TG Ch 2 Part 4

“Were you expecting some romantic gesture?” 

Jeong Taeyul asked, having observed their interaction closely. Sighing softly, Sijin prepared for basic examinations, starting with Jeong Taeyul’s simple check-up.

“For me, nothing is more romantic than healthy Ability Users…”

Given his current state, it wasn’t exactly romantic to talk about Jeong Taeyul’s health issues.

“It must be tough being so observant.” Jeong Taeyul chuckled, seemingly picking up on his thoughts as he muttered to himself. Pretending not to hear, Sijin continued preparing for his examination.

However, as Sijin was preparing for the examination, something unexpected appeared before his eyes.

“Here.”

“…What is this?”

“A bribe.”

Jeong Taeyul offered something more unfamiliar than monsters to him.

“…It’s not good to arbitrarily break flowers from flower beds.” Sijin spoke with disapproval. He had never received a yellow tulip before. Moreover, why was it considered a bribe? Feeling uneasy, Sijin looked up at Jeong Taeyul, who responded with a charming smile and smoothly twirled the tulip like a pen.

“So what? It bloomed in the Center I’m guarding.”

“This tulip was personally planted by Examiner Shin Dayoung.”

“I’ll go separately tomorrow to reach an agreement.”

Sighing at his shameless reply, Sijin pushed away Jeong Taeyul’s hand gently.

“It’s okay. I don’t accept bribes…”

Wiiiii…

Instantly, the tulip withered and drooped. Sijin’s eyes widened, and he froze on the spot. This was Jeong Taeyul using his ability to evaporate moisture from objects.

Squeak!

A chilling cry of a small monster echoed through the room. It seemed Ham Geonwu had killed another monster. The sound made Sijin flinch involuntarily.

In front of him, Jeong Taeyul’s smile vanished as he muttered, “When Ham Geonwu gave you a monster, you smiled.”

Sijin’s already pale face turned even whiter.

“T-That…” Sijin momentarily forgot how terrifying Jeong Taeyul could be. From their first meeting, he had shown the same disconcerting control over others’ minds, just like this tulip. All it took was for Sijin to show interest in Ham Geonwu.

Upon reflection, Jeong Taeyul had given him the tulip out of goodwill, and Sijin might have been too harsh on him. Or was it actually a test? After all, Ham Geonwu gifted him with a baby monster earlier.

Sijin’s eyes darted rapidly. Jeong Taeyul had already spied on him before, so there could be some hidden agenda behind this gesture as well. Sijin needed to play along casually while maintaining composure. Sijin began to rely heavily on his quick wit.

“I didn’t accept it… because it felt like a bribe. Hmm, you shouldn’t give me anything that seems like a bribe.”

“Then how about a gift commemorating our successful mission?”

“That sounds… nice.”

Sijin accepted the withered tulip with trembling hands. Although wilted, its yellow color remained vibrant. As Sijin took the tulip, Jeong Taeyul’s face lit up again with a smile. Despite his handsome grin, Sijin felt uneasy, unsure of what he was planning. The evidence lay in his busy eyes behind those glasses.

However, Jeong Taeyul stood quietly before him, as if waiting for something.

“What do you think?”

“Pardon me?”

“Your thoughts.”

The emotional labor suddenly overwhelmed Sijin, bringing tears to his eyes.

‘If I really quit this job, it’ll be because of Jeong Taeyul.’

With resignation creeping in, Sijin spoke mechanically:

“Thank you. It truly is a wonderful gift.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes, but this seems…”

Wait a minute. This sounded similar to his conversation with Ham Geonwu earlier. A sharp intuition told Sijin he needed to extricate himself from this situation immediately.

“Hmm, shall we proceed with the examination now?”

“…..”

Without replying, Jeong Taeyul quietly observed Sijin. Feeling hesitant, Sijin quickly got down to what he did best: checking his physical condition and preparing for the medical examination. He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his thick arm. Meanwhile, Jeong Taeyul silently watched him bustling around him.

“Guide Jeong Taeyul, would you like to sit on the sofa?”

“That’s strange.”

A foreboding sense flickered through Sijin’s mind.

As expected, Jeong Taeyul abruptly asked, “Am I bothering you?”

“…Excuse me?”

“You gave orders to Park Jaesung, who was defiant earlier.”

When did he see that? No, when did he hear about it? Sijin wondered how well-informed Jeong Taeyul truly was.

“He acted similarly towards me initially.”

Taeyul’s statement rang true. Upon reflection, regardless of how exceptional an Ability User might be, Sijin had always wielded his authority as an examiner firmly.

Then, Jeong Taeyul hit the nail on the head.

“If you genuinely have no interest in Ham Geonwu, there would be no need for you to feel uneasy around me. Right?”

“…..”

He was astute. Sijin finally understood what Jeong Taeyul was implying. Sijin struggled to conceal his emotions, and whenever he felt conflicted like now, it invariably manifested in his actions.

“Do you find Ham Geonwu quite attractive?”

“N-No, that’s not it.”

“Really? Think about it again.” Jeong Taeyul chuckled, leaving Sijin speechless.

Everything Jeong Taeyul said was true. Sijin harbored feelings of fondness towards Ham Geonwu. He felt relieved when he saw him return safely earlier. He also got excited upon hearing he had brought him a gift. Ham Geonwu’s clumsiness with machines and even his typos were endearing to Sijin. Even though he inadvertently gifted a monster due to a teammate’s trickery, he found it charming because it was just like him.

However, this didn’t mean Sijin was romantically interested in him. His feelings stemmed from natural gratitude towards his savior. Additionally, as a diagnostic examiner, Sijin wanted to avoid interfering in esper-guide relationships whenever possible.

Having sorted his thoughts, Sijin looked directly at Jeong Taeyul and explained, “Please don’t misunderstand me. I don’t have romantic feelings for Esper Ham Geonwu…”

“Then what is it?”

“Just… since Esper Ham Geonwu saved me in the past… I feel proud seeing how he has grown impressively since then. That’s all.”

“…..”

Jeong Taeyul silently observed Sijin. This time, Sijin didn’t back down. Instead, being honest made him slightly more confident.

‘Huh…?’

Suddenly, Jeong Taeyul let out a somewhat despondent laugh. He turned away, biting his lip. If Sijin wasn’t mistaken, he appeared disheartened.

At that moment, another voice interrupted them. It was Ham Geonwu.

“I’ve disposed of the monster at the incineration site… What’s going on?”

Jeong Taeyul responded to his question while keeping his gaze fixed on Sijin.

“Oh, just brown-nosing the doctor.”

“Brown-nosing? You?” Ham Geonwu chuckled as if it sounded absurd and sat down next to the sofa.

Sijin wanted to plead for his life during this brief exchange. Meanwhile, Jeong Taeyul took half a step closer to him. Sijin couldn’t help but notice the sturdy nape of his neck. Hesitantly raising his head, Sijin saw his impressive jawline and handsome face. His sharp brown eyes stared intently down at him.

“You see, our Doctor…”

“What? W-What…”

Jeong Taeyul spoke softly and affectionately while straightening Sijin’s white lab coat collar. His smooth gesture also adjusted his misplaced ID card to its proper position.

“He kept giving me orders. I wish he’d be more dignified about it.”

“…..”

Despite his gentle tone, Sijin remained tense. Was he putting on an act because Ham Geonwu was present? If so, he truly was cunning like a fox. Initially, his message seemed to be about letting go of any feelings he harbored for Ham Geonwu and treating him fairly instead.

Finally, Jeong Taeyul’s hand, clad in a black half-glove, gently rested on Sijin’s shoulder. The size of his hand enveloped Sijin’s shoulder warmly, though it felt intimidating to him.

“Doctor, can we work together amicably from now on?”

‘Isn’t this how villains intimidate people? And when have we ever worked well together?’ 

Sijin initially felt indignant but eventually timidly nodded.

“Why do you two get along so well? It’s making me jealous.” Ham Geonwu chuckled jokingly. Both Sijin and Jeong Taeyul turned towards him simultaneously.

“…Why?”

Ham Geonwu’s smile faded as if sensing he might have said something wrong. However, it was Sijin who defused the tension.

“U-Understood… Guide Jeong Taeyul, please take a seat now.”

At Sijin’s command, Jeong Taeyul obediently sat down. Sijin then pulled up a chair facing him and wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his thick arm. Before starting the measurement, he discreetly asked about something that had been bothering him:

“By the way, why did you suddenly give me a bribe earlier?”

“Why not?” Jeong Taeyul grinned brightly as if he found something amusing while adjusting the medical equipment nearby. Sijin caught his first glimpse of the famous shark-like smile from the side profile. It truly was a captivating grin.

“Maybe I’m hoping you’ll see me more favorably.”

“…..”

Despite his charming words, Sijin couldn’t shake off the feeling of being threatened. As he stood frozen, Jeong Taeyul pressed the measurement button himself. In a daze, Sijin mechanically responded:

“I’m conducting the test… You shouldn’t say anything.”

Please, Jeong Taeyul. Keep your mouth shut. Silently pleading, Sijin proceeded to measure Ham Geonwu next.

Fortunately, Jeong Taeyul’s reading had improved to -65%, possibly due to not using his ability while stationed at the Command Center. Ham Geonwu was within normal range with a fluctuation rate of +59%.

‘Still, these readings aren’t too bad…’

Considering they had been on duty all day, their readings were relatively stable. Only Sijin appeared exhausted.

“At least both of your values look decent for now. Still, we need to monitor the both of you closely, so refrain from using your abilities and come back tomorrow evening. For today, please do thirty minutes of Guiding and then rest well.”

Sijin instructed both men to return the next day. As an A-rank Ability User with rapidly escalating fluctuations, Jeong Taeyul required constant monitoring. Additionally, since there was no consistent data available for Ham Geonwu yet, frequent check-ups would help manage his condition better.

“Please head inside. Thank you for your hard work today.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sijin sat down again with a weary expression and started reviewing their charts. He had to wait for one more Ability User. As he did so, he noticed two reliable figures comfortably seated on the sofa.

“…Why haven’t you left yet?”

“We wouldn’t be able to sleep even if we went now,” Ham Geonwu replied. The pair appeared to be Guiding as they sat side by side, each holding onto either end of a crystal about the size of a baby’s head. This was a common sight, so Sijin didn’t dwell on it and asked casually:

“Why is that…?”

“As the doctor requires constant protection, at least two Alpha team members must stay awake until you reach your dormitory.”

Sijin hadn’t expected such rigorous guarding. Additionally, seeing Ham Geonwu diligently fulfilling his duty surprised him somewhat.

“Finish quickly. We’ll wait,” Jeong Taeyul urged repeatedly. Sijin wondered if he should accept protection from someone who had just threatened him, albeit indirectly. Nonetheless, he quietly completed the remaining tests and stood up.

Fortunately, Jeong Taeyul didn’t act menacingly for the rest of the day. However, on their way back, his constant presence like a brick wall between Sijin and Ham Geonwu made it impossible for them to have any meaningful conversation.

Finally, Jeong Taeyul escorted Sijin safely to his dormitory room and handed over the withered tulip as a reminder of his threat. Inside his room, Sijin stared blankly at the closed door while clutching the wilted tulip, thinking:

Shark, you son of a gun.