Chapter 18

Tringgg-

Startled by the doorbell sound, Haon, who had been lying down, stood in front of the video door phone with wary eyes.

He was worried that it might be Cha Yugeon coming, so seeing a familiar face reflected on the video phone made Haon’s stern expression brighten.

“Come in.”

Haon quickly pressed the door opening button. As the inner door opened, a welcoming face stood in the entrance.

“What brings you here?”

“Do I need a reason to come? I just decided to dropped by.”

The plastic bag in Siyun’s hands rustled as he spoke with a sad look in his eyes.

Haon frowned slightly, as if he could guess what might be inside the plastic bag.

“More alcohol?”

“Hehe, it’s been ages since we last drank together. Hey, by the way, your place looks great.”

Despite Haon’s sarcastic remark,

Siyun wasn’t bothered at all.

Boldly, he walked into the house as if he owned it.

Heading straight to the sofa, Siyun took out the contents of the plastic bag onto the table.

Seeing beer and soju lined up on the table, Haon shivered a bit, but Siyun paid no attention and poured soju into paper cups.

“Hey, you can drink alone. I won’t drink.”

“Huh? Drink alone?”

“Yeah, you can drink all of that by yourself.”

“Hey, you’re too much. I even brought snacks.”

Siyun pointed to six bags of snacks and a cup of ramen.

Haon, who didn’t particularly like snacks, sat next to Siyun with a displeased expression.

“It’s so lonely to drink alone, though.”

“What lonely? You’re good at drinking alone too.”

“Well, I have no one to drink with, so I have no choice but to drink alone.”

Despite the complaint, Siyun happily made a somaek (soju and beer mix).

Ignoring Haon’s objection, he quickly downed the 9.5:0.5 golden ratio somaek.

“…You’re crazy.”

“Kyahhh, it’s amazing.”

Even with Haon’s curse, Siyun seemed to be enjoying himself. Seeing him take out another cup, Haon panicked and stopped him.

“Hey, hey! I really won’t drink.”

“Oh, why! It’s been a thousand years since we last drank!”

“Oh, that’s right. Do you even know what I did that day when we drank together that day!?”

Haon recalled that day when he turned Cha Yugeon’s d*ck transparent and shouted in disgust.

Of course, Haon didn’t suffer any losses, but thinking about how did that making him felt like cutting off his own hand.

Seeing him shiver, Siyun smirked.

“Well, what happened?”

“There was something.”

“What happened?”

Siyun leaned forward curiously with bright eyes and asked, causing Haon to pull his body backward.

Then Siyun pursed his lips.

“Well, there’s something. Anyway, while you’re here, just listen to my complaints.”

“Okay. There’s no better appetizer than a friend’s misery when you’re drinking.”

Although it was quite a mean remark, Haon realized that Siyun was paying attention to what he was saying.

He began to told the story involving Cha Yugeon, leaving out the part about the transparent d*ck incident.

“So, you agreed to it?”

“I guess I did…?”

Haon furrowed his brows at Siyun’s question.

When he mentioned Director Han said that you can increase esper’s compatibility with their guide through skinship, Siyun eye’s shone with interest.

Thinking that he had to engage in skinship with Cha Yugeon, Haon’s expression crumpled like a tissue.

However, Siyun happily crunched on the spicy shrimp chips, seemingly enjoying himself.

“Wow, it’s really interesting that such thing is possible. Increasing compatibility through skinship.”

“Why do you find it so amusing?”

“It’s fun. How bad was the relationtship between you and Cha Yugeon? I can’t believe two people who didn’t get along suddenly sticking to each other.”

“…Stop it, or I’ll get mad.”

“Okay, okay. Just leave it to me.”

Siyun’s confident attitude was somewhat irritating.

Haon was glaring at Siyun with dissatisfaction, but Siyun kept giggling and laughing.

He wonders what was so funny.

“Oh, right. What did Cha Yugeon say?”

“He didn’t say anything?”

“Really? I thought he would freak out.”

Haon was also surprised that Cha Yugeon, who he expected to make a fuss about the idea of skinship, remained calm.

Anyway, Cha Yugeon was a guy who was hard to understand, Haon didn’t want to think about the guy.

“Could it be?”

“What?”

“That Cha Yugeon started to like you.”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

“Yeah. When I think about it again, it doesn’t seem likely.”

Siyun realized that what he said didn’t make sense, and he lower his head in embarrassment.

After finishing the shrimp chips, he reached for the potato stick.

“Are you eating snacks again?”

“You talk like I’ve eaten several bags of snack already. I’ve only just started the second one.”

Siyun shrugged in an unjust manner.

Watching him eating like that, Haon couldn’t help but recall Cha Yugeon, who was eating his piled-up spicy stir-fried pork and beef ribs soup alone.

He involuntarily clicked his tongue.

“Well, even if it’s not to the extent of liking, there’s always that right.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The obsession that esper feel towards their guide? Something like that.”

Chewing on a potato stick for a while, Siyun seemed to remember something and spoke. As Haon raised his eyebrows in curiosity, Siyun licked the powder off his fingers and continued talking.

“Oh, gross.”

“Why, what’s wrong? Snacks are meant to be eaten with the taste of powder on your fingers, right?”

“What are you even saying…”

Despite Haon’s disapproving reaction, Siyun paid no attention to him. Instead, he exaggeratedly licked his fingers as if to show off.

“Anyway, what I want to say is that Cha Yugeon is obsessed with you.”

“Ugh, just thinking about makes my skin crawl. Cha Yugeon being obsessed with me? That’s terrible.”

Haon shivered. Obsession in general was already uncomfortable for him, but the fact that the subject of Cha Yugeon’s obsession was him made it even worse.

Just imagining it sent shivers down his spine.

“Don’t casually say something so scary… It gives me the chills.”

“No, but seriously think about it. Since you became Cha Yugeon’s guide, he started to change his atittude towards you, right? Even if you two couldn’t get along before, every Espers I’ve seen so far are all crazy about their guides.”

“No matter how crazy Cha Yugeon is, would he really be like that with me?”

“He might. You already guided him, after all.”

“Ugh, I had to guide him because he was trying to rampage in the middle of Dangsan Station. It fell there that day.”

“What are you talking about, what fell?”

“Something… fell that day.”

Haon recalled the time when he would rather let Cha Yugeon’s rampage than to guide him. Siyun’s eyes were full of questions, but he soon opened his mouth again.

“You know that feeling because you were an esper too, right? That feeling when you first received guidance.”

“I don’t know, I don’t really remember.”

Siyun, who noticed Haon’s displeasure, continued to exaggerate by licking his fingers.

“Well… your compatibility with the guides was low. Anyway, from what I see, it seems like Cha Yugeon is about to make a move on you, if you know what I mean.”

“He’s already making moves, though…”

“But the purpose behind it is changing.”

As Haon muttered with a serious face, Siyun pointed it out definitively.

Haon’s expression turned grave.

“…If that day really comes, I’m going to run away. Fuck the Center.”

“Good luck, I’ll cheer for you.”

Siyun smirked and finished off the potato stick.

Watching him, it was obvious that Haon’s anger was rising.

Without hesitation, he slapped Siyun’s back.

“Get out, you punk.”

“Geez, can’t you at least wait until I finish the snack.”

“You talk too much, now get out.”

“Fine, I’m going. After bullying and abusing me like this, don’t come crying to me for help when Cha Yugeon goes crazy for real.”

Seeing Siyun putting on a pitiful face, Haon couldn’t help but burst into a dry laugh.

“Heh, can you even really help?”

“Of course not. What can I do if an S-class Esper goes crazy?”

“Get lost, now.”

“Yes.”

Luckily, Siyun didn’t resist any longer and got up from his seat. He didn’t forget to grab the remaining potato stick.

“I’m leaving.”

“Shoo.”

Haon gestured for Siyun to leave. Once Siyun left, the dorm quickly fell into silence.

Because of the silence, memories of what happened during the day surfaced in Haon’s mind.

Especially, Cha Yugeon’s dramatic entrance during the dangerous situation caused by the Esper’s rampage left a strong impression.

The impression was even stronger as Cha Yugeon tried to kill the rampaging esper just because he hurt him.

“No way…”

‘Cha Yugeon started to like you.’

Siyun’s words came to mind. Haon trailed off and quickly shook his head. He quickly headed towards the bedroom, trying to push away the ominous feeling.

Somehow, he felt like the night was going to be long.

* * *

“C-cha Yugeon… Why are you like this?”

Haon stumbled back, seeing Cha Yugeon.

 Various thoughts raced through his mind. He started to doubt whether this situation was real or just a dream.

 Could this really be happening?

“Take responsibility.”

“W-Why me?”

“It’s all because of you!”

“I-I told you, I don’t really understand why…”

Haon trailed off as he watched Cha Yugeon gradually narrowing the distance between them.

As Haon took a step back, Cha Yugeon took a step forward.

And as Haon retreated another step, Cha Yugeon closed the distance by two steps.

Before long, the distance between the two narrowed considerably.