TG Ch 10(1) Part 1

Seo Gyuho knew his own shortcomings better than anyone.

It was a personality trait that could be both a weakness and a strength. It was a weakness because his lack of confidence held him back, but it was a strength because acknowledging his shortcomings motivated him to grow.

That’s why Seo Gyuho always sought validation from others. His habit of readily sharing his worries hadn’t changed even at twenty-two.

“…Honestly, even with the age difference, I really thought… he liked me…”

Seo Gyuho said listlessly, sitting on a bench.

It was late morning, and the F12 Center, surrounded by the lake, was particularly beautiful, but the scenery didn’t register.

“When I told him I was being bullied by a scary senior, he personally reprimanded him… He smiled so sweetly at the drinking party and even called me cute.”

Seo Gyuho deliberately avoided revealing who he was talking about. He was worried it would cause problems if it came out that he was referring to Baek Sijin, a diagnostic examiner, not a fellow ability user.

Pathetically, Seo Gyuho still blushed remembering Sijin’s quiet smile at the drinking party. But it had all been a drunken act.

“He was always kind to me during work, and during lectures, he hugged me, only me, out of all the trainees. …Wouldn’t anyone misunderstand that? I’m really shocked…”

Seo Gyuho drained the can in his hand. He wished it were alcohol, but it was just a vitamin drink that did little to soothe his broken heart.

“Even though he was an ordinary person, I was really falling for him…”

Seo Gyuho muttered to himself, and the other person chuckled. But Seo Gyuho didn’t mind being laughed at. It had all been a misunderstanding… He was even laughing at himself.

“But seeing him in the guiding room with someone completely unexpected made my head spin. Why him, of all people? I would have understood if it were another ability user… No, he was the last person I expected to be with an ability user…”

“Well, he does have that image.”

The other person agreed. Seo Gyuho felt a sense of comfort just having someone listen and understand.

Huh? Seo Gyuho suddenly felt a pang of unease.

‘I didn’t say who it was…’

And yet, the other person had agreed as if they knew everything.

Seo Gyuho looked up curiously. He saw the other person’s handsome face as he quietly sipped his coffee. His jaw was clenched tight, the muscles prominent.

“We were such fools to wait, huh? Fuck…”

Ham Geonwu said, laughing harshly. The coin that had been spinning in the air above his hand due to his telekinesis stopped abruptly.

Ham Geonwu slowly clenched his fist. The coin, floating in mid-air, folded in half like paper.

Seo Gyuho stared at the coin, his eyes wide with shock. He knew about it, but it was still an incredible display of telekinetic power and control. Killer Whale, a senior who was usually friendly with the trainees, could be just as terrifying as Captain Shark when he was angry.

And we? Curious, Seo Gyuho cautiously asked, despite his fear, “Um, senior… Are you alright?”

“Why?”

“Well… You seem… angry.”

Seo Gyuho added hesitantly, “I apologize if I did something wrong…”

There was no reply, which made him even more nervous.

Ham Geonwu looked at Seo Gyuho indifferently. One of his thick, black eyebrows was raised slightly, giving him a rebellious look. 

Then he asked, as if puzzled, “You’re right. Why am I angry?”

“……”

Seo Gyuho, no longer sad, just lowered his head nervously.

Ham Geonwu muttered to himself, staring at the ground, “It was just a one-sided misunderstanding. We weren’t even in a relationship. So, of course he could sleep with someone else. Why am I angry?”

“Well…”

“Seo Gyuho. Do you know?”

Seo Gyuho sat up straight at the question. He could feel the other person’s dark gaze on him. He felt a cold sweat running down his back.

He should have talked to his colleagues instead. He shouldn’t have confided in a senior he was close to. He might not have wanted to hear about his relationship problems…

The low voice continued, “Do you know why?”

“W-Well.”

As he hesitated, a group of trainees jogging their morning run passed by. The trainees saluted Ham Geonwu one by one. But Ham Geonwu only acknowledged them with a wave of his hand and continued staring at Seo Gyuho expectantly, his arm resting on the back of the bench.

Seo Gyuho racked his brain and finally managed to squeeze out an answer.

“Because of… betrayal… I think.”

“Betrayal? You weren’t even dating, so why.”

“Well…”

“Why, when it was just a one-sided misunderstanding?”

“I’m sorry…”

Seo Gyuho looked like he was about to cry. His shoulders slumped dejectedly.

But reality was finally setting in.

He had misunderstood the other person’s kindness and was now feeling betrayed, even though it was all in his head.

Seo Gyuho, having reached this unexpected epiphany, raised his head with a resolute expression and spoke like a soldier, “…I understand what you’re saying. I’ll accept my misunderstanding and won’t resent the person who was kind to me.”

Despite his firm words, there was no reply.

Seo Gyuho, still tense, sat there stiffly.

“…Right. You don’t even have the right to be angry.”

Ham Geonwu finally spoke after a long silence. To Seo Gyuho, he no longer seemed angry, but rather sad and empty. He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but the atmosphere wasn’t right, so Seo Gyuho just fidgeted with his hands on his lap. Captain Shark had always told him, “When in doubt, don’t.”

After a moment, Ham Geonwu stood up and said, “You’re better than me.”

“Yes…?”

“Don’t skip training. I’m going in.”

Ham Geonwu ruffled Seo Gyuho’s hair. Seo Gyuho, who had been sitting stiffly, looked up at him, his worries forgotten. His round, cautious eyes were filled with confusion.

‘He seems really angry…’

It was the first time he had felt so intimidated by him.

Still, his worries were resolved. Seo Gyuho realized he shouldn’t resent Sijin. His resentment stemmed from his own petty inability to accept that he had been mistaken.

But even so…

‘Of all people, Guide Jeong Taeyul…’

The image of Sijin in bed with someone completely unexpected was still shocking. Doctor Baek had always been awkward around Captain Jeong Taeyul.

And the sight of Captain Jeong Taeyul in bed was also shocking.

‘Captain Shark is famous for never engaging in skinship guiding…’

Seo Gyuho recalled his early days at the center.

There had been an incident where a young, promiscuous Esper trainee had requested skinship guiding from Captain Shark. He was the type of trainee you’d find one in five of.

The next moment, Seo Gyuho saw the trainee collapse, unconscious.

He had been drained of so much energy that even after waking up, he’d clutched his chest and gasped for breath for days, unable to use his ability. After witnessing that, the trainees started seeing Captain Shark not as a Guide, but as a “high-voltage generator capable of guiding.” You needed to be charged, but touching him meant death. That was the extent of it.

‘The rumors about Captain Shark were all false…’

There were even rumors that Captain Shark was impotent. Or that he was already married. Or a plausible rumor that his waves were so strong that he wouldn’t guide anyone other than Esper Ham Geonwu. They were all baseless rumors that stemmed from people being too afraid to ask him directly.

‘Were he and Doctor Baek always like that?’

Seo Gyuho thought sadly. Or was Doctor Baek only interested in ordinary people? He considered all sorts of possibilities before giving up.

How could he possibly understand the complexities of adult relationships? There was nothing he could do about his own misunderstanding. Seo Gyuho composed himself and stood up. Ham Geonwu was no longer there.

‘I wonder if Esper Ham Geonwu is okay… I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry.’

Seo Gyuho couldn’t shake his unease. Ham Geonwu seemed angry as if he had overheard his conversation. He shouldn’t have talked about his relationship problems.

***

Sijin, exhausted from a day of s*x, couldn’t move from the bed until evening.

He was at least grateful that Jeong Taeyul had taken him back to his dormitory. Sijin hadn’t realized he would be this drained of energy, unable to even move.

‘So this is what excessive guiding feels like…’

Sijin, despite not being an ability user, was experiencing the aftereffects of guiding. When guiding occurred between partners with a large difference in rank, the recipient would be drained of energy and unable to move for a while. To think it would be this debilitating… Sijin felt like his body had turned into a piece of paper.

‘He didn’t do this on purpose, did he?’

To think that someone with such precise wave control would drain all his energy, which was as insignificant as a chick’s piss…

Sijin was suspicious of Jeong Taeyul, but then he remembered the intense look in his eyes as he lost control and buried his face in the pillow. Jeong Taeyul must have lost control… And considering the difference in their ranks, Sijin was lucky to be this unscathed.

‘Still, I’m glad Jeong Taeyul is feeling better…’

As if knowing Sijin would be worried, Jeong Taeyul had told him his readings. Fortunately, Jeong Taeyul’s wave readings had improved considerably and were now at -74%. Still, he needed to go to the examination room to check his detailed condition.

‘…I wish I knew exactly how he felt.’

Perhaps because his desires were growing, Sijin now wanted something more concrete.

If only they weren’t in positions with so many responsibilities, they could have talked more openly. It was a shame.

‘But why isn’t Geonwu responding?’

Sijin looked at his pad quizzically. The report sent by Examiner Shin Dayoung, who had filled in for Sijin while he was on unintended sick leave, was displayed.

Jeong Taeyul had diligently undergone examinations in both the morning and afternoon, but Ham Geonwu had only been examined in the morning and had subsequently ignored all calls from the examination room.

‘Even if Geonwu was annoyed, he would at least decline firmly…’

It was the first time he hadn’t responded at all. Worried, Sijin checked Ham Geonwu’s location. Fortunately, it showed him on standby at the F12 Center.

‘Did he fight with an examiner while I was away…?’

Sijin thought worriedly, then decided to go to the examination room himself. Even though he was still weak, Sijin forced himself out of bed.

There were many things he needed to check in person.

‘Geonwu must have been in pain after stopping Jeong Taeyul’s berserk episode alone… Jiwon must be busy too. I should go and review the test results as well.’

Sijin ignored Jeong Taeyul’s warning to stay in his room. It was something he couldn’t have imagined when he first arrived at the center. He had become bolder after sleeping with him.

Sijin dragged his tired body to the examination room.

***