TGIC Ch 93

Chapter 93

Of all the moments—it had to be right when I turned my head that a kiss scene appeared on screen.

The sheer coincidence of the timing startled me so much my eyes flickered uncontrollably.

This time, I distinctly felt a gaze from the side.

I forced my eyes to stay fixed on the screen. Boring into the actors on screen, I silently urged them to separate as quickly as possible—but of course, they couldn’t hear me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Vasily stretching his arm toward me. I tried desperately to pretend I was still fully immersed in the movie, but then something cold grazed my lips. Startled, I jerked away from his hand before I even realized it.

“……!”

Eyes wide, I stared at him. In the silence, his pale silver-gray eyes calmly met mine as he looked down at me.

And then—still holding my gaze—Vasily’s lips curved faintly upward. He lifted a single finger.

“You had popcorn on you.”

Sure enough—in the dim light, I saw that the tip of his finger bore a small kernel fragment. Since Vasily hadn’t touched the popcorn yet, it could only have come from my mouth.

“…You could have just told me that.”

It was obvious I’d overreacted, confusing his intent, and now I felt utterly embarrassed. My face heated up instantly, and I rubbed the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand—roughly, as if to hide my shame. Of course, nothing came off.

As I fought to calm my pounding chest and turned back toward the screen, Vasily’s hand caught me again—lightly gripping my chin. Caught off guard, my head tilted upward with just the slightest pressure.

Smack.

“Uht—!”

His face was suddenly too close—and then something soft pressed against mine.

The sensation of lips brushing mine registered before I shoved him away with a hard thud, enough to make a sound reverberate.

“W-what are you doing…!”

My horrified voice cracked out. In panic I whipped my head around the theater, but thankfully there was no one else there. All I saw were the two actors on screen, still locked in a passionate kiss.

“I thought you were asking me to kiss you.”

“How could I possibly be—?!”

“Your eyes looked disappointed.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

We whispered sharply back and forth, our voices low but bristling.

It was pure luck the auditorium was empty. If anyone had been present, they would have surely shushed us for disturbing the show—and afterward, we’d only end up adding fuel to those already blazing dating rumors, labeled a selfish “public nuisance couple.”

I glared at him and shifted my seat as far away as possible before trying to refocus on the film. The protagonist was gearing up for the final battle; the movie rushed toward its climax.

But I barely saw any of it. For the rest of the run, I could feel Vasily’s gaze burning into me, so I had no hope of concentrating. By the time the end credits rolled, I bolted upright and strode out without a word.

Out in the theater halls, the space had filled with more people. Most were families with young children, or couples who had clearly come for the romances.

Clearly, Vasily and I were the only two men together. As if we didn’t already stand out enough, his striking silver hair gleamed even in the dim lobby lighting.

“This way, Esper.”

Worried that his presence might spark noisy commotion, I took advantage of a moment when no one’s attention was on us, grabbed his arm, and briskly guided him to a quiet corner elevator.

The timing was lucky; someone had just exited, so the car was still waiting on our floor.

We stepped into the empty cabin, and I punched the button for our destination. Then, quickly, I pressed the door close button several times in succession until the doors sealed, cutting us off from the outside.

Finally, silence settled in the enclosed space.

I let out a quiet breath, only for my eyes to run directly into Vasily’s again. The confined space made the distance between us feel unbearably close.

When my gaze dropped unconsciously to his lips, I pulled my line of sight away fast. By some miracle—and maybe sheer willpower—the reflection in the mirrored wall didn’t reveal any blush in my face.

Moments later, the elevator chimed and opened to the underground parking lot.

As I stepped out, I immediately locked eyes with a man waiting just outside the doors. He spotted Vasily standing right behind me—and instantly froze, startled stiff.

Without stopping, I strode past him, feeling Vasily follow in my shadow, blithely ignoring another citizen’s timid greeting.

Suppressing a sigh, I slid back into the car. We had only gone to see a single movie, yet I felt drained as if we’d returned from battle.

Fastening my seatbelt, I addressed the man now in the driver’s seat.

“Let’s just go have dinner already.”

“I’ll take us to the same restaurant as always. That’s fine, right?”

“That’s fine.”

It didn’t take long to get there—the restaurant was close, near the theater. Once inside, relief swept through me. This was a place I could relax.

Here, there was no worry of bumping into other patrons or having the staff make a fuss upon recognizing Vasily. The only downside was that it was a Western-style restaurant, meaning no Korean dishes were available.

As usual, we ordered the standard set course. After the appetizers whetted the appetite, the mains finally arrived—platters of steak and other dishes set before me.

At last—I’d get to chew real food again.

The porridge Vasily had been bringing me had at least offered some variation in flavor, but two full days of it had been more than enough. By now, I couldn’t stand the sight of another bowl.

I sliced into the steak and popped a piece into my mouth. Cooked medium, the tender meat released warm juices the instant I bit down.

Closing my eyes in bliss, I nearly missed Vasily watching me from across the table. Clearing my throat, I quickly shifted the subject to the film.

“How was the movie for you?”

“It was… tolerable.”

“You hardly even watched the end.”

“And didn’t Guide Kwon Gidam seem far more interested in me than in the screen?”

“I only glanced away because it was frustrating.”

Clicking my tongue, I recalled the clumsy battle sequence.

“He should have grabbed the gun sooner and taken out the far-right enemy first.”

“And just ignore the ones behind him?”

“They weren’t close enough to be a threat yet.”

So it went: Vasily and I ended up in an oddly lively discussion about the overly sloppy combat scenes. Somehow, we were fully immersed in debate.

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to take down the closest enemy first?”

“No. You’re not an Esper, Guide Kwon Gidam. Prioritize neutralizing the gunman before anything else.”

“What—because knives can just be dodged?”

“Something like that.”

We went back and forth—until I noticed with a jolt that, with my fork scraping an empty plate, I had already finished everything. Vasily’s side of the table was just as bare.

Clearly, we’d already been done eating for quite some time, but I’d only just realized thanks to how long we’d lingered in conversation.

“It’s already that late, huh… We should head home now.”

Our meal had taken longer than usual, prolonged by conversation.

Stepping outside, the chill in the air nipped at me.

“Already autumn…?”

“A welcome turn of events.”

Vasily’s low voice responded to my muttering as he casually came up behind me.

I turned to glance back at him. Vasily—the same man who had sweated through the entire summer yet stubbornly wore full three-piece suits, layers of shirts, vests, and jackets all season—

Now, the weather was finally shifting into something that suited him. Soon, the sight of his wardrobe would match perfectly with the climate.

Once summer passed, Vasily’s condition always improved. With the oppressive sunlight and heat gone, the instability of his aura settled.

With that, guiding wouldn’t be as essential as before. He’d be able to endure longer without it. The only question was how long his self-control could really last with a Guide standing right before him.

“Cold?”

“Seems the cold’s still lingering in me from that fever. But it’s not too ba—”

I rubbed absently at my chilled arm, and that was when Vasily shrugged off his jacket and draped it across my shoulders.

The unexpected weight settled on me, and I blinked up at him in shock.

“W-why are you—?”

My voice tripped over itself from sheer surprise.

“You looked cold.”

“I don’t need to take Esper Vasily’s clothing.”

“I handle cold better than you, so it’s fine.”

True enough, his jacket wasn’t warm in the slightest—having absorbed his low body temperature, the fabric was cool against my skin. Yet still…

I protested weakly, insisting I didn’t need it, and tried to return it—only for him to cut me off.

“If your cold worsens, guiding might fail again. So wear it.”

At that, my protests died. I had been sick just yesterday; if I let down my guard, the fever could flare again.

So reluctantly, I slipped my arms into the sleeves. His jacket was far too large for me; the shoulders sagged broad, the sleeves hung long.

The faint scent of the cologne he always wore lingered in the fabric. It enshrouded me, and with its oversized fit, it felt almost as though I were embracing him.

I stared down at myself—at the absurdly ill-fitting coat. The sight sent a complex stir of thoughts churning inside me.

This really… looked just like a date.