Following that, he detected Gate wavelengths through a device plugged into the tablet. There was no particular difference from other candidate sites.
Moon Woo-shin, who recorded numbers with a few touches, pulled out the small device and commanded while gripping it in his palm.
“Get out.”
While opening the car door and getting out first, he naturally pushed what he held in his hand into his pocket.
While slowly circling to the front of the car to check the surroundings for presence once more, Seo Hae-il, who’d followed out, stood in proper posture.
Since it was repetition of the same work for days, head gestures and eye signals were enough. Moon Woo-shin, who instructed ability use silently, stared intently down at Seo Hae-il.
Seo Hae-il, who was about to spread his hand to use his ability, let out a deep sigh.
“Why exactly do I have to do this? It’s not a situation needing attack or defense, water isn’t needed. If it’s just using abilities without any meaning, you can do it directly yourself.”
There were several clear reasons.
First, an Esper’s wavelength was one of the preconditions. They said the higher the rank, the better the effect. Whether the current Seo Hae-il, disguised as D-rank by unknown methods, would also be recognized as S-rank was uncertain though.
Second, a Guide’s wavelength wasn’t valid. Because the wavelengths appearing when Guides and Espers use abilities are subtly different from each other. Therefore Moon Woo-shin couldn’t do it directly.
And third…
“You’re not just making me do this to drain my strength, right? If there’s another reason, at least explain.”
Seo Hae-il, who’d been grumbling, spat out words close to the correct answer.
There was also intention to drain some strength to make guiding necessary. Because he knew well that his wavelength had quite good effect on Seo Hae-il. If I tame him with guiding, he’ll become a bit more docile.
Refusing guiding itself was completely outside calculations though.
Moon Woo-shin, who recalled Seo Hae-il’s eyes he’d faced at dawn, pulled up the corner of his lips obliquely.
“Then should I use it? The only target to use abilities on here is just one, if you want I’ll do it that way.”
“……”
“I didn’t know you enjoyed being controlled. From now on…”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it.”
Seo Hae-il, who swallowed his resentful face, spread his hand again. Soon a thin stream of water trickled from that end.
Looking down at the absurd sight no matter how many times he saw it, Moon Woo-shin suppressed his churning insides.
Moving easily according to intention like this, then suddenly revealing unfamiliar parts out of the blue, and the next moment bouncing far away in a strange direction—it keeps inciting twisted emotions.
The gaze toward Seo Hae-il’s fingertips slowly moved up along the fingers. Today too, a ring with simple design was positioned at the innermost part of his ring finger.
When he just watched quietly longer than usual, Seo Hae-il asked as if urging.
“Until when?”
Moon Woo-shin pushed his hand into his pants pocket while standing obliquely. The fingertips with unnecessary force pressed down and crumpled the rectangular-shaped device’s edges.
The signal that wavelength as much as needed had been detected from that small device came several minutes ago.
“3 more minutes in that direction.”
Moon Woo-shin, who increased meaningless time consumption, observed the sight of Seo Hae-il using his ability more persistently.
In the wavelength that became much weaker than what he knew well, not even a bit of traces of others felt at dawn remained. The fact that it was weak power lasting only a few hours, not even going half a day, made anger surge again.
“That’s enough. Get in the car.”
Moon Woo-shin, who filled appropriate time, turned around first.
As soon as he got in the car, he plugged the device back into the tablet to back up the recorded numbers and trends.
Soon after, Seo Hae-il climbed into the driver’s seat. Simultaneously with the sound of the door closing, Moon Woo-shin released guiding to spread fully throughout the car.
“Ah, crazy…”
The sound of Seo Hae-il muttering a curse quietly could be heard faintly. Along with it was the sensation of instinctively drinking in guiding deeply like a tree that had dried up completely absorbing sprinkled water.
He raised the guiding concentration and increased the amount to spread widely so he could drink in to his heart’s content.
However, in less than a minute, he was blocked by a wall similar to a few hours ago. The wavelength that lost its way in front of the high and solid wall wandered powerlessly inside the car.
“I’m not, receiving guiding.”
Seo Hae-il, who’d repeated rough deep breaths several times, spat out while gritting his teeth. Moon Woo-shin pretended to be uninterested and responded indifferently.
“Do as you please.”
“…So remove this.”
“Is it because I’m tired? I can’t control the wavelength.”
They both knew it was nonsense, not even close to being believable when he wasn’t a Guide who’d just manifested.
Moon Woo-shin calmly continued radiating guiding while giving the next instruction.
“Enter the next location in the nav.”
“…How do I, drive, like this.”
“You’ll have to manage well. There’s no time. Start right away.”
It was something that would be resolved by releasing the block and accepting guiding. There was no reason at all why he couldn’t drive while receiving radiated guiding.
However, Seo Hae-il stubbornly maintained the wall he’d erected. While maintaining that state of blocking guiding, he slowly operated the navigation, then finally started the car. It was a speed as slow as when he first made him drive.
While fixing his gaze on the tablet in his hands, Moon Woo-shin stabbed the guiding in more strongly. The wavelength closely approaching Seo Hae-il’s surroundings surrounded him widely and densely, trying to somehow find gaps and squeeze in.
In the silence, attack and defense without sound or form formed a confrontation.
The longer that state continued, the more Moon Woo-shin’s mood headed toward the bottom.
‘Not even once does he match expectations.’
Moreover, Seo Hae-il seemed to quickly adapt to this unnatural act of going against instinct. Struggling to maintain the guiding-blocked state was only for a moment. Gradually increasing speed while gaining center, before long even his driving returned to being as stable as usual.
Even considering he’s S-rank, his abilities were pointlessly good.
Moon Woo-shin, whose mood became more uncomfortable, kept guiding released fully inside the car throughout the movement.
After arriving at the next location too, he moved while densely surrounding Seo Hae-il’s vicinity with guiding even outside. It was an inefficient act he’d never normally do.
However, even after that, the wavelength that lost its place never touched Seo Hae-il. Not even a tiny bit.
After moving locations several times, at the end of the offensive and defensive battle continuing all day, the sun set.
“Are we going home now?”
Above Seo Hae-il’s expressionless face asking stiffly, tired signs faintly showed.
It was when Moon Woo-shin, who’d been looking into those eyes through the rearview mirror, was about to open his mouth.
The phone vibrated briefly and a message arrived.
The Chairman is looking for you.
A short message omitting both time and place. Moon Woo-shin raised his eyebrow. It was adding fatigue to already sensitive mind and body.
Soon he, who skillfully gathered his emotions, changed the destination.
“We’re going to the office.”
It was an office visit after a long time.
At the end of several more minutes of movement that followed again, soon the car the two were in entered the familiar parking lot.
Since the last region they’d toured was the city right next to Icheop City, it didn’t take long to arrive. However, both were somewhat exhausted from the offensive and defensive battle continuing all day until it became pitch-dark night.
“We’ve arrived.”
Once again with a stiff voice, Seo Hae-il first released his seatbelt and opened the door. Moon Woo-shin, who’d been quietly watching that sight from the back seat, soon followed out. The gazes of the two standing diagonally with the car between them briefly swept past each other.
Seo Hae-il, who naturally turned his head, locked the car door and first stepped toward the elevator. The familiar back figure moved away quickly.
Moon Woo-shin, who’d been following with his eyes the increasingly widening distance and the back of the head that seemed indifferent, decided in an instant what he’d been pondering throughout coming here, until just moments ago.
Woo-shin, who narrowed the distance instantly with wide strides, grabbed Hae-il’s shoulder to stop him. Looking down at the puzzled face, he slowly opened his mouth.
“You don’t need to follow.”
“What?”
“Wait in the car.”
“Me alone?”
Though it bothered him that if left alone, he didn’t know where he’d deviate to or what he’d do, he disliked exposing Seo Hae-il to the person who would be waiting inside the office more.
He’d considered bringing him up and appropriately leaving him standing in front of the door, but it was troublesome because there was possibility Seo Hae-il would eavesdrop or hear stories he shouldn’t.
