PARADOX 31

‘Back then, it was oral contact guiding.’

Setting aside mucosal contact, a Guide’s bodily fluids were also effective in calming Esper wavelengths. The potency was incomparable to radiation guiding.

However, it wasn’t as if he could tell Gu Jeyi to open his mouth like he did back then. The only reason Gu Jeyi had obediently followed his instructions that day was because he hadn’t been in his right mind. In a lucid state like he was now, Hanseo would be lucky not to be treated like a madman.

…Still, should I try bringing it up?

“I think we need a different method of guiding to lower the figures further from here.”

Seeing the furrow in Gu Jeyi’s brow, it seemed he realized what that “different method” was without needing further explanation. Gu Jeyi checked his watch and looked up.

“This is enough.”

“Still, how about just holding hands?”

“Mister Yeo Hanseo.”

At the voice that turned cold as frost instantly, Hanseo backed down without further urging.

“I only asked because I wanted to be of help.”

“It is not necessary.”

Gu Jeyi stood up. Contrary to his chilly tone, his complexion looked much better than a moment ago.

If he’s like that at 70%, imagine how much better he’d feel if it dropped more. Hanseo clicked his tongue inwardly.

However, it wasn’t that he didn’t know why Gu Jeyi rejected contact guiding so vehemently.

Gu Jeyi hated touching people. It went beyond a simple dislike; it seemed as if his body had a physical rejection response. That was why he wanted to avoid contact guiding. So, even at the wedding…

‘Ugh.’

He’d wondered if it was really that unbearable when they hadn’t even touched for a second, but thinking back, he’d felt the same way the first time he ate melon potato chips. The moment those terrible snacks touched his tongue, he couldn’t hold back the nausea, even though his stomach was aching from hunger. Gu Jeyi must be like that too.

Gu Jeyi himself probably suffered more than anyone else due to that issue. It would be hard for an ordinary person, but for an Esper who can only survive by receiving guiding, it must be torture. It was understandable why Gu Jeyi was pinning his hopes on guiding medication.

But the salvation Gu Jeyi was waiting for was a trap disguised as salvation. As long as he knew that, he couldn’t leave him be. Above all, because he knew that the Gu Jeyi of his past life had fixed that chronic problem.

Hmm, but how did he fix it?

He retraced his memories, but nothing specific came to mind. It was certain that at some point, Gu Jeyi had taken off his gloves and started touching him… but even thinking hard about it, the memory was gone as if the film had been cut out. Well, it happened five years ago by the standards of his past life, so it wasn’t strange that he couldn’t remember.

Anyway, since he knew it could be fixed, he had to try. Hanseo’s gaze fell on Gu Jeyi’s watch. Since things had turned out this way, he really should drop that number down to a single digit.

With those thoughts, Hanseo followed Gu Jeyi closely to the front door. Gu Jeyi showed signs of discomfort, but Hanseo blinked innocently as if he knew nothing.

“Then when shall we do the next guiding?”

“I will contact you when it becomes necessary.”

“When might that be?”

“…”

At the never-ending questions, Gu Jeyi, who had grabbed the doorknob, sighed and looked back. Hanseo put on a shrinking expression toward the face that didn’t hide its annoyance.

“It—it’s not that I’m rushing you, it’s the opposite. I was wondering if you should rest a bit more, like Director Pyo said. The levels dropped, but it’s hard to call it stable. Even if it’s better than before, 70% must still be very difficult for you…”

“I’d prefer it if someone who isn’t even an Esper didn’t act like they know everything.”

“…”

“I know my own body best. So, instead of worrying about others, worry about yourself first, Mister Yeo Hanseo.”

Gu Jeyi’s gaze fell on Hanseo’s casted arm and then moved away. Immediately, without a word of farewell, the door shut with a thud.

The expression gradually vanished from Hanseo’s face as he stared at the closed door.

Now then, how do I persuade him?

No brilliant plan came to mind even after racking his brain, but he had to think of something regardless. Because his fate was riding on this.

❖ ❖ ❖

After leaving the ‘newlywed home,’ Gu Jeyi went to his own house. The reason he avoided staying in the same place as Yeo Hanseo was that even the slightest presence of another person was grating due to his constantly heightened senses.

Being alone didn’t mean he could sleep well, but it was still more comfortable to be alone than in a shared space. Not to mention if the person he had to be with was a man who liked him.

Fortunately, perhaps because he’d slept for even a short while after receiving the stabilizer, his condition wasn’t as bad as usual. No, perhaps it wasn’t because of the stabilizer. Entering the pitch-black house without turning on the lights, Gu Jeyi corrected his thought. The image of the man with the clear face flickered into his mind and then vanished quickly without staying long.

The next day, a phone call came in from an early hour. The caller was his teammate, Woo Taegyu. It was a time closer to dawn, but Gu Jeyi, who was doing strength training inside his house, picked up the phone before it even rang twice.

Knowing Gu Jeyi’s personality—that he found pleasantries cumbersome—Woo Taegyu got straight to the point as soon as the call connected.

―Captain, are you entering the Miudong Gate?

“Miudong Gate?”

―Oh, haven’t you checked yet?

A small crack appeared in Gu Jeyi’s brow. Since he hadn’t slept in the first place, it wasn’t as if he had missed the notification sound. He checked his watch, but as expected, there were no new updates. It wasn’t that he’d failed to see the notification; nothing had been sent from the start.

Is it broken? Gu Jeyi looked down at his watch with displeasure.

“Stand by. I’ll be over there.”

The living quarters, a residential space provided by the Center for its employees, was located on the outer edge opposite the research building. Communal living was a downside, but most Awakened individuals used the living quarters because commuting was easy and they could use various benefits provided by the Center.

Living Quarters Building 3 was being used by Field Team 1, which was more often called ‘Gu Jeyi’s Team’ than its original name.

The team members, who had received Gu Jeyi’s contact in advance, were all gathered in the common area. As soon as Gu Jeyi appeared, a muscular man ran out to greet him.

“Captain, you’re here?”

“Our Taegyu turns into a mutt whenever he sees the Captain.”

A tall, lanky man who followed lazily behind him sneered. The man, who scanned Gu Jeyi from head to toe, raised an eyebrow with a “ho-oh.”

“A matching Guide is great after all. It even brings a dying Esper back to life.”

Field Team 1 was a small elite team consisting of the Captain, Gu Jeyi, and three A-rank Espers. The man acting snide in front of Gu Jeyi was Seong Semin, an A-rank combat-type Esper.

His face was handsome like an actor’s, but his dyed blonde hair and the piercings hanging from his ears made him look like a back-alley thug.

When Gu Jeyi stared at him silently without answering, Seong Semin twisted the corners of his mouth.

“What, I’m saying there’s a reward for marrying a fellow guy.”

“Semin sunbae…”

It was just as Woo Taegyu, who had been listening quietly, was about to open his mouth.

“Semin, your mouth.”

A white hand suddenly approached and slapped Seong Semin’s mouth. Seong Semin was about to get angry but softened his momentum after identifying the person. It wasn’t because the opponent was a woman two heads shorter than him.

“Let’s please watch that mouth. Do you want another million hate comments on your SNS and to pay back advertising penalty fees?”

Baek Haeryeong smiled gently and slapped Seong Semin’s mouth once more. Her peaceful and beautiful face was indeed worthy of her nickname, “Angel.”

“Ah! Noona, don’t hit me. Jeez.”

Seong Semin grumbled and backed away. He was a thug who acted mean to everyone, but in reality, he had the “strong against the weak, weak against the strong” mentality engraved in his head, so he kept his boundaries with those stronger than him.

There were exactly two people at the Center whom Seong Semin walked on eggshells around, and one of them was this woman, Baek Haeryeong. Seong Semin would win in a contest of physical strength, but Baek Haeryeong was a being who couldn’t be touched in another sense. She was an A-rank Healer, as precious as an S-rank Esper.

Having realized shortly after joining this team that one must not offend a Healer, Seong Semin had been careful with his attitude since then.

“In the first place, noona, I heard you were being dispatched to another team, so why are you still here? Are you holding out because they can’t say anything to an A-rank Healer even if she’s late?”

Of course, he still acted snide as long as he didn’t cross the line.

“I was about to leave, but I waited a bit because they said the Captain was coming. Captain, how is your physical condition? You look okay on the surface.”

In terms of age, there was no one here younger than Gu Jeyi, but everyone—even Seong Semin—used formal speech with him. There was a time when a certain blonde man who had just joined the team rebelled, but he was quickly sorted out, and after that, everyone respected the younger Gu Jeyi as their Captain without any opposition.

“I am fine.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. We were so worried because of your condition, Captain. For a Guide to appear just in time like this, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

“But are we sure this Guide is trustworthy?”

Seong Semin chimed in.

“Another situation like the one with Chae Naru won’t happen, right? Well, if the Captain had rampaged back then, the Center would have been blown away, which I think is a bit of a shame.”

“Semin, you…”

“Seong Semin.”

Gu Jeyi, who had been acting as if he couldn’t hear whatever Seong Semin was saying, spoke for the first time. When the eyes—so black that the pupil and iris were indistinguishable—turned toward him, Seong Semin flinched and froze. Ah, damn, those eyes are really something.

“Stop chattering and go sit down.”

“Tch, always picking on me.”

Only after Seong Semin grumbled and sat quietly on the sofa did Gu Jeyi move his feet.