I tried to appear nonchalant as I picked up another side dish and responded.
“He probably got roughed up at the gate.”
“Did Captain and Yu-geon fight over you?”
Ji-han asked as he deftly picked the fish off the bones I was struggling with and placed it on top of my rice.
“So, two brothers are duking it out over one girl, huh? Isn’t that it?” He looked at me with an eager, expectant expression.
“No, it’s not.”
I pushed the fish to the side and focused on eating plain rice, lowering my gaze as if to signal that I wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation.
Despite eating so diligently, I felt like my digestion wasn’t working well lately. The sensation of swallowing food felt alien, as if my throat wasn’t meant to handle it. I had a sinking feeling that things had started going downhill ever since that fight with Yu-geon, which had left me unsettled. To quell my unease, I gulped down some water.
“Eat slowly, or you’ll get indigestion.”
“If you’re not going to eat, then why don’t you leave first?”
“But I am eating, see?”
Even though I practically told him to leave, Ji-han shamelessly continued, pretending to eat while the pile of shrimp tempura in front of him quickly dwindled.
“Wow. Our Sa-weol must be something special to have two S-class Espers vying for her.”
He said this while chewing on a piece of shrimp tempura.
‘Just eat quietly, please,’ I thought, glaring at him in disgust. He must have misinterpreted my look because he quickly added, “I’m not being sarcastic. I really mean it—you’re amazing.”
“I didn’t say you were being sarcastic. Now, please shut up and eat. It’s gross.”
Having known him for years, I could tell he wasn’t being sarcastic, but more often than not, the best way to deal with Ji-han’s prying was to ignore him. If he sensed that I was hiding something, he’d just keep digging, and that would be even more annoying.
“Actually, I came because I have something important to tell you.”
“It’s not going to work. I’m not telling you anything.”
“No, seriously. If you’re thinking of ending the pair, just remember the revision period ends next week. You know that once it’s over, you’ll be stuck in the pair for two years, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“And if you cancel the pair, you won’t be able to pair with that person again for another two years, right?”
“…Yes.”
“So, whether you cancel or continue, you need to be careful.”
“I understand.”
I had already thought about all of this. Initially, I figured I had enough time to handle it, but three days had slipped by while I was dragging my feet.
Today, I had decided I would finally talk to Yu-geon about it.
“That guy is probably pretty synced with you by now. If you suddenly break it off, it might be tough for him to adjust to other guides, even if he tries several. You know that, right?”
This was something I was aware of too. It bothered me, especially since Yu-geon already had a low compatibility rate with other guides due to our high synchronization. If we gradually decreased our compatibility, he might be able to return to his normal state, but I wasn’t sure if we could go through that process peacefully given the current situation.
“…I’ll take care of it.”
“Alright. I’m sure you’ll handle it well, Sa-weol. You’re smart.”
Seeing that I was getting overwhelmed, Ji-han dropped the subject. Instead, he continued to debone his fish and place the pieces on my rice, despite my protests.
“I don’t want it. I don’t want to eat something you’ve touched with your chopsticks.”
“Sa-weol, do you know how much it hurts this mama’s heart to hear you say that?”
“Cut the weird family role-playing.”
“But you gladly ate what Han-gyeol ‘dad’ gave you.”
“I don’t eat what Captain gives me either!”
As we bickered back and forth, I turned my head just in time to catch Yu-geon glancing my way from across the cafeteria.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but Yu-geon awkwardly turned his head away as soon as our eyes met, almost too stiffly.
When I continued to watch him, he started fidgeting before abruptly standing up and leaving the cafeteria.
‘He’s definitely still aware of me,’ I thought.
After observing Yu-geon for the past few days, it was clear he wasn’t just brushing off the situation. As I mulled over whether he needed more time to sort things out, a troubling thought crossed my mind.
‘Could it be that he doesn’t intend to break off the pair?’
There were only four days left in the revision period. If he wanted to maintain the pair, I would need to find a way to convince him to give it up within that time.
“I’ll get going first.”
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I’m done eating.”
“You should wait for me!”
I stood up and followed him out.
* * *
“Baek Yu-geon.”
I called out to him as we exited the cafeteria and into the hallway. He didn’t seem to hear me, continuing to walk without stopping.
“Hey. Didn’t you hear me?”
I ran up to him and tugged on his sleeve, finally making him turn his head.
“…What is it?”
I had thought he would be the one to initiate the conversation, but Yu-geon’s response was so flat and uninterested that it threw me off. Something felt off, but I quickly got to the point.
“Don’t we have something to talk about?”
He stared at me, his expression almost completely blank, devoid of any emotion.
“Don’t you?”
“Not really.”
Not really? What did he mean by that?
I was momentarily speechless, taken aback by his curt response. Yu-geon glanced at his smartwatch, and sensing that he was about to walk away, I hurriedly continued.
“I have something to say.”
He looked at me again.
“Not here, though.”
I glanced around, feeling uneasy. No one was paying particular attention to us, but the thought of someone overhearing made me nervous.
He just kept looking at me without saying a word, his thoughts unreadable. Usually, his emotions were plain to see on his face, but today he felt like a stranger.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait, hold on.”
Suddenly, Yu-geon grabbed my hand and pulled me along. He walked ahead of me with long strides.
“Let go.”
“You said you had something to say.”
“Yeah, but let go of me.”
“You’re the one with something to say, so deal with it.”
What kind of logic was that? Normally, I would have argued, but today I quietly let him lead the way.
Maybe it was guilt, or maybe I was just feeling the weight of the situation, but I found myself noticing his every move.
* * *
The place he took me to was a capsule room. At first, I was puzzled, but it didn’t take long for me to understand.
There was no better place for a private, soundproof conversation than a capsule. While there had been instances of people secretly installing CCTV in these rooms, the center strictly monitored for such violations.
And even though we had been distant for the past few days, no one would think it strange for us to be in a capsule together since we were still a pair. The enclosed space gave me a sense of relief, as if I could finally breathe.
Yu-geon stood by the door as we entered the capsule. I stood behind him, not here for guiding, but rather to have a serious conversation. I was still trying to figure out how to start when Yu-geon suddenly turned around.
“Speak.”
His abrupt demand made me feel like my throat was tightening. I tried to keep my tone as steady as possible.
“What are we going to do?”
“About what?”
“The pair.”
I had hoped he would be the one to suggest ending it, but Yu-geon showed no sign of wanting to discuss it, so I had to be the one to bring it up.
“You said it yourself that day. You’d give me guiding if I gave you my blood. Wasn’t that the end of it?”
His response caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected him to say that.
“So, you’re seriously willing to give me your blood?”
“Yes.”
His voice was firm. He genuinely seemed willing to offer his body in exchange for guiding.
I had thought he was obsessed with guiding, but I hadn’t realized it was to this extent…
“Then why haven’t you spoken to me until now?”
If he was going to accept my proposal so calmly, why had he been acting differently all this time? Something didn’t add up.
“Oh, did you call me here to ask for blood?”
He must have misunderstood my question because he started rolling up his sleeve. I almost screamed at his casual attitude, especially after what had happened.
“No, that’s not it. Didn’t you hear me that day? I told you I killed someone. You could have died from blood loss that day.”
“I know.”
“Are you crazy? Why are you so obsessed with guiding?”
As my frustration grew, Yu-geon let out a heavy sigh.
“Even if I said it wasn’t like that, you wouldn’t believe me. If you called me here for blood, then let’s get it over with. I haven’t been sleeping well, and I’m tired.”
Espers don’t get tired, do they? I scrutinized his face, but his eyes really did have visible blood vessels, and his skin looked rough, with dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m not asking for guiding. So just hurry up.”
When I kept staring at his face, he muttered defensively. Once again, he thrust his wrist toward my mouth, as if to prove he was serious about offering himself.
“Enough. That’s not why I asked you here.”
“Really?”
He lowered his sleeve again. Silence fell between us. I needed to convince him to cancel the pair, but I couldn’t find the right words.
It was as if he no longer saw me being a Cremon as a threat. The situation was growing more frustrating, and for the first time, the soundproofed capsule felt suffocating.
“If you have nothing to say…”
“I want to end the pair.”
I grabbed Yu-geon’s arm as he started to leave, blurting out the words.
“Why?”
He stopped, turning his calm eyes toward me.
“I thought I made it clear that I don’t want to be paired with you.”
“But you said you loved my blood.”
“I’ve changed my mind. After indulging myself, it’s not so appealing anymore.”
It was the only excuse I could think of. I didn’t want him to offer his blood again, not when I had made it clear that was all I wanted from him. If I told him I was tired of his blood, he would have no value to me as an Esper.
But would Yu-geon really believe that? I remembered the look on his face after I drained his blood, as if he had given up, but I wasn’t sure. He might see through my plan to end the pair. But I was out of options. The revision period was running out, and I desperately wanted to cancel the pair.
“Alright, then.”
Just as I thought I had failed, Yu-geon’s voice broke the silence.
“What…?”
I was so taken aback that I had to ask again, not fully grasping his words. From the flow of the conversation, it seemed like he had agreed to end the pair, but…
“Let’s cancel the pair. We can fill out the paperwork and submit it after work. I’ll send you the sections you need to fill out this afternoon.”
“Uh… okay.”
“I’m leaving.”
With that, Yu-geon exited the capsule. My mind struggled to catch up. Yu-geon had agreed to cancel the pair.
The same Yu-geon who was obsessed with guiding, who wanted to stay paired with me even if it meant giving his blood.
Today, I had gotten what I wanted—we were going to end the pair.
