SOG Ch 105

“Running?”

Jae-chan responded as such. Every morning, he would come out of his dorm and run just five laps around the road leading to the training center, the guide’s lodging, and the library. It was the most efficient course Jae-chan found, with a lot of shade from street trees.

“How long?”

Even though he knew from the follower that Jae-chan did it every single day, Woo-jin asked the question as if it was his first time hearing it.

“…I try to run every day.”

“Do you like running?”

“Hmm… I don’t like it very much.”

Half-drowsy, Jae-chan thought that maybe even the morning jog was part of the project. Just like how physical fitness is the foundation for seizing opportunities, basic body maintenance was necessary.

That was the end. Woo-jin’s gaze seemed puzzled. Jae-chan ran even though he didn’t like it every time he had free time.

Was that all? Was there no other hobby? Something done for oneself?

He didn’t engage in such foolish questioning. Woo-jin was lost in thought and instead spoke quietly about himself.

“I listen to music or watch documentaries… I watch movies these days.”

“… What are you watching?”

“Romance?”

Jae-chan burst into laughter even in his sleep. There was a soft smile on Woo-jin’s lips.

In the quiet space with dimmed lights, Woo-jin’s soft voice describing movie plots began to flow. Jae-chan caught between dream and reality, thought that the voice seeping in like a lullaby was truly pleasant. The gentle touch that stroked his eyebrows too.

Then, when Woo-jin suggested, “The protagonist also jogs in the morning like you. Shall we run together someday?” Jae-chan laughed again. He couldn’t help but think that Woo-jin was indeed a wonderful sponsor.

Jae-chan, who had been holding back the pouring sleep because he wanted to continue hearing his voice, pulled Woo-jin into his arms and hugged him when he finally quieted down. Woo-jin kissed his fragrant forehead and caressed his rich, unruly hair as if wishing him a good night’s sleep.

He felt the hand embracing his waist. Just before falling asleep, Jae-chan thought that even though he wasn’t dreaming, this moment truly felt like a dream.

*

The day after spending the night at the hotel, Woo-jin came straight to Jae-chan’s lodging with his luggage.

It seemed like it would be more comfortable to stay at a hotel than at the Guide’s accommodation, but Jae-chan didn’t say anything about it. From his point of view, it was naturally better to be with Woo-jin for a long time.

Instead, Woo-jin felt apologetic.

“It’s your day off, but you can’t even relax because of me.”

Woo-jin said as he put down the large bag containing the clothes.

“What? I’ve received so much help from you.”

As Jae-chan clapped his hands, his phone rang. “Just a moment.” Jae-chan answered the call. It was from the bartender.

Jae-chan picked up his cell phone and headed out into the hallway, recalling Gyeong Chang-hyun’s refusal to reveal who he was with until the end and the reaction on his face as he turned away from him with Jeong Yeon-oh the next day. He heard the bartender’s voice whispering about whether the owner was nearby.

– Sending the CCTV footage is a bit tricky. When there’s no one in the shop, I’ll take a video of the screen with my phone and send it to you. Is that okay?

“Yes, thank you very much. Please also provide your account number.”

Jae-chan lowered his voice and answered.

Meanwhile, Woo-jin, who was left alone in the room, looked out the window.

In the distance, a small gray sedan the size of a fingernail gleamed under the trees. It was the same car he saw yesterday when entering Jae-chan’s lodging parking lot.

“…”

He closed the window. Turning away, Woo-jin started to scrutinize every corner of the room with a cold gaze.

He knew that Seon Jae-chan’s roommate had been taking a leave since yesterday. It was a temporary return to his hometown in America due to family matters. Jeong Noah was scheduled to return in four days. Woo-jin planned to stay here until then.

After confirming that there were no signs of intrusion or anything suspicious, he took off his clothes and entered the shower.

The two of them spent some time apart even after lunch. During this time, Woo-jin fiddled with the considerably diminished candle jar and then pulled out his tablet to watch documentaries or play games.

Jae-chan often went out to answer the phone. This time the call was not from the bartender, but from a civic group with whom he often communicated. Woo-jin asked about it with Jae-chan, who had to get up multiple times because of this.

“Are you uncomfortable because of me? Go ahead and make your calls here; I’ll step out.”

“I’m doing it on purpose as an exercise.”

Jae-chan smiled saying he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything if he just sat in front of his desk.

“Who is it?”

“Um, it’s the ‘United Freedom Federation,’ a civic group. Looks like they want to talk to me because I’m a major donor.”

What could Jae-chan be talking to a civic group about?

Jae-chan pretended not to notice that Woo-jin was staring at him, which seemed to ask for further explanation and changed the topic. Woo-jin gave the bed space to Jae-chan who was approaching and showed him the tablet.

“You’re still playing this?”

It was a strategy simulation game that Woo-jin occasionally played since childhood. Not particularly interested in the game, Jae-chan watched the tranquil scene of Woo-jin’s fingers moving and then settled next to him.

Woo-jin, who was clearly looking like he was about to take a nap, turned off the tablet. Jae-chan looked bewildered as he saw Woo-jin take out his earphones and charge them.

“Are you going to sleep too?”

“Yeah.”

He moved back to Jae-chan’s side. He lay as close to the wall as possible to make room for the comfortably lying Jae-chan.

In the ambiguous time between afternoon and evening, while observing Jae-chan stretching, Woo-jin asked.

“Anything unusual these past few days?”

“…? What do you mean by unusual?”

Woo-jin just looked down at Jae-chan. After pondering over various thoughts, he decided to express his thoughts straightforwardly.

“I heard Esper Seon Eun-soo returned to Korea.”

That was his reason for insisting on staying at Jae-chan’s lodging and even carrying his luggage because he heard from Jae-chan’s roommate about an incident where Seon Eun-soo had intruded here without permission. Given that the roommate was already away for a few days, leaving Jae-chan alone in the room made him uneasy.

Soon, a smile appeared on Jae-chan’s face.

“Are you trying to protect me?”

Were you worried? Jae-chan asked happily, recalling the violent accident that caused Seon Eun-soo to leave for the American Union.

Of course, even if Seon Eun-soo snooped around nearby, the probability of him coming to the dormitory was very small. This place was where that brat had been humiliated in front of Jeong Noah. There was little chance that Seon Eun-soo, who had a sensitive personality and fragile mentality to return here because it would bring back memories of that incident.

Jae-chan, who was planning to use it as an opportunity to train his mind even if Seon Eun-soo showed up, felt his heart warming slowly as he saw Woo-jin nodding.

Unbeknownst to him, a sense of relief was also included in that emotion. Despite feeling uneasy about Seon Eun-soo, Jae-chan suddenly remembered the advice from researchers who had been in charge of his mental defense training in the past.

‘Thinking language training and mental barrier imaging are important, but it’s also important to feel stability and relief in everyday life.’

He had received advice to foster trust in others, a desire to rely on colleagues, and other similar emotions if he wanted to enhance the results of his training. This was an aspect that had been quite lacking in Jae-chan in the past.

Considering that, his current fragile state of mind might not be all that bad.

Anyway, his sponsor had the best sense of responsibility.

“The bed is narrow.”

The Guide’s accommodation was quite well-equipped, but it was not enough for two healthy men to lounge around comfortably. Using that excuse, Jae-chan came closer.

Woo-jin glanced at the approaching Jae-chan and briefly clenched his fist. Jae-chan looked beautiful whether he was dressed or undressed. Woo-jin resisted the urge to reach into his clothes and touch the soft spots.

Instead, he extended his arms and pulled him into a hug. Jae-chan appeared satisfied despite the fact that he was only taking a nap, so Woo-jin was as well

He gently brushed his lips against Jae-chan’s tangled hair and fell asleep. It seemed as if something soft had settled in Woo-jin’s heart and was gently tickling him. It was a very pleasant nap.

*

[Sending CCTV footage.]

The next morning, Jae-chan received the CCTV footage captured by the pub bartender on the day of the incident. The bartender had added some helpful insights in a text message.

[Only in this CCTV, the area where customers place their glasses is a blind spot. We don’t know who drugged the victim, but it’s possible they targeted customers who knew about it and sat in this spot.]

The footage was only about 5 minutes long. The bar counter was diagonally positioned in the frame, and Chang-hyun was sitting with the victim around the middle. A man sitting right next to Chang-hyun on his other side was visible. Jae-chan recognized the face.

It was the apprentice Guide from Team 1. The young guide who was fixated on a superstition after encountering it just once.

‘I’m not Cha Ye-jun.’

Jae-chan vaguely remembered the steps that the apprentice took while grumbling to Gyeong Chang-hyun and choosing the color of the block.

In the footage, the three of them were in the middle of looking at tarot cards. Several cards seemed to be teetering in the apprentice Guide’s hand as if they were about to fall. From the situation, it seemed like they were reading the romantic fortune of the victim and Chang-hyun. Was that the last person they met? Jae-chan frowned in suspicion.

At the bottom of the screen, a woman sitting next to the victim suddenly reached out her hand. She was sitting slightly apart from the victim, so no one would have thought she was with them.