TG Ch 7(2) Part 4

“But I’ve… seen a Guide’s outburst firsthand. A B-rank Guide, in his thirties.”

Sijin spoke, his voice low, as he attached the electrodes to Jeong Taeyul’s arms.

“He lost his imprinted Esper and fell into a deep depression. He refused guiding, isolated himself… For seven months, he lived in solitude, then had an outburst in his own home.” 

“…..”

“He was rescued… but he was like a doll. He didn’t react to anything – his friends, his colleagues who had fought alongside him, even his own child who drew him pictures…” 

“…..”

“I’ll never forget the look on that child’s face… as he cried, watching his mother, completely unresponsive…”

Sijin paused, taking a deep breath. He was reliving a painful memory. Jeong Taeyul watched him, his gaze unwavering. Sijin cleared his throat and continued. “And when they used him as a test subject… for outburst research, he didn’t react to anything. They even showed him his imprinted Esper’s belongings, photos… Do you know what he said?” 

“…What did he say?”

Sijin placed the final electrode on the back of Jeong Taeyul’s neck.

“He said, ‘It doesn’t matter to me anymore.’ That’s all. No emotion, no reaction.”

“…..”

“That’s when I realized how devastating a Guide’s outburst can be.”

He finished setting up the equipment. Jeong Taeyul winced slightly, feeling the electric current from the electrodes.

Sijin stood before him, carefully checking the equipment. He looked up at Jeong Taeyul’s impassive face. “Guide Jeong Taeyul, I don’t want you to go through something like that.”

“…..”

“I don’t mind if you find me annoying or even hate me. Compared to that… this is nothing. So, please… don’t think of this as a sacrifice.”

His eyes, as he spoke, were firm, his sincerity evident. 

He started the test. The machine whirred to life. Sijin stepped back, his gaze fixed on Jeong Taeyul. Jeong Taeyul stared back at him, his eyes unreadable. He looked trapped, bound by the wires and electrodes attached to his body.

Then, Jeong Taeyul spoke. 

“…Dr. Baek.”

“You can’t talk.”

“I…”

“Don’t talk.” 

“…..”

Sijin warned him. Jeong Taeyul, who had undergone countless examinations, had never met an examiner so strict about such a trivial rule.

But he didn’t mind. He liked seeing Sijin’s focused expression, his brow furrowed in concentration, his gaze sharp behind his glasses.

The test was over.

A diagram of a male body, 191cm tall, appeared on the screen. Numbers and lines, representing blood vessels and wave energy channels, covered the diagram. Sijin stared at the readings, his shoulders slumping.

[-65%]

There was no significant change, just a 1% increase. The energy cluster in his heart seemed to have worsened. And his thirty minutes were almost up. He sighed and approached Jeong Taeyul.

“Why aren’t they stabilizing…?”

“…..”

He placed his hand on Jeong Taeyul’s chest, his concern overriding any awareness of the toned physique beneath his touch. Jeong Taeyul simply stared at him.

He asked, his voice low, “…Do you want to stabilize them?”

“What?”

“I asked, do you want to stabilize them?”

“I… yes, of course.” 

Sijin started to say something, then stopped, his voice losing its energy. It was a question with an obvious answer.

“Thirty minutes are up… Let’s stop here.”

He said, putting down the chart. He looked up at Jeong Taeyul.

“What…?”

“…..”

Jeong Taeyul simply stared at him, his gaze lingering, as if he wanted to memorize every detail. Sijin, feeling a little self-conscious under his intense scrutiny, blinked. Jeong Taeyul’s eyelashes were trembling slightly, his eyes wide, focused solely on Sijin.

Then, Jeong Taeyul reached out and gently took off Sijin’s glasses. Sijin blurted out, “You can’t assault an examiner!” 

“Who said anything about assaulting you?”

He chuckled, not his usual mocking laughter, but a soft, almost wistful sound. He bit his lip, as if holding something back.

Sijin, feeling a little intimidated, stared at him. Jeong Taeyul was… nervous.

“Jeong Taeyul…?”

“…..”

Then, he felt it – a warm hand gently cupping the back of his head. He placed his hand on Jeong Taeyul’s arm, and Jeong Taeyul leaned closer, his head tilting slightly. Sijin, stunned, could only stare at him.

Their lips met.

Then, a tongue, soft and insistent, slipped past his lips. Sijin, startled, reached for his shoulder, but Jeong Taeyul caught his hand, his grip firm yet gentle.

He deepened the kiss, his hand moving to cup Sijin’s cheek, then his neck.

It was a desperate kiss, as if he’d been starved for air. A wave of heat coursed through Sijin’s body, making him grip Jeong Taeyul’s wrist, but there was a tenderness in his touch that made him unable to resist.

Their tongues met, tangling gently. Sijin, his brow furrowed, felt the tension easing. Jeong Taeyul, sensing his surrender, pulled him closer, his embrace warm and firm.

“Mmph… ah…”

Sijin moaned softly as the kiss deepened. Jeong Taeyul pulled away slightly, then captured his lips again, his kiss possessive, urgent. He seemed unable to hold back, even for a moment.

Even in this moment, was he battling with himself, with his instincts? Sijin could only sense his care, the tenderness in his touch.

He opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Jeong Taeyul’s. Jeong Taeyul’s eyes, languid and heavy-lidded, seemed to beckon him closer. Sijin closed his eyes again, feeling the heat of Jeong Taeyul’s body against his own.

‘My strength…’

His limbs felt weak, his body leaning back involuntarily. He felt a wave of dizziness as Jeong Taeyul nibbled on his lower lip. His hand, resting on Jeong Taeyul’s shoulder, trembled, his grip weak.

He leaned back further, losing his balance. Jeong Taeyul caught him, his arm circling his waist. Sijin’s eyelashes fluttered as Jeong Taeyul’s tongue traced the roof of his mouth. The heat from his touch seemed to spread throughout his body.

Thud.

He lost his balance completely, his hand reaching for the support behind him. Jeong Taeyul finally pulled away, his jaw clenched, his gaze lingering on Sijin. Sijin was breathless, his eyes glazed, his cheeks flushed.

“Ah…”

Their eyes met, and Jeong Taeyul’s grip on his waist tightened. Sijin pushed against his chest, but he was too weak. The kiss, though gentle, had drained him.

Jeong Taeyul, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, pulled away, biting his own lip as if to stop himself from going further.

He guided Sijin towards the support, gently lowering him onto it. He then stepped back, standing in the middle of the examination room, his gaze fixed on Sijin.

“…..”

Then, without a word, Jeong Taeyul pressed the button on the nearby control panel, initiating the test.

They stared at each other, their gazes locked, as the machine whirred to life. 

Sijin felt a strange mix of emotions – a sense of intimacy, of being connected to Jeong Taeyul in this sterile, mechanical world.

[Test in progress – 16 seconds]

He didn’t look at the screen. He knew it wouldn’t show any significant change. The maximum psychological impact on a Guide’s readings was 2%. The 3% increase he’d observed after the bite must have been amplified by the tranquilizer. That was his current hypothesis.

‘Why did he…?’

He wanted to ask Jeong Taeyul something else.

Why had he kissed him with such tenderness? 

Was it just a cruel joke?

Did he feel the same tremor, the same fluttering in his chest, that Sijin felt?

And why was he still looking at him with such longing in his eyes?

[Test complete]

The machine beeped, signaling the end of the test, but Sijin continued to stare at Jeong Taeyul, his heart pounding.

Then, Jeong Taeyul chuckled, their eyes communicating more than words ever could. He smiled, a secret smile, like a lover with a hidden gift. For the first time, Sijin felt like he was losing control in the examination room.

Jeong Taeyul gestured towards the screen. Sijin, tearing his gaze away, looked at it reluctantly.

And then, as it always did, his world shifted.

[-61%]

The number on the screen was unexpected. His readings, which had been stubbornly stagnant for days, had suddenly jumped by 4%. Sijin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He was close to the normal range. And it had only taken a few minutes of kissing. He whispered, his voice a mere breath, “…It can’t be…”

“Is this what you wanted?”

Jeong Taeyul asked, his voice low.

But Sijin couldn’t answer. All the principles about Guides he had studied his entire life had just been shattered.

***