AAGULT Ch 65

Chapter 65

Was he a combat-type Esper? Or perhaps someone who had spent his life managing a gym? If he had been wearing a military uniform, no one would doubt that he was a seasoned soldier. If he had thrown on a Hawaiian shirt, he could easily have been mistaken for a gangster.

“…”

Jaeha slowly lifted his gaze and looked at the man’s face.

He appeared to be in his early forties. His intimidating yet charismatic aura was immediately noticeable. The sharpness of his eyes beneath thick eyebrows was more intense due to the lack of double eyelids. His sharply defined nose and tightly closed lips exuded a certain pressure. A hint of stubble on his solid jawline added to the impression of ruggedness.

Despite his fierce-looking face, he tried to soften his appearance by lifting the corners of his lips to avoid scaring others.

He approached Jaeha. His unusually broad shoulders emphasized his physical presence, even under a high-quality suit. Every step he took felt like a moving mountain, and Jaeha had to resist the urge to step back.

“Kwon Ido. Grade A Guide.”

A hand, thick like a log, was extended in front of him. Jaeha stared blankly at it for a moment before snapping out of his daze.

“Ah…”

Damn. What time was it? The schedule had been that Mingyeol would come in the morning and another guide in the afternoon. But he had lost track of time while dawdling on the rooftop with Eden. An Esper showing up late when the guide had arrived for a session—what a terrible first impression. Jaeha began to feel anxious.

“I’m sorry. I’m late…”

“No worries.”

Sniffling slightly as the tip of his nose, reddened from the cold, twitched, he approached and extended his hand for a handshake. Only upon grasping the man’s warm hand did he realize just how cold and stiff his own had become.

“Well… um, come in first.”

Though it wasn’t even his space, he awkwardly smiled as he opened the door. The man accepted the gesture with ease and stepped inside first, with Jaeha following close behind. As the man who introduced himself as Ido sat down in the chair beside the bed, Jaeha quickly made his way to sit on the bed. He reached for the handcuffs hanging on the bed to fasten them, but—

“Mr. Jaeha.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

As he turned to him before putting them on, the man wore an expression that was hard to describe. Then, he politely spoke.

“You don’t need to put those on.”

That kind reply made Jaeha even more flustered. He stared at the man dumbly, handcuffs still in hand, and opened his mouth to protest.

“But I’m a criminal. Normally, criminal Espers are supposed to…”

“—Pardon me.”

The man cut him off firmly.

“I’ve already received a report on your physical condition. Frankly…”

“…”

He looked Jaeha over. The way he did so wasn’t unpleasant, which meant his gaze didn’t carry any negative emotion.

As always, Jaeha instinctively read his thoughts the moment their eyes met, even before realizing how rude it was.

[He’s around the same age as my kid. Looks like he could collapse at any second…]

“If you wear those, I’ll be too distracted to guide you properly.”

“Ah… um, okay. Thank you…”

Jaeha realized the man saw him as a child. His son must’ve been around Jaeha’s age. Interesting. He had guessed the man to be in his early forties, but maybe not.

He unconsciously offered a word of thanks and slowly reached out to take the man’s hand once again. The touch was rough but warm. It was only then that he noticed the ring on the man’s left ring finger. Perhaps it was the contrast to his intimidating aura, but something about it oddly reassured Jaeha.

As the guiding flowed into him, Jaeha relaxed.

Mr. Kwon Ido was a far more pleasant and seasoned guide than he looked.

He led the conversation and helped Jaeha unwind. Even though Jaeha had worked as a bartender for quite some time and was used to speaking with strangers, conversation with this man—he had to admit—was comfortable. Unlike Mingyeol, Ido’s guiding was consistent and unbroken.

And strangely… familiar. But since Jaeha had so little experience being guided, he chalked it up to his imagination and shifted his focus elsewhere.

Separately, he cautiously asked whether Eunyul had been picky about receiving guiding from this kind man. Thankfully, it didn’t seem so. According to Ido, Eunyul had quietly and obediently accepted the guiding.

Well, it made sense. Come to think of it, while Eunyul was soft-hearted, he did tend to be… somewhat weak toward the strong and strong toward the weak. Jaeha could easily imagine him getting scared by this fierce-looking man and behaving. And since Ido was a rank higher than Mingyeol, though not quite on Eden’s level, he must’ve been plenty satisfying as a guide.

They continued chatting about various things—about how Ido had been working as a guide for nearly thirty years, and about his current role.

“I’m currently a guide instructor at the Association.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that was a thing… Isn’t it hard, teaching others how to guide?”

“Maybe because I’ve done it so long, I’ve gotten the hang of it. Though there are the occasional unruly students…”

“Haha.”

Perhaps it was because he was a Grade A guide—a rank higher than Mingyeol—but the way he handled Jaeha’s disrupted energy flow was slow but very smooth. He was skilled, befitting a guide instructor.

To compare, Mingyeol was like someone trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with stiff movements, while Ido was like someone who had the entire structure memorized and could solve it efficiently by the book. And Eden… Eden was the type who would take the whole cube apart and reassemble it color by color. His image flooded Jaeha’s mind.

If Ido was a seasoned piano professor, Eden was a world-class piano prodigy. It was strange. Sure, Eden could be annoying, irrational, and perverted at times, but internally he was always kind and caring… Yet in Jaeha’s imagination, Eden had transformed into an arrogant, self-centered, and unpredictable genius pianist.

“…”

Jaeha returned to reality with a faint smile. What kind of absurd fantasy was that? Song Jaeha, your body’s finally feeling better and now your mind’s wandering. What a luxury.

In any case, the guiding was very satisfactory. It made him feel all tingly. He was embarrassed to have judged the man as scary just from appearances. Pushing thoughts of Eden from his mind, he opened his mouth.

“Are guides working for the Association able to do their jobs safely?”

“Of course.”

The conversation continued comfortably. Since Jaeha was making a conscious effort not to read Ido’s thoughts after doing so once, his gaze occasionally shifted away. But Ido didn’t seem to mind.

He found it curious that someone who had worked as a doorkeeper at an illegal guiding facility was asking about the safety of Association guides, and he treated Jaeha fondly, almost like a child of his own. He added various stories to his answer and explained everything in detail.

Perhaps because of that, by the time the guiding ended, Jaeha found himself slightly more fond of Ido than of Mingyeol.

Jaeha felt noticeably more at ease. Thanks to that, he was able to subtly test the man without giving himself away—pretending it was just a slip of the tongue or an innocent question.

“Come to think of it, how old is your child? Feels like we might be around the same age…”

“…”

The man suddenly stopped moving. The creased suit he wore hadn’t yet smoothed itself out. His steady gaze quietly fell on Jaeha. A short but oddly heavy silence followed. Then his lips slowly parted.

“Did I… ever mention that?”

“Ah.”

Fortunately—or unfortunately—the man took the bait. Before Jaeha could hurriedly stammer out an apology, he waved it off calmly.

“It’s fine. It’s not something I’m hiding.”

“Ah…”

“If they had lived, they would’ve been about your age.”

Ah. So that was it…

Though his suspicion was confirmed, Jaeha’s heart sank with guilt. Their conversation had been comfortable until now, but now it felt like a heavy debt had wrapped around his neck. If he had asked in ignorance, it would be one thing—but he had asked knowing what answer might come. He opened his mouth to apologize, but no words came out. He had no idea what to say.

“My wife was an Esper.”

His voice rang out softly. Though calm, it carried a buried pain.

“She entered a gate while pregnant… and that was the end of it.”

“…”

A horrifying past. The ring on his left hand remained. The weight contained in that small piece of metal was unimaginable. It seemed he still hadn’t let go of the past. Jaeha felt like he had inadvertently caused him pain, and it made him uncomfortable.

The man quietly reached out. His large hand gently patted Jaeha’s shoulder. It was a rough and soft touch, offering comfort without force—and that kindness sank deep into Jaeha’s heart.

“It’s alright. You didn’t know.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Haha.”

He smiled, despite his fierce face. Unlike his rough appearance, his demeanor was unexpectedly warm and generous.