Episode 57. Screw “Heave-ho” or Whatever—I’m F**ked (2)

‘…Yeah, well. Daram’s already given up since I became his exclusive Guide anyway. I’ll just hold out until the A-rank sub-heroine shows up, respecting the original plot. Endurance meta is my only way to survive. Her name was… Sora, I think? Her last name was Japanese and kind of tricky… what was it again…’

There couldn’t be that many people named Sora, and it wasn’t common to have an A-rank Guide with a whole setup about coming to Korea just to see Juyul—so Sodam figured she’d recognize her the moment she appeared. But still, not being able to recall something she originally knew left her feeling weirdly unsettled.

Even after crawling under the covers, she furrowed her brow and let out a groan. Just then, something warm and damp touched her forehead.

“…What the—wait, you’re still here?”

“I was about to leave to give you some rest, but then you started groaning…”

“Ah… I am fine, really… but thank you.”

She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed how bad her body was feeling. And now that she was welcoming Seonghwa’s cold compress so gratefully, it was clear she wasn’t in great shape after all. Just a couple days ago, she’d been walking around for an hour and a half without issue—how had her condition crashed so hard, so fast?

It must’ve been the deep Guiding session she did first thing that morning, followed by the helicopter ride and all the chaos after that. On top of that, she’d just spent an hour walking and even kissed Juyul for Guiding… It was no surprise her body was hitting its limit.

Still… it’s true that Guiding has gotten a lot easier.

Wasn’t she the one who used to faint just from holding hands? Then faint again after a kiss? And definitely faint before anything could even finish if it went as far as sex? A true triple-faint combo champion. Things were definitely easier now. But while the Guiding itself was smoother, her overall condition felt significantly—alarmingly—worse.

It was like… an ice tray. The more you use it, the more familiar you get with how to make ice, right? But if you use it too long, it starts to wear out and crack. That’s exactly what seemed to be happening to her body—something was starting to break down.

If she was already like this not even a full year in, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of state she’d be in by the time her contract ended. She used to think, There’s no way something like that will happen to me, but now she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d end up hearing that classic soap opera line: You’re terminally ill. It was almost funny imagining a doctor in a white coat telling her, Your condition is serious enough that you need treatment.

Hah. As if. Like I’d keep working for Baek Juyul until I’m dying.

She pressed the towel down harder on her forehead with her arm, chuckling to herself—when a soft voice spoke up beside her. He should’ve left by now, she thought, but no—he was still sitting there. Yup, this is the Cha Seonghwa I know.

Still smiling faintly, she opened her eyes and said,

“I’m really fine now, so you can go. I just need to rest a bit.”

“Still… I’ll stay at least until Juyul gets back.”

“You left Guide Han Daram outside alone. You should really go back.”

Her words were completely reasonable, but Seonghwa opened his mouth, then quietly shut it again. He awkwardly changed the subject.

“You already finished Guiding before even coming to the Association today, right? Why did you come in, then?”

“…Sorry?”

“Were you… worried about Juyul?”

At first, her gut reaction was Is this guy interrogating me right now? But his next question snapped her out of it. It felt like he was saying: If you’re not serious about it, then get lost.

She studied Seonghwa’s face—and suddenly, a memory came back. The only childhood friend who stayed by Juyul’s side, even though he lived like a loner. That was possible because of a throwaway line in the original story—one she’d completely forgotten until now.

Wait… don’t tell me the Association President is using his own son to get rid of me?

No wonder they insisted on sending Seonghwa for something that didn’t seem all that important. Just a few A- and S-class Espers could’ve handled it, so why send an SSS and an S? Of course—it was all that bastard’s scheme.

Suddenly, the cold towel on her forehead felt like a badge of hypocrisy. Sodam yanked it off and sat up, locking eyes with Seonghwa.

“Of course I came because I’m genuinely worried about Baek Juyul. I don’t know why the Association President is going to such annoying lengths, but please tell him I have no intention of canceling my exclusive contract.”

“…Why would Guide Maeng Sodam say something like that to my father…”

Wait… he doesn’t know? Seriously? Great. Now I just look like someone trash-talking his dad in front of him.

Now she was the one feeling frustrated. That clueless expression told her he had no idea what she was talking about. Holding her forehead—where the warmth from the towel still lingered—Sodam let out a deep sigh.

And then, she confessed everything.

At this point, there was no turning the conversation around. If she was going to get blamed by this sweet, oblivious son anyway, she might as well lay it all out—and let him suffer a bit of heartache too.

“You must not have heard. The Association President ordered me to terminate my exclusive contract with Baek Juyul.”

“Then, Guide Maeng Sodam, you…”

“I obviously told him no. And less than a day after that conversation, I was dragged here. …Well, like Esper Cha Seonghwa said, I didn’t have to come. But I figured they might use it as an excuse to tell me to quit.”

Even after explaining the full story, Seonghwa’s face remained full of doubt. The way he mumbled, But still, my father…, made it clear he didn’t fully trust her yet.

Which, fair enough. Of course he’d trust his father more than a Guide he’d only met a few times. But it was frustrating for Sodam, because it had really happened.

Trying to look even more pitiful, she plopped the towel back on her forehead and flopped down with a weak groan.

“Ugh… I mean, it’s still like that now. He told me that it’s ridiculous for a frail little F-class like me to be by an SSS-class Esper’s side. Said I must be crazy…”

“My father said that…?”

“…Oh, now that I think about it, you do have the same last name. And you do kind of look alike. Ahh! Seeing a face that resembles his is making my heart hurt even more!”

From start to finish, that was complete nonsense. Sure, the Association President had told her to drop Juyul, and he had called her crazy. But everything else was just extra seasoning Sodam had added for flair.

The exaggerated comment about their resemblance was purely to emphasize how she hadn’t known Seonghwa was the President’s son.

In the original story, Seonghwa never went around bragging about who his dad was, and the Association President wasn’t the type to flaunt it either, so very few people even knew. Now that she’d finally remembered that detail, Sodam cursed her own forgetful brain as she continued her exaggerated moaning. Seonghwa, meanwhile, gently pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.

Even after all that, he still looked lost in thought. Sodam decided it was time to bring out the big guns.

“Ah… Baek Juyul said to ignore what the Association President told him because it was just out of concern. But how could I possibly ignore it?”

“…Juyul’s not wrong. My father… he’s always worried about him.”

“Still. To him, someone like me—an F-class—isn’t going to matter as much as someone you call ‘father,’ right? After I’ve worked so hard… if I suddenly get kicked out of my position as exclusive Guide, I’d have no one in the world…”

She wasn’t actually worried. She’d been alone since birth, so it wasn’t like she feared solitude. She just dramatically covered her mouth like she was too choked up to go on.

Even at her most desperate, the worst scenario she could imagine was having no money left in her bank account—but if she just kept picking up the crumbs Juyul tossed her, that wouldn’t ever happen. It didn’t really feel like a worst-case scenario at all.

Turning her head slightly, she dabbed the towel at her bone-dry eyes to make it look like she’d cried. Then Seonghwa spoke, his voice lower than before.

“Don’t worry. My father… if Juyul truly refuses something, he’ll respect it.”

“…Even with you, Esper Cha Seonghwa?”

“Ah… I probably wouldn’t be much help, but if you’d like, I’ll support you however I can.”

Hmm. That’s not quite what I meant, but thanks anyway.

She hadn’t meant help me fight your dad, just support Juyul’s side if it comes to that. But clearly, he’d misunderstood. Still, as long as the outcome was the same, it didn’t matter how they got there.

Watching Seonghwa’s unusually serious expression—his usual smile nowhere in sight—Sodam suddenly felt like it was time to ask some of the questions she’d been holding back. A moment like this, where someone like Seonghwa opened up and showed this level of vulnerability, didn’t come around often. She had to make the most of it.

Sorry for burdening you with all this, she thought, but your weird-ass dad kind of brought this on himself, so let’s just call it even.

She shifted slightly and gently placed her fingers on the edge of Seonghwa’s hand, then asked in a soft, subtle voice:

“By the way… Esper Cha Seonghwa, you seem very… serious about me being Baek Juyul’s exclusive Guide, don’t you?”