TGIC Ch 52

Chapter 52

With a short breath, I stepped inside with the Espers. The floor was already frozen to the point of being slippery, and every breath sent a sharp chill into my lungs.

Vasily was lying on the ice-cold bed with his eyes closed. Like a sleeping beauty in the woods.

If I held his hand now, it would probably freeze mine on contact, so that was out of the question. Instead, I lightly placed my hand over his clothes. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to cause any issues when I touched him through the fabric.

Should I increase the contact? But right now, I was wearing both an Esper combat suit and cold-weather gear. With only a 4% compatibility rate, it was impossible to guide through such thick clothing.

And taking them off was not an option either—unless I wanted to freeze to death in this murderous cold.

In the end, I arrived at the only remaining method.

‘I never thought I’d have to do this…’

I looked down at Vasily with a bitter expression. His brows were deeply furrowed. But if I looked in a mirror now, my face would probably be just as contorted. I never imagined I’d be guiding like this.

“I will now commence mucosal guiding.”

I gave a brief report and lowered my head. Someone beside me gasped in shock, but I didn’t care and pressed my lips to his.

Cold. The temperature was as icy as touching a block of frozen water, and the texture was slightly rough. Was it always like this?

Even before regression, I had rarely performed mucosal guiding, so it felt unfamiliar. Vasily always received high-intensity guiding, so it had been so long since our lips last touched that I couldn’t even remember when it was.

Given our low compatibility rate, a simple brush of lips wouldn’t do much. I held his jaw, pried open his mouth, and slid my tongue inside.

Even for me, this was a first—performing mucosal guiding on an unconscious Vasily. I moved my tongue, brushing against his, trying to find the areas that would respond best to guiding.

“Mm…”

Maybe because of the low compatibility, it wasn’t easy to find.

After a few attempts, I pulled back briefly. The suppressant chip was heating up alarmingly fast. I had only barely entwined tongues for a moment, yet my head already throbbed.

It would be better to take the medicine before continuing. I quietly pulled out the pills I had brought just in case. Then, I stole a glance at the Espers—but they were so stunned by the kiss they’d just witnessed, they seemed oblivious to everything else.

At this point, they probably wouldn’t even remember what color the pill I took was.

Relieved, I swallowed the medicine. The bitter taste rose from my stomach, but I endured it and leaned in once more.

Sweeping through the icy interior of his mouth, I resumed the guiding. My lips and tongue, pressed against his, were gradually losing their warmth. If I looked in the mirror now, I was sure my lips would be turning blue.

Eyes closed, I focused solely on the energy waves flowing through him—but in the end, I couldn’t find the optimal guiding area. With our low compatibility, there was a limit to what I could sense.

I hadn’t wanted to go this far, but I kept moving my tongue tirelessly, stirring inside his mouth, continuing the guiding process. Doing it alone made me short of breath before long, and I was already panting.

I opened my eyes slightly. Vasily, still with his eyes closed and his brows relaxed, looked so serene that I couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful.

“Guide-nim, that’s enough now.”

An Esper gently laid a hand on my shoulder and spoke. I pulled away and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Has the guide arrived?”

“Yes.”

The Esper nodded.

Then I could rest easy. I got to my feet and looked around.

I thought the diminished cold was thanks to the fire Esper’s barrier, but it had lessened significantly. The mucosal guiding must have had some effect.

As I was thinking that, the Esper asked cautiously,

“Are you really only at a 4% match…?”

“Yes…”

“You were much more effective than any of the other guides who’ve come so far.”

I simply gave a sheepish smile and looked away. It was probably because the guiding lasted longer. And since it had involved mucosal contact, it couldn’t have been entirely ineffective.

Leaving the isolation chamber, I clenched my teeth slightly. My head throbbed terribly. I made up my mind to take the rest of the day off and headed out, thinking I’d take some medicine and rest once I got home.

But as I walked down the hallway, a commotion began on the opposite side. A moment later, a guide was dragged past me, sobbing and screaming that they didn’t want to go in.

I looked on in pity, but kept walking. Sorry, but Vasily needed to be guided by someone with a high compatibility rate to truly recover.

I still… hadn’t made up my mind to remove the suppressant chip.

Since his condition seemed to have stabilized a bit after my guiding, I figured my role was done. Vasily’s energy waves had probably calmed somewhat too, so the next guide might be able to hold out a bit longer.

Once I reached the entrance of the isolation chamber again, I took off the combat suit and changed back into my original clothes.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Guide-nim.”

“Um… please keep it a secret from Esper Vasily that I was the one who guided him. As I mentioned earlier, we had a conflict a few days ago. He wouldn’t be pleased if he knew I had guided him.”

“Understood.”

The Esper nodded. The association likely wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications as well, so this was a request they’d be willing to honor.

I exchanged farewells with the Espers guarding the chamber and left the building alone.

Ah, I hadn’t realized how good the hot sunlight could feel. Standing under the blazing sun outside, I paused for a moment. But soon I felt the sweat trickling down and began walking again.

As soon as I returned to the Guiding Association, I put in for early leave. Everyone was busy guiding, so the office was empty and quiet as I quietly slipped out.

The moment I got home, I took my medication and collapsed onto the bed.

Forget working out today—I just needed to rest…

The next day, I went to work at the association as if nothing had happened.

As soon as I showed my face in the office, everyone started asking what had happened yesterday, whether I was all right. I forced a smile and brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

When I woke up that morning, I searched for news related to Vasily, but no updates had been posted. That meant it was best for me to stay silent as well. Judging by the fact that I hadn’t been summoned again, Vasily had probably calmed down safely.

If I could just endure for one more week, I’d be heading out to the regional branch. I was finally starting to feel some peace of mind. My team members seemed quite regretful that I was leaving. I felt a little sorry too. It hadn’t even been a year since I started, and I was already being reassigned.

I finished my work as usual today.

I grabbed a quick dinner at the cafeteria and headed to the gym inside the association for a workout. When I came to, I realized I was the only one left in the gym. A glance at the clock told me it had long since closed.

The staff member at the counter was giving me a pitiful look. I quickly gathered my things and left the gym.

Since it was well past quitting time, there were no people or cars on the street. The night was hot and quiet.

Tomorrow was the weekend. For some reason, I didn’t feel like going straight home, so I walked all the way. The roads were quiet, and it was the perfect night for a stroll.

I had a lot of memories in this area. I’d always thought they were all horrible, but now that I was about to leave, I felt I might miss it a little.

I briefly considered having one last meal at the restaurant Vasily and I used to frequent, but quickly dismissed the idea. It would be a nightmare if I happened to run into him.

I arrived home, thinking it was time to start preparing for the move tomorrow.

“…?”

But the house… felt strangely cold…?

A chill swept over my skin as I stepped inside. Why was it so cool in here?

“Did I forget to turn off the air conditioner…?”

I muttered to myself as I took off my shoes—and froze when I saw a familiar pair of dress shoes neatly placed near the entrance.

Glossy black, high-end shoes. Several sizes larger than my own pair placed beside them. I knew exactly who those shoes belonged to.

‘Vasily?’

Damn it, come to think of it, I never changed the door code. I should’ve done that right after kicking Vasily out. No… that’s not the point. Things were over between us—I should’ve just moved out…

Now I realized why the house felt so cold. Judging by the air temperature, it didn’t seem like he had just arrived.

Why did he come here unannounced? It didn’t seem like he was here to be guided. Was he here to kick me out?

Did he somehow find out I was the one who guided him yesterday…? But even if he knew, there was no reason for him to come. Unless it was because of the mucosal guiding…? No, that couldn’t be it. I had clearly asked the Esper not to tell him, and Vasily had been unconscious. Unless someone told him, he wouldn’t know.

“Vasily…?”

I cautiously called his name as I stepped into the house.