TDG Ch 5

The female lead, Jung Ahyoon, had been working as a social worker at the Administrative Welfare Center.

Then she discovered she was a Guide and applied for a voluntary transfer to be moved to the Center.

This would happen roughly two months from now.

In the original story, they would have met much later, deep into the narrative and in the midst of tragedy; however, now there was no need for that.

The bridge that would connect the two of them, allowing their love to begin naturally and comfortably, without conflict or pain, would be born right here.

All thanks to me. Ahem.

The two would fall in love at first sight, and under Jung Ahyoon’s unwavering affection and steadfast trust, Han Jihyuk would gain strength.

As a bonus, three million lives would be saved, too.

Well, calling that a “bonus” might be a bit much.

The assigned accommodation was a small single room located inside the dormitory.

For the time being, I’d be staying here and focusing on caring for Han Jihyuk at the research center.

I set my luggage down on a chair and stretched out on the bed.

“Haa…”

The breath I had been holding escaped from deep in my stomach in one long exhale.

It had been a time I could speak of to no one.

Moments I could almost grasp, yet never quite reach.

The pain of waiting that kept me awake countless nights had finally come to an end, or at least, that’s how it felt.

I couldn’t let my guard down, but at the very least, wasn’t it okay to enjoy just today?

I threw myself onto the bed.

Lying flat with my arms stretched wide, I murmured softly to myself, in a voice no one could hear.

Just a little longer, Seo Juwon.

Just a little more effort.

And when that time comes… maybe I’ll finally be able to rest too.

* * *

Even with the devices attached to his hands and feet to suppress his abilities, Han Jihyuk remained in constant pain.

Only when I was by his side could he breathe in peace.

The searing agony, the terror and despair of endlessly falling into a bottomless abyss—no matter the specific details, this was what they called a “rampage.”

According to the original novel’s description, when Han Jihyuk first awakened, the shock was so great that his sense of self was almost torn in half. That fracture had never healed, leaving him plagued with anxiety and showing serious signs of Guide dependence, at least until he met Jung Ahyoon.

That was how Kwon Minwook had been able to take control of him so effectively.

Our guiding hadn’t gone smoothly from the start, either.

Overwhelmed by the pain, Han Jihyuk had lost control of his strength and lunged at me, leaving bruises all over my body. But if I endured just a little, he would quickly regain stability.

Over time, his violent and unstable behavior noticeably improved.

It was a rapid progression, as remarkable as his exceptional abilities.

Whenever those pitch-black eyes, devoid of any reflection, looked up at me with absolute trust from beneath his thick lashes, an indescribable sense of elation washed over me.  

When I stroked the sharp contours of his cheeks and jaw and placed a kiss there, he would let out a low, sweet sigh as if relieved, nestling deeply into my arms.

At last, Han Jihyuk clearly understood that I was someone who could ease his pain.

When I appeared, his brainwaves would ripple gently in a curve of affirmation.

Every time I saw those changes quantified, my heart melted a little more.

He would press his nose into my shoulder and cling to me, falling asleep like a baby, defenseless and adorable, as if my embrace were his only safe haven.

Sometimes, even after the guiding was over, I’d stay with him like that for a long while.

It’s okay.

You’re safe.

Just breathe.

You can relax.

As I whispered softly, stroking his hair, Han Jihyuk would blink slowly, letting go of all tension and following my voice.

Breathing weakly like a baby animal, he would snuggle closer and take what he needed from my guiding.

Perhaps because his potential was so great, the amount of guiding he needed each day was significant.

Over just a few days, I lost five kilograms.

Dragging my exhausted body back to the dorm, collapsing into bed and falling asleep like I’d passed out had become routine.

Still, if it meant he could rest comfortably, I didn’t mind it at all.

“You two have a high synchronization rate.”

At the researcher’s comment while reviewing the data, I tilted my head.

“Isn’t that mostly meaningless now?”

“Since the transition phase, once guiding values have been stabilized without variation across individuals, yes, it’s generally insignificant. However, there are certain wavelengths that are especially compatible during pairing. In such cases, the efficiency of guiding improves. You two are one of those cases.”

There hadn’t been anything about synchronization rates in the original story, but somehow it sounded plausible.

Could it be that Espers and Guides assigned as exclusive partners had particularly compatible wavelengths?  

The researcher didn’t have an answer to that.

A few days later, Han Jihyuk was moved to a single room in the dorms like mine, after it was confirmed that his brainwaves remained stable for a long time with my guiding.

Of course, his room was on a different floor and in a separate section from mine, and he was still wearing the suppression device.

Along with that, my period of confinement ended, and I was granted the freedom to come and go. But since I had no reason to go home, I decided to keep living in the dorm.

We were in different wings, but under the same roof—me and my ultimate bias.

Why go home when I could see Han Jihyuk, who could only fall asleep to my touch?

Even being in the “five-minute standby unit,” if it could make me feel this giddy and thrilled every single day, I had to admit that it was astonishing.

“You look tired.”

As I stepped outside to take a short break while Jihyuk slept, a researcher casually spoke to me.

They were the kind of people who wouldn’t care even if I stripped naked and screamed rock music while headbanging in the lab, so I must’ve looked really out of it.

“Really? I guess I should wash my face.”

I left the lab and went straight to the bathroom.

Turning on the faucet and looking in the mirror, I saw that dark circles had formed under my eyes from accumulated fatigue. Rubbing the face that had grown noticeably gaunt over the past few days, I let out a silly laugh.

You’re really loving this, huh, Seo Juwon?

You’re about to drop dead from exhaustion, and you’re still smiling just because you’re happy?

“Well, yeah. What’s not to love?”

2.

When I held the chip key on my watch to the door, it opened. It was a private space prepared for special guests. The automatic sensor lights turned on, brightening the room, but the person I’d expected wasn’t in sight.

As I stepped inside, just as I was about to call his name, a beast hiding to the side lunged at me.

“Whoa!”

I staggered from the force of the impact, but two strong arms quickly held my waist to keep me from falling.

“Held” was putting it mildly; he basically caught me in a full embrace.

It was practically our daily morning ritual at this point.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Without the slightest concern for his large frame, Jihyuk threw his entire body at me, nuzzling as if asking me to hug him back. I gave a few pats along his back, near the shoulder blades, and when I did, his handsome face lit up with a pleased smile, and he stopped pushing forward.

“Let me see that face of yours, Han Jihyuk.”

At the crook of my finger, he obediently leaned his face forward.

Let’s take a look.

Pupils are normal.

No tremors, no tension.

His expression and breathing are both calm.

He wouldn’t be unstable when he was this close to me, but since this was an important routine, I made sure to check his condition thoroughly.

The result: All vitals are normal.

Notable issues: None… Except, once again, he’s perfect and so handsome, it’s almost stunning?

Just look at him, folding up that huge body of his just to bring his face close so I can see it better.

It’s so cute it’s almost a strain on my heart.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good.”

The protagonist’s voice was perfect, too. When he lowered that naturally deep, husky tone even further and whispered softly like a lover’s murmur, it was so blissful and captivating that the fine hairs on the back of my neck would stand on end.

After moving to his own private room in the dormitory, Han Jihyuk’s daily life became a bit freer.

Though he was granted personal time, he insisted on staying by my side at all costs.

As if I were the sole focus of his entire existence, he waited only for me, and as long as I was in his arms, he was content to lounge around for hours without asking for anything.

The problem was that I didn’t dislike it either.

The old me, who used to get fed up with clingy Espers who lingered even after guiding sessions ended, was nowhere to be found.

Our Jihyuk was different.

He didn’t grope me inappropriately or hurt me on purpose.

There was a time when some crazy bastard had pressed down on my ribs so hard, demanding I guide him faster, that they nearly cracked. Compared to that, this was practically heaven.

“What did you do this morning before I came?”

“I missed you, hyung.”

Hyung…

Every time I heard that sweet word, it stirred something deep in my heart.

Who would’ve thought I’d live to see the day my favorite character would affectionately call me “hyung”?

The reward for the long, hard time spent in Division 7 over five years is so sweet.

I used to think hearing it every day would dull the emotion, make it feel less special, but no—it resonated in my heart like a full orchestra every single time.

“Then we’re in sync. I missed you, too.”

“Really?”

“Of course. That’s why I even secretly ran up from the fourth floor, just to see our Jihyuk five minutes sooner.”

With just the two of us here, there was no reason to hold back. I shamelessly spouted all kinds of cringeworthy lines with a brazen smile without an ounce of shame.

Jihyuk nodded seriously.

“That explains it. Your heart rate for the past minute was 96 beats. It was a bit faster than normal, so I was worried, but it was because you ran to see me.”

“……”

Jihyuk smiled and winked playfully with one eye.

“I can hear it.”

An S-rank Esper is a transcendent being who easily surpasses the basic abilities of humans. Among those miracles, it seems that counting my heartbeat through the distance between us is also included.

More than that, the thought that I’m the only one seeing this affectionate, boyish side of Han Jihyuk, who used to be so grim and broken, feels like too great a loss for the entire world.

In the original story, seeing him smile even once was like trying to pluck a star from the sky.

That smile washed away all my accumulated fatigue in an instant.

“I brought breakfast, so let’s eat together.”

I took care of Jihyuk’s meals.

It wasn’t required, but he was still prohibited from interacting with the outside world.

Since we were practically together all day, except when he slept, it was only natural that I ended up managing every part of his daily life.

Jihyuk helped me carry the dishes from the tray, easily grabbing three or four at a time.

Guess that’s possible when your hands are that big.

Thanks to him, we finished plating quickly and sat across from each other at the table.

“Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”

Even when I placed the spoon right in his hand, Jihyuk barely touched the food.

Instead, he just kept staring at me.

Technically, it was due to his Guide dependency, but I was still a person with feelings, and when the devastatingly beautiful male lead stared straight at me like he could see through my soul, even if it didn’t mean that, my heart couldn’t help pounding in my chest.