DPGR 130

The one who saved them from the monster was Baek Dojin, who had sprinted all the way there in a single breath.

When he saw Jiho suddenly burst into tears, Dojin even threw his weapon aside and ran to him.

“Why-why are you crying, huh? Are you hurt? Are you in pain?”

“Uhh… huuuh… no… nooo…”

“Then why? Huh? And why’s your guiding leaking like this? Okay, calm down first.”

Dojin was flustered, helpless in the face of the guiding energy pouring uncontrollably from Jiho’s body.

He wanted more than anything to pull Jiho into his arms and comfort him, but if he touched Jiho now, he felt like he’d lose his reason under the influence of the unintended guiding.

Yet even when Dojin told him to pull his guiding back in, Jiho just sobbed harder and shook his head.

“I-I can’t… I can’t do it…”

“What?”

“Uwahh…! I-I can’t control the guiding…!”

All the pain, fear, and sorrow he’d been holding back came flooding out like a dam breaking.

The Alpha Team espers who had arrived just after stood there, staring between Jiho, crying his heart out, and Dojin, who was running around in a panic.

“Geonoo, Geonoo!”

Among them, Jihye rushed over to her guide.

Geonwoo, sitting slumped on the ground, recognized Jihye’s voice and turned his head this way and that.

“Jihye? Jihye, is that you?”

“Geonoo… what happened? What’s going on? Your eyes, what happened to your eyes?!”

“I’m fine. I just used too much guiding, that’s all.”

“What? No, come on, let me see. Damn it… Who did this to you? Who overworked my guide?!”

“No one overworked me…”

Still holding her hand, Geonwoo began explaining everything that had happened.

His explanation also included Jiho’s guiding.

Yulchan had already rushed off, having heard only that his guide, Sena, had injured her ankle and was still in the bunker.

When he heard the full story, Dojin looked over at Geonwoo with a grim, hardened expression and asked,

“He says he can’t control his guiding. Was there nothing about this in the research papers?”

“Captain! Are you seriously blaming Geonwoo right now?!”

“No – I mean… You’re right. I’m sorry. I apologize, Guide Geonwoo.”

“It’s alright. But… in the papers I’ve read, there was no mention of anything like this. Guide Jiho, when did you start having trouble controlling it?”

Now slightly calmer, Jiho sniffled and answered,

“Um… not long ago… about ten minutes, maybe…”

“What if you try imagining pulling it back in the same way you imagined releasing it when guiding?”

“I tried that too… It’s not working…”

His voice was faint, and he had grown even paler than before.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. His breathing grew more ragged, the rasping sound in his throat louder.

Dojin, crouched on the ground, couldn’t even bring himself to hold the swaying Jiho upright. Watching him panic, Sehun offered a suggestion.

“What if… we just made him pass out?”

“…Seriously?”

Dojin shot him a deadly glare as if asking if he’d lost his mind. Sehun hastily waved his hands in defense.

“No, no, I don’t mean punch him out or anything! I mean, maybe if he burns through all the guiding energy, he’ll lose consciousness. Like how machines shut down when the battery runs out.”

“Oh! Then maybe he’ll reboot, too?”

“That… I’m not sure. But right now, it seems like the only option.”

By that point, Jiho was suffering from an intense headache.

At first, he’d felt dizzy, like the world was spinning, but now it felt like someone was wringing his brain from the inside.

As he began groaning in pain, Dojin’s expression grew increasingly frantic.

Kijoon nudged Dojin in the side.

“Captain, you need guiding anyway, right? If you absorb the guiding energy, you might drain him faster.”

Everyone in Alpha Team knew Dojin avoided guiding. But because they didn’t know the reason, they didn’t hesitate to push him now.

Without realizing it, Dojin took a step back from Jiho.

But when Jiho suddenly wobbled and collapsed to the ground, Dojin hurried forward again, unable to stay still.

“Ugh… hhh…”

Airy gasps and strained moans spilled from Jiho’s lips. His face, twisted in pain, was drenched in cold sweat.

Dojin swallowed hard. His heart pounded in his chest.

Fear, panic, anticipation, every emotion in the world swirled inside him and tore at his nerves.

“Captain, now!”

His teammates urged him forward. Dojin’s fingertips trembled.

And that was when Jiho stirred in front of him.

“…Huuh… hyung…”

The murmured word, “Hyung”, escaped from that tiny mouth, and Dojin gritted his teeth. He stepped forward.

With all his strength, he pulled the small, collapsed body into his arms.

“…Khk—!”

Jiho’s guiding hit him like a tidal wave.

It wasn’t in sync with Dojin’s own rhythm.

The backlash stung his skin, and he felt like something sharp was tearing into his insides.

But the pain quickly eased.

Even in his fading consciousness, Jiho had adjusted himself to match Dojin’s wavelength.

The pain quickly turned into pleasure.
The searing thirst settled in an instant, and it felt as if his whole body was melting.

Without realizing it, Dojin pressed his lips to Jiho’s nape.
As he inhaled in that position, guiding surged up from deep within.

“Hyung… hyung…”

Mumbling like a child asking why he’d only just arrived, Jiho clung to Dojin’s neck, then suddenly went limp.
The guiding energy that had been leaking into the air was now being fully absorbed through their point of contact with Dojin.

Maybe Sehun’s guess had been right, because the moment Jiho lost consciousness, the flow of guiding energy also stopped entirely.

Dojin held his finger beneath Jiho’s nose to check his breathing.

“…Haa.”

He let out a breath of relief, Jiho was still breathing.
His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and Dojin exhaled again in relief.

“Jiho… Jiho-yah…”

He cradled Jiho gently in his arms, hands trembling as they brushed softly across his cheeks again and again.
He had been so terrified something might happen to Jiho on the way here.

Dojin knew Jiho’s nature well.
He was someone who, despite being hurt by people in the past, still chose to trust and follow others.
Someone who knew how to love, how to empathize, and how to choose the greater good over himself.

What if… he stepped forward to help the espers?

That fear had gnawed at Dojin.
That Jiho, in his innocence, might reveal his abilities and put himself out in front.
That others might take Jiho away from him.
That Jiho might get hurt again.

“…Haa.”

Thankfully, the worst-case scenario he had feared had not come to pass.
It was thanks to Geonwoo, who had stayed by Jiho’s side and supported him.

Dojin finally lifted his head to thank Geonwoo.

“…?”

But the entire Alpha Team had already vacated the space, leaving Dojin and Jiho alone.

A small smile appeared at the corners of Dojin’s lips for the first time.
He felt grateful for his team’s consideration, and a little embarrassed, too.

Rumble—

There was a crashing sound from around the corner.
Then came the victorious cheers of espers filling the air.

Dojin realized they had succeeded in defending against the dungeon break.

He pressed a firm kiss to Jiho’s forehead.

He didn’t know the number of wounded, the casualties, or the full extent of the damage yet, but he chose to focus on the reality before him now.

‘It’s okay… As long as Guide Jiho is okay…’

The trembling in Dojin’s hands, still wrapped around Jiho, gradually subsided.

***

The Guide Director had died, and the Esper Director was injured.
Six other espers and two of their paired guides had also lost their lives, and thirteen more were wounded to varying degrees.
Beyond that, dozens had been killed or injured by the explosive gate manifestation.

The Esper Director once again stood before the cameras to take responsibility and explain the situation.

“First, I would like to bow my head and offer my deepest apologies to the citizens who were shaken by this dungeon break.”

He explained the abnormal dungeon that had opened in the center, and acknowledged the lack of available personnel.

“This incident has been a wake-up call for us. From now on, we’ll restructure our emergency response system for espers so that something like this never happens again…”

On the hospital room TV, the Esper Director’s calm face continued to speak.

Journalists at the podium were busy snapping photos, cameras clicking under bursts of flash.

Jiho, sitting up in bed while watching TV, looked over as Dojin walked in, dressed head to toe in black.

“Don’t push yourself. You should lie down.”

“I’m fine. But… I saw an article earlier that said the Esper Director’s retiring.”

“…”

Dojin’s shoulders dropped slightly. Jiho noticed how uncharacteristically downcast he seemed.

Dojin came closer and began adjusting his necktie, pretending nothing was wrong.

“Yes. He probably will.”

“…He’s really stepping down?”