Beyond The Control

Chapter 62

As soon as I got off work, I went to a real estate agency and looked at several studios in the area with the owner. Unfortunately, none of them were quite to my liking. Each had its own issues – a musty smell upon entering, unusually low water pressure in the toilet, or the sound of people running around upstairs.

In the end, I decided to try again another time and headed to the subway station. By the time I arrived at Song Ji-hyeok’s house, it was already nearly 9 PM.

The house was quiet. I saw Song Ji-hyeok’s shoes at the entrance, so he seemed to be home, but he didn’t come out even after hearing me.

It’s not bedtime yet. Is he feeling sick, perhaps?

Even though Espers are known for their iron constitution, they’re still human. In case he wasn’t feeling well, I thought I’d bring him some medicine. I knocked softly on the closed door and said,

“It’s me. Are you in there?”

There was no response. What’s going on, is he really asleep? After a moment’s hesitation, I carefully opened the door. What I saw made me pause.

Song Ji-hyeok was sitting on the bed, looking down at his phone, without even turning on the lights.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh? Nothing, just letting you know I’m back…”

“Okay.”

That was it. He glanced at me briefly before returning his gaze to his phone, and I awkwardly closed the door again. Inwardly, I was filled with thoughts.

Is he really not feeling well? Or did something upsetting happen?

I was worried, but I didn’t have the courage to open the door again. I thought that when someone’s in a bad mood, everything can feel annoying and irritating. Hoping that sleep would improve his mood or whatever was bothering him, I tried to shake off the strange uneasiness as I headed to my room.

But… Song Ji-hyeok was the same the next morning. He responded coldly to my “good morning” greeting, and there was a chill in the air in the car. I suggested we have dinner together tonight, but even that was refused. He said he had made other plans.

After that, I became even more cautious and found it difficult to strike up a conversation.

“It seems like something’s bothering him, but I have no idea what it could be.”

I sighed softly, resting my arms limply on my thighs. Kim Young-joo, who had been quietly listening to my story, finally spoke up.

“Don’t worry too much about it. How can anyone be in a good mood all the time? People have things that annoy them, times when they’re in a bad mood, that’s just how it is.”

She had a point. But there was one thing that still bothered me.

“I’m worried it might be because of me.”

“Why, did you two have a fight?”

“No, not exactly, but the feeling is just…”

I’m not usually one to care much about what others think. I am who I am, regardless of how others see me, and I know the saying about how only one or two out of ten people will be friendly towards you.

But Song Ji-hyeok was an exception. We’re in a relationship where we need to take care of each other and work well together more than anyone else. The fact that this cold atmosphere appeared just hours after discussing the formal contract made it impossible not to worry. Surely he hasn’t changed his mind, has he? If so, I’d be really… really hurt.

“If it’s really bothering you, try asking him casually when you’re guiding later.”

“…Yeah, I should do that. Thanks for listening.”

“Don’t mention it, that’s what friends are for.”

After finishing the remaining cans, we both stood up. I stopped by the restroom first, but then I got a call from the team leader. I hurried back to the office after receiving a text asking me to come to the team leader’s room.

Knock knock. I lightly knocked and opened the door. The team leader, sitting at the head of the table, was in combat gear from the morning. The stubble on his chin suggested he had spent the night in the office.

“I just got a call from the Administrative Support Department. They want you to come to the office by 2 PM today.”

“I see.”

Finally, a sense of relief spread through me. It seemed the contract wouldn’t be reversed after all.

“Signing a new contract twice in a few months, Song Ji-hyeok is causing all sorts of things to happen.”

He chuckled good-naturedly, then continued in a more composed voice.

“All your hard work is finally paying off. Congratulations, Su-hyeon.”

“…Thank you.”

“As you probably know, Espers and Guides are equal partners. Neither is better or worse than the other, and you need to trust and rely on each other completely to last long.”

I immediately caught the hidden meaning in his words. The team leader seemed to know that I subconsciously considered myself inferior to Song Ji-hyeok, psychologically putting myself in a subordinate position.

He could have seen it as pathetic or said something directly, but instead, he gave sincere advice, which made me feel a bit emotional. It made me understand once again why even the most temperamental and arrogant Espers become as meek as lambs in front of our team leader.

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Don’t you miss the dungeon? It’s been quite a while since you’ve been, as far as I know.”

“It’s been a very long time.”

In the past few months, I’ve only seen dungeons in videos. While working as a Guide is much better in terms of treatment, I did miss the times when I could help the team with my information skills or fight fiercely in the dungeon.

The team leader then said something I hadn’t expected at all.

“So, would you like to join tomorrow morning’s raid? It’s estimated to be a maze-type.”

“Really? I’d love to.”

Generally, you can’t know what type of dungeon it is until you cross the gate. But there are rare exceptions, like when the same dungeon keeps appearing periodically in the same place, or when only certain types of dungeons appear in specific areas. This has been proven through long-term data accumulation, so there are almost no variables to consider.

Anyway, the proposal to go to a dungeon after such a long time made my adrenaline spike dramatically. The team leader gestured for me to calm down and added a few more words.

“Just don’t overdo it. Ji-hyeok will be going too.”

Telling me not to show off in such a polite way, that’s our team leader for you.

“Yes. I’ll move carefully from the rear. Thank you so much.”

As I bowed my head and left the team leader’s room, I had to force myself not to smile. Otherwise, I felt like I might burst into laughter at any moment.

No, no. I have to maintain my composure.

Keeping my lips tightly pressed, I headed towards the exit instead of my desk. Before leaving, I tapped Kim Young-joo’s shoulder and said,

“I’m going to do some skill training. I’m scheduled for a dungeon tomorrow.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. If anyone’s looking for me, tell them I’m there.”

As I went down the stairs, I was already rolling my shoulders back and forth as if warming up. I thought it would be perfect to work up a good sweat with the simulation program for about an hour, then head to the cafeteria for lunch.

Both the morning schedule and the first afternoon schedule were a bit different from usual. I was reading various articles while rubbing my full stomach when it became 1:50 PM, and I got up from my seat.

I first went to the bathroom, unnecessarily tidying my hair and checking my appearance. I buttoned up my Guide jacket, which I usually leave unbuttoned, then unbuttoned it again, before finally deciding to keep it buttoned. Nobody would probably care about these things, but it was my way of psyching myself up for this life-changing contract.

I made my presence known at the Administrative Support Office, and an employee immediately guided me somewhere. When they opened another door inside, Song Ji-hyeok was already there. For a moment, I hesitated about where to sit, then settled down next to him.

Song Ji-hyeok was looking at his phone with his legs crossed. Unlike me, who was a bit nervous, he looked as comfortable as if he were in his own living room. While pretending not to, I observed him and cautiously spoke first.

“Did you have lunch?”

“Yes.”

“Where? I didn’t see you in the cafeteria.”

“I didn’t go there.”

My suspicions were confirmed by his last words. His bad mood was still ongoing.

I turned my head slightly and let out a silent sigh. The already tense atmosphere felt even heavier now.

‘Does he really have a problem with me? …He’s not going to cancel the contract here, is he?’

The thought alone made my heart sink. As I hurriedly looked at Song Ji-hyeok, about to speak again, the door clicked open and two people entered.

I reflexively looked up and was surprised. One face was unfamiliar, but the other was someone any guild member would recognize. It was Deputy Guild Master Yoon Myung-ji.