By Zephyria 
As Vasily held the front door open, Gi-dam stepped into the house, looking somewhat exhausted.
Seeing his frail appearance, Vasily recalled the terrified face of the doctor upon receiving the discharge notice. The doctor had warned that taking someone who had been unconscious for a month was dangerous, but that wasn’t enough to change Vasily’s mind.
Vasily had no intention of pushing Gi-dam too hard. He was well aware that Gi-dam’s physical stamina was entirely different from his own, and he didn’t want Gi-dam to collapse again.
Recalling the doctor’s insistence that Gi-dam be given plenty of rest, Vasily smiled kindly.
“It’s still hard, isn’t it? Go inside and rest.”
Gi-dam nodded and walked inside, with Vasily following close behind.
As soon as he entered the house, Gi-dam flung open the door closest to the entrance. Since waking up with memory loss, Gi-dam had a knack for surprising Vasily. That room had been designated for Gi-dam from the very beginning.
“……?”
Only a solitary bed greeted Gi-dam in the room. When Gi-dam hesitated, seeing the bleak room, Vasily finally added an explanation.
“I haven’t been here long since I moved. I told you, right? That I rampaged in the house. Guide Kwon Gi-dam’s belongings were all destroyed, so I threw them away. Let’s buy new ones.”
“…… I understand.”
Gi-dam was unexpectedly compliant. In the past, he would have started by getting angry, asking why his things were thrown away without a word.
Had his personality changed? While his stubborn defiance had been quite interesting, this easy-to-handle version wasn’t bad either.
“Ah, come to think of it, you have nothing to wear. Follow me. I’ll lend you some of my clothes.”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t be modest.”
“I’m really fi—”
Vasily forcibly led the reluctant Gi-dam toward a room. He felt Gi-dam’s resistance, but since his body hadn’t fully recovered, he was easily pulled along.
Vasily stood the nervous, darting-eyed Gi-dam by the door and entered the dressing room. He picked out a few suits that caught his eye and handed them to Gi-dam.
“I’m not sure if the size will fit. Do you want to try them on?”
“…… Are you serious?”
At a glance, the clothes looked twice as large as Gi-dam’s frame. Nevertheless, when Vasily nodded, Gi-dam had no choice but to start undressing.
As the patient gown came off, a body thinner than before was revealed. Traces of frostbite remained in various places, the worst being the scar on the nape of his neck.
Gi-dam slid his arms into the shirt, but as expected, it was baggy. With an expression that questioned if this was even right, he continued to fasten the buttons.
Naturally, the shirt he donned did not fit. The sleeves and length were too long, and the fit was so generous… A chuckle escaped Vasily, and Gi-dam’s face instantly contorted.
“Is this funny to you?”
“No, it’s just that it suits you well.”
“Is this how you treat a patient?”
Irritated, Gi-dam stripped off the shirt and threw it. Thud. The discarded shirt landed on the floor with a dull sound, rolling pathetically.
As Gi-dam turned to leave, Vasily grabbed his wrist to soothe him.
“Wait, it was a joke. It’s true that I’ve prepared clothes for Guide Kwon Gi-dam, so just wait a moment.”
This time, Vasily brought out clothes he had actually bought for Gi-dam. Gi-dam, who had taken them with suspicion, relaxed his expression when it seemed the size would be correct.
As Gi-dam tried to leave the room immediately after receiving the clothes, Vasily stopped him and asked.
“Aren’t you going to try them on? It would be better to check if the size is right.”
“Forget it. I think these will fit.”
“I’ll contact the association and ask them to prepare a smartphone for Guide Kwon Gi-dam to use. Is there anything else you need?”
“…… No.”
Vasily was left alone in the room that had grown quiet after Gi-dam’s departure. One might have felt offended by the cold attitude, but a smile spread across Vasily’s face.
* * *
The next day, Vasily went to find Gi-dam as soon as the sun rose.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, wake up.”
“Ugh……”
Gi-dam let out a strained groan and tossed and turned. Perhaps his mind was cluttered; it seemed he had spent a restless night.
Still, he couldn’t let him keep sleeping. Vasily had no intention of leaving Gi-dam alone at home while he went out.
“You can sleep in the car. We have to leave for the Gate right now.”
“The Gate…… you say?”
Gi-dam’s eyes snapped open, and his face instantly turned pale. Come to think of it, had he said that Gi-dam was caught in his rampage at the Gate? If so, he might not be pleased.
“My…… physical condition is not good yet. If I could go to the Gate after resting a bit more……”
“Do you want me to support you like yesterday?”
“…… I can walk on my own.”
Reluctantly, Gi-dam pushed himself up from the bed.
While waiting in the living room, Vasily saw Gi-dam walking out after finishing his preparations. He was wearing the suit Vasily had given him yesterday.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, come here for a second.”
“……?”
When Vasily beckoned, Gi-dam approached him with a cautious air. Vasily reached out and placed his hand on Gi-dam’s stiff shoulder.
He massaged the shoulder, brushed his arm, and gripped his waist to check if there was too much room. The longer the contact lasted, the more Gi-dam’s body froze.
“I was worried it would be too big, but it fits well.”
It was a pity it was slightly loose due to his weight loss, but it suited him well enough. He had prepared various colors, but choosing the black suit yesterday had been a good decision. It matched Gi-dam’s black hair perfectly.
Then, his eyes fell upon the empty neck.
“Why aren’t you wearing a tie?”
“Since you said we were going to the Gate…… I thought a lighter outfit would be better.”
“That’s a shame. I prepared some in pretty colors.”
It would have looked even better if he had made him wear a tie in a color similar to his own eyes. Vasily withdrew his hand with satisfaction, having finished his check.
They departed for the Gate by car. Recalling the information he had heard from the association yesterday, Vasily spoke.
“They said they’ll send the smartphone sometime today. Oh, what do you want to do with the old one? I heard it’s broken and won’t even power on.”
“Please throw it away.”
“I’ll pass that along.”
Throughout the trip to the Gate, Gi-dam only stared at the scenery unfolding beyond the window, breaking the silence only after a long time.
“What is the grade of the Gate we are going to now?”
“B-grade.”
“B-grade……”
Gi-dam muttered softly. After hearing the grade, his face grew even paler.
Though he sat there as if nothing were wrong, his entire body had been rigid for a while. His tightly clenched fists were white.
He didn’t know what Gi-dam had experienced inside the Gate, but the shock seemed severe. Judging by his reaction, it was clear he had been in a life-threatening situation inside the Gate. And that he had been caught in Vasily’s rampage. Was that how he had returned to the past?
Regression inside a Gate… Once the conquest is finished and we return, I should look for anyone else who experienced a similar incident.
Just as he was about to get out of the car upon arriving at the Gate, a call came in. It was Vasily’s Attending Physician.
Had he heard the news that Gi-dam had been discharged? Checking the caller ID, Vasily lowered the screen and spoke to Gi-dam.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, go on ahead.”
“I understand.”
Gi-dam got out of the car without asking why. He really was obedient. Watching Gi-dam’s retreating figure as he walked toward the Gate with satisfaction, Vasily leisurely answered the phone.
Ah, Esper Vasily. Good morning.
“What is it?”
I heard the news that Guide Kwon Gi-dam was discharged. Is the Guide’s condition alright?
“He’s perfectly fine. Surprisingly so.”
That’s a relief.
Vasily quietly curled the corners of his lips. He had no intention of informing anyone of Gi-dam’s current state. Not even his own Attending Physician.
Gi-dam was someone who had even implanted a suppression chip in his body to avoid him. If Gi-dam, who currently believed the reason for his hospitalization was Vasily’s rampage, found out the truth, there was no telling how his attitude would shift.
He would have to avoid meetings with the Attending Physician for the time being. No, it would be more certain to block all contact with people who knew Gi-dam. Thinking that he should issue an official notice to the association to not even speak with Gi-dam upon his return, he leaned back into the seat.
Esper, when do you intend to proceed with the matching rate test? If you tell me the date, I will prepare in advance.
“Ah…… right, there was that.”
At the mention of the matching rate test, Vasily also fell into a brief contemplation for once. However, there was a risk in proceeding with the test immediately.
If it were known that they still didn’t know the matching rate despite having an exclusive contract, even Gi-dam, who hadn’t fully grasped the current situation, would find it strange. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to postpone the matching rate test a bit.
“No, I’ll do the test later.”
Yes…… are you sure?
The Attending Physician asked back in surprise, but Vasily hung up without any further reaction.
After getting out of the car, Vasily moved toward the Gate to find Gi-dam. Naturally, he walked toward the Guide Tent where Gi-dam always stayed, but Gi-dam wasn’t there.
While looking around outside, he spotted Gi-dam warming up among the Espers. Moreover, he was wearing an Esper combat suit.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam? What are you doing here?”
“I heard we were departing soon, so I was preparing.”
“That’s why I’m asking why Guide Kwon Gi-dam is here. Especially wearing a combat suit.”
“That’s because, obviously……”
A familiar attitude that felt no dissonance even while mixed among Espers. His armament was perfect.
Yes, it was as if……
“Was I not also entering the Gate?”
As expected.
Now, all the pieces had fallen into place. Feeling an intense thrill envelop his entire body, euphoria spread through his silver-gray eyes.