TGIC Ch 112

Chapter 112

I switched off the light and let my eyes adjust to the darkened room before returning to the bed.

As I slipped beneath the blanket, I sensed Vasily, lying beside me, begin to rise. I hurriedly stretched out a hand and caught hold of him.

But what my palm grabbed was thicker and firmer than expected. I kneaded and fumbled at it for a moment before realizing what it was.

His thigh…

“……”

A brief silence fell.

“Ah, it was too dark—I couldn’t see.”

Muttering excuses after grabbing at the wrong place, I wasn’t even sure why such a lame explanation had slipped out. But I felt compelled to say something, anything, to dissolve the suffocating tension.

At least Vasily still had clothes on—that much was fortunate.

“…Why don’t you let go before you speak.”

“If you lie back down, then I’ll release you.”

Out of the dark came a faint sigh. I didn’t need to see his face to know what expression he likely wore—without doubt, he was staring at me with a look dripping with disdain.

The mattress shifted lightly as Vasily lay back down.

Meanwhile, I blinked rapidly, trying to let my vision adjust to the blackness. Slowly, objects around me began to form from the shadows.

The moment I regained my sight, the first thing I did was turn my head toward Vasily. He lay flat on his back, one hand pressed against his forehead, still plagued by lingering headaches.

“Are your headaches that severe?”

“That’s none of Guide Kwon Gidam’s concern.”

“How am I supposed to sleep comfortably if you’re lying there like that?”

Feigning insomnia caused by him, I began shifting slowly across the spacious bed so that I could guide him. It took several careful scoots before I finally reached him.

“Quit resisting and just sleep while receiving guiding.”

Turning my back toward him, I pressed close against his arm.

Though I couldn’t see his face, the coolness radiating from his skin pressed into me through the silence. I blinked quietly, focusing on the chilly energy slowly seeping into my body.

Time passed that way, yet Vasily still did not fall asleep. He remained utterly still, not even breathing audibly, the tension between us thick enough to suffocate.

Surely by now drowsiness should have overtaken him. Why was he still resisting sleep? Abruptly, I sprang upright and turned toward him.

“Is this level of contact not enough? Then I’ll give you stronger guiding.”

With feigned irritation, I climbed atop him, straddling his solid lower body and staring down. As he frowned up at me, something about the sight sparked a strange sense of dominance in me.

“Don’t do anything foolish. Get off me, Guide Kwon Gidam.”

“I refuse.”

Ignoring his words, I shrugged off my sleep shirt. But just as the garment landed on the floor, the room spun dizzyingly.

“Ugh!”

Thud. Vasily flipped our bodies, slamming me down into the mattress.

Pinned beneath him, my wrists were seized roughly, his hands gripping hard enough it felt they might crush bone. Helpless, a pained sound slipped from my lips despite my attempt to force a smirk.

“Finally decided to accept guiding?” I jeered, despite the ache, at the man towering over me.

“…No. Sorry, but I won’t dance to your schemes. So just go to sleep quietly. If not, you’ll regret it.”

A blue light flickered in his eyes. Was he threatening to use his ability on me if I didn’t obey? The absurdity made me laugh under my breath.

So he could pester me over guiding one day, only to turn around and now threaten me to refuse it? His contradictions were maddening, and my frustration forced words from me.

“Then at least tell me why. Why are you so desperate to avoid sleeping?”

“……”

His lips pressed into silence. As usual, when backed into a corner, he stayed mute. I hadn’t expected much of an answer, so the emptiness that followed didn’t surprise me.

I turned my head away with a twisted expression—when, belatedly, a reply reached me.

“If I close my eyes even for a moment, I feel like you’ll be gone when I wake. As if… you were never really here at all.”

“……”

His words pierced straight through me, and I stiffened. After all, my mind had been filled solely with escape plans the entire night—drugging him with sleep so I could flee. Guiltily, I averted my gaze, grumbling weakly.

“I’m not some illusion that vanishes the moment you blink. I’m hardly going to disappear that quickly.”

“Then let me ask one thing in return. Why is Guide Kwon Gidam so desperate to ‘guide’ me right now?”

This time, it was Vasily’s turn to question me. I paused before answering plainly.

“Because I was worried.”

Vasily faltered. Watching his shadowed eyes soften as they landed on me, I continued.

“Do you even realize what state you’re in? Even S-ranks aren’t invincible. Anyone denied sleep this long will suffer consequences—I know that much at least.”

“……”

“The suppression chip prevents proper guiding, but I’m still your exclusive Guide. Isn’t it only natural for me to be worried about you?”

And I meant it, at least in part. After all, the very reason I wanted to turn off that cursed suppression chip was so I could guide him properly again.

Since becoming Vasily’s Guide, I had poured sincere effort into my role. Despite no longer entering gates, despite him never demanding we share our bodies anymore—our days now stretched peaceful, almost boring, filled with nothing but guiding.

And yet strangely, the longer I spent beside him, the more my hatred had ebbed away. I hated admitting it, but… I had begun to find our restless days together amusing.

Like he once remarked, there truly seemed to be a fragile thread of trust forming between us. Which explained why his refusal of my offer had wounded me so deeply.

“……”

I felt the grip binding my wrists ease. Bruises would likely bloom by tomorrow, I thought bitterly, just as Vasily suddenly collapsed against me.

“Cough!”

Had he finally decided to kill me? Panicked, I writhed and struggled until I managed to crane my head free of his chest.

I could breathe again, but his heavy frame still crushed down on me with overwhelming weight. Pushing hard against his shoulders, I grunted in effort.

“You’re heavy. Move off. Do you not realize… Esper Vasily?”

I fell silent, realizing something was wrong. Judging from his face, drowsiness had finally overtaken him at last.

Though his weight pressed down suffocatingly, I raised my hand and patted his broad back gently. In a hush, I whispered:

“Tonight, just rest soundly while receiving guiding. But when you wake tomorrow, you’re donating two liters of blood, minimum.”

In the shadowed room, Vasily let slip a faint chuckle. Not long after, I could hear his steady breaths, proof of true sleep.

My eyes snapped open.

Had I fallen asleep without realizing? Checking quickly, I breathed relief—it was still early morning.

I was miserably tired, not having slept much. Worse, my whole body ached faintly, the heat of the suppression chip biting at me. But I couldn’t afford to linger. This was my only chance—while Vasily remained asleep.

I glanced at him. He lay peacefully, arms curled loosely around me. His eyelids shut, his face calm—deeply asleep at last.

After so many sleepless nights, it was unlikely he would wake easily. Still, I moved like a shadow, creeping from the room without a sound.

Back in my room, I swallowed some medicine, grabbed the bag I had packed, and prepared to leave. But my steps froze.

“…Haa.”

Raking a hand through my hair, I exhaled heavily.

If I left without a word, Vasily would wake to find me gone—and he would lose his mind. With a resigned sigh, I dug out a sticky note and a pen.

Click, click.

I clasped the pen tightly, staring for a long while. All I had to write was that I was going to China briefly to disable the suppression chip. Yet somehow even that was painfully difficult.

[Just resolving the suppression chip—I’ll be back soon.]

In the end, I jotted down only that short line before laying the pen aside.

I crept back to his room and approached the bed. Vasily still slept deeply. Carefully, I pressed the note atop the pillow I had left in my stead within his arms, then gazed down at him.

“That should be enough.”

I had done all I could. I had tried to persuade him to travel with me, and I had spent last night guiding him thoroughly. Everything else now was up to Vasily.

Turning back to the entryway, I found the icy frost coating the door finally melting, dripping water steadily. The cold weather had kept it from thawing entirely, but with some effort I pushed it open, breaking through what ice remained.

Just before stepping outside, I glanced back one last time.

Goodbye, you bastard.