GP | Chapter 1.8

But that bus had already left. That person was never coming back, and it was not easy to say a single word to Song Taejoon. He could ask if he wanted to, but he was even more afraid that if he did, things would worsen between them and he would no longer be able to guide him.

Seoh could only strip off his clothes and begin washing. He wanted to soak himself in a bath, but for now it was impossible, so he had to settle for washing himself however he could.

Come to think of it, there was no towel either.

The only place in this house that felt lived in was Song Taejoon’s room, but since he could not go in there, the things he lacked kept piling up.

In the end, he used the T-shirt he had brought to wipe himself dry, then washed the clothes he had worn. Seoh came out in only underwear and pants, and only after slipping on the remaining shirt did he finally breathe out.

When he came back into the living room, the giant aquarium came into view. Was the room with Song Taejoon’s bedroom and this living room the only place he was not supposed to enter? Looking at the aquarium from afar, Seoh went into the kitchen and sat in one of the dining chairs.

Come to think of it, even eating was not allowed as he liked. The huge amount of food there was nothing more than decoration.

So he had drunk water and nothing else until now, not even a proper meal. It felt as though everything necessary for basic living had been forcibly stripped away. Prison probably was not even like this, so he had no idea what this place had been built for.

Seoh listened to the growling of his stomach and sprawled over the table.

To live in this house, Song Taejoon’s room was absolutely necessary…

At the very least, when he was gone, he wanted permission to use it.

But even more important than that was guiding. If he did not come back by tomorrow… just the thought of it was dreadful.

Seoh massaged his hands and arms, ignoring the prickling pain that felt like needles jabbing into him. The energy would soon be full again. Before, when he was full of energy like the other Guides, he had felt satisfaction. But not now.

A body emptied of everything would be easier, would it not? Would that hollow feeling, as if he had lost something, be more bearable than pain? It was a little disappointing that he had never fully used up his energy, so he could not be sure.

He tried to force himself to sleep, closing his eyes, but he could not.

In the end, Seoh stood up, opened the front door, and stepped outside. A dense garden, lush like a forest, greeted him first. Some people might find the untouched natural state beautiful, but Seoh did not. The large trees, the unknown grasses that had grown up to his waist, and the deep shadows where sunlight did not reach were dark, and darker still.

It was a place managed by the Esper Center, so there was probably nothing suspicious or dangerous about it… but still, he had no desire to go inside there.

Seoh turned his gaze and looked over the mansion’s exterior. Just as before, the mansion was quite large. Because the outer walls were made of cement rather than brick, the cold feeling hit him strongly. Thinking that it resembled Song Taejoon, Seoh walked slowly along the wall.

He had not expected much to see, but there was a small pond behind the mansion. Or rather than a pond, it was a pool of water full of floating leaves.

It looked as though it had definitely been made for use as a pond, but it had not been maintained at all. The wooden bench beside it was covered in dust and stains, and the iron armrest was so rusted it looked almost black.

Seoh looked at the bench, then quietly crouched down.

“…Could it be used if I cleaned it?”

Instead of a garden that looked like a forest, the surrounding area was an open space covered with crushed stone. Weeds had grown here and there, but that made it look even more natural. The open stretch and the bright blue sky.

It was the second most appealing place in this house. If he stayed inside all the time, it would feel stifling, so coming out here every so often did not seem so bad.

There was nothing else to do anyway. Maybe he could clean things up little by little when it did not hurt.

As he quietly looked around, he turned his gaze back toward the mansion and spotted something. A blue door that showed no sign of use.

Bracing a hand on his knee, Seoh slowly stood, letting out a small groan. The pain in his arms and legs was gradually going beyond what he could endure.

In a way, it was as if he had gone five days without guiding. Before coming here, he had been locked in his room for several days. It had been punishment for guiding without permission. When that punishment ended, he had been called to the Guide Center director, and by then half his energy was already full.

“…Hoo.”

If he let today pass like this and tomorrow came, he would not be able to endure it. Please, let Song Taejoon come back tonight.

Rubbing his arms and legs hard, Seoh sighed and lifted his head again. He carefully approached the blue door and turned the handle. With a click, the door opened. Inside was a narrow hallway. And at the end of that hallway were two doors.

When he pressed the small switch beside the door, the dim hallway lit up. Unlike the outside of the mansion, the inside was kept clean, not a speck of dust in sight.

He opened the door and cautiously stepped into the corridor. Grabbing the handle of the door directly in front of him, he opened it and found the bathroom he had not been able to locate in the house. A toilet, a small sink, and a shower room made of clear glass. The moment he saw it, Seoh felt a little relieved.

“Ah, thank goodness.”

There was no bathtub, but at least there was a bathroom he could use.

Nodding to himself, he opened the other door on the right. He had been curious about where this led, and when he opened it, all he could see was a white wall. Where did it connect to? Looking farther inside, a familiar-looking space appeared. It was a small corridor behind the kitchen.

He had thought he searched every corner of the house, but apparently not. Who would have guessed there was a door connected behind the corridor? Unlike opening it from this side, the door seen from the corridor was pure white, just like the wall. He must have mistaken it for part of the wall.

It was fortunate he found it now. If he had not, he might have had to ask Song Taejoon. Then he might have looked like some creep trying to work his way in with weird ulterior motives.

If you looked only at the result, well… that would not have been entirely wrong, but still.

He did not want to be caught for anything unnecessary beyond guiding, so this was at least better.

Seoh closed the door connected to the outside and went back into the house. After moving his toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap into the bathroom, he returned to the living room, where there was nothing else to do.

His phone had been dead since the moment he arrived here. The communication system was protected, so neither calls nor internet worked. There were links he could access, but they had passwords, so he could not enter them freely either.

Of course, even if it were connected, there was not really anyone he wanted to call.

He went back to the kitchen, sat in a chair, and turned on his phone screen. There were only two numbers saved in his contacts, one for his father and one for the Guide Center’s direct line.

His violent father, addicted to gambling and alcohol, had agreed not to contact him anymore in exchange for using Seoh’s bank account, and it had already been three years since he had heard his voice.

Before his father could drain all the money, Seoh had moved some of it out in advance, but after he got sick, the repeated punishments and salary cuts had kept the money from ever accumulating. When there was finally nothing left for his father to take, the man contacted him directly.

If they met, he would hit him for breaking promises. If they did not meet, he would spew curses over the phone. If he did not answer, he would call the Guide Center and search obsessively until he found him. There was nowhere to hide.

And yet, despite his father’s drama, daily life still went on as it always had. In the end, he had been transferring a little of the money he had set aside each month for his own living expenses, and before he knew it, nothing was left for him.

Naturally, once no more money came in, his father started shaking down the Guide Center instead. After the staff were driven to the point where they could not work, the Guide Center threw up its hands in surrender. They at least agreed to guarantee the minimum amount, citing the fact that Seoh worked hard, and after that the calls stopped.

Whenever he checked his bank account and saw it empty, his father was probably living well somewhere. Thinking of him made Seoh feel miserable for no reason, so he shook his head and barely managed to brush it off.

Come to think of it, he had also not pressed the Guide Center number in a long time. After the incident with his father, he had grown distant from the staff, and also… because in his current situation, he could not even receive the kind of courtesy that should have been automatic.

Seoh turned off his phone screen and sprawled over the table again. Breathing had become a little difficult, so he took a deep breath.

There was a lot he needed to do when Song Taejoon returned. He had to guide him, of course, but he also had to ask for the communication password and Song Taejoon’s contact information in case of emergency. He was supposed to be an exclusive Guide, and yet he did not even know his own Esper’s phone number.

He did not know whether that had happened because things moved too quickly or because it had been done on purpose, but either way, it was a problem he would have to solve with the person himself.

So please, come back quickly.

Time was passing too slowly.