TGIC Ch 43

Chapter 43

However, it wasn’t a designated guiding request. Upon checking, it turned out that the next gate dispatch had been confirmed. The date was this Friday… and the location…

“…”

Just one look, and I could tell—it was a gate that would require an all-nighter.

The estimated completion time was clearly stated to be a minimum of 48 hours. And the estimates were rarely wrong. It didn’t even say 48 hours—it said more than 48 hours. That meant the all-nighter was a sure thing.

To be assigned to the kind of gate I had been so desperate to avoid… I hadn’t been hit with one before, not even once, and yet it had to happen now. And the day of the week was just the worst.

If it takes at least two days to complete, and we depart on a Friday, that means I’ll be holed up in the mountains during the weekend while everyone else is resting.

Ugh… I don’t want to go… Why is it that bad things never pass me by?

Sitting at my desk, I clutched my head in frustration. Jo Wooyeon, seeing my state, asked if something was wrong, but I simply shook my head and said it was nothing.

I read the announcement on the screen again.

[Estimated completion time: more than 48 hours]

“No matter how I look at it… it’s definitely going to be an all-nighter…”

Camping in the mountains in the summer? I really didn’t want to go… But of course, skipping it wasn’t an option.

Another alert came from the work system. This time, it was indeed a designated guiding request from Vasily.

Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since Vasily last submitted a designated request.

He must’ve been too busy moving through gates to request one. I had thought he was avoiding me after learning his secret, but this proved otherwise.

Still, why did he have to request it just before the end of the workday? With only thirty minutes left until clock-out, my fingers were itching to press the decline button.

Right then, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Vasily.

[Did you see my guiding request?]

[Yes. I saw it.]

[Then pack up and come out. I’ll drive you home afterward.]

Hmm, well, if that’s the case, then a last-minute request is forgivable. Actually, I might even be able to coax him into letting me leave work early.

[Understood.]

I replied immediately and quietly packed my things.

“I’ll be out for a designated guiding session.”

Careful not to draw attention, I quietly slipped out of the Guide Association building and headed to Vasily’s private room. It had become something of an unspoken norm to conduct guiding sessions there—it was out of sight and far more comfortable.

When I flung the door open and entered, Vasily greeted me with a bright smile.

“You’re here?”

At the sight of him, the memory of the upcoming gate dispatch resurfaced, and my mood sank again. As I walked in, closing the door behind me, Vasily seemed to notice something and asked,

“Did something happen? You look a bit down.”

Could I tell him that I’d been assigned another mission right after he just returned from a gate yesterday…? I hesitated, but eventually opened my mouth. I had to inform Vasily of it sooner or later anyway.

“I’m sorry to bring this up, Esper Vasily, but… I’ve been assigned to a gate dispatch this Friday.”

“Really? Then I’ll have to keep my schedule clear. But why the gloomy expression?”

“I just… really don’t want to go this time…”

“Want me to get you out of it?”

Oh? That was tempting. If it was Vasily, he could cancel my assignment with a single phone call.

But I quickly shook my head. If I didn’t go, the job would fall on someone else. And if I didn’t want to go to that gate, chances are no one else would, either.

“It’s fine. If I don’t go, someone else will have to take it…”

Once I finished speaking, a brief silence fell. Vasily looked at me quietly for a moment before he spoke.

“I’ve thought this for a while… but Guide Kwon Gidam, you live far too diligently.”

“Excuse me? Me?”

“Most people wouldn’t even care about things like that. And even though the rank difference makes it hard, you still guide me every time.”

“…”

Was… Vasily complimenting me just now?

My heart thudded hard. Somehow, being recognized by Vasily for my effort made me feel oddly proud.

I could feel my face heating up, and I desperately tried to suppress the swelling emotion.

Get a grip, Kwon Gidam. Think of the last six years you’ve endured because of Vasily. You’re not the kind of person who gets swayed by a single compliment.

For all I knew, this could be Vasily’s master plan to break down my defenses. That’s why I had to stay cautious, just as I always had…

“E-Either way, let’s start the guiding session already. By the way, I already guided you all night yesterday—do you really need more guiding today?”

“It’s been a while since I asked for a designated session.”

Vasily was right—it had been a while. He’d been busy, and there hadn’t been any messages from him for a long time.

There was no helping it. I recalled how bad his condition had seemed last night and gave a small nod. I had guided him all night, but the match rate was low—maybe it hadn’t been enough.

“Why were you passed out in front of my door last night, anyway? You know the password. You could’ve just come in.”

“I don’t know. I don’t even remember going there.”

So he blacked out?

His condition must’ve been really poor. Even so, he was ready to follow me to that gate… And the fact that he came looking for me—a measly C-rank Guide—in the middle of the night, just because he had no one else, made me feel a little sorry for him.

After a moment of silence, I spoke up carefully.

“…Esper Vasily, next time you go to a gate, please let me know.”

“Why?”

“If it’s somewhere I can volunteer for… I’ll try to submit a matching request.”

“…”

When I finished speaking, Vasily looked at me in surprise. I turned my gaze away, feeling a bit awkward.

“Really?”

“I’m not saying you should call me every time! You can only request one dispatch a week anyway… And, well, I’m still technically living in your place, so I figure I should do something in return…”

Damn, my voice kept getting quieter.

At that moment, Vasily suddenly pulled me into a hug.

“Ugh! You’re crushing me…!”

“I’m happy.”

Vasily murmured in a low voice, like someone who had finally gotten something they’d been wishing for.

“All this… over something so small…”

“It’s the first time you’ve ever offered to come to me first, Guide Kwon Gidam.”

“…”

I had no words to respond with—because Vasily was right. Not once had I ever reached out to him first. I had always kept my distance, always drawn clear lines.

Had I been too harsh toward Vasily all this time? And yet, when I remembered all that he’d put me through over the past six years, I couldn’t quite bring myself to forgive him completely.

I knew in my head that this gentle side of Vasily wasn’t his real self. And yet, because of the vulnerable glimpses he occasionally revealed, my guard kept slipping.

That must be it. That’s why… I still couldn’t bring myself to push him away.

We arrived at the gate.

Today’s was a D-rank gate. The rank was average, but according to the report, the interior was expansive enough that clearing it would likely take more than two days.

Even with Vasily inside, clearing it in a single day would be impossible. On top of that, it was summer now, and Vasily’s condition hadn’t been great—so the timing was bad.

So I’d come fully prepared.

A pillow, pajamas hidden in my bag, toiletries, and three fully charged portable batteries.

With these, I had nothing to fear. This was the pitiful struggle of a lone Guide determined to survive an all-nighter in comfort.

Upon arriving at the gate in the Association’s vehicle, Vasily—already there, of course—approached me. Even under the blazing sun, he looked fine today.

“Esper Vasily, how are you feeling today?”

“I’m fine. But you’ll still guide me before I go in, right?”

“Yes. Since the gate is spacious, it’d be best if you received a guiding session before entry, just in case.”

“Good to hear.”

With that, we walked together toward a temporary tent set up for guiding sessions.

The moment I stepped into the tent, the hot air—trapped and heated beneath the sun—hit me like a wave. I paused near the entrance, feeling suffocated, and Vasily, on his own, created a pillar of ice in the center.

The spreading chill finally allowed me to breathe again. Now I could relax a little. I settled in a corner and began to prepare for the session. Vasily didn’t like being guided in full combat gear, so I planned to have him remove only his vest and then sit lightly across from me.

“Then, I’ll begin the guiding session.”

As I took off my vest, Vasily spread his arms with a satisfied look. Sitting across from him, I pulled him into a gentle embrace.

A cool aura flowed gently from him. Though the pillar of ice in the center steadily emitted cold air, the ambient heat was still strong—making Vasily’s body feel especially cool and refreshing as I leaned into him.

It seemed like the operation would take a while, because the surrounding area was quite active. I spotted several Espers requesting last-minute guiding sessions before entering the gate.