Giro, who came out from beside the wall as if Han Seoha’s persuasion had worked, was limping for some reason. Han Seoha was flustered by Giro’s actions as he approached slowly while looking around timidly as if frightened.
‘You even teleported earlier.’
Baek Uihyeon was dumbfounded.
‘You act like an abandoned puppy when you don’t even know how to kill your momentum?’
Han Seoha extended his hand and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Does it hurt? Hold my hand. You’ll feel a bit better if I guide you.”
“You don’t have to hold it if you’re uncomfortable.”
At Baek Uihyeon’s calm interference, Han Seoha hurriedly introduced himself.
“I’m called Han Seoha. I’m a guide. I’d like to know your name too, can you tell me?”
“Giro.”
“So it’s Giro. Since you’re an esper, if you lack guiding, you’ll be in pain and have a hard time. Want to try holding my hand once?”
“Hand…”
Each thinking different thoughts, on the surface they imitated an ideal adult and a frightened child.
Giro’s hand rested on Han Seoha’s extended hand across the broken wall.
Just hands touching, yet Giro was greatly flustered. It felt like his hand was melting right into Han Seoha’s hand, making him want to run away. It was like his hand was being swallowed into a warm air pocket or a formless jelly. The cozy sensation that swallowed his palm and climbed up his wrist made Giro collapse.
“Giro!”
Han Seoha’s body completely crossed over the broken wall as he caught the collapsing Giro. Baek Uihyeon, who gently supported such a Han Seoha, grabbed Giro by the nape and lifted him up.
Held by Baek Uihyeon while firmly grasping Han Seoha’s hand, Giro was in a state of being so out of it he couldn’t even open his eyes. Han Seoha carefully tapped Giro’s dirt-covered cheek with his free hand.
“Giro, snap out of it. Try opening your eyes.”
When the flustered Han Seoha looked up at Baek Uihyeon at the sight of him hanging limp while not letting go of the hand, an answer came casually.
“He’s intoxicated from guiding.”
“Intoxicated?”
“First experience… there are cases of overreaction when first encountering guiding.”
It was mainly cases of espers losing their reason and lunging, but just like drinking habits differ, there were occasionally different reactions after guiding too.
In Baek Uihyeon’s view, Giro probably hadn’t been able to guide for quite a while and had been living with chronic pain. Seeing how he lost consciousness instead of losing reason, he thought about praising him, but his mouth turned bitter seeing the efficiency with Han Seoha looked particularly high.
“I didn’t want more people who know Seoha-ssi’s guiding to increase.”
“Will Giro be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. Seoha-ssi, please guide him only while we move to the Center.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
Baek Uihyeon smiled at Han Seoha’s determined expression as he steeled his resolve. It was because the guide burning with a sense of duty felt lovable, unlike himself who was only thinking of throwing the rescued esper to the relevant department as quickly as possible.
* * *
There was quite a commotion at the Esper Center.
It was because what they thought was a poverty relief operation turned out to be a case of underage esper kidnapping, and on top of that, S-rank esper Baek Uihyeon had appeared personally bringing the esper he rescued.
“This is an unregistered esper discovered in J District. Age unknown, name is Giro. High possibility of being a teleportation ability user, so set the control grade to the highest until the investigation is finished.”
“Ah, understood.”
“Just in case, let’s also write down the ability as unknown.”
Giro, hanging limp without consciousness, easily fell away when Han Seoha let go of his hand. The employee moving Giro to the examination room turned pale at Baek Uihyeon’s following words.
“You’d better hurry. Soon the unregistered espers and civilians rescued by the follow-up team will all come here.”
“Yes, yes sir!”
This was enough of what Baek Uihyeon needed to do. He quickly moved while carrying Han Seoha, who was a bit tired from guiding, just as he was.
“I’ll walk.”
“This way is faster.”
“Why are you in such a… huh? The guiding room isn’t this way.”
Han Seoha, who had expected to be held captive for three hours today anyway, was flustered that Baek Uihyeon was striding in a direction other than the guiding room.
Unfamiliar scenery quickly passed by Han Seoha, and the place they arrived at was the medical center. While puzzled about why they’d come here, Han Seoha remained in Baek Uihyeon’s embrace as the surroundings changed several more times and throughout crossing a quiet corridor. Baek Uihyeon, who stopped at a room at the end of the long corridor, entered simultaneously with a short knock and discovered a familiar face in the narrow space.
“Baek Uihyeon esper? Huh?”
Jo Yonghwi, who had been startled with a sandwich in his mouth, jumped up seeing Han Seoha held by the large Baek Uihyeon.
“Oh my, Guide-nim. Are you hurt?”
“Healer-nim, hello.”
A brief awkwardness passed between Han Seoha and Jo Yonghwi, who called each other at completely different temperatures at the same time, and laughter soon spread. Baek Uihyeon also felt comfortable in the warmth of these harmless people and brought up the main point.
“Treatment is needed.”
“Um, I’m F-rank so I can only handle light wounds. If it’s Baek Uihyeon esper-nim, you should be able to emergency summon even an A-rank healer too.”
While troubled by Baek Uihyeon’s request, Jo Yonghwi’s gaze quickly searched for any injuries. As Han Seoha cheered in his heart at Jo Yonghwi’s attitude of always doing his best even if his ability wasn’t up to it, his vision flipped.
Han Seoha, who had been laid on the cot before he knew it, felt throbbing pain when Baek Uihyeon lightly rubbed his ear. Only then did he recall the earring-shaped defense item that had been forcibly threaded on.
“A-grade protection earrings sell out as soon as they’re found, so the Association only owns B-grade ones. If it’s someone who would deliver it to Seoha-ssi in this manner, it must be Ryu Jaegeon.”
“Ah, it hurts.”
“The pain is momentary.”
“Don’t do it.”
“I need to take it out and treat it, so endure it.”
“No, don’t touch it.”
“You left Ryu Jaegeon alone when he made it this bad.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
At Han Seoha’s sobbing filled with injustice, Baek Uihyeon’s pressing momentum became considerably softer.
“Was it forced?”
“…Jaegeon just wanted me to be safe.”
Baek Uihyeon showed a bitter smile at Han Seoha’s reaction of only looking out for Ryu Jaegeon’s position whenever he had even a little breathing room.
“I see. Then Han Seoha-ssi who dislikes pain, I’ll take it out as gently as possible.”
“Yes? Ah… then… yes, yes.”
At the excessively sweet whisper, Han Seoha squeezed his eyes shut as if realizing he had no choice.
Jo Yonghwi, who had wanted to run away from the two’s conversation, was fanning his face that had heated up to its limit when he witnessed the moment Baek Uihyeon bit Han Seoha’s ear with his lips and turned around.
Baek Uihyeon didn’t care even knowing of Jo Yonghwi’s presence. It was just a measure for treatment to begin with. Of course, there was some personal interest mixed in.
“Hngh, what…”
Han Seoha opened his eyes, flustered at the sensation of his ear being sucked, but was already pinned down by Baek Uihyeon’s body unable to move. The vivid sensation of the tongue pressing heavily on his earlobe and examining the wound was spine-tingling.
“Baek, Uihyeon… stop…”
Han Seoha, who even discovered Jo Yonghwi with his back turned, closed his eyes again. He couldn’t think straight from being ticklish, painful, and embarrassed.
The red earring was caught between Baek Uihyeon’s lips that had pulled away from the soft earlobe with a wet sound. While looking down at it until the hand trembling from embarrassment retrieved it from between Baek Uihyeon’s lips, he even thought the hero really suited jewelry well.
‘He’d probably be effective if he filmed a jewelry commercial.’
“Don’t do things like this. I can do it myself.”
The voice that spat out words completely different from his thoughts contained a light trembling. Baek Uihyeon was bothered that Han Seoha was concerned about the item in his hand, so he took it back and asked calmly.
“I did it so it wouldn’t hurt, did it hurt?”
“That’s, not it but. No, it is. Please refrain from this kind of contact when it’s not even guiding.”
“Then shall we guide right now?”
“Wait, hands!”
Jo Yonghwi, facing the wall, wondered if he should cover his ears at the sounds coming from behind him.
Why are you doing this in my room exactly?
Fortunately, the kind guide mentioned Jo Yonghwi and the situation came to a close, but it was a bitter time as his respect for the S-rank hero was slightly damaged.
* * *
Baek Uihyeon, who had finally moved locations to the guiding room, received three hours of guiding. The guiding that was far too slow due to the grade difference was regrettable, and his steps leaving for the next schedule that would take several days were very heavy.
Baek Uihyeon summoned Jo Yonghwi while regretting leaving Han Seoha alone.
“A healer will come soon. Get treated and rest well, Seoha-ssi.”
“Thank you.”
Han Seoha, who would have at least pretended to refuse normally, was relieved. Baek Uihyeon had been particularly excited today and had bitten up his neck and earlobe, so there was pain to leave it as is.
“This mission will take several days.”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
At Han Seoha’s farewell that was only calm despite carrying plenty of traces he’d left behind, Baek Uihyeon swallowed his disappointment and left the lodging.
Not long after Baek Uihyeon left, a timid knock that had become familiar over the past few days was heard. With a slight gap, Jo Yonghwi carefully poked his face through the crack in the opened door.
“I came at Baek Uihyeon esper-nim’s summons.”
“We meet again.”
“Oh my, your neck is all chewed up.”
“I’m sorry to trouble you.”
“Not at all. I’m the one earning my keep since you visit every day.”
The time receiving treatment again from the person he’d shown an embarrassing side to three hours ago was awkward, but he also felt they’d become considerably closer.
“Are there any other uncomfortable areas?”
“Haha, no. As you know, the grade difference between me and Baek Uihyeon esper is quite large… other places are fine.”
“That’s just Baek Uihyeon esper-nim maintaining his manners.”
“Pardon?”
“Because even with a grade difference, there are many espers who prefer close-contact guiding.”
