IGWKE Episode 9

Episode 9

Joo-min, still maintaining her composure, frantically tried to extinguish the flames on Heon-ju’s back by flapping a knee blanket at them, but it was futile. This wasn’t a regular fire; it was the product of an Esper’s power, and such flames couldn’t be put out by ordinary means.

Heon-ju himself tried to regain control of his abilities, but his panic only made his already shaky control worse. As soon as one side’s flames subsided, the other side flared up again, like a malfunctioning stove with two burners. It was clear that Heon-ju was just as shocked by the situation as everyone else.

Seeing the flames licking the ceiling, Yoon-ui’s body instinctively reacted. His heart raced, and he started coughing, as if trying to expel soot from his lungs. Heon-ju, still unable to control the fire, alternated between spewing flames and trying to suppress them. Yoon-ui, covering his mouth with one hand, glared at Heon-ju.

“Cough, cough!”

“Are you okay? Oh, what should I do?”

“Heon-ju, sit down, sit down!”

The moment Heon-ju made eye contact with Yoon-ui’s sharp gaze, another column of fire shot up. Worried that the flames might trigger the sprinkler system, Joo-min quickly pushed Heon-ju down to the floor to minimize the damage.

“Cough… Quite the spectacle… cough.”

Fortunately, Yoon-ui managed to compose himself before the office’s fire alarm could go off. Seeing the massive gray figure crouched on the floor, even with a threatening pillar of fire still blazing on his back, the sight was more pitiful than frightening. Once he calmed down, his physiological responses, like his racing heart, subsided as well.

Yoon-ui covered his nose with his sleeve to block out the smoke smell, then began to use a suppression guiding technique. He focused specifically on the area around Heon-ju’s shoulder blades, where the flames were erupting.

As long as the main guide could hold the situation together, any crisis could be resolved. Once Yoon-ui regained his pace and began to control Heon-ju’s abilities, the rampage gradually came to a halt. The flames died down, and the situation was quickly brought under control. As expected of the Central Crisis Management Headquarters, once the threatening fire pillars were gone, everyone swiftly returned to a state of calm.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve been so scared,” Woo-joo sighed in relief, holding onto the research files he had clutched to his chest, having retreated to safety earlier. Jung-woo, too, sat down in his chair with an exhausted expression, having just returned the now slightly smoky documents to Yoon-ui’s desk.

It felt like they had just come back from a mission in the field. After confirming that the flames under Heon-ju’s protective suit had fully extinguished and his powers were under control, Yoon-ui turned his attention to the large, nervous boy and barked out a reprimand.

“Are you a gas tank? Why is fire leaking out of you like that?”

“S-sorry.”

“Ah, he’s still learning. It’s normal for a bit of fire to slip out now and then; no need to yell and scare him!” Joo-min immediately jumped to Heon-ju’s defense, her tone softening as she spoke. But Yoon-ui, never one to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to correcting an Esper, responded with equal fervor.

“So, you’re saying it’s normal to let fire loose anywhere just because he’s got some confidence?”

“You’re exaggerating. It wasn’t like he was deliberately shooting fire; it just flared up!”

“Shooting or flaring, what’s the difference?”

“There is a difference!”

“What is it?”

“The… essence of it?”

“Stop fighting, you two… It’s my fault.”

Thankfully, the rising star of the Esper world didn’t seem to be the type to get cocky over such favoritism. With his face still slightly flushed, Heon-ju repeatedly bowed in every direction, apologizing profusely.

“I’m really sorry! I’m still not very good at controlling it…”

“Oh, it’s okay, really. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re still learning. It’s all part of the process,” Woo-joo chimed in, trying to comfort the dejected Heon-ju while giving Yoon-ui a meaningful look. The glance clearly said, “Don’t scare the kid; try to be more gentle.” But being gentle wasn’t exactly in Yoon-ui’s wheelhouse.

“Sure, it can happen, but…”

The most kindness Yoon-ui could muster was to grumble while reinforcing his guiding, checking if any of Heon-ju’s powers were leaking out and providing any additional guidance needed. For Espers, that was already a significant gesture of kindness. Jung-woo, who happened to benefit from the side-effect of the guiding, smirked.

“You’re surprisingly kind, you know.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m really sorry… because of me…”

“No need to apologize.”

Yoon-ui had been ready to scold the inexperienced Esper, but Heon-ju’s sincere and polite apology threw him off. Normally, Yoon-ui was abrasive with most Espers, but he had a soft spot for those who were genuinely courteous toward him.

Instead of reprimanding Heon-ju for nearly roasting the edges of his documents, Yoon-ui extended his hand toward him.

“Hand.”

Heon-ju, looking confused, glanced between Yoon-ui and Joo-min, unsure of what was being asked of him. It was such a brief, blunt command that even Yoon-ui internally regretted not providing more context. Joo-min, observing the situation, couldn’t resist a jab.

“What, do you think he’s a dog?”

“Just give me your hand.”

Despite the roughness of the command, Heon-ju obediently placed his hand on Yoon-ui’s outstretched palm. Despite his imposing size, it seemed he had a soft-hearted nature. It had been a long time since Yoon-ui encountered such a compliant Esper, and he found himself wanting to show this big “fire-chick” a bit of kindness.

The only thing a sidelined guide like him could offer to a rising star Esper-in-training was a proper guiding. Gathering his energy, Yoon-ui gave Heon-ju a heads-up.

“I’m going to give you some guiding, so stay focused.”

“Yes!”

With the warning in place, Heon-ju made sure to tightly seal off his abilities to prevent any leaks. After confirming that nothing was escaping from Heon-ju, Yoon-ui pushed a strong burst of guiding into him. Unlike the gentle, diffuse guiding, this was a rapid, intense recharge.

Heon-ju’s eyes widened in surprise at the sensation of his energy being rapidly replenished. Then, as the energy continued to fill him, he closed his eyes in contentment.

“Wow…”

This is what real guiding feels like. Yoon-ui couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at Heon-ju’s expression and asked for feedback.

“How does it feel?”

“It feels… like I’m full? Kind of like I just ate something really nourishing, like ginseng.”

Heon-ju spoke with his eyes still closed, expressing his honest impression. This was the kind of reaction that indicated a proper guiding session. Feeling a sense of fulfillment he hadn’t experienced in a while, Yoon-ui continued to infuse more energy, watching as Heon-ju’s expression grew even more relaxed and satisfied.

“Wow… so this is what it feels like when guiding really fills you up.”

Heon-ju mumbled, still with his eyes shut. Yoon-ui carefully observed his face to ensure the guiding was being absorbed evenly. What started as a check to confirm the effectiveness of the guiding slowly turned into simply admiring Heon-ju’s features.

Of course, the first thing that caught his eye was Heon-ju’s eyelashes.

Those eyelashes are so long that ash collects on them.

The memory of their first encounter in the midst of the fire was so vivid that it colored every subsequent interaction. The image of Heon-ju, covered in ash like a relic from Pompeii, was so stark that seeing him now, alive and well, felt both strange and reassuring.

Why was he feeling grateful that Heon-ju was alive, even though he wasn’t his child or even another guide? Unconsciously, Yoon-ui tightened his grip on Heon-ju’s hand.

“Oh, sorry.”

It was unintentional, but he had squeezed harder than he meant to, enough that it could be mistaken for a power struggle during a handshake. He quickly apologized, worried about being misunderstood, but Heon-ju just smiled lazily, his eyes still closed, and playfully squeezed Yoon-ui’s hand back before letting go. The solid strength in Heon-ju’s large, warm hand made Yoon-ui blush slightly.

When he smiles like that, he doesn’t look like just a kid anymore.

When observed closely, Heon-ju’s face had quite strong, defined features. His pale skin made them less noticeable at first glance, but standing close and looking up, each detail became clear. His brow ridge was prominently arched, and the bridge of his nose, which seemed to start almost directly from his brow, was high and well-defined—his bone structure was quite robust.

Although Yoon-ui had initially thought of Heon-ju as much younger, due to his age of twenty and his status as an Esper trainee, scrutinizing his face more carefully revealed that he was indeed an adult.

Yoon-ui’s gaze traveled down from Heon-ju’s nose to his lips, then to his cleanly shaven chin. Naturally, his eyes followed the line of his jaw, down to the curve just below his ear.

In the West, they say a square jaw is a mark of a handsome man, and Heon-ju’s jaw fit that description perfectly. But rather than exuding an overwhelming masculine toughness, the slightly drooping corners of his eyes gave his strong features a softer, almost endearing quality. It was a look that matched his shy demeanor when he had offered the chocolate earlier. It contrasted sharply with Yoon-ui’s own sharp and more angular features, which, like his personality, were the exact opposite of Heon-ju’s. Without even realizing it, Yoon-ui found himself mentally admiring Heon-ju’s appearance.

His gaze then drifted from the jaw to the neck… to the Adam’s apple…

When his eyes reached that point, Yoon-ui suddenly snapped out of it, startled by his own actions. He worried that someone might have noticed how intently he was observing Heon-ju.

Luckily, everyone’s attention was still on Heon-ju, who was basking in the sensation of experiencing a proper guiding from an A-Class veteran for the first time. No one seemed to have noticed where Yoon-ui’s gaze had wandered. Relieved, Yoon-ui gradually retracted his guiding.

“How was it?”

As soon as their hands parted after being connected for several minutes, Yoon-ui felt an unexpected sense of emptiness. Quickly, he shoved his hands into his pockets to preserve the warmth and asked for Heon-ju’s thoughts on the guiding. Heon-ju blinked as if waking from a dream and exclaimed in a voice filled with awe,

“Wow, so this is what proper guiding feels like!”

Ah, that was exactly the compliment Yoon-ui had hoped to hear. He tried to keep his lips from curling into a smile, not wanting to show how pleased he was. But Heon-ju, almost as if he could read Yoon-ui’s mind, continued to hit all the right notes, expressing exactly what Yoon-ui wanted to hear.