SOG Ch 45

“Should we switch to informal speech?”

Jeong Noah spoke up on the spur of the moment. A cold, emotionless gaze met him, but Jeong Noah straightened his shoulders and tried to speak confidently.

“I’m twenty-three. Aren’t you twenty-one?”

Go Woo-jin nodded. Despite his somewhat youthful attitude, there was a subtle sense of maturity that Jeong Noa could feel, so he quickly added,

“No, since I’m speaking informally, you should too. You can use casual speech.”

He looked at Go Woo-jin nervously. There was a moment of silence. In contrast to the uneasiness, a refreshing response came soon after, accompanied by a small laugh, “Sure.”

He became the face of a gentle and handsome S-class Esper in the media with only a slight smile on his lips. Jeong Noah feeling a sense of familiarity in his expression relaxed his tension and sat back against the bedside.

Having a somewhat simple personality, Jeong Noah poured out various stories afterward. Of course, whenever he caught a glimpse of Go Woo-jin’s occasionally distracted gaze, he couldn’t help but feel a strange tension and nervously fidget his legs.

“The team leader is like an oldie. He should have called in the person who is on duty when someone was off duty. But he keeps calling me because I’m close by. I should leave the official residence and move away from the center.”

Jeong Noah, who had been muttering frantically alone, was reminded of team leader Lim Jeong-wook’s strange behavior. ‘How is Jae-chan doing?’ He had a habit of inquiring about Seon Jae-chan’s well-being whenever he called him out, saying that he hadn’t seen Jae-chan’s face in a while.

Seon Jae-chan… Come to think of it, there was something about him yesterday that shocked Noah even more than Team Leader Lim Jeong-wook.

“Right. Yesterday, a senior Esper named Seon Eun-soo came to visit…”

Just like all his previous words, Jeong Noah excitedly poured out the details. Unaware of the sudden change in Go Woo-jin’s gaze, he continued chatting away.

“I’m telling you, it’s real! I mean this!”

In case Go Woo-jin wouldn’t believe it, Noah took out the evidence from the trash can. Noah realized that Go Woo-jin’s cold gaze was fixated on his immaculate white underwear.

“Oh, um, I’ve been going to the urology department lately, and the doctor recommended cotton underwear. It’s not my usual preference… Oh, no, that’s not important.”

In an attempt to conceal his embarrassment, Jeong Noah elaborated on yesterday’s events, blending in his own speculations in a torrent of words.

“Isn’t he a total creep? I was so creeped out, really… I saw it with my own eyes. He thought he was fiddling with Seon Jae-chan’s underwear, not mine!”

He shoved the underwear back into the trash can, feeling irritated. Jeong Noah became aware of the silence in the room.

Go Woo-jin was staring at him with an oddly calm expression. It was a gaze darker than the winter rain outside the window.

Jeong Noah, who was excited by himself, felt embarrassed because Woo-jin didn’t react appropriately. He shrugged and nervously stroked the back of his neck.

“Anyway, you should keep what I said a secret, okay?”

It would not be good for Seon Jae-chan if such rumors spread. It was when Jeong Noah belatedly remembered the consideration for his roommate.

“What. You are going to a urologist?”

A mocking voice echoed back.

Startled, Jeong Noah raised his head for a moment.

Unbeknownst to him, Go Woo-jin had silently stood up. He stood tall and seemed unusually quiet as if he had covered all the already dimmed windows. Noah felt a sense of dejection in the backlit face and the eyes that blinked infrequently.

“And…”

Go Woo-jin opened his mouth, maintaining that same gaze.

“You’re not living alone. Take care of your underwear properly.”

Jeong Noah couldn’t smile, even though Woo-jin’s tone was gentle to the point of wry. Go Woo-jin’s gaze, which appeared calm at first, appeared poised to leap toward him. As if he could just grab him by the collar and subdue him.

“…”

Jeong Noah’s cheeks twitched. Like everyone else, he awoke his hidden ability in times of crisis. His intuition had become sharper.

Even though his pride was hurt, he was unable to recognize such a moment. He nodded quickly. Jeong Noah’s loosened curly hair swayed and landed on his forehead in a hurry. Go Woo-jin quietly straightened his collar and left the room.

*

Only Jeong Noah remained in the room when Seon Jae-chan left the bathroom.

For some reason, Jeong Noah looked lost like a child who had been dropped off in a strange place. Seon Jae-chan asked if he should order some steamed dumplings to cheer him up, but Jeong Noah just shook his head with an expression that he lost his appetite. Instead, he crawled onto the bed without even changing his clothes, acting like a slob. Seon Jae-chan sighed softly, thinking he looked like a filthy brat, but that was all.

After that, several days passed by without a moment’s rest.

Seon Jae-chan was busy trying to find a way to approach Han Tae-hoon, the team leader of Guide Team 1 and the future director of the Guide Division. While performing his duties as a guide for Team 2, he also made efforts to follow Han Tae-hoon’s schedule and leave his traces.

Han Tae-hoon.

He was an S-class Multi-guide who also possessed A-class Esper abilities. As a trusted relative of President Gyeong Jeon-seok, he not only had unrivaled power but also wielded a tight influence within and outside the guide industry, like a vine entwined around a thorny tree.

Seon Jae-chan, who was once his loyal follower, thought he knew how to win the team leader’s favor.

That was until he experienced countless acts of disregard, both verbal and non-verbal, from Han Tae-hoon.

‘Why are you not in touch? Even the old man is looking for you.’

Should he have followed Gyeong Chang-hyun as a stepping stone at that time?

No matter how hard he tried, Han Tae-hoon only nodded briefly, as he did with other distinguished guides, without giving Seon Jae-chan any attention.

On that day, Seon Jae-chan participated in a mock training session for Guide Team 1. He ran tirelessly, pulling two amplifiers until he was out of breath, but an overwhelming sense of emptiness suddenly washed over him. If Jae-chan had known that Han Tae-hoon would behave like a stranger, he would have stayed right next to him when he called from the beginning.

‘I can’t figure out why he’s treating me coldly.’

As Seon Jae-chan contemplated the changed attitude of his former superior, winter deepened.

[Esper-Guide Research Status and Future Innovation Strategy Seminar]

That day marked the end of the year, and a gathering was planned for the center’s key figures and military officials.

The event, disguised as a seminar but more like a one-sided lecture, was held in the main hall of District 1’s finest five-star hotel, and was attended by prominent figures from the center and military.

President Gyeong Jeon-seok was entrusted with delivering the opening speech at the seminar, which was possibly an extension of the 30th inauguration anniversary event. People commented on his gaunt appearance as if he had suffered in the meantime.  But Seon Jae-chan had never been curious about the President’s physique, neither in the past nor at present.

His only concern was Han Tae-hoon.

He glanced at the pamphlet with the schedule. After the introductory lecture, there were scheduled presentations by renowned figures in various fields, and Han Tae-hoon was the presenter for the Guide Division’s case.

It was right before the seminar started. Seon Jae-chan approached and stayed close to Team 2’s leader, Team Leader Hong Ye-deok, intending to give Han Tae-hoon a meaningful look.

“It’s been a while, Team Leader Han.”

“Ah. Team Leader Hong Ye-deok.”

Han Tae-hoon smiled at a glance and shook hands with the team leader of Team 2.

As the seminar was held outside the center, the team leader of Team 1 wore a well-fitted suit rather than military attire. Seon Jae-chan noticed the sophisticated colors of Han Tae-hoon’s high-quality suit, which adorned his sturdy chest and exuded the distinct aura he usually carried. It was obvious that it was a product of a rare brand that only produced a few thousand pieces per year.

“Our Guide Seon seems to have great respect for you, Team Leader Han. I’m so jealous.”

Hong Ye-deok, whose motto was to live as she pleased, made an insincere remark. Seon Jae-chan was relieved when he heard his hollow laughter, but Han Tae-hoon didn’t even look in his direction.

“It was a pleasure to see you, Team Leader.”

Han Tae-hoon stared only at team leader Hong Ye-deok until the end and smiled as if he was sincere. Seon Jae-chan’s heart sank. It had been like this for nearly a month, and he still couldn’t figure out why Han Tae-hoon was behaving like this.

‘You’re just like me.’

In the past, wasn’t he the one who occupied Han Tae-hoon’s position and even heard such words? Nothing had changed since then, so why was he acting like a completely different person, treating him with hostility?

Jae-chan wondered if it was because he ignored Han Tae-hoon’s call a couple of times.

Seon Jae-chan concealed a sigh of disappointment and escorted Hong Ye-deok back to her seat. After briefly greeting the senior officials of the center who filled the round tables, he returned to his seat in the viewing seats.

“I was wondering why you wanted to come to such a boring seminar.”

Gyeong Chang-hyun with his long legs stretched out and partially concealed under an oversized, bright red padded jacket, let out a chuckle while casting a glance at Seon Jae-chan.

“Was Han Tae-hoon the target, not Go Woo-jin?”

Among the crowd occupying the round table were Espers belonging to E-SOF. Needless to say, the seat Gyeong Chang-hyun had been assigned to was right behind them, so Seon Jae-chan could see the E-SOF Espers more clearly than team leader Han Tae-hoon.