Being in pain wasn’t a problem.
He could endure hunger if he had to.
But if he wronged others, if he extracted all of someone’s power just because he needed it. If Han Seoha became disgusted with or afraid of Jeong Iro.
If he hurt someone with this power, they would have to part. He wouldn’t smile at him. He wouldn’t look for Jeong Iro.
I don’t want that.
Clang.
“Wh-what?”
Jeong Iro, who had been lethargic and not moving unless it was mealtime, grabbed the bars. The restraints collided and even a warning sound rang out.
“Jeong Iro, step back from the bars.”
“I was wrong.”
At Jeong Iro’s sudden obedient attitude, apologies poured out in succession while the guards couldn’t react.
“I really was wrong. I’ll accept punishment. Please let me see Seoha hyung.”
His expression was still blank, but at the sincerity in his voice, they were bewildered yet showed a bit of goodwill.
“You should have done that from the start. Geez, only Guide Han Seoha suffered.”
“Endure for just a few days. I’ll make sure you can have visits starting tomorrow instead.”
Since the purpose included education along with surveillance, it was a favorable response.
Jeong Iro’s hand gripping the bars slowly fell. He returned to his original spot with slow steps, but inside churned quickly.
The suddenly emerging daily life with Han Seoha pierced his heart, and he missed him so much.
As much as the cold of midwinter. Like the times he starved for days.
Even after gaining power, the children who were still neglected hurt each other and stole the meager supplies rather than comforting each other. Giro, who had endlessly cried in front of the emptiness after ultimately clearing away everything that got in the way and monopolizing it all.
Recalling the time when even tears disappeared, his insides felt so empty he couldn’t bear it.
***
Han Seoha’s vacation ended in just three days.
Han Seoha, who had been wandering aimlessly using public transportation, looked at his watch restlessly several times. In the end, the first thing he did upon returning to the Association was appeal that he would rather receive punishment together in the detention room.
Jeong Iro’s case would be resolved with time. The employee who had hoped he would at least enjoy his vacation properly showed complicated feelings upon seeing Han Seoha appear after three days.
As it was, judging that Jeong Iro, who suddenly admitted his mistake and said he would do anything, showed signs of reflection, they had allowed visits but were troubled since no one came. Jeong Iro also only ate meals, didn’t even sleep, and just watched the door.
“Are you that worried about Esper Jeong Iro? Even if he looks young, he’s an adult.”
“He’s just awkward at expressing himself.”
“Only Guide Han Seoha thinks that way.”
“Iro survived in an abandoned place for years. How fierce and… difficult that must have been, I can’t even imagine.”
The employee also roughly knew that Jeong Iro’s situation was special. Thinking that even if they detained Jeong Iro further, he would at most cross a precarious line, they stamped the empty approval section.
When the report stamped by the guard and employee went up, an answer would usually come back within 24 hours. The employee opened the door for Han Seoha who was stamping his feet.
“Visits are allowed, so go in.”
“Ah, thank you.”
With the employee’s approval, the door opened, and after passing through the corridor, undergoing a full-body scan in front of the thick door, and entering inside, he could see the guard watching the detention room beyond the reinforced glass wall in the distance.
His urgent steps gradually quickened and he started running. Originally it wouldn’t be allowed, but they turned a blind eye considering Han Seoha’s extreme devotion so far and Jeong Iro’s recent unstable state, having to replace his restraints without even lasting a day for several days.
As it was a detention facility inside the Association, no other Espers were visible. Even if there were, it was natural since they would be released soon, and the place where serious criminals were sent was a deeper containment facility.
When the guard opened the door, Han Seoha bowed in greeting and hurriedly entered. Seeing Jeong Iro standing close enough for his face to be pressed against the bars, Han Seoha ran to him in one breath.
“Iro, are you okay? Did you eat well? Let me see your hands. Hands. Don’t your wrists hurt?”
Han Seoha, hurriedly checking from Jeong Iro’s face to his shackled hands, turned red-eyed as if about to cry any moment.
“Isn’t it stuffy? You endured well. Since Iro stayed quiet, it seems you’ll be released soon. It must have been hard, but you really did well, our Iro.”
Han Seoha, who had done all the effort himself but gave all the credit to the other person, focused only on Jeong Iro.
“I was wrong, Seoha hyung.”
Unlike his behavior of clinging close enough to be pressed against the bars, at the apology that came out flatly, Han Seoha stopped with his smiling face intact.
“Hm? For what?”
“For taking all of Seoha hyung’s guiding energy.”
“Ah… that’s Esper instinct, so it couldn’t be helped. Iro has never received guiding before, so even more so.”
Han Seoha, who had been taking Jeong Iro’s side, hesitated for a moment before adding.
“But you can’t do that from now on. Especially with other Guides.”
“I won’t do guiding with other Guides.”
Everyone here knew it was the kind of certainty like a child experiencing first love thinking they’ll naturally get married. Han Seoha embraced Jeong Iro with even softer affection.
“There could be emergency situations. I might not be there. Just because you like cake doesn’t mean you can only eat cake. If cake disappears from the world, you have to eat bread or cookies.”
When he used food as an analogy, Jeong Iro wavered.
Of course. Jeong Iro really won’t do.
Confirming the plan he had decided in his heart while still maintaining a smiling face, Jeong Iro made a flat promise to Han Seoha.
“Until cake disappears from the world, I’ll only eat cake.”
At the childish confession, Han Seoha returned it with a bright smile.
***
After Jeong Iro was released from the detention room, Han Seoha returned to the temporary lodging again. With the higher-ups’ order to be prudent for a while, Jeong Iro spent his daily life at the lodging, while Han Seoha commuted to the Guide department.
Rumors about Yu Haneul briefly passed by, but compared to the Guide’s abuse of power, it was child’s play and quickly died down. Baek Uihyeon seemed a bit busier than usual and hadn’t come to receive guiding for several days. Ryu Jaegeon was testing items discovered in this exploration and couldn’t leave the examination room for security.
For Han Seoha, who urgently needed to build rapport with Jeong Iro, it was an opportunity. Just as Jeong Iro was locked in the detention room, a new emotion or thought seemed to have bloomed in him during his separation from Han Seoha.
Like a duckling just hatched from an egg, he followed Han Seoha around and sometimes caused minor accidents. Unlike before when he would have had no particular reaction, Jeong Iro apologized and tried to communicate even at small mistakes.
“Seoha hyung, I was wrong.”
“It’s okay. It slipped because I didn’t place the plate properly.”
“I’ll buy you a hundred plates when I get my salary.”
“There are still many in the cupboard. It’s fine, so watch TV.”
Unlike before when Jeong Iro’s gaze would be fixed on the TV, he still only looked at Han Seoha. Though it lessened a bit after a few days, he could feel Jeong Iro pricking up his ears whenever Han Seoha checked his watch or talked to someone.
The affection shown toward Han Seoha was perfect for the situation where he needed to use Jeong Iro.
The problem was that Han Seoha had to move with Jeong Iro to a specific location.
Han Seoha showed the organized nationwide Gate distribution status he had prepared for Jeong Iro’s education. Since he had been studying about Gates before, it was a natural flow.
“Sudden Gates seem to appear out of nowhere, but small Gates occur first before that.”
“Mm.”
“It’s a hypothesis from before, but it couldn’t be pinpointed with just the occurrence time and location. So what would be the standard?”
“Mmm…”
Though Jeong Iro’s uninterested answers slowed, Han Seoha wrote numbers on the map as if it were enjoyable play.
“If you group small Gates by the same type and match the total energy… look, Iro. A central area appears. It’s like solving a puzzle.”
“Yeah…”
“The location of the last sudden Gate also appeared in the center where the energy sum exceeded ten thousand.”
“Yeaah…”
Explaining the hypothesis that was plausibly fitted together because he knew the result was to let the watchers hear. Since Jeong Iro was drowsily nodding off, bored by the explanation, he took him to the room.
Leaving the papers with various speculations written on them on the table as they were.
“Sorry for talking about something boring. If you’re sleepy, you can sleep, Iro.”
“Not sleepy…”
“Even though you can barely open your eyes.”
As Jeong Iro obediently lay down on the bed as Han Seoha led him, he immediately interlaced their fingers. When Han Seoha only showed a smile at the sparking pain from his fingertips, Jeong Iro, who had been staring intently, naturally pulled him to the side.
“Give me guiding, Seoha hyung.”
“Why do you need guiding when you don’t even train?”
At the playful tone that wasn’t scolding, Jeong Iro burrowed into Han Seoha’s embrace.
“I’ll do anything well if you tell me. Please give me guiding.”
“I’ll do it anytime you need it. It’s just that you don’t need guiding right now… Huh?”
Jeong Iro’s readings on the watch were considerably higher than yesterday.
Why had the readings changed when there was no reason to use power at all? It was a situation where he wasn’t even receiving training due to the period of prudence.
For Jeong Iro’s wavelength to spike this much, he would have had to use considerable power. Recalling Jeong Iro’s ability, Han Seoha couldn’t help but worry.
“Did you go somewhere?”
