TG Ch 2 Part 9

Sijin, now gripping his pen like a whip, continued his scolding.

“Why don’t you admit your mistake, Shark—no, Guide Jeong Taeyul?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

It felt a bit like forcing an apology out of him, but Sijin finally calmed down and put his glasses back on.  Picking up the chart, he asked, “In any case… What about imprinting? What are you two going to do?”

“We’re not doing it.”

“We won’t do it~”

Thankfully, they at least sounded obedient now. Sijin couldn’t believe how mentally draining it was just to ask them a single question. 

“Why not? Do you have any reasons?”

“I want to imprint with someone intelligent.”

“I’ve always been against imprinting, anyway.”

In turn, Jeong Taeyul and Ham Geonwu responded firmly. With weary hands, Sijin noted their answers on the chart. In truth, he was already exhausted. He hadn’t anticipated draining all his energy within just ten minutes of starting the day.

“Alright, next item on the list, the frequency and duration of your guiding… Haaa. Never mind. Let’s do this later.”

“Yes!” Ham Geonwu exclaimed exuberantly before receiving a stern glare from Sijin. Jeong Taeyul promptly nudged him, and fortunately, despite his obliviousness, the Killer Whale knew when to back down.

“It’s fine… You can go for today.”

“Doctor?”

“What is it?”

“Are you mad?” 

At Jeong Taeyul’s pointed question, Sijin didn’t answer. Of course he was mad. Honestly, he was more disappointed and exhausted than anything. 

The two of them exchanged glances, and as if sensing his mood, Jeong Taeyul bowed politely before leaving. Sijin simply lacked the energy to deal with anyone else. Thankfully, the examiners also picked up on his state and left him undisturbed.

Left alone in the diagnostic room, Sijin was lost in thought.

“…..”

Well then. So much for imprinting. They were both against it. 

But why did he feel relieved? This wasn’t right.

His professional integrity had truly deteriorated. Feeling utterly exhausted, Sijin leaned back heavily against his chair.

“Doctor Baek, Captain Shark brought us coffee!”

“Yes… Please leave it there.”

Through Shin Dayoung, Jeong Taeyul delivered sweet coffee to Sijin, who absent-mindedly sipped it while pondering:

‘Just do it, you two. Imprint or not, it’s your life…’

In a way, their way of dealing with things was disturbingly effective. Today, he didn’t care what the killer whale and shark did.

That evening, Sijin found two new gray hairs on his head. He named them Jeong Taeyul and Ham Geonwu respectively.

***

The Center also observed weekends, but they had to choose a position for each holiday. The options were standby at the Center, off-site leave, or complete rest.

Standby personnel remained at the Center and could spend their time freely. However, they needed to be ready to respond immediately if called upon. In exchange, they received generous allowances, making it a popular choice among younger members.

Off-site leave was akin to a regular weekend. Individuals could go home or do as they pleased during their break. However, international travel was prohibited, and they must promptly return to the Center in case of emergency alerts.

Complete rest meant just that—unless there was a national disaster, one could fully relax without any interruptions.

“So, you’re saying I can’t leave at all?”

And Sijin was under ‘Protection Level 3’.  At this point, he’d rather call it house arrest. When he tried to leave for the weekend, the Center guard had swiftly stopped him.

“Do you have any specific purpose for going out?”

“I want to visit home and check on my grandmother.”

“If you insist on leaving, you must be accompanied by security personnel.”

Why would he need escorts if not venturing to confront monsters? After pondering briefly, Sijin asked:

“How many guards will accompany me?”

“For Protection Level 3, when traveling outside the area, there must be a minimum of four Alpha team members and three armored vehicles accompanying you.”

“I won’t go then.”

That level of security would astonish his grandmother. Sijin had no choice but to reluctantly give up. He couldn’t understand why they were being so insistent about this matter.

Lastly, the guard firmly explained, “From now on, please request any outings at least three days in advance.”

“Understood…”

In the end, Sijin sadly packed his bag and turned around. While he didn’t mind feeling trapped himself, it would deeply upset his grandmother.

‘It feels like I’m really being confined…’

As far as Sijin knew, even the director of this Center wasn’t guarded to such an extent. Yet, for a mere newly appointed diagnostic examiner to receive this treatment… it felt truly peculiar.

***

Unable to leave the Center, Sijin went to the cafe late at night. Although it was officially closed, the first-floor area remained open with access to the automatic coffee machine. Consequently, some employees frequented the cafe even during late hours to chat or unwind.

Since it was a holiday, Sijin sat in a corner of the cafe, intending to go over the newly acquired data on telekinetic ability users and get some reading done. 

But his mind kept wandering. 

‘What kind of relationship is there between Ham Geonwu and Jeong Taeyul…?’

Both of them were against imprinting, yet they didn’t seem like lovers. Nevertheless, Sijin had observed numerous instances where Espers and Guides enjoyed sexual guiding regardless of whether they were romantically involved. In fact, it was widely accepted that physical intimacy was natural between Espers and Guides, irrespective of their relationship status.

Moreover, there were instances where contracts were made based solely on high compatibility rates. Sijin always respected their decisions in such cases. However, if Jeong Taeyul and Ham Geonwu had this kind of relationship, how far could he understand them?

No, wasn’t he compelled to understand and encourage them from his position? After all, he was merely a diagnostic examiner… 

Lost in thought, Sijin occasionally spun his pen between his fingers.

Bang!

Just then, someone slammed their hand on his table. Startled, Sijin looked up to see a familiar face.

“There you are.”

“You’re Dr. Baek, right? Yep, it’s him.”

It was Guide Park Jaesung, followed by Esper Yoon Geonyeong from Delta Team, who greeted him next.

“…Yes, hello,” Sijin replied hesitantly. As far as he knew, they were close friends within Delta Team.

But why were they taking seats at his table so casually? 

“Mind if we sit here?” 

“…..”

Sijin’s eyes flickered with confusion. In truth, he felt uncomfortable due to the smell of alcohol emanating from both men.

‘They’re not actually drunk, are they?’

As Sijin pondered uneasily, Park Jaesung scanned him with narrowed, snake-like eyes. Then, feigning familiarity, he smiled amiably and spoke.

“I think I might have been rude last time. So, I wanted to chat with you, Doctor. Is that okay?”

Park Jaesung’s tone sounded unpleasantly drawn out, possibly due to his intoxication. Feeling unsettled, Sijin briefly glanced outside at the dark surroundings. It didn’t seem like an appropriate moment for conversation. 

Sijin was put off by the intensity of Park Jaesung’s gaze, but he held back his annoyance and said, “…Alright. Let’s talk. Looks like you went out.” 

“Why do you ask?”

‘You’re the one who wanted to talk.’

Sijin frowned. Meanwhile, Park Jaesung laughed heartily and said:

“Ah, I thought you were trying to add something to my chart again. Sorry about that.”

“…It’s fine,” Sijin replied calmly while adjusting his glasses. As he did so, the two Ability Users exchanged glances, suppressing their smiles. Suddenly, one of them picked up Sijin’s book and asked:

“What are you reading? Ooh~ Philosophy?”

Coincidentally, today Sijin had brought a philosophy book, intentionally chosen from among his humanities readings. It was an ordinary, even boring, book you could find in any bookstore.

“Ah… It’s just a humanities book.” 

“Humanities? You read that stuff?”

“Of course, I read it.” 

“I didn’t think examiners would bother with such things.”

Park Jaesung’s words made Sijin want to retort vehemently, but he held back and calmly asked instead:

“…Why do you say that?”

“They’re not helpful for examinations, right?”

“Still, we must understand human interactions since our job involves dealing with people…”

“Gross.” Park Jaesung interrupted, as the esper beside him chuckled. Sijin’s eyes turned icy cold.

Park Jaesung’s drunken gaze sparkled. It seemed he was deliberately provoking him under the guise of being intoxicated. He continued sarcastically, “Deal with people? As an examiner?”

“…Enough is enough.”

“I figured it out when you started pretending to be so noble. Guess you learned empathy from books, huh?”

“…..”

“Do you even consider Ability Users as human?”

Sijin quietly observed Park Jaesung. In fact, as an examiner, he had encountered similar cases before. Many Ability Users exhibiting unconditional hostility often suffered from past traumas during their childhood.

“Seems like you were experimented on.”

Park Jaesung’s laughter gradually faded away. Sijin maintained his calm demeanor and continued speaking softly:

“If these memories are painful for you, please come to me separately instead of venting your anger here. I’ll find ways to help you cope. Considering your reduced prescription for sedatives today, let’s just leave it at that for now. You may go.”

“You think you can help me?”

“…..”

“How could a mere civilian help me?”

Park Jaesung scanned Sijin’s face. His gaze lingered on his pale neck before meeting his eyes with amusement. The esper sitting next to him seemed unwilling to intervene.

The atmosphere grew increasingly hostile. In front of a B-rank Ability User, ordinary people appeared infinitely weak.

“How about counseling once a week? With… your body?”