‘Guide, could your rank possibly be…?’
‘So it’s not for nothing that you guide the Captain.’
‘Would you like to do a matching rate test with me just once?’
The team members were also surprised that a C-rank guide could bring meaningful changes to their waves as A-ranks with just radiation guiding, and threw out such words. Of course, Park Subin, who had gone on about matching rates at the end, was separately called by Team Leader Hwangbo Hyun and had an interview time.
Anyway, it meant it was certain that my guiding possessed exceptional abilities. It was worth trying once.
“We’re happy if you care for us like that, but please don’t overdo it.”
‘What we have now is enough. Where else can we receive guiding before going out to the field?’ Seo Yuseok smiled and joked around.
He was the biggest beneficiary of the radiation guiding taking place in the training room recently. As the youngest and with often unstable waves, he was frequently excluded from gate raids, and naturally was exposed to radiation guiding in the training room the most. As his condition improved, his relationship with his imprinted guide was also getting better.
It wasn’t just Seo Yuseok. Previously, they could only seek their guides and receive guiding after all schedules were finished, but after the stopgap measure of me appeared, all the team members had fewer restrictions than before in their activities.
‘I hope this makes things a little easier for the Esper too.’
However, Do Ganghyun seemed displeased with all of this. Whether he had no intention of hiding such feelings, he came to the training room whenever he had a chance. Despite having a dedicated training room befitting his SS-rank, he would come after his schedule ended, so it wasn’t difficult to know that his purpose was in surveillance.
Still, this time he respected my opinion and didn’t stop me. He didn’t criticize me for wanting to be helpful either.
I newly realized the fact that he was treating me distinctly differently from before. And myself, getting used to it too.
“Guide?”
“Yes?!”
“Are you okay? Your face is flushed…”
When my answer was delayed while thinking various thoughts, Seo Yuseok immediately asked back. He also made a fuss, saying I had been overdoing it too much recently. Since he had heard my body was weak and had actually seen me vomit food several times, he was being sensitive. I couldn’t say my face was flushed because I was embarrassed at myself for getting used to being with Do Ganghyun, so I just smiled softly.
“I think it’s just a little hot.”
“Hmm, I understand for now. But you know, right? If you’re sick, go in right away.”
‘I don’t want to have a personal interview with the Captain. Absolutely not.’ Seo Yuseok said firmly with a disgusted expression.
I nodded and left the lodging. The companion was naturally Seo Yuseok. I asked if he would accompany me to the guide building afterward, but since Do Ganghyun had decided to pick me up, I politely declined.
***
“Did you get everything?”
Do Ganghyun turned around and asked again. It meant not to make him walk for nothing again and finish it in one go. I nodded and looked at the books I had gathered from the training academy.
[Basic Guiding First Steps, Practical Edition]
[What is a Guiding Zone]
[100 Effects of Guiding on Espers]
Certainly, there were many titles in a fairly friendly form considering those encountering theory for the first time. However, I knew that only the covers and titles were familiar. Inside would be filled with dense theory written in tiny letters.
So at the training academy, simple guiding education that could be used in practice was separately conducted to prevent guides from dropping out.
“Yes, this much is enough. Anyway, research on guiding has many parts in common.”
Unlike the outwardly manifested abilities of Espers, guiding had no clearly visible changes besides stabilizing the Esper’s waves, so it belonged to the difficult side of research. So the basic theory that had been verified and established several times and prepared at the training academy could be seen as virtually the essence of guiding theory.
“Why go to such lengths.”
Do Ganghyun clicked his tongue and took all the books from me. For grumbling, he was quite cooperative.
The team members didn’t know yet, but Do Ganghyun knew that my studying like this was aimed at creating an ‘artificial guiding zone.’ If this experiment ended successfully, his wish of being dissatisfied with even radiation guiding would be fulfilled, even if just a little, so he was cooperative.
That wish and the small kindness of carrying heavy things were all appearances that didn’t exist before, so I grinned and stuck close to his side.
“You don’t like me being stuck in the training room doing radiation guiding either, Esper. It will definitely be helpful.”
At my words, Do Ganghyun closed his mouth as if unable to refute. Because I liked that appearance, my steps felt light for no reason.
***
It seemed my last words had properly touched Do Ganghyun’s nerves.
“…Esper!”
As soon as we entered the entrance, Do Ganghyun quickly kissed me while pressing his body against mine. The books he had been holding were already being moved to the inner study by his telekinesis.
With both hands free, he grabbed my face and naturally tilted my head back. His tongue dug in deeper, and as it became difficult to keep my balance, I instinctively grabbed and clung to Do Ganghyun’s body.
Clearly I was being pushed and breathless and flustered, but in the midst of it all, it was strange that Do Ganghyun’s presence was felt so vividly.
“You said it would be helpful.”
“Hng, what?!”
“You chase after team members you haven’t seen in less than a month all the way to the training room to take care of them, while I’m not even on your mind.”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. If my prediction was correct, this was—
“I thought you were oblivious, but you even knew I was displeased.”
It was sulking.
As if to confirm that thought, Do Ganghyun’s waves clung all over my body, saying they were upset.
“Wait, wait a moment!”
I gasped for breath and barely made space between Do Ganghyun and me. He withdrew his body dissatisfied, but seemed to have set aside time for this rather than just taking a break.
This appearance of his was really after a long time. If I gauged the timing, it was similar to that secretive time when he secretly visited the guide lodging every night.
“……”
“What’s wrong?”
When I suddenly became silent, Do Ganghyun was puzzled. Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere for no reason, I just smiled.
I couldn’t give up my feelings for him, and since we were imprinted, we were in a relationship that couldn’t be separated. Now that Do Ganghyun had said he would improve our relationship and was actually making efforts like this, there was no way the same mistakes as in the past would be repeated. It meant it was enough for the budding feelings to take root and bear fruit.
“I’m just a little awkward.”
“What awkwardness when we’ve already done everything.”
“It’s been a while.”
Do Ganghyun snorted and pressed his lips together once more. He even lifted my body slightly and placed it on top of his feet.
When I became awkward since we had never done such an embarrassing act until now, Do Ganghyun giggled while our lips were pressed together. His breath tickled the fine hairs through my cheeks before disappearing.
For no reason, I couldn’t keep my eyes open properly, so I kept them tightly closed and waddled into the house, moving along as he walked.
“Get used to it soon. Your body seems to be all better now, and I have no intention of going easy on you.”
As soon as his words ended, he released my lips and buried his face in my collarbone. A bed had already positioned itself behind me. I had no idea when we had even come to the bedroom.
However, I could clearly tell that this time would be different from the many nights I had spent in Do Ganghyun’s bedroom before.
***
As I began spending nights with Do Ganghyun in earnest, the frequency of going to the training room naturally decreased. It was because it became difficult to wake up early in the morning and go to work.
Since the team guide didn’t have set commuting hours like the communal guiding room, it was relatively free and not a problem, but on days when I felt guilty and pushed myself to go to work early like before, Do Ganghyun would make it so I couldn’t even get up the next day with a face that seemed to say ‘Look at this,’ so I had no choice.
In addition to that, whether Do Ganghyun had given some hint, even the team members didn’t particularly seek me out. The attitude of approaching me familiarly saying there was quite a bit of gain from radiation guiding had disappeared completely.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but after noticing they were avoiding us after seeing the subtle atmosphere between Do Ganghyun and me, I was rather grateful they were avoiding us. I was too embarrassed to face them with a straight mind.
Was that all? After that day, having relations every night, Do Ganghyun displayed his usual, or even greater, skills. Since the media was already circulating various words and paying attention to the point where the team members even had leisure time as their work burden decreased. It was a situation good for everyone, so there was no need to touch the Captain’s nerves and create unnecessary trouble.
Thanks to that, every time I watched the news, I didn’t know what to do with myself as it felt like my relationship with Do Ganghyun was becoming known nationwide, but I was able to focus alone on basic guiding training in the team lodging at late lunch like now.
To be precise, creating a temporary guiding zone.
A guiding zone was already being roughly created in Do Ganghyun’s house. What had been slowly forming territory gained acceleration when we slept together every day.
It was an unexpected harvest, but since I couldn’t stick with Do Ganghyun in the team lodging, it just ended with gaining knowledge.
