DP Episode 2

Deep Pivot Episode 2

“Mr. Cha Yeon-woo?”

With the sound of the door lock, the scent of moist body wash brushed through the crack of the open door. Yeon-woo looked into the gray eyes that briefly scanned him up and down.

Ji Seo-joon. A person whose mere eye contact could make one’s heart sink.

“Please come in.”

The man gracefully moved to the side. The wide entrance hall was so clean that it seemed daunting to step in. Yeon-woo, who bowed his head in greeting, cautiously stepped inside without showing any hesitation.

“There, slippers.”

The man pointed to his feet with his chin. As Yeon-woo, who had taken off his worn-out sneakers, put his feet into the new slippers that seemed untouched by anyone yet, the man silently disappeared somewhere.

Having missed the opportunity to follow him, Yeon-woo cautiously explored the living room. The faint sound of classical music, coming from somewhere, made the interior of the house seem like another world to him.

Located not far from Sector 1, where the Awakening Center is located, were the four luxury mansions. This building, too, was located within the affluent area. It resembled the houses of conglomerate families that one only saw on TV, but being inside felt quite different.

The living room, with its long leather sofa, large TV, and small coffee table, was so spacious and dimly lit that it could make a person feel small. The monochromatic interior didn’t feel cozy at all, making Yeon-woo, the visitor, even more tense.

His wandering gaze naturally turned to the TV. The black panel and bezel were spotless, as if there wasn’t a speck of dust on them. He remembered his younger brother, who lay in the hospital bed watching TV. If Jong-woo saw this, his eyes would light up.

“Coffee?”

Despite his efforts to shake off his nerves with a forced composure, a faint voice was heard from somewhere. Yeon-woo responded belatedly after being startled and surprised by the unexpected question.

“… Water, please.”

“Come this way, it’s a bit messy over there right now.”

Yeon-woo tidied up the coffee table, which had only a few scattered documents on it. Was that level of tidiness considered messy? No matter how organized it was, compared to his always nauseating and cluttered basement room. This place was practically sterile.

Following the direction of the voice, he found a man leaning on a stool in front of the dining table. Two glasses of water were placed in front of him.

Approaching and taking a seat, Yeon-woo noticed that the man didn’t take his eyes off the tablet in his hand as he asked, 

“You received the guide designation in June this year, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then, am I your first guiding partner?”

Yeon-woo looked at the man’s hand holding the tablet. The slender fingers and the faintly visible veins running across his hand were clearly visible. With no thick joints, his fingers were neat and straight.

“Yes.”

The man was dressed somewhat casually, and his hair seemed to still have a slight dampness from a recent shower. The navy cardigan he was wearing was as clean as if it had just been taken off the rack, and beneath the tousled hair, his straight nose and smooth jawline were very sleek.

Even in such a relaxed state, he emitted a neat and clean scent that was rare in Yeon-woo’s world. Currently, there was no trace of He had seen a few things: the long vertical pupils and the rumbling breath. days ago, nor anything like an oral restraint.

The face he had stored in his mind for the past seven years looked somewhat different. Of course, back then, he was wearing a torn uniform and his body was stained with blood, so it was incomparable to now.

“I heard the test was very successful.”

It seems he doesn’t remember himself at all. Not only the events from seven years ago, but even the recent test.

“Hee-min Hyung(Brother).… I mean, Dr. Kang seemed to want to officially register you as my dedicated guide.”

The eyes that had been focused on the tablet all this time finally turned to Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo swallowed nervously as he looked into the gray eyes facing him.

“I… thought it was confirmed. He canceled the training camp schedule.”

Unfortunately, he stumbled on his words. Yeon-woo blinked silently and took a deep breath. If the  little chip was still attached to his body, his wavelengths would have surged violently by now.

“Well, if you apply for admission again, it’ll be fine.”

“….”

The response coming from the front sounded a bit ominous. Is he saying he won’t use him as his dedicated guide?

Kang Hee-min said the 98.8% matching rate was the first he’d seen. It was such a miraculous figure. He added that the man in front of him had been working without proper guidance, which was making his situation very risky.

That’s why he thought he had already become his dedicated guide. He formed an opinion about the person without ever talking to them, just by listening to someone else.

“As you may have noticed, I’m a bit skeptical.”

“…Is it because I lack experience?”

“Well, that’s part of it… Above all, I’m uncomfortable. I prefer working without a partner.”

It was a statement that couldn’t be understood logically. For an Esper, a guide is like a lifeline. If the state of not receiving proper guiding continues, there’s no telling when they might go out of control and end their lives.

“Well, it’s not like I’ve never had a guide before.”

The man chuckled, interrupting Yeon-woo. His gray eyes, which had been gazing at Yeon-woo, fell back down. His attitude clearly indicated that he didn’t want to continue the topic any further.

The man, who had been swiping the tablet a few times, sighed softly. Yeon-woo watched his fingertips tap on the table with anxious anticipation.

The tablet he was looking at now likely contained information about himself. The information included would be the submitted profile information, the guide assessment, and the test results with a matching rate of 98.8%.

“It’s too difficult.”

“… Pardon?”

“You’re still in high school. It would be better to graduate from school first and then gradually go through the training process. You’re too young to be used as a dedicated guide… It doesn’t sit well with me.”

Yeon-woo’s hand, which had been resting on his knee, slightly tensed up.

“I… I’m not a kid.”

After a long silence, he managed to speak up. The man, who was taking a sip of water, raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I took a year off, so I’m twenty years old. I’ll graduate from school in a few months. So… I hope you wouldn’t say I’m too young for this.”

Yeon-woo finished his words with his head lowered, rolling his lips. There was only silence in response. Feeling like he might have said, Something unnecessary since there was no reaction. Yeon-woo regretted speaking up.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to underestimate you because of your age.”

As Yeon-woo lifted his gaze, he was met with a serious face devoid of any hint of laughter.

“I think I misspoke.”

“… “

There was no need to feel so apologetic. His sincere apology made Yeon-woo even more embarrassed. He regretted speaking up unnecessarily. He really shouldn’t have said anything…

“Don’t make such a serious expression. I don’t mean to reject you right away.”

The man suddenly chuckled and spoke. Startled, Yeon-woo wiped his face with his hand. Even without checking in a mirror, he could feel how stiff his expression was. How ridiculous must he have looked in the man’s eyes right now?

“If I do that, Hee-min Hyung (Brother) will go crazy… Let’s work together for a while, even if it’s just to please Dr. Kang.”

“… “

“But there’s a condition. If you can stick to this, then we’ll officially sign the contract for you to be my dedicated guide.”

Yeon-woo looked at him with a tense expression. The man, who had put down the tablet, met his gaze and articulated.

“We won’t pair up.”

“… “

“We’ll only guide up to level two.”

Yeon-woo recalled the guide manual that Kang Hee-min printed out for him on the day of the test. Guiding is divided into four levels based on intensity and healing effects. The higher the level, the greater the effect.

On the first page of the manual, there was a concise explanation of these four levels, which read as follows:

Level 1 – Turning: Basic physical contact, such as holding hands or hugging. The wider the area of contact, the better the effect.

Level 2 – Overturn: Transferring bodily fluids by kissing. (According to international guiding standards, activities similar to sexual intercourse excluding penetrative sex are also included.)

Level 3 – Pairing: Increase in body heat and exchange of bodily fluids due to penetrative sex. The most widespread and traditional method of guidance. This pairing is commonly referred to in most guiding situations.

Level 4 – Deep pivot: Occurs probabilistically during the orgasm stage, primarily through penetrative sex. The ultimate destination of guiding. Maximizes healing effects through an intense sense of unity and intimacy towards each other. The probability of the occurrence increases with higher levels of trust and affection in the relationship.

Suddenly, heat flushed into Yeon-woo’s face. At first, Yeon-woo didn’t fully understand the importance of sexual contact in the guiding process.

He only saw it as a way to make a steady income, help with his brother’s medical bills, and maybe the only way to get out of poverty.

But now that Ji Seo-joon had become his guiding partner, he could no longer simply overlook this fact.

“Yes… I’ll… I’ll keep that in mind.”

He stumbled over his words again. Lips tightly sealed, he waited, but there was no response. Yeon-woo, who had been looking down, slowly raised his head. He met the gaze of the gray eyes gazing at him.

“Cha Yeon-woo.”

“Yes.”

“Are you perhaps gay?”

“Huh? No.”

An automatic rejection occurred due to a state of confusion. But for Yeon-woo, it was an unfamiliar question he had never pondered in his lifetime.

Should I say I still don’t know? I’ve never liked a man, but I’ve never liked a woman either. Because of the atmosphere, it feels like I have to answer accurately. It’s like having to truthfully answer a doctor’s questions before a medical examination.

Yeon-woo had little time for dating or self-reflection on his sexual orientation. However, he was unexpectedly forced to reflect on himself at an inconvenient time. And just then, another question dropped.

“Have you also familiarized yourself with the part about ‘Sensitization response’ in the guiding guidelines?”

TL/N: Hi guys, I saw on NU someone gave the first chap 1 rating. Was it bad? Please let me know if there were any problems with my work. I am new and don’t have much experience, so I might have made a mistake. If there is any mistake, please tell me what it is so that I can improve. I promise to do better in the future.