TG Ch 8 Part 6

As Sijin stepped out of the building, it was late evening. Most of the center’s staff had left for the day, and the surroundings felt deserted.

‘The cafe will be closed by 10…’

It was a shame; he had wanted a sweet, warm coffee. After a moment of contemplation, Sijin decided to go to the convenience store.

‘Is there an escort with me now?’

First, Sijin looked around. It was a habit he’d developed after the recent monster attack; checking who his escort was.

‘Jeong Taeyul?’

Of all people, his escort was Jeong Taeyul. He was about twenty steps away from Sijin. Sijin knew that anyone from the Alpha Team could be his escort, but seeing the very person who made him so uneasy made him feel even more unsettled.

Still, he was relieved that it was Jeong Taeyul. Sijin awkwardly acknowledged him with a nod and headed to the convenience store.

At the convenience store, Sijin bought canned coffee, some snacks, and soy milk for tomorrow morning. Perhaps due to fatigue, his steps back were heavy and sluggish.

Then, he heard a cheerful voice from behind.

“Doctor!”

He turned around and saw Ham Geonwu calling out to him, the back window of a car rolled down. Then, before the car had even fully stopped, he jumped out.

“That crazy bastard!”

His colleagues in the car seemed surprised and yelled at Ham Geonwu.

But Ham Geonwu, his eyes fixed on Sijin, strode towards him.

“Doctor! Where did you go?”

“Ah, I went to the convenience store.”

Sijin smiled, showing him the bag. It was a trivial answer, but Ham Geonwu, looking at Sijin, couldn’t suppress his slightly intoxicated smile. 

Seeing his unguarded expression, Sijin asked with an awkward smile, “Geonwu? Have you been drinking?”

“Yes, I had an outing today. Went downtown. Drank a lot!”

“I see. You’re drunk, huh.”

Sijin spoke kindly, as usual. He knew Ham Geonwu hadn’t been able to drink much lately because of his busy schedule. It seemed he had made the most of his precious outing and drank quite a bit in a short amount of time. Even the killer whale, who didn’t get drunk easily, was intoxicated.

Sijin asked worriedly, “You didn’t drink too quickly because you were short on time, did you?”

“Uh. That’s, Doctor…”

“Did you drink enough to get drunk?”

“I’m not really drunk at this level… I came back really early…”

Feeling cornered, Ham Geonwu answered evasively. He was right; he had come back quite early. For the killer whale, who usually drank until 5 AM, coming back by 10 PM was very early indeed.

“Still, Geonwu. You should start thinking about your health…”

“…Doctor?”

“……”

Sijin was about to nag him, then closed his mouth.

Since the center was built on a renovated campus site, Ham Geonwu, standing on the grassy lawn, looked like a handsome physical education student.

Perhaps because he was currently contemplating the unavoidable realities of their situation, the sight struck Sijin as somewhat melancholic.

‘Jeong Taeyul, Ham Geonwu… If they were ordinary people.’

Sijin considered the ‘what ifs’.

If they were ordinary people, they would have spent their twenties as ordinary university students wearing department jackets, not in dangerous combat zones. They would have been incredibly popular, and they wouldn’t be bound by the strict rules of the center. They wouldn’t be risking their lives every day… They wouldn’t be tormented by lifelong trauma from being experimental subjects as children.

Thinking about that made Sijin’s heart ache.

“…Drinking quickly is worse than drinking a lot. You know I’m worried about you, right, Geonwu? Let’s not drink too quickly from now on.”

“Wow… Doctor.”

Ham Geonwu slowly smiled and looked down at Sijin. Then, with his handsome, slightly intoxicated face, he looked up at the night sky and exhaled deeply. When their eyes met again, his expression seemed to be a mixture of shyness and contentment.

Slightly embarrassed, Sijin asked, “What is it, Geonwu?”

“It’s just… it feels different hearing you say these things in casual clothes, Doctor. You seem like an older brother.”

At those words, Sijin looked down at his attire. He was wearing a regular shirt and a windbreaker with the center’s logo. He must have seemed more approachable since he wasn’t wearing his lab coat.

Sijin felt a little shy as Ham Geonwu stared intently at him. He also felt sorry for Ham Geonwu, who was so touched by such simple concern.

Then, Ham Geonwu said resolutely, “Okay. I’ll really, really stop drinking now.”

As if overjoyed by something, Ham Geonwu hugged Sijin tightly. Sijin’s eyes widened in surprise. But he was quickly able to pull away from the firm embrace.

“See? Doctor worries about me the most!”

Ham Geonwu suddenly boasted to his colleagues behind him about how close he was with the handsome doctor. Sijin chuckled and shook his head, trying to send Ham Geonwu on his way. He had drunk a lot, and he couldn’t let him stay like this with the promotion test tomorrow.

“Geonwu, go in and get some sleep.”

“I want to stay with you longer…”

“Go in first, I have to go back to the examination room.”

“…To that married guy?”

“No, he’s the promotion examiner. Now go in.”

Sijin warned him sternly. Ham Geonwu looked openly disappointed. But when Sijin didn’t give in, he turned around dejectedly. Perhaps because he was drunk, his emotions were clearly visible.

‘Such a personality…’

He had a personality that would be loved anywhere. Sijin chuckled and headed back to the examination room. Then, he heard murmurs from behind, and Ham Geonwu suddenly called out to him playfully, “Hyung, hyung!”

“Huh…? Me?”

Sijin turned around at the unfamiliar address. Ham Geonwu, in his drunken state, was calling him ‘hyung’. It was an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar term of address.

“You like coffee, right? Here, drink this.”

“Oh…”

Ham Geonwu handed Sijin a heavy dark brown bag. The logo of a famous premium coffee brand was printed on it. Inside, there were several bottles of premium cold brew.

Sijin smiled apologetically and said, “When did you buy this?”

“I went downtown and thought of you, Doctor. I asked for all the good stuff.”

Sijin chuckled, unable to stop him. He took the dark brown bag and thanked him, “Thanks, Geonwu. I’ll really enjoy it.”

“I’ll buy you more next time.”

Ham Geonwu said proudly. Then, he backed away, trying to look cool. And since he was tall and handsome, he actually managed to pull it off. If this really were a university, Ham Geonwu would have been very popular.

Ham Geonwu, in his drunken state, yelled playfully, “Hyung, go inside! It’s late!”

“I know, so watch where you’re going.”

“I’m strong! I’m fine!”

“Geonwu, look ahead.”

Sijin spoke sternly, worried he might get hurt at this hour. But Ham Geonwu just cheerfully returned to the car. Thump, as he got into the car, his colleagues started chatting noisily, slapping him on the shoulder.

Seeing that, Sijin thought it was so like Ham Geonwu and continued walking along the lake.

As the surroundings quieted down, Sijin looked down at the dark brown paper bag in his arms with a bitter smile. He felt uneasy about Ham Geonwu’s platinum necklace, which he hadn’t been able to return due to bad timing.

‘Is this okay…’

Sijin walked on, lost in thought.

While working as an examiner, there had been a steady stream of ability users who expressed interest in the kind Sijin. But Sijin knew their interest in an ordinary person would soon fade. He knew that ability users went through a phase in their youth where they were emotionally vulnerable.

Ability users, who needed guiding for their entire lives, were intricately entangled in Esper-Guide relationships. Perhaps because of this, young ability users often developed an interest in ordinary people, as if rebelling against reality.

‘Someday, Geonwu will find his Guide too…’

But Sijin knew. In the end, ability users would seek out a Guide or Esper who could care for them.

It was only natural. Just as Sijin himself longed for someone who made him feel safe, they were no different. He understood it logically, but he couldn’t shake the bitter feeling.

Due to the nature of his job, Sijin had often witnessed relationships between ability users and ordinary people. But only a handful had happy endings. To be blunt, the only person Sijin knew who had successfully married an ordinary person was Kwon Jiwon. The massive wall of guiding was higher and stronger than most people thought.

Perhaps that was why, for Sijin, who was over thirty, romance overcoming reality seemed like a distant dream.