Churu for the Angry Guide

44

Once again, Siwoo showed a strong reaction to Geonho’s name. Even though it was just mentioned, Jihan’s lazy smile deepened as he saw Siwoo lower his gaze.

“So it is because of Geonho after all. Some kind of atonement, is that it?”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“How did I talk?”

Jihan tilted his head to the side. Siwoo looked genuinely upset.

“You’re mocking me. It’s disgusting.”

“That’s not it. I have no intention of mocking you, Guide.”

“Your tone says otherwise.”

I see. I didn’t mean to tease.

Jihan lightly rubbed his forehead, then suddenly glanced towards the entrance. Familiar footsteps were approaching the door.

This was definitely… Geonho. After acting like he’d never come.

Grinning, Jihan used his ability to silently open the front door. Just cracking it open a bit would be enough for Geonho, with his enhanced hearing, to hear the conversation inside. Even if it was whispered.

“Guide, you like Geonho, right?”

He asked, expecting an affirmative response. After all, when Siwoo only responded to his name and pretended to be an ordinary cat, he was always snuggled tightly in Geonho’s arms.

Jihan couldn’t help but chuckle as he remembered the white cat that used to avoid him. Whenever he appeared, it would dash to Geonho and hide behind his large body.

“You decided to join the guild for Geonho’s sake, right?”

“I told you not to talk like that.”

Siwoo sighed deeply. Thinking that he must have sighed like that inwardly even when he was a cat made Jihan keep letting out light laughs. Even as Siwoo glared at him fiercely, Jihan couldn’t hide his expression.

“I’m not teasing, I’m asking seriously. I know you care a lot about Geonho.”

Jihan carefully chose words that would affect Geonho if he heard them. His intention was to let him know: The cat you cherished is so down because of you.

“But Geonho’s just angry, which must be upsetting. You even decided to become an exclusive guide because of Geonho.”

“That’s not it.”

“It’s okay. Geonho’s not here, so you can be honest. Or did you come because of me?”

Jihan threw out a joke that wasn’t even funny. Even as he said it, he felt Siwoo might get angry at this. Just as he was about to add that it was a joke, a fierce rebuttal flew in.

“I f***ing came for the money! Happy now?!”

Siwoo’s face turned red as he even swore. He was panting as if he might grab Jihan’s collar at any moment.

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Jihan could only blink without making a sound. The secretary and Seojun, who were just bringing out refreshments from the kitchen, also stopped in their tracks.

Only Siwoo broke the silence. Even his angry breathing sounded loud to the espers.

“I came for the money! Because I thought you’d pay the most!”

Jihan only moved his eyes, alternating between looking at Siwoo and Geonho standing at the entrance. The gazes of Seojun and the secretary moved similarly.

“Okay, Guide. I understand completely.”

“What do you understand! Money is the most important thing in the world to me! If it weren’t for the money, I wouldn’t have come!”

How… honest. All the espers in the room collectively held their breath.

“Stop talking about Kang Geonho! Who told him to pick me up and raise me on his own! The fool who got tricked is the idiot!”

Words burst out without passing through any filter in his heated state. Only after spitting out the last words did Siwoo feel a belated regret wash over him.

But the words had already been poured out.

As Siwoo panted lightly, a strange sense of déjà vu swept over him. Siwoo swallowed hard, aware of Jihan’s gaze directed not at him but at the entrance.

No way…

He desperately hoped there was no one behind him, but heavy footsteps kicked away Siwoo’s wishes.

Thump, thump, thump. The slow, resonating footsteps carried anger. Siwoo couldn’t bring himself to turn around. Judging by the secretary’s expression, it seemed to be who he thought it was.

“Hey.”

Geonho’s deep voice resonated softly.

The secretary quickly ran in front of him. Fortunately, Geonho stopped walking before the secretary had to intervene. He stood near the sofa where Siwoo sat, looking down at the white back of his head.

“Come out.”

Not “get out,” but “come out.” It sounded exactly like he was saying let’s go together, causing the secretary to spread both arms with a tense face. They were prepared to block with their whole body if Geonho rushed at the guide. They wouldn’t let the fragile guide be knocked unconscious again.

“Esper Geonho, let’s have a calm conversation first.”

“Brother, have some water.”

Seojun also approached carefully, offering cold water. However, Geonho’s gaze didn’t waver from Siwoo for even a moment.

“I said come out.”

Jihan first put a barrier around Siwoo’s body. He was certain Geonho wouldn’t attack hard enough to break the barrier, even if it couldn’t withstand his psychokinesis.

Ah, I did something unnecessary. Jihan gave a bitter smile at the situation that had unfolded completely differently from his intentions. Even if he was a multi-ability user, he didn’t have the power to take back words already spoken. It was impossible without turning back time.

He had rambled on hoping the two would reconcile, but only ended up needlessly provoking the guide’s anger. Honestly, he really didn’t expect him to say it was for money. He must have spoken in the heat of the moment.

“I’ll say it one last time. Come out.”

Geonho jerked his chin towards the entrance as he turned around. As if he really meant to go out together, he also headed for the exit.

Siwoo stood up from the sofa, his fists tightly clenched. His rigid face had turned pale.

“Geonho.”

Jihan, who walked ahead of Siwoo, called out to stop Geonho.

“You should at least explain where you’re going. He’s anxious.”

The secretary also nodded quickly in agreement. They couldn’t predict where Geonho, who had suddenly appeared, might take the guide.

They were glad that he had come to the guiding room in person, but the timing was terrible. It seemed like things kept getting tangled. Just as one problem seemed to be resolving, a new one would hit.

“Matching rate test.”

At that moment, Geonho spoke in an indifferent tone. Everyone’s eyes widened at his brief answer.

“Didn’t you come saying you’d be an exclusive guide?”

Geonho asked that and then left the guiding room first. The secretary followed him out most quickly, and Seojun also prepared to leave after putting the tray in the kitchen. Siwoo moved right away as well.

“Can you do it?”

Jihan asked, slightly blocking Siwoo’s path. Even though he looked fine, Siwoo was a patient who had just been discharged. It seemed like he should rest for at least a few more days.

“Move.”

Siwoo ignored him and headed for the entrance, forcibly widening his stride to close the considerable distance that had opened up with Geonho.

* * *

The matching rate test involved one-on-one guiding tests after blood collection as needed. The esper and guide measured wave values and basic heart rates in separate spaces before starting guiding in the prepared examination room.

It was a very quick and simple test. Even testing with all guild members wouldn’t take more than half a day.

“You’re upset, aren’t you…?”

The secretary approached Geonho, who had finished his basic measurements first, and tried to talk to him. Geonho was sitting in a waiting chair with his arms crossed, staring at a distant window.

“Esper Jihan kept teasing, so you got angry. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

The secretary kept trying to engage in conversation from the side, but his tightly closed mouth showed no sign of opening. He was clearly angry, but since he wasn’t expressing it as usual, it was impossible to read his mind.

“The guide is sincerely sorry right now. He even apologized to me directly.”

Geonho’s expression twisted even more fiercely. The secretary couldn’t continue and scratched the back of their head.

Still, it was fortunate that the situation hadn’t turned out badly. They never dreamed Geonho would suggest doing the matching rate test first.

Although it was an unexpected situation, the blood-curdling atmosphere was nerve-wracking. If they felt this way, they worried about how uncomfortable Han Siwoo must be feeling.

“Oh, but Esper Geonho.”

The secretary conveyed a precaution, just in case. Jihan and Seojun were already well aware of this.

“Guide Han Siwoo doesn’t do contact guiding.”

This was information already shared during the previous profile report. However, Geonho might have forgotten.

“I know.”

Surprisingly, he seemed to remember, as Geonho answered in a cold voice. He adjusted his crossed arms and continued the conversation with his gaze fixed on the window, not the secretary.

“Tell my brother I’m receiving guiding from him.”

“Then… you’ll just say it but not actually receive it?”

“I’ll manage my own values, so just get the story straight.”

Geonho left his seat before the secretary could be more annoying. Jihan and Seojun were still in the middle of measuring their values.

As he flung the door open, the door across the hallway opened as well. It was the room Siwoo had entered.

Geonho, furrowing his brow, was about to pass by but hesitated. The secretary, who had come out with him, was shocked to see Siwoo coming out of the opposite room.

“Guide, what’s wrong?! Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Siwoo was walking out with his upper body hunched, looking as if he had been beaten. The secretary immediately ran to Siwoo, looking for who had done this to him.

“Who was it! Who the hell did this!”

“The injection…”

“Who?!”

Siwoo, clutching one arm, mumbled softly. It hurt because of the needle.

Since the matching rate with the leader was to be substituted with a blood test, they had to draw blood. As a result, Siwoo had just endured the pain of a needle piercing his flesh.

“Does it hurt a lot? Should I ask for painkillers?”

Siwoo shook his head and glanced at Geonho before moving towards the examination room he had been directed to earlier. He must have only gotten an injection in his arm, but somehow even his walking form looked shaky. How much did it hurt?

Geonho glared at that retreating figure before barging into the room where Siwoo had received the injection, following the secretary.

“What kind of needle did you use to draw blood that it hurts so much! Let me see!”

“It’s just what we always use. It’s much thinner than what they use in general hospitals.”

The examination staff showed the needle, looking puzzled. As they said, the needle was indeed very thin. It should have been just a slight sting at most.

To curl up like he’d been stabbed with a knife after being pricked with that.

Behind the secretary scratching their cheek, Geonho’s terrifying gaze fixed on the hair-thin needle. Soon after, the innocent syringe crumpled with a snap.