# Chapter 31
“Wow. Team Leader Choi, you’re really good at drinking.”
“You’re not so bad yourself for someone so small. And Jaehwi looks like someone who can’t handle alcohol at all.”
“Right? Everyone thinks I can’t drink, but my alcohol tolerance is quite decent. But Team Leader Kang, aren’t you drinking?”
Raon watched Jaehwi and Aiden sitting side by side as he put a perfectly grilled piece of meat in his mouth. Was it because they were the same age that they became friends so quickly? Rather than that, it seemed to be because of Aiden’s playful and outgoing personality.
Whether it was the familiarity from having met once before or because of the comfortable atmosphere and alcohol, Aiden was voluntarily leading the mood. While Jaehwi was nice with his sturdy, oak-like presence, Raon thought it might also be good to have a cute younger brother like Aiden.
He seemed to be just the right match for Jaehwi, who rarely spoke and struggled with expressing emotions. Raon looked at the bottle of alcohol as Aiden, who kept laughing at his own jokes, casually leaned against Jaehwi. He wanted to have at least one drink…
Raon had dreamed of Jaehwi finding a compatible Guide and living happily without pain, smiling. And now that very picture was unfolding before his eyes, but strangely, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.
As he slowly chewed his meat, someone tapped his foot, and Raon reflexively looked up to meet Jaehwi’s gaze.
“Do you want to drink?”
“No…”
“Too much would be a problem, but a little is fine.”
“Hey, no matter what you say—”
“What did I do?”
The way Jaehwi looked at him, his gentle voice, and the feeling of concern and care within it—Jaehwi really confused people. Whether it was because they had slept entangled together, or because of that mischievous prank where they could feel each other’s breath, ridiculous thoughts came to mind. Or maybe he really does like me? Whenever Raon felt this way, he was always left with the question: why?
On top of that, when Aiden’s direct question overlapped with these thoughts, Raon picked up the bottle and filled Jaehwi’s empty glass.
“Today, you drink my share too.”
After watching Jaehwi silently empty the glass he had filled, Raon picked up his own glass of soda.
“What? You’re really doing that? You just said you weren’t going to.”
“Nooo~ Jaehwi said that because he doesn’t understand. An exclusive Guide and Esper should stick closely together. Why live separately? They should be together so they can do guiding frequently, which keeps condition at its best, and that way Jaehwi won’t have a hard time.”
“So you’re saying everything Jaehwi said this afternoon is canceled?”
“Yes. Radiative guiding is good too. It’s good, but… It’s not like we have different lovers, and who knows what might happen when people live together? Even if not, in emergency situations, of course contact guiding is necessary. If possible, it would be beneficial for both of us to have a good relationship like other Espers and Guides. That’s why I want to get closer and get along better.”
Though slightly slurred from the alcohol, Aiden’s clear words pierced Raon’s ears.
“Hwi-ya~ We agreed on this, right?”
The moment that nickname—which had only been used for him—came out of Aiden’s mouth, Raon stared at Jaehwi, not Aiden.
“Jaehwi.”
“Hm?”
“Min Jaehwi. My name. Not Hwi-ya.”
As Jaehwi emptied his glass while correcting his name, Raon unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth as he drank his beverage.
*Clap!*
As if trying to refocus the scattered atmosphere, Aiden suddenly clapped once, and Raon tried to lower the corners of his mouth that kept wanting to rise when he saw Aiden’s prim face.
“Team Leader Kang Raon. Can I be Jaehwi’s Guide?”
“Yes.”
That’s why I selected you. When they did the guiding test, it seemed like Jaehwi’s complexion looked better than usual. His mood too.
“I’m really becoming his exclusive Guide.”
“Yes.”
“Give us the best dormitory room at the center.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Are we good?”
Aiden, who had confirmed with Raon several times, beamed and leaned against Jaehwi’s arm.
How pretty. So pretty. Youth is wonderful.
Raon, who had been half-listening to Aiden and Hyukjin’s conversation while only drinking his beverage, now fixed his gaze on Jaehwi, who was now openly drinking alone.
“You shouldn’t drink by yourself when there are people in front of you.”
Raon overlapped his hand on Jaehwi’s as he tried to refill his glass with the bottle, and stayed that way until the glass was filled. After the bottle was set down, he removed his hand and looked back at the landscaping outside the window. Unable to ignore Jaehwi’s stare, he slowly turned his head.
With his chin propped up and staring at Raon, Jaehwi’s black pupils seemed larger than usual—he was clearly drunk. When their eyes met, his stiff expression softened, and he broke into a heh- smile on that handsome face, making Raon smile in return.
You’re happy, aren’t you? Yes. Happy to have found a Guide?
Because the pain and hardship are reduced. And you have someone to rely on.
What about the items for the dormitory that Jaehwi and Aiden will share? The basics are all there, but before they move into the dormitory, I should buy them some clothes, and how many rooms did the dormitory have again? One bedroom…
As Raon concluded that Jaehwi would need a custom-made bed due to his large frame, the smile gradually disappeared from his face. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his left chest.
Pushing away the emotions invading his mind, Raon continued to think about things to do for Jaehwi and Aiden, but ended up laughing dejectedly.
It’s not like I’m sending my son off to get married.
‘Hyung.’
It wasn’t something he heard out loud. Reading the shape of Jaehwi’s lips as he looked at him, Raon focused on the slight movement of his lips that followed.
‘Kang Raon.’
Despite concentrating to see what he would say, it was just his name being whispered, and Raon nudged Jaehwi’s foot.
“How dare you to your hyung.”
He called him hyung just fine usually, but every now and then he’d cross the line by calling him by name like this, so Raon glared at him.
‘Raon-ah.’
Despite the warning, he crossed the line even further, making Raon shake his head. What could he do with a drunk kid? It looked like he kept mouthing something, but Raon didn’t look at him anymore.
Seeing Aiden’s energy level dropping after all the laughter and chatter, it seemed like it was time to send the young friends home.
“Summarize what you talked about with Aiden today and pass it on to Jay. I’ll talk more with Jaehwi too… I thought you’d both say no, but it seems pretty good, doesn’t it? The numbers came out well, right?”
“The numbers are ideal, the numbers. But does this look okay to you?”
Hyukjin, who alternately looked at Jaehwi with his chin propped up, motionless, and Aiden slumped in his chair, was incredulous at Raon’s calm words. It was clear that Raon had no idea how often Aiden had looked at him during his high-tension mood-making, or how Jaehwi had been staring steadily only at Raon the entire time Aiden was chattering.
Moreover, Jaehwi had never even made a gesture of agreement, let alone agreed with what Aiden said.
What was evident to everyone else was clearly invisible to Raon. Who would have thought that Raon, second to none in being sensible and sensitive, would be like a wall when it came to this sort of thing? No wonder none of his relationships had lasted more than three months.
His head, which he thought would clear up after drinking with them, was becoming even more complicated. He could somewhat understand Jaehwi, who seemed to blindly follow Raon due to some kind of imprinting from childhood.
But why Aiden was acting this way too was completely beyond him.
“They’re pretty, aren’t they? Fresh, exciting, cute… were we like that at their age?”
“Are you playing house?”
“What?”
“You know, ‘You’re the dad, you’re the mom, I’m the baby, I’m the cat.’ Playing house like that.”
“Sheesh. I guess you’re getting old too. You were boasting there’s no one who can beat you at drinking, but looking at you now, you’re drunk on that. Hyukjin who’s been matching me drink for drink. Let’s call it a night. Want me to call you a driver?”
“Let’s just leave him be. He’s held up well so far, and he must have his own methods.”
Hyukjin spoke quickly in a low voice, looking at Jaehwi’s eyes, which were blinking slowly and eventually closed completely.
“There’s nothing to leave be or not. Even if he’s not Jaehwi’s partner, Aiden is a talented kid. What’s wrong with him signing with us? Finding skilled Guides and Espers, contracting them, and helping them perform at their best condition is our job.”
Seeing that any further discussion would just be going in circles, Raon left the room first with the bill. The moment he left and the door closed, the quiet atmosphere in the room changed.
“Seems like my warning didn’t sound like a warning?”
As Hyukjin was getting up to take care of Aiden, who had fallen asleep after talking to himself without anyone responding, he froze at the clearly audible words and looked at Jaehwi.
The drowsy, drunken appearance was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an icily cold expression and an unfeeling gaze directed at him.
“You…”
“I’ll handle it, not you. Whatever it is. I don’t plan on having an outbreak that will destroy the Earth, so don’t worry about that either. I showed you the numbers you wanted, didn’t I? Aren’t you satisfied with that?”
“You did that?”
“I even gave you a heads-up, but what use is it if you don’t believe I changed the gauge readings to what you wanted?”
There was a lot of mockery in Jaehwi’s words as he got up from his seat without a sound.
“Don’t tell me you have self-healing abilities?”
“No. Unfortunately, I don’t have that ability. Even now, the noise continues, my head rings, and the irritating pain persists. As you said, living in this state for almost 15 years, I’ve learned how to control it somewhat. I’m enduring well, so don’t provoke me.”
“Is it Kang Raon you want?”
“…Team Leader Choi, you’re quite direct. If you’re too blunt, it makes even me uncomfortable.”
“What is it you really want?”
Hyukjin couldn’t take his eyes off Jaehwi as he casually rolled his shoulders and loosened up his body.
