DP Episode 17

Deep Pivot Episode 17

Yeon-woo kept his gaze fixed on the dark window. The afterimage of the streetlights quickly passed over his reflection in the glass.

The interior of the car was immaculate and smelled nice. Whether the car resembled its owner or if it was specifically chosen to suit his taste, it was a stark contrast to Cheong-oh’s car, both in noise and air quality.

If riding in the car during the day felt like being inside the belly of a roaring beast, riding in Ji Seo-joon’s car was like sitting atop the head of a gently purring cat. Silence wasn’t uncomfortable when with Jin Cheong-oh, but the conspicuous stillness now made Yeon-woo’s heart beat unnaturally faster.

“Is school worth going to?”

Seo-joon, sensing the awkwardness, was the first to break the silence.

“It must be tough being with classmates who are a year younger.”

“They’re all nice, and the teachers treat me well too.”

“Can I ask why you repeated a year? It’s okay if you’d rather not answer.”

“I didn’t have enough attendance days because of my part-time job. But this year, my teachers have been very understanding, so I just managed to meet the requirements.”

The car slowed to a stop at a red light. Yeon-woo finally glanced at Seo-joon. His profile was palely lit by the streetlamp as his hand rested on the steering wheel.

“Do you have to work enough to miss school? Oh, do you have a younger sibling?”

“Yes. My sibling is sick and in the hospital. He has a rare genetic disorder that can’t be treated but requires ongoing medication.”

The car started moving again as the light changed. Seo-joon indifferently turned his head, and Yeon-woo’s eyes rolled back to the window.

“It must be tough taking care of your sibling alone without your parents.”

“…My father is around.”

“Really? I thought he wasn’t. Maybe because only you are registered at the address.”

“We don’t live together. …He visits sometimes.”

“Ah.”

Seo-joon recalled that there was a nursery at the beginning of Yeonwoo’s profile history. So naturally, he thought his parents wouldn’t be around. He casually said, “By the way, you don’t have to worry about your younger sibling’s hospital bills anymore. The benefits provided by the country apply not only to the awakened individual but also to their family.”

“Really?”

Seo-joon chuckled and turned the steering wheel. “I don’t know how much insurance will cover, but it will probably be quite substantial. You should ask Captain Jin or Doctor Kang for details.”

“After becoming a guide, it seems like many good things have happened.”

Those who were economically impoverished before becoming awakened usually think like that. The various welfare benefits provided by the country and salaries exceeding those of major corporations swiftly change their lives.

However, unfortunately, most of them do not fully enjoy that happiness and end up dying. Abundant welfare benefits and high salaries come at the cost of risking their lives.

Seo-joon thought of Yeonwoo, who had been precarious and varied in the field. If they continued to behave as if they had multiple lives, Yeonwoo would probably not even have the chance to receive benefits from the research institute and would die.

“So always stay alert. Don’t throw your helmet mask anywhere like today.”

“Yes… I’ll be careful.”

Seo-joon patted Yeonwoo on the shoulder. Quietly, Yeonwoo held onto the belt across his chest. Seo-joon remembered how Yeonwoo tightly grasped his gown strap while they were kissing and chuckled.

“Oh, did you receive an email?”

“What email?”

“There was the SAU induction ceremony today. Probably, each new member received an email.”

Yeonwoo took out his phone. Seo-joon, who had connected the discharged phone to the charging cable, passed through the security personnel at the mansion entrance.

As they headed to the underground parking lot, they checked the turned-on phone and found a security file sent to all new SAU members. It contained information about the SAU’s founding ideology, history, and various other details.

“You can check the rest later when needed, but what’s important there is item number 10.”

Following his words, he clicked on item number 10. It was a list summarizing the SAU’s esper positions and code names.

“Since it’s essential to know the positions and code names of existing members in the field, it’s good to familiarize yourself in advance.”

New members were instructed to fill in their desired code names and reply to a separately attached file.

“Oh.”

Yeonwoo, with a puzzled look, handed it to Seo-joon, finding his name on the last line of the new members’ list. Seo-joon, who had just parked and shifted gears, unbuckled his belt and leaned towards Yeonwoo.

“Why?”

“My code name.”

◆ Cha Yeon-woo (20 years old)
Grade A Guide
Code: Kid /*baby*
Assigned Esper: To be determined

“It’s already filled in.”

Seo-joon tapped on the cracked screen and responded with a smile.

“I guess Cheong-oh registered it without permission.”

“Oh…”

Seo-joon silently looked at the downcast eyes. The slightly pouting lips seemed to show that Yeon-woo wasn’t happy with their codename.

“Do you want to change it?”

“…It’s just a little embarrassing since he keeps calling me a kid.”

“They probably chose it thinking you’d be my guide. My codename is Agnes, so it sounds similar, like a nickname.”

“…”

“If you want to change it, you should say so quickly. It’s not easy to change once it’s set, but since it’s your first day, Yeon-woo, you have a chance.”

Yeon-woo stared quietly at the words on the screen. After a long pause, he spoke softly.

“I don’t think I need to change it.”

Seo-joon chuckled and looked at Yeon-woo. It wasn’t until their gazes met that they realized how close they were. They were within each other’s personal space, close enough to feel each other’s breath.

In the dark, Seo-joon’s eyes appeared black and glossy since their usual blue wasn’t visible. The way his slightly drooping eyes looked gentle reminded Yeon-woo of a shelter puppy cautiously snuggling into its new owner’s arms.

Yeon-woo quickly averted his gaze and straightened his leaning body, unfastening his seatbelt. Seo-joon also slowly leaned back at last.

---

“I was already considering calling Cheong-oh over since my aunt left a bunch of side dishes.”

Seo-joon diligently took out the side dishes from the open refrigerator and served them on plates. He placed the warmed rice and soup on the table, quickly creating a home-like meal setup.

After placing a set of utensils in front of Yeon-woo, Seo-joon opened a liquid food pack and sat down across from him.

“…Lieutenant, aren’t you going to eat?”

“I’ll just have this.”

Seo-joon showed the pack with a straw. The small paper container, bearing the Awakener Research Center logo, was smaller than Yeon-woo’s fist. It looked like an amount that could be finished in a few sips by an adult male. Seo-joon hadn’t eaten all day either, so it was curious that he was relying on just that for his meal.

“Aren’t you hungry since you haven’t eaten anything today?”

Seo-joon casually responded.

“I have a weak stomach.”

Yeon-woo didn’t believe that Seo-joon, a veteran with over ten years of experience, was only using liquid food due to a weak stomach after fighting mere parasitic worms. Even though he had skipped the training camp process, he still received basic education from Kang Hee-min.

It was said that every time espers use their abilities, they experience immense pain as a backlash. The primary reason for their rampages is that they can’t endure this pain and ultimately self-destruct.

The pain experienced by espers varies among individuals. For instance, Blinkers, who have teleportation abilities, feel a pain akin to their bodies shattering. Salamanders, who control fire, experience burning pain across their skin.

Controllers, who manipulate metals through telekinesis; Binders, who restrain monsters; and Blood Bombers, who can explode any creature with flowing blood, often succumb to intense headaches and die from their rampages.

Yeon-woo knew that claiming Seo-joon used liquid food due to a weak stomach was a flimsy excuse, regardless of which type of esper he was.

“…Should I guide you?”

The faint smile lingering on Seo-joon’s face faded into a hint of confusion. Yeon-woo immediately regretted asking, wondering if it was a foolish question.

After all, guides are placed on the field to heal espers when needed. As Park Min-gun said, a guide’s true duty is to support their assigned esper.

Yeon-woo’s eyes suddenly widened. Ah, so that’s why…

“Is that why you asked me to stay the night…?”

“No, Yeon-woo.”

Seo-joon firmly denied it, breaking into a laugh.

“Let’s just eat first. The soup will get cold. I didn’t make it myself, but I did heat it up diligently. I’d feel a bit upset if you ate it cold.”

Yeon-woo reluctantly picked up his spoon. Steam rose steadily from the clear beef radish soup.

“And if I need to have back-to-back pairings ten times to be able to eat properly right now, you’d probably be drained dry, Yeon-woo.”

Cough! Yeon-woo coughed just as he put a spoonful of soup in his mouth. Seo-joon laughed and handed him a tissue.

“Sorry. I’ll stop talking nonsense, so go ahead and eat.”

I feel like I’ve become a pretty bad adult, Seo-joon muttered, biting down on his straw.

TL/N: My girlies Yeon-woo is the ||top|| and our Seo-joon is ||bottom||