By Zephyria 
It was clearly morning, but I tossed and turned, unable to open my eyes easily. Come to think of it, I think I fell asleep while guiding Vasily yesterday…
‘I fell asleep?’
I bolted upright and hurriedly felt the back of my neck. However, what touched my fingertips wasn’t skin burning hot, but a normal warmth.
…Why isn’t it hot?
“Are you awake?”
Just as I was panicking while rubbing my lukewarm nape, a familiar voice sounded from beside me. Turning my head, I saw Vasily greeting me nonchalantly with a sparkling face. His complexion looked incredibly refreshed, as if he had slept deeply.
Ignoring Vasily’s broad chest welcoming me from the morning, I asked inquisitively.
“Did you not receive guiding?”
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam fell asleep, so I stopped. You aren’t supposed to guide for a long time because of the suppression chip.”
That’s true, but…
I glanced at Vasily while rubbing my perfectly fine neck.
Usually, Vasily was dissatisfied with the fact that he could only receive guiding for an hour because of the suppression chip. I was certain he would think this was his chance and take guiding all night…
The sight of him not forcing guiding was unfamiliar. Was it because of what he told me yesterday? Recalling him saying he wanted to build trust, I shut my mouth.
I thought he had spoken lightly just to get guiding from me, but the thought that he might have been sincere left my mind in a state of confusion.
Suddenly, his lips entered my field of vision.
‘…I think they were soft.’
It was the first time I had initiated a kiss, having only been forced into them every time. Even the kiss itself had felt surprisingly tender.
As I stared at him with a complex gaze, Vasily spoke.
“It’s been decided that the S-class Esper from yesterday’s meeting will go to the West Sea Gate joint training.”
It seemed he had received the news while I was asleep. The worry that nothing would change despite the flamboyant scene I had caused vanished completely.
As my face brightened, Vasily smiled thinly and asked.
“Were you that worried about me going to a Gate while injured?”
“Yes… Of course not. I just hated the idea of having to guide you after the conquest was over…”
“Mm-hmm. I get it.”
Vasily wrapped his arm around my waist and rubbed his head against my side. Does he think I’m denying it out of embarrassment?
He seemed to be in a very good mood, based on his own misunderstanding. I found it too tedious to even make an excuse, so I left the misunderstanding alone.
Anyway, what time is it?
I couldn’t gauge the time because the blackout curtains blocked the view of the sky. I picked up the smartphone lying next to me to check the time.
The moment I saw the numbers on the screen, I froze. It was long past the time I should have gone to work. In fact, it was nearly noon.
I slept this long? Oversleeping was shocking enough, but the fact that I slept for nearly twelve hours straight without waking up, right next to Vasily, was bordering on appalling.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
I asked Vasily with an incredulous expression.
Before the regression, he had never let me sleep this long. He was always busy dragging me out to the training ground as soon as the sun rose to run me ragged.
But the strange thing was that I was the same. In the past, my eyes would open naturally every morning, but since the regression, I couldn’t wake up easily unless I set an alarm.
Perhaps it’s because my mind remembers those horrific days, but my body has never personally suffered through them. It felt as if I were under the illusion that I was still living a peaceful daily life.
Thinking that I needed to snap out of it, I climbed out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get ready for work.”
“You don’t have to.”
“…?”
When I looked back with a gaze asking what that meant, Vasily continued.
“Did you already forget? Guide Kwon Gi-dam personally demonstrated my condition at yesterday’s meeting. Thanks to that, the association told me to rest this week.”
“Ah…”
“There aren’t any open Gates nearby anyway.”
Since I had let him bleed so openly, it seemed they wanted to let him rest. As Vasily said, since all the nearby Gates had been cleared, it would be quiet for a while, so Vasily wouldn’t be particularly needed.
“Then are you staying home today without going to work?”
“Yes. So you can lie down a bit more.”
Whether he wanted guiding from the morning or not, Vasily pulled back the duvet, tempting me back into bed.
The fluffy blanket and cool air where I had been lying just moments ago tugged at my legs. Looking at the bed, which was undoubtedly cozy, I hesitated for a moment, but I shook my head, thinking I had already slept too long.
Leaving the disappointed Vasily behind, I left his room.
Returning to my own room, I turned on my smartphone to check the news I had missed overnight, and there was a text message.
[Korea Esper Association]
Regular training for Espers and Guides who have recently formed pairs will be conducted as follows. We strongly encourage you to accompany your Esper or Guide. Please refer to the official website for further details.
“…”
It seemed there was some training. Reading the following content, the date was this Thursday, and it was scheduled to take place at the Esper Association headquarters.
If I were going alone, it wouldn’t matter. The problem was that it stated I should attend together with my Esper.
A cold sweat broke out.
With Vasily?
Reading the notice sent by the association, it seemed everyone who had recently formed a pair was attending. Imagining Vasily sitting among them, I felt the blood drain from my face.
If I went with Vasily, we would definitely attract attention. In the first place, it wasn’t a place an S-class Esper would typically attend.
Intending to ignore it, I tried to delete the message, but the warning phrase written at the bottom suddenly caught my eye.
※ Attendance is mandatory. There will be disadvantages for non-attendance, so if you are unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances, please contact us in advance.
“…Mandatory?”
My face crumpled after reading the last part.
Since there were disadvantages, it felt uneasy to ignore the message. I wished it were a spam text, but there were no suspicious links or requests for personal information. It was simply a notice about the training to be held this week.
I sighed and put down the smartphone.
Was there something like this before the regression? Seeing as I had never taken any guiding-related training, I think I had skipped it…
I don’t even remember receiving a text like this. It was probably a mistake by the association, adding me to the list.
Furthermore, information regarding Vasily’s Guide cannot be accessed by just any association employee, so even if I called and insisted that I couldn’t attend because I am Esper Vasily’s pair Guide, it might be difficult for them to verify.
In that case, dumping this on Vasily is the fastest solution. I picked up my smartphone and went back to Vasily.
“Esper Vasily.”
“I thought you left?”
Vasily, who was still lying in bed, naturally made room beside him, thinking I had changed my mind and returned. Ignoring that, I got straight to the point.
“Esper Vasily, did you happen to receive a text telling you to participate in training?”
“Training?”
Vasily reacted as if it were the first time he had heard of it. As expected, it seemed he hadn’t been contacted.
I held out my smartphone to Vasily and showed him the screen with the message.
“I received a text like this.”
“Does everyone in Korea take this kind of training?”
“Yes, well… it seems so.”
“Hmm…”
Vasily quietly read down the text on the screen. While his silver-gray eyes slowly scanned the content, I continued from the side.
“It seems there was a mistake because the fact that I am your Guide wasn’t conveyed. If you contact the association and tell them you cannot attend…”
“Why?”
“Because you hate these kinds of gatherings, Esper Vasily.”
“I don’t hate them, though?”
Vasily smiled thinly and lied brazenly.
…This bastard?
I knew very well that the association hadn’t sent him a text because they knew Vasily would never attend such an event. Facing Vasily, who was blatantly playing innocent, the corners of my forced smile trembled.
“I recall you stopping me from going to yesterday’s meeting, saying it was a place where Espers gather. Other Espers will be coming here too.”
“That was because I was worried those who don’t know their place would covet what is mine. A place like this is fine.”
“…”
I was speechless, appalled by his attitude that flipped like the palm of a hand.
“Are you really going?”
“It’s not as if I don’t have a Guide I’ve paired with; is there any reason I shouldn’t go? I think it would be good for Guide Kwon Gi-dam to receive training if you want to guide me properly.”
Looking at Vasily, who had not the slightest intention of changing his mind, I let out a deep sigh. The more I attended gatherings of ordinary people with Vasily, the more the rumor that I am Vasily’s Guide would spread…
I had gone to such lengths to prevent it from being announced that I was Vasily’s dedicated Guide, but now it seemed it would all be for nothing because of him.
I quickly gave up on persuading Vasily and shook my head.
Fine, go ahead. He’s probably acting like this because he hasn’t yet tasted the horrific boredom of Korean-style mandatory education. After sitting for several hours listening to useless content, he won’t even breathe a word about going to such a place ever again.