DPGR 113

Fortunately, opening the window and letting in the cold air helped cool down his face.

As Guide Jiho hurried down to the first floor, he was lost in thought.

‘I-I should talk to him more, right?’

What should he say to Dojin on the plane?

‘First… I should apologize again. I didn’t do it properly earlier.’

He realized he’d been too focused on himself. Dojin had his own wounds too.

Feeling guilty again, Jiho worried about how to bring it up and how best to apologize.

‘And then… I need to sort out my feelings and say them clearly again…’

He also wanted to correct the way he had rambled and begged before.

He wanted to express his feelings in a more mature way this time, not like a child.

Caught up in these complicated thoughts, Jiho nearly tripped and even got lost in the military hospital’s corridors.

Eventually, he made it to the first-floor lobby.

Thud!

In fox form, Heendungi came pattering over and bumped his forehead into Jiho’s stomach.

Jiho instinctively reached out to pat Heendungi’s head, but then a stranger’s voice followed.

“Guide Seo Jiho. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Uh…”

A neatly dressed middle-aged man bowed deeply to Jiho.

“Thank you for your efforts during the recent dungeon incident. I’ve come to offer our gratitude on behalf of the organization.”

“Oh, th-thank you…”

“I’ll assist you so you can return to Korea comfortably. Let’s go.”

“…?”

Just like that, Jiho’s plan to have a proper conversation with Dojin was completely derailed.

The Japanese side had clearly decided to formally escort both Dojin and Jiho and assigned people to accompany them.

Even in the car on the way to the airport:

“We’ve heard of Esper Baek Dojin’s achievements. And the courageous decisions of Guide Seo Jiho left a deep impression on the Japanese side.”

And when boarding the plane:

“I heard you’re the first S-rank guide from Asia. No wonder your spirit is exceptional. Haha!”

Even on the way to Korea:

“If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. This is the contact info for the Japanese Ability Management Department. We’d like to sponsor Guide Seo Jiho personally…”

It seemed like they were more interested in Jiho than in Dojin. The man stuck close to Jiho’s side, talking non-stop.

Even though Jiho was shy and struggled to respond properly, the man didn’t seem to mind at all.

‘This… isn’t what I wanted…’

All the way there, Jiho kept sneaking glances at Dojin.

Just as he had someone glued to him, someone from the Japanese side was stuck to Dojin as well, chatting endlessly.

Whatever they were talking about, Dojin didn’t glance Jiho’s way even once.

Jiho felt a little hurt by that.

‘I want to talk to him… but he must prefer talking to that person instead.’

Unconsciously, Jiho’s lips pouted out.

His dissatisfaction showed so clearly on his face that the man who had been praising him beside him awkwardly quieted down.

Thanks to that, Jiho was able to spend about thirty minutes lost in his own thoughts.

Dojin’s words replayed over and over in Jiho’s head.

‘He said he liked me… Me… Wait, then, when did he start liking me?’

Jiho’s face flushed red.

‘Gasp! D-Don’t tell me from the very beginning?’

His brows furrowed.

‘Th-that time too—so it was because he liked me!’

The corners of his mouth twitched.

Jiho discreetly pressed his cheek with the back of his hand to cool down, closed his eyes tightly, then peeked sideways at Dojin again and again.

Anyone could see he was completely focused on Dojin.

Though Jiho thought he was being subtle, both Dojin and the Japanese entourage noticed—it was an ironically obvious situation.

“Ahem, hmm-hmm.”

“Ahem. Ahem.”

The Japanese people around them let out awkward coughs, clearly flustered, trying their best to avert their eyes from Jiho and Dojin.

Even Heendungi let out a sigh, “Phew…”, and shook his head.

Meanwhile, Dojin found it harder and harder to pretend not to notice and eventually rubbed his chin to hide his smile.

He couldn’t hear a word of what the person next to him was saying.

All he could feel was Jiho’s unwavering gaze boring into the side of his face.

Still, Dojin pretended to stay focused on the conversation just to keep watching Jiho’s adorable reactions.

The remnants of negative emotions that had lingered in Dojin’s heart melted away like snow in sunlight.

Only after the plane landed at Gimpo Airport were Dojin and Jiho finally free from their Japanese escorts.

As they disembarked, Jiho felt hopeful that maybe now he could finally have a real conversation with Dojin.

He mentally rehearsed the things he wanted to say and even worried about how things might become awkward.

But those worries were for nothing—once again, their chance to talk vanished when people came to greet them at the airport.

“It’s been a while, Dojin. You’ve worked hard. Are you hurt anywhere? Did you get proper treatment?”

“…Master?”

“Ahem! I came too.”

“And Esper Director… no, what brings both of you here?”

Even Dojin seemed caught off guard, a hint of confusion showing on his face. While he stole a quick glance at Guide Jiho, the man in front of them grumbled.

“What, not happy we came to greet you personally?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Haha! Come on, let’s go. We’ll talk at the center. There’s a lot I want to hear.”

The two turned without another word. It was a silent signal for them to follow.

Their steps were light, as if their main goal had simply been to surprise Dojin.

Dojin glanced once more at Jiho with lingering regret in his eyes, then followed after them.

Jiho, wearing a pout, ended up falling in beside Dojin, trailing after the pair.

As they exited the gate, reporters who had apparently gotten wind of their arrival swarmed the area.

Thanks to security forming a perimeter, they avoided getting caught up in the chaos.

Still, amidst the unavoidable confusion, Jiho’s mood continued to sink.

“Alright, inside you go.”

At last, as they exited the airport, a black SUV marked with the center’s logo was waiting for them.

Dojin, Jiho, and Heendungi got into the vehicle and headed straight for the center.

“So, tell us more about the Japan dungeon. I heard bits and pieces from the other espers, but no one seemed to know the whole story.”

“Hey, kid. I heard you were badly hurt. Are you alright now?”

“They said the boss monster was a dream demon. I heard it didn’t look like other dream demons, and that it even spoke like a human. Some said it seemed to have a sense of self. Is that true?”

“Goodness, look how that small face of yours got even thinner. Later, let’s stop by Grandpa’s place. This grandpa stocked up on all your favorite yakgwa just for you.”

The Esper Director and kwak Jiheon sat in the front seats, chattering nonstop with questions aimed at Dojin and Jiho.

Eventually, Jiho half gave up on talking to Dojin and slumped into the seat, while Dojin leaned forward uncomfortably against the back of the front seat to explain the situation.

“There were a few peculiarities, but it was indeed a dream demon. And yes, it did have self-awareness.”

From Dojin’s mouth, the events of the Japan dungeon spilled out smoothly.

He glanced at Heendungi’s head in the passenger seat and lowered his voice.

“There’s something more I’d like to share…”

His eyes slid toward the driver.

Catching his intent, the Esper Director and kwak Jiheon agreed to continue the discussion in the Director’s office and wrapped up the conversation.

“Well, well. To think the Japanese side sent a private plane just for you. That guy we met briefly earlier—I think that was Miyamoto Keita.”

“Huh? Who’s that?”

“What? You don’t watch the news? You know, the one from the foreign ministry…”

From the front seat, their chatter continued in low tones.

Finally finished talking, Dojin leaned back comfortably for the first time since getting into the car.

“Whew…”

He let out a quiet sigh, clearly exhausted, then leaned a little closer to Jiho who had been stealing glances at him the whole ride.

Thud. Dojin’s head gently rested on Jiho’s shoulder.

“…!”

Jiho flinched, freezing up at the sudden contact.

Despite the height difference making it awkward, Dojin didn’t seem to care.

On the contrary, it was Jiho who was left flustered, his lips moving as if unsure what to say.

Dojin chuckled quietly at his reaction, then whispered just loud enough for Jiho to hear.

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

“W-what?”

“Is it distracting?”

“N-no!”

“Hm.”

Dojin pouted playfully, then tilted his head and gave a soft smile.

“Why? I was hoping it would distract you.”

“…!”

He slowly raised a hand and poked Jiho’s flaming red cheek with a fingertip.

“Relax. Breathe. I’m not going to eat you.”

“….”

“Not yet.”

“…!”

Jiho shuddered all over. He could almost hear Dojin’s mischievous laugh near his ear.

Dojin gently held Jiho’s small hand, which was awkwardly resting on his lap.

Even though Jiho’s face was flushed red, his fingertips were cold.

“Tsk…”

Dojin clicked his tongue silently, straightened his back, and clasped Jiho’s hand tightly. His warmth slowly spread into Jiho’s fingers.

By the time their body temperatures had evened out—

“We’re here.”

The building of the center came into view beyond the car window.