SOG Ch 59

When he thought of guiding, there was a face inevitably came to mind.

As he pictured the distinctive features of that face… surprisingly, a feeling akin to excitement washed over him.

He was going to find a way to get rid of the tinnitus and headaches. Even though he was prepared for an out-of-control episode in September of last year, he completely calmed him down. It reminded him of the hands that had carefully guided him before arriving in District Z, as well as the feelings of concern and sincerity that tickled like feathers.

He’d be lying if he said that guiding wasn’t good.

Suddenly, his throat felt dry. After thoroughly inspecting the unremarkable interior of the bunker once more, Go Woo-jin turned his steps around.

He intended to return to District 1 without delay. He had brought along just one file folder, which contained the documents marked with the black feather-like symbol that had caught his attention. The enigmatic black diagram was sucked into the pocket of his military jacket.

*

A few hours later, District 1 Central Management Headquarters.

Upon hearing that the E-SOF unit had returned, Seon Jae-chan ran to the helicopter landing site. What he was met with was Go Woo-jin’s absence.

“What! Of course, I thought all of E-SOF’s troops were returning and called their pair Guide!”

In the still-pounding rain at the heliport, amidst the noise of the helicopter, the voice of an administrative staff member rose to be heard over the sound. She explained apologetically with a remorseful expression.

“It seems that Go Woo-jin Esper has yet to arrive!”

Shhhaa, large beacons cast clear light over the black concrete floor that was soaked from hours of rain. Among the weary faces of the arriving Espers, Go Woo-jin was nowhere to be seen. Watching the E-SOF members heading to the Guide Center in groups of three or five, Seon Jae-chan exchanged greetings with a staff member and left the scene.

Considering that even the administrative staff didn’t know, it was evident that there was a classified reason for Go Woo-jin’s absence. There was no use in asking questions in this situation.

So Seon Jae-chan, who had returned to the dorm, met Woo-jin in the middle of the night half a day later.

It was past 9 o’clock. There was a knock at the door, and Seon Jae-chan pushed his chair out of the way. He opened the door and came face to face with the one he had been searching for in the afternoon.

“…”

For a moment, silence hung between them as the threshold stood between them.

Seon Jae-chan was understandably surprised, and Go Woo-jin belatedly realized that he had come into the guide’s quarters.

“I’m sorry. I should have called.”

Woo-jin apologized in a lower-than-usual voice. His face was as clean as if he had just washed it, but Seon Jae-chan could tell he was tired. The redness around his eyes, his complexion, and the twisted wavelength that seemed distorted like the tension in the conflict zone he had just returned from.

Jae-chan couldn’t take his eyes off Go Woo-jin’s eyes, who needed guiding for a while. Sometimes, those pupils felt like the crosshairs of a bullet aimed at his chest. They made people tense and jittery.

“Come in.”

He spoke, carefully modulating his voice. Fortunately, Jeong Noah wasn’t around. Well, even if he was, it wouldn’t have mattered much. If they were to argue, the number of times that troublemaker had brought guests was much higher.

Woo-jin leaned the long umbrella he had brought by the front door and went inside.

Having visited this place twice, he was fairly familiar with the layout of the two-person studio apartment. The bed and desk on the right were Seon Jae-chan’s.

There were books strewn here and there, newspaper clippings, various reference books, a closed laptop, and even a yellow pamphlet for Universal Park that was randomly placed to one side. As Go Woo-jin scanned the room, his gaze inadvertently landed on the owner of the room.

Contrary to the usual encounters where Seon Jae-chan was dressed in a Guide’s attire, he was now wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt. There were no handprints now, and his white neck was especially captivating. It was accentuated even more by the fact that the T-shirt was pitch black and the lighting was dim.

He was in the process of closing the wide-open window. His clothes pulled, revealing his waistline. It was when he thought the cool air that had brushed against his hair and entered the room seemed refreshing.

Go Woo-jin recognized the direction of his own gaze and quickly averted his eyes. A hint of surprise appeared in the slightly furrowed brows.

Could it be because of the instability in wavelength?

After a while, Seon Jae-chan’s voice reached him a step later.

“Um… I do clean up. It’s just that things haven’t been organized properly.”

Jae-chan excused himself, adjusting the stacks of books that had almost fallen over onto the auxiliary chair. He had no idea where to begin cleaning up the shambles. For the time being, he cleared the items from the bed.

“Do you want to sit here?”

Go Woo-jin obediently approached and sat down. He lowered his large frame quietly and awkwardly brushed his hair back with angular hands.

Somehow, Seon Jae-chan felt that Go Woo-jin was acting a bit uneasy. Even though it was only natural for an Esper to request guiding from a pair Guide, Seon Jae-chan couldn’t help but wear a soft smile, and he had a strange thought all of a sudden.

Just like before heading to the conflict zone, Go Woo-jin had personally come to find him this time as well.

Instead of an Esper in need of guidance calling for a Guide, this situation was an Esper coming to find a Guide directly.

Although Seon Jae-chan himself intended such a situation in the past, the Guide usually did not go. The Espers who needed guidance were in the same position as the patient.

“You should have called. You came in person the other time too.”

Jae-chan muttered to himself like he was talking to himself and then remembered.

Go Woo-jin was originally like that.

Since he was young. Even before they both formally enlisted and even when they became a pair informally. The younger Woo-jin had always come to him whenever he needed guidance.

At first, Jae-chan thought he was just annoying.

Nevertheless, the two selfish reasons that led him to guide Go Woo-jin were because his father had asked him to and because guiding an S-class Esper would undoubtedly be beneficial for his Guide career.

Looking back, his guiding at that time was insincere and lousy. It was even worse because his mindset was different.

However, unlike other Espers, Go Woo-jin always came directly to seek guidance instead of summoning the guide. Until both of them were formally integrated into the Center’s system as an Esper and a Guide, Go Woo-jin had never called Jae-chan once. He always came in person. However, Jae-chan sometimes refused by claiming he was busy, and at times he even made him wait for a long time.

As if he needed Seon Jae-chan desperately.

It was somewhat gratifying. He had started to fix his gaze on Go Woo-jin’s back since then.

It was due to the fact that even though Go Woo-jin needed him urgently, he never showed any impatience or annoyance. He always waited patiently.

It was a memory of a time when Jae-chan was even more immature than when he was younger.

“…”

The smile on Seon Jae-chan’s face had faded. He was angry at himself for being so selfish, but the thoughts that suddenly came to mind made his throat tighten a little.

He wanted to go back to that time if he could.

If that were possible, he would be the one to come find him. He wouldn’t make Woo-jin wait in pain.

“… I will guide you.”

Driven by the thought that he didn’t want to make him wait any longer, Seon Jae-chan approached Go Woo-jin quickly.

He sat facing him on the bed and held his hand. Along with the warmth of their skin touching, it blended with the slightly tingling wavelengths.

“You said the matching rate test was March 7th.”

Jae-chan broke the rhyme. Go Woo-jin tightened his fingertips against the flinching. The guidance that was coming into contact with him was excessively soothing.

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad the mission ended on time.”

Seon Jae-chan muttered lightly. He mentally reviewed that there was only about a week left until the reserved date.

He would have to ask Nam Hae-sol to adjust the time a bit. She had a different attitude today because she didn’t like the old team leader flirting with him, but she’s kind-hearted, so she’ll do him a favor.

He closed his eyes. He concentrated on aligning himself with Go Woo-jin’s waveform, which scattered like a shimmering blur beneath the surface of sleep.

On the other hand, Go Woo-jin, who was controlling his fingertips trying to move on their own due to itchiness, raised his gaze inadvertently. He glanced at Seon Jae-chan’s closed eyelids and found it puzzling. Through his eyelids, Woo-jin could feel Jae-chan’s emotions flowing along with the wavelengths.

Why is he apologizing?

He should be the one who should be sorry for coming to him all of a sudden.

Unlike Seon Jae-chan, Go Woo-jin wasn’t the type whose emotions were easily transmitted during guiding. That became a source of slight dissatisfaction for the first time. He wished he could express his feelings without using words. He wanted to convey that he was grateful and that he should be the one to apologize.

Go Woo-jin’s thick throat tightened.

Jae-chan wasn’t particularly talkative by nature. His usual reticence was now even heavier, almost like a heavy layer, and he couldn’t muster his voice. Go Woo-jin stubbornly stared at Jae-chan’s firm eyebrows, almost as if he were defying his guide’s determined expression, and eventually lowered his gaze.

Jae-chan also conveyed unintended emotions only through guiding, not words.

There was only silence between the two. The night of spring rain deepened silently with each person’s feelings that were conveyed and not conveyed.

*

A few days later, in the Guide Team 2 office.

“Nam Hae-sol. Are you available on March 7th?”

Seon Jae-chan, who came to the office after a long absence, approached Nam Hae-sol, who was sorting through the files.

It was the first time they had encountered each other since Nam Hae-sol had abruptly left the Guide Engineering Research Institute. Jae-chan hadn’t been able to come to the center for a few days due to field work. He waited for a suitable time to talk to Hae-sol alone. He didn’t want the other apprentices to think he was being unfair if they knew she was doing the matching rate measurement with Woo-jin.

“Yes, Guide-nim. No, Sunbae-nim.”

Nam Hae-sol, who seemed not to have even noticed Jae-chan’s presence, suddenly stood up and responded.