Chapter 26

For several days, it was peaceful. There were no dispatches, and Cha Yugeon did not start a fight with him. Haon could not be more grateful for the peace he was enjoying for the first time in a while.

For the first day or two, he suffered from anxiety because he felt like something was going to happen at any moment. After the third day, his anxious mind slowly began to calm down, and by the fourth day, he was able to enjoy complete peace.

Finally, after five days of peace, Haon thought that if he could continue like this, becoming an S-class guide wouldn’t be so bad.

But as life often goes, unhappiness follows happiness.

Alerted by an early morning call, Haon instinctively sensed that something bad was going to happen to him.

“Cha Yugeon…?”

Haon grimaced at the name displayed on his watch. If you registered your phone number at the Center, it will also be registered on the watch, so anyone at the Center could contact each other.

Thus, it wasn’t too puzzling how Cha Yugeon had gotten Haon’s contact information. Simply speaking a name into the watch would find and contact that person.

“Why would that guy…”

Haon was suspicious, thinking there was no reason for Cha Yugeon to contact him. After staring at the watch screen with a troubled expression for a while, Haon finally answered the call.

“…Cha Yugeon?”

-What are you doing? Were you sleeping?

“No, that’s not it… You’re Cha Yugeon, right?”

-Yeah, why. Is there another Cha Yugeon at the Center?

“No.”

-Then why are you asking that?

Because there’s no reason for you to contact me.

Haon swallowed the words that had risen to his throat along with his saliva. The fact that Cha Yugeon, who had no reason to contact him, had done so could mean that something important had happened.

If Cha Yugeon had called him about a serious issue, it wasn’t right to waste time taking it in an unnecessary confrontation.

“What’s the matter?”

-…Haven’t you received the contact yet?

“What contact?”

As Haon asked back, Cha Yugeon said nothing for a moment. Instead, a short sigh of ‘ha’ could be heard through the earphone. By this point, Haon started to worry. He was curious about what the contact Cha Yugeon was talking about could be.

-The guys at the Center are no good. Since I haven’t heard from you, so I called just in case. It was good that I called.

“What are you talking about? Speak clearly.”

-We need to train.

“What training?”

The ominous premonition never failed. The word ‘training’ triggered a thought. Cha Yugeon had mentioned training before to increase their Instantaneous Resonance. So, it was a reasonable suspicion that the training he was talking about now was related to that.

-To increase Instantaneous Resonance and to train in controlling your Guide power.

“What? I said I wouldn’t do the training to increase Instantaneous Resonance. And what’s this about training to control my Guide power?”

-Exactly as it says. You still can’t properly control your Guide power. At times, you can draw out an explosive amount of Guide power, but you can’t do it normally.

There was nothing to refute. Haon bit his lower lip. Cha Yugeon was right. At times, his Guide power surged out tremendously.

It happened when he was guiding Cha Yugeon in a coma state and when he was guiding the berserking Baek Chan-kyung.

So far, it was fortunate that his Guide power worked well in emergencies, but whether he could do well again if something happened was uncertain. So, training to control his Guide power was necessary.

However, the problem was that it was Cha Yugeon that made the correct argument, which somehow made Haon feel twisted inside, making him uneasy.

Haon grumbled and deeply frowned.

“I can understand the training to control Guide power, but I told you I wouldn’t do the training to increase Instantaneous Resonance. You’re calling it training, but it’s just a skin ship.”

-What’s that?

“What do you mean, what’s that? Cha Yugeon, do you want to have skin ship with me? You don’t even like me.”

Haon laughed bitterly. He thought Cha Yugeon disliked him as much as he disliked Cha Yugeon, and it didn’t make sense why he would insist on having skin ship with him. Haon was about to question further when Cha Yugeon spoke.

-I don’t hate you.

“What?”

-Do you hate me?

“…”

Cha Yugeon spoke first. His words were beyond Haon’s expectations. Cha Yugeon saying he didn’t hate him. It wasn’t something he expected from someone who often sneered and picked fights with him.

Haon was so surprised he missed the timing to respond. Moreover, he couldn’t say he hate him either.

If pressed for an answer, it was true that Haon had disliked Cha Yugeon in the past. There was no reason to like Cha Yugeon, who was annoying, arrogant, and rude. But the recent Cha Yugeon was a different story. Although still annoying, he didn’t pick fights or show overt hostility as before.

Moreover, albeit slightly embarrassing to admit, it was true that Cha Yugeon had saved his life, not once but twice. So it was hard to say he hated Cha Yugeon without feeling guilty.

“Anyway, I don’t want to do that kind of training.”

-Why don’t you want to do it?

Back to square one. Haon frowned deeply. It was irritating how Cha Yugeon kept focusing on the ‘why,’ asking for a reason for everything like a child.

“What do you need a reason for?”

-If the reason is logical, I’ll understand.

“And if it’s not?”

-Then there’s no need to follow it.”

Haon felt like he was increasingly getting wrapped up in Cha Yugeon’s pace. With a sense of discomfort he couldn’t shake off, Haon sighed deeply and organized his thoughts.

“…I don’t want to have skin ship with someone I don’t like.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Haon replied as he thought. He couldn’t quite understand why he had to respond obediently to Cha Yugeon, but for now, he held back his objections.

-Why? Can’t we just do it?

But Cha Yugeon’s next words were enough to infuriate Haon.

That darn ‘why!’

“I’m not like you! You may be okay to engage in skin ship with someone you don’t like, but I’m not like that!”

His teeth clenched involuntarily. Thinking of Cha Yugeon dancing intimately with girls at the club, Haon yelled with frustration.

He promptly ended the call. Conversing with such a person was a waste of time.

Cha Yugeon called again shortly after, but Haon ignored it, only snorting in annoyance. After a few more attempts, the calls eventually ceased, allowing Haon to prepare for breakfast with a much lighter heart.

Then, another call came.

Cha Yugeon seemed more persistent and sticky than Haon anticipated. Haon glared at his watch screen with irritation. However, the name displayed on the screen wasn’t Cha Yugeon’s.

<Baek Chan-kyung>

Haon hesitated for a moment at the unexpected call from an unexpected person. He couldn’t fathom why this person was calling him. After some deliberation, Haon cautiously answered the call.

“Hello?”

-Hi, Mr. Haon. Are you awake? It’s quite early, so I was worried you might still be asleep.

“Oh, yes it’s fine. But what’s the matter?”

Haon remained cautious toward Baek Chan-kyung, who approached him with kindness. Although Baek Chan-kyung hadn’t harmed him since their first meeting, the intensity of that encounter had left him tense.

-Do you have time today?

“I do… but may I ask why?”

-I feel bad for not properly apologizing to you last time.

“I think you apologized enough…”

Recalling the day when Baek Chan-kyung personally came to his dorm to apologize, Haon responded. But it seemed Baek Chan-kyung wasn’t satisfied. Well, unintentionally almost killing someone warranted more than just a few apologies.

-I think apologies should be made while buying someone a meal.

“Well, you don’t really have to…”

-If you’re truly too busy to spare time, then it can’t be helped. But if not, I’d appreciate the chance to apologize properly. …Is that okay?

With repeated requests, Haon’s resistance gradually melted. It didn’t seem right to refuse someone who was asking so earnestly. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal, and denying him the chance to apologize while buying a meal seemed unreasonable.

“Fine.”

In the end, Haon reluctantly agreed.

-Thank you. Can we meet for lunch today?

Baek Chan-kyung sounded genuinely pleased. His excited tone made Haon feel a little guilty for misjudging the sincerity of his intentions.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

-Shall we meet at the front gate of the Center?

“Sure.”