Beyond The Control

Chapter 50

“Is there no kimchi by any chance?”

“I don’t know.”

If you don’t know, who would?

“Don’t you ever eat at home?”

“I do. The housekeeper prepares it and leaves, so I just have to take it out and eat.”

That carefree attitude reeks of wealth. Anyway, with the owner’s permission, I opened the refrigerator door. As he said, there were a few side dish containers, but that was it. I couldn’t even see common items like eggs or gochujang.

And yet, he had a whole compartment filled with beer. What an enviable guy.

I took out whatever I could find and put some round meat patties on a plate, then sat down facing Song Ji-hyeok. Without a word, we both focused on eating. Only after we were somewhat full did I regain my composure and speak to Song Ji-hyeok.

“Is there anything I should be particularly careful about while staying with you?”

“Not really.”

He didn’t even think about it. What if he regrets it later?

“If you think of anything later, let me know right away. Also, how do you handle cleaning and laundry?”

“The housekeeper.”

I nodded, unsurprised as I had expected as much. However, it was a bit awkward as my plan to repay his kindness through housework had fallen through.

I can’t do housework, and I don’t have a license to drive him to and from work… I guess I’ll just have to focus on doing my best at guiding.

There were other modern conveniences that reduced physical labor. There was a dishwasher, so I didn’t need to put on rubber gloves and wash dishes. During that time, Song Ji-hyeok showed me the room where I’d be staying. It was the same room I had crashed in when I got drunk before.

“Use the bathroom in the living room.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I was thinking of going for a run once my stomach settles a bit.”

Song Ji-hyeok checked the time on his phone.

“At this hour?”

“Yeah, I ate too much, so I feel like I need to run a bit.”

“If that’s the case, use the treadmill.”

His casual remark made my eyes widen slightly.

“You have a treadmill at home?”

“Yes. Follow me.”

I followed as instructed, and Song Ji-hyeok opened a door somewhere. When he turned on the light switch on the wall, the interior suddenly brightened, revealing the scene inside.

My eyes widened even more. There was not only a treadmill but also a cycling machine, a Smith machine, bench press equipment and barbells, and even a lat pulldown machine.

No wonder his lats seemed to have gotten bigger recently.

“Feel free to use it whenever you want to work out.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

As I looked around like a country mouse who had just arrived in the big city, I couldn’t help but think to myself. I really made the right decision coming to Song Ji-hyeok’s house, regardless of shame. Really.

***

I had trouble sleeping the first night. My mind was unsettled, and after tossing and turning with all sorts of thoughts and worries, I finally managed to fall asleep. The room’s scenery I saw again in the morning and the spotlessly clean bathroom still felt unfamiliar.

But something even more perplexing happened. Before we had a chance to get used to living together, Song Ji-hyeok left for the field the next morning with a few team members. As a result, I suddenly found myself playing the role of homeowner while he was away.

The team returned yesterday evening. I had received a call in advance and was waiting, so I immediately provided guiding to Song Ji-hyeok. He demanded sex as if it were natural, and I complied without protest. I blacked out slightly at the end again, but I regained consciousness faster than last time.

We commuted home together afterward, but I went to work alone today. Espers who have returned from A-rank or higher dungeons are guaranteed half a day to a full day of rest. Despite there being plenty of Espers itching for a fight, our guild was truly exemplary in this regard, not forcing them out without a break.

I filled my stomach at the cafeteria from the morning and went up to the office. The first thing I did after turning on the computer was to type “XX-dong Dungeon” into the portal search bar.

However, there were no newly updated articles. In other words, it meant that the battle was still ongoing.

I sighed softly and closed the window. I knew all too well that since it was estimated to be A-rank, it wouldn’t end in just a day or two, and that everyone was fighting fiercely, risking their lives. But since it was in our neighborhood, I couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious.

‘If only I were an S-rank Esper at times like this, I’d confidently join in.’

Of course, I’d need guild approval. But before that, Moonlight Guild probably wouldn’t even accept me.

Feeling frustrated, I entertained impossible thoughts as I turned on the guild-specific program. As I habitually logged in to check the data room, my device made a small sound. Surprisingly, a guiding request came in early in the morning.

‘It won’t be Song Ji-hyeok.’

I had peeked into his room this morning, and it was still the middle of the night for him. I wonder if he’s still sleeping. Anticipating who it might be among the few possible candidates, I went down to the third floor.

Perhaps because it was morning, only three or four Espers were sitting in the still quiet waiting room lobby. The back of one of them looked particularly familiar. Just seeing the slightly hunched posture and shaggy hair covering the neck, I could guess who it was. The desk staff’s words matched my expectation.

“Hello. Team 6’s Esper Jeon Hyeon-wook has requested guiding.”

“Okay. Please send him in.”

As soon as I answered and turned around, I met eyes with Jeon Hyeon-wook. He stood up, bowing his head slightly, and we entered the guiding room together.

There was a slightly musty smell, probably because the door had been closed all night. I quickly opened two windows and sat down across from Jeon Hyeon-wook. To gather information and before starting the guiding, I casually asked:

“Did you come back from a dungeon?”

“No. I, I had an intense sparring session.”

It was a common occurrence. Even though I’m half Esper, they were generally so energetic and aggressive that they would unleash skills at each other in the sparring room whenever they got bored. It was interesting to see how even initially quiet people would suddenly get fired up and wear out the threshold of the training room, showing how influential one’s environment can be.

“Please put your hands on the cushion.”

“Y-yes.”

Jeon Hyeon-wook wiped his hands on his pants before placing them on the cushion. Even so, when I held his hands, they felt slightly damp and lukewarm.

I let my energy flow into Jeon Hyeon-wook. I had noticed his face was flushed and he kept moistening his dry lips with his tongue, but his internal energy state was worse than I had expected.

“Who did you fight with?”

“Oh, that, with Hoyoung hyung, Jeongwook hyung, and Jaekyung.”

“Park Jae-kyung?”

“Yes.”

For a moment, I almost felt pity for him. I could clearly imagine Park Jae-kyung attacking mercilessly with wild eyes and evident enjoyment. It’s not for nothing that she has the nickname “fighting chicken” despite her pretty face.

“You must have had a tough time.”

Park Jae-kyung will probably come looking for me soon too. I hope she comes when she’s down to about 50% energy.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“If it’s not too much trouble, could I request a mucosal guiding? I need to participate in training right after this.”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

Though slightly surprised by the unexpected request, I moved to sit next to Jeon Hyeon-wook without much hesitation. Mucosal guiding would probably cut the time needed in half, if nothing else. I briefly said, “I’m starting,” and then tilted my head slightly to the side, pressing our lips together. As I well knew, I could feel a much greater flow of energy.

The characteristic fuzziness during guiding intensified, but it wasn’t to the point of feeling intoxicated or falling into a trance. It was like a threshold of sensation. After experiencing extreme pleasure and sensations because of Song Ji-hyeok, guiding that was less intense didn’t provide much stimulation. Even mucosal guiding, which would have been sufficiently thrilling before, now only made me think, ‘This is definitely better than holding hands. It’ll be over soon.’

Despite these stray thoughts, I carried out the guiding faithfully. Soon feeling it was complete, I withdrew my lips.

“Good work.”

I immediately pulled out a couple of tissues and handed them to Jeon Hyeon-wook. Despite trying to be gentle, I could see his lips were slightly wet.

“Th-thank you.”

Just then, my device rang. I checked the message and couldn’t help but smile.

[Honey~~ Can you give me some guiding?]

As expected, it was Park Jae-kyung. After replying that I was in the guiding room, I looked up to find Jeon Hyeon-wook still in his seat. What’s this? I gave him a full guiding session.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“Huh? Oh, well…”

Whether he had wiped his mouth or not, Jeon Hyeon-wook was crumpling the tissue I had given him as he asked me:

“Are you free this evening?”