The root cause was Pyo Myungho.
Pyo Myungho had threatened Gu Jei, vowing to block his Gate clearance until his wave amplitude dropped below 50%. And he had actually followed through.
Hanseo was astonished by Pyo Myungho's resolve. He had assumed it was just an empty threat, but the man truly acted on his words. Contrary to his mild appearance, Pyo Myungho possessed an unexpected steeliness.
After all, Pyo Myungho, who had watched Gu Jei since childhood, knew him better than anyone. He must have understood his nephew's "problem" and surmised that Gu Jei would never willingly accept Guiding without such drastic measures.
So that's why he resorted to this extreme method.
Even so, blocking Gu Jei's Gate clearance was a bold move. There must have been fierce opposition from both superiors and subordinates, yet Pyo Myungho had somehow pulled it off. He likely justified it by citing Gu Jei's excessively frequent deployments and resulting fatigue. The fact that Gu Jei had only been married for a week would have served as a plausible excuse as well.
In any case, Hanseo was incredibly fortunate. He hadn't done anything, yet things were working out perfectly, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
Regardless of whether this was part of his plan or not, he couldn't afford to let this golden opportunity slip through his fingers.
"Then, shall we start by holding hands?"
Gu Jei's face twisted into a grimace. For a moment, Hanseo almost thought he'd asked him to eat the food waste instead of hold hands. The amusing part was that Gu Jei's openly disgusted expression finally made him look his age.
It was a strange phenomenon. In his previous life, Hanseo had first met Gu Jei when he was also 21, but back then, he'd never once considered him young. Gu Jei's demeanor had always been impossible to gauge.
Was I just young back then too?
Hanseo stared intently at Gu Jei, feeling a sense of wonder.
In truth, Gu Jei's appearance hadn't changed much from his memories, but seeing the man before him as a 21-year-old made him seem unexpectedly young.
Espers and athletes shared a commonality: their twenties were considered their prime. Conversely, their greatest difference lay in average lifespan. Being an Esper was a high-mortality profession. Even veterans who survived the Gates often retired due to mental health issues. After all, how could one's mind remain intact after risking their life in battle against Monsters every day?
Still, even with that in mind, 23 was far too young to die. As Han Seo took Gu Jei's awkwardly outstretched hand—like a child forced to swallow a carrot—he couldn't help but think.
"Then let's begin the Guiding."
With his uninjured hand, Hanseo gently grasped the tips of Gu Jei's fingers and channeled Guiding energy into him. He could feel Gu Jei's stiff body relax slightly, as if relieved that Hanseo hadn't grabbed him roughly. Gu Jei must have thought Hanseo would take advantage of the opportunity to grope him.
Even so, Hanseo wasn't crazy enough to grope an S-Class Esper. He scoffed inwardly and focused on the Guiding. It definitely felt easier than Emission Guiding. And it wasn't just a feeling—the readings on Gu Jei's watch were gradually decreasing.
Oh, it's working! Han Seo's face lit up. He'd never found Guiding particularly interesting before, but Gu Jei was such a challenging subject that it gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
Hanseo's joy was short-lived. 70, 69, 68, 68, 68... No matter how hard he struggled, the percentage refused to drop below 68%.
At this rate, I'll be lucky to get it below 60, let alone 50.
The only consolation was that, upon closer examination, he understood the problem. The stagnation wasn't simply a matter of Guiding.
A more meticulous approach revealed that Gu Jei's energy waves were subtly repelling the Guiding.
It was an experience so bizarre it bordered on absurd. Is this how it feels to watch a shipwreck survivor refuse food on the brink of starvation, or an emergency patient try to rip off their oxygen mask?
"Hyung."
After calling him "hyung" repeatedly, the word no longer felt foreign on his tongue. As expected, anything becomes familiar with repetition. Hanseo slowly released Gu Jei's hand and asked,
"Hyung, are you uncomfortable with physical contact?"
Gu Jei didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.
"When did this start?"
"Why are you asking?"
'Who do you think you are?' Hanseo could almost hear Gu Jei's unspoken words. The man's gaze was icy, devoid of warmth. Yet Hanseo refused to back down.
"I'm asking as your Guide. Please answer."
Gu Jei seemed taken aback by Hanseo's firm response. He likely expected Hanseo to retreat at his usual cold demeanor. But Hanseo had reached his limit. With his own future tied to Gu Jei's survival, he couldn't afford to yield.
And Gu Jei wasn't foolish enough to be unaware of a Guide's role.
A Guide serves a role similar to that of a doctor. The Guide training manual naturally included instruction in first aid, injury management, and even psychological counseling. In essence, a Guide is an Esper-specific physician, a rescue worker, and their own oxygen tank.
Monitoring the condition of their assigned Esper was a Guide's duty, and Gu Jei, who never neglected his own responsibilities, respected the duties of others. He simply hadn't anticipated that Hanseo, a Guide with no experience, would know this and use it against him in this way.
Gu Jei opened his mouth reluctantly.
"It's not about being a germaphobe. Do you know I grew up in the Center?"
"Yes, I heard. You awakened at age five and were taken to the Center."
To be precise, he had learned about it online. Gu Jei's upbringing was so widely known that it seemed everyone knew about it except for those who had spent their entire lives confined to the research institute for 25 years.
A common trait of high-ranking Espers who awakened at a young age was their inability to control their powers effectively. Gu Jei, who awakened at just five years old, possessed such a formidable ability that he was deemed unsafe for the general public and entrusted to the Center.
Gu Jei then shared a story that hadn't been mentioned online.
"Back then, the Center didn't treat Espers as fellow humans. To ordinary people, we were no different from monsters. The only difference between us and the monsters from the Gate was that we could be controlled. That's why they tried various methods to control young Espers."
Though he didn't elaborate, the "methods" certainly weren't something like handing candy to a child.
"The symptoms suddenly appeared around the time I graduated from school. I'm not sure if the Center's work was the actual cause, but according to the doctor, it was. As a fatal problem for an Esper, I tried to fix it, but it didn't work. I quickly developed immunity to psychiatric medications too. Are you satisfied now?"
This was a story he hadn't known in his previous life. Back then, whenever Hanseo asked about it, he'd only get answers like, "What's it to you?" Gu Jei was willingly sharing his story because Hanseo was his Guide.
Strangely enough, the moment he realized this, a feeling he'd never experienced before stirred within him. So, perhaps this was...
"Thank you for telling me."
Responsibility...?
"What I'm asking is whether you're subconsciously rejecting Guiding, hyung. As you know, Guiding isn't just about physical contact. Especially when a high-ranking Esper resists, forcing the guiding could cause the waves to distort, putting both of us in danger... that's what I was taught."
Realizing he might have sounded too knowledgeable for a novice Guide with no experience, Hanseo quickly added, "I'm still learning, of course."
Gu Jei nodded in understanding. After the recent incident where a Guide's intrusion had nearly triggered a full-blown rampage, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the risks.
Hanseo pointed to Gu Jei's watch.
"This level of contact Guiding is the maximum reduction we can achieve right now. But forcing a higher-level Guiding immediately would only intensify your resistance..."
As Hanseo spoke, he realized he was incredibly lucky. When Gu Jei had gone berserk, Hanseo actually performed oral contact Guiding. If Gu Jei had reacted with the same violent rejection he was showing now, Hanseo would have ended up foaming at the mouth in the Guiding room, just like the Guide next to them.
"First, we need to address the root cause of the problem. I think the biggest factor is the aversion hyung has toward me. So, how about we start by fixing that?"
Gu Jei seemed to loathe being swept up in this situation. But with no other options, he finally sighed, looking deeply displeased, and asked, "How do you propose we do that?"
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