# Chapter 10
“That bastard won’t die. He’s enduring because he’s not in enough pain.”
As Dohyun said this, he took one more step toward the staff members. A large shadow fell over them as if a wall had been pushed right up to their faces. Through that shadow, Dohyun’s cold tone descended.
“Leave him be. He needs to feel more pain before he comes to his senses and stops thinking about rejecting guiding. Then he’ll accept other Guides’ guiding, and the bond will dissolve. Then he won’t be in pain anymore.”
Dohyun had pinpointed the core issue. An undeveloped Esper’s one-sided bond could only be broken through guiding. It needed to be gradually diluted through the guiding of other Guides.
Yet the Center staff were telling Jaehee to take on the dedicated role.
What nonsense.
There was no reason to listen anymore.
“Let’s stop here and you can leave.”
Dohyun firmly signaled the end of the conversation and issued the order to leave.
“What? No, this is an important matter…!”
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
Along with his lowered tone, Dohyun’s energy waves scattered around the staff members.
Feeling the surrounding air becoming heavier, expressions of dismay crossed the staff members’ faces. They hadn’t expected Dohyun to use his ability since Espers received severe punishment for harming ordinary people.
“E-Esper Kang Dohyun, if you do this!”
A severe punishment!
But before the staff member could continue, Jaehee gently grabbed Dohyun’s hand. In an instant, the Esper’s violent waves that had been raging around calmed down softly. The surrounding atmosphere also melted gently.
The staff members showed expressions of relief as the stifling pressure on their bodies disappeared.
Dohyun looked down at Jaehee who was firmly holding his hand, as if asking why he was stopping him. Jaehee was shaking his head slightly with a worried look in his eyes.
Seeing Jaehee worrying about him, Dohyun exhaled a short sigh through his teeth.
He should have not let them in from the beginning. He had hesitated momentarily at their words and Jaehee’s agitation, and this was the result. In the end, it only severely shook up Jaehee, who was trying to endure.
Plus, the attitude of the staff member trying to put down Jaehee, seized by his inferiority complex, thinking this was his chance, was infuriating.
The usual Jaehee wouldn’t have been treated like this. Jaehee was so shocked by the news of Choi Geonwoo’s poor condition that he couldn’t offer any rebuttal.
That sight made Dohyun even more furious.
‘The kid’s in bad condition, why are you stirring things up?’
Dohyun forcibly showed the staff members out and grabbed the door handle.
“Th-Then next time…”
Before the staff members could finish their words, Dohyun slammed the door shut. And when he turned around, he saw Jaehee’s downcast eyes.
What could he be thinking? Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be anything good. Dohyun firmly gripped Jaehee’s shoulder as if to block his thoughts.
“A bond formed in an undeveloped state, and a one-sided bond at that.”
Jaehee raised his head to look at Dohyun.
“That’s just throwing a tantrum. Demanding the most delicious food. It’s no different from a kid on a hunger strike.”
“…But… when guiding is rejected… it hurts…”
“He can receive plenty of guiding from other Guides even without you. He’s only rejecting guiding because he’s not in enough pain yet.”
That was right. A one-sided bond might make other guiding feel slightly unpleasant, but it could still be sufficiently accepted. Just as one would shove even unappetizing food into their mouth when hungry, when the body is in pain and tired, it naturally seeks guiding from other Guides.
The Center knew this too, which is why they had assigned numerous Guides to Geonwoo.
‘But the more that happens, the more he would instinctively feel it.’
That the more he received guiding energy from other Guides, the more the first guiding he received from Jaehee would fade.
So he probably instinctively rejected it. To avoid losing Jaehee’s guiding energy.
“Let’s go eat what we were talking about earlier. I’m hungry.”
Dohyun raised his arm to wrap around Jaehee’s opposite shoulder and led him outside. Pulling Jaehee toward himself, he continued speaking to prevent Jaehee from having unnecessary thoughts.
“The bond will be broken if left alone. So don’t worry about it like you’re doing now.”
“……”
But worryingly, no immediate answer came from Jaehee.
“Lee Jaehee.”
A voice lower than before burst from Dohyun’s mouth. Only then did the answer Dohyun wanted flow from Jaehee’s lips.
“…I know, that’s how the bond is broken…”
Jaehee lowered his head slightly and continued.
“Even without you saying so, I wasn’t planning to be a dedicated Guide. I was just surprised… because he was said to be in pain…”
“It’s a fake illness. Cases of guiding rejection are extremely rare. Even when they happen, they can’t endure for long and immediately seek guiding from other Guides.”
“…Really?”
“I’m an Esper. He can’t endure, that’s for sure.”
It was certainly true. That’s how it was with other Espers. They would all resist a little, but then immediately cry out for anyone to please provide guiding.
That pain, as if the entire body was being torn apart, couldn’t be endured by an undeveloped Esper without enhanced physical abilities. No one had been able to withstand it until now.
It couldn’t be helped. When the pain would immediately disappear just by receiving guiding from another Guide, who could possibly endure it?
Unless they consistently received guiding from their bond partner enough to prevent dilution, like Dohyun did when he was young.
Therefore, rejecting guiding meant that the pain was still at a bearable level. Even if it was agonizingly painful.
‘You only lose by trying to endure. So give up quickly.’
Moreover, that pain increases exponentially as the rank increases. That’s why Dohyun predicted Geonwoo would soon declare his surrender.
So there was no need to tell him. That Choi Geonwoo was barely enduring that pain right now.
“Let’s go.”
Dohyun led Jaehee out through the front door.
***
“Mmm…”
In the early dawn, not yet morning.
At the small mumbling sound, Dohyun reflexively opened his eyes wide. His head turned quickly, and his urgent gaze scanned the bed. On the bed was a bundle of white blankets. Just as he had arranged it, Jaehee was wrapped up in the blanket.
‘I don’t remember covering his face completely.’
He must have turned his head to the other side, as Jaehee’s face wasn’t visible. Only the white blanket bundle could be seen.
Dohyun stared intently at the blanket bundle that showed no movement for a moment, then softly called out,
“…Lee Jaehee?”
As if in response.
“Ugh…”
Another small mumble was heard. Dohyun’s eyes widened slightly as he quickly rose from the floor.
Was he having another nightmare?
Was he having a seizure?
His movements as he approached Jaehee were urgent. His body, having barely slept after soothing Jaehee’s seizures all night, showed impatience rather than complaining of tiredness.
Dohyun approached the bed and immediately looked at Jaehee’s face.
“Hey, Lee Jae…hee…”
But absurdly, Jaehee was sleeping soundly.
“…Hmm…”
As if he was sleep-talking, his small lips moved slightly. His smooth forehead wasn’t wrinkled, nor were his cheeks wet with tears.
“Ha.”
A short sigh burst from Dohyun’s lips.
Relief and emptiness. And belated fatigue began to fill Dohyun’s insides.
‘Just like a newborn, really.’
Whenever Jaehee slightly tossed or mumbled softly, Dohyun would startle and rise from his place. How was this any different from raising a child? He even thought that raising a child might be more psychologically peaceful.
‘You sleep so well.’
Then Dohyun’s gaze fell on Jaehee’s eyes. Perhaps because he had cried during his seizure earlier, they were still slightly red.
Dohyun’s hand was moving toward that spot when,
“…Mmm…”
It paused in midair at Jaehee’s small movement.
‘Is it uncomfortable?’
Since Jaehee would sometimes scratch himself during seizures, Dohyun had wrapped him tightly in a blanket, but now Jaehee was tossing inside the blanket as if it was uncomfortable.
Dohyun slightly loosened the blanket wrapped around Jaehee. As if that was the right answer, Jaehee’s tossing stopped.
Dohyun let out a small laugh at Jaehee’s honest reaction.
‘As always, Lee Jaehee, you’re high-maintenance.’
Dohyun watched over Jaehee to ensure he was sleeping well, a gentle smile on his face. Only after a long time did he return to his own place.
A blanket was spread on the hard floor, and Dohyun’s large body lay on it. Although the blanket on the floor was quite thick, it was no comparison to the bed.
Dohyun’s body, accustomed to a bed, tossed and turned several times trying to find a comfortable position before finally giving up and lying facing Jaehee, looking at the seemingly soft bed.
‘Should I go bed shopping on the next holiday?’
As he vaguely thought this, he felt the room gradually brightening. Dohyun glanced toward the window.
Morning was gradually approaching. The thought of going back to sleep completely disappeared at that sight. Dohyun had something to do before morning came.
‘I’ll do it after a little more time.’
And it had to be done without Jaehee knowing.
