IGWKE Episode 16

Episode 16

It was a stressful day-to-day reality for Yoon-ui. In his heart of hearts, he often wanted to grab Heon-ju by the collar, who kept showing up at the office every single day, and shout:

Hey. Stop liking me. Stop it.

This was Yoon-ui’s honest, unfiltered thought. But even just imagining himself saying such a thing made his skin crawl, his stomach turn, and an intense feeling of discomfort spread throughout his body. He almost felt like breaking out in hives just thinking about it.

Besides, could he even grab Heon-ju’s collar in the first place? The guy was at least 10 centimeters taller and built like a bull, thanks to his S-class Esper status. Sure, he could probably grab his collar with some effort, but did he really want to go that far? After all, he was twelve years older than Heon-ju, a senior in both experience and age. And no matter how awkward or overwhelming this whole first-love situation was, Yoon-ui didn’t want to be unnecessarily harsh to a young guy who was practically brimming with affection just from making eye contact.

You never know, after all. Once this first-love phase passes, if Heon-ju still has a human connection with him, maybe in the future, when Heon-ju climbs higher up the ranks, he could be a useful connection. Realizing where his thoughts were going, Yoon-ui lightly slapped his own cheek.

“Look at me. Such a noble adult, thinking about connections like this.”

He was feeling cornered, not just in terms of his social standing but emotionally as well. Lately, everything had been tiring and irritating, and it wasn’t just because of the romantic comedy he seemed to be living with Heon-ju.

“Yoon-ui, you don’t look too good.”

Woo-joo’s comment drew the attention of the office, and everyone turned to stare at Yoon-ui’s pale face.

“I didn’t sleep well.”

He replied casually, but even Jung-woo, who was always quick with a joke, looked at him seriously, indicating that his condition must indeed be concerning.

“Not sleeping again?”

“Yeah.”

“Are the meds helping?”

“I don’t know, maybe my nerves are too frayed, but they’re not working as well lately.”

Yoon-ui admitted this honestly in response to Joo-min’s concern. It wasn’t uncommon for Espers to suffer from neural headaches, chronic fatigue, or sleep disorders. Though it was rarer for guides, Yoon-ui had struggled with insomnia for quite a while.

He had been receiving nerve stabilizers and sleeping aids through internal prescriptions, but recently, with everything weighing on his mind, sleep had become elusive.

“But you don’t even have any missions recently.”

“I know…”

“Is this all because of Heon-ju? You’re stressing out over him?”

“Seriously, can you stop bringing everything back to him?”

The atmosphere had turned serious for a moment, but of course, the conversation quickly returned to Heon-ju. And as if summoned by their words, the door to the office creaked open, and Heon-ju’s handsome face peeked in.

“Were you talking about me?”

“Did you bug the office or something?” Yoon-ui asked suspiciously.

“No! I just, I don’t know, my hearing’s been really sharp lately,” Heon-ju replied, crossing his arms in front of him defensively, looking genuinely hurt. Seeing this, Woo-joo gestured for him to take a seat and explained.

“That’s from your awakening. When Espers awaken, their physical functions improve, and their senses become more refined.”

“Oh… But it feels like my hearing’s gotten even better than when I first awakened.”

“That’s because your training’s paying off. As you get better at handling your abilities, your senses heighten for survival. Look at you, growing stronger, our S-class.”

“Yeah…”

Heon-ju smiled shyly at the compliment before glancing expectantly at Yoon-ui. He was clearly waiting for some praise from him too. Joo-min, picking up on this, mouthed exaggeratedly at Yoon-ui from behind Heon-ju’s back.

‘Praise him.’

Come on. Praise has to come from the heart, not because someone’s telling you to say it. Otherwise, it’s not praise, it’s just flattery. Grumbling internally, Yoon-ui tried to ignore her, but the hopeful look in Heon-ju’s eyes was too much. He had to say something. Without thinking, Yoon-ui forced out a compliment.

“Uh… yeah. You’re making good progress.”

“Thanks! Hehe…”

Even though it was the most halfhearted praise imaginable, Heon-ju beamed like it was the best compliment in the world.

“Ever since you’ve been guiding me, I feel like my training’s been going so much better.”

“Our little Heon-ju is quite the smooth talker,” Joo-min cut in playfully, unable to resist.

Before Yoon-ui could roll his eyes, Heon-ju shook his head earnestly.

“No, I’m serious. Before, even after getting some guiding, it still felt like my energy was leaking too fast, like it wasn’t dense enough. But with your guiding, it feels packed in tight.”

“Really?”

While Woo-joo and Joo-min, being non-Espers, didn’t seem to fully grasp the concept, Jung-woo nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, his guiding’s solid.”

“Right? With all that extra energy, I can focus better in training and get better results. It’s like there’s a difference in quality.”

“Wow, so you didn’t get your A-rank guiding license by fluke,” Joo-min commented with mock amazement.

With a smug grin, Yoon-ui sat up straight and lifted his chin.

“See that? This is what real skill looks like.”

Just like the abilities of Espers, there were clear differences in the quality of guiding. Not only the total amount of energy a guide could hold or transfer, but the quality of that energy was a crucial factor.

Naturally, this meant that Heon-ju would find more benefit in a short guiding session with Yoon-ui than in all the sessions he’d had with multiple B-class guides. After all, A-class guiding was inherently more potent, and Yoon-ui had the skill to provide a dense, concentrated guiding with minimal physical contact and time.

Guides, like Espers, took pride in their abilities and often felt competitive about their skill levels. Recognition of their talent was always a source of pride. To someone like Yoon-ui, who had been craving fieldwork, Heon-ju’s genuine praise felt like a refreshing sip of water.

“Well, since you’re so thankful to our dear Yoon-ui, how about expressing that gratitude with a cup of coffee?”

Yoon-ui, caught off guard, had momentarily forgotten that there was another hyena lurking in the office. He shot a look of disapproval at Woo-joo, but the man was all smiles, egging on the lovestruck younger man.

“Gratitude is best expressed through material means,” Woo-joo said, grinning.

“What are you teaching a 20-year-old kid?” Yoon-ui snapped.

“The ways of the world,” Woo-joo replied, pretending to put on a mature, worldly expression, though his lips betrayed a smirk. Yoon-ui remembered how Woo-joo and Joo-min often shared intense discussions over the latest dramas during their coffee breaks. He knew what was coming, but it was too late to stop it.

“Yeah, after receiving all that guiding, it’s only right you buy him a coffee,” Joo-min chimed in, giving them both an innocent look.

If Yoon-ui tried to weasel his way out of this now, he’d only become these hyenas’ entertainment for the next week. With a red face, he begrudgingly nodded to Heon-ju, who was eagerly awaiting his response.

“Fine… let’s go to the café just outside then.”

He had fallen into their trap. Behind Heon-ju’s now beaming face, the snickers of his three office tormentors could be heard.

‘You guys better end up in your own workplace romance someday,’ Yoon-ui cursed inwardly.

Pushed by the office’s impromptu support for workplace rom-coms, they ended up leaving the office, though they didn’t go far. In no time, Heon-ju handed him an iced Americano with a slightly disappointed look.

“I’m the one treating you… We should’ve gone somewhere nicer to drink it.”

“Come on. I’m not about to make you pay 5,500 won for a fancy coffee when you’re twelve years younger than me.”

Despite Heon-ju’s efforts to treat him to something nicer outside the center, Yoon-ui had insisted they stick to the nearby office café. The result was a 2,500 won iced Americano. Yoon-ui pumped in syrup three times before inserting the straw.

“I can afford that much, though.”

“Good for you.”

“I just got my training bonus, and I worked part-time before becoming an Esper.”

“Wow, what a filial son.”

Heon-ju’s face grew a little sulky at Yoon-ui’s halfhearted, sarcastic praise.

“I could’ve bought you a slice of cake, too.”

“Too bad the café doesn’t sell fancy desserts like that.”

“The place outside, the one I suggested earlier, has cake. I could go grab some. Their coffee’s good, too.”

“No need.”

Yoon-ui knew full well that the coffee outside was better. He had been taking half of Joo-min’s whenever she brought one from that place. Honestly, anything from outside would be better than what was served here.

Heon-ju glanced around, making sure the café staff wasn’t nearby, and leaned in to whisper.

“Is it true they’re using low-grade beans here?”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“One of the senior Espers who helps with my training.”

“Great, they’re teaching you wonderful things.”

“Is it true?”

“Do you really think it’s true?”

Even as he chided Heon-ju, Yoon-ui couldn’t help but think the rumor wasn’t entirely far-fetched. The coffee from this café had been consistently sour and bitter for years, as if it was some sort of twisted skill.

Yoon-ui didn’t come here because it was good—just because it was close and convenient. On particularly bad days, drinking it felt like sipping coffee-flavored swamp water.

“…But seriously, you don’t want to go outside? I can’t drink this…”

Today seemed to be one of those bad days. After taking a sip, Heon-ju’s expression soured immediately. If not for the syrup, Yoon-ui would’ve wanted to spit his out as well. But now that he had dragged Heon-ju to this café, his pride was on the line. Forcing down another sip, he put on a composed face and said,

“Just bear with it. This is the bitter taste of life.”