Chapter 14

“Cha Yugeon.”

“Oh, why. Were you moved?”

“Oh……”

“I understand. It can happen. Doing this much for your guide is not an easy thing, after all.”

The tone and attitude seemed to convey an understanding of Haon’s feelings.

Haon, unsure of how far this crazy bastard would go, remained silent and stared at Cha Yugeon.

Seemingly interpreting Haon’s silence as an  agreement, Cha Yugeon spoke with excitement.

“Hey, Park Haon. But you’re funny too. You could just say you don’t like me having skinship with other people, why are you so angry?  Well… you must felt embarassed to say such things with your personality. It’s okay I understand you.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Then when should we start that training? Today? Maybe it’s a bit early, right? I need to prepare my mind too. But, it’s not something we can keep delaying…… How about tomorrow? Tomorrow should be fine.”

He was so shocked that he answered without a soul, but Cha Yugeon seemed to have accepted Haon’s answer as sincere.

Unable to tolerate Cha Yugeon’s audacity of setting the training date so shamelessly, Haon couldn’t take it any longer.

“Next life, not tomorrow.”

“Yeah, got it. Not tomorrow but next…… Wait, what?”

“You crazy bastard, we will train in our next life. No, damn it. Even next life is too soon for this. How about the next life after the next. You want me to have skinship with you? Do you think I’m crazy?”

When Haon shot back with a crumpled face, Cha Yugeon looked bewildered.

Seeing that reaction, Haon felt even more shocked.

It was because he realized that Cha Yugeon’s previous nonsense was genuine.

“I don’t care what you do or where you do it. I find it creepy that you express me as ‘your guide.’ So, drop the futile dream and get over it.”

“Hey.”

“What am I going to do with you? I didn’t do the guiding yesterday because I wanted to, but I had no choice but to do it because I was worried that you might rampaging around and get other people hurt. It won’t happen again. Also, if I guide you, I will put a burden on my hand. Do you understand?”

“Park Haon.”

“What?”

“Why doesn’t it matter to you whatever I do outside? You mean it’s okay for me to go out and meet random people and have skinship, now?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it. Of course, you lunatic.”

Cha Yugeon kept repeating the obvious, which made Haon laugh out loud. Cha Yugeon then made a confused expression, as if he really didn’t understand.

By now, Haon was equally puzzled. Why was this madman acting like this?

Haon and Cha Yugeon were not just indifferent to each other, but they even hostile to each other.

It wasn’t just Haon’s opinion either.

So far, Cha Yugeon had been consistently engaged in arguments, swearing, and rude towards him at the slightest provocation.

However, Cha Yugeon seemed to expect that something would change now that the two had become an esper and a guide.

“You’re not expecting anything to change just because we became partners, right? There won’t be anything different between us. Snap out of it.”

“Say it again.”

“What? Oh, that there won’t be anything different between us? Or the part about snapping out of it?”

Haon tried his best not to be sarcastic, but it didn’t go as planned.

Cha Yugeon’s expression had hardened to a frightening extent.

Honestly, there was a bit of truth to what he said, but what could Haon do now?

It had already happened, and once spoken words couldn’t be taken back.

“You and I became partners, so why doesn’t anything change?”

“Huh?”

“I said, why is nothing changing between us when we became partners?”

Haon was dumbfounded by Cha Yugeon’s words.

There was, of course, nothing changing.

If anything, it would be strange if something did.

The fact that they became partners didn’t magically improve their less-than-friendly relationship.

However, Cha Yugeon genuinely seemed not to understand Haon’s words.

Was he really expecting some kind of development in their relationship?

But why?

Didn’t Cha Yugeon dislike him?

“You’re my guide. I’m your esper.”

“…But?”

“But what? You’re my guide. I’m your esper.”

“…So what?”

Haon genuinely couldn’t grasp what Cha Yugeon was trying to say.

But it seemed that Cha Yugeon was equally perplexed.

The guy didn’t seem to understand why Haon would say such things.

An invisible, massive wall seemed to be standing between the two.

Haon had no intention of breaking or surpassing that wall, but Cha Yugeon seemed to be different.

He opened his mouth, looking awkward but determined, as if he wanted to convince Haon somehow.

“You’re my guide, and I’m your esper. How important is that, and you ask ‘So what?'”

“Why is that important?”

“That’s it!”

“That’s it?”

“…You don’t feel anything about it?”

“Should if feel anything about it?”

“Look-.”

“This is absurd. It’s almost unbelievable that such a ridiculous thing could happen to me. How did such a ridiculously absurd thing happen to me? I’m really angry.”

“…”

Upon hearing Haon’s words, Cha Yugeon seemed momentarily speechless.

He pursed his lips before closing his mouth.

Haon gave him a displeased look.

Cha Yugeon was looking at Haon with a grumpy expression, and thinking about something.

“Is that all?”

“What?”

“Is that all? Is it just about being absurd? There’s nothing else?”

“Of course ther-…”

“Haaa… Forget it. Why am I even talking to you?”

“What do you mean? You asked first.”

Haon complained with disbelief, but Cha Yugeon turned around quickly as if he had nothing more to say.

Haon chuckled watching the retreating figure.

Spouting words that he couldn’t understand, and then he walked away with a sad look on his face, and Haon couldn’t figure out what he wanted.

Could he really expect something to change in the future?

Haon furrowed his brows at the thought passing through his mind.

“Really? That Cha Yugeon?”

Haon muttered to himself.

Well, thinking about it again, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

Esper’s obsession and possessiveness towards their guide were quite known, it was almost like an instinct.

Since Haon was once an Esper, he roughly understood those emotions.

Of course, Haon never had a dedicated guide, so he had never felt obsession towards a guide himself.

So, how does Cha Yugeon feel about Haon as a dedicated guide?

As such thoughts crossed his mind, Haon’s brows wrinkled with dissatisfaction.

It was unpleasant to imagine.

Even if Esper’s obsession towards their dedicated guide was engraved in their DNA, thinking that Cha Yugeon would become obsessed with him sent shivers down his spine and made him feel dirty.

Haon shook his body with discomfort and decided to go back towards his dormitory.

With each step, Cha Yugeon’s face came to mind, making his feelings even more unpleasant.

It was then.

The lights hung at regular intervals on the hallway walls began to glow red, and an alarm began to sound.

– Beep, beep, beep. Emergency situation detected. Emergency situation detected. B-level Esper in a coma state on the current 2nd floor of the main building. Suppression team is en route. Please evacuate if you are nearby.

What… 2nd floor of the main building?

Haon, reflexively, looked at the floor markings on the wall. This place was the 1st floor.

Moreover, it was the 1st floor of the main building where the B-level Esper was in a coma state.

Although there was only a one-floor difference, breaking through one floor for an Esper in a rampage was a trivial matter.

Moreover, it was unpredictable when that Esper might go into a rampage.

Haon become nervous and quicken his steps.

Crash!

A thunderous sound was heard, and sheets of concrete collapsed in an instant.

Haon reflexively leaped to avoid the concrete chunks raining down on him.

Fortunately, he managed to dodge the largest chunk, but he couldn’t avoid the smaller, sharp pieces.

Haon’s forehead was torn by a pointed piece of concrete, and red blood oozed out.

Wiping the blood from his forehead, Haon looked at the man standing in front of him.