TGIC Ch 55

Chapter 55

Judging by his sour reaction, it was obvious he had fully intended to take me back. Cold sweat broke out down my back. Thank god. Suggesting the contract really was the right decision.

“Three guiding sessions per week.”

“That won’t do.”

His immediate refusal caught me off guard.

“Three times a week? Are you joking?”

“Three times should be plenty…”

“I can receive guiding from Guide Kwon Gidam without any ridiculous contract like this. I could lock you away somewhere no one could ever find you and receive guiding whenever I want. But the reason I haven’t done that is because I’m at least trying to show you some respect. Haven’t you thought of that? Even I have limits to how much I’ll tolerate, Guide Kwon Gidam.”

…What a load of bullshit.

“Six times. I’ll let you rest one day.”

“Are you insane? Let’s settle on four times. I can’t concede more than that.”

Vasily’s face twisted in displeasure. Maybe I was pushing it. I knew it was a bit much to ask. I tensed, wondering if his real personality would finally show.

“Then let’s add an exception clause.”

“An exception?”

“If your condition is bad, I’ll guide you without any limit on the number of sessions.”

“Fine.”

Only then did Vasily seem satisfied, accepting the terms. Something about this feels ominous…

“And delay the announcement of the exclusive guide assignment.”

“The reason?”

“You’re going to break the contract soon anyway, so what’s the point in making it public now?”

“…Ha.”

Vasily laughed like he found it pathetic.

“Well, if that’s the reason, I don’t mind. You’re the one who’s going to break the rules first and end up becoming my exclusive guide.”

This time, I laughed in disbelief. We glared at each other in silence, engaged in a war of nerves.

“It’s unfair if only Guide Kwon Gidam gets to make demands. I’m going to add a few of my own.”

“…Let’s hear them, at least.”

Vasily scoffed and continued.

“You know there’s a cohabitation clause in the guide obligations, right? Since our homes are nearby, move in today. Looks like you’ve already packed.”

If he had made any strange demands, I had planned to abandon the contract and make a run for it. But this was surprisingly reasonable. It was something I had intended to do anyway, so I nodded in agreement.

“And you’re forbidden from guiding any other Espers.”

“What’s the reason for that?”

“You expect me to just sit and watch while my guide offers guiding to other Espers? I think even you would understand how that feels.”

“……”

I fell silent. The day Vasily had come back after receiving guiding from another guide without a word, I had honestly felt pretty awful too.

After that, we continued negotiating—adding and rejecting terms—until the contract was finalized through mutual agreement.

At the end, we summarized everything and wrote each clause down on the back of my resignation letter.

Vasily listed out all the terms we had agreed upon. I had noticed it before, when I saw the message card hidden in the bouquet, but his handwriting was elegant. It really suited him.

“Why am I the ‘second party’ in this contract?”

“Is that a problem?”

“You’re the one in need here. I should be the first party.”

Vasily chuckled in disbelief, then crossed out the section and rewrote it below.

Contract

Party A) Kwon Gidam and Party B) Vasily Kairov hereby enter into the following agreement.

Party A will not, under any circumstances, enter a gate.

Guiding sessions will be held four times per week. However, if Party B’s condition is critical, there will be no limitation on the number of sessions.

The announcement of the exclusive guide assignment will be made at a mutually agreed time.

Neither party will interfere in the other’s private life.

During guiding, it shall not exceed mucosal contact.

Party B will not cause harm to Party A.

Party A must fulfill all guide obligations and, as of today, move into Party B’s residence and live together.

Party A will not refuse Party B’s guiding requests.

Party A will provide appropriate guiding in accordance with Party B’s condition.

Party A will not guide any Espers other than Party B. Exceptions are made only in cases where the act was unintentional.

• If Party A fails to uphold the above clauses, they will become Party B’s exclusive guide for life, and all contract terms proposed by Party A will become null and void.
• If Party B fails to uphold the above clauses, they will no longer involve themselves with Party A.

July 2025

Party A: Kwon Gidam (signature)

Party B: Vasily Kairov (signature)

“Hm…”

I skimmed through the contract and nodded. Though I wasn’t thrilled with Vasily’s added conditions, this should be enough to ensure I wouldn’t be dragged around like I was in the past.

It was time to sign.

After signing next to my name and handing it to Vasily, he signed his name in his native language. Once both signatures were complete, we scanned the document using the printer in his private room and each took a copy.

I carefully folded my copy and tucked it inside my bag. I even snapped a picture with my phone, so there was no way he could claim later that no such contract existed. Not that I could, either.

I stared down at the original contract with a complex expression. My name and signature at the bottom kept catching my eye.

Just then, Vasily’s phone rang.

“Alright, we’ll head over right away.”

He listened briefly, then hung up. The call was too short for me to catch what it was about.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, the preparations for the surgery are complete.”

“…Understood.”

So it’s finally time to remove the suppressant chip.

As he rose from his seat, I grabbed my bag and stood up too. I had planned to get it removed soon, but I never imagined it would happen while I was still stuck with Vasily…

As we walked together to have the chip removed, I spoke.

“Esper Vasily, I’ll go alone to get the suppressant chip removed. Where should I go?”

Now that he had discovered it, it was better to remove the chip quickly. I tried to convince him there was no need to worry, that I would get it properly taken care of, but he insisted on walking with me.

I thought we were going to the hospital, but we ended up on a different floor. The place felt strangely familiar—he was taking me to his private physician’s office.

“Aren’t we going to the hospital?”

“The hospital’s a hassle and the wait’s too long. Don’t worry. My private doctor’s pretty competent.”

I couldn’t deny that Vasily’s physician was skilled. That doctor had endured long years with Vasily—longer than the six years I had barely managed. Still, was it really okay to entrust him with something like removing a suppressant chip…?

When the door opened, the physician appeared.

“You’re here, Esper Vasily.”

He greeted both of us lightly, though his expression seemed to say, “Why are you bringing this to me?” But neither of us dared question Vasily out loud.

“So, what needs to be removed?”

“You’d better ask my guide. I’m not exactly sure myself.”

“Your guide…?”

The physician mumbled in confusion and looked at me. Vasily gave a bright smile, placed a hand on my shoulder, and leaned in as if we were close.

“He’s my guide. We’re planning to take the compatibility test after the weekend.”

“I… see. Congratulations.”

The doctor nodded, his expression complicated. At the same time, he looked at me with a deeply pitying gaze.

“Let’s start by identifying the device location.”

“Yes.”

I lowered my head to show the back of my neck. Both the doctor and Vasily focused their gaze there. It was just the back of my neck, yet I felt strangely self-conscious.

When I lifted the hair covering the suppressant chip, the doctor took a quick look and asked,

“What did you implant in the back of your neck?”

“Um…”

I hesitated to answer.

What I had implanted was an illegal suppressant chip. Even if I had no choice, I couldn’t openly admit that it was illegal.

After a long pause, I finally confessed.

“It’s a suppressant chip.”

But I deliberately left out the word “illegal.” Unless they examine the device closely, they won’t realize that part.

“A suppressant chip? Aren’t those normally used by Espers to manage their wave transmissions?”

“There were… circumstances.”

“I noticed that while the device is active, our compatibility rate drops dramatically.”

“Hmm… I haven’t heard of such side effects occurring when a guide uses one…”

As the physician muttered curiously, I glanced at Vasily. Our eyes met, and I quickly looked away.

Thinking back to what he said yesterday after discovering the chip, it seemed he had already guessed that I’d implanted the suppressant chip before my awakening—just to avoid him.

Judging by the physician’s confusion over the side effects, it seemed no one had realized it was an illegal chip. If I kept my mouth shut, the side effects of illegal suppressant chips probably wouldn’t be reported until years later.

“The device is in a sensitive area. We’ll need to get an MRI first.”

“…Alright.”

“Once we review the results, we’ll determine if surgery is possible. Guide-nim, please come this way.”

The physician led me to another room to perform the MRI.

As I walked, I heard the sound of footsteps following behind me. I turned back and asked,

“…Esper, why are you coming along?”