SOG Ch 56

Hello. Nodding his head, he warmly smiled and gestured towards Nam Hae-sol beside him.

“This is the apprentice I mentioned.”

“Ah.”

Team Leader Lim didn’t even glance at Nam Hae-sol and was preoccupied with speaking only to Jae-chan.

“It seems like there’s a lot of rain. Your hair is wet.”

Jae-chan was dissatisfied with the finger digging into his scalp, but he passed it anyway because he thought that once Nam Hae-sol showcased her guiding abilities, the Team Leader’s attention would shift.

Team Leader Lim was fiddling with his hair as he looked around the practice room. Team 5 was busy preparing for an event. Kim Geun-won and Jeong Noah are nowhere to be seen.

District 1 Esper-Guide Central Administrative Headquarters occasionally held guiding service events for “Non-Center Esper Individuals.” Not everyone who manifested abilities wanted to work as an Esper, so their existence was natural. Even Chairman Go Yeong-chang, an S-level Esper, solely dedicated himself to J Group’s management.

Therefore, the purpose of the event was also to persuade non-center Esper individuals to participate in guiding. How many would become center members today? It was another opportunity for Jae-chan to survey the indoor area.

“Team Leader!”

At the sound of Jae-chan calling him, he managed to escape the thick palm that was about to pat his head. Once the team leader had left, the two of them received an assigned Esper from the Operations Department.

“What… they’re just kids?”

A 30-something male Esper with a slightly disheveled impression, the kind you might expect to find in an insurance office, glanced over the guides with a disapproving look. Jae-chan’s expression turned stern.

“Please use polite language.”

“Ah, yes, of course. By any chance, if you make a mistake during guiding, will there be compensation for any damages?”

“Contact the Operations Department later.”

“Ugh. My spine is crooked because of the non-center Esper fine law, my spine. Hey, what do you think about that punitive fine system?”

“An interesting perspective.”

“… I haven’t even said anything yet.”

The man raised his frustrated eyes. Observing from the side, Nam Hae-sol enthusiastically stepped in.

“If you become a center member, that would be resolved. You wouldn’t have to pay fines!”

“…That’s a truly interesting perspective.”

Ignoring the man’s disgruntled voice, Jae-chan gestured, “Lie down.” The man nervously rolled his eyes and turned around. It was at this point, as he thought about how he might guide the Esper that was acting like an insurance fraudster, that Jae-chan also stared back disapprovingly.

“Sunbae, the matching rate.”

Looking at the app for guiding, Nam Hae-sol extended her phone, showing the Esper’s name, rank, and matching rate. Because he was registered, this Esper also had a chip implanted in their body.

40%. Not a bad rate. Nam Hae-sol’s innate guiding skills were exceptional, so a slightly lower rate would make her stand out even more.

As Nam Hae-sol prepared for a solo guiding, she removed the plastic wrap from the pad while still tense. She glanced at the Esper who was still grumbling about policies and then whispered to Jae-chan.

“Thank you. Thank you for giving me this wonderful experience.”

Really, thank you. Excitement resonated in Nam Hae-sol’s voice, expressing her gratitude.

Seon Jae-chan’s eyebrows went up. There was no need to be thankful. If it were the past, all of this would have been a procedure she rightfully went through. It was just about putting things back in their proper place after he caused this process to go awry.

“How’s guiding? Do you like it?”

At that moment, Lim Jung-wook, who had been called to the other side of the bed, returned.

Jae-chan glanced around. No one was looking for the team leader now. He seemed to have some free time. He handed the coffee, which he had carefully brought so it wouldn’t get wet, to the team leader.

“Team Leader, it’s a vanilla latte. I remembered you always used to drink this.”

Clink. The sound of ice rattling refreshingly echoed from his hand. He had acquired the information that the team leader had been staying up late recently from his roommate, Jeong Noah.

“Hey, Jae-chan. You know I really love you, right?”

Lim Jung-wook, who received the coffee, said this while tightly rubbing Seon Jae-chan’s shoulder. 

For today, let’s just say I love this guy too. Pay attention to Nam Hae-sol later. Remember her name too. Got it?

Jae-chan managed to accept the contact with a forced smile, hiding his exasperation. Well, he had some ulterior motives too.

“That’s a great opportunity for an apprentice. You’re in good hands.”

Beep, the sound of lights entering various monitoring devices echoed. Whether it was the coffee bribe or not, Lim Jeong-wook willingly engaged in conversation with Nam Hae-sol. Of course, his hand was still firmly on Jae-chan’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Hae-sol’s response felt odd, timed strangely. It was a moment when Jae-chan looked at her curiously. As he moved slightly, Lim Jeong-wook lightly tapped his cheek with his fingertips.

This guy.

Ah, well… yeah. Just endure it, endure it.

After all, physical contact was just a twisted means to relieve suppressed sexual desire for him. As Jae-chan tore open the plastic wrap of the electrode pad, he decided to think of Lim Jeong-wook as a one-night stand. Although he didn’t seem to have much of a resemblance to Go Woo-jin.

Let’s see. Well, yeah, there’s no resemblance at all.

It was time to find some charm in the appearance of an average male who was good only from the back.

“Um… Excuse me…”

Nam Hae-sol was visibly uncomfortable. She held her hands tightly together, straightened her head, and nervously stared. Unfortunately, due to the positioning of the guiding bed and the monitoring devices, she was behind Jae-chan and only visible to Lim Jeong-wook.

Limm Jeong-wook, who had been happily stroking Jae-chan’s hair, became displeased. He twisted his plump lips.

“What is it?”

“Um, maybe…”

Hae-sol seemed to be at a loss for words. She tightly held her hands together and nervously hesitated. Lim Jeong-wook’s eyebrow, as thick as an inchworm, twitched. He couldn’t figure out why the seemingly meek trainee was acting this way.

Even Jae-chan, who had been peacefully nestled in his embrace, turned around in confusion to look in that direction. Shh, you should be looking here. It was the moment when Lim Jeong-wook would flash a smile that seemed rather attractive, accompanied by overly sentimental lines.

“Team Leader Lim Jeong-wook, are you an Esper rather than a Guide?”

Hae-sol blurted out the question all at once. An explanation followed immediately.

“With all due respect, but you seem like an Esper who needs guiding, even more than an Esper about to go on a rampage!”

Her voice was even quite loud.

Lim Jeong-wook was taken aback and jumped away from Jae-chan. The ice cube in the coffee he was holding rattled, and the attention of those around them focused on the scene. Even the complaining Esper lifted his head.

In fact, Team Leader Im Jeong-wook’s habit was quite well known. He was known for discreetly touching only the male Guides, especially those who were rather handsome. If you look at his accumulated behavior, Lim Jeong-wook was walking a fine line.

However, an unheard-of apprentice suddenly touched the line.

A shiver, like pouring ice, permeated the chilly silence.

Jae-chan quickly looked up. Im Jeong-wook’s face was contorted in an unusual expression. He gestured to his junior to calm down quietly, but Hae-sol, like when she ran towards Go Woo-jin earlier, had a tendency to accelerate abruptly. Her small lips were racing.

“Or are you drunk? Even if you say you’re an Esper in need of guiding, getting too close isn’t permissible—”

“Hey! What team are you from?”

Before Hae-sol could finish her statement, a thunderous roar exploded from Im Jeong-wook, like a sudden burst of energy. His trained chest heaved with rough breaths.

Of course, he remembered where that girl was from as soon as the words left his mouth. She had followed the pretty and lively junior from Team 2, so she must have been a trainee from Team 2. He looked into the trembling eyes of the puppy-dog apprentice and shouted.

“Get out! Right now!!”

Damn it.

In Jae-chan’s mind, the blaring red siren lights flashed.

He slipped out from under Team Leader Lim’s arm and gestured to Hae-sol. This time, she had understood correctly, so she quickly followed behind him.

“Uh, Jae-chan?”

Seeing Jae-chan trying to leave in a hurry, Team Leader Lim looked bewildered.

“I’m sorry, Team Leader.”

Jae-chan immediately turned around and apologized. He gave a respectful bow, lowering his body to a 90-degree angle. He gestured to Hae-sol to leave the practice room.

“I’m truly sorry. It was my mistake. I’ll make sure to retrain the inexperienced apprentices properly.”

I’m sorry. He bowed once again. Jae-chan skillfully evaded the hand that reached out to him and retreated with Hae-sol.

Lim Jeong-wook was someone very sensitive to his pride. He could be a bit touchy and hold grudges for a while.

He managed to divert Team Leader Lim’s attention from Hae-sol for the time being. So, there was no reason to hang around him more than necessary.

To ensure that Team Leader Lim didn’t feel like he was chasing a chicken and to express his sadness, regret, and apology, Jae-chan maintained a consistent expression as he stepped back. He bowed again with both hands neatly pressed against his thighs before leaving the practice room.

He descended from the 4th floor to the 1st floor lobby. The clean marble floor was now littered with gray footprints, wet from the rain.

Hae-sol, who had been glancing at him from time to time, whispered softly.

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize to me.”

As they reached the entrance, Jae-chan handed the umbrella he had thoughtfully brought out to Hae-sol.

Even though it felt somewhat wasteful to have spent so much time with the other apprentices from different teams for the sake of today, and even to the extent of dedicating several days to them, it couldn’t be helped. Not everything in the world goes according to one’s plans, after all.