BP 11

If it had been just the two of them, even Rowan might have raised his voice. He warned Joy in a very serious tone, but Joy didn’t even blink.

“Do we still have our concept book?”

“Ugh…”

I can’t deal with her. Rowan grabbed his head and slammed his forehead onto the table. Because of his sister, whose drive was second to none, he was suddenly forced to play teacher.

Perhaps thanks to Joy’s initiative, the meeting concluded smoothly. Walking through the Guides heading for the exit, Joy approached the team leader to ask about future plans.

“When is the timing for field deployment?”

The heartless team leader’s gaze flickered toward Seung-hyun before returning. To her, Ji Seung-hyun was still a thorn in her side.

“It will depend on his capability, but I want to see visible results within three weeks.”

“…Three weeks?”

At the insane suggestion to compress a ten-year curriculum into three weeks, Joy almost let out a curse by habit. As Joy’s face turned pale, the team leader tilted her head.

“For now, it’s limited to Esper Ha Jae-il. If the Backsplash Class is possible, the levels below will naturally follow, won’t they?”

“I’ll make the work logs once a week instead.” As the team leader spoke with a smile as if granting a favor, Joy’s lips barely managed to form an arc. They trembled slightly due to her lack of emotional control.

Damn it. That’s the same thing. She’s telling me to make him guide the final boss within three weeks—is this a joke or what?

She felt like she had walked into a trap. Joy fell into thought for a moment. Why was Ji Seung-hyun assigned to Team 1 of the Guide Department without any support? The order to guide only Ha Jae-il, the abnormally short training period. If he fails, does he become a nuisance or a disposable card?

Joy turned her gaze toward Rowan. She sent him a look that asked, ‘Did I accidentally cause a disaster?’ Rowan was avoiding Joy’s gaze. It meant he didn’t even want to look at her face.

Inwardly, Joy thought it was a relief she had dragged Rowan in. Rowan was a bit lacking and naive, but he was better at guiding than anyone. Moreover, although that pushover didn’t seem to realize it, Rowan loved his sister Joy very much as an older brother. Even if he looked miserable now, he would surely care for her more than anyone if a problem arose.

After receiving Seung-hyun’s files from the team leader, Joy immediately headed toward him. She walked at a terrifying speed, closing the distance.

Noticing her, Seung-hyun stood up awkwardly. His face was slightly flushed. It was natural. He had practically been assaulted visit our siteby concentrated mockery and [stolen content]contempt. Still, he had endured it well. After reading the files for a few seconds, Joy introduced herself aggressively.

“I’m Joy Lee. And that’s Rowan Lee.”

Where she pointed with her chin was a man with a miserable expression. Resembling her with blonde hair and blue eyes, he had a softer impression than Joy.

“Yes, nice to meet you. And thank you.”

“I’ll take the thanks later. Since I’m above you in many ways, I’ll speak informally, okay?”

It was a swift resolution. Seung-hyun’s eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.

* * *

The first thing that entered Seung-hyun’s eyes when he opened the door to the consultation room was a man’s broad back. He knew who it was without seeing his face. He could tell just by the color of the energy being emitted. Daniel, who had been hidden by Jae-il, peeked his head out and gave a smiling look.

“You’ve arrived?”

Seung-hyun and Jae-il, who had already met in the morning, exchanged only light nods. Pulling out a chair to sit next to Jae-il, Seung-hyun glanced at Jae-il’s straight posture. He did it unconsciously, without realizing it. Something stolen contentstyle="opacity:0;font-size:0;">visit our siteundulating from the man’s shoulders kept looking for an opportunity to spill over this way. Under the table, Seung-hyun’s fingers intertwined and fidgeted, engaging in a secret battle of wills.

Daniel’s smile was as clean as his image. Looking back and forth between Jae-il and Seung-hyun, he interlaced his fingers and leaned his upper body forward slightly.

“I’d like to give you an assignment.”

The speaker was quite excited, but a faint sigh escaped Jae-il. In an instant, energy from a different angle pricked at Seung-hyun’s body. Glancing at the expressionless face, the corners of Seung-hyun’s mouth stiffened.

He hadn’t said anything in particular or done any noticeable action, but it was impossible not to be mindful. It felt as if the energy was speaking to him. Telling him it was unpleasant, that it was uncomfortable. Seung-hyun vaguely guessed that an incident he couldn’t remember had played a part.

“It’s too much for Seung-hyun-ssi to start guiding immediately, but that doesn’t mean his stats themselves are lacking. The synergy between the matching rate and the subconscious is surprisingly scary. Just being in the same space would exert—no, must have exerted—a pretty decent effect. Right?”

Jae-il, who met the eyes of Daniel seeking agreement, neither affirmed nor denied. He simply rolled his eyes wide with a silent face.

“So. Twice a week…”

Daniel trailed off, pondered for a moment, and then smiled as if he had reached a decision.

“I want you to share the same bed twice.”

It was an absurd proposal. Share a bed? Unlike Seung-hyun, who had a question mark floating over his head, Jae-il furrowed his brow and parted his lips. He was about to say something. Not missing that moment, Daniel waved his hand as if telling him to listen first.

“No matter how good the twins’ guiding skills are, 30% is the maximum. Seung-hyun-ssi will fill in for their lacking parts.”

“…Does sharing the same bed make that possible? Even while sleeping?”

Normally, it would be a proposal to be quite embarrassed by. However, Seung-hyun asked an innocent question without hesitation. He seemed simply curious about everything. Jae-il, glancing at Seung-hyun, turned his gaze to the air. A slight sense of resignation was evident in the way he leaned his upper body against the backrest.

“Yes. Fascinating, isn’t it? But that’s because Seung-hyun-ssi is Backsplash Class. Even if it’s another A-Class, it’s difficult. This kind of ability.”

“Do I not have to do anything?”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Uh… Just. Well…”

Seung-hyun was speechless at Daniel’s mischievous question. Read on Read BL NovelsEND: Read on Read BL Novels -->Embarrassment [visit our site]crept up belatedly, making him scratch the back of his neck and shift his hips. His cheeks flushed red, making the observer curious about what he was imagining in his head.

“The closer the distance, the better, but…”

There probably won’t be such a thing.

Daniel’s gaze quietly turned toward Jae-il. He was one of the few people who knew the cause of Jae-il’s trauma. He couldn’t accurately gauge how eroded the inner thoughts hidden behind that expressionless face were.

Looking at this, the Guides were the problem. Possessors of a bizarre personality who must have what they want and completely destroy it if they cannot. Privileged people muddled with desire for dominance and conquest. Some praised them as the most evolved form of humanity, which was laughable. What evolution for those lacking the most important virtues a human should have? Rather, they were the most inferior.

Anyway, by now, it was a point where he should have stubbornly refused at least once, but it was a relief that he was unexpectedly quiet. Even yesterday, he had been pushed with all sorts of reasons, and surprisingly, it worked. Though he looked very displeased, he eventually carried the Guide in his arms. He even said he slept soundly. For Jae-il, who had only caused worry like a rebellious child, it was quite commendable. At this rate, everything was going very smoothly.

Perhaps the silence had been quite long, as Jae-il’s eyes, which had been avoiding contact, were now directed at Daniel. Anxious about what he might say next, Daniel hurried to wrap things up.

“Please discuss and decide on the days yourselves. You must be together on the day you receive guiding or the following day. You may vary the frequency depending on your situation, but please do not decrease it.”

The two were only released after listening to various precautions from Daniel for a while. Seung-hyun left the consultation room first, followed by Jae-il. After greeting him, Seung-hyun hesitated behind the turning Jae-il before finally managing to speak.

“Um, Esper-nim.”

At Seung-hyun’s call, Jae-il slowly turned around and responded with a glance. Scratching his temple, Seung-hyun’s gaze was directed somewhere on the floor. Jae-il had become almost accustomed to the sight of Seung-hyun’s round crown.

“I don’t remember. I’m truly sorry.”

At the sudden apology, Jae-il let out a small gasp, “Ah.”

“I’m sor… I didn’t have anything to do. Please don’t mind me.”

Seung-hyun nodded his head and fidgeted with his clasped hands. He seemed to have something he wanted to say. Jae-il intended to wait patiently, but the silence was brief. Taking a deep breath that expanded his chest, Seung-hyun opened his mouth.

“I… I’m from the 13th District. I, I don’t have any illnesses. I’ve been tested for everything. There are no schools there. So I don’t know anything. I really don’t know much. I didn’t even know I would become a Guide. Whether it was a Guide or whatever, I never had any interest in ability users. I just… as a last resort before I died, I decided to act crazy and get tested… and it turned out like this. I know I’m lacking in many ways. I heard my matching rate with you is high, and that this situation isn’t necessarily good for you.”

Seung-hyun rambled on in front of Jae-il. Seeing the lack of hesitation, it seemed he had rehearsed this in his own way. Of course, the parts where he spoke as if talking to himself in between were quite strange. As he babbled, it felt as though he had lost control to his stream of consciousness. His expression grew darker and darker.