FETCH 61

The regular quarterly checkups were originally conducted for both Espers and Guides on the same day at the same time, but it was announced that this time, they would be split into different days. This was due to a request from the lab stating that the diagnosis process had become more extensive and would take longer.

Consequently, the Espers, who were scheduled to be examined first, could simply complete their checkups by attending without their Guides. However, Han Kang was being unusually stubborn today, insisting on the nonsense that he “would absolutely not undergo the checkup without Jeon Jaechan.” As a result, Jaechan was suddenly on his way to the Esper examination room alongside Han Kang.

Watching Jaechan being dragged out reluctantly, Choi Seokyoung grumbled, “What’s wrong with Han Kang now?” while Ji Sangtaek patted Jaechan reassuringly, telling him to just go and come back quickly. It seemed they were signaling him to just give in, since monitoring Han Kang’s condition was currently one of the Center’s most important tasks.

Having had no intention of resisting in the first place, Jaechan was walking lightly beside Han Kang as usual. Then, remembering that he had to fast for twelve hours before the checkup, he came to a dead stop. This was because he couldn’t exactly recall what time he had eaten dinner with Han Kang the previous evening.

“What time did you eat dinner again?”

“One minute.”

“Huh?”

As he tilted his head at the unexpected answer, Han Kang gave a wide grin and draped his arm over Jaechan’s shoulder. Looking at his face, which had completely cleared up, Jaechan swallowed hard as he recalled the image of him suffering through a rampage just a few days ago. Unaware of Jaechan’s inner thoughts, Han Kang spoke in a long, drawn-out voice.

“It’s been twelve hours of fasting now.”

“Ah. Aren’t you hungry?”

Guides only had to fast for six hours for their checkups, but since Espers were sensitive even to small numerical changes, they were often made to undergo exams in a state where their energy was completely drained.

Fortunately, Han Kang didn’t look that exhausted. It was quite a relief. While other Espers could be seen nearby looking faint from lack of food, Han Kang was full of energy, perhaps because he had just received guiding.

“Let’s go out for meat after the checkup.”

“You want to go out to eat again? Let’s just eat the Center food.”

“Why? Let’s go out on a date.”

“What date? Don’t you know the Center food is delicious on checkup days?”

The Espers were the type who might start a riot if they weren’t given delicious food after being starved. To appease them, the Center prepared special meals on checkup days.

Seemingly convinced, Han Kang nodded reluctantly. At that exact moment, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach. Han Kang, who had seemed perfectly fine until a moment ago, suddenly let his body go limp and slumped over Jaechan.

“Hey, hey. You’re heavy.”

“I’m hungry.”

Regardless of what Jaechan said, Han Kang leaned his full weight on him and walked as if he were practically being dragged. With his chin resting on Jaechan’s shoulder and his face pressed close, he remained unfazed even when voices from the surroundings teased, “Are you a piece of laundry?”

Whenever a somewhat close Esper giggled at them, he would stick up his middle finger, but that only made Jaechan more embarrassed.

“Ah, seriously. Walk properly. Everyone is watching.”

It was a gathering of every Esper in the Center. Aside from Team Zero, whom he saw often, and the Espers he occasionally ran into in the training rooms, there were many people he was meeting for the first time.

Even though they were rumored to be a married couple within the Center, he couldn’t be completely indifferent to people’s gazes. Jaechan tried to push him away with a twist of his body, but Han Kang didn’t budge, as solid as a boulder.

“Is today the first day they’ve stared? Honey.”

With his eyes rounded as if he truly didn’t see the problem, Han Kang was even grinning foolishly.

Right, as if you wouldn’t know.

Jaechan pressed his lips into a firm line and stared intently at Han Kang. Because the people walking ahead of them stopped, they had to stop as well, causing Han Kang’s body to press even closer.

“Our dicks are touching, you crazy bastard,” Jaechan whispered softly so those around them wouldn’t hear, while thumping Han Kang’s waist to tell him to stand up properly. But to his surprise, despite the blunt words, Han Kang didn’t straighten up; instead, he pressed in even tighter, constricting Jaechan’s breathing.

“What’s wrong with a little touching? It’s not like it’s the first or second time our dicks have touched.”

The explicit wording made Jaechan’s mind go blank.

His face flushed hot. It felt as though sweat was about to break out at any second. Hurriedly, Jaechan clamped his hand over Han Kang’s mouth in case someone heard.

“No…!”

When he shouted in a hushed voice, Han Kang chuckled and pulled the hand away. He was smiling quite handsomely.

Gazes of admiration poured toward Han Kang from their surroundings. From the look of it, most of them were new Espers who had been newly recruited. Even among fellow Espers, there was an inevitable hierarchy, and since Han Kang and the members of Team Zero were high-ranking Espers rarely encountered in the Center, it was only natural.

Jaechan took a deep breath of pride as he scanned the idolizing gazes of the rookies. He himself was a famous Guide who appeared on TV and received admiring looks from rookie Guides, but he liked it better when Han Kang received this kind of treatment.

Just as he was about to let his lips curl up in a grin from feeling good, Han Kang forcefully pressed him down with a finger. Wondering what he was doing, Jaechan pulled his head back, but the finger followed persistently and stuck to his face again.

“Ah, what are you doing?”

“Go ahead, just smile anywhere you like.”

“Huh?”

What is he even talking about, seriously.

Jaechan wondered if the man was even aware of what he was saying. He looked at Han Kang with eyes full of horror, but when Han Kang looked back at him as if to scold him for having a problem, Jaechan just shook his head.

“Esper Han Kang.”

Just then, a researcher in charge of the checkups called Han Kang. When Jaechan tapped his back and gave him a look to go in, Han Kang let out a long sigh.

Then, he grumbled while looking at Jaechan.

“Honey, wait right here in front. Got it?”

It was rare for Han Kang to raise his voice like that, but today it was exceptionally loud. At the words that seemed intended for everyone around to hear, only Jaechan’s face turned bright red for no reason.

“Ah, seriously, what is wrong with him…”

He tried fanning himself with his hand because of the embarrassment, but it didn’t do much for his face, which was starting to burn with heat.

.✦ ݁˖

Upon returning to the office, Jaechan sat heavily in his chair, looking exhausted. From coaxing and soothing Han Kang, who didn’t want to go to the checkup, to having lunch with him after it was over, nothing had been easy.

Perhaps that was why, even though it was only two o’clock, he felt as tired as if he had pulled an all-nighter.

At the same time, mischievous laughter could be heard from around him. He tried his best to ignore it, but at Ji Sangtaek’s sly call of “Jeon Jaechaaaan,” he finally collapsed onto the desk with a groan.

“I heard you were basically advertising that you’re a married couple?”

“Ah. It was so embarrassing, seriously.”

Jaechan scratched the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile. It seemed the news of Han Kang raising his voice in front of all the Espers had already spread like wildfire through the Center.

He didn’t know why rumors traveled so fast in this place, especially since the Center wasn’t even that small. Ji Sangtaek was grinning ear to ear as if he had already had a good laugh about it.

“Well, Jeon Jaechan’s reactions are just too fun.”

It seemed he was determined to tease him.

Jaechan knew that if he didn’t react, the teasing wouldn’t continue, but he was so annoyed he couldn’t just stay still. As Jaechan jumped and reacted every time he was poked, Choi Seokyoung delivered the final blow.

“Oh, Jeon Jaechan, are you going to go ahead and apply to be a resident Guide? Did you set a date for the room-sharing?”

“Ah, hyung.”

“He said room-sharing.”

“Ah, Team Leader!”

“Look at him getting shy. Why do you two still act like newlyweds? It’s been four years since you got married, as far as I know.”

“No, it’s not like that…!”

“Shouldn’t you just admit it by now… The whole nation calls you a couple.”

“Aack!”

Jaechan grimaced deeply as if he couldn’t take any more. He felt wronged and annoyed. In any case, despite grumbling and waving his hands in dismissal out of spite, Jaechan moved the mouse and clicked the ‘Apply’ button.

Even in the midst of this, applying to be a resident Guide was to monitor Han Kang’s unstable condition from as close as possible. Training camp would begin as early as next week. Once the Olympic preparations began in earnest, he would be watching him from the closest side, but he was so anxious he couldn’t stand even that short gap.

He just wanted to do his best within his capabilities, but his teammates were treating it like they had caught him red-handed.

Jaechan added a grumbling excuse as he looked at the notification window confirming the application was complete.

“I’m just applying because Han Kang’s condition is unstable… He had a rampage in the early morning recently, even though I finished guiding him that evening.”

When he looked up at Choi Seokyoung with a resentful gaze, the man just snickered mischievously.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Han Kang is veeery unstable right now. Still, since he listens to you well, it makes things easy for us.”

Those words had been the same for three years, so they weren’t much of a comfort. Jaechan decided it was wiser to leave the office rather than stay and be annoyed.

Just then, a notification popped up on his watch stating that Han Kang had entered the training room. Simultaneously, a notification message appeared on his computer screen with a “ding.”

[Subject: Sharing of Esper Han Kang’s Regular Checkup Results]

Even though it was a regular checkup, the results had come out quite quickly. Jaechan hurriedly sat back down and opened his email.

Even the short time it took to download and open the attached file made him feel anxious.