AAGULT Ch 8

Chapter 8

 

“……Are you okay?”

Just breathing in the changed air brought some sense of relief. Even the body that had been sore every time he breathed, as if he’d been hit in the wrong place, seemed to have improved a little.

It was Aiden.

His vision was slightly blurry because his eyes were half swollen. The handsome man, dressed as always in a formal coat, seemed to have seen the state he was in as he walked over.

How should I explain this? He opened his lips to make an excuse but ended up giving an awkward smile.

“Ah, I fell down badly…….”

He knew it wasn’t a convincing excuse. But nothing else came to mind. Overall, he was exhausted, and his mind was hazy. In the first place, given his condition, even if he made up a decent story, it didn’t seem like the man would believe it.

Raising one eyebrow, he strode forward. He was quite tall, so he closed the distance in just a few steps. The scent of the cold, sharp wind brushed past Jaeha.

“Ugh.”

Jaeha wasn’t exactly small either, but he found himself looking up at the man. The man, wearing gloves, gently cupped Jaeha’s cheek and examined his face. Their eyes met naturally. With a calm face that showed neither surprise nor concern, he scrutinized Jaeha openly. His thoughts seeped into Jaeha’s mind.

[Contusions. Not long ago. About an hour maybe……]

“You must’ve fallen pretty hard.”

[Who did this?]

He seemed well-practiced at feigning concern. It was touching that he would pretend to be fooled by such a transparent lie.

Even through the gloves, just being in contact with him let Jaeha feel the excellent radial guiding aura flowing abundantly through the air.

It was disconcerting. He had to pull away immediately. But……

“……It doesn’t really hurt.”

Why didn’t he want to pull away? His heart pounded wildly. This is crazy. The guiding aura is amazing. And the man wasn’t even actively guiding. It was more like he was just enjoying and soaking up the energy that naturally emanated from the guide—like someone secretly savoring the aroma of food……

“……Ahem, sir. What would you like to order?”

“……”

Coming to his senses belatedly, Jaeha pulled his head back. His body felt a bit lighter. But if he received any more guiding, the owner would definitely notice, and that would be a real problem.

As he managed to put some distance between them, the man kept his hand hovering in the air, wearing a rather strange expression.

[……]

Even though their eyes met, Jaeha couldn’t sense any thoughts. That was the limit of his ability. Jaeha could read people’s thoughts, but not their subconscious.

Suddenly, the man reminded him of the boss. But the difference was clear—because the man lowered his hand and smiled. The way his lips curved and his eyes bent slightly was beautiful, yet somewhat eerie. If it felt unpleasant for some reason, was that just his imagination?

“Sir.”

“Yes?”

Aiden soon sat on the tall chair by the bar. Resting his chin on his clasped hands, the man quietly smiled and then asked an unexpected question.

And it was a completely unforeseen question.

“Shall I guide you?”

Espers were rare. But Guides were even rarer. If Espers were gold, then Guides were diamonds.

Whether S-rank or A-rank, even those with faint wavelengths like F-rank, all longed for a Guide. It had been six years since Jaeha awakened as an Esper, yet he had never once received proper guiding. In fact, his situation was worse than most.

So upon hearing that question, he was left speechless.

“Sorry……?”

“Your wavelength doesn’t look good. Guiding helps when it hurts that much, doesn’t it?”

“Ah, that……”

He was flustered. He had no idea how to refuse. The biggest problem was—he didn’t want to refuse. What Esper would turn down guiding from an S-rank Guide? There were plenty of Espers lining up just to receive guiding from an A-rank Guide.

“You’ve already noticed, haven’t you, sir?”

Noticed what? That he was a Guide? Of course, there was no way to not notice. With guiding energy this dense and radiating…

“That I’m interested in you.”

“…What?”

“You didn’t know?”

“N-no, I did… I mean…”

An honest answer slipped out unintentionally. Of course, it was hard to pretend he didn’t know after reading the man’s blatant and embarrassing inner thoughts. Besides, why else would an S-rank Guide keep showing up—though this was only the fourth time—at a bar in the middle of nowhere?

The man lifted the corners of his lips in a deep smile. Resting his chin on his interlocked fingers, he let out a soft laugh. It should have been refreshing, but because his eyes lacked even a glimmer of light, the smile felt oddly disconnected.

“So you knew.”

“…….”

He got dragged into it. Realizing that, Jaeha bit his lip, and the man’s gaze dropped to his lips. They stung from being torn by the manager’s blow.

“Um, sir.”

“Call me Aiden. Nice to meet you.”

“……I’m Song Jaeha, Guide-nim.”

He needed to think rationally. Rationally… If he received guiding from an S-rank Guide, traces would remain in his body for days. If the boss found out… he’d be dead. True, the boss wouldn’t show up for several more months, and the manager who occasionally dropped in unexpectedly was… a normal person who couldn’t sense guiding. But—there were always exceptions……

When he looked up, their eyes met, striking him like a whip against his indecisiveness. And he read the man’s thoughts. They were pitch black, so black it gave him chills.

[The bruises are pretty.]

“…….”

[I want to spank him. Will he cry? I’d like to see him cry……]

Jaeha was horrified.

And he finally realized.

Ah, this man’s a pervert……

For some reason, the man really seemed to like him. That must be why he was offering guiding so generously. After all, guiding was a form of physical contact… With his abilities, he could provide perfect guiding with just a touch of the hand, but clearly, he was trying to seduce Jaeha somehow.

Even Manager Kang hadn’t spanked his butt before……

He suppressed the urge to cover his butt with both hands.

Anyway, he had to refuse. The man would probably fix his completely wrecked wavelength in no time, and if the boss noticed that…

…If he noticed.

…If he noticed?

“…….”

Because of that man, he had to shove suppressants into his body, and his stomach still churned. Every spot where he had begged Manager Kang for more suppressants ached and throbbed. Everything felt miserable and sad. His only place to lean on was the boss. He had to entrust his body to the leftover traces of guiding from the boss. It was ironic. Depending on the very person who had made him this miserable.

…Or maybe not. Maybe this miserable state was something he brought on himself? If he thought back to being beaten even at the orphanage, perhaps he was always fated to live a wretched life.

“Um…….”

“Yes.”

A man who could turn out to be the greatest fortune—or the greatest trap—of his life was in front of him. Though he’d been hesitating for quite some time, the man didn’t seem to mind.

And so, Jaeha opened his mouth purely on impulse.

“I…….”

The boss wouldn’t show up for months. And even if he did, Espers couldn’t read each other’s wavelengths. Manager Kang, who saw him more often than the boss, was a complete normal. Guides… could read wavelengths. If someone working “underneath” reported to the boss, it’d be over.

But—what if he didn’t receive it fully?

Like how he received it from the boss—just enough to breathe. He didn’t need a hearty meal. What Jaeha needed was just an oxygen tank.

“Since I’m an F-rank Esper, I don’t need such extravagant guiding.”

That’s not true. He desperately needed it. If he weren’t thinking ahead, he would’ve already been on his knees begging the man. The grotesque wavelength he had barely suppressed with inhibitors was already starting to devour his tattered body and mind. He felt like he might go insane.

The man thought he was an F-rank Esper. F-ranks were barely different from normal people, so many lived as civilians without working as Espers. Of course, even F-ranks needed to receive guiding from the association occasionally. So, if he could use that to his advantage……

“I see.”

Aiden just smiled.

Right. He had nothing to lose. Honestly, as a precious S-rank Guide, how many beauties must he have already seen? There was no reason for him to focus on Jaeha.

“Guide-nim, by any chance.”

Afraid the man might get up and leave without a second thought, Jaeha hurriedly spoke again. Fortunately, Aiden didn’t get up right away. Still seated, he just quietly watched him.

“Yes.”

“……Are you allergic to peaches?”

“…….”

It was a sudden question. As if trying to gauge the intent behind it, the man narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled knowingly. With that pretty face carrying such a smile, he reminded Jaeha of a snake. A beautiful serpent shyly offering him the forbidden fruit……

“No, I’m not.”

“…….”

Thank goodness. The man had accepted.

This kind of decision was a first for him, and he could feel the heat flush to his ears. The warmth creeping into his head made him dizzy, worsening the nausea he already had and making it very difficult to stay upright. But the mix of embarrassment and relief somehow moved his body.

He poured 40ml of vodka and 20ml of peach liqueur, then pulled out peach tree and cranberry juice from the fridge. He also took out the crushed ice Harin had diligently prepared the day before to fill the glass. With practiced hands, he quickly made the cocktail.

Once the pink, pretty drink was complete, Jaeha garnished it with a slice of orange on top.