TGIC Ch 123

Chapter 123

Gidam gripped his seatbelt tightly and turned his head toward the window. Reflected in his dark eyes fixed on the dim road was the tall outline of a building.

“It’s really still standing…” he muttered softly.

The building he was staring at was a hotel that had recently reopened after renovations. Hearing his faint murmur, Vasily asked,

“Do you remember that the hotel almost collapsed?”

“No, I read about it in the news. It said Esper Vasily froze the entire building…”

Vasily’s momentary excitement at the thought that Gidam had regained part of his memory faded quickly.

He must have come across the article while searching for the dating rumors. Of course, the hotel incident had been one of the key pieces of evidence supporting those rumors, so it was only natural that it would have caught his eye.

Judging by his surprise at seeing the hotel still intact, it seemed that in the future Gidam remembered, the building had actually collapsed. So back then, had he lured Gidam there under the guise of seduction and done something to cause that?

Looking back now, it had been such an obvious ploy — almost laughably so. The fact that he had nearly fallen for his own manipulation felt absurd even in hindsight.

“Yes. Guide Kwon Gidam and I went inside together, but when the hotel began to collapse, I froze the entire building.”

“Why was I even there?”

“Of course, we were on a date. Do you believe me now?”

“…”

Gidam said nothing in reply. He still seemed unconvinced, but Vasily didn’t press him. Sooner or later, as he presented one piece of evidence after another, Gidam would have no choice but to accept the dating rumor as truth.

The time he would realize their supposed relationship was a lie would come only after his memory returned. Until then, it meant that Vasily could say anything — tell any lie — and lead events however he pleased without being found out.

“Guide Kwon Gidam.”

Vasily called out as Gidam, still unsteady from the shock of that supposed revelation, crossed the threshold of the apartment. Gidam flinched and turned back.

“Come to my room before bed.”

“For guiding?”

“No, there won’t be any guiding tonight.”

The tension that had frozen Gidam’s face when he expected Vasily to demand guiding shifted into something unsure. But mere words weren’t enough to dispel his doubts; he still eyed Vasily warily and asked,

“Then why are you calling me to your room?”

“Sleep there.”

“…Pardon?”

“We used to sleep together, you know.”

When Vasily added that explanation, Gidam’s face turned pale. He hesitated for several seconds before finally answering in a faint voice,

“I… prefer sleeping alone.”

“To recover your memories, we have to keep up our usual habits. It might be uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get used to it soon.”

“N‑No, I’d rather not sleep with you, Esper‑nim.”

“How strange… Why are you so against it? Don’t tell me you don’t want your memories back?”

When Vasily asked in that oddly curious tone, Gidam’s gaze slid away. It was a rare expression for him — that mixture of embarrassment and awkwardness, so unlike the tense blankness that usually ruled his face since losing his memories.

“…Understood.”

Reluctantly, Gidam nodded. He must have realized that refusing any further would only make Vasily suspicious.

As he passed by the bowed head, Vasily murmured quietly,

“Then I’ll wait for you.”

After returning to his room, Vasily prepared for bed and waited, but Gidam did not come. It wasn’t surprising — he had expected as much.

From Gidam’s room came the persistent sound of deep sighs. For hours, he must have been struggling with himself.

“At last, he moves.”

A little after midnight, the faint sound of a door opening broke the silence. The approaching footsteps stopped just outside Vasily’s room. After a brief pause, a hesitant knock sounded.

“Come in.”

Creak.

The door opened slowly, and Gidam appeared. He was dressed in a convenience‑store T‑shirt and a pair of dress pants — an absurd combination born, evidently, of not owning proper sleepwear.

The fatigue on his face, touched by shadows of conflict, made him look utterly drained. It was clear he hadn’t wanted to come, but unable to overcome exhaustion and drowsiness, he had finally given in.

“You’re late. Ready to sleep now?”

“…Yes.”

Gidam answered quietly and approached the bed. Yet instead of lying down immediately, he stopped at the edge, looking down at Vasily.

“Are you truly not going to take guiding tonight?”

“I’m not in the mood for it. So don’t worry, Guide Kwon Gidam — just sleep.”

This time, Vasily meant it. If he tried to take guiding from Gidam again, he was certain something like the previous night would happen. It would be better to simply rest, feeling the faint warmth from the other side of the blanket.

Only after hearing that firm refusal did Gidam finally climb into bed. But even then, he lay as far away as possible. Vasily’s expression faded blankly.

It seemed clear that Gidam both avoided him and feared guiding itself. The reason for that remained a mystery, which meant Vasily would have to study his reactions carefully from now on to uncover the cause.

“Good night, then.”

The small lamp he had kept on while waiting flicked off, and darkness settled over the room.

Gidam lay still and quiet, trying to sleep. Feeling the heat from the other side, Vasily too began to close his eyes — but then he felt the faint tremor of a body shivering beneath the covers.

Judging by his steady breathing, it wasn’t fear like the previous night. The way he curled up, pulling the blanket to his chin, made it plain he was cold.

“Are you cold?”

“A little.”

He didn’t deny it — he admitted it at once. But that honest answer only made Vasily’s gaze sharpen slightly.

Perhaps Gidam truly was cold… but it seemed more likely he was using the excuse to slip back to his own room. Gidam was always a skilled liar.

This time, Vasily had no intention of falling for his act. Yet when he turned away, the faint shaking of Gidam’s shoulders caught his eyes again and refused to let him ignore it.

“…”

Come to think of it, Gidam had only recently awakened from a long hospital stay — his body was still frail. The cold radiating from Vasily’s own power could easily make him shiver.

If Gidam caught a chill now, it would interfere with everything to come. With that thought, Vasily rose and turned the heater to its highest setting before lying down once more.

“Go back to sleep. It’ll be warm soon.”

“…Thank you.”

After a little while, as the temperature in the room climbed, Gidam’s trembling gradually lessened. When the silence deepened, Vasily turned to look — Gidam had already fallen asleep.

From the edge of the bed came the slow, even sound of breathing. Contrary to his suspicions, Gidam had drifted into sleep the moment the air grew warm. It seemed Vasily had misunderstood.

It was his own turn to sleep, yet he found himself unable to look away. The face before him had more color now — vibrant and alive, no longer pallid and lifeless as it had been in the hospital, surrounded by tubes and medication.

Even if his memories were gone, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was alive.

Yes — losing a few memories was nothing compared to nearly losing his guide entirely. In time, the memories would begin to return, and even if they didn’t, he could always recreate them anew. It didn’t change the fact that Gidam was his guide.

“Nn…”

Gidam let out a small sound of discomfort and shifted restlessly. Vasily’s gaze lingered on his furrowed brow, wondering if he was having a nightmare — and then Gidam moved closer, nestling against him.

“Ah… it’s cool…”

Those drowsy words escaped his lips as if in relief, and immediately afterward, he slipped back into deep sleep.

Vasily stared down in silence at the man who had unconsciously burrowed into his arms. He noticed, then, the heat radiating from him — unnaturally high, his forehead damp with sweat.

The room had grown too warm this time. Gidam had scolded him often enough before, telling him not to set the temperature so high.

“…”

Vasily looked down quietly at the small crown of Gidam’s head resting against his chest.

The way that body sought him out instinctively for comfort, pressing closer, wasn’t unpleasant. From the point of contact, warmth flowed in — far hotter than usual, mixed with guiding energy.

How warm.

All the tangled thoughts in his mind dissolved at once, replaced by a calm stillness. The tension that had sharpened his nerves and the heaviness lingering after he had driven away the terrified Gidam now melted completely away.

It felt like he could finally sleep deeply tonight. Drawing Gidam’s body a little closer, Vasily wrapped his arms around him and surrendered to slumber.