By Zephyria 
On the surface, it was a handshake, but holding hands was the most basic ritual for exchanging each other’s energy. This was as far as he would go in playing along with Daniel’s excitement. Jae-il only wanted to make up for his lack of sleep. Honestly, he didn’t care about the matching rate or the A-Class Guide status. In the end, this person would just be one of the many Guides he had passed by for seven years, or would pass by in the future.
Jae-il was withered and severely exhausted, but no one knew his state. The state only cheered for his outstanding abilities and entrusted him with guiding as if charging a battery. Expectations, disappointments, excitement—all emotions had already been depleted. Having realized in the void of wasted time that it was merely a matter of a little less or a little more, he felt this time was purely consumptive.
Looking at the extended hand, the man slowly raised his head. Perhaps because he really was an A-Class Guide, he was reacting sensitively even to an Amplification Hazard Level that wasn’t particularly high. Following the slow gaze, a sharp bridge of the nose, eyelashes that were long for a man, and clear cheeks came into view. As emotions began to fill the man’s face, Jae-il’s eyelids quietly lowered and then rose.
“…….”
“…….”
Jae-il thought the man’s face looked exactly like a carved chestnut.
On the other hand, the man who discovered Jae-il looked at him as if he were seeing a ghost. Starting with a sharp intake of breath and wide, startled eyes, he showed a variety of reactions every second. First, he was startled; second, he covered his mouth; he even gagged.
“Ugh.”
It was the most absurd greeting he had ever received from a Guide.
The man collapsed before he could even finish saying “I’m sorry.” As the trembling body suddenly went limp, Jae-il reflexively reached out. The man’s forearm was caught between his long, firm fingers.
“……?”
At that moment, one of Jae-il’s eyebrows, which had been expressionless, twitched upward. It was a momentary contact, and the man was not even conscious. Letting go of the hand he had grabbed, Jae-il blinked his eyes rapidly.
As the supporting hand dropped, the man’s body naturally slumped. Jae-il, who instinctively bent his knees to catch the man, still had a surprised look on his face. Even for someone with a personality that rarely showed a big reaction, he was quite flustered this time. The moment their skin touched, the fierce energies that had been pressing down on and eating away at his body passed through his hand.
Having watched the entire process while resting his chin on his hand, Daniel observed Jae-il’s surprised expression with interest before finally speaking. Throughout his speech, the corners of his mouth remained upturned.
“That’s what 98% means.”
It was the first time he had a Guide with a matching rate over 90%.
“Take him and go sleep.”
“……?”
Jae-il, who had been staring intently at the limp man, furrowed his brow as if displeased.
“Just sleep together for a few hours.”
* * *
“Joy.”
Rowan whined from a corner where the consultation room, where Jae-il was, could be seen if one just peeked their head out.
“Aren’t you going home?”
The new Guide Daniel Gray had taken on was indeed the person Joy had heard about through rumors. They had quickly finished their investigation and were now spying from the corner.
“Be quiet.”
Joy’s tone was quite irritable, but due to her short stature and squirrel-like appearance, she wasn’t a great threat. Looking at Joy, who was absorbed in spying, Rowan spoke with a pitiful face.
“Joy. Doing this won’t make that Guide’s skills any better.”
“I’m just curious about his face. What he looks like.”
“You’ll all meet eventually anyway….”
“Shut up! If you’re going to be like this, you go home first!”
She was a truly annoying younger sister. Rowan glared, wondering if he should just hit the back of Joy’s head once, but he soon stopped. With that passion, wouldn’t it have been better to just do guiding one more time? However, unable to break his sister’s stubbornness, Rowan trudged over and flopped down on a bench in the hallway.
“He’s coming out…!”
She stamped her feet in welcome of Jae-il’s appearance. Because she stamped her feet, her hips swayed. It was a movement as if she had a tail. Rowan, who had been lounging with a half-hearted attitude, also sprang up and pressed close behind Joy.
The first things visible as soon as the door opened were Jae-il’s long legs and sneakers. He was carrying something in his arms. Joy and Rowan, squinting their eyes to figure out what on earth that was, soon widened their eyes in shock. Jae-il had exited the room carrying someone in a princess carry. Having guessed who the person in his arms was with their tiny heads, they let out an exclamation.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
As Daniel, who followed behind, said something to Jae-il, they saw Jae-il nod.
Before he began to walk properly, he adjusted the man in his arms once more, making him lean deeper into his chest. The image of him gripping the back of the head and carefully pulling it toward his chest didn’t seem real at all.
What on earth is happening? The twins’ eyes widened again. Before Jae-il could move, Rowan turned and pressed himself against the wall, and Joy pressed right beside him. Still unable to recover from the shock, the two began to mutter.
“Brother.”
“I don’t know either. Don’t ask.”
The pair of stunned expressions was a sight to behold.
“Why is Jae-il… why, why, why is he touching the Guide?”
“Exactly.”
While Joy covered her mouth with both hands and blushed, Rowan peeked around the corner. Rowan’s gaze clung tenaciously to the back of the man moving toward the end of the hallway. The reliable build, tall height, and fluffy hair. That was definitely Ha Jae-il. He didn’t know what had happened inside to make the Guide lose consciousness, but it was truly rare for Ha Jae-il—who allowed only the minimum necessary contact, or rather, less than necessary, with Guides—to show such behavior.
Rowan’s gaze did not waver until Jae-il disappeared.
* * *
After entering the Guiding Room and laying Seung-hyun down, Jae-il let out a faint sigh. He shouldn’t have fallen for the trivial excuse that his back hurt. He felt pathetic for having been swept up and coming here with the man.
The man named Ji Seung-hyun had lost consciousness on the spot and absorbed Jae-il’s energy. Because of the irresponsible Guide who had escaped into unconsciousness, only Jae-il was left confused.
‘What am I supposed to do with this.’
‘It’s okay. You touched him.’
Anyway, what did it mean to lose consciousness? When he belatedly worried about the man and asked about his condition, Daniel only said strange things.
‘More importantly, trust me and get some sleep for three hours.’
‘…….’
‘He’s still far from being able to do guiding. Just stay close to him while you sleep.’
He must have been momentarily possessed. Jae-il pulled the blanket up to cover the man’s chest. He had no intention of carrying out the task Daniel had given him. If such a thing were possible, he should have first opened his heart to the twin Guides who took such careful care of him. He had kept a distance as cold as ice even from them, who had been responsible for him for nearly two years, so sharing a bed with a Guide he had known for less than thirty minutes was absurd.
“…….”
Seung-hyun’s brow was still furrowed as if the previous pain remained. I wonder if it would smooth out if I rubbed it. Just as he turned away, pushing back a self-mocking emotion, one of Jae-il’s eyebrows twitched. He felt a tug on his sleeve.
Looking down, he saw the man had his eyes half-open. Compared to his hazy gaze, what was contained in his eyes was clear.
“Where are you going?”
Biting his lower lip and furrowing his brow deeply, he had a quite pained expression. He repeatedly rubbed his chest as if something was uncomfortable, then suddenly reached out his hand.
“Come here….”
“……?”
He had just been blaming himself for his unusual behavior and turning away, but the man’s suddenly extended hand was equally bewildering. Jae-il flinched and stepped half a pace back. His startled eyes instinctively followed the man’s fingertips.
‘What is he doing….’
His mouth, hesitating to say something, only held air.
The man’s clumsily extended hand failed to reach Jae-il and instead thumped against the sheet. Looking blankly at the hand that failed to achieve its goal, the man muttered pitifully.
“I told you to come here….”
He called out so desperately that it seemed he would burst into tears if he didn’t. Jae-il thought it was absurd that the strength was leaving his body. The clumsy voice felt almost like a command.
Caught in a dilemma where he could neither approach nor leave, Jae-il froze like a stone for a while.
“…….”
“…….”
Looking closely, the man seemed to be acting unconsciously. If he were sane, he wouldn’t be this impolite to an Esper he had just met. As Jae-il stood still without taking any action, the man, unable to bear it, pushed himself up. Propping himself up with the sheet, he was swallowing dryly with difficulty, as if something were caught in his throat.
“I told you to come here….”
His voice grew increasingly wet. Was he really planning to cry?
As if untiring, the man reached out again. The hem of Jae-il’s clothes barely caught on his fingers. The hand gripping the collar pulled Jae-il toward him somewhat roughly.
One by one, eyes opened.