DPGR 33

“……”

He had gone to the kitchen and washed his face clean, but it seemed Dojin had still noticed the faint puffiness around his reddened eyes.

Unable to bring himself to admit he’d been crying like a child, Jiho clamped his mouth shut and pretended not to notice.

Dojin’s sharp gaze shifted to Jiheon.

“Did you make him cry?”

“Hah.”

A dry laugh escaped Jiheon. This sharp-edged version of Dojin—it was the first time he’d seen it since their first meeting.

It was nostalgic in a way, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a little annoyed.

Jiheon flicked his fingers against Dojin’s forehead.

“You little punk! Are you trying to bite your own teacher’s head off?”

It was slow enough that Dojin could have easily dodged it if he wanted to. But he didn’t.

It didn’t even hurt, to be honest.

But Jiho was so startled by the action that he dropped the bag of sweets he was holding.

“…!”

He hit Baek Dojin!

Just like before, Jiho clamped his lips together and stepped in front of Dojin protectively. As if that wasn’t enough, he straightened his spine and puffed himself up as best he could.

He looked like he was trying to shield Dojin behind his tiny back.

Of course, no matter how much Jiho stretched or puffed himself up, there was no way Dojin’s tall frame could be hidden behind that small figure.

“Oh dear, kiddo.”

“……”

Jiheon looked at Jiho with a troubled face. But Jiho only glared back fiercely, as if nothing Jiheon said would change his mind.

Seeing Jiheon genuinely at a loss, Dojin stepped in to smooth things over.

“Guide Jiho. Here.”

He picked up the dropped bag of sweets and handed it back to Jiho, then gently tugged on his shoulder.

Jiho seemed like he was trying to resist by stiffening up, but Dojin pulled him in with zero effort—so easily that he didn’t even seem to notice Jiho had been resisting at all.

“I’m fine. But come here a sec. Your eyes are all puffy.”

“Mmm.”

“Oh, don’t give me that. Why were you crying? What did he say to you?”

“Mmmm…”

“Wait—did he hit you…?”

“Psh. Do I look like someone who’d lay a hand on a kid this tiny?”

It was, of course, Jiheon who cut him off. His face was one of pure disbelief.

Realizing how ridiculous it sounded even to himself, Dojin scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Then why was my guide crying?”

“That’s a secret.”

“…Teacher.”

“What, you brat?”

“Hah…”

It was no use trying to reason with him.

Dojin looked at Jiho, silently asking for an explanation.

“Mmm.”

But Jiho only shook his head firmly, as if keeping the secret were his solemn duty.

In the end, Dojin had to give up on uncovering their shared secret. The wind was getting too chilly anyway.

He reached out and gently rubbed Jiho’s cold cheek, then turned to Jiheon.

“It’s getting late. We should be heading out.”

“Why don’t you just spend the night?”

“We haven’t stayed out overnight yet.”

Of course, he meant Jiho.

Though he was doing much better lately, Jiho still occasionally had nightmares or woke up with a low fever in the early morning hours.

In unfamiliar surroundings, there was no telling how he might react.

“I see. Well, come back soon then.”

Though clearly disappointed, Jiheon didn’t try to stop them. His quick acceptance made Dojin feel a little guilty.

“Yes. We’ll come again.”

“And bring the kiddo with you. This grandpa will have plenty of sweets and snacks ready.”

Nod, nod!

Jiho nodded enthusiastically, making Jiheon laugh heartily.

Now it really was time to say goodbye.

Lately, Jiho had grown a little too relaxed in his peaceful life with Dojin.

Now that he had officially become Dojin’s Pair Guide, he felt like he’d crossed a major hurdle—and let his guard down.

He had tried a few times to initiate guiding, but each time, Dojin smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere and avoided it.

Even so, Jiho wasn’t as impatient as he used to be.

No matter what, he was Dojin’s Pair Guide now. He firmly believed the opportunity would come again soon.

Even knowing full well that Dojin was deliberately stalling for time.

But not anymore.

Jiho tightened his resolve, winding it back up like a drawn bowstring.

After hearing those words from Jiheon—Take good care of Dojin—he couldn’t afford to be lax anymore.

I have to do better!

Jiho’s resolve toward guiding, which had seemed to wane for a time, flared back to life with renewed intensity.

Far from dying down, that flame only grew stronger on their way back home.

That night, as soon as they returned, Jiho put his burning determination into action.

[Let’s do guiding session.]

He shoved a page from his notebook—prepared in advance—right at Dojin, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.

Dojin greeted Jiho’s sudden behavior with his usual gentle smile, but the moment he read the words on the page, he smoothly changed the subject.

“It ended up being a longer outing than expected. Aren’t you tired?”

“……”

“Go ahead and get in bed. I’ll come in after I finish drying my hair.”

“……”

Jiho narrowed his eyes. Realizing that this tactic wasn’t working, Dojin tried a different approach.

“If you’re not sleepy yet, we can hang out a little longer. Now that I think about it, didn’t you really like that drama airing tonight…?”

[Let’s guide.]

Dojin’s words cut off mid-sentence. Jiho had turned to face him and thrust the notebook forward again, right in his line of sight.

His lips were tightly pressed together, his expression unusually stubborn—he clearly had no intention of backing down.

For someone so small, his energy felt oddly fierce. Dojin awkwardly shifted his eyes, trying to come up with something—anything—to distract Jiho.

But Jiho didn’t give him the chance.

Flip—

He turned to another prewritten page in his notebook and held it up again. Dojin’s expression scrunched immediately upon reading it.

[Show me your watch. I want to check your guiding levels.]

“That’s, uh…”

“……”

“Well… it’s late. How about we guide tomorrow instead?”

“Mm-mm!”

[Show me your watch. I want to check your guiding levels.]

Jiho shook his head and waved the notebook insistently. His unwavering stubbornness made Dojin visibly uncomfortable.

With his eyes wide and fixed on Dojin’s wrist like an angry baby bird, Jiho didn’t budge an inch.

More precisely, he was staring at the silver watch wrapped around Dojin’s wrist.

Since becoming Dojin’s Pair Guide, Jiho had never once checked his watch.

By standard protocol, Pair Guides were supposed to regularly manage their Pair Esper’s guiding watch. But from the start, Dojin had brushed it off, saying he wasn’t in urgent need of guiding. And since this was Jiho’s first time as someone’s Pair Guide, he hadn’t really thought to push the issue.

But today, I have to check it.

Today—no matter what—he was going to see the guiding levels stored in that watch.

He had made up his mind to change, starting now.

Up until now, every time Jiho so much as brought up guiding, Dojin would say he was fine and avoid the topic.

Well, then. Time to find out if he was really “fine.”

“…Haa.”

Realizing that Jiho wasn’t going to give up, Dojin finally let out a sigh.

Jiho flinched slightly at how troubled Dojin looked—but still didn’t back down.

If anything, he started to feel hurt that Dojin wasn’t cooperating with something that was supposed to be for his benefit.

His lower lip jutted out.

He’d already cried once earlier that evening, so the slight pout, combined with his still-swollen eyes, made him look on the verge of tears again.

At this rate, it would look like he was making Jiho cry.

In the end, Dojin reluctantly held out his wrist.

“Here…”

“……!”

Jiho’s sulky expression immediately brightened. He extended his finger and, clumsily, began fiddling with the watch.

Tap—tap tap—

After a few missteps, he finally found and activated the guiding level display function.

[Baek Dojin – Esper Guiding Level: 34%]

[Danger. Warning. Initiate Emergency Guiding Immediately.]

The watch’s screen lit up with an absurdly low number, along with a flashing alert urging immediate emergency guiding.

Jiho stared up at Dojin with wide, stunned eyes.

“That’s not… that serious. There are plenty of Espers with similar levels.”

“……”

That was a lie.

Typically, Espers whose guiding levels dropped below 40% were required to receive guiding—unless they were actively in battle.

Once the levels dipped into the 30s, the pain became intense, and the risk of a rampage increased significantly.

Dojin’s current guiding level: 34%.

That was beyond the threshold set by the Awakening Management Center.

He must be in so much pain…

There was another reason Jiho had never insisted on checking Dojin’s watch. Dojin had looked totally fine.

No bloodshot eyes, no nosebleeds, no coughing up blood.

His complexion was fine. No cold sweats, no furrowed brow.

So Jiho had no choice but to take Dojin at his word whenever he said it wasn’t urgent.

But now? 34%?!

He lied to me!