"How is he?"
"Who?"
"Cha In-ho."
At the sudden mention of the name, Joo-hyun lifted his head from the book he was buried in. Seung-cheol, who looked several years older than his actual age due to his unkempt curly hair and scruffy beard, was sitting on the sofa watching TV.Not long ago, Joo-hyun bought the most expensive snacks at the Block C canteen for his birthday. Yet now, he flopped another page of his book.
"It's just okay."
"There's no way. He's a matching guide, after all."
"Even if he is, he doesn't stick around all the time."
As Joo-hyun said, Cha In-ho only came about twice a week, hardly enough to be called a matching guide.
Of course, Joo-hyun knew he should be grateful even for that. Seung-cheol, who hadn't received guiding for five days, still had a wound from two days ago that hadn't healed.
"Does he guide well?"
"More or less."
"Does he do anything weird?"
Joo-hyun's dark red eyes glanced at Seung-cheol. Even though he understood the meaning behind the look, Seung-cheol's face remained fixed on the small TV screen.
"Other than giving me nicotine patches, not really."
"Haha, have you tried using it?"
"As if."
The remote control, wrapped in blue tape, shook in Seung-cheol's large hand. He leaned his arm on the armrest and put his legs up on the table as he spoke.
"You may not like it, but unless he does something that really pisses you off, just put up with it. There aren't many who would volunteer to guide guys like us."
"What do you mean, for guys like us?"
Joo-hyun felt Seung-cheol's red eyes, darker than his own, watching him, but he pretended to read his book and avoided eye contact.
"Do we kill or hit the guides?"
"There's a possibility."
Joo-hyun felt drained. He stuck a piece of scrap paper between the pages of his book and lay down on the sofa.
They had to live their whole lives confined because of the 'possibility of running away again.' He wasn't upset about it. He had resigned himself to it long ago.
But it was the first time that he had encountered a matching guide and a situation where guiding wasn't lacking. So, Joo-hyun found it strange that he was the only esper in Block C to receive such benefits.
At the same time, the fact that espers outside received this routinely made his chest boil with mixed feelings of guilt and anger.
'It's not like I'm doing anything special with Cha In-ho. At most, we hold hands, but guides don't even hold our hands just because of the possibility that we might run away and kill them.'
Joo-hyun thought it might be because he was particularly sinful, but it wasn't the same for the others in Block C. Even Seung-cheol, who had been lucky enough not to involve any civilians when he ran away.
As Joo-hyun rubbed the brown sofa with a sulky expression, a warm hand ruffled his hair roughly. It was more like messing it up than a gentle pat, but Joo-hyun didn't resist.
Seung-cheol was the second person to ruffle his hair. The first time a large hand had approached his head, he had closed his eyes tightly, thinking it would strike. Only after some time did he realise it wasn't a threat.
"Anyway, no matter when he leaves, don't chase him away yourself. Now that you have a guide, you should make the most of it."
"If I chase him away, you might get a chance."
Joo-hyun knew that it wasn't something special about him that made Cha In-ho choose him. It was just luck. Ultimately, what Cha In-ho wanted was a runaway esper, so anyone in Block C would do.
Seung-cheol, who usually acted indifferent but sometimes sharp, looked directly at Joo-hyun.
"You don't even know what proper guiding is."
Joo-hyun had run away at the same time his abilities manifested. He was transferred to Block C immediately afterwards, so he never had the chance to experience what other espers did.
"Don't feel guilty towards us. You didn't take anything from us; it was always yours to begin with."
Joo-hyun, who had rarely held anything of his own, still couldn't shake off the guilt, but he decided to try.
Noticing the change in Joo-hyun's expression, Seung-cheol moved away and grinned. With his unshaven beard, he looked more like an unemployed uncle from the neighbourhood than a monstrous runaway esper.
"Who knows? Maybe he'll like you and keep guiding you."
"He said it was a one-year contract."
"Contracts can always be extended."
"That will never happen."
Yes. It'd never happen. No one had told him explicitly, but Joo-hyun had a vague idea why Cha In-ho had chosen to match with a runaway esper.
The suspicion that he had been hiding his status as a guide had already been overshadowed by the talk about runaway espers. There would be no reason to maintain the contract after a year.
Seung-cheol, who had turned his attention to the TV, pressed the buttons on the remote control. Joo-hyun blinked at the grey ceiling and then yawned widely.
"By the way, does Cha In-ho have any friends?
"How would I know that?"
"Is he close with Seo Bo-ra by any chance?"
"How would I know... No, I don't want to. I won't do it."
Feeling a chill, Joo-hyun tried to get up. Well, he would have, if it weren't for the firm hand on his shoulder, he would have gotten up and left the lounge long ago. Normally, he wouldn't let himself be pushed around, but his posture wasn't good right now.
Seung-cheol chuckled brightly.
"Joo-hyun."
"I said no. Don't make lame requests."
"Just one autograph!"
"I said no!"
"Thank you so much! I'll rely on you!"
"I... clearly said no- Ugh!"
Struggling to free himself from the thick arm, Joo-hyun finally managed to get up and tumble off the sofa. Seung-cheol was still grinning brightly.
Seo Bo-ra was a name Joo-hyun had heard occasionally. Not from TV, but from Seung-cheol. Before his runaway incident, Seung-cheol had received guidance from her at the centre and had been smitten ever since.
The espers in Block C rarely talked about themselves. They were too exhausted to lick each other's wounds. In such an environment, hearing Seung-cheol mention Seo Bo-ra several times indicated just how much he liked her.
Even though Joo-hyun hated the idea of asking Cha In-ho for a favour, in this desolate place, small matters could provide the strength to live another day. Eventually, Joo-hyun sighed and nodded in agreement.
* * *
"Sorry?"
"So, about Seo… if you could…."
"Sorry, I can't hear you at all."
Joo-hyun, who usually intimidated others with his confident demeanour, was no different from a shy bear today.
Joo-hyun felt his cheeks warm slightly and gritted his teeth. Having rarely asked anyone for a favour, he fidgeted nervously with his fingers. If he had just blurted it out as if it were nothing, it might have been fine, but hesitating had only made the situation awkward.
The runaway esper glanced at his guide. Cha In-ho, unusually wearing glasses and appearing more disheveled than usual, looked at him curiously. Even in a slightly shabby state, Cha In-ho's appearance seemed more human.
Clearing his throat, Joo-hyun averted his gaze and tried to speak nonchalantly.
"Do you know Seo Bo-ra by any chance?"
"I do."
"Are you close?"
"We've appeared in a film together, so we keep in touch."
Joo-hyun's face noticeably brightened, though he wasn't aware of it. Cha In-ho's eyes narrowed in response.
He hadn't expected much since not all celebrities were close, but the unexpected result made Joo-hyun's heart lift. Noticing Cha In-ho's suspicious gaze, Joo-hyun coughed and tried to compose his expression before asking cautiously.
"Then, would she give you an autograph?"
His fingers fiddled too busily with his sleeve, trying to appear uninterested. Cha In-ho, his face unreadable, rested his arms on the table.
"Do you want Bo-ra's autograph?"
Joo-hyun, who had unconsciously leaned forward, awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Being asked so directly felt strangely embarrassing.
"Well, is that a problem?"
"It's not a problem, but… hmm…."
Joo-hyun fervently hoped that Cha In-ho would agree. He had swallowed his pride to make this request, and if Cha In-ho refused, there would be nothing gained.
"Okay, I'll do it."
The unexpectedly cheerful response made Joo-hyun smile brightly. He could already imagine Seung-cheol's delighted face and himself basking in glory, which lifted his spirits.
"That's the first time I've seen you smile like that."
"Sorry?"
"I didn't know you were a fan of Bo-ra."
Cha In-ho, smiling slightly, rested his chin on his palm. Despite the lack of makeup, his appearance still shone, though Joo-hyun, preoccupied with other thoughts, hardly noticed.
Joo-hyun wasn't particularly a fan, but it felt wrong to say so after asking for an autograph. He nodded vaguely.
"I thought you weren't interested in celebrities."
"I'm not."
"…Bo-ra is an exception?"
His tone was peculiar. Though his face was smiling, his words carried a subtle edge, leaving Joo-hyun unsure how to respond. Normally, he would have been defiant, but he wanted to give Seung-cheol, one of the few people who treated him normally, a great birthday present.