# Chapter 58
“Well, I guess the uncle really should sleep first.”
“…Is my face that bad?”
When both of them nodded as if they had planned it together in response to Dohyuk’s question, his eyes were tinged with shock. Seeing this, Seah burst into a small laugh.
“That’s strange, why do you look like something terrible has happened? Normally, you would’ve just said ‘I see’ and moved on. Is there someone you need to look good for?”
Ridiculously, at that moment, a fair face floated into his mind.
“No.”
Worried that the perceptive Seah might find even the smallest clue, Dohyuk avoided her gaze while keeping his words to a minimum. But Seah’s expression was already full of mischief as she tried to tease Dohyuk.
“Come to think of it, I heard you got a partner Guide? And it’s even Guide Yu Junseo! Right? The rumor has spread all the way to our education center. Is that why you’re managing your image?”
“Why would rumors spread to the education center?”
The center Seah mentioned was the Esper Development Center. Since prospective Espers were unlikely to have much interest in an A-class Esper, Dohyuk asked curiously, to which Seungmin mocked:
“Would it be about you? It’s probably you riding on the coattails of your Guide’s rumors.”
“Ah.”
Junseo, being S-class and generally outstanding, would naturally have his every move become the subject of rumors. Finally understanding, Dohyuk nodded in acknowledgment, which prompted Seah to snap at Seungmin sulkily.
“Why are you like that? Uncle Dohyuk is popular too. Among my friends, there’s Jihyun, you know. She was asking who Uncle was the other day. Did she see you when you came to the center? If you’re interested, I can show you her picture.”
“…Seah, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, but if I met your friend now, that would be a crime.”
“She’ll be an adult in just a few months, so what’s the problem? Uncle, do you dislike younger women?”
While Dohyuk was so surprised by this incredibly open-minded thinking that he couldn’t even imagine in his dreams, and was pondering where to start pointing out the problems with it…
Knock knock.
Simultaneously with the knocking sound, the door of the lounge opened without giving time to answer. As a not-small figure appeared beyond the large door, the three people in the lounge sealed their lips as if by agreement. However, the emotions that rose to their faces were all different. Seungmin looked oddly uncomfortable, Seah had an expression full of curiosity as if she’d seen a celebrity, and Dohyuk seemed a bit surprised.
“Junseo, you came already?”
Junseo was wearing a changed outfit, suggesting that the place he had to visit urgently was his home. The snow-white, loose-fitting sweater seemed difficult for an ordinary man to pull off, but when Junseo wore it, thanks to the curve of his broad shoulders and his fair face reflecting off the white cloth, it looked like a garment made under exact calculations specifically for him. The long nape exposed outside the sweater was incomparably pure.
“Mmm, I should have come a bit earlier.”
“Huh?”
Without responding to Dohyuk’s query, Junseo smiled brightly and placed a paper bag on the side table.
“Hello.”
When Junseo greeted Seah and Seungmin first in a soft voice, Dohyuk finally introduced them to him.
“Ah, this is Esper Park Seungmin. He’s an A-class Esper like me, and this is Jung Seah. She’s still a prospective Esper receiving education at the center.”
Junseo was still smiling as if painted. Dohyuk quietly observed him for a moment before continuing.
“This is my partner Guide…”
“Wow, it’s Guide Yu Junseo! Ah, I’m sorry. Guide Yu Junseo-nim!”
Even Seah, who had a fairly mature personality, seemed childish as she showed her excitement, mentioning she’d seen him in articles before. Junseo responded with a bow, engaged with Seah’s comments a few times, then turned his gaze to Seungmin.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about Jung Seah-ssi, and Esper Park Seungmin… you look familiar.”
“Ah, yes, yes, we’ve met before under unpleasant circumstances…”
As Seungmin began showing signs of discomfort as if he’d been waiting for this moment, Dohyuk secretly nudged him, making him close his mouth. Then Junseo tilted his head with a slightly troubled expression.
“Did I perhaps offend you during guiding?”
It was such a gentle face that even Seungmin, who had suffered for a while after receiving that aggressive and forceful guiding, doubted his memory of the past as he tried to recall it. Confused by Junseo’s unexpected reaction, Seungmin was a bit taken aback.
He clearly remembered that on the day he received guiding, that rumor-laden Guide had an indifferent face. Even when Seungmin complained of pain and eventually fainted, the face before him had only looked uninterested, as if watching a stone sculpture.
When Seungmin didn’t answer due to his contemplation, Dohyuk, mistaking it for ignoring Junseo and concerned the atmosphere might become uncomfortable, finally sighed and was about to issue an order to leave.
As if sensing this, Junseo grabbed Dohyuk’s wrist. After easily making Dohyuk close his mouth, Junseo looked at Seungmin and smiled gently. It was the expression Junseo often made when asking Dohyuk for troublesome favors—the face that Dohyuk never failed to praise as angelic whenever he saw it. That face was enough to make even Seungmin, who didn’t have particularly good feelings toward Junseo, think, ‘Perhaps?’
“I want to clear up any misunderstandings. Since you’re a precious friend that Dohyuk hyung cherishes, we’ll see each other often. I’ve heard a lot about you in daily conversation.”
Though Dohyuk was bewildered since he had never talked about Seungmin to Junseo, he wisely kept his mouth shut. The corner of Seungmin’s mouth twitched subtly at being called “a precious friend that hyung cherishes.” And exactly 40 minutes later, Seungmin had reached the point of repenting for the years he had misunderstood this handsome, kind, perceptive, and capable Guide due to mere prejudice and rumors.
It was an added bonus that Seah screamed when Junseo promised to give her the limited edition special gift of the horror movie “The Void” next time they met—as soon as he heard Seah was a fan of this movie, Junseo coincidentally mentioned he had this special gift and it was an item of no use to him.
In just one meeting, he had perfectly captivated the few people around Dohyuk.
***
“It was chaotic, wasn’t it?”
“I had fun.”
After Seungmin and Seah left the lounge, Junseo, who had been busy checking Dohyuk’s condition while holding his hand and performing guiding, slowly responded to Dohyuk’s words. Soon, his long eyelashes fluttered, and his dazed gaze continued along with his words.
“Ah, that wasn’t fun. What Seah said.”
Within a short time, Junseo had displayed a surprisingly strong sociability, even getting to the point of speaking comfortably with Seungmin and Seah. After they left, when Dohyuk asked, “Weren’t you the type to be shy with strangers?” Junseo instead replied, “I am shy. I’m so extremely shy that I have a personality that avoids creating uncomfortable situations in the first place.” Well, there are various types of personalities. Dohyuk just let it slide.
“Huh? What was?”
“The story about Seah’s friend who wanted to be introduced to you, hyung.”
Dohyuk froze like a paused video, only opening his mouth belatedly.
“…You heard that?”
“I found that the lounge is less soundproof than expected. I should be more careful in the future.”
The soft-spoken Junseo’s grip tightened somewhat. As he pressed Dohyuk’s palm firmly as if to be mischievous, it was like a child’s prank and just tickled.
“Why wasn’t it fun? Isn’t it funny? Kids these days do seem quite bold.”
Embarrassed at the thought of almost having been introduced by a child, making him look like a thief, Dohyuk tried to hide his awkward feelings by responding casually.
“It’s not funny. Hyung likes bold younger ones.”
…No. It was absolutely impossible to remain casual. The harmful face swooped in close.
This is driving me crazy, Dohyuk lamented inwardly. Yu Junseo should be legally required not to wear clothes that were either too tight or too loose. Beyond the loose sweater, his straight collarbone and even the chest line below were clearly revealed. Unconsciously captivated, Dohyuk furrowed his brow in confusion.
“What? I prefer older people. I-I’m not interested in younger ones.”
Said Dohyuk, who was so uninterested that he had been stealing glances at the younger man’s chest.
At those words, Junseo lifted the corner of his mouth obliquely. It had a similar texture to a smile, but judging by his pitch-black sunken eyes, it didn’t seem like a smiling expression. It was a look Dohyuk had never seen before, but it suited him so well it was surprising.
“Ah, I see…”
The low voice touched Dohyuk’s earlobe. The pronunciation at the end was drawn out, making it close to whining. Every time he moved, a pungent fruit scent mixed with flower fragrance scattered confusingly in his mind. If scents had form, he would have quickly reached out and pushed it away. Without even realizing it, Dohyuk awkwardly froze, unable to properly rebel against the formless energy that was deeply permeating.
His palms were sweaty. Dohyuk pressed his hands down on the sheet.
When Junseo put his right knee on the bed to shift his center of gravity, the crude iron bed in the lounge, insufficient to support the weight of two not-light men, made a groaning sound. It was annoying how the friction sounded as if the frame would misalign with just a slight movement.
Creak creak. Creak. Through the unpleasant sounds, Junseo’s soft voice permeated, filling the gaps.
“I just assumed hyung would naturally be very interested in younger ones.”
