TG Ch 5 Part 1

Sijin woke up in an unfamiliar room.

The room was unlit, but the ever-present glow of the Center’s lights provided a dim illumination. He found his glasses and put them on, checking his watch. 2:00 AM. He had slept soundly for a long time without waking up once.

Looking around the room again, he felt a strange sense of familiarity mixed with unfamiliarity. The familiar part was because the layout resembled Ham Geonwu’s dorm room; the unfamiliar part was due to the subtle differences in the details.

‘Don’t tell me this is Jeong Taeyul’s room?’

Come to think of it, Sijin vaguely recalled seeing this room before. The last time Jeong Taeyul had offered his room so Sijin could change. Comparing his memories, Sijin confirmed his suspicion.

‘So, I slept in Jeong Taeyul’s room this time.’

Sijin sighed. When he passed out drunk, he woke up in Ham Geonwu’s room, and this time, due to exhaustion, he ended up in Jeong Taeyul’s room. At this rate, if he fainted again, wouldn’t he wake up in another A-rank Esper’s room, like Yoo Seunghwa’s? He hadn’t planned on touring the A-rank Espers’ dorms like this. Blaming his own poor stamina, Sijin got out of bed. The lingering drowsiness and fatigue made his movements sluggish.

‘Did he even change my clothes?’

Sijin was taken aback once again as he threw off the blanket. He was wearing an oversized white T-shirt that wasn’t his. Relieved that at least his black cotton pants were still on (though without a belt), he discreetly glanced around the room.

The room was tidy and remarkably neat. Facing the bed was a dartboard on the wall, several darts planted firmly in the center. On a nearby utility rack hung an array of army knives and several Zippo lighters. Below it, on the floor, was a push-up bar. It was a room that faithfully reflected its owner’s occupation. 

A small table stood beside the bed, holding a stack of documents, a laptop, and a high-end phone. Sijin noted the various thick files, indicating the diverse tasks Jeong Taeyul handled. He felt a pang of sympathy, realizing the already busy Alpha team captain also handled administrative duties.

‘He really does have a sweet tooth.’

He noticed chocolate energy bars on the table. Recalling Jeong Taeyul’s constant preference for sugary coffee, Sijin found his taste in sweets rather childish.

Then, his gaze fell on three pieces of candy placed in the corner of the desk. Recognizing the familiar packaging, Sijin slowly approached the desk. Up close, he instantly knew.

‘These are the ones I gave him…?’

If he wasn’t going to eat them, why keep them? As Sijin pondered over this, his attention shifted to a large sheet of paper spread out on the table. It was a detailed blueprint of a firearm, filled with technical jargon in English, and scribbles all over it – clear evidence of diligent study. 

It seemed the blueprint doubled as a notepad after his study session. The paper consisted of multiple sheets, with brief notes scattered throughout. He even spotted the familiar, atrocious handwriting of a certain orca.

[Borrowing a shampoo – Gam]

Above the atrocious handwriting, two harsh lines were drawn, followed by a single, elegantly written word at the end: ‘Fuck you.’ It suddenly dawned on Sijin why the shampoo bottle had made such a loud noise when he dropped it in Ham Geonwu’s shower the other day – it had been empty.

‘His handwriting is actually really nice.’

Intrigued, Sijin observed Jeong Taeyul’s handwriting. The strokes were sharp and graceful.

He could see traces of writing on the back of the paper as well. Curiosity piqued, Sijin glanced around before cautiously lifting the corner of the paper.

One particular note caught his eye.

[Tesoro]

[A precious jewel that shines from every angle. Requires extreme care in handling due to its fragility.]

‘Tesoro? …Tesoro?’

Sijin’s brow furrowed as he reread the English word. It sounded vaguely familiar, though he couldn’t quite place it. Perhaps he’d come across it in a movie or a show, drawn in by its pleasing sound.

‘If a jewel is fragile… wouldn’t its value decrease?’

Why would a fragile jewel be considered precious? And what did it mean by ‘shines’? Lost in thought, Sijin gently placed the paper back down. He couldn’t bring himself to pry any further into someone else’s belongings, especially in their own room.

Click.

Right on cue, the door swung open. Startled, Sijin quickly turned his head towards the sound. There stood Jeong Taeyul, his hand still on the doorknob.

Their eyes met. Jeong Taeyul’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes were narrowed. Like a deer caught in headlights, Sijin’s eyes widened.

Then, Ham Geonwu’s voice drifted from behind the door.

“Is Puppy awake?”

“No.”

‘…??’

Sijin’s brain momentarily short-circuited. Perhaps the fatigue was lingering, because his thoughts felt sluggish. He assumed the ‘puppy’ in question was him. If so, Jeong Taeyul had just told a blatant lie while looking right at him.

Moreover, being called a puppy by someone five years younger was simply absurd. A look of bewilderment washed over Sijin’s face. He was about to speak up when Ham Geonwu’s voice cut in.

“What? Why is he still asleep? Don’t tell me he’s in a coma.”

“Just let him sleep. Go.”

Jeong Taeyul replied curtly and shut the door with a firm click, leaving a stunned Sijin standing there with his eyes wide open.

He sputtered, “Do you always lie so effortlessly…?”

“Depends on the person.”

Jeong Taeyul replied flatly, approaching him with large strides. The difference in their physique was even more pronounced with the armed soldier standing before a still drowsy Sijin. Why was he armed, anyway? 

Sijin, still drowsy, asked with a puzzled look, “Why are you armed?”

“Monster proximity alert.”

Oh. To think he’d slept through such an emergency. Sijin was suddenly embarrassed. 

By then, Jeong Taeyul was standing close, casually brushing something off Sijin’s messy hair. Then, he gently nudged Sijin’s shoulder with his own. Caught off guard, Sijin stumbled back and landed on the chair. Jeong Taeyul had already fetched a lunch box and was setting it up before him. 

Still dazed, Sijin mumbled, “Why didn’t I hear anything…?”

“The proximity alarm doesn’t go off for close encounters. Eat first.”

Sijin blinked, then took a large gulp of the water Jeong Taeyul handed him. Despite just waking up, his mind was still slow, as if overloaded. In fact, it felt like he was still floating in a dream.

It was to be expected. After five days of extreme overwork, a half-day’s sleep wouldn’t magically fix everything. Ever since he’d entered his thirties, Sijin’s body and his stamina seemed to have a constant disagreement.

‘So, they both went on a dispatch… And Jeong Taeyul’s readings haven’t been good either.’

From a diagnostic examiner’s perspective, it was concerning. While Ham Geonwu’s readings fluctuated throughout the day, they always remained within a normal range. Jeong Taeyul was the real problem. As if mocking him, his wave readings hovered just outside the safe zone. If it worsened, Sijin would have to impose a complete dispatch ban and keep him under 24-hour observation.

‘His readings can’t get any worse.’

Lost in thought, Sijin slowly rose from his seat. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Jeong Taeyul…”

Sijin mumbled as he shuffled towards Jeong Taeyul, who was in the middle of removing his gear. Perhaps it was the aftereffect of being overworked for five days straight, but Sijin’s steps were clumsy, as if he’d collapse with a single nudge. Unfazed, he continued walking towards the A-rank Guide. Noticing his approach, Jeong Taeyul asked gruffly as he continued removing the protective leather pads from his shoulders,

“What is it?”

“…..”

“…What is it?”

Sensing something off, Jeong Taeyul paused. 

Sijin, preoccupied with his own thoughts, couldn’t answer right away. The only sound in the room was the soft padding of his bare feet against the floor. 

Finally, Sijin looked up at Jeong Taeyul with drowsy eyes, struggling to gather his thoughts.

‘What were Jeong Taeyul’s wave readings recently? Was it -63%? The wave cluster in his heart was just beginning to dissipate. And he had to go on a dispatch at a time like this. What if it’s gotten worse…’

Thud.

Sijin reached out and placed his hand on Jeong Taeyul’s chest. Jeong Taeyul sucked in a breath, his broad chest expanding beneath Sijin’s touch. Their height difference was such that it seemed Sijin would be enveloped in his embrace any second. 

‘He really is quite tall…’

Newly aware of their size difference, Sijin pressed closer. They were close enough to feel each other’s breaths now.

Jeong Taeyul hesitantly took half a step back and leaned against the wall, looking down at Sijin. His sharp, hazel eyes darted around while the thick column of his throat bobbed. His gaze was intense, as if he might devour Sijin whole. Slowly, Jeong Taeyul brought his hand up and rested it on Sijin’s waist.

Though curious, Sijin, focused on his own objective, reached out again. 

His pale fingertips pressed firmly against the center of Jeong Taeyul’s chest.

“Ah…!! You.”

In an instant, Jeong Taeyul grabbed Sijin’s wrist and let out a warning growl, as if scolding a small animal.

But he wasn’t really squeezing, so it didn’t hurt. Besides, Sijin had grown bolder after realizing that Jeong Taeyul would never actually hurt him.