Churu for the Angry Guide

32

“I contacted the secretary.”

Jihan said while stroking Siwoo’s white nape. He loosened the telekinesis around Siwoo and took out his phone to check.

“Looks like he’s in a meeting since he hasn’t read the message yet.”

After checking the message screen sent to the secretary, he gently touched Siwoo again. Though trying not to show it, Siwoo seemed to genuinely like human touch. He didn’t avoid the touch, even if he wasn’t purring.

He had said he didn’t do contact guiding, so Jihan thought he disliked skin contact, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Then… does the leader know too?”

Seojun asked cautiously. If they had brought him without the leader’s knowledge again, he was going to object. He didn’t want to go against the leader’s wishes anymore.

“Don’t worry. I told him everything.”

Jihan chuckled and ruffled Seojun’s hair. Hearing this, Seojun’s eyes widened slightly.

“He said it was okay to bring him?”

“Yeah.”

To be precise, Taebeom hadn’t exactly said it was okay. But he hadn’t objected either.

Taebeom had responded with silence to Jihan’s report about going to fetch the guide. This meant he was leaving it up to Jihan. He wouldn’t interfere.

“The leader can’t object now. Geonho might, though.”

Jihan shrugged and patted the back of the cat hugging the doll. When he playfully tapped it like piano keys, the long tail slapped his hand. Still, he didn’t stop petting the soft fur. Once he started, he didn’t want to stop.

“You heard about the expected matching rate with the leader, right?”

Seojun nodded. Although they hadn’t done an official test yet, it was said that the leader’s wavelength stabilized rapidly with just one guiding session. For a psychic esper who chronically struggled with guiding, this was nothing short of a miracle.

“It was no joke. His wavelength levels dropped just from skin contact.”

Despite clearly listening to the conversation, Siwoo remained motionless with his face hidden in the doll. He pretended not to understand at all.

“But I haven’t told Geonho yet.”

Though he tried to ignore it to the end, Siwoo unconsciously raised his head at the fool’s name. Watching this, the corners of Jihan’s mouth twisted.

“Wow, looks like you only care about Geonho. After deceiving all of us.”

Jihan spoke in a hurt voice. Of course, he was just joking.

Siwoo hesitated, then bit the mouse doll’s ear and averted his gaze. Since it was true, he pretended not to understand again and played innocent.

“But hyung.”

Seojun asked while closely examining the cat burying its head in the doll again.

“Is he really a beastkin?”

He looked just like an ordinary cat, not interfering with human conversation and staying quiet. Though he did seem to understand what was being said.

“He is. I saw it myself.”

Jihan grabbed the fluffy tail and stroked it upwards. Then he nodded towards Siwoo’s clothes that he had gathered beside him.

“He was human when I met him.”

A smile formed as he remembered the image of the guide eating a sandwich. If he was going to eat, he should have eaten properly. He had only taken small bites from the edges of the sandwich. With a very dejected look.

“Hyung, I’ll tidy up his clothes.”

Seojun took Siwoo’s clothes and folded them neatly. Jihan leisurely smiled and slipped his hand under the cat’s front legs, lifting him up.

Squeak!

Siwoo, biting down hard on the doll, glared at Jihan as if he would scratch him. If he were human, he would have cursed at him.

“Guide.”

Jihan gazed intently into the shining sky-blue eyes.

“You’re very angry at me, aren’t you?”

Squeak! Squeak!

Siwoo answered by biting the innocent doll. Jihan’s smile grew as he watched the fuming Siwoo. He was sorry, but the angry look was just cute.

“Let’s call it even since we both deceived each other.”

The squeaking sounds stopped. The tail that had been angrily swishing also calmed down.

“But I only deceived you once. You deceived us for two whole weeks.”

Squeak… Siwoo bit the mouse weakly and looked down at the floor. Unable to find a retort, he just avoided eye contact again.

Yes, it was natural to be forcibly brought here after deceiving them for two weeks. But still…

“Why are you about to cry again?”

Jihan bent down to make eye contact with the gloomy Siwoo, but was stopped by a white hind paw. He stayed still, enjoying the feel of the soft paw pad on his chin.

Just as things seemed to be quieting down, the door of the guiding room burst open.

“Where is he!”

The door shook with a ‘bang’ as it hit the wall. The secretary, who entered making an even louder noise, scanned the guiding room with bloodshot eyes.

“Is he in the room?!”

He hadn’t noticed the cat that Jihan was covering with his hand.

“Secretary, please calm down first.”

Jihan flashed a calm smile at the secretary who came storming in. He also hugged tightly the small body that was pressed close to him.

He must have been so startled. The body with fur standing on end naturally snuggled into Jihan. Jihan smirked, feeling an indescribably warm sensation.

Squeak!

Just as the secretary was about to pass the sofa, a loud sound came from the doll wedged between Siwoo and Jihan. The secretary, who wouldn’t miss even the slightest movement, glared at Jihan’s arm.

“Wh-what…”

Not expecting Siwoo to be in cat form, he gaped in shock.

“What is this! Are you joking around now?!”

He pointed at Siwoo and sputtered.

“What, this…! Now!”

After acting like he would say harsh words as soon as they met, he couldn’t even utter a single curse when they actually did. Seeing the cat curled up and hiding in Jihan’s arms, he couldn’t bring himself to swear. But that didn’t mean his anger had subsided.

“Turn back into a human right now! We know you’re a beastkin!”

“Don’t shout too much.”

Jihan intervened while gently stroking Siwoo’s cheek.

“Look. You’ve scared him.”

He tried to show the frightened cat to soften the secretary’s heart, but Siwoo whimpered and pulled on Jihan’s arm, preventing him from moving.

“Secretary, have some tea.”

Seojun approached the secretary and offered him a cup of warm tea. Meanwhile, Jihan used his telekinesis to pull a sofa behind the secretary, suggesting they sit down and talk.

The secretary let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the sofa.

He wasn’t sure why the atmosphere was flowing this way. He looked displeased at Jihan and Seojun.

“Have you two already forgiven him?”

Jihan and Seojun answered with silence. Jihan just smiled, while Seojun went to the kitchen saying he would bring some snacks. Both seemed unbothered.

“Yes, I suppose you would. Since Esper Geonho is the only one who suffered emotionally.”

He deliberately raised his voice, emphasizing Geonho’s name.

The more affection given, the greater the sense of betrayal. While the two who had never properly cared for the cat’s meals might forgive easily, he and Geonho couldn’t.

People who only played with him occasionally whenever they felt like it would never understand. Only those who had experienced it firsthand would know the feeling of betrayal when a cat they had lovingly and carefully raised turned out to be a beastkin.

“Didn’t you even think about Esper Geonho?”

The secretary drained the hot tea in one gulp and slammed the cup down on the table.

Siwoo flinched and covered his pounding heart with the doll.

“How could you leave without looking back, without any regret? After he cared for you so much!”

Instead of trying to stop the yelling secretary, Jihan just held Siwoo. He stroked the trembling body to reassure him that everything would be alright, but the small body’s vibrations didn’t stop.

“Our Esper Geonho waited without sleeping a wink! Right now, his eyes are crazed and he’s turning the gates into a wasteland!”

The secretary rubbed his face roughly, saying he didn’t know who the monster was anymore. Somehow, the more he spoke, the more it seemed like he was badmouthing Geonho, so he swallowed a sigh.

“Secretary, drink some water too.”

He drained the cold water Seojun had just brought in one go as well.

“Did you hate being caught that much?”

The frightened Siwoo showed no reaction. He just tightly hugged Jihan’s arm. He could barely breathe, feeling like he might be thrown in jail at any moment.

“Enough to not show your face for a week?”

The secretary’s insides boiled as he looked at the cat that kept hiding. He should at least apologize properly. The sight of him just trembling while hiding his face in Jihan’s arm made the secretary even more upset.

If he felt this way, how must Esper Geonho feel?

“Answer me! Were you so sick of us that you finished your business and left?!”

The secretary, overcome with emotion, raised his voice again. At that moment, Jihan removed the telekinesis holding Siwoo’s body.

Then he lightly pushed the white bottom towards the door. As if telling him to run away.

Siwoo’s eyes flew open and he didn’t miss the opportunity. He instinctively seized the chance to escape.

“Yoo Jihan esper!”

The agitated secretary stood up to try and catch the fleeing Siwoo. However, Jihan blocked him with a barrier.

Seojun just watched, pretending to be flustered.

Gritting his teeth, Siwoo ran towards the door with all his might. Suddenly remembering the day of the heavy rain, his eyes stung. If he had stayed a little longer, he might have burst into tears in front of everyone. He hated that idea more than anything.

He didn’t mind crying from pain, but he didn’t want to show anyone his crying face from feeling wronged. It was Siwoo’s last bit of pride.

Ignoring his dizzy head, he leapt towards the doorknob. However, his feverish body wouldn’t cooperate as he wished. It seemed he couldn’t escape properly in cat form.

At that moment, a large blanket was thrown over Siwoo’s head. It was big enough to cover his entire body.

Simultaneously, Siwoo tightly closed his eyes and returned to human form. Though he couldn’t hide his ears and tail, it was enough to turn the doorknob.

Covering himself with the blanket, he turned the doorknob. It was just before his vision became blurry. His physical condition was worse than he thought. As his body grew larger, the pain proportionally increased as well.

Siwoo tried his best to keep his body upright as it tilted towards the floor and forcefully opened the door to go out. At that moment, he collided with a large body standing in front of the door.

“Ugh!”

His forehead slammed into a shoulder as hard as a wall. The impact threw his head back, and at the same time, his eyes met a familiar face.