TGIC Ch 10

Chapter 10

As I followed Vasily down to the underground parking lot, a familiar foreign car came into view. Memories of having ridden in it a few times in the past briefly crossed my mind. It seemed like he had switched to a different car not long after.

“Get in.”

“Yes.”

As I settled into the passenger seat, it felt strangely like I had returned to the days when I was his guide. I feared that if I let my guard down and made a slip of the tongue or acted too naturally, he might catch on to something being off. I reminded myself to be especially careful in front of him and quietly stared out the window.

We soon arrived at a familiar restaurant.

‘Ah, this place is nice.’

I nodded inwardly as we stepped through the entrance. Now that I think about it, I had probably eaten here most of the times I dined with Vasily near the Association.

When we reached a quiet private room, the food was already set on the table. Seeing the steam still rising suggested it had just been served.

Vasily sat down naturally and spoke.

“Steak is all right, right? Just in case, I asked them to prepare some seafood too.”

“Yes. I eat everything well, not picky at all.”

“That’s a relief.”

The food was, as expected, delicious. During the six years I spent with Vasily, I got used to dining at upscale restaurants every time, and since returning, I hadn’t had a meal that truly satisfied me—but here I was, unexpectedly tasting that flavor again.

I eagerly moved my hands and filled my stomach. However, after a few bites, Vasily set down his utensils and began staring at me intently. Was watching someone eat really that fascinating? Without realizing it, I became conscious of his gaze, and my hand gradually slowed down.

Eventually, I set down my fork and asked,

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Because I like seeing Guide Kwon Gidam eat so well?”

“……It’s a bit much. You don’t need to stare like that.”

“Who knows.”

Vasily smiled playfully. His attitude was completely opposite from how it had been before the regression, and I still couldn’t get used to it. Avoiding his gaze, I busied myself cutting the steak into smaller pieces.

After the meal, we returned to the Association, and the guiding resumed.

‘……Damn it. Here it comes again…….’

About an hour into the guiding, my condition began to deteriorate again. My head throbbed, and the area where the suppressant chip was implanted felt like it was about to burst with heat.

At this rate, even taking two or three pills a day wouldn’t be enough. The symptoms were worse than usual today, but if I took medication now, the headache would surely return not long after, so I clenched my teeth and endured it.

It felt like the world was spinning. Unable to bear the dizziness, I finally shut my eyes tightly.

“……?”

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the folding bed tucked away in the corner of the guiding room.

My mind was foggy, and I couldn’t clearly recall what had just happened. Then I suddenly became aware of the cool sensation on my forehead. As I blinked, registering the cold touch against my skin, I finally realized that Vasily’s hand was resting on my forehead.

“Vasily?”

“You’re awake?”

“Why am I……?”

“You collapsed during the guiding. You had a fever, so I was trying to cool you down.”

I was so flustered I couldn’t respond. Was this really the same Vasily who wouldn’t even glance at me when I was seriously injured?

But the cooling sensation on my forehead wasn’t an illusion. I remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly.

“……Normally, when someone collapses, people call an ambulance.”

“Ah, is that what regular people do?”

“Sigh……”

I shook my head with a sigh. Expecting basic common sense from Vasily was clearly asking too much. Perhaps I should just be thankful that he didn’t abandon me after I fainted.

Or maybe it would have been better if he had. Even though the fever had gone down thanks to his ability, the continued contact was making the area around my suppressant chip feel like it was about to explode.

“Do you have some kind of chronic condition?”

“No. I guess I just wasn’t feeling well today.”

“I thought maybe it was normal for regular people to faint like this. You collapsed in front of me last time, too.”

Come to think of it, I had already passed out in front of Vasily twice now. Since Vasily hated weakness, it felt like he might be losing interest in me. I prayed he wouldn’t come looking for me again tomorrow and checked the clock on the wall.

I must have been unconscious for a while, as it was almost time to go home. But even after waking up from fainting, I still didn’t feel well.

I decided I should go home and rest early today. The only thing that saddened me was the fact that the weekend was still a long way off.

“Sorry for collapsing during the guiding session. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“It’s fine. The grade difference is too large, so it must’ve put a strain on your body. I’ll keep it short next time before I send you off.”

He responded calmly. But the fact that he never said he would stop receiving guiding sessions told me everything—I was right, he really was a bastard.

Thankfully, Vasily let me leave the guiding room without stopping me. I returned to my desk, took my medicine, and finally caught my breath. Just then, Jo Wooyeon, who was also coming back from a temporary guiding session, saw my pale face and asked with a shocked expression,

“Gidam, are you sick?”

“No. I’m just a bit tired.”

“You look way too pale for that. Did you get a lot of guiding assignments today?”

I hadn’t told anyone that Vasily had personally requested me as his guide, so I forced a smile and avoided giving an answer.

At that moment, Jo Wooyeon looked past me and widened his eyes. What did he see that surprised him so much? Curious, I turned to follow his gaze—only to flinch as I locked eyes with a pair of sharp gray pupils.

Vasily, watching me from a distance, clearly looked displeased. And at the same time, a warning light went off in my head.

Every time Vasily had that look on his face, someone had ended up injured—or worse.

My face immediately stiffened. I approached him with a serious expression, and the air around us turned ice-cold.

He had seemed fine earlier—why was he suddenly in such a bad mood? I couldn’t think of any reason. First, I had to get him out of here. In this state, he was basically a ticking time bomb. If anyone provoked him, this whole area would be turned into rubble.

“Esper Vasily, is something wrong?”

I asked gently, like I was trying to soothe a sulky child, but Vasily remained silent. His displeasure was clear, and it frustrated me that I didn’t know why.

While I was inwardly pulling my hair out, Vasily finally spoke.

“I’ll take you home.”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t look well. I’ll take you home. After all, it’s partly my fault that you collapsed.”

Wait…… what?

I was so caught off guard by the unexpected offer that I was truly stunned. Vasily wasn’t the kind of person to offer kindness to others. And yet, even as he said that, his eyes remained as cold and devoid of warmth as ever, causing cold sweat to trickle down my back.

I wanted to decline, but the number of people watching us was increasing. Since it was right before the end of the workday, other employees returning from guiding sessions had spotted Vasily and were murmuring among themselves. The commotion was growing, and if I dragged this out any longer, it would only escalate.

“……Okay.”

I nodded reluctantly.

Yes, let’s try to look on the bright side. There was no way I could survive the packed subway during rush hour in this condition anyway. If I could ride in Vasily’s car and be dropped off at my door, maybe that was a stroke of luck.

I quickly grabbed my bag and followed him out. The office grew noticeably noisier behind me as we left without even saying goodbye to my coworkers.

I let out a silent sigh at the distant voices. They would probably never know that I had just saved all their lives.

In silence, we took the elevator down to the parking lot. As we walked toward his parked car, I kept glancing at Vasily to read his mood.

Unlike the past, I was no longer his exclusive guide. The thought that one misstep could lead to my death wouldn’t leave my head. I had no choice but to rely on the experience of my six years as his guide and endure the ride home.

After I gave him my address, the car started moving. Still, not a single word was exchanged. I thought the silence that had begun would last until the end—but then, unexpectedly, Vasily opened his mouth.

“I’m going to be busy for a while, so I probably won’t be able to come. Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.”

“Who said I’d miss you……”

I was so taken aback that the words slipped out before I could stop myself. I clamped my mouth shut too late, but instead of frowning, Vasily actually let out a soft chuckle. Seeing that, a wave of weariness washed over me.

When had his mood even improved……?

Sigh. I really can’t figure him out. Trying to understand a madman like Vasily is a waste of time. I let out a silent sigh. In any case, at least I was going to get home safely. That was something to be thankful for.