DPGR 19

Since he didn’t check Jiho’s notebook every day, Dojin had no way of knowing when the memo had been written.

“Ipcheon… no, maybe Incheon? This one… Yulchang? Yulchan…?”

Some words were easy enough to guess, but others were a mystery. Dojin tried to decipher it but soon gave up, shaking his head.

He couldn’t bring himself to pry into Jiho’s private thoughts.

After closing the notebook and setting it down, Dojin moved quietly, following the faint presence of Jiho.

When he gently opened the bedroom door, he saw Jiho fast asleep, curled up like a shrimp on the wide bed, hugging Dojin’s pillow.

It must’ve been an exhausting day—his breathing was louder than usual, soft and rhythmic. It was strangely funny and endearing, and Dojin let out a quiet laugh. Approaching, he reached out and placed a hand on Jiho’s forehead, brushing back some tousled strands of hair.

No fever.

They must’ve played pretty hard today. Dojin had worried Jiho might’ve pushed himself too far and ended up sick.

Thankfully, aside from being completely knocked out, he seemed perfectly fine. His complexion was good, and there were no signs of a nightmare.

“Mmph…”

As Dojin absentmindedly ran his fingers through Jiho’s soft hair—something he did often—Jiho’s lips pouted, and his eyelids twitched as if he might wake up.

“Shh… Go back to sleep.”

Dojin gently patted his back, hoping not to rouse him. But Jiho nuzzled deeper into the pillow and slowly forced his heavy lids open.

“……”

His caramel-colored eyes, clouded with sleep, landed on Dojin. After blinking a few times, Jiho reached out.

His fingertips brushed against Dojin’s forearm. Maybe it was the familiar warmth and touch that helped him register the moment as real, because his eyes slowly widened.

“Huh…?”

“Did you sleep well?” Dojin asked.

Jiho rubbed his eyes. Groggily sitting up, he glanced past Dojin toward the slightly open bedroom door, as if looking for the Alpha Team members.

“They’ve gone home,” Dojin said, gently brushing Jiho’s messy hair back into place.

“……”

Oh. They left.

Jiho’s eyes drooped faintly. Noticing this, Dojin quickly added, almost defensively,

“They wanted to say goodbye, but you were sleeping so soundly… I figured it was better not to wake you. They said they’d see you again soon.”

See you again soon.

That line seemed to lift Jiho’s expression a bit. Dojin figured he must’ve really enjoyed playing with people his own age.

He sat down on the edge of the bed.

“There’s something else…”

He hesitated, lips parting and closing a few times before his face darkened slightly.

“I went to the Center today. Do you remember Esper Park Gitae? The one who raised a hand against you?”

Jiho tilted his head. His round eyes blinked a few times.

Of course, he remembered Park Gitae—but in this regression, he hadn’t actually laid a hand on him.

Dojin, misinterpreting Jiho’s confusion, looked a little flustered.

“You know… when you were hiding in the storage room at the facility? Because Esper Park Gitae did something terrible to you…”

Ah.

Now Jiho realized: Dojin had misunderstood what had happened that day. Jiho had been too out of it to notice before, but it seemed Dojin thought Jiho had been hiding after being assaulted by Park Gitae.

While Jiho was quietly sorting through that memory, Dojin continued.

“Anyway, Esper Park Gitae was officially punished for assaulting a Guide. He kept denying everything, so they hit him with that too. And in the process… he seems to have developed a grudge against me.”

Dojin’s eyes crinkled faintly. No matter how he looked at it, Park Gitae had been infuriating—hurting a Guide, then denying it, and finally retaliating when punished.

“He reported you to the Center, claiming you’re an unregistered Guide. He also spread rumors that I was hiding one.”

Jiho frowned.

Dojin quickly reached to calm him.

“It’s okay now. The Chief Esper believed me. My leave was approved just as planned. But… you’ll need to officially register as a Guide three days from now.”

Nod.

Jiho had expected that. He’d known from the start that becoming Dojin’s Pair Guide would require official registration.

“Once you’re registered, the Center will test your compatibility rate with all registered Espers. If there’s anyone with a 70% match or higher, you’ll have the option to form a Pair with them, if both sides agree.”

“…?”

“Or, you can register as an Unpaired Guide, receive a room, and guide whoever you want.”

Dojin began explaining the difference between Pair and Unpaired Guides. But Jiho’s expression slowly darkened.

Right now, Dojin was talking as if he might not end up pairing with Jiho at all.

So… he doesn’t trust me yet.

Of course. Jiho hadn’t done a proper Guiding yet. Dojin didn’t really know what he was capable of.

Jiho looked around, searching for his notebook and pencil—but they were nowhere in sight. He realized a moment too late that they were still in the living room.

So instead of writing his thoughts, Jiho chose to show them.

“Guide Jiho?”

Jiho reached out and took Dojin’s hand in both of his. Before Dojin could react, Jiho began drawing out his guiding energy and gently channeling it into him.

Please look at me. Give me a chance. I want to help you. Let me repay my debt.

The depth of that earnest emotion made the guiding energy flow back with twice the strength.

“Wait—!”

Startled, Dojin tried to pull his hand away, but Jiho clung to him even harder, desperate.

He couldn’t bring himself to shake off the child who was clinging to him like that. Dojin grit his teeth. The guiding energy he had once felt at the hospital now surged in like a tidal wave, churning up everything inside him.

“Urgh…”

His face flushed. His rationality blurred, and his body began reacting on its own.

This was dangerous—not for him, but for the young Guide in front of him.

“Stop, stop…”

Unable to bear it any longer, Dojin pushed Jiho down onto the bed. He gathered Jiho’s wrists and pinned them above his head.

Jiho struggled beneath him, but Dojin didn’t let go. Subduing a single small, powerless Guide was easy for him.

“Ngh…!”

“Haah… Guide Seo Jiho. That’s enough.”

“……”

“You can’t guide right now.”

“……”

“I said no. Listen to me.”

At his firm tone, Jiho’s expression crumpled. His face was full of injustice.

Why not? Is my guiding really that bad?

His lips parted slightly, but no proper words came out. Only a sound—closer to an animal’s whimper than human speech—spilled from him.

He couldn’t even express himself properly, and now Dojin was rejecting him too. The frustration boiled over, and Jiho finally burst into tears with a loud sniff.

“Uu… Hic…”

“…Guide Jiho.”

“Snf… hic, hng…”

As Jiho’s face scrunched up and tears fell in heavy drops, Dojin, flustered, quickly released him.

He’d assumed Jiho would try guiding again immediately. But instead, Jiho turned away, burying his face in the blanket as he sobbed, full of sorrow.

Dojin hesitated. Then he ran a hand through his hair roughly and scooped up Jiho, blanket and all.

“Ugh, hic… ngh…”

“Guide Jiho.”

“Hiccup! Snf, hngh…”

“What’s got you so upset?”

There was a hint of discomfort in Dojin’s voice. Jiho shrank back, turtle-like.

Dojin tapped the tip of his now-red nose and asked,

“Do you want to guide me that badly?”

…nod.

With his swollen face looking like a steamed bun that had been left in water too long, Jiho nodded firmly. Despite his trembling lips, his determination was clear.

Dojin swallowed a chuckle. Just moments ago he’d been frustrated and overwhelmed, but now the situation felt almost ridiculous.

He wanted to peek inside Jiho’s head. What kind of adorable, absurd thoughts were swimming around in that tiny brain?

Even when Dojin tried to pull away for his sake, Jiho had no hesitation—rushing in like he had no idea how dangerous this all was.

“…Why are you so obsessed with guiding?”

At his quiet murmur, the blanket bundle in his arms flinched. It was an honest reaction, if nothing else.

There’s definitely something going on here…

After mulling it over for a while, Dojin adjusted the blanket and spoke again, this time with a much gentler voice.

“Do you want to form a Pair contract with me?”

“……”

“But… you’re still too young. With your ability, you could meet a younger, better-suited Esper than me.”

“Snf…”

Jiho shook his head with a soft whimper. He didn’t need another Esper. Dojin was enough.

“If we form a Pair, you’ll have to follow me to every mission site. The Alpha Team is elite—we’re always the first dispatched to high-level dungeons.”

“……”

“The dungeons are dangerous. There are monsters, and even the terrain itself can become a threat.”

Pair Guides accompany their Espers into dungeons. Jiho knew that well.

Still, he shook his head. He didn’t care. Then, hesitating slightly, he reached up to touch Dojin’s cheek.

His fingers barely brushed against Dojin’s skin. Just like Jiho himself, the guiding energy that flowed from him was quiet and subdued.

“…Haa.”

A sound—somewhere between a sigh and a groan—escaped Dojin. Jiho realized that he was thinking deeply.

Please… don’t abandon me.

Desperation shimmered in Jiho’s eyes. He shifted closer, pressing his face into Dojin’s chest.

Trying his best to burrow in deeper, to cling to him, Jiho made Dojin sigh again—and open his mouth at last.