# Chapter 16
“Jaehwi.”
Raon called him slowly, attempting to voice the thoughts that had been lingering in his mouth. There was no response, but he could clearly feel that Jaehwi was listening to his words.
“I’ll find you a Guide. Someone who suits you. I’ll search the entire world if I have to, I promise I’ll find one.”
When no answer came, Raon shifted his gaze from the window to look at Jaehwi. His eyes were so dark. A perfect black without even a hint of light. Somehow, they seemed even darker than usual now. If someone were to ask whether darkness could have varying depths, he wouldn’t have an answer, but still, it felt that way.
“I don’t need one.”
With his eyes still fixed on Raon’s face, Jaehwi downed three drinks in succession before finally responding.
“There’s no Esper who doesn’t need a Guide. Moreover, you know you need one even more.”
“Then. You do it, hyung.”
“Are you kidding? I’m a C-grade piece of trash. Not with my pathetic abilities that are embarrassing to even call guiding. I’ll find at least an A+ grade, and if possible, even an SS grade or higher somehow.”
Raon chuckled softly and waved his hand. The difference between C-grade and S-grade could be compared to that of an ant and an elephant. Moreover, on the day they reunited, he had fainted for 24 hours, unable to handle the energy that was instantly drained from him.
“Don’t ever mention that again. Anything related to Guides. I don’t want to talk about that with you, hyung.”
At Jaehwi’s resolute answer, Raon clicked his tongue and picked up a piece of biscuit. He didn’t know why Jaehwi disliked having a Guide, but it wasn’t something he could push recklessly.
“You can accept guiding though.”
“If you’re not going to do it, ah… I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
Silence settled between them once more.
Only the sound of Jaehwi pouring drinks and Raon eating snacks with his eyes fixed on the window filled the space.
“What do you want to do right now?”
At Jaehwi’s low voice, Raon picked up his glass again. He had long since exceeded his drinking limit. He had been emptying his glass as soon as it was filled with straight liquor. The numbness felt comfortable, and he felt languid.
After drinking heavily at the beginning and filling his stomach with snacks, the alcohol slowly spread through his body via his bloodstream.
It felt like floating on warm water.
Raon slightly turned his head from looking out the window to meet Jaehwi’s gaze, then ran his tongue over his parched lips. His throat was dry. Probably because of the strong alcohol he had been consuming consecutively.
“Water.”
A glass of water, not liquor, was placed in front of Raon. As he drank the cold water, the hot sensation that had filled his body instantly dissipated. He involuntarily shivered slightly at the coldness.
“Why don’t you ask me?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you curious? What I want to do right now?”
Raon blinked slowly. For a moment, his vision blurred, and Jaehwi appeared to split into several copies before merging back into one.
He didn’t ask a question and just nodded his chin. If you want to say something, just say it. Do you really need to be asked?
“I’m not going to tell you.”
“Alright. What does our Hwi want to do?”
Raon looked at the glass refilled with golden liquid, then covered his face with both hands. If he drank any more, he didn’t think he’d be able to go to work tomorrow. Though he lived like a free spirit, he still had rules he followed.
“What do you think?”
This wasn’t a guessing game. Raon wiped his face, which felt hot, and stood up. He couldn’t sleep on the sofa, so he needed to go to his room. Raon didn’t have any particular drinking habits.
Only his homing instinct became stronger. When he felt he had reached his limit, he diligently returned to his home. And since this hotel was being used as his home, he headed to his room.
“Travel.”
Having received the question, Raon dutifully answered.
“Hyung. You’re drunk.”
Raon, who was about to go to his room, laughed softly at the comment that hit the mark.
“Yeah. I’m going to bed first. You can drink more or rest, whatever you prefer.”
As Jaehwi, who had been sitting until now, stood up, Raon’s head naturally tilted back as he looked at his face.
“You know I’m feeling incredibly wronged and angry right now, right?”
Though they had been sitting across the table, Jaehwi was now standing in front of Raon, and his hand was touching Raon’s chin.
Raon’s brownish pupils, blinking slower than usual, were unfocused. His face was flushed, and his plump lips parted slightly as the word “Why?” flowed out.
Seeing Jaehwi’s hardened expression, Raon raised his hand and gently rubbed between Jaehwi’s brows. Why are you making such a face with your handsome features? You’re young, but if you keep frowning like that, you’ll regret it when you’re older. You’ll get wrinkles.
“Should I guide you?”
Looking at Jaehwi, who was shifting between one and two in his vision, Raon spoke with a low sigh. He had guided him in the dungeon, but he wasn’t sure if it had been done properly. It suddenly occurred to him that Jaehwi hadn’t received any guiding or even taken stabilizers since then.
It might be insufficient and insignificant, but it would be better for him to provide even a little guiding than none at all.
While Raon was focused on the wrinkles between Jaehwi’s brows, Jaehwi’s thumb was touching Raon’s lips.
The plump lower lip, pressed by the thumb, became distorted. Following the thumb’s movement left and right, the elastic sensation that sometimes became even plumper deepened the wrinkles between his brows.
“Tonight, you sleep alone, hyung.”
Jaehwi, who had been standing in front of him radiating heat until just now, disappeared. All that remained was the sound of his voice in Raon’s ear. He had only wanted to help Jaehwi, and had sent energy through his fingertips as he touched Jaehwi’s forehead and brow. But all that was left was cold air.
“What’s that supposed to mean. I was planning to sleep alone anyway.”
Slightly staggering towards his room, Raon’s sulky words spilled out.
He had no idea his abilities would be used for such trivial matters. All of Jaehwi’s senses, as he sat on the bed, were directed toward Raon. He chuckled softly at the muttering of Raon, who had been left alone in the living room. Fearing that the drunk man might bump into something, he gently pushed away the objects near him.
He shook his head slightly at Raon’s words about planning to sleep alone.
To think that he had lived without seeing such a delicate, kind, and beautiful person—when he lay on the bed and closed his eyes, everything came back to life.
From his languid face to his warm, moist lips that had touched his fingertips. He hadn’t expected to accept Raon this way when he met him again.
He was the person who had illuminated the darkest period of his life. He had developed dark emotions toward an angel. He recalled Raon’s energy that had enveloped him more powerfully than any pleasure. It was soft, warm, and moist. The sensation that had tickled his entire body had spread to pain.
Instinct guided him. That inexplicable sensation that occurs between an Esper and a Guide. Raon, being a Guide, probably wouldn’t understand, but Jaehwi had known from the moment he first saw him.
That Raon was his. He hadn’t known it when he was young, but the moment they reunited, Jaehwi’s clock began to revolve around him.
Seeing Raon mention another Guide in front of him, it felt like all the blood in his body froze. It was like standing on a thin line that could break at any moment.
He couldn’t dare pull someone who was in such a high place, beyond his sight, down to his hellish side. He was still shining, beautiful, and happy. He couldn’t break that happiness.
Raon’s breathing, which had immediately rustled its way into bed upon entering the room, became peaceful. Jaehwi slowly closed his eyes beside Raon. Insomnia was always with him. If asked when the last time he slept properly was, he could say it was the night he spent with Raon.
He had already received the incredible gift of deep sleep from Raon yesterday. Staying up all night thinking about him was a sweet punishment.
* * *
Though he had torn up the draft contract in front of him, Jaehwi visited the center the very next day and signed without hesitation. If Raon had been there, he would have had him make corrections and read it properly, but Jaehwi went directly to the center director and signed in front of him.
When Raon found out later and said the contract needed to be modified, both the center director and Jaehwi cleanly ignored him.
“Is this all?”
“I only listed the ones available today. Since I don’t think we need to limit it to just domestic options, I’m looking overseas too, so don’t rush.”
“It’s a contractual condition, how can I not rush? Besides, they say Jaehwi’s levels aren’t stabilizing. What’s his level today?”
“23 percent.”
At Hyukjin’s answer, Raon ran his hand through his hair. The stabilizer Jaehwi had been using until now had become useless. He hadn’t anticipated that such side effects would occur due to guiding.
“How long until it’s developed?”
“Give me at least another week, man. Do you think it’s something that happens easily?”
“Ha. That’s why you took so much of my blood! I think I’m going to become anemic because of it. Two packs in a week!”
The problem was the guiding Raon had shared with Jaehwi in the dungeon. Jaehwi, who had started being unnecessarily stubborn, wouldn’t accept Raon’s guiding. The issue wasn’t with the sender but with the receiver’s acceptance. Every time Raon tried to guide him when they met, Jaehwi would get serious and run away.
There wasn’t much scientifically established about the guiding that occurred between Espers and Guides. Until now, Raon hadn’t even cared about what was in the stabilizer. Who would have thought it was extracted from Guides?
The problem was the guiding that had occurred strongly enough to deplete everything Raon possessed. Now, the basic base for the stabilizer Jaehwi used had to be provided by Raon.
