TGIC Ch 57

Chapter 57

I scowled deeply. Was Vasily using this room too? I wasn’t even curious what was inside.

It was the best room, but I had no choice. Without hesitation, I turned and headed for the smaller room next door. But once again, Vasily blocked my way.

“This one’s not allowed either.”

“Then which room am I allowed to use?”

“……”

No answer.

Guessing his thoughts, I twisted my expression. Was he planning to say none of the rooms were available except his?

Sigh… I let out a long breath and rubbed my forehead.

“If this is how it’s going to be, I can’t stay at your place, Esper-nim.”

“Already thinking of breaking the contract? That’s fine by me.”

“……That’s not it. But how am I supposed to live in a house where I don’t even have a room?”

“There wasn’t anything about that in the contract.”

“……”

I fell silent. His response made me regret suggesting we write a contract in the first place.

With a dumbfounded look, I stared at Vasily before striding into the living room. I dropped my luggage next to the sofa and plopped down. Vasily asked,

“My room is over there. What are you doing here?”

“I’ll stay in the living room. Sleeping on the sofa should be fine.”

He didn’t respond. When I looked at him, he was silently staring at me with a cold gaze.

Still seated on the sofa, I returned his stare as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” He was the one who said no to this room and that one. Luckily, the sofa was large and comfortable enough to serve as a bed, so I’d just stay in the living room.

“I knew Guide Kwon Gidam was stubborn…”

“Anyway, what are we doing about dinner? I’m hungry.”

Since being caught by Vasily at the airport this morning, I hadn’t eaten anything. Vasily might be fine even if he skipped meals for several days, but I’m just a regular human—going the whole day without food was killing me.

“Shall we eat out?”

“That’s a hassle… Don’t you have anything at home?”

“Unfortunately, only water.”

Hmm… I sat on the sofa and pondered. After rushing to the airport since dawn and being dragged around all day by Vasily, I was exhausted. I just wanted a quick meal and a good rest.

My escape had failed in a single day, and whether it was lucky or not, tomorrow was Sunday.

“Let’s just have some ramyeon. I need to buy a few things anyway, so I’ll make a quick run to the convenience store.”

Having decided, I stood up from the sofa. I saw Vasily moving as if to follow me. I stopped in my tracks and asked,

“You’re coming to the convenience store too?”

“Yes.”

“……I’m not going to run.”

“Well, considering you went so far as to put some strange device in your neck to avoid me… I’m not exactly filled with trust.”

“……”

Still going on about that?

I didn’t really mind him coming along… but I looked over at Vasily. He was tall, clearly exuding the aura of a high-ranking Esper… and above all, his sharp features and bright silver-gray hair made him unmistakably that Vasily.

If I went to the convenience store with him like this, I’d be suffocated by all the stares. I’d better come up with a plan if I didn’t want to collapse from exhaustion the moment I got home, unable to even eat my ramyeon.

“You can’t go looking like that.”

“Looking like what?”

“Do you know how many people stare when you’re around, Esper-nim? I hate noisy situations.”

I rummaged through my bag and pulled out the cap I had used when heading to the airport. Without warning, I plopped it onto his head. Vasily stiffened, clearly caught off guard.

Seeing Vasily with a cap on, I bit back a laugh, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing?”

“So even Esper Vasily has things that don’t suit him.”

It wasn’t so much that the cap didn’t suit him—it was that he was wearing a sleek formal suit and suddenly had a baseball cap on. That mismatch was hilarious.

With Vasily wearing the cap, we headed to the convenience store. Just hiding his flashy silver hair drastically reduced the attention we drew. No one would’ve thought that Vasily would be out committing a fashion crime like this.

At the convenience store, I first picked up a toothbrush and a razor. Since I had packed in a hurry, I hadn’t brought any toiletries.

Realizing I didn’t need anything else, I finally grabbed a bundle of ramyeon and went to pay.

On the way back, holding the convenience store bag, a sudden question came to mind. It had been about a year since Vasily came to Korea—had he ever eaten ramyeon?

“Esper-nim, have you ever had ramyeon in Korea?”

“Yes. I think it was shortly after I arrived. Someone from the association took me to a place and I tried it.”

…Where exactly had that association staff member taken Vasily that they served ramyeon? I couldn’t picture it, but I could accept it. Honestly, it would’ve been stranger if he hadn’t tried it.

As soon as we got home, I washed my hands and immediately put water on the stove to boil for the ramyeon.

Vasily sat at the dining table, staring intently at the back of my head as he waited for the water to boil. I ignored his gaze, now accustomed to it, and debated how many packets to cook.

I wasn’t sure if Vasily would eat much, but in my current state, I could easily finish two packs on my own. Three seemed like a good amount.

When the water started boiling, I dumped in all the noodles and seasoning and checked the time.

“It’ll be ready in five minutes.”

Saying that, I sat down at the table. It felt incredibly awkward to sit across from Vasily and eat ramyeon. We usually only shared meals at fancy restaurants—this was a first. And for some reason, he’d insisted on eating the ramyeon I was cooking.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Don’t expect too much. It’s just plain ramyeon.”

Despite what I said, the aroma wafting from the pot as the noodles cooked was downright heavenly. Probably because I hadn’t eaten all day—waiting five minutes was torture.

I kept checking the time until about four minutes had passed, then gave up and brought the pot over. It’s always best when the noodles are still slightly firm.

“I added a bit more water in case you can’t handle spice. And it’s hot, so be careful.”

Being an ice-type Esper, Vasily couldn’t handle hot food well. It wasn’t even cute like a cat’s tongue, yet somehow he had one…

“Does it suit your taste?”

“Hmm… It’s not bad.”

Vasily gave his verdict calmly. Coming from him, that meant it genuinely wasn’t bad. It was just ramyeon, but I felt an odd sense of pride as I picked up my chopsticks. The two of us finished three packs of ramyeon in no time.

I’d been tired for a while, but after washing up, the sleepiness really hit me.

I collapsed onto the sofa, and Vasily said I could come to him anytime if I changed my mind, then headed into his room. I scoffed and insisted on sleeping on the sofa.

‘Oh, right. I still haven’t done the guiding.’

It would be great if I could get away without it, but I felt uneasy, thinking he might use it to accuse me of breaking the contract. In the end, I got up from the sofa and headed to Vasily’s room.

“Already changed your mind? That was faster than I thought.”

“That’s not it.”

The moment Vasily saw me, he jumped to conclusions. I shook my head and got straight to the point.

“When should I do today’s guiding?”

“Hmm… I’ll be out soon after I shower. Can you wait here for a bit?”

“Understood.”

Vasily went into the bathroom, and I lay sprawled on his bed, waiting.

Ah… I was already tired, but lying on the bed made me even sleepier… The mattress was unbelievably soft, and the pillow nearly knocked me out just from resting my head on it.

I desperately fought to stay awake, worried that if I fell asleep and Vasily found me totally out of it, he might do who knows what.

Anyway, guiding was limited to an hour. I had to finish it quickly and get back to the sofa to sleep…

Click. The sound of the bathroom door opening signaled Vasily was out. Without realizing it, I’d closed my eyes while lying in bed, but I sat up as he came out.

“You’re done showeri—”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“Ahh! My eyes!”

That lunatic Vasily…! I instinctively shielded my eyes as I was met with the sight of his naked body.

I’d forgotten…! That Vasily was the kind of guy who slept completely naked…! I didn’t expect him to come out like that in front of me without warning…!

“Are you an exhibitionist? Put some clothes on!”

I grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it. I didn’t hear it hit the floor, so I guessed he caught it midair.

Still covering my eyes like I’d seen something traumatic, I heard Vasily murmur in a troubled voice.

“Guide Kwon Gidam… That reaction kind of hurts, you know…”

“Be hurt and reflect on your actions.”

Seriously, he needed to reflect. Seeing a surprise third leg like that nearly blinded me.

Vasily came over and lay on the bed. The problem was, he was still naked. That uncomfortably bare skin kept catching the corner of my eye.

“Can’t you put something on?”

“Wearing anything while sleeping is uncomfortable.”