TGIC Ch 141

Chapter 141

Gidam sat across from Vasily at the dining table, sharing a late breakfast that was no different from lunch.

Despite having drunk until dawn, Vasily still intended to go to a restaurant as usual, so Gidam had stubbornly insisted otherwise and opened a delivery app. It would have been nice if there had been some instant noodles at home, but expecting such things in a house where even dishes were nowhere to be found was unrealistic.

What he ended up ordering was jjamppong. The spicy red broth washed away the queasiness left by the whiskey, clearing his stomach with pleasant heat.

He worked the wooden chopsticks diligently before lifting his gaze. Vasily, seated opposite him, was lifting noodles with an elegance that made no sense.

They were eating the exact same jjamppong—so why on earth did Vasily alone look like he was quietly savoring pasta at an upscale trattoria? Gidam stared at him grudgingly as he chewed his food at an unhurried pace.

Sensing his gaze, Vasily spoke.

“Ah, the Association President contacted me earlier. He wants to see us today—preferably immediately.”

It was hardly surprising. The Association had been practically itching to announce that Vasily had finally found a guide with a high matching rate.

A domestic S-class guide had appeared—one whose compatibility with Vasily was exceptional. Unless another guide was found, Vasily had no way to escape Gidam, which meant he’d effectively be considered tied to Korea from now on.

The Association, having heard about Gidam’s new rank and matching rate, was probably in full celebration by now. An S-class guide, and Vasily as a bonus—they would be eager to announce everything and claim all the credit for themselves.

“Then… you plan to remain in Korea from now on?”

“I should. Unless Guide Kwon Gidam intends to leave.”

“I intend to live in Korea until the day I die.”

“Then I must remain here for life as well.”

Vasily answered without hesitation. Such a conclusion should not have come easily for an esper of his caliber—choosing to affiliate permanently with a country as small as Korea. Yet he spoke as though it had been decided long ago.

Finishing the last of the broth, Gidam rose from his seat.

“Then let’s go to the Association at once.”

“I thought you’d refuse to meet him. Unexpected.”

“It’s better to resolve these matters quickly. Delaying answers and making things troublesome is something I despise.”

“Oh, I know all too well how persistent the Association can be.”

If they dragged things out, the Association would inevitably come knocking on their door. Being hounded day and night by demands to meet was something Gidam absolutely refused to endure.

He cleared the table, went into his room, and put on the suit hanging in his wardrobe. When he returned to the living room, Vasily looked him up and down.

“And the necktie?”

“I left it off on purpose.”

“Come here for a moment.”

Vasily naturally guided him into his own room.

Past the bed and into the dressing room—where rows of neatly arranged suits greeted them. Even though the house lacked as much as a single dish, Vasily’s dressing room alone was filled to capacity with suits in dark, muted tones.

Because the clothes were all ones Vasily would plausibly wear, it felt as though versions of him were standing everywhere he looked. And naturally, it was extremely uncomfortable.

I’d like to leave immediately…

While Gidam stood off to the side, Vasily chose a tie with grave deliberation. The intensity of his gaze eventually made Gidam mutter,

“The tie isn’t necessary. We’re only meeting the Association President today.”

“Your neck looks empty.”

“Then anything would do. Why so—”

He tried to reach past him to grab a random tie, but Vasily blocked his hand.

“I can’t put just anything on my guide.”

The unfamiliar gentleness in his tone froze Gidam for a moment, during which Vasily selected the tie beside the one Gidam had almost taken.

“This one looks good. It suits the suit you’re wearing now.”

Gidam lowered his gaze to check the tie in Vasily’s hand.

It was a deep, rich blue. Not gray today. Gidam thought it would suit Vasily far better than himself and stole a sideways glance at him.

“Do you like it?”

After tying it himself, Vasily guided Gidam to stand before the mirror. Under the dim lighting, their reflections stood side by side.

“It’s… fine.”

Wearing the tie made it feel as though their outfits were deliberately coordinated, which was precisely why Gidam had wanted to avoid this.

Vasily inspected him leisurely through the mirror, wholly satisfied. Gidam fidgeted with the tie, averting his eyes.

His nape felt strangely warm. Perhaps because of the tie. He briefly considered loosening it but decided against it—doing so in front of Vasily might ruin the mood. So he simply left the house.

Not long after they set off, Vasily spoke.

“I haven’t mentioned the suppression chip yet.”

“Then how did you explain the change in matching rate?”

“I said the machine must have malfunctioned during the first test.”

He must have done it to protect Gidam—revealing the illegal suppression chip would cause serious trouble. But Gidam had no intention of hiding it forever.

Soon, he would publicly reveal that he had intentionally altered the matching rate using an illegal esper suppression chip. Exposing its hidden side effects would help other guides trapped in similar circumstances.

As he considered when best to reveal it, he remembered the conversation they hadn’t finished yesterday.

“By the way, when will you take down the dating rumor? It would be better to correct it before the matching announcement.”

“I’m leaving it as is.”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s no need to correct it. It’ll become true soon enough anyway.”

…Why was he so bold about this? The confidence in his tone stunned Gidam into silence.

“I have no such intentions.”

“You still deny it?”

“It’s not denial—it’s simply the truth.”

“Well, if you say so.”

The response was unsatisfying, neither agreement nor refusal. And he still did not say he would take down the article. No matter how much Gidam tried to persuade him, Vasily would not budge. A sigh slipped out.

“Why are you so fixated on our relationship? Can’t we just continue as we have been?”

“Things have changed now.”

“Do you… intend to date me or something?”

Vasily? Dating? The idea was so absurd that Gidam laughed involuntarily.

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t want that?”

The words stopped his laughter mid-curve.

Did he… hear that correctly?

Stiffly turning his head, he stared at Vasily—but the man sat serenely behind the wheel, as though he had said nothing at all.

“We’re here. Get out.”

Only then did Gidam regain his senses. They were already at the Association.

Still stunned, he rode the elevator to the highest floor. When they arrived at the President’s office—meeting him for the second time since regression—the man greeted them with a bright expression starkly different from their first encounter.

“Haha, welcome! Please, have a seat.”

Side by side, the two sat on the sofa. Warm tea was placed before them. Drawn by the Earl Grey scent, Gidam unconsciously lifted the cup to wet his lips.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, as you’ve surely heard, the detailed examination yesterday revealed a change in your rank.”

The document he handed over bore Gidam’s name, and in the rank column, a large S. Beneath it, the matching rate with Vasily: 91 percent.

Nothing had changed from the past he remembered, so he set the document back onto the desk.

“It seems there was a mistake in wave measurement during your initial exam. We apologize for the confusion caused by our error.”

“It’s fine.”

“With these results, we plan to officially announce that Esper Vasily has acquired a guide. Do you have any questions?”

“Ah, yes. One thing.”

The President tensed.

“Since my rank and matching rate changed, do we need to write a new exclusive-contract agreement?”

“No, no. There’s no need. We will handle the adjustments ourselves.”

The relief on his face was blatant. Perhaps he had feared that Gidam would declare he did not wish to serve as Vasily’s guide.

Gidam leaned back, smirking faintly. He had already made up his mind—there was no reason to complain now.

The President, after glancing cautiously at Vasily, asked,

“Then… Vasily-nim, do you intend to remain in Korea even after the contract ends?”

“Yes. We should renew the contract. I look forward to working with you.”

“Haha! Of course!”

The President’s delight was immense—if the two were not present, he would likely have jumped like a child.

Vasily and the President began discussing the matching-rate announcement schedule. Listening beside them, Gidam sipped his tea again.

“Then, as discussed, we’ll reveal the matching rate this evening.”

As the conversation wrapped up, a strange detail dawned on Gidam. They had discussed revealing the matching rate—but never once mentioned revealing his rank.

“You’re not announcing the rank?”

“That’s correct. Esper Vasily specifically requested that it remain confidential.”

Vasily… had asked them not to disclose his rank?

Startled, Gidam turned to look at the man beside him.

 

Footnotes

1. Jjamppong — A spicy Korean-Chinese noodle soup with seafood and vegetables.