Churu for the Angry Guide

41

Siwoo contemplated whether to hit him just once as he looked at Jihan’s smug, handsome face. He clenched his fist but then noticed his tail belatedly and hurriedly hid it under the blanket. When he touched his head, he realized his ears were out too.

He secretly rubbed his tailbone and worked hard to retract his ears. Normally, he would have noticed and hidden them immediately, but he hadn’t realized it this time.

He could have at least said something if he saw. Siwoo glared at Jihan, silently venting his frustration.

“Geonho particularly hates people who lie.”

As Jihan spoke, the deep furrow between Siwoo’s brows smoothed out. Siwoo perked up his ears, focusing on Jihan’s words.

“Everyone hates liars, but Geonho especially so.”

Siwoo knew that too. On the day he first met Geonho on the bench, he had clearly warned him.

[I hate liars the most.]

He even gave him another chance, asking again if he was really not a beastkin. With a very serious face.

“He was betrayed by someone he trusted when he was young.”

Siwoo’s expression hardened. He unconsciously gripped the blanket, causing wrinkles.

“He’s pretty scarred. That’s all I can tell you.”

Siwoo didn’t pry further when Jihan kept his words brief. He just quietly lowered his head.

“If you’re really curious, ask him directly later.”

Jihan checked his watch and started preparing to leave. It was almost time for his gate patrol. As much as he wanted to continue talking, he didn’t want to be greedy since Siwoo also needed to rest.

“Rest well. Make sure to contact me if you’re hungry.”

“Ah, I said I’ll eat it!”

Despite Siwoo’s protests, Jihan confiscated the cold porridge. The abalone pieces were too big for Siwoo’s small mouth. It would be better to repackage it fresh for the guide to eat.

“Give it back!”

But Siwoo lunged at him, trying to protect the remaining porridge. His appetite was still alive even though he couldn’t eat well.

“Give it back! It’s mine now since you gave it to me!”

“Okay, okay. I won’t take it.”

Jihan finally returned the porridge, calming Siwoo down and seating him back on the bed. The way he jumped up and down when excited was just like a cat.

“Guide.”

Siwoo snorted at Jihan, who was lowering his voice again. He was prepared to eat it all right there if Jihan tried to take it away again.

“Our guild is much better than the rumors.”

Siwoo paused, then put on a serious expression.

“Everyone was struggling because of the leader’s guiding, but it should be fine since the capable Guide Han Siwoo has a high matching rate. As for Geonho…”

Jihan rubbed his chin and shrugged one shoulder.

“Let’s put our heads together and figure it out. I’ll help you.”

Siwoo’s eyes dropped to the floor again. He always did that when Geonho was mentioned.

“I said I’ll help you.”

Jihan lowered his head to meet Siwoo’s eyes.

“I told you, didn’t I? That I’d take the beating with you.”

“Who said anything about getting beaten? I won’t get hit.”

“It’s a figure of speech, a figure of speech. I’m not saying I’ll actually hit you.”

Jihan chuckled as he smoothed out the bed covers. Siwoo found his smile irritating but ignored it.

“We may be famous, but we’ve had constant problems with guides. We’re much more unstable on the inside than other guilds, despite our flashy exterior.”

Siwoo quietly watched Jihan without lying down on the bed. Despite Jihan’s light expression, the content of his words was heavy, making it difficult for Siwoo to speak. He wasn’t sure what to say either.

“That’s why I really hope you’ll join us.”

“…”

“We need you.”

For a moment, Siwoo’s pupils trembled ever so slightly. It was a fleeting tremor that passed in an instant.

Unfortunately, Jihan didn’t notice this as he was checking a notification alert.

“I’m serious about helping you. And I’ll do my best to treat you well.”

His brown eyes, wearing a languid smile, met Siwoo’s with regret. It was really time for him to go now.

“I’m good at everything.”

As he whispered playfully, mixing his breath with the words, Siwoo’s fur visibly bristled. He seemed to dislike it quite a bit.

“Just saying. Rest well.”

Jihan left with a deflated laugh.

“Ah…”

If he was going to leave, he should have gone alone. He even took the porridge Siwoo had been holding.

“My food!”

Siwoo threw a fit when the porridge package he had been hugging disappeared. Due to his weakened physical condition, he couldn’t stay angry for long.

“Ugh, that jerk.”

He collapsed onto the bed and rubbed his face vigorously. He was trying to erase the feeling of Jihan’s breath that had touched his cheek.

“So annoying…”

As he wiped his cheek, he realized his whiskers had popped out too, and buried his face in the pillow. The thought of having had a conversation while sporting whiskers made him flush with heat. Beyond annoyance, he felt angry with embarrassment.

After fuming alone for a while, Siwoo’s breathing soon slowed down.

With a tired face, he stared blankly at the spot where Jihan had disappeared. Only the chair remained where the person had been. The youngest, Seojun, had also sat in that chair and asked him to join the Baekya Guild.

“Really now.”

Even thinking about it again, the situation lacked a sense of reality. It was nonsensical enough that the guild was asking him to take on a dedicated role, but for it to be the Baekya Guild…

“The matching rate really is amazing…”

He muttered absently, then changed his position to lie on his side and fiddled with the mouse plushie. If it had been himself a month ago, he would have immediately started working, but now he couldn’t.

“They should go convince him first… What do they expect me to do?”

He was worried that the idiot seemed to be against his own recruitment. If the guide team leader had been here, he would have slapped Siwoo’s back and scolded him for hesitating.

He would have scolded him, asking what right he had to be picky in his situation. He didn’t even have money for meals.

Squeak!

Siwoo sighed repeatedly and hugged the plushie tightly. In truth, he had wanted to ask Jihan who had taken the pendant, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Siwoo had a conscience too. It might be less than others, but it existed.

After mulling over various thoughts, he quickly fell asleep again.

It was strange how sleepy he felt. As soon as he lay on the bed, his consciousness drifted away.

Once again, time passed frighteningly fast.

The clock hands that had been marking midnight now pointed to late dawn. Siwoo was still in dreamland. He was breathing evenly with his head tilted towards the door.

The blanket that had been down at his feet just 30 minutes ago was now pulled up to his chin. It was spread out neatly as if someone had covered him. Deeply asleep, Siwoo didn’t notice at all.

Tap.

At that moment, there was a faint sound of a door closing. Siwoo’s eyelids opened slightly at this. He reflexively listened for sounds outside the door as he raised his upper body.

Even in his half-asleep state, Siwoo detected the presence. It seemed like someone had come and gone.

Who could it be? He tried to get up quickly from the bed to check who had left without a word.

It could be that annoying Yoo Jihan or the youngest. There was also a chance it might have been the team leader or the secretary who had dropped by.

If it wasn’t any of them, then…

Siwoo threw open the sliding door and ran into the hallway. His eyes moved quickly, scanning the surroundings urgently.

“…”

However, all that entered his view was an empty corridor.

He had rushed out as soon as he heard the sound, but… Had he heard wrong?

Siwoo considered going to the end of the corridor but decided against it. It seemed like no one would be there anyway. Plus, he was barefoot.

He walked back to the bed dejectedly, then suddenly stopped.

On the small bedside table, there was a pile of snacks he hadn’t seen before.

They were colorful vitamin candies. There were so many that they were stacked high. A few bear-shaped jellies were mixed in as well.

Siwoo stood there, looking down at them for a long time, then slowly sat on the bed.

He picked up one of the colorful candies that children might eat and unwrapped it. It was a common strawberry-flavored candy.

Siwoo slowly melted the hard candy with his tongue, not biting it. The sweetness that filled his mouth completely chased away his sleepiness.

“It doesn’t taste good…”

Only one person came to mind who might leave something like this. Even knowing it was unlikely, Siwoo picked up another candy while recalling that gruff face.

* * *

The expression of Nam Dongkwon, the exclusive secretary of the Baekya Guild, was very solemn. Even his footsteps, as he walked firmly, carried solemnity. His destination was the guide ward.

He was on his way back after reporting the guide recruitment conditions to the leader and getting approval. He had been prepared to push through even if it meant cutting his own salary if the leader had refused, but fortunately, it was approved.

“This should be impossible to refuse.”

The secretary, after getting off the elevator, opened the documents once more to check if he had missed anything.

Not only had they drastically reduced the work schedule and the total guiding time of the guild members, but they also let the guide set the range of allowed contact.

Above all, they had written 2.5 times the salary that had been offered to those who had passed through the Baekya Guild so far. They were willing to increase it up to three times if that wasn’t enough.

Surely he won’t refuse when offered much less work and much more money.

“We are the Baekya Guild, after all.”

The secretary, with his shoulders squared proudly, took a short breath before opening the hospital room door. He had resolved countless times not to act emotionally anymore. From now on, he would only show a professional demeanor.

Until now, he had treated him as Nam Dongkwon, a human betrayed by a cat he had poured affection into, not as the secretary of the Baekya Guild.

“Phew—”

From now on, he needed to treat Guide Han Siwoo with a strict separation of public and private matters. He was determined to use all the best methods to make him the dedicated guide.

For our Baekya.

“Excuse me, I’m coming in.”

After knocking, he waited for a short moment and slowly opened the door. He had clearly pushed the sliding door gently, but suddenly the door opened wide.

Siwoo, who had come to greet him at the entrance, had opened the door instead.

“Oh, um…”

The secretary, flustered, tried to recompose his expression but ended up looking even more dumbfounded.

“You… changed your clothes?”

“I’m about to be discharged.”

Seeing Siwoo in casual clothes, the carefully composed mindset of the secretary became urgent. He was about to lose the guide again before he could even persuade him.

“Just a moment, please.”

The secretary first tried to block Siwoo’s path and attempt a conversation. Even if it was just for 10 minutes, he wanted to at least explain the contract terms. But Siwoo beat him to it.

“Where should I go?”

“Pardon?”

“Should I sign the contract first?”

“Pardon?”

The secretary, who had been asking back with a stupid face, suddenly covered his mouth. He stared at Siwoo, thinking, ‘Could it be…?’

“I’ll do it. Be the dedicated guide.”

Avoiding the secretary’s burdensome gaze, Siwoo fled into the corridor. The startled secretary quickly followed him.

“Really? Are you serious? You’re not just saying it, right?”

“Just tell me what I need to do first.”

Siwoo deliberately walked ahead of the secretary. Whenever the secretary tried to walk beside him, Siwoo would take a step ahead, hiding his face. Then he spoke the words he had practiced all night.

“And… I’m sorry. For deceiving you.”

Just saying these few words made him feel awkward and gave him goosebumps. Siwoo increased his pace as if running away.

The secretary, watching Siwoo’s back quickly moving away, once again just covered his mouth. It was a very brief apology, but it felt sincerely heavy. The red tips of his ears visible between his white hair were proof of that.

“Do as you wish!”

Even if others might consider it insincere, it was enough to melt Dongkwon’s soft heart.