AAGULT Ch 5

Chapter 5

 

“Urgh……”

It felt like his insides were being torn apart. For the past few days, he had endured pain like his internal waves were being ripped apart, but the fear that chilled him to the core made Jaeha crack open an ampoule and gulp it down. He had put off drinking the drug for as long as possible because of its characteristic fishy taste and the bloating discomfort that followed, but he couldn’t hold out any longer.

The boss, who usually came once a week or once every two weeks, hadn’t shown up for a whole month. Although he had mentioned it in advance, it was harder to endure than Jaeha had expected. The leftover fragments of guiding that the boss would occasionally hand out like charity must have accounted for a larger part of him than he realized.

The rampaging waves, which had been sharpening their claws as if ready to tear everything to shreds, were subdued by the drug. The waves were pressed down, over and over, until they were stuck to the ground. That unnatural effect made him dry-heave uncontrollably.

“Haa……”

Jaeha tossed the empty ampoule container into the trash can. Not long after the boss had left, the manager had come by looking like he’d bitten into shit and threw an entire box of ampoules at him, so he still had plenty left.

He exited the bathroom stall and stood in front of the sink. Perhaps because he had tensed his body too much from the retching, the corners of his eyes were slightly red. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face a couple of times, which made him feel slightly better.

His eyes, somewhere between green and blue, stared back at him from the mirror. They had originally been a paler shade of green but changed like this after he awakened as an Esper. It was a fairly common occurrence for Espers of the mental type.

He studied his face in the mirror. While he might give off a cheerful impression when he acted cutesy and pretended to be a proper member of society, Jaeha didn’t particularly like his own face.

He had come out under the pretense of going to the bathroom, so he had to get back quickly. He lightly patted his face, which always seemed to carry a hint of unease. Then he tensed his facial muscles and pulled up the corners of his mouth. It was better to have a cheerful, pleasant-looking young man out front.

As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, a cheerful voice called out to him.

“Jaeha-nim! We’re out of crushed ice—should I make more?”

“Do we still have enough for carving?”

“Yes!”

“Then please take care of it.”

Though the main operation was an illegal guiding facility, the organization also properly ran the bar set up as a front. It was a small, narrow bar with few customers, so Jaeha had managed it alone for the past five years. But really, who could run a shop alone? He’d felt like his body was splitting apart, so after begging and begging—and getting beaten up by the manager for it—he finally managed to hire one staff member to work three days a week.

Fortunately, the person he hired was not only polite but also good at the job. Since she was a complete outsider unrelated to the guiding facility downstairs, he sometimes felt the urge to tell her everything and ask her to report it to the Association. But he lacked both the courage and the confidence.

Jaeha looked at the employee, Harin, with a smile, pretending to be cheerful.

“If it weren’t for you, Harin-ssi, I’d have collapsed ages ago. Thanks for always working so hard.”

“Oh, please. Then give me a bonus.”

“I’ll think about it……”

Somehow, they had grown close enough to joke around like this. Jaeha chuckled softly as he walked over to the bar door and flipped the [CLOSE] sign to show [OPEN]. He felt a little more at ease thinking that maybe, just like yesterday, they’d have no customers today too.

“Drinks that you make are so good, Jaeha-nim. If this place weren’t so tucked away, I’m sure we’d be packed with customers.”

“Haha……”

Packed, huh? The very thought made his skin crawl. But knowing she meant it kindly, he simply laughed in response.

“If that happened, you wouldn’t be able to loaf around on the clock anymore, Harin-ssi.”

“No way! That’s not acceptable!”

“Alright, alright. What do you want me to make?”

“Ooh, then can I have a Piña Colada? That was really delicious……”

“Sure, why not?”

It was definitely much better working with someone than being alone. This must be why people are called social animals… If someone was helping him grow a bit of normal social behavior, then a Piña Colada was the least he could make for them.

As Jaeha began taking out the ingredients one by one, Harin quickly grabbed a can of coconut cream and handed it to him. Soon, Jaeha started skillfully making the cocktail. When he began shaking the shaker with all the ingredients inside, Harin clapped her hands playfully and sweetly beside him. Feeling a bit proud, Jaeha lifted his head slightly, and a clear laugh echoed in return.

“Is this really okay though? Should I try promoting the bar on SNS or something?”

“No, it’s fine. I like it just the way it is now.”

“Jaeha-nim, you’re kind of like someone who opened a shop as a hobby thanks to rich parents.”

“Haha……”

The truth was closer to the exact opposite, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Since he was essentially the manager of the bar, it was understandable Harin would see him that way. Of course, he couldn’t confess that he was forced to work for a criminal organization because of debt. Jaeha brushed it off with another vague smile and handed her a perfectly made Piña Colada with fluffy coconut foam.

“You’re the best, Jaeha-nim.”

“Drink up and get back to work.”

“Okaaay.”

Her excitement as she drank was nice to see. He hoped that today, just like now, would pass by without incident. He hoped he wouldn’t have to go ‘downstairs,’ and that no unregistered Espers would show up as clients of that facility……

Watching Harin sip her Piña Colada while making crushed ice, he let himself indulge in that peaceful thought.

But as always, peace is easily shattered.

Ding.

“Welcome.”

The door opened. A customer had arrived. It was exactly like the saying—speak of the devil. Since the bar was small, the door was nearby.

“……”

The person who walked in was a fairly tall man.

The long black coat he wore, heavy with the scent of cold and lonely winter wind, was stylish. His black hair, too, made him seem like the only dark figure in this white season. His presence was so strong it was as if he had stolen all the colors of winter for himself, and his posture, standing upright as if it were natural, drew everyone’s gaze.

Jaeha’s eyes, having taken in the stranger’s aura, naturally moved to his face.

For someone dressed so sharply, he had a surprisingly pretty and neat face. At a glance, how should he put it? The kind of student who definitely served as student council president at least once, the one who stayed in everyone’s memory as their first love—the kind with a refreshing and bright vibe. And on top of that, someone too kind and gentle to be disliked or envied. That kind of impression.

“Are you open?”

“……”

Jaeha momentarily blanked out. In truth, it was closer to being utterly terrified. It wasn’t because he was captivated by the pretty face, nor was it because the man’s gentle voice startled him.

“Yes! Come on in and have a seat.”

Since Jaeha couldn’t answer and was stammering, Harin, who was crushing ice nearby, quickly responded. She also gave him a gentle nudge in the side.

“Jaeha-nim, are you okay?”

Her whisper brought him back to his senses. He was so flustered that he couldn’t even meet the customer’s eyes or read his thoughts.

“Uh, uh……”

Even though he quickly composed himself, his voice was clearly tinged with unease and nervousness. Jaeha darted his eyes toward Harin.

[Did you fall for him? He is pretty, though……]

Espers and Guides had by now blended into society quite a bit. Since matches between Espers and Guides were based purely on compatibility regardless of gender, there were no longer societal prejudices against same-sex relationships. It used to be very different in the past, apparently… In any case, it wasn’t strange that Harin thought this way.

But the reason Jaeha froze up wasn’t because the man was attractive or because he was smitten with him. The moment that man walked in, it was as if the air in the bar grew heavier. It was something he occasionally sensed when going ‘downstairs.’ “Radial Guiding”……

Yet the density of guiding energy that spread like fog upon the man’s arrival was much deeper than what he’d ever felt in the facility downstairs, which had multiple Guides. So thick that he couldn’t even think straight.

Because of that, he instinctively realized—

That man is a Guide.

And a high-ranking one at that……

“One Gin and Tonic, please.”

The man sat at the bar, right in front of the bartender, rather than at a table. Then he took off his coat and hung it on the chair next to him. Underneath, he wore a white shirt that fit perfectly and clung to his body, with a black harness wrapped over it. He didn’t take off the black gloves on his hands, and Jaeha instantly knew it was to avoid unnecessary physical contact because he was a Guide.

Despite all this, the smile the man gave was warm and likable enough to appeal to anyone.

“Sure.”

Confused or not, a customer was a customer. With five years of experience under his belt, Jaeha moved on instinct.

With a short reply, Jaeha pulled out the carving knife and a large block of ice. As always, he gave the ice a dramatic spin for show and began carving it. But unlike usual, his movements were tense and stiff.

He’s a Guide.

A Guide……

Guides who radiated energy dense enough to be sensed the moment they entered the bar were rare. The guiding energy he gave off was far stronger than anything Jaeha had ever felt from the Guides working in the basement facility. What was the grade of the last Guide who had done a session for the boss? B? A? This man far surpassed that. Which meant—

That man is at least an S-rank Guide. And if that’s the case,

[It should be somewhere around here.]

“……”

[The signal was cut off around here…… Just where is it?]

He’s a Guide from the Association.

Jaeha glanced at him. Their eyes met, and he realized the man’s irises were black. Strangely enough, Jaeha thought the color suited him well.

As an Esper who could read minds, Jaeha worked as the doorman of the illegal guiding facility in A-5 district. His job was to turn away and report any officials from the Association or police who got too close.

So Jaeha knew what he was supposed to do. But since this was the first time he had actually seen someone from the Association up close, the tension made him swallow hard.