TGIC Ch 28

Chapter 28

“Guide Kwon Gidam, so we’re heading to my house now, right?”

“…I’ll be imposing on you for a short while.”

“You’ve made the right decision.”

Vasily gave a soft smile.

Though it was an unoccupied place, the idea of moving into Vasily’s home still made me uneasy. Surely, he wouldn’t barge in unexpectedly demanding a guiding session, right? I couldn’t go to a hotel or a motel because of their terrible security, but at least one of Vasily’s residences would be reliably secure.

“Shall I help you move your things?”

“That won’t be necessary. I don’t have much to pack anyway…”

“Then I’ll stay here and keep an eye out in case any suspicious person tries to abduct you again.”

“Yes, very reassuring. Thank you.”

Vasily playfully waved his hand. I gave a faint smile and entered the house.

The inside greeted me with clutter, the result of recently postponed cleaning. If Vasily had seen this cramped and shabby room, I would’ve been so embarrassed I’d have wanted to flee.

After removing my shoes and stepping inside, I immediately searched for the medicine I had left on the desk.

I swallowed one of the red pills and waited. Gradually, I could feel my condition improving. Though my cheek still throbbed from the blow, I had regained enough strength to move.

I pulled out a large bag from a corner and quickly packed my things.

Basic necessities, a few changes of clothes, and all the remaining red pills. Since I wasn’t leaving permanently, the packing was light.

Before stepping out, I took one last look around the house. This was the place I had lived in even before being matched with Vasily. When I first woke here on the day I regressed, it had felt completely unfamiliar. I’d only been living here for about a month, but I’d finally started to grow attached…

I slung my bag over my shoulder, thinking I’d start looking for a new place tomorrow, and stepped outside.

I opened the passenger-side door and got into the car. Vasily appeared to be wrapping up a phone call when I entered.

I didn’t need to see who it was—clearly the Association. It seemed Vasily had left the cleanup of the frozen building to them.

“You came out quickly. Is that all your luggage?”

“Yes. There wasn’t much to take.”

As Vasily drove, he once again asked if I was sure I didn’t need to go to the hospital. But I just said I was tired and wanted to rest.

We soon arrived at a familiar place. I’d known the location from the moment I heard the address. It was one of the places I had once stayed at with Vasily. Since it was familiar, adjusting wouldn’t be difficult.

We took the elevator to the top floor. Vasily gave me the door lock code and personally opened the door for me.

Perhaps out of consideration for my guarded demeanor, Vasily remained outside and didn’t step in. I thanked him once again.

“Thank you for coming to rescue me. I’d offer to guide you in return, but…”

“You can guide me later. I’m not into receiving guidance from someone on the verge of death.”

I chuckled at Vasily’s casual reply. My gratitude was genuine. Even if I’d been kidnapped because of him, I hadn’t actually expected him to come rescue me.

“Understood. I’ll guide you next time, then.”

After seeing Vasily off, I stepped inside. Though the space was familiar, it felt strangely empty—unlike how it had been before regression.

I quietly walked toward the room I used to stay in. The room had only a bed left inside. A chill crept over me for no reason. Bad memories began to stir, so I headed straight to the bathroom to wash up.

“…Haa.”

After my shower, I flopped down on the bed.

The soft mattress gently supported my back. Only then did the tension coiled inside me begin to unwind. The moment I sank into the bed, it felt like all the fatigue in the world came crashing down on me.

My entire body ached with weariness. I felt like I could fall asleep at any second. Letting out a tired sigh, I slowly closed my eyes.

Bzzz.

“…Ugh.”

The phone rang, waking me from sleep. I tossed and turned for a while, unable to bring myself to get up, and eventually, the call disconnected. But the phone rang again, undeterred.

With a grimace, I reluctantly checked the caller.

[Vasily]

“What the hell is this, first thing in the morning…”

A call from Vasily the moment I opened my eyes? Maybe today was going to be unlucky.

“Esper Vasily?”

– Did you sleep well?

“Yes. Thanks to you, I slept comfortably.”

– If anything’s uncomfortable, let me know right away. I’ve never had a tenant before, so I’m not sure what you might need.

Vasily spoke playfully. But surely he hadn’t called just to exchange morning pleasantries.

“So, what’s the reason for this early call?”

– You’re going to work at the Association today, right?

“Yes. I’m not in terrible condition… and it’s not enough to take sick leave, so I’m planning to go in.”

Considering I’d been kidnapped, even I was surprised at how well I felt. Perhaps thanks to the soft bed, even the cold seemed to have vanished. Times like this made even me marvel at my own resilience.

“And why are you asking?”

– Since I live nearby, I thought I’d give you a ride to the Association.

Vasily, uncharacteristically, was volunteering to do something nice. I was a bit suspicious about his true intentions, but I had no real reason to decline, so I nodded.

“…If that’s all, then sure.”

Vasily told me to come down in an hour, and I replied affirmatively before ending the call.

Only after hanging up did I fully shake off the drowsiness and stretch widely. A familiar house, a spacious empty space, a quiet morning without Vasily. I slowly walked to the window and smiled contentedly at the stunning view.

I’d planned to start house-hunting right away, but with an environment this pleasant, it might not be so bad to stay here a little while longer.

After staring out for a while, I stepped into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror to wash my face—and saw that my bruised cheek had swollen to twice its size overnight. It was clearly the face of someone who had been through something rough.

“This is kind of bad…”

With a troubled look, I rubbed my swollen cheek. Maybe I really should’ve taken the day off. Seeing my miserable face in the mirror made me regret not asking for sick leave—but it was too late. I’d already told Vasily I’d go in.

I stared into the mirror, racking my brain for ways to hide the swelling, but once I checked the time, I hurried to wash up. I’d spent too long admiring the view, and I’d be late if I didn’t rush. In the end, I gave up on concealing the wound and stepped outside.

When I went down to the spot Vasily had mentioned, right on time, a familiar foreign car came into view.

“Good morning, Esper Vasily.”

“Welcome.”

Vasily greeted me with a smile, but as I sat in the driver’s seat, his expression suddenly shifted downward.

His eyes were fixed on one spot. Realizing what he was looking at, I awkwardly bowed my head. Of all places, the blow had landed on my left cheek—perfectly visible from the driver’s side.

“Are you really sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”

“Yes, well… a bit of cold compress will bring it down.”

“Then at least use this.”

Vasily instantly created a large lump of ice in his hand. Honestly, I felt too embarrassed to show up at work like this, so I gratefully accepted the ice.

The chill of it against my cheek jolted me fully awake. Even after rubbing it on for quite a while, the ice didn’t seem to melt. As expected, ice made by Vasily’s power was on another level. Thanks to it, I might be able to reduce some of the swelling before arriving at the Association.

The commute was a bit congested. While waiting at a red light, Vasily suddenly spoke.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, how about becoming my guide?”

Vasily abruptly offered me the position of his guide.

I froze, completely stunned. When I couldn’t respond right away, Vasily added:

“Not as an official guide—just temporarily.”

Even if it wasn’t a formal role, why was he asking me to guide him? No matter how much I turned it over in my head, I couldn’t understand his offer. I was just a C-rank guide with an illegal suppressant chip, and our match rate barely scratched 4%.

“May I ask why?”

“Because I’m never bored when I’m with you.”

…There’s no way that’s the only reason he offered me the position.

I knew it was a lie, but I had to let it slide. I furrowed my brow, trying to read his intent—but as always, his expressionless face revealed nothing.