step away from Moon Woo-shin. That too wasn’t his own will.
Hae-il crumpled his expression to the fullest.
Conversely, Moon Woo-shin was looking down while wearing a faint smile. Though that smile was full of dissatisfaction.
“If you want it that much, from tomorrow, you’ll come like this starting right from in front of the lecture room.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll practice more, and I’ll control your body so you won’t be late. We can definitely save more time.”
Goosebumps rose as soon as he imagined it.
Who knows what Moon Woo-shin will do with someone else’s body. Even more, whatever crazy thing he does, I can’t even reveal it was Moon Woo-shin who did it.
If I push further, that bastard seems like he’d really execute it and more. Hae-il quickly switched his attitude.
“I won’t be late even by 1 minute from now on.”
“Why. You said 7 minutes wasn’t enough. I’m saying I’ll make it not insufficient?”
“Now that I think about it, it seems sufficient.”
A warning-like gaze swept down his face. When Hae-il made a perfunctory smile, only then did the eye contact barely break.
The gaze that had been held and the intangible force that had been controlling his body withdrew almost simultaneously.
