By Zephyria 
Following Vasily down to the underground parking lot, I spotted a familiar foreign car. A memory of having ridden in it a few times in the past flashed through my mind. I think he changed it to another car not long after.
“Please, get in.”
“Yes.”
As I sat in the passenger seat, I felt a strange sensation, as if I had returned to the days when I was his Guide. I was afraid that if I let my guard down and made a slip of the tongue or acted too naturally, he might notice something was off. Thinking that I needed to be even more careful in front of him, I quietly gazed out the window.
The place we arrived at shortly after was a familiar restaurant.
‘Ah, this place is pretty good.’
I nodded to myself as I entered the entrance. Come to think of it, whenever I had meals with Vasily near the Association, we seemed to have settled things here most of the time.
Upon arriving at a quiet private room, the food was already set. Seeing the steam rising warmly, it seemed the food had just been brought out.
Vasily sat down naturally and spoke.
“Steak is fine, right? I asked them to prepare some seafood as well, just in case.”
“Yes. I eat everything; I’m not picky.”
“That’s a relief.”
The food was, as expected, delicious. Because I had spent six years with Vasily eating at high-end restaurants every time, I hadn’t been able to have a truly satisfying meal since my regression, and I never imagined I would taste this again in this way.
I moved my hands diligently to fill my stomach. However, after picking at his food a few times, Vasily soon put down his utensils and began to stare intently at me. Is watching someone else eat really that fascinating? Unconsciously, I became aware of his gaze, and the hand I was using to eat gradually slowed down.
Eventually, I put down my fork and asked.
“Why are you staring?”
“Because it’s nice to see Guide Kwon Gi-dam eating well?”
“…It’s burdensome. That doesn’t mean you need to stare so intently.”
“I wonder.”
Vasily smiled playfully. I couldn’t quite adapt to his attitude, which was a 180-degree turn from before the regression. I tried my best to ignore his gaze and cut the steak into smaller pieces.
After finishing the meal and returning to the Association, the guiding began again.
‘…Damn it. The fever again…’
About an hour after starting the guiding, as expected, my condition began to worsen again. My head throbbed, and the area where the suppression chip was implanted became so hot it felt like it would burst.
At this rate, two or three pills a day wouldn’t be enough. The symptoms were particularly severe today, but since I knew my head would start hurting again shortly if I took medicine now, I had to grit my teeth and endure it.
It felt as if the world was spinning before my eyes. Unable to bear the dizziness, I eventually squeezed my eyes shut.
“…?”
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a cot placed in the corner of the guiding room.
My mind was blank, and my memory of what had happened until just now was hazy. Suddenly, I realized my forehead felt cool. Feeling the cold sensation touching my skin, I blinked for a moment before belatedly noticing that Vasily’s hand was resting on my forehead.
“Vasily?”
“Are you awake?”
“Why am I…”
“You collapsed while guiding. You had a fever, so I was cooling it down.”
I was too flustered to answer. Was this really the same Vasily who wouldn’t even glance at me even if I were seriously injured?
However, the coolness felt on my forehead was no illusion. I remained silent for a moment before quietly speaking.
“…Normally, when a person collapses, you call an ambulance.”
“Ah, is that what ordinary people do?”
“Sigh…”
I shook my head with a sigh. I shouldn’t expect common sense from Vasily. I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t just leave me behind after I collapsed.
No, actually, it might have been better if he had left me. Although the fever had gone down thanks to his ability, the suppression chip had become explosively hot because his hand had been in contact with me.
“Do you have some kind of chronic illness?”
“No. I think I was just not feeling well.”
“I thought ordinary people just collapsed like this all the time. Guide Kwon Gi-dam fainted in front of me last time, too.”
Come to think of it, had I already collapsed in front of Vasily twice? Since Vasily hates weakness, it was about time he lost interest in me. Hoping that Vasily wouldn’t come looking for me starting tomorrow, I checked the clock on the wall.
Perhaps I had been unconscious for quite a while, as it was already almost time to leave work. However, even after waking up from the faint, my condition was still poor.
Thinking that I should go home and rest quickly today, I stretched my stiff neck. It was simply lamentable that there was still a long way to go until the weekend.
“I’m sorry for collapsing during the guiding. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“It’s fine. The difference in ranks is severe, so it seems it put a strain on your body. Next time, I’ll let you go after a short guiding session.”
He answered calmly. But seeing as he never once said he would stop receiving guiding, he was definitely a bastard.
Fortunately, Vasily didn’t hold me back and let me leave the guiding room easily. As I returned to my seat, swallowed a pill, and caught my breath, Jo Woo-yeon, who was also returning to his seat after finishing temporary guiding, saw my haggard face and asked in surprise.
“Gi-dam-ssi, are you sick?”
“No. I’m just a bit tired.”
“Your complexion is too poor for that to be the case. Did you have a lot of guiding assignments today?”
Since I hadn’t told anyone that a request for designated guiding had come from Vasily, I forced a smile and avoided the answer.
Just then, Jo Woo-yeon shifted his gaze behind me and his eyes widened. What is he looking at to be so surprised? Wondering, I turned my head following him, and I flinched as I locked eyes with sharp grey pupils.
Watching me from a distance, Vasily looked clearly displeased. Simultaneously, a warning light went off in my head.
Whenever Vasily looked that moody, it seemed someone always ended up dead or injured.
My face hardened instantly. As I approached him with a serious expression, I could feel the surrounding air freezing cold.
Everything was fine until a moment ago, so why did his mood suddenly sour? I couldn’t think of any reason. First, I had to get Vasily out of here. He was currently no different from a time bomb. It meant that if someone even touched him, this entire area would be turned into a wasteland.
“Esper Vasily, is something the matter?”
I asked affectionately, as if soothing a sulking child, but Vasily remained silent. It was frustrating because he looked upset, yet I couldn’t figure out why.
While I was tearing my hair out internally, Vasily finally spoke.
“I’ll take you home.”
“What?”
“You don’t look well, so I’ll take you. It’s partly my fault that Guide Kwon Gi-dam collapsed.”
Did he… just say…
I was very flustered by the unexpected words. Vasily was not the kind of human to show kindness to others. Moreover, the look in Vasily’s eyes as he spoke still held a cold light without a trace of a smile, making cold sweat run down my back unconsciously.
I wanted to refuse, but the attention of those around us was gathering. Since it was just before clock-out time, employees returning to their seats after guiding were discovering Vasily and buzzing with excitement. The surroundings were becoming increasingly noisy, and it felt like things would escalate further if I dragged out the time.
“…Yes.”
I nodded reluctantly.
Right, let’s think positively. It’s impossible to board a crowded subway during the evening rush hour in this physical condition anyway. Since I get to go comfortably to my front door in Vasily’s car, isn’t this actually a good thing?
I quickly packed my bag and headed out. Without even being able to say goodbye to my colleagues, I hurried out following Vasily, and I could feel the office quickly becoming chaotic.
Listening to the voices fading into the distance, I sighed inwardly. They probably will never know for the rest of their lives. That I just saved them.
In silence, we took the elevator down to the parking lot. All the way until we reached where his car was parked, I continued to read Vasily’s mood.
Unlike in the past, I am not his dedicated Guide now. The thought that I might die if I made a single mistake didn’t leave my mind. I had no choice but to utilize my six years of experience as his Guide to the fullest and endure until I reached home safely.
Once I gave him the location of my house, the car departed. Still, no conversation took place. I thought the silence that had lasted from the start would continue until the end, but Vasily suddenly spoke.
“I don’t think I can come for a while because I’ll be busy. Don’t be too sad that I’m gone.”
“Who would be sad…”
Because it was so absurd, my true feelings slipped out unconsciously. I shut my mouth belatedly, but unexpectedly, far from frowning, Vasily let out a chuckle. Seeing that, a sense of futility washed over me.
When on earth did his mood clear up…
Sigh, I really can’t figure him out. Trying to understand a crazy bastard like Vasily is a losing game in itself. I sighed inwardly. Regardless, it was a relief that I was able to return home safely.