Churu for the Angry Guide

23

“Sit down.”

Taebeom’s order continued.

Siwoo was angered by his expression, which assumed he would naturally obey. If it hadn’t been raining, he would have left to avoid Taebeom.

However, Siwoo didn’t have the confidence to face the pouring rain with this small body, so he endured it. He ignored his words and just licked his front paws.

Thwack!

‘Ah, how startling!’

Siwoo’s body flinched at the sound of Taebeom forcefully striking the ground with his umbrella.

“Sit.”

A very intimidating atmosphere emanated from Taebeom as he repeated the same words. Siwoo, overwhelmed by his cold gaze, unconsciously lowered his bottom.

Only after pressing his rear against Geonho’s stomach did he realize he had followed his order, which hurt his pride. Siwoo glared at Taebeom with wide eyes, quietly swishing his tail slowly.

“Stay still.”

Ah, how irritatingly sensitive.

Being prevented from even wagging his tail made his blood boil. Siwoo pressed against Geonho’s chest, hoping he would wake up soon. Trying to deal with Taebeom alone made his heart shrink, almost falling to the floor.

Kang Taebeom was scarier than expected.

Siwoo’s desire to hit him was forgotten, his spirit crushed by Taebeom’s aura. Although he looked similar to Geonho in build and face, he seemed to live in a completely different world.

He had an atmosphere that screamed ‘don’t get involved’.

Siwoo curled his tail and pressed it down with his front paw, lowering his eyes. He gave up the staring contest, feeling that continuing to face Taebeom only increased his fear.

It was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do. Attacking this large esper in this body would only hurt himself. Siwoo hated pain more than anything in the world.

‘What? Don’t come…!’

Taebeom, who had been standing straight, suddenly approached the chair. Startled, Siwoo bared his front teeth and raised his tail. Unable to growl outright, he just showed his teeth and puffed up his fur.

‘Don’t hit!’

Taebeom’s large hand reached towards Geonho’s face. Siwoo lunged at him with a terrified expression.

He grabbed Taebeom’s hand, raising his front paws in a threatening posture. He had to protect the defenseless sleeping Geonho.

Uh…

Siwoo, who was about to push away Taebeom’s hand with all his might, hesitated for a moment.

Although it was clearly a human hand, he couldn’t feel any body heat. The sensation was chilling, like touching a cold machine.

“Sssp.”

Taebeom made a snake-like hissing sound with his mouth, as if warning the stunned Siwoo. While Siwoo had never flinched at that ‘sssp’ sound before in his life, this time was different.

Siwoo quickly lowered his body, flattening his ears.

Siwoo clung tightly to Geonho, only raising his eyes. He spread his front paws wide, as if hugging Geonho’s shoulders, watching Taebeom’s actions.

His rigid expression and the cold touch of his hand made him seem truly machine-like. He didn’t appear to be a person with a beating heart. He was a being that couldn’t be casually threatened.

Meow…

When Siwoo let out a faint cry of anxiety, Geonho, stirring, patted Siwoo’s back. This too was an action done in his sleep.

“Sleep, sleep… Sleep more…”

Geonho mumbled softly as he rubbed Siwoo’s trembling back. Even in his sleep, he gently stroked all the way to the tip of Siwoo’s tail.

Taebeom’s lips didn’t move a bit at this amusing sight. As if they were glued in place.

Siwoo’s mouth opened wider and wider in surprise at Taebeom’s subsequent actions.

With an indifferent face, Taebeom lifted the eyelids of the deeply sleeping Geonho. After lifting the eyelids until the whites were visible, he then opened Geonho’s mouth to check inside.

What on earth was he doing?

Siwoo blinked, his thoughts coming to a halt. Was he just tormenting him? What was he gaining from this?

He remained still, watching Taebeom’s incomprehensible actions. It felt like something terrible would happen if he intervened now.

‘Why, why! I was staying still!’

However, the hand that had left Geonho’s face now approached Siwoo.

Siwoo recoiled in horror, tilting his head back, but couldn’t escape because Geonho was holding his back.

‘Aah!’

In the end, Taebeom grabbed his front paw.

Taebeom pressed down on the white paw as if he was going to crush it. In reality, this was Siwoo’s misconception; Taebeom had only pressed enough to make the claws come out.

‘It hurts! Help!’

The terrified Siwoo felt as if the paw held by Taebeom was being ripped off. He struggled with all his might, but this only made Taebeom grip tighter.

‘Hey, you idiot, wake up! He’s bullying your cat!’

“Be quiet.”

Taebeom released Siwoo’s front paw and firmly pressed his index finger on the white bridge of Siwoo’s nose. He made a gesture of briefly stroking Siwoo’s nose horizontally before withdrawing his hand.

Siwoo quickly rubbed his nose, where Taebeom’s hand had touched, against Geonho’s clothes. Then, bristling his fur, he suddenly raised his head. At the same time, Taebeom looked down at Siwoo.

It felt strange.

Siwoo’s head gradually tilted, wearing an odd expression. As if entranced, he stared up at Taebeom, his mouth slightly open.

His nose, where Taebeom’s hand had touched, felt hot. It seemed to sting as if burned.

Clearly, his hand had been cold earlier. No, that was his left hand.

Siwoo looked at Taebeom’s right hand with a dazed expression.

His right hand was hovering awkwardly in the air. Taebeom was in an ambiguous posture, neither withdrawing nor extending his arm.

There was no change in his expression, but his fingertips were pointing towards Siwoo.

Strange.

It’s strange.

Siwoo slowly got up. As if Taebeom had called him, he approached with his head raised high. This wasn’t like Siwoo, who wouldn’t come even if called.

Taebeom’s hand, which had been stationary, also moved very slowly towards Siwoo.

Siwoo walked on his hind legs, avoiding Geonho’s face who was breathing in various colors, and placed his feet on the edge of the chair. He sniffed towards Taebeom.

The moment Taebeom’s hand came close enough to touch his nose, Siwoo touched him with his tongue instead of his front paw.

The pink tongue licked Taebeom’s hand. Taebeom just watched this silently.

Siwoo felt a sensation similar to when he had licked Jihan’s hand. A much clearer sensation was lingering in his mouth than that day. Unlike then, when he was just bewildered, Siwoo now had a growing sense of what he was doing.

I’m guiding.

Siwoo and Taebeom thought the same thing simultaneously.

At that moment, Taebeom, slightly furrowing his brow, tried to withdraw his hand. Then Siwoo, grabbing his wrist with his front paws, did something completely unexpected.

Even Siwoo himself hadn’t predicted his own action. His body moved on its own, ahead of his thoughts.

Thump!

As Siwoo leaped onto Taebeom’s chest, the large body fell backward. Surprisingly, Taebeom’s legs had given way.

“…”

Taebeom stared at Siwoo, frowning one eyebrow. Unlike Geonho’s eyes that had shone brightly red, Taebeom’s black eyes didn’t sparkle at all.

He wasn’t a beastkin. He was just an ordinary esper in need of guiding.

‘Hey, leader. I feel weird…’

Siwoo mumbled as he crawled towards Taebeom’s face.

The tingling sensation he was feeling for the first time in his life was about to turn into pain. It felt like someone was hammering his entire body. A dull muscle ache was spreading to every corner of his body.

A groan of pain escaped Siwoo’s small mouth.

‘Do something…’

It felt like the pain would subside if he could quickly reach Taebeom’s lips. His instinct as a guide was telling him so.

Siwoo licked Taebeom’s neck and jaw, searching for his lips. All the energy flowing through his body seemed to be getting sucked into Taebeom.

Siwoo forcibly sent more energy to him. It felt like he should.

As their noses touched, their lips met with a soft ‘tok’.

Siwoo, who opened his mouth first, spread his arms to embrace the broad shoulders. Not with paws covered in white fur, but with human arms.

“Uh…”

The moment he realized this, a faint sound escaped from Siwoo’s mouth, which was overlapping with Taebeom’s.

However, the sound was swallowed up by Taebeom, who had wrapped his arms around Siwoo’s trembling waist.

Wow, this is really bad.