AM 8:00
“Is this kid’s mouth glued shut? Why won’t he talk?”
“Looking at the restraints on him, hasn’t he been decided as a villain?”
“Ptui. What a waste of tax money.”
AM 9:00
“Good morning. I heard you didn’t eat? Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
“Hmm, you’re refusing to talk today too. Want to write instead? Ah, we can’t untie your hands, that was a slip of the tongue.”
“It would be better to talk with us. Scary people will come in the afternoon.”
PM 12:00
“They say you were kidnapped when you were young. Have you ever eaten pizza?”
“Hey, they say even dogs aren’t bothered while eating.”
“Did you eat every last piece? You conscienceless bastard.”
PM 4:00
“If you continue to be uncooperative, you’ll be sent to the isolation room.”
“You could become a test subject until you burst from overwork without receiving guiding.”
Giro, who had been listening blankly without moving, lifted his head for the first time. The inspection employee who noticed that the emotion dwelling in the unfocused eyes was not fear but excitement was certain he’d reacted to the word guiding.
Giro, who had spent years among unregistered espers, would have had no guiding experience at all. Above all, when he was brought to the Association, he was in a fainted state from guiding shock.
It was a phenomenon that could be seen in inexperienced espers who experienced guiding for the first time. Just looking at the wave readings confirmed with a simple device, he was talent who could easily produce at least B-rank, and with proper education, A-rank was also possible. After regaining consciousness, his waves had quieted for some reason, so even when tested, no significant readings came out.
“Do you remember receiving guiding from an Association guide before coming here?”
Instead of answering, Giro’s eyes looking clearly became gently subdued. Yet he revealed his emotions while sparkling his pitch-black eyes.
‘The image changes drastically.’
The inspection employee inwardly admired the image that changed in an instant.
He’d been acting like a beast bound at all four limbs who’d given up, but now he gave off an atmosphere like a pet dog wagging its tail upon hearing its owner’s name.
‘Well, even though he’s a person who could be mistaken for a villain, that guide guided him without hesitation. If it’s such a target, he might well be obsessed.’
The inspection employee thought of Guide Han Seoha, who had recently become a hot topic. Throughout the long investigation due to Giro’s uncooperative attitude, Han Seoha had cooperated enthusiastically.
He understood despite unfair treatment and took patience for granted. As if he’d only endured patience his whole life.
In the process, it was the espers who ran wild. The S-rank hero who was supposedly hard to see even once came and went frequently, an A-rank completely claimed a seat and wouldn’t leave, and even an F-rank healer came whenever there was a chance. Each threatened and coaxed in their own way, and if Han Seoha hadn’t stopped them and represented the inspection department’s position, they wouldn’t have been able to properly investigate at all.
If I did something wrong, I’ll gladly accept punishment.
I’m sorry for troubling you.
I’ll answer. Please ask me anything.
The excessive goodwill seemed to the point of having no sense of self. Whenever suspicion raised its head in his mind, goodwill arose in his heart. They say the inspection department has no blood or tears, but as long as they’re human, they couldn’t stop even leaning emotions.
After days of investigation, testimonies from the rescued children were secured. Along with information that Giro had been on friendly terms with villains, they grasped the circumstances of his childhood kidnapping. However, even confirming that was further delayed due to Giro’s silent refusal to answer.
“I’ll ask for the last time. If you tell us everything about your cooperation with villains, we’ll recommend you to work as an Association-affiliated esper after considering extenuating circumstances. Of course, you’ll also be assigned a guide.”
“Seoha-ssi.”
The voice cracked from long silence was younger than expected, and the inspection employee sighed and stood up from his seat.
“This is temporary at best. If you harm the guide or cause problems, you’ll be restrained again and return here.”
Despite the employee’s warning, Giro’s gaze was only directed toward the door.
“As a temporary partner, they’ll guide you for the time being. To maintain this relationship, you’ll have to tell everything about your cooperation with villains.”
Even after the employee’s security key and access key were scanned consecutively, a few seconds passed before the door opened. Beyond the door, Han Seoha, whose anxious signs were evident, let out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw Giro and hurriedly entered.
“Giro, are you okay?”
“Seoha-ssi.”
“What’s with Seoha-ssi? You can call me hyung.”
“Seoha… hyung?”
Giro had heard various titles for calling Han Seoha. Because his name was frequently mentioned in front of the silent Giro.
Han Seoha, Guide, Seoha-ssi, Han Seoha-nim. Seoha-sunbae.
‘Seoha hyung’ was a title he was hearing for the first time.
“Seoha hyung, my guide?”
“Yeah, though it’s temporary. Let’s work hard and continue staying together.”
Giro’s eyes that had grown fierce at the word temporary became gentle at the words ‘continue together.’
“I’ll work hard.”
“You’re really good, our Giro.”
Our Giro. At the excessively unfamiliar combination, Giro’s waves ran wild ferociously.
At the sudden rejection reaction, the inspection employee pressed the emergency bell and the standby suppression team espers rushed in, but Han Seoha was faster. He pulled in Giro’s head, the only part exposed through the restraints covering him tightly, and pressed their foreheads together. At Han Seoha’s sudden action close enough to eliminate distance, Giro’s boiling momentum was snuffed out.
“We’ll subdue him.”
“Wait, stand by.”
The inspection employee stopped the suppression team from rushing in.
In the employee’s view, stimulating Giro who had become docile in Han Seoha’s arms was a stupid thing to do. They’d already wasted days scolding and coaxing. They couldn’t ruin the moment he showed a meaningful reaction.
Despite the commotion, Han Seoha only concentrated on Giro.
“Why are you angry?”
At the question like an endlessly kind whisper, Giro slowly gave an answer.
“Don’t like, that word.”
“What word? Because I said you’re good?”
“No.”
Our Giro.
Han Seoha stroked Giro’s rough hair and pressed his cheek against him.
“You don’t like the name?”
Knowing the meaning already, he could ask immediately without hesitation, and Giro answered very quietly in an uncertain voice.
“Mm. What should I do? Then what should I call you?”
“Just. Call me carelessly.”
“I can’t do that. You’re the esper I chose for the first time.”
The esper chosen for the first time.
Doubt dwelt in Giro’s eyes.
Han Seoha had several espers. Even on the day they first met, two espers had confronted each other over Han Seoha.
At Giro’s disbelieving reaction, Han Seoha showed a somewhat sad smile.
“Because I’m always in the position of being chosen. Guides are.”
To Giro, who just stared blankly at words he couldn’t understand, Han Seoha hesitated briefly then whispered quietly.
“Until your memory comes back, can I give you a name instead?”
When he stared blankly, Han Seoha, taking it as permission, rolled his eyes as if embarrassed then opened his mouth as if resolved.
“Jeong Iro. Correct Jeong (正), rise I (而), bright Ro (燎).”
The kind voice, as gentle and soft as the guiding transmitted through their touching foreheads, was slowly but surely engraved on Giro.
“I tried to make it as similar as possible while including a good meaning… how is it?”
Instead of answering, tears made paths on the expressionless face.
It was the day when the name Jeong Iro was newly imprinted on Giro.
* * *
His treatment as Jeong Iro was ambiguous.
Though he was registered as an Association-affiliated esper based on the opinion from simple tests that he was above B-rank and close to A-rank, it was temporary at best. He had to repeatedly have his ideology and abilities verified through weekly general examinations and monthly intensive examinations.
No matter how much testimony there was that he wasn’t a villain, it was a natural procedure for a person with many risk factors. They couldn’t give such a Jeong Iro esper lodging where multiple paired guides stayed together. Nor could they have Jeong Iro, who was an esper, stay in the guide lodging where Han Seoha stayed.
Naturally, as temporary lodging was designated for Jeong Iro, Han Seoha also had to move. Since he’d only had one suitcase when entering the guide lodging to begin with, the luggage was organized in an instant.
If he raised Jeong Iro well as a partner according to plan, this was a place he’d never return to, so Han Seoha opened the door without regret.
“I’m against it.”
“I also… think you should be more careful.”
As soon as he left the room, Lee Yeongjin and Jo Yonghwi, who had been waiting in the corridor, suddenly spewed out their anxiety. Since they were an unfamiliar combination yet people with goodwill toward Han Seoha, he greeted them with gladness.
“Hello, Manager-nim. Yonghwi-nim.”
“You can’t be well. I thought guides with angel disease had all gone extinct by now.”
“Manager-nim, you can’t talk like that. Seoha-nim sincerely cares for espers.”
“Ah, come on. You need to match hands and feet to persuade or threaten.”
When Lee Yeongjin grumbled and Jo Yonghwi, bewildered then realizing, bowed his head in apology, Han Seoha burst out laughing.
“You’re laughing? You’re about to live together with a risk factor who might have been brainwashed by the villain kidnapper.”
“Giro… Iro is a good kid.”
“Seoha-nim, please don’t be too hasty. If possible, I wish you’d stay separately.”
“Thank you for worrying. But Iro gets anxious without me.”
Toward Lee Yeongjin who was frustrated and Jo Yonghwi who was worried, Han Seoha could smile sincerely.
Just by revealing a bit of Han Seoha’s sincerity, goodwill toward him was this easy. Because these were connections the original Han Seoha should have rightfully had, the past failure was even more regrettable.
