TGIC Ch 108

Chapter 108

The moment I woke up, instead of the damp smell of grass, the refreshing morning air greeted me. It was a silent morning—no rustling of the tent, no birdsong, not even the chirring of insects.

Having slept in a proper bed for the first time in a while, my whole body felt refreshed. Leisure filled me as I looked out at the wide, unobstructed high-rise view beyond the window.

I should be able to relax this weekend.

Since I had been away on gate duty for quite a while, the Association wouldn’t call me in for at least two days. Smiling in satisfaction, I left the bed to quench my thirst with cool water.

“…”

The moment I came out into the living room, I froze when I saw Vasily sitting on the sofa in his usual posture.

An eyesore first thing in the morning. I frowned and turned my head.

Though I felt an intense gaze stabbing into the back of my head while I drank from the refrigerator’s bottled water, I ignored it as usual.

Whether Vasily had stayed up all night with his eyes open or not was none of my concern. I drank the water and returned straight to my room.

The conflict between us still hadn’t been resolved, so even though a day had passed, the atmosphere remained just as bad. Am I really going to be stuck in this stifling air all weekend? My head already throbbed.

Well, whatever Vasily does, I just have to ignore him like now. Shaking my head, I prepared to go out for exercise.

When I put on my sneakers as usual and looked at the front door, I noticed something strange. Instead of the door, a massive block of ice stood blocking my way.

“Haa…”

Just in case, I tried turning the doorknob from outside the ice, but it didn’t budge. It became clear I was trapped inside.

Fury burned in me as I walked back into the living room. There was Vasily again, sitting on the same sofa in the same position as before.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about freezing the front door!”

When I demanded an answer, only then did Vasily lift his head and look at me.

“I was worried Guide Kwon Gidam might run away.”

“I’m just going out for exercise. Now unfreeze it.”

“No. What if you only pretend to exercise and then disappear for real?”

“Then come with me!”

“…”

Vasily turned his gaze away without answering. That meant he didn’t want to.

A deep wave of irritation surged, and I pressed my forehead. Fine. So that’s how he wants to play it.

I strode over and dropped heavily onto the sofa beside him, pressing close enough that our arms and legs grazed through thin clothing.

“I’ll guide you, so go to sleep.”²

If Vasily fell asleep, the frozen door would surely melt.

I had no intention of offering guidance, but being stuck in the house all weekend with him was even worse. Better to touch briefly and regain my freedom.

“I don’t feel like sleeping right now.”

Hearing him, I snorted.

From the last two days in the gate until today—it had been three full days without sleep. Once guiding began, he’d surely drop off right away. Even Vasily couldn’t resist overwhelming drowsiness.

But as time passed, my expectation slowly crumbled.

“…Why aren’t you sleeping?”

An hour went by, but Vasily hadn’t dozed off. Instead, only my suppression chip heated up, making my throat ache for no reason.

When I turned my head, I saw Vasily blinking slowly, as if battling sleep. His eyelids seemed unbearably heavy.

Damn, I’ve lived long enough to see even Vasily dozing…

“Just sleep comfortably.”

“No…”

Out of sheer frustration, I forcibly tilted his head onto my shoulder. His body first stiffened, then quickly slackened. The moment his head rested there, it seemed the drowsiness overtook him; his body relaxed completely.

“….”

So he’s asleep.

Hearing his deep, steady breathing beside me, I let out a hollow laugh. Why resist sleep until the last second, only to collapse like this? He’s just wasted my precious time.

Even knowing he was asleep, I didn’t move. If I got up now, he might wake immediately. Besides, time would be needed for the frozen entrance to melt.

I sat there another five minutes before cautiously rising. Praying he wouldn’t wake even half a day, I even laid him down more comfortably on the sofa.

“I wish you’d just sleep forever.”

For someone usually so capricious, he looked completely harmless with his eyes closed in sleep. Clicking my tongue at him, I quickly tore my gaze away.

I went straight to my room. Now I had to calm the overheated suppression chip.

Since I couldn’t draw his blood without waking him, I swallowed one of the emergency pills I had saved. I stashed the last one in my pocket and prepared to leave.

When I approached the entrance, melted water splashed beneath my feet from the thawed ice. Each step sent ripples of splashing sounds through the air.

Finally, I was outside.

I first turned toward the usual walking trail but then spun the other way—toward the subway station.

Originally my plan had only been to exercise and come back… but seeing Vasily block me this morning had changed my mind.

He would surely keep trying to control me like this. Even thinking of it made me weary. It seemed best to avoid him and stay with my parents for a few days.

Of course, if I just vanished without saying anything, he’d raise hell.

I recalled being caught at the airport after running off right after my suppression chip had been discovered, and winced. If I suddenly disappeared again, Vasily would come after me right away. If he suddenly showed up at my parents’ apartment and froze their home solid, I’d have no face left to meet them.

[“I’ll stay at my parents’ house for the time being.”]

I sent the text to Vasily before boarding the subway. I could only hope, by the time he woke, his patience would last longer just this once.

I had dinner with my parents for the first time in ages.

I still hadn’t told them that I was serving as Vasily’s personal guide. I hadn’t expected him to discover the suppression chip, let alone that I would keep working under him even afterward.

‘Once I get this suppression chip removed, I’ll have to tell them.’

The moment I returned as an S-rank guide, my face would be plastered everywhere on the news as Vasily’s exclusive guide. And with those recent dating rumors, my photo—though only silhouettes—was already scattered across the internet; anyone who knew me well could easily recognize me.

My parents still believed I was taking time off from university and working as a temporary guide. But before they learned from someone else that, in reality, I was little more than Vasily’s slave, it would be better if they first heard it from me.

After dinner, I lay on my childhood bed again and placed an order for more medicine. If delivered here, it would remain hidden. Though my parents’ home wasn’t close to Vasily’s, I figured it was safest to keep a stock here and swing by occasionally to replenish.

Night fell, and unease slowly took hold. Until sunset, Vasily hadn’t crossed my mind at all, but the instant I pulled the blanket up to sleep, his absence pressed heavily on me. Even my silent smartphone was unnerving.

Peeking at it, I expected a storm of calls—but the quiet was even more unsettling. What mischief could he be up to now?

God. With him, I’m anxious both when he’s near, and when he’s nowhere to be seen.

Though the contract demanded four guiding sessions a week, meaning I’d soon have to return to him anyway—honestly, even aside from that, I couldn’t stay away for long.

Then, the phone rang. The caller ID displayed Vasily.

Could it be he’s finally woken up? Glancing at the time, I answered right away.

—“Where are you?”

“At my house.”

—“You weren’t there.”

The cold edge in his voice seeped straight through the receiver. With a shallow sigh, I replied flatly:

“You read my message. I’m at my parents’ place.”

A long silence followed. Though he was the one who had called, Vasily said nothing. Eventually, I spoke up instead.

“Esper-nim, I think you should clear your head. And you should seriously consider Huai Yan’s offer too. We can’t keep this up for six months.”

—“…Guide Kwon Gidam.”

“I’m saying this for your sake.”

—“If it really were for my sake, you’d be by my side right now.”

“…”

His voice was different than usual—low, subdued, and strangely weakened. For a second, I nearly asked if he was okay. I barely swallowed the words and forced a cold reply:

“I’ll come back in three days. Think about it until then. I’m hanging up now.”

I ended the call and sprawled on the bed. Glancing at the blackened screen once, I confirmed no further calls came.