TG Ch 3(1) Part 6

A cool night breeze brushed against his cheek, followed by a gentle jostle. 

Sijin realized he was being carried on Ham Geonwu’s back, the man’s black jacket draped over him for warmth. Ham Geonwu’s back… Sijin snuggled closer in his sleep, a sense of comfort washing over him.

“Ham Geonwu.”

Jeong Taeyul’s low voice cut through his sleep-fogged mind. 

Sijin’s senses flickered awake, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. Considering the amount of alcohol he’d consumed, it was no surprise that his body felt like lead.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our promise.” 

“What are you talking about? And since when do you bring up old promises?”

Ham Geonwu chuckled in response. Sijin couldn’t quite grasp the context of their conversation. His consciousness was in and out, making it difficult to tell if what he was hearing was real or just a drunken dream. 

“A promise is a promise.”

“You’ve been acting strange lately, Jeong Tae.”

You can say that again… Sijin thought in agreement. 

But Jeong Taeyul remained silent for a while. The faint scent of cigarettes and the occasional sigh indicated that he was smoking. 

“Why are you getting mad again?”

“Just because.”

Jeong Taeyul muttered darkly in response to Ham Geonwu’s question.

“It just pisses me off that you’re the only one I can trust….”

Despite Jeong Taeyul’s cryptic response, Ham Geonwu just laughed. Sijin, jostled by his laughter, buried his face deeper into Ham Geonwu’s shoulder, his breathing growing heavier. Their conversation stopped.

After a moment of silence, Ham Geonwu replied, “Well, you can trust me.” 

That seemed to be the end of their conversation. Silence descended once more, broken only by the sound of their footsteps and Sijin’s hazy thoughts. 

From what little he’d overheard, Sijin got the sense that the two had a very strong bond, although he still didn’t know what this ‘promise’ was about. Instead of jealousy, he felt a pang of longing. He wished he had that kind of relationship. 

Suddenly, Sijin, who had been silently clinging onto Ham Geonwu, spoke. “About Shark…” 

“Hm? Doctor, you’re awake?” 

“Just a little…”

Ham Geonwu chuckled softly. Sijin could feel the steady movement of Ham Geonwu’s body as he walked. 

He felt like he was being rocked in a cradle. The gentle night breeze, the quiet surroundings—it all created an atmosphere where it felt like any question, no matter how silly, would be met with understanding. Sijin gathered his courage and asked, “Do you think… he dislikes me a lot?” 

“Jeong Tae?”

Sijin nodded, even though Ham Geonwu couldn’t see him. 

Suddenly, anxiety gripped his heart. Jeong Taeyul had seen him drunk and being carried by Ham Geonwu. Who knew what would happen now? His fear was understandable. Every time Sijin shared a laugh with Ham Geonwu, only to turn and find Jeong Taeyul staring at him with that intense, hawk-like gaze, his heart would skip a beat.

“Try to understand him, Doctor,” Ham Geonwu said softly, his tone unusually serious. 

“He’s still… affected by his past as a test subject.”

“…..”

“He tries to be polite to the examiners, but he… has a hard time opening up.”

“I see…” 

So, that’s why Examiner Shin Dayoung had only ever commented on Jeong Taeyul’s manners. It all made sense now.

But why was Jeong Taeyul so rude to Sijin from the start? Was the kindness he’d shown when pretending to be an administrative worker a one-time thing? The fact that Jeong Taeyul had been a test subject was also a surprise. He had never shown any discomfort towards the examinations, never even seeming the slightest bit nervous, unlike Ham Geonwu. 

“But…S hark doesn’t seem to have any issues with the examinations…” 

“…..”

Ham Geonwu didn’t answer, falling silent once more. Just as Sijin felt himself drifting back into his drunken stupor, Ham Geonwu muttered, “It’s because… Jeong Tae went through something even more terrifying.”

Something more terrifying… What could be more horrifying than having your own body poked and prodded?

Sijin’s curiosity piqued, but he knew that pushing for an answer would be futile. 

Still, he felt like he now had a better understanding of Jeong Taeyul’s prickly demeanor. It became easier to empathize with him if he thought of him as someone who had been hurt. 

Content, Sijin drifted back to sleep.

***

…Sijin’s next conscious thought was of floating in mid-air.

At first, he thought it was a dream. But then he heard the distinct sound of Ham Geonwu’s footsteps, as well as the salutes of the Center guards greeting him as they passed.

This wasn’t a dream. This was real.

The realization jolted him awake, and he began to flail his limbs. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught him, steadying his body. 

“Whoa, sorry, Doctor. Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

It was Ham Geonwu. 

Sijin’s eyes flew open, taking in their surroundings. They were in the hallway of his dorm building. Looking out the window, he saw that it was still dark outside, meaning not much time had passed since he’d fallen asleep.

Clinging onto Ham Geonwu’s shoulders, he mumbled, “P-Put me down…”

“You can barely stand, Doctor.”

“I’m gonna be sick…”

“It’s the alcohol.”

Ham Geonwu said gently. He then wrapped his arms around Sijin’s waist, lifting him up like he weighed nothing, and continued walking. 

Sijin was once again reminded of how incredible Ham Geonwu was. Controlling his abilities with such finesse was far more difficult than simply unleashing his full power, and he was doing it even after having a few drinks. It would be like using a giant excavator to pet a tiny kitten.

Sijin blinked his blurry vision as they entered a room, his eyes trying to focus. “Is this… Is this my room?” 

“Nope. We’re in mine.” 

“Take me… back to my room…”

“No way. You’re drunk.” 

“I’ll be drunk either way…”

As if to answer his question, Ham Geonwu gently laid him down on the bed. “Remember, you’re under our protection. If anything happens, Jeong Tae will come running if you’re here.” 

Those words sent chills down Sijin’s spine, sobering him up for a moment. He instinctively gripped onto Ham Geonwu’s arm. Ham Geonwu chuckled. “If you keep holding onto me like that, Doctor, I won’t be able to go for another round.” 

“Another… another round?”

“It’s only 1 a.m.” 

“1 a.m…?”

Sijin was too drunk to form a coherent sentence. But even so, wasn’t 1 a.m. late enough? 

“Don’t…  Don’t drink anymore… It’s not good for you… Your energy levels… they fluctuate too much… You’ll end up with another wave surge… and it’ll be even harder to… stabilize…”

“What are you even saying, Doctor?”

Sijin, however, was persistent, continuing to mumble incoherently. 

Meanwhile, Ham Geonwu gently removed Sijin’s glasses, carefully untangled his fingers from his shirt, and helped him out of his jacket. He then proceeded to remove Sijin’s socks… and unbuckle his belt.

‘Belt?’ 

Suddenly alert, Sijin grabbed his hand, his own hand dwarfed by Ham Geonwu’s. 

“W-Wait…stop… I’m… I’m just a regular person…” 

“It’s alright, Doctor.”

“I-I can’t guide… I… I don’t have anything to give…!”

Sijin babbled, clutching onto his belt for dear life. Ham Geonwu burst into laughter, burying his face in Sijin’s stomach. 

“Pfft—haha… Oh my god, you’re so cute. Haha, Doctor, don’t worry.”

“W-What…?”

Sijin stammered, his mind struggling to keep up. Ham Geonwu, still chuckling, said, “I’m not interested in regular people that way.”

“…..” 

Sijin suddenly felt deflated. The tips of his ears burned with embarrassment. He was definitely overreacting. 

Thankfully, the alcohol dulled the sting of rejection and replaced it with a pleasant drowsiness. He lacked the energy to even come up with a witty retort as he melted back into the bed.

Ham Geonwu continued to take care of him. 

Soon, he was dressed in a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, his body slightly levitating above the bed. He had been manhandled with telekinesis so much that it was starting to feel normal. 

“Never thought I’d be tucking in a Doctor.”

“Ahh, that’s cold!”

“Sorry. It’s just a wet towel.”

Ham Geonwu gently wiped Sijin’s face and hands with a damp towel before carefully tucking him in. Sijin couldn’t believe he was experiencing something he hadn’t done since he was a baby, but the feeling of security was surprisingly pleasant. As he sank back into the mattress, Sijin curled up instinctively. 

He heard Ham Geonwu answering a phone call.

“Hello? Yeah, yeah, I’m heading out now.”

I need to tell him not to drink anymore… Sijin thought, but his body refused to move, his mind already half-asleep.

Silence fell over the room. Sijin felt like a helpless caterpillar, wrapped tightly in a stranger’s sheets. He had boldly stood up to Jeong Taeyul earlier, only to get drunk and become a burden to Ham Geonwu. He felt a pang of shame, realizing how worked up he had gotten over nothing. But they had fun, so it was all good, right?

Then, he heard a voice, seemingly coming from right next to him—or rather, above him.

“What the… You’re even cuter without your glasses.”

Sijin wanted to react, but his eyelids fluttered in response, his body refusing to cooperate. Why did his voice sound so close?

Then he felt Ham Geonwu’s hand on the mattress, right next to his head. He was definitely looking at Sijin. 

‘I’m five years older than him, and he thinks I’m cute…?’ 

It wasn’t exactly the mature image Sijin was going for.

But it was Ham Geonwu’s next words that truly shocked him out of his drunken haze.

“It’s too bad you’re a regular person, Doctor.”

‘What…?!’ 

His alcohol-addled mind briefly sprang back to attention. However, before Sijin could process those words, his phone started ringing, and Ham Geonwu sighed, muttering something about having to take this, before leaving the room. 

By the time the door clicked shut, Sijin had already sat up in bed.

“…..”

He desperately wanted to ask Ham Geonwu what he had meant, but his limbs felt heavy, and the warmth of the blankets combined with the lingering effects of the alcohol lulled him back to sleep.

Sijin collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh.

Curling up under the covers, his heart raced as a thousand questions swirled in his mind. 

‘Is he saying… he wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t just a regular person…?’

The image of Ham Geonwu, his face bright with laughter, filled his mind. He wasn’t delusional enough to think that he could somehow win over a powerful Esper like him. But still… a sliver of hope bloomed in his chest. What if… What if Ham Geonwu really was interested in him?

‘But there’s Jeong Taeyul…’

The thought of the silent, intimidating Shark made him burrow deeper under the covers. He was afraid that Jeong Taeyul would haunt even his dreams.

Thankfully, the alcohol dragged him back into a deep sleep, albeit with the guarantee of a splitting headache when he woke. 

***