By Zephyria 
“Did you take that medicine again?”
Vasily narrowed his eyes.
Come to think of it, Vasily still didn’t know exactly what this medicine was. He probably just thought of it as some suspicious drug containing monster’s blood.
Since it was a medicine I’d have to take every time I performed guiding anyway, it was better to clear up the misunderstanding now.
“I told you before that it was cold medicine, but it’s actually a painkiller. I get severe headaches whenever I guide… so I have no choice but to take it.”
“…….”
Vasily stared at the medicine with a cold gaze. I gulped and stealthily hid the pill in the palm of my hand. I felt like if I stayed exposed to his gaze any longer, I would freeze solid and become completely useless.
“I heard it contains monster’s blood… aren’t you afraid?”
“Seeing as nothing has happened so far, it should be fine.”
“If it’s a painkiller, there must be other options.”
“Nothing else works but this.”
Vasily slowly approached me. I flinched in tension as he reached out, but his hand headed for my neck.
“It’s because of this, isn’t it?”
“…….”
“I really don’t like this……”
He gripped my neck. His cool fingers rubbed the area where the suppression chip was implanted. I stiffened with a start and immediately brushed his hand away.
“If I feel anything wrong with my body, I’ll stop taking it immediately, so you don’t have to worry.”
For a moment, I thought he was choking me. I continued speaking as if I were calm, but cold sweat was pouring down my back.
“Fine. Let’s talk about that medicine again once the ingredient analysis results are out.”
Vasily still looked dissatisfied. If the results showed something strange in the medicine, he would likely forbid me from taking it immediately.
Surely he wouldn’t tell me to just endure the pain raw. But since he’s the type of guy who just might, I felt anxious. Just in case, I should hide a few pills at home.
“Are you sleeping here today as well?”
“Yes. Weren’t you the one who said there are no rooms I can use, Esper Vasily?”
“You could sleep in my room.”
“I refuse. I’d rather keep sleeping on the sofa.”
“You really are stubborn when it comes to things like this.”
Vasily gave a light laugh and went back into his room.
Did he just come out to check if I had run away? It would have been better if he had stayed asleep, but of all times, he had to wake up right when I was taking my medicine…
As soon as he disappeared from sight, I flopped down onto the sofa. Because I had slept for so long while guiding Vasily, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at all today.
* * *
“Ugh……”
A strained groan escaped my lips the moment I opened my eyes on the sofa. No matter how expensive and nice the sofa was, it wasn’t a bed, and my back hurt after waking up.
I wanted to sleep more, but today was Monday. I washed up and was about to change clothes for work when a sensation of an unknown gaze scanning down my spine gave me goosebumps.
I whipped around to see Vasily leaning against the doorway. I don’t know when he had come out of his room, but he was watching me change clothes with a relaxed posture.
“……What are you doing there?”
“Hmm…… watching?”
“Sigh……”
Thank goodness I only took off my top.
Unlike me, who was just changing, Vasily was already fully prepared for work. As always, he wore a three-piece suit with neatly groomed hair. His face was glowing so much it was hard to believe he was an Esper who had been without a Guide for a long time.
Ignoring him, I grabbed the clothes I was going to change into and headed toward a nearby room.
“There actually is an unused room.”
As I opened the door and entered, a hollow room containing only furniture was revealed.
There was a bed with clean sheets and an empty wardrobe. It was in a condition where I could move in and use it immediately; I wondered why I had to stay in the living room while such a nice room was left empty. From today on, I’m just going to sleep here regardless of what Vasily says.
After changing, I returned to the living room. Hearing me come out of the room, Vasily approached as if he had been waiting and asked as he looked at me, now ready for work.
“Since you’re ready, shall we head out?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
As we left the house together, Vasily seemed exceptionally happy today. I didn’t need to ask why; it was obvious. It was because he finally had a Guide.
On the other hand, I couldn’t hide my complicated expression. Because hell would begin starting today.
From now on, I have to follow him to every meeting, official event, and even Gate conquests that Vasily attends. As an S-Class Esper, Vasily boasted a very busy schedule. I could consider leaving work on time a thing of the past. Perhaps the only consolation was the fact that I no longer had to enter Gates.
Lost in bitterness, I realized the association building was already close. Before passing the Guide Association, I spoke to Vasily.
“Please drop me off in front of the Guide Association. I’ll just say goodbye to my teammates and then head to your private room, Esper Vasily.”
“Alright. You’ll be back soon, right?”
“It won’t take long.”
I thought he would say no, so why this? I wondered as I saw Vasily nod obediently. I expected him to say he’d come along because I might run away.
“Then, see you later.”
Leaving behind the man waving as if telling me to have a good trip, I stepped out of the car.
On the way to the Guide Association. This would be the last time I’d be rushing to work amidst the crowd of office workers. Standing in an elevator packed with people to the point where there was no room to move, I felt like I might even miss this moment.
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the familiar smell of coffee greeted me.
I had only worked here for a few months, but I guess I had grown attached. Now that I was actually leaving, my heart felt restless.
“Hello.”
“Ah, Gi-dam! Good morning!”
Upon arriving at the office, Jo Woo-yeon and the team members greeted me warmly.
Their attitude was no different from usual. Perhaps thanks to my request to Vasily to keep the news of me becoming his Guide quiet, no related articles had surfaced, and no one seemed to know what had happened over the weekend.
I hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking up.
“Um…… today is my last day of work.”
“What? Isn’t your transfer still a week away?”
“Due to some circumstances, I’ve decided to guide Esper Vasily for the time being.”
I told them honestly.
Anyway, while going to Gates with Vasily, rumors would eventually spread or we would meet on-site. Since we were once on the same team, it was better to tell them the truth now than to hide it and be found out later.
As soon as I finished speaking, the quiet atmosphere of the office instantly erupted into a commotion.
“I knew it! You ended up signing an exclusive contract with Esper Vasily, didn’t you?”
“I’m not an official Guide; we’ve decided to form a temporary pair until Esper Vasily finds a Guide.”
“Still, that’s amazing! To be the Guide of an S-Class Esper!”
Exclamations mixed with surprise and envy burst out from all over.
An S-Class Esper and a C-Class Guide. To others, it must look like the pair of the century. That’s because they had watched Vasily relentlessly pursue me. Above all, it was extremely rare for a pair to be formed with such a gap in rank.
I finished tidying up my desk, said my goodbyes to the team members, and left the Guide Association.
“Sigh……”
I let out a deep sigh on the street, which had become a bit quieter now that the morning rush had passed.
Now I’ve truly become Vasily’s Guide. I had been prepared from the moment the suppression chip was discovered, but I didn’t think it would actually happen like this.
……Should I try running away again?
Now, while Vasily isn’t by my side, might be the last chance. Since it wasn’t the middle of the night like my first escape attempt, if I could just reach the airport, I could flee on a plane immediately.
But the problem was Vasily. A man as thorough as him wouldn’t have sent me alone without any countermeasures.
Did he take measures in advance to prevent me from leaving the country? He did that before the regression, too.
In fact, this might be exactly what he’s aiming for. If I’m caught running away, all the contract conditions would vanish instantly, and I’d have to be his Guide for the rest of my life.
Right, let’s endure a bit longer. Since we wrote a contract, he won’t be able to make unreasonable demands of me.
Knowing Vasily, he surely won’t be able to hold back for long and will either demand excessive guiding or cross the line. I just need to stay quiet and wait for that moment.
With that resolve, I opened the door to Vasily’s private room, but the interior was empty.
“Esper Vasily?”
Silence returned instead of an answer.
I thought he’d be waiting in his private room, but where did he go in the meantime?
Thinking he might have gone to a brief meeting, I stepped into the private room alone. I planned to enjoy the leisure while he was away. As I threw myself onto the sofa, some documents lying on the table caught my eye.