FETCH 50

“Guide Jeon Jaechan, and Esper Han Kang, come see me for a moment.”

The two, who had been bickering while training in the training room as usual, looked back at the same time at the unexpected sound of Ji Sangtaek’s voice. It was hard to guess why the team leader was acting so serious while calling the two of them together.

Whether he had reached some sort of enlightenment after the first rampage, Han Kang had been submissively receiving guiding, but even so, he frowned from time to time and made it very clear when he was displeased.

Since Jaechan had grown accustomed to that attitude by now, he would get annoyed and angry right back while performing the guiding. Then, their eyes would meet, and they would ravenously crave each other, so the back-and-forth wasn’t all that bad.

Jaechan approached Ji Sangtaek alongside Han Kang. There had been some visible progress from their training during that time. Unlike before, when he wouldn’t even give an inch for guiding, Han Kang now gave him a fair amount of openings, and thanks to that, they were becoming proficient at performing the simplified training.

So he felt a little proud. It felt good to know that no matter how much Han Kang resisted and held out, he ultimately couldn’t refuse his guiding.

Anyway, the reality was that he had to be perfectly recognized as a guide to stay by his side, so Jaechan had been showing a bit more enthusiasm for training lately.

“How is the simplified training going? It seems your chemistry matches quite well now.”

It was called simplified, but the difficulty had risen considerably lately. Targets popped out from all directions, and because of that, physical ability was being required not just of the Esper but of the guide as well.

It was simply called ‘simplified’ out of convenience; the full-scale training had begun. It was training that pushed the synergy between guide and esper to the absolute limit so that guiding could be performed regardless of the situation.

Naturally, it was difficult and exhausting. Jaechan thought of the training that hadn’t been easy and offered some lip service.

“Yes, it’s matching well lately.”

“And so.”

And so?

The context didn’t flow smoothly. Jaechan tilted his head to the side. Even then, he was holding Han Kang’s hand tightly; as Han Kang squirmed, dying to pull his hand away, the grip strength squeezing his hand grew gradually stronger.

When he glared at him as if to tell him not to even think about letting go, Han Kang let out a deep sigh. Today must be a day where he really hates receiving guiding.

“Now, read this.”

In front of the eyes of the two people engaged in a subtle power struggle, Ji Sangtaek held out a single sheet of paper.

“What is this?”

When Jaechan asked while taking it, Han Kang’s gaze also subtly fixed onto the document. It seemed he felt embarrassed to ask to see it while he was acting annoyed despite being curious.

So Jaechan held the paper in the middle, implying they should look at it together with a “here you go,” and Han Kang leaned his body slightly closer. A cool winter scent came from him. Since he had just used his supernatural power, a subtle chill lingered as an aftereffect.

“A public training session?”

Jaechan asked with his eyes wide open.

At the very top of the paper Ji Sangtaek handed over, the words ‘EKR Internal Public Training Schedule’ were written in the largest font. Below that, the date, time, and broadcast channel were written in detail, and the reasons for proceeding with this event as well as the expected effects through it were listed.

None of it truly entered his mind.

“To make a comparison, it’s like a sort of report session. To give the feeling that EKR is conducting training like this, and is cultivating such an outstanding guide right now? It’s like an educational program. It lets the public know what kind of training Espers and guides do, and, well…”

Ji Sangtaek’s additional explanation didn’t reach his ears either.

Only the fact that it was a public training session was burned into his brain. Jaechan instinctively checked Han Kang’s reaction first. As expected, his expression was frozen hard. Han Kang, who even clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like the idea at all, looked at Ji Sangtaek with his eyes narrowed sharply.

“Why is it us.”

He was demanding to know why, with so many Espers and guides in the Center, they were the ones being singled out.

Jaechan bit his lower lip unconsciously. Does he hate it that much for the fact that we are a pair to be revealed? No, it’s not like they had been hiding it particularly, it just hadn’t been officially announced, so Han Kang’s reaction became a dagger that pierced his heart.

Does he hate letting people know he’s paired with me that much?

If anything, once it’s broadcast, everyone would know, and it would be a golden opportunity to naturally attach his name next to Han Kang’s, yet Han Kang was just scowling and saying he hated it.

Of all times, the history he had seen at the Monster Museum came to mind. Next to every Esper’s name, the name of their dedicated guide was sat prominently, but he wasn’t there.

As if he couldn’t possibly be by Han Kang’s side.

And it hurt because Han Kang didn’t seem particularly pleased about it either. As Jaechan shut his mouth tight, Ji Sangtaek’s gaze landed on him before moving away.

“The youngest ones should do this kind of tedious stuff, so then who would?”

“I’m not the youngest.”

Han Kang replied curtly, looking completely displeased. It sounded like he was saying that while he might be the youngest in age, he wasn’t among the youngest in terms of experience, so don’t try to lump him in.

Regardless, Ji Sangtaek continued with what he had to say, unbothered.

“Your dedicated one is the youngest. Jaechan joined, and we have to prove that he’s not lacking as a guide staying next to the great Han Kang. Isn’t that right.”

At that, Han Kang nodded as if he had nothing left to say. Since it seemed the Center had already decided to do it that way anyway, the names Han Kang and Jeon Jaechan were written clearly on the document. It seemed there wasn’t even an opportunity to back out.

Having finished speaking, Ji Sangtaek left the training room after leaving a word of encouragement to prepare well until then. The two, who were having a short break, sat a little apart with some distance between them.

Jaechan was quietly calming his unpleasant emotions. Han Kang slowly crept closer to his side. Whether the guiding was one thing and being apart was another, Jaechan burst out laughing helplessly at the sight of him squirming.

This was the problem. No matter how much Han Kang pushed him away and hurt him, the person who liked the other more was the loser. He couldn’t help but resent his own weak mental state for bursting into laughter despite everything.

Jaechan swallowed a sigh and closed his eyes before opening them again. In the meantime, Han Kang had come very close and sat right up against him.

Then, he tentatively spoke up.

“If you go on the broadcast, everyone will know you’re my guide now. Are you okay with that?”

They had shared a conversation in the same context before. He had asked if he was okay with doing something like this, if this kind of slutty behavior didn’t bother him.

Jaechan’s heart hadn’t changed back then, and it hadn’t changed now.

“Yeah.”

When he replied lightly, Han Kang nodded and said, “I see.” He still looked deep in thought, so there was no further conversation to be had.

But was that not the case for Han Kang?

“I’m not.”

At the short added remark, Jaechan looked at him. His calm, sunken gaze was fixed on one spot, but at the same time, he wasn’t looking at anything in particular.

“Then, do you still hate the fact that I’m your guide?”

“I don’t really know why you’re so obsessed with being a guide.”

Han Kang dangled the ends of his stretched-out legs as if he truly didn’t understand. His flickering toes moved lightly while simultaneously carrying his worries.

Han Kang, who had not only crept closer but pressed his body against him, was gently caressing Jaechan’s fingers with his own fingertips. It seemed he felt a bit sorry for being annoyed all day, so he was making a gesture of reconciliation.

At that, Jaechan gave a smirk and hooked his finger with his. The subject of the conversation wasn’t very light, but the way his heart felt fuzzy even in the midst of it made it seem like he had caught a disease.

“You’re my honey even if you aren’t a guide. I hate that you’re a guide.”

At the added words, Jaechan licked his dry lips with his tongue. There is something Han Kang doesn’t know. Jaechan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gauged Han Kang’s reaction. Han Kang doesn’t know that it’s not simply that he’s obsessed with being a guide.

To be precise, rather than being obsessed with being a guide, he wants to occupy the spot by his side.

“If I’m not a guide.”

“Yeah.”

“You and I have already had sex, and we kiss like we’re eating meals.”

Jaechan swallowed hard. As he spoke, the thought crossed his mind that he might as well just confess.

Anyway, it didn’t seem like Han Kang, who said “honey, honey” like lip service, would ever say a single word about liking him, so wouldn’t it be better if he stepped forward first?

But when he actually tried to say it, his lips only fluttered, and he couldn’t bring the words out easily. So he just looked at Han Kang. He locked eyes with Han Kang.

Since when? The black pupils that looked as if they had been watching him all along were still calmly sunken. Did he know what he was trying to say? Since he seemed slightly tense as well, Jaechan took a shallow, deep breath.

“But if we aren’t friends,”

He was about to say, “Should we just date?” but…

“No, Jaechan.”

Han Kang cut him off. He cut the end of the sentence off as to what “no” meant, and shook his head with a shallow smile.

“Let’s just prepare well for that training. I don’t want to be embarrassed for no reason, and I feel like I’ve been refusing too recklessly.”

He looked down blankly at Han Kang’s hand reaching out with a “Let’s do well.”

“Do you know what I was going to say?”

“Even if I know, can we act like I don’t? I don’t think it’s the right time.”

“…”

“Like you said, I can’t keep refusing guiding forever. You came here as a guide, and if you can’t perform guiding, your position will be awkward. Let’s just deal with that public training first.”

He didn’t have a clear sense of whether he knew or didn’t know. It felt like he knew and was rejecting the confession, but it also felt like he vaguely wanted to leave our relationship as it was, without progress.

In the end, Jaechan had no choice but to shut his mouth tight.

The confession that he had finally summoned the courage to prepare to speak out loud was pushed back inside once again.