DPGR 3

“Sniff… snff…”

Jiho had just barely managed to stop crying when it happened.

The comforting strokes from Dojin’s hand slowed—then came to a stop.

“Are you done crying now?”

Dojin’s low voice brushed against Jiho’s ear.

Jiho nodded, then timidly burrowed deeper into Dojin’s chest, afraid he’d be pushed away.

“W-wait a second…”

Flustered, Dojin placed his hands on Jiho’s shoulders to gently push him back. But then—he flinched, freezing in place.

‘His left shoulder…’

Something felt off about the shoulder under his hand.

Even a casual touch made it obvious—it was dislocated.

Jiho flinched like a startled turtle, probably reacting to the sudden pain.

Only then did Dojin take in Jiho’s full condition.

The thin silk nightgown and bare feet were one thing…

“Let me take a look. Could you lift your head a bit?”

Coaxing him gently, he inspected Jiho’s face.

It was covered with bruises and marks that made it clear someone had hit him.

‘Did someone slap him? There are even marks around his neck like he was strangled… what the hell…’

Dojin’s expression darkened.

It wasn’t just the injuries—Jiho looked painfully young.

He barely reached Dojin’s chest.

His frame was stick-thin, and his cheeks still held the softness of baby fat.

Jiho couldn’t have looked older than a middle or high schooler.

“Captain? I think we should head to our posts now,”

A teammate nearby glanced at the time and nudged him.

Dojin frowned deeper. “I’ll go separately. You guys head over first.”

“…Sorry?”

“I can’t just leave this kid alone.”

Anyone could tell Jiho was a victim of the facility.

There was no way he was going to leave him stranded in the middle of a hallway where danger could pop out at any moment.

The other team members glanced uneasily at Jiho, still clinging to Dojin like a lifeline.

While they hesitated, Dojin took the time to adjust Jiho’s slipping gown.

“The Gamma Team will be here soon. I’ll hand him off and follow after.”

“Ah, yes. Then we’ll go ahead.”

“Right.”

Dojin nodded and looked down at Jiho’s waist.

There should have been a sash or a belt there.

“…The tie’s broken.”

His muttered voice carried mild dismay.

Understandable.

Under the falling gown, Jiho’s body was completely bare—not even underwear.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

With no other option, Dojin pulled a utility rope from his harness pocket.

Despite his rough hands, he tied the makeshift belt gently and securely around Jiho’s waist.

“I think your shoulder’s dislocated. I could try to fix it now, but it’ll hurt. Do you think you can bear it until we get to the center’s hospital?”

“……”

Jiho’s big eyes rolled as he considered, then he gave a single nod.

Next, Dojin asked, “Good. Is there anywhere else you’re hurt?”

“……”

Hurt?

There were too many places to count.

His soles stung like he’d stepped on something sharp.

His rear burned from being hit repeatedly with a belt.

The bite marks on his stomach and inner thighs, the bruises on his face and neck, the soreness in… other, more humiliating places—

Honestly, it would’ve been faster to list the parts that weren’t in pain.

As he thought this through, something struck Jiho as odd.

‘It’s a dream, but I can still feel pain…?’

How could a dream feel so real?

When Jiho just tilted his head without answering, Dojin rephrased the question.

“What’s your name?”

“Lee Woo…”

“…Are you unable to speak?”

Nod nod.

His nose was starting to run again.

As he sniffled, Dojin quickly and awkwardly rubbed his back.

“Uh, um… is it because of the marks on your neck?”

Shake shake.

That wasn’t it.

Jiho hadn’t lost his voice just because of strangulation.

It had happened suddenly one day, and never came back.

He could only assume it was some side effect of the drugs.

“…Then we’ll set that aside for now. Were you locked up here?”

Nod.

“You’re a Guide?”

Nod nod.

In the original timeline, Jiho hadn’t even known he was a Guide until after being rescued and taken to the Awakened Center.

The illegal guiding facility never told him what kind of power he had.

But this Jiho was different.

He knew he was a Guide—and not just any Guide, but A-rank or higher.

“Can you mouth your name for me?”

This time, instead of nodding, Jiho silently shaped the words with his lips.

Dojin squinted and tried to read them.

“…Lee? Lee Woo?”

Shake shake.

“Lee…?”

Shake shake.

“Ah. Ji? Jiu? Jio? Ji…ho?”

Nod nod!!

Jiho nodded eagerly.

Like he’d solved a riddle, Dojin lit up with a warm smile.

“Jiho. So it’s Jiho. And how old are you?”

Since he was convinced this was just a dream, Jiho slowly raised his fingers to show the age he remembered.

“…Twenty-three? You’re really twenty-three?”

Nod, nod.

Jiho nodded, but Dojin gave him a skeptical look. Still, he had no choice but to turn away as a voice called out from the distance.

“Who’s over there? Ah, Captain Baek?”

Turning his head, Dojin spotted Gamma Team approaching their staging point. His face brightened as he waved them over.

“There’s a rescued Guide here—he’s a victim of the facility.”

“…Excuse me?”

At the mention of a victim Guide, the Gamma Team members rushed over.

Startled by the sudden commotion, Jiho flinched.

“Don’t crowd him. He’s in a delicate state…”

Dojin stepped slightly in front of Jiho, gently shielding him from the others.

Jiho wore a confused expression, as if everything was playing out exactly as he remembered it.

‘Is this not a dream, but a life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment? Did I die from guide exhaustion or something…?’

While he was entertaining the strange thought, Dojin was briefing the Gamma Team on Jiho’s condition.

The team members murmured, each in disbelief.

“…This kid—no, this gentleman—wait, I mean… this Guide is twenty-three years old?”

“Never mind the age, his condition looks terrible.”

“You shouldn’t be so blunt. But yeah, he really does look bad. And we don’t even have a healing Esper on today’s mission.”

Dojin glanced at Jiho’s face before speaking carefully.

“Our Alpha Team has to stay focused on the main building. If Gamma Team has any spare hands, could someone escort Guide Jiho to the rear and watch over him?”

Unlike the compact Alpha Team, Gamma Team had more personnel.

One of them, a support-type C-rank Esper, hesitated for a moment—then stepped forward.

“I’ll take him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Escorting a Guide isn’t a big deal. It’s not like there are monsters popping out here.”

Shrugging confidently, the man held out a hand to Jiho.

“Come on. This area’s going to get dangerous. Let’s head somewhere safe.”

Though he spoke informally, his tone was kind and soft.

But Jiho didn’t relax.

He just stared at the man in front of him, eyes filled with wariness.

‘Park Gitae…’

Jiho knew him.

His name was Park Gitae. Rank: C.

A C-rank should’ve been able to get by with hand-guiding alone, but Gitae constantly whined that only sex-guiding “worked” for him. Jiho had suffered under that excuse for far too long.

The only reason Gitae could act however he pleased toward an A-rank Guide like Jiho was thanks to his father—the CEO of a pharmaceutical company that produced guiding drugs.

Instead of protecting Guides, the Guide Director had backed Park Gitae, leaving Jiho completely unprotected.

Even his own teammates had kept quiet, afraid of what would happen if Jiho didn’t handle Gitae—they didn’t want to bear the brunt of his tantrums.

‘Was it Park Gitae who took me away back then too…?’

At the time, Jiho had been half out of his mind and couldn’t remember people’s faces well. The memory was hazy.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and come here.”

Park Gitae waved his outstretched hand impatiently.

Jiho frowned and leaned back slightly.

“Uuh…”

If he went with Park Gitae now, he’d be repeating the past all over again.

Even if this was just a dream, he wanted to act differently—at least here, in this moment.

“…Guide Jiho?”

On the verge of tears, Jiho grabbed Dojin’s sleeve and backed away, hiding behind him.

He even rested his forehead against Dojin’s broad back, hiding his face.

Dojin looked down at him, clearly a little flustered.

“Hmm…”

“He seems to trust you quite a bit, Captain Baek.”

“Unfortunately, I really have to go now.”

Checking the time again, Dojin reluctantly began to pull away from Jiho.

“Guide Jiho. Please go with this man.”

“Uuuh…”

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

His voice was gentle—but firm enough that Jiho felt hurt.

‘You told me to tell you when it was hard… That you’d stay with me!’

Jiho’s eyes narrowed into little triangles of protest.

Dojin was a little surprised, but didn’t let it show.

“I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done here. So…”

“Uuuh…”

“…What now?”

Jiho let go of Dojin’s sleeve and took a small step back.

Then, using his uninjured right hand, he held out his pinky.

It was a childish gesture—a pinky promise—but it held weight.

Dojin had once done the exact same thing with Jiho in the guiding room when he’d found him crying.

‘I don’t know why you’re crying, but if it’s too hard, just tell me.’

‘Hic…’

‘I’ll do something, okay?’

After wiping Jiho’s tears, Dojin had held out his pinky.

When Jiho stared at it blankly, Dojin simply said, “Promise,” in a low, gentle voice.

Remembering that moment, Jiho now extended his pinky.

Caught off guard, Dojin asked in a slightly confused tone:

“…You want me to promise?”