AAGULT Ch 61

Chapter 61

“S-slowly…”

“Yes, yes.”

The guide, who had initially seemed nervous about dealing with a criminal, now appeared completely at ease. He seemed naturally outgoing, repeatedly parting his lips as though he wanted to say something but then holding back. The sight of his cheerful, bouncing energy drew a faint smile from Jaeha. It felt like watching a younger sibling who didn’t even exist…

“…”

“Wow, your wave patterns are really tangled. How did you endure this?”

“I managed, somehow.”

“I don’t think I can untangle everything, but I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.”

The guiding, surprisingly… wasn’t so overwhelming or exceptional as to be unbearable. It was just average. Like drinking water that doesn’t quite quench your thirst, but still gives the feeling of drinking.

Strange. He thought maybe his expectations had been too high since it was the first time he was receiving guiding by his own will. But he quickly realized why the question had even occurred to him.

He had grown too used to Aiden’s guiding.

In other words, to put it simply, he’d developed a taste for the finer things.

Realizing that helped him relax a little. Since it wasn’t the kind of intensely euphoric and overwhelming guiding that melted his brain, it was easier to stay lucid. When he slightly wiggled his fingers, the guide, unable to keep quiet, began speaking.

“…Song Jaeha-ssi… how old are you? You seem to be around my age.”

“Ah. I’m twenty-six.”

“Then you’re hyung! Can I call you that?”

“Sure.”

He smiled brightly, and Jaeha, caught off guard, smiled awkwardly in response. Then the guide began chatting away.

His name was Yoon Mingyeol, twenty-three years old, a college student currently working as a guide. He said he’d only been guiding for about six months and was still gaining experience, even mentioning he’d like to enter a gate someday. Jaeha wanted to caution him about that last part, but since they’d only just met ten minutes ago, he didn’t want to be nosy and just quietly listened.

Mingyeol was so sociable that he kept interrupting his own guiding to chat, but Jaeha found the clumsy inexperience rather endearing and didn’t point it out. It reminded him a bit of Harin… Speaking of which, how was Harin doing now? Had she settled into the new bar?

“Actually, before guiding you, I just came from guiding Eunyul-ssi downstairs.”

“Eunyul…?”

Jaeha, lost in thought, snapped to attention at the familiar name. He raised an eyebrow at the unexpected information.

“Yeah, the guy with the red hair… looks super delinquent, you know?”

Knowing that detainees weren’t allowed to share information among themselves, he hadn’t asked where Eunyul was or how he was doing. Mingyeol might’ve gotten in trouble if he had.

“…Of course. Is he doing alright?”

Mingyeol, seeming aware of the restrictions, offered only trivial, gossipy comments that didn’t really matter.

“Ugh, he was such a fuss during the guiding. Honestly, I didn’t want to guide him again. His wave patterns weren’t even as twisted as yours!”

“…He gave you trouble? Eunyul?”

To Jaeha, that was unthinkable—something he couldn’t even imagine. Complaining about guiding? How dare he?

“Yeah. He said it didn’t ‘taste right’ or something… whined about wanting a higher-ranking guide. Turns out he’s three years younger than me, so I just let it go.”

“Ah…”

A wave of guilt as an esper hit Jaeha, along with secondhand embarrassment. He’d assumed Eunyul would know how to lay low, and yet he was out here fussing about guiding. A B-rank guide wasn’t even low-tier. That was likely the same level of guiding he’d been receiving before… but then Jaeha remembered.

Right—Eunyul had received Aiden’s guiding at the end. He had even lost consciousness because of it. So it was possible that, like Jaeha, Eunyul had also developed a taste for higher-level guiding.

Unlike Jaeha, who had long endured without much, grateful for whatever he got, Eunyul had always received ample support within the organization. As a rare teleportation-type esper who was frequently “used” by the boss, they probably made sure he was well-guided.

“I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

Jaeha could more or less guess the thirst Eunyul must’ve felt. It might sound rude to put it this way, but compared to Aiden’s guiding, Mingyeol’s was certainly mild.

As Jaeha offered a sheepish apology, Mingyeol laughed good-naturedly and waved it off with the hand not holding his.

“Oh, it’s fine. I mean, seeing him every day might be a bit much, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

“Every day?”

“They didn’t tell you? I’ll be coming every day for a while. For you, too, Jaeha hyung.”

“Ah… No, they did mention it. I just… it didn’t feel real. It must be a lot of trouble for you. Thank you.”

His doctor had recommended receiving guiding two or three times a day at minimum, but actually having a guide in front of him changed how he felt about it.

“Um… do regular Association espers also get guided this often?”

“It depends on their wave patterns, but… I’d say most of them get support at least once every two days.”

It really felt like stepping into a whole new world. He’d heard that the support was good, but not this good.

As he lifted his head deep in thought, he noticed Mingyeol staring at him with a strange expression. Then, realizing something, the guide said “Ah!” and resumed focusing on the guiding. The previously broken wave now began flowing properly.

If Jaeha were to compare his wave patterns to a cube, it was like a mess of different colors slowly grinding into place, aligning bit by bit toward their original state. He shouldn’t compare it to an S-rank guide, but he couldn’t help thinking about Aiden again.

“Jaeha hyung… I was told ahead of time, but you really are a unique esper.”

“…Am I? Haha…”

“Must be because you’re a psychic-type…”

While Jaeha gave a hollow laugh and kept up a sociable smile, Mingyeol seemed about to start chatting again. Just as he opened his mouth—

Clatter.

“Jaeha, I’m he—”

“…Huh?”

The door opened, and a cheerful voice rang out. It was a familiar voice. The very person who, according to the Association President, would be too busy to see him for a while. The one they said had volunteered as a support guide but was declined due to the current rank difference.

Despite the bone-chilling cold of winter, he wore no padding, just a sleek, fashionable overcoat carrying the scent of the winter wind. It was Aiden.

The man stood in the doorway, holding it open, and silently observed the scene inside the hospital room. His gaze slowly moved and settled on their joined hands, then to their owners—Mingyeol and Jaeha.

Feeling the weight of the obvious stare, Jaeha, flustered, pulled his hand away.

“…”

Wait, why did I pull my hand back?

He was acting like someone caught cheating. The thought was absurd. He could sense Mingyeol looking at him in confusion, but he had no energy to care.

“Um, who’s…?”

Mingyeol was the only one unaffected by the tension.

Guides rarely had faces widely known like espers, for a variety of reasons. Aiden was no exception. So it wasn’t strange that Mingyeol, despite being a fellow guide, didn’t recognize him immediately.

Still, something about Aiden’s presence seemed to tip Mingyeol off. With an odd expression and a confused “Uh, uh?” he suddenly shot to his feet.

“You’re Guide Aiden, right?! I’m a fan!”

“…”

But Aiden didn’t respond to the enthusiastic greeting. Or rather, it was more accurate to say he couldn’t. Holding the hospital room door, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then lowered his head as if wounded.

“Sniff…”

A soft sob broke the silence. It was fragile and sorrowful, the kind of cry that made one want to hunt down the cause and destroy it on the spot.

“…Huh?”

Even his visible complexion was utterly deflated.

Nervous, Jaeha tried to rise, wanting to comfort him, but logically he hadn’t done anything wrong—and physically, the handcuff chaining him to the bed made it impossible.

“…”

Finally reading the room, Mingyeol fell silent and began observing the situation.

Jaeha couldn’t understand. Why did he seem so hurt?

But soon, he understood. Aiden told him directly.

“Are you… cheating on me…?”

“What?”

The incredulous tone burst from him just as, drop. A tear fell from Aiden’s eye. His thick, neatly arranged lashes were wet, like a beautiful sculpture caught in the rain. There’s something about a sorrowful, tearful beauty that’s impossible to look away from, and before Jaeha could stop himself, he tried to stand—only to be jerked back by the handcuff, awkwardly returning to his seat.

Next to him, Mingyeol covered his mouth with a hand, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Jaeha wanted to cry.

This was just… too unfair.