Episode 28: A Rough Start (9)

‘Am I the first and last person to ever see the protagonist with such a dumbfounded expression?’

Suppressing none of her amusement, Sodam grinned brightly as she pushed the frozen Juyul away and stood up. After smoothing her tangled hair and wiping away the saliva on her lips, she looked almost the same as when she had entered the room. Her lips were slightly swollen, but unless someone had an extraordinarily sharp eye, it wasn’t noticeable.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I won’t be late tomorrow!”

She added a cheesy salute to the completely immobilized human ice sculpture that was Juyul, then quickly exited the Guiding Room. Just as he had done the night before, she carefully closed the door behind her.

The B-class Guide who had yelled at her last night, insisting that she return home after completing her duties, had made it clear there was no room for negotiation. Today, there was nothing left to do but go home and rest without any lingering guilt.

At least, that was the plan.

“Ah, damn it. I shouldn’t have pretended to be so tough. I feel like collapsing. No, I *want* to collapse…”

Despite her bravado, there was no way she was going back to the Guiding Room just to faint in front of Juyul.

It wasn’t as if fainting somewhere in the Association building would result in a twisted neck or a catastrophe. Maybe letting herself collapse here and waiting for someone to rescue her wasn’t such a bad idea.

‘It’s not a bad plan…’

The moment her mind made that rationalization, Sodam’s body began to give out. Just as she was about to fall, someone rushed to her side and caught her.

“Ah, oh! Are you okay?”

“….”

“…Guide Maeng Sodam?”

* * *

Three hours later.

Sodam opened her eyes, not because she had comfortably rested at home, but because her body had reached its limit and forced her into unconsciousness. Now that she was awake, she realized that she hadn’t been left on a cold marble floor but rather on a soft bed.

The problem was that the room she was in was unbearably, horribly cold.

“God, it’s freezing…”

“Oh, you’re awake? My room is kind of the opposite of Juyul’s—it’s always set to cooling mode. Definitely not ideal for someone assigned as Juyul’s Guide.”

‘Who the hell keeps saying “Juyul, Juyul” like it’s some casual nickname? Wait… Juyul?’

Sodam had briefly inhabited this world but was well-versed in the original story. She knew there was only one person who would refer to Baek Juyul in such a familiar way.

Praying in vain that it wasn’t who she thought it was, she turned her head. Of course, there he was—Cha Seonghwa, sitting by her bedside, looking straight at her.

“…Hello, Guide Cha Seonghwa.”

“Meeting again so soon after yesterday. I guess there’s some kind of connection between us, Guide Maeng Sodam, haha.”

“I don’t think it’s that kind of connection…”

The man who had glared daggers at her just yesterday, full of suspicion, seemed like a completely different person now. If that wasn’t Cha Seonghwa’s real self, then who else could he have been? His sudden shift to a warm and friendly demeanor was disconcerting, even if this was likely his true nature.

The real problem wasn’t his ability to switch attitudes, but rather the baseless misunderstanding he seemed to hold.

‘This guy obviously met Baek Juyul yesterday. So why does he think I’m Juyul’s dedicated Guide?’

At this point, even his casual use of “Juyul, Juyul” might be a delusion of his own making. If he truly believed they were friends, how could he be ignorant of Juyul’s firm policy against having dedicated Guides?

‘That means they’re not friends but something closer to… um, a wannabe friend trying too hard.’

While glancing at Seonghwa with a mix of pity and amusement, Sodam suddenly recalled her reckless actions right before she fainted. The sheer absurdity of what she’d done hit her all at once, leaving her mentally reeling. She had sworn off “deep Guiding” forever, only to do the exact same thing the very next day out of frustration.

Feeling her own stupidity, she pressed her forehead into her palm and let out a heavy sigh. Her behavior must have seemed so concerning that Seonghwa hesitated before asking cautiously:

“Is something bothering you? Or is it just that Guiding Juyul is too exhausting, and you’re thinking of stepping down as his dedicated Guide…?”

“Where did you even hear that? That I’m Baek Juyul’s dedicated Guide?”

“Ah… Well, yesterday, seeing how genuinely concerned you were about him, I just assumed. Plus, since he carried you himself, I figured it had to be true. So… it’s not?”

Here, she should have simply said no and cleared up the misunderstanding. But it wasn’t that simple.

Despite Seonghwa’s current friendly demeanor, it hadn’t been long since he’d regarded her with suspicion. Even if he’d seen her sacrificing herself during the Guiding process, it was odd for an S-class Esper to let down his guard so completely.

‘Just look at Baek Juyul. That bastard received Guiding directly and still doesn’t trust me.’

Even if Seonghwa was just a genuinely kind person, the subtle emotion in his gaze bothered her. Beneath his friendliness, there was a faint hint of wariness—and, unmistakably, a glimmer of expectation.

‘So if I say “No, I’m not,” will he revert to treating me like yesterday? “Not even his dedicated Guide, yet she acted like that? Guess the rumors were true!” or something like that?’

Sodam couldn’t fathom what Seonghwa might gain from her being Juyul’s dedicated Guide, but to escape this awkward situation, a little white lie seemed harmless.

“Ah, no, as of yesterday… I’ve become his dedicated Guide. He’s even asked me to come to the Guiding Room every day from now on.”

‘Baek Juyul and this guy are both so cryptic. Is there anyone in this world I can actually trust?’

She forced an awkward smile, trying to rebuild the wariness she’d unintentionally let go of. Despite Seonghwa’s portrayal as a genuinely good character in the original story, she reminded herself not to let her guard down.

The effort of suppressing her instinct to flee was so taxing that she could feel cold sweat trickling down her back. For the sake of her safety and sanity, she had to get out of here as quickly as possible.

“Anyway, yes, I’m the dedicated Guide. After Guiding him two days in a row, I’m in this pitiful state.”

As Sodam shrugged and adopted a confident tone, the faint wariness on Seonghwa’s face began to fade. While her appearance certainly provided a plausible basis for her claim, it was still baffling how easily he accepted it.

‘Maybe being S-class comes with some kind of mental quirk. Like, they only believe what they want to be true.’

Though the exact reason for his behavior remained unclear, his voice softened noticeably after she affirmed the “dedicated Guide” narrative. This subtle change made her even more uneasy.

‘I was right to say yes. If I’d denied it, who knows? He might have reacted like Baek Juyul, denying reality and trying to kill me.’

While Sodam’s opinion of Seonghwa continued to plummet, Seonghwa’s trust in Sodam was rising rapidly. Her appearance—dressed head-to-toe in a brand Baek Juyul favored—made her seem undeniably connected to Juyul in some way, at least to an outsider like Seonghwa.

Of course, Sodam had no idea about this detail, which only caused her estimation of him to sink lower.

‘Fine. He’ll realize reality eventually. It’s not great power that requires great responsibility—it’s a strong mind.’

Her gaze, filled with pity, lingered on Seonghwa. Noticing her expression, he cleared his throat awkwardly and pulled out a small box. It resembled ointment, and Sodam’s curiosity was piqued. Seonghwa, seemingly embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.

“Uh, Guide Maeng Sodam. This is for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s… uh… for bruises and swelling. It’s a special treatment only issued to Espers, but I thought you might need it…”

“Oh… For my wrist? It’s not really necessary; it’s covered up anyway.”

She waved her wrist around, demonstrating that it was fine, but Seonghwa’s expression remained awkward. That’s when Sodam finally realized he wasn’t referring to her wrist. Instinctively, her hand went to her lips as she asked, almost dreading the answer.

“Wait… you mean here?”

“Yes, there…”

‘Damn it. Baek Juyul! That bastard just can’t leave me in peace, can he?’

Reflecting on everything, it wasn’t just yesterday’s events but also today’s that were an issue. In fact, today was the bigger problem. The one redeeming quality of Juyul’s ice ability was that swelling tended to subside quickly. Sodam sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration, before glancing at Seonghwa.

“Please don’t mention this to anyone. I really don’t want people gossiping about my private life.”

“Ah, of course! Anyway, it’s such a minor swelling that only an S-class Esper would even notice. Once you use the ointment, no one will be able to tell. Really.”

Seonghwa rambled awkwardly, clearly trying to downplay the situation. Watching him, Sodam decided she couldn’t stay there any longer. Sharing a space with this ticking time bomb, paired with the palpable awkwardness, was an experience she’d rather avoid.

As she pushed herself off the bed—which was just as comfortable as the one in Juyul’s Guiding Room—Seonghwa quickly stepped forward and opened the door for her.

While Seonghwa seemed eager for her to leave, Sodam felt a pang of guilt. She had no idea how to navigate the maze-like Association building.

“Uh… Sorry, but how do I get out of here?”

“Oh, right. This area is a bit out of the way, so it’s understandable. If you don’t mind, I can guide you.”

For the first time, Sodam felt like giving Seonghwa a standing ovation for his gentlemanly behavior.