TDG Ch 23

While exchanging silly jokes with Jihyuk, I noticed some dust clinging to his shoulder and reached out to brush it off. Jihyuk caught my hand and began playing with it, intertwining our fingers or tickling them.

We were giggling and fooling around when I suddenly realized how oddly quiet the room had become. One of the staff members who had been looking our way hurriedly averted their eyes. No, rather than turning away, it looked more like they were flustered and avoiding us.

“…?”

Before I knew it, the entire room’s attention was focused on us. Dozens of eyes gleamed with curiosity and a faint trace of speculation. I swallowed hard.

An S-rank Esper is like an idol in the Center. Especially Han Jihyuk, a top-tier promising newcomer who appeared for the first time in a long while, surrounded by everyone’s envy and expectations. The fact that I was playfully holding hands with such a person naturally drew attention.  

It was mostly because we had grown too accustomed to this kind of skinship that we forgot we weren’t alone. I should’ve kept in mind that this was outside the living quarters. At this rate, the rumor would spread even faster than if Chief Park Sangjun started talking about it himself.

…Whatever. Let them misunderstand all they want. That’s what I wanted anyway.

So they’d better get the message and not even dream of making a move on our Jihyuk.

“Is the shoot over?”

“I’m just waiting for the word that we can go.”

“Han Jihyuk-nim, I’ll remove your makeup for you.”

A woman, presumably the makeup artist, approached. Even as Jihyuk sat down to get his makeup cleansed, he refused to let go of my hand, as if afraid I might leave.

“Alright. The photos came out great. With a model like this, there’s no need for a reshoot.”

A cheerful voice accompanied the entrance of a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard, exuding presence as he strode into the studio. Judging by his outfit and how respectfully the staff stepped aside, he seemed to be the photoshoot director.

With a light step, the director came closer, then tilted his head at the sight of me.

“And you are…?”

“I’m Seo Juwon. Esper Han Jihyuk’s Guide.”

“Ah~ The Guide. I see.”

His gaze shifted to our joined hands. I tried to pull mine away, but Jihyuk only tightened his grip. Unable to move, I stood there awkwardly while the director’s sharp eyes swept up and down, assessing me.

“Would you stand over there for a moment?”

He pointed toward the studio’s photo zone.

“…Excuse me? Me?”

“Yes, you. Seo Juwon-ssi, Esper Han Jihyuk’s Guide.”

The director’s smile deepened, the wrinkles around his eyes folding with amusement.

I hesitated, not understanding his intention, but he pressed impatiently, “What are you waiting for? Go on, stand there.”

Wh-what? He really wants me to stand there? If I hesitated any longer, he looked ready to come push me himself.

“Are you going to take pictures of me?”

“Of course. Why else would I ask you to stand there?”

I was dumbfounded. With such a perfect subject right next to me, why me? That would be a waste of a hundred rolls of film.

“No, actually, let’s have both of you stand together. We might just create a masterpiece today.”

For some reason, the director was fired up, eyes gleaming as he even pulled the seated Han Jihyuk to his feet.

“Director, Han Jihyuk-ssi’s makeup has all been wiped off, though.”

“That’s fine. Jihyuk’s facial features are already sharp enough. We just need to adjust the tones a bit.”

Pushed along by his insistence, I awkwardly stepped into the photo zone with Jihyuk. The director, brimming with excitement, rushed over to the main camera. At his call for standby, the scattered staff quickly gathered and began adjusting the equipment’s settings.

Lights flared to life from every direction, and when the reflectors all turned toward us, blinding brightness struck my face so intensely that I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Don’t squint, open your eyes! Good. Keep it natural, just face each other. We’re only doing a quick test shoot.”

Despite the director’s soothing words, my nerves didn’t calm easily. I’d never liked taking pictures, and the few times I’d stood in front of a camera could be counted on one hand.

Natural? What’s that even supposed to mean? How do you look natural?

Unable to find the right focus, I just fidgeted awkwardly until Jihyuk wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Thanks to that, I ended up half-embraced before I realized it.

“Oh, perfect! Stay just like that. Guide-ssi, lift your chin a little and look at your Esper! Great. Hold it! Slightly relax your eyes a bit and lift the corners of your mouth. That’s even better! Natural!”

The director’s excited voice boomed throughout the studio.

Relax my eyes and lift my mouth? I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but I did as I was told and twisted my face with all my might.

* * *

I thought he would let me go after a few shots. But no, the flashes kept firing endlessly, as if they didn’t know the meaning of stopping. It was so intense it felt like my retinas were being scorched and my soul was being sucked out.

Look this way, stand over there, smile, lower your eyes, lift your eyes… The demands were endless. My body was tense, the lights were too bright, and I felt like my optic nerves were going to burn out. Before long, I was so disoriented I could barely understand what anyone was saying. Still, I tried my best to comply with every command until frustration finally bubbled up inside me.

What happened to this being a test shoot? Why are we still going? Can’t you see I’m moving like a broken tin robot right now?

Only after I was completely drained did I barely manage to escape the director’s clutches. Stumbling out of the photo zone, I could still see the afterimages of the flashes swirling before my eyes. Leaning on Jihyuk’s hand, I slumped into a nearby chair.

I was too dizzy to open my eyes. Covering my eyelids with my hand, I sighed. This was insane. How do actors and celebrities go through this every day? As I let out another long breath, a sudden cool touch against my cheek startled me.

“It’s me. Drink some water, Hyung.”

Jihyuk smiled softly as he held out a cup. Seeing the rippling water inside reminded me of how thirsty I was. I quickly took it and downed it in one go. The cold liquid slid down my throat, jolting me awake and clearing my head a little.

“Was it that hard? You don’t look so good.”

Jihyuk’s hand came up to my forehead, just as cool and gentle as the water he’d given me. Feeling better, I pressed my cheek into his palm and let out a slow breath.

“It’s nothing. I’m just a little dizzy from all those flashes…”

“Then rest here until you feel better.”

Even as he spoke in a worried tone, Jihyuk’s eyes were smiling. He knelt down beside me, crouching to lower himself, and gently wrapped his hands around my knees as he gazed up at me. I tapped the seat beside me with my fingertips.

“Don’t sit on the floor, sit on the chair.”

“I like it better here.”

He shook his head playfully. Every time he did that, I couldn’t help but want to run my fingers through Han Jihyuk’s hair. I always felt like he was hiding a pair of puppy ears in there somewhere, but no matter how hard I looked, they never showed up.

“Han Jihyuk, you’ve been smiling nonstop since earlier. What’s got you so happy?”

“Because Hyung came quickly, and we even took pictures together.”

He’s this happy over something like that? Honestly, why does this guy always manage to move people so easily?

“Then let’s take pictures together more often from now on.”

At my words, Jihyuk grinned brightly.

“Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I last took photos. I hope they turn out well, don’t you think?”

“They will. Hyung is pretty.”

“Ha ha ha! What? Our Jihyuk’s got some serious rose-colored glasses on.”

I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach, but Jihyuk just gave me a strange look.

“I mean it, Hyung. You really are pretty.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for saying your hyung is pretty.”

Getting a compliment on my looks from a man so handsome he could shake heaven and earth was a little embarrassing, but not unpleasant. People’s sense of attraction really is subjective. I casually played along, grabbed his cheek, and gave it a playful stretch.   

Then that sulky Siberian Husky expression returned. I agreed with you, so what’s with that look again, you little rascal?

“Hyung, do you know that you…”

Jihyuk was about to say something with uncharacteristic determination when his watch chimed with an incoming message.

“You got a message?”

“They said my assigned team’s been decided.”

“Yeah? Which one?”

“Team 1.”

Team 1 was generally made up of highly skilled, well-mannered Espers. That was good news. But almost immediately, a chill ran down my spine.

Wait, that’s Song Hyunho’s team…!

The phrase “well-mannered team” came to mind first precisely because its captain was Song Hyunho. Damn it. I take back what I said about this being good news. It’s actually the worst possible match. After what happened during the Suitability Evaluation, Jihyuk can’t even hear Song Hyunho’s name without his expression twisting in distaste. So why on earth would they assign him to that team?

“…Shall we talk about it on the way to Building B?”

After saying goodbye and thanking the studio staff for their work, we finally left the place.

Building B was the section of the Center where active Espers and Guides worked and waited for deployment. There were a total of thirteen integrated Esper-Guide teams.

Just as I belonged to Guide Team 2, Espers were also assigned to their respective teams for missions.

At the Center’s level, all incoming missions were large-scale. Gate Break recoveries and organized crime purges were things even the strongest Espers couldn’t handle alone, which made team operations essential.

So in the end, which team an Esper joined was crucial, and Team 1 was the most sought-after of them all.

Led by S-rank Song Hyunho, the team consisted of a balanced mix of A- to B-rank Espers with diverse abilities. They worked together with near-perfect coordination, though it was more accurate to say Song Hyunho only kept around the kind of people who meshed well with him.

So technically, joining that team was a great opportunity for our Jihyuk, too… but this situation was tricky. How was I supposed to explain that to him?