"Damn it. Does guiding espers count as doing a good deed?"
With a soft thud, the bulky TV switched off. A woman, carefully placing down a remote wrapped in blue tape, crossed her arms and sank into the worn-out sofa.
Block C was quite spacious, but due to the small number of residents, only a few places felt inhabited. The lounge was one such place, as it was the only area with a functioning TV, ensuring there was always at least one or two people around.
There were two people in the lounge today. Joo-hyun and Se-hwa, both dressed in the standard-issued indoor clothing.
Se-hwa, with short chocolate-coloured hair and slightly lighter red eyes than Joo-hyun's, was an esper for just over six years. Not as much as Joo-hyun, but for a runaway esper, she endured a long time.
"I hate that bastard."
"I don't particularly like him either," Joo-hyun replied from a nearby sofa, barely glancing up from the worn book with an unreadable cover he was pretending to read.
Of all the runaway espers, Joo-hyun was the only one with a matching guide. A few days ago, In-ho had come to finalise their contract, and despite neither looking coerced nor resigned, he hadn't seemed particularly happy about it either. Joo-hyun, not being someone who cared much about making people smile, didn't pay it much mind.
What bothered Joo-hyun the most was why In-ho had decided to be his guide in the first place. Maybe it was curiosity or something similar. Joo-hyun's colleagues couldn't come up with any other explanation either, shaking their heads in bafflement.
Matching a runaway esper to get some attention was like cutting off a finger trying to cure a thorn in it. It's too much for what you get.
Not knowing the reason made Joo-hyun more wary, which naturally heightened his nerves. However, Joo-hyun never expressed any objections while signing the thick contract. It wasn't like he had any say in the matter anyway, as it was a decision made by those above him.
And to be honest, the radiant guiding emanating from In-ho, who sat closer this time, felt really good. Though it wasn't abundant, the subtle lightness in his body made Joo-hyun wish the contract signing would never end.
However, the thick stack of papers was quickly signed, and Joo-hyun had to rise from his chair. He wasn't angry at In-ho for ending the handshake in a mere second; he was angry at himself for being swayed by such a minimal amount of guiding.
In-ho, who hadn't even provided a proper guiding session, gave Joo-hyun a lingering look before leaving the room with the staff. The meaning behind that gaze was still a mystery to him.
"He seems like a strange guy."
"He must be strange. Like I said before, if he were normal, would he have matched with a runaway esper?"
Se-hwa's sharp words were followed by her flopping back onto the sofa. The sofa, patched up with blue tape over its torn parts, was old but relatively comfortable.
Eventually, with nothing better to do, Se-hwa turned the TV back on. In-ho's face filled the small screen. He was smiling, but it was different from the smile Joo-hyun had seen a few days ago. The remote clicked, and the channel changed.
Joo-hyun shifted his gaze and silently turned another page.
* * *
"Hello. It's been a week, right?"
Joo-hyun glanced at Cha In-ho with a vague smile and nodded vaguely.
"Yes."
"The weather is quite hot today."
"Yes."
"Did you have lunch? I saw a nice-looking restaurant on the way here."
"Yes."
"Do you hate me?"
"Yes."
The eerie dark-red eyes and the black ones met. Joo-hyun, who inadvertently let out the words, briefly pursed his lips and remained silent. It wasn't technically an incorrect statement.
The well-received actor, who rarely hears the word "dislike" to his face, chuckled as if finding it amusing. His handsome eyebrows arched, his beautiful eyes crescented, and his perfectly drawn lips seemed to lift slightly.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the direct gaze, Joo-hyun subtly averted his eyes.
"You don't say it's a mistake."
"Because it's not."
Cha In-ho shrugged, instantly wiping away the insincere expression from his face. His bright smile and casual questions seemed like a practiced technique for building relationships. Despite knowing that most people would easily fall for his smile and charm, In-ho didn't act as if he expected instant favour from anyone.
Adjusting his posture as if the chair was uncomfortable, Cha In-ho leaned a bit closer to the table. Simultaneously, his guiding seemed to intensify.
While it could be imperceptible for typical espers, even a drop of water was precious for someone always thirsty. In Block C, living in a drought, Joo-hyon felt like even that could help him survive.
However, naturally, Joo-hyon didn't show it. Instead, he intentionally put on a nonchalant expression and leaned back.
At the same time, there was a clinking sound from the handcuffs around his wrists. They weren't as crude as the ones used during apprehensions, but handcuffs were still handcuffs. Uncomfortable, annoying, and slightly painful.
"But why are you wearing that?" Cha In-ho finally brought up the main topic, his expression devoid of emotion as he lightly touched Joo-hyon's wrist, a faint hint of concern that could be mistaken for worry. It was like watching a rabbit worry about a tiger. Of course, the rabbit was free, and the tiger was slowly dying in the cage.
Yet, admitting that fact would mean acknowledging that all Joo-hyon had was his pride, so he replied with a sharp tone, "It's a safety precaution. You pressed the call button last time."
"Even though it's been ten days already?"
"It's a rule. For the next three times, I have to wear then every time I meet you."
Uncomfortable, but he had already gotten used to it. Some guides had even refused to guide unless the restraints were applied from the beginning, citing fear and anxiety. There was no intention to treat runaway espers like criminals or judge them as such. But anyone who could kill with their mind was inherently frightening.
"It's a ridiculous rule."
Yet for some reason, Cha In-ho reached out without fear, touching the cold metal. In the process, his smooth fingers lightly brushed against Joo-hyon's hand.
"...For safety," he replied calmly.
"I don't feel any safer with this thing around."
Half true and half false. The handcuffs on Joo-hyon's wrist were special restraints designed to suppress an esper's abilities. While they couldn't completely block their powers, they caused intense pain. So, if Joo-hyon wished, he could end Cha In-ho's life in an instant.
However, Joo-hyon would also suffer in the process. There was no reason to do it and he didn't want to endure the pain. But it was a fact that flimsy restraints like these couldn't fully control an esper.
"And I don't think I'll be any less safe without this."
As Cha In-ho spoke, he lightly stroked the spot where Joo-hyon had stubbed out a cigarette last time. The faint scent of smoke lingered, mixing with the guidance flowing from the matchmaker.
At that moment, a click echoed in the guidance room. Joo-hyon, suddenly alert, grabbed Cha In-ho by the collar with his bound hands.
No matter how big he was, against the power of an esper, he was powerless. Pulled closer by the force, Cha In-ho briefly held his breath at the faint smell of smoke wafting in his face.
"Do you see me as some damn dog on a leash?"
"..."
"You better not let your guard down like this. It could get you in big trouble."
In the gaze of the runaway esper, flames flickered. Cha In-ho's delicate face was etched into the fiery red eyes.
Honestly, Joo-hyon had prepared himself for the possibility of the pager being pressed again, but it never happened. Instead, Cha In-ho's hands didn't even go near the pager or the stun gun. That's what complacency looked like.
With a fierce smile, as if about to devour prey, the rampaging esper slowly released his grip. As Joo-hyon backed away, Cha In-ho stumbled a little.
Actually, Joo-hyun didn't like Cha In-ho very much, but he didn't hate him enough to threaten him. He just found Cha In-ho's overly familiar approach uncomfortable.
The reason why runaway espers were dangerous was because no one knew when he would runaway again. He might go berserk tomorrow and turn the surroundings into chaos, so it would be a big problem to get entangled with him just because you thought he wasn't a monster after matching.
"I'll pass on killing innocent civilians in another runaway."
There was nothing a guide could do against a runaway esper. It meant that In-ho had to remain vigilant by his side at all times in order to save his life.
By now, this man, who had lived as an ordinary person all his life and was suddenly thrown into the world of espers and guides, must have come to his senses to some extent.
Joo-hyon took out a cigarette from his pocket with an uncomfortable hand. Lighting a match was something he had done thousands of times, so he could do it even with his eyes closed. Smoke rose.
"Oh, thanks for your concern."
ha In-ho, who seemed unable to distinguish between concern and stupidity, laughed. Not understanding the meaning behind that smile, Joo-hyon turned away and took a deep drag of the bittersweet smoke.
The tingling sensation in his throat was addictive. The dry tip of his tongue licked against his sharp canines.