TG Ch 3(1) Part 5

Taking a deep breath, Sijin downed half of the liquor in one go. The sharp burn spread down his throat. He found it incredibly strong, but Ham Geonwu, who had finished his own glass, looked perfectly fine. 

“By the way, Esper Ham Geonwu, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about…” Sijin began, once he felt like he could speak again.

“Doctor, we’re not at work. You can relax and speak comfortably around me.” 

“Huh?”

Ham Geonwu said as he took a sip of ice water. Liquor paired with ice water as a snack… It was an intriguing sight to Sijin, who felt like he was dying from the strong alcohol. Ham Geonwu then proceeded to pop a piece of fruit into Sijin’s mouth. It was a sweet melon.

“You used to call me ‘Geonwu’ during our sessions.” 

“That was just… a habit.”

Sijin chuckled, feeling bolder thanks to the alcohol. He sometimes slipped into casual speech due to his time working at the Youth Ability Users Research Institute. It came with the territory of constantly having to coax and cajole the kids.

Sijin swallowed his melon and asked hesitantly, “Are you really okay with me speaking informally?”

“Yeah, I actually prefer it.” 

“Really? Then…” 

Sijin hesitated, looking up at the man before him. Ham Geonwu was all smiles, his features practically glowing under the dim lights. Despite the lively atmosphere of the bar, Sijin felt like he was the only other person in the room. 

“G-Geonwu.”

He stumbled over the name, feeling silly. Ham Geonwu burst into laughter as if he couldn’t hold it in any longer, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before composing himself and gazing down at Sijin. The smile in his eyes was genuine and kind. 

“So, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

“It’s a bit… heavy…”

“Come on, it’s okay. Tell me.” 

Despite Ham Geonwu’s encouraging words, Sijin couldn’t help but feel a sense of gravity about the situation. It felt awkward, somehow. He shouldn’t be finding it this difficult to express his gratitude. Was this what being sincere felt like? 

Sijin finished the rest of the liquor in his glass. Ham Geonwu looked at him in surprise before grinning and ordering them another round. 

With his cheeks now flushed from the alcohol, Sijin finally spoke. “You know… you used to be shorter than me, Geonwu.” 

“Huh?”

“You were about this tall… your eyes were a little lower than mine. I thought maybe you were a late bloomer. Or maybe it’s just biology since Ability Users tend to grow for a longer period than regular people…” 

“Hold on. Is our Doctor already drunk?” 

Ham Geonwu chuckled, looking down at Sijin with amusement. Sijin simply grinned back at the upright man who now towered over him. He was sure his eyes had turned into silly half-moons. 

“Don’t you remember? Ten years ago… You saved me.”

“Ten years ago?”

“Yeah.” 

Ham Geonwu seemed lost in thought for a moment. Sijin watched him, his heart pounding.

He had a feeling that Ham Geonwu wouldn’t remember. Ten years was a long time. But for Sijin, it was a memory forever etched in his mind, a stark reminder of his trauma. Unable to bear the silence, Sijin continued, his words tumbling out in a jumbled mess thanks to the alcohol. 

“You… you saved me that day… when I was trapped under that concrete rubble. You were just a high schooler back then… I was so scared, and then you found me and you… you told me to hold your hand…”

“I actually said that?” Ham Geonwu asked with a chuckle. He seemed skeptical. Then, as if realizing he might be disappointing Sijin, he added, “I’ve been to so many accident sites, I can’t keep track.” 

“…It’s okay if you don’t remember. It was a long time ago…”

Ham Geonwu really didn’t remember. 

Sijin wasn’t surprised, but his smile faltered. Noticing his expression, Ham Geonwu tried to console him. 

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I’ve saved quite a few civilians in my time.” 

“No, I just… I wanted to tell you how grateful I am. That’s all.”

It made sense. An outstanding Ability User like Ham Geonwu must have saved countless lives. 

Ham Geonwu handed him a fresh drink, his expression apologetic as he studied Sijin’s face. Their faces were inches apart now. 

Accepting the drink, Sijin forced a smile. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his alcohol-laced voice. “You saved me that day, Geonwu… And seeing you all grown up and becoming a remarkable A-rank Esper makes me so proud.”

Sijin lightly patted Ham Geonwu’s arm as he spoke. Ham Geonwu’s ears reddened slightly at the compliment before a smile spread across his face. 

“Well, at least I know one thing for sure now: Saving you was the best thing I’ve ever done.” 

“Huh?”

“You’re on my team now, Doctor.”

Team… Sijin chuckled at his words, his flushed face betraying his embarrassment. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning like a fool. 

Ham Geonwu gazed at him, his smile warm and mature. “You’ve been through so much, Doctor, but you’re still working hard. I admire that.”

His words filled Sijin with a rush of warmth, erasing all the hardships he had endured. His eyes welled up, and he mumbled, looking away, “Why are you being so nice…” 

It’s making me fall for you… 

Sijin thought, lowering his head. 

Just then, Jeong Taeyul’s words from earlier echoed in his mind.

‘If you weren’t actually interested in Ham Geonwu, you wouldn’t be afraid of me.’

Sijin bit his lip, his previous amusement fading.

Perhaps he wasn’t as innocent in Jeong Taeyul’s eyes as he would like to believe. 

“Oh…”

Sijin followed Ham Geonwu’s gaze. Jeong Taeyul was walking away from their table—and heading straight out of the Black Container. 

Sijin’s eyes widened slightly as he watched Jeong Taeyul’s retreating figure. 

‘…What if this comes back to bite me later?’

Seemingly oblivious to Sijin’s worries, Ham Geonwu said cheerfully, “Looks like Jeong Tae is heading out early. More drinks for us!” 

“…Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. He’s not that into drinking anyway.”

That’s not what I’m worried about… Sijin thought, his brow furrowing.

‘Jeong Taeyul specifically said he had something to tell me…’ 

Was it really okay that he wasn’t there to hear it? Why make such a big deal about it and then just leave like that? 

As Sijin pondered this, Ham Geonwu raised his glass for another cheers, drawing his attention back to the present. 

The sharp burn of the alcohol as it slid down his throat effectively erased all thoughts of Jeong Taeyul from his mind.

***

That night, over drinks, Sijin came to a realization: Never, ever challenge Ham Geonwu to a drinking contest again.

What was even more dangerous than drinking a lot was having fun while drinking. With Captain Jeong Taeyul out of sight, those high-strung, crazy Ability Users started celebrating like it was a national holiday. They were like unleashed wild horses, raising their glasses with unrestrained joy, and Sijin quickly got swept up in the whirlwind of revelry. It seemed that Jeong Taeyul was the only thing keeping them somewhat in check. 

Fortunately for Sijin, he didn’t completely black out.

His saving grace was his tendency to ramble about the same thing repeatedly before passing out, which meant some fragments of memory remained. 

His last clear memory went something like this:

“Okay, I’ll do it! If you can guess what I wanted to be when I was little, I’ll chug this whole thing!” 

He remembered excitedly declaring, and Ham Geonwu, struggling to contain his laughter, leaning in closer. 

“I already know, Doctor.”

“What? How?”

He remembered his surprised question, to which Ham Geonwu had responded by downing Sijin’s drink for him, then slinging an arm around his shoulders and leading him out of the Black Container. 

“I heard someone talking about it earlier. Something about a dolphin?” 

“Wow… Wow. How did you know? You’re amazing, Geonwu!”

“Haha…”

He vaguely remembered Ham Geonwu chuckling, trying hard to stifle his laughter, and then draping his large field jacket over Sijin’s shoulders. 

“Do you always smile like that when you’re drunk?”

“Me? Did I…?”

“Nope, you definitely did. Come on, little dolphin. Time for bed.”

And with those words, Sijin felt himself being lifted off his feet, his body feeling as light as a feather. Even in his intoxicated state, Sijin knew that it was telekinesis. He instinctively curled up as he was lifted, and Ham Geonwu gently guided Sijin’s head to rest against his shoulder.

Enveloped in warmth, Sijin drifted off. Maybe I’ll dream of dolphins… He wasn’t even sure if he’d said that out loud or just thought it. But he did hear Ham Geonwu’s amused chuckle right before he fell asleep. 

***