Episode 9: Guiding—What Is It, and How Do You Do It? (6)

“…Hah.”

“W-Wait! Hnn! N-No! A person’s trying to… ah! Talk!”

“You’re the one who started this.”

Ju-yul, who had seemed content to wait patiently, suddenly began moving his hips, throwing So-dam’s mind into chaos. It became impossible for her to form coherent words, and only gasps and cries escaped her lips.

With each thrust, a loud *thud* echoed as he slammed deep inside, making her feel as though his tip was hitting her cervix, though she knew that wasn’t possible.

The sensation of being thoroughly ravaged sent chills through her entire body. As his shaft, filling her completely, pressed into her most sensitive spots and moved faster, her legs tensed again. Her toes curled involuntarily, and her hips twisted beyond her control.

Her entire body, no longer obeying her, flailed helplessly until her arms found the only thing they could cling to—Ju-yul. She wrapped her arms around him, gripping tightly as if holding on for dear life. Even that wasn’t enough to ground her, so she clutched at his clothes, fingers digging in as though she might tear them apart. Their faces drew closer, and it wasn’t long before their lips collided.

“Mm! Ahh! Hnnng!”

Even while biting at his lips and sucking on his tongue, her moans leaked through the gaps. So-dam was certain that the point where they were joined was already raw from the relentless friction. The smacking sound of their thighs meeting told her everything she needed to know about the situation down below.

The overwhelming pleasure continued to pour out of her, causing more fluids to leak and mix with the gel on his condom, dripping down below them.

She had no mental space to worry about the sheets getting soaked. The pleasure was shaking her so violently that she couldn’t withstand it. Even Ju-yul, who had been holding on to some semblance of control, seemed to have lost himself as he pounded into her, leaving only the wet slapping sounds and their heavy, animalistic breathing.

By the time the Guiding energy flowing through So-dam transferred fully into Ju-yul, he was thrusting as deep as he could go, his body trembling as he ground his teeth together. He moved with such force that his thighs and glutes felt numb. When he finally stopped, fully buried inside her, So-dam gasped for air, struggling to catch her breath.

“Haah… shit.”

“…What did you say?”

“This is so fucking exhausting… Baek Ju-yul, you… fucking bastard…”

“Wait, are you seriously about to… pass out? Maeng So-dam! Maeng So-dam!”

As the strength drained from her thin body, So-dam’s head fell back, her entire body going limp in his arms. Ju-yul, now holding an unconscious and naked woman, muttered in disbelief.

“Unbelievable… seriously…”

* * *

“Hah…”

The first thing So-dam did when she struggled to open her eyes was look around. She had hoped, against all odds, that maybe…

“You were out for a while.”

As expected, there he was.

“I didn’t exactly ‘want’ to pass out, you know…”

“Do you remember what you said before you passed out?”

“W-What? Did I… say something?”

Ju-yul sighed in exasperation at So-dam’s oblivious response. Just moments ago, he had been hoping to hear ‘anything’ from those lips, but now they only seemed to annoy him.

When he was younger and had just started his Esper activities, everyone treated him like a son or younger brother, doting on him. As the years passed, and he gained more experience, people became too intimidated to speak to him casually.

So the fact that this woman, Maeng So-dam, had cursed at him multiple times felt oddly refreshing.

“…”

It was strange. Up until today, his feelings toward her had been nothing but pure annoyance. Yet somehow, that annoyance had vanished entirely, as if he were dealing with an entirely different person.

‘It’s not like it’s because we had sex…’

It wasn’t just his emotions. From the moment she told him her name, there had been this strange feeling of familiarity scratching at the back of his mind. The sensation was uncomfortable, and Ju-yul found himself studying her body, trying to make sense of it all.

Her frame, now dressed in the clothes he had cleaned and put on her, looked unusually fragile. As he recalled the marks he had left on her skin beneath those clothes, he tilted his head in thought. Noticing his gaze, So-dam, embarrassed, averted her eyes and mumbled something to fill the silence.

“I-I didn’t ‘mean’ to pass out. It’s not like I usually… faint in the middle of… that. It’s rude to, you know…”

“Yeah, about that. You shouldn’t push yourself beyond your limits. I don’t want to hear about a Guide dying because of me.”

“…Geez, even the way you talk…”

“The way I talk?”

“So… charming with your words. Truly, the perfect advice.”

So-dam let out an awkward laugh as she tried to sit up. But something felt off, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.

The bone-chilling cold she had felt before they were intimate had all but disappeared. The shivering that had made her teeth chatter uncontrollably was gone, and now the three layers of clothes she wore felt stifling. Though her limbs still felt weak and shaky, she realized it wasn’t because of the cold anymore.

Her body felt drained, but she chalked it up to the “exercise” they had just done. Feeling a little lighter, she tried to stand, only to collapse back onto the bed. In a state of surprise, she asked, her voice full of confusion.

“Wh-What’s wrong with me?”

“You overdid it with the Guiding. How does a Guide not know their own limits?”

“Well… maybe it’s because Baek Ju-yul, the great SSS-class Esper, is just ‘that’ powerful?”

“…Not entirely wrong.”

“By the way… is it normal to feel better after passing out for a bit? I mean, before, just holding your hand made me feel like I was freezing to death.”

Ju-yul leaned back, crossing his arms as he considered her question.

So-dam, with her head bowed and her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, struggled to brush it back as she looked up at Ju-yul, her face filled with exhaustion. Her improved complexion was clear evidence that her earlier words weren’t just bravado. However, Ju-yul didn’t respond immediately; instead, he fell into brief contemplation.

What bothered him was the fact that So-dam, who had conducted a Guiding session just yesterday in the same place, now seemed to be acting like she didn’t know the first thing about being a Guide. Rubbing his furrowed brow, he let out a small sigh before finally answering.

“There’s no way that’s normal. Since you didn’t complete the Guiding and passed out, the energy in your body sought a place to release itself.”

“Oh, is that so? Then, why did it feel so bad when I was just holding your hand earlier? Do I need to focus more or something while Guiding?”

“…Why are you asking something so obvious? Did you forget how to Guide in just one day?”

“N-No! That’s not it…! It’s just that… yesterday was so, you know, exhausting, and I thought maybe there was some special method when it comes to Guiding an SSS-class Esper… ha ha…”

Even to her own ears, it sounded like a ridiculous excuse, but her instincts had taken control before she could think it through. She couldn’t retract her words without making the situation even more suspicious, so she forced an awkward smile, hoping it would smooth things over.

‘There’s that saying about not spitting on a smiling face… Though, knowing Baek Ju-yul, I wouldn’t put it past him to spit if he felt like it.’

Her round eyes twitched nervously, her dry lips stretched into a forced grin. A tense silence hung in the air for what felt like a full minute. Ju-yul, holding the upper hand in their dynamic, finally opened his mouth.

“…Are you seriously asking ‘me’ how to Guide? An Esper?”

“Well, I heard that truly exceptional Espers study all sorts of things. I figured Baek Ju-yul, being as amazing as you are, might know some tips to make Guiding more efficient.”

‘Wasn’t there something in the original novel about Ju-yul studying Guides from a young age? Or am I just mixing things up because I almost died? I thought I knew the story inside out, but now I’m not so sure.’

From the moment she had possessed this body, So-dam had prided herself on her detailed knowledge of the original plot. But now, with everything muddled, even her understanding of the original character “Maeng So-dam” seemed uncertain.

The “Maeng So-dam” in the novel had chosen death out of sheer vengeance toward Ju-yul, and her angry will had supported that interpretation. But now that So-dam had met Ju-yul in person, it felt like there might be more to the story.

Deciding it was better to stay quiet rather than dig herself deeper, So-dam opted to shoot him a pleading look instead. With her wide, glistening eyes, she looked every bit like a kitten from a fairy tale.

“….”

“….”

Even with her silent, desperate appeal, Ju-yul offered no response. His gaze, which lingered on her pale lips, might have been his answer. The conflicted emotions in his eyes made So-dam wonder if he had seen through her forced smile. She awkwardly raised her hand to cover her twitching lips, trying to make it seem as natural as possible.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“…Yeah, I know how it works. But so what? You seriously want me to give you a lecture on Guiding?”