Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 31

#31. Stages of Guiding

***

Jay, having raised the altitude of the fleet, grumbled as he scanned Dohyuk, who was covered in bl00d, from head to toe.

“Hey. If you get hurt like this, I’m the only one who gets blamed.”

Dohyuk silently lowered his eyes. He didn’t argue back. It was true that he had disobeyed orders. If the Chief hadn’t mentioned expulsion, he would still be fighting down there.

“Tsk. I’ve done everything I can, from first aid to guiding medication… …The shoulder burn looks like it will take a while to heal. But still, since you’re an Esper, you’ll be better in a week, right?”

“….”

“Now tell me. Why did you disobey the return order? I told you three times. To return to the fleet.”

“I apologize.”

“Tch. Do you really want to be expelled? Tell me. Why did you do it?”

“…The leader of Yeouido. I judged that he had to be killed now.”

“Why? Because Esper Heo Yi Gyeom said he wanted to talk to Yeowon?”

Dohyuk didn’t answer. In fact, she knew without hearing it. She had seen Heo Yi Gyeom’s arm fly off at that moment.

“Oh really, these Espers.”

Jay rubbed her forehead with a frustrated look. She had wanted to quietly investigate the Espers in Yeouido and withdraw, but she hadn’t expected the commotion to escalate to this extent.

A slight friction arising in the process of hit-and-run, that was all she had anticipated…

If it weren’t for the unexpected outcome, her core engine would have overheated from boiling anger.

Jay sighed as she re-examined the situation from the beginning using the bodycam attached to Dohyuk’s body.

It was something that started because it seemed like the espers of Shelter Yeouido were pretending not to know the locations of the guiding drug production bases even as they were figuring them out one by one, but who knew things would turn out like this.

And that’s not all. She thought they were hiding an esper with a unique ability who had awakened deep within Yeouido, but now it turned out that Heo Yi Gyeom was that unique esper himself.

The unique abilities confirmed so far are fire, detection, healing, earth, and shadow.

And perhaps even physical abilities.

“How can one human possess such a variety of unique abilities?”

Even considering he is an ability absorber, it’s a monstrous talent. To possess such abilities and yet have acted as if he were only a fire ability user until now… A terrifying guy.

And Kang Dohyuk, who fought an equal battle against such a monstrous guy, was just as astonishing.

***

Yeowon’s eyes naturally reddened at the sight of Dohyuk returning in such a battered state.

“You said you’d return safely…”

“I apologize.”

“Your, your shoulder, why is it like this? What happened?”

It was Jay, not Dohyuk, who answered.

“Ah, that? It’s just a simple burn.”

“A burn…? What, what on earth happened?”

“Hmm. Someone went berserk and ignored the return order and started fighting. It’s not my fault. Right, Kang Dohyuk?”

“Chief’s words are correct. I was careless.”

Was she really expecting her to believe that? Yeowon glared at Jay and said.

“Hand over the video evidence. I’ll check it myself.”

“Oh no! Movement detected in S-13 sector! Looks like a monster is about to hatch from its egg! I’ll go check it out quickly!”

Yeowon frowned at Jay, who had quickly run away, and then looked at Dohyuk. But the answer she expected didn’t come.

“…It’s confidential, so I cannot share it with you. I apologize.”

“Dohyuk-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“I’m angry. You came back so, so badly injured, it really upsets me.”

“….”

“I’m curious and worried about what happened, but neither Jay nor Dohyuk-ssi will tell me anything, so I feel left out. It’s like you’re both excluding me. I know you’re not saying anything to protect me.”

As she continued speaking, Dohyuk’s head also lowered further and further.

“I know, but it just makes me feel like I’m the only idiot.”

“…I have no excuse. I’m sorry.”

As expected, Yeowon sighed quietly at his answer. It seemed like no matter what she said from this point on, the only response she would get was “I’m sorry.”

Still, he had returned. She had said all she wanted to say. Yeo-won silently stepped aside to let him pass.

“Get some rest.”

Just as she was about to pass by, Dohyuk grabbed Yeowon’s sleeve.

“Dohyuk-ssi?”

“A gift. I prepared it, but it’s damaged.”

Dohyuk said, placing something in Yeowon’s hand.

Next time, I will bring you a proper one again.”

“…Oh.”

“I will be going now.”

A surprised Yeowon raised her head, but Dohyuk’s figure was already gone from that spot. It was because Dohyuk had used his esper physical abilities to dash away.

When she opened her hand, which she had been clutching blankly, a scorched, bright yellow topaz shone as if it had been waiting.

“…It’s pretty.”

Yeowon traced the surface, partly rough and partly smooth, with her thumb and activated the hologram to find Dohyuk, who had run away.

That’s right. He had said that if she liked the gift, she should reward him with a kiss. She had forgotten about that.

“Shouldn’t he at least ask if I like it?”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t properly guided Dohyuk very often.

He always wore a guiding blocker on a regular basis, and she had only guided him once in a while for data extraction. Even that was always radiation guiding under Jay’s observation.

Yeo-won recalled something Jay had said once.

There are 3 stages of guiding.

Radiation guiding. Hand guiding. Sexual guiding. A kiss is somewhere between hand guiding and sexual guiding.

And Espers, recover through guiding.

***

To summon an Esper who has run away is simple.

The preparations are green tea, an electric kettle with hot water, and a teacup.

Brew tea as usual, and grab the scalding hot teacup, avoiding the handle….

“Ow, hot!”

The teacup, momentarily dropped, was about to fall onto her thigh, but just before it did, elder shin¹, appearing out of nowhere, swiftly knocked the teacup away with his palm. So far, everything was as expected.

(t/n : elder shin : honorific. 신형 (臣兄)” is an old-fashioned or literary way to address an elder male respectfully.)

“Are you alright?”

And it’s very effective too. It’s not a method to use too often, because he’ll catch on.

However, that can be considered later, and for now, it’s about this man first. Yeowon solidified her resolve and grabbed Dohyuk’s collar.

“Sit here for a moment.”

“……Why, why are you doing this?”

“Just sit.”

Dohyuk, bewildered and apprehensive, obediently followed Yeowon’s words.

Afraid that Dohyuk might run away again at any moment, Yeowon quickly straddled his thighs and sat down.

“G-Guide-nim?”

“You always call me that when you’re flustered. Why? Am I too close?”

“…It seems so.”

“Yes. I think so too. But no matter how much I stand on tiptoes… It doesn’t seem to work. So, this position is better. What I mean is, I liked the gift… That’s what I’m saying.”

“Is that so.”

He answers well enough, but his expression says otherwise. He seemed to think that she couldn’t possibly like a burnt, ruined gift. He also hadn’t grasped her intentions in the slightest.

Seeing Dohyuk just bewildered, Yeowon deliberately pulled Dohyuk’s chin. She also didn’t forget to deactivate the guiding blocker.

“So, the reward we promised, I’ll give it to you now.”

As she said this, Yeowon gave Dohyuk a short kiss on the lips. And she waited for his reaction.

Dohyuk reacted.

However, his reaction was different from what Yeowon had expected.

“Guide-nim. This is not a kiss.”

“Oh. Then… Mmph. Ugh! Ungh!”

In an instant, the back of her head was firmly grasped, and their tightly pressed lips began to rub together. The tips of their noses brushed against each other’s cheeks and were crushed.

A tongue suddenly invaded through their parted lips, and her lower lip was bitten, their breaths mingling together.

Lips thoroughly explored her teeth. A tongue that greedily sucked up and swallowed saliva rampaged wildly inside her mouth.

“….Hngh!”

Lips that had briefly parted, glistening with saliva, soon met again. Only allowed to catch a breath, their tongues intertwined once more.

He’s devouring me. At this rate, he’ll consume me whole.

Her instincts, belatedly sensing the danger to her body, sent a warning. This man was something beyond a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

But before fear could fully surge within her, his forehead gently rubbed against her cheek in an affectionate gesture. She wasn’t even sure when their lips had parted.

“Ha… ha!”

Catching her breath, Yeowon felt Do-hyeok bury his face in the crook of her neck as he whispered,

“…I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Haa-uh!”

“Did you dislike it?”

Yeowon, who had been catching her breath for a while, shook her head slightly. In response to that signal, Dohyuk, who had been crouching and holding Yeowon, slowly raised his head.

“Then, did you like it?”

“…I’m not sure. It’s my first time.”

“I see. Then I will do it again. Until you know.”

“Ah. No.. Mmph! Ungh!”

The deliberate kiss that silenced her words was relentless.

It was tender yet deep.

For something as simple as a kiss, the flood of sensations was overwhelmingly intense.

The tongue and lips invading her mouth made her realize, desire could be this seductive.

Yeowon floundered in the midst of that violent passion for what felt like an eternity.

She only regained her senses when she felt tears—ones that weren’t her own—wetting her cheek.

Dohyuk was crying.

And only then did she recall his original intent. The thought that she should respond in some way came belatedly.

Clumsily, she moved her tongue against his, amplifying the waves between them.

She couldn’t even imitate the deep kiss; she merely licked at his lips, only to have her lower lip gently bitten in return. But it didn’t hurt. Even the faint sting was stimulating.

By the time Dohyuk had regained his composure entirely, he asked again,

“Did you like it?”

The way he refused to give up on an answer was almost childish. Saying such words while crying wasn’t exactly charming—but somehow, it was endearing and utterly lovable.

Yeowon chuckled softly before pressing her lips against his. And then, she answered.

“Yes.”

Dohyuk pulled her into his arms without a word.

No matter how tightly I grasped, he felt like sand slipping through my fingers.

My guide, who felt like she would disappear beyond the sea like sea foam.

That clear reality, which I couldn’t dare to hope for even when seen with my eyes and touched with my hands, was now in my arms.