Confinement Constitution Guide

A Perfect and Wise Life in Confinement (7)

Only after I had eaten the lettuce wrap did Sa Hae-geon start his own meal with a satisfied look. Amusingly, I found his behavior a little cute. Perhaps my heart had softened due to the satisfying meals from yesterday and this morning.

With food like this, I could forgive his nonsense about handshake counts, Cream’s purring, and kneading. The bibimbap went down so smoothly. Before I knew it, the large brass bowl was empty after wrapping a few bites in seaweed and lettuce.

“It’s my first time grilling seaweed. Is it okay?”

“This seaweed, you grilled it?”

“Yes. I brushed each one with sesame oil before grilling. Does it suit your taste?”

“Yes. Perfectly.”

Sa Hae-geon showed his satisfaction openly at my answer. His white cheeks tinged pink, and he seemed flustered.

“I’m so happy every time you enjoy the food I make. My cooking teacher was right.”

“What did they say?”

“That to win over someone you like, you need excellent cooking skills.”

“Is that so? That’s good advice.”

It was a profound saying. Thinking that I was eating this delicious food thanks to Sa Hae-geon’s cooking teacher, I felt genuinely grateful deep in my heart.

I observed Sa Hae-geon while sipping rice soup to cleanse my palate. Having finished his meal at a similar pace to mine, Sa Hae-geon was also drinking rice soup. He displayed nearly perfect table manners before putting down his spoon. Then, he placed his hands on his thighs and watched me.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by his gaze, I had to swallow the rice soup without chewing.

“Thank you. It was delicious.”

“I should be the one thanking you.”

Sa Hae-geon shrugged at my thanks and headed to the sink with the side dish bowls and other dishes.

“I’ll do the dishes.”

“No. I don’t want your hands to get wet.”

“Ah, okay. Then at least let me carry the dishes…”

“I don’t want that either. Just sit there. Better yet, watch me while you’re sitting.”

Sa Hae-geon, who casually said such embarrassing things, quickly put on an apron with orange carrots and pink rabbits and started washing dishes rapidly, as if afraid I might try to help.

I couldn’t help but laugh watching a well-built adult man doing dishes in a cute apron from behind. Moreover, Sa Hae-geon was wearing pajamas designed like a prison uniform. How could one not laugh in this situation?

Without realizing it, I found myself observing Sa Hae-geon with my chin resting on the table. I could feel Sa Hae-geon glancing at me occasionally while washing dishes, but I didn’t mind. He had asked me to watch him first, and I was just diligently following his words.

I quietly watched Sa Hae-geon cleaning the dishes with meticulous care and asked:

“By the way, why do you want to date me?”

“…”

Sa Hae-geon’s hands, which had been moving quickly, paused for a moment. But they soon resumed. After focusing silently on the dishes for a while, Sa Hae-geon’s lips parted. I could see him saying something, but I couldn’t hear well because of the water sound.

“Sorry. I couldn’t hear well because of the water. Can you say it again?”

Hearing my words, Sa Hae-geon turned his head to look at me quietly before turning his gaze back to the sink. His lips were pressed into a line, as if he didn’t intend to repeat himself. But this was really unfair to me. If I were an Esper, I would have heard it without difficulty, but as you know, I was just an ordinary Guide.

Unlike Espers, Guides didn’t have any special abilities other than increased guiding efficiency and capacity, no matter how high their rank. So naturally, I couldn’t hear his voice amid such loud noise.

Sa Hae-geon quickly finished washing the dishes and even wiped away all the moisture from the sink. Then, turning to me, he spoke in a clear voice.

“Does there have to be a reason?”

“Huh? No, it’s just that usually there is one.”

“Not for me. And how could I be like a normal person when I even went as far as kidnapping you?”

The sentences that came out of Sa Hae-geon’s mouth were absurd as expected, but they also included words that fell into a quite normal category. He was aware that he was abnormal. It was very surprising.

“…You, you are aware that you’re different from ordinary people?”

Sa Hae-geon’s eyebrows twitched at my words, which were close to admiration. He looked a bit displeased, but that was all. He didn’t show anger or discomfort. He just opened the refrigerator and took out strawberries, apples, and shine muscat grapes.

* * *

I sat on the sofa with Sa Hae-geon, who was holding a fruit tray, and turned on the TV. There wasn’t much to watch during weekday daytime, so I just put on a news channel and watched Sa Hae-geon peeling apples.

Sa Hae-geon skillfully made rabbit-shaped apple slices, then offered me those and strawberries on a fork. As I was eating those while watching TV, Sa Hae-geon offered me shine muscat grapes.

“Oh, wait a moment.”

As I quickly put the strawberry in my mouth and reached for the grapes, Sa Hae-geon brought them to my mouth. I let out a small laugh and looked at Sa Hae-geon, who was waiting with an expectant face. This clearly seemed to mean I should eat it from his hand, not mine.

Wanting more after I ate one lettuce wrap earlier. It seemed I had unintentionally fallen for his trick, but I had no choice. Although I wasn’t very willing, I ate the shine muscat grape with an expression that said I was doing it out of consideration for his effort.

As I bit into the large grape, a sweet taste with a hint of mango spread throughout my mouth. Sa Hae-geon watched me and smiled shyly again. His ears and cheeks were flushed, indicating he was in a very good mood.

That’s when it happened. Along with the sound of the doorbell ringing, someone knocked on the door. Perhaps feeling that our time together was being interrupted, Sa Hae-geon looked at the intercom on the living room wall with a displeased expression.

Sa Hae-geon checked if I still had fruit in my hand before getting up and heading to the intercom.

“Who is it?”

— Ah, you’re in. We’re from the Ability Management Headquarters. Have you perhaps seen Chae Do-min recently?

“Should I have?”

Sa Hae-geon lied without blinking an eye. I looked at Sa Hae-geon’s brazen behavior while biting into a rabbit-shaped apple slice.

— …Well, since you’re neighbors. We just thought we’d ask. Then, have you noticed any suspicious people around?

“I’m not sure. I haven’t been here long, I just moved in the day before yesterday.”

— Ah, then…

— Just do it roughly, roughly. Don’t bother someone who says they don’t know. Can’t you tell at a glance? It’s a kidnapping.

Someone cut in abruptly, and the person talking with Sa Hae-geon seemed flustered.

— Hey. We still need to follow the manual. Even though the corridor CCTV was tampered with, we should at least check like this.

— Bothering civilians will lead to complaints. Let’s just do this moderately and go in. They’re quiet about other Guide kidnappings, but why are they so pushy when it comes to Chae Do-min? Geez.

— Ah, Esper Jo Moon-dong… The intercom isn’t off. Please say such things quietly. What if someone hears?

— What, it’s the truth. There’s nothing to gain, so let’s just end it here. Let’s go, I’m hungry.

— Oh, really…

The person who sighed cleared their throat and spoke again. Their voice was much more cautious than before.

— Um, did you know that the corridor CCTV here isn’t working? If you knew, since when… Ah, you probably don’t know since you just moved in.

“Right. I’m not sure.”

— Hey, you’re asking a civilian something that could be resolved by asking at the security office? Is it because you were raised too gently? You lack flexibility, kid. Just hurry up and come.

— Ah, haha… Yes. Thank you for your cooperation. Esper Jo Moon-dong, if you keep speaking loud enough for civilians to hear…

The voice stopped, and soon after, the sound of the elevator operating was heard through the intercom. Sa Hae-geon, who had been watching the elevator move through the camera attached to the intercom, turned around without hesitation.

Sa Hae-geon returned to the sofa with a sulky expression, displeased about something.

“Why? I think I was being quiet.”

“Have you been working with people like that all this time?”

“Well, maybe once or twice with that Esper called Jo Moon-dong?”

At my answer, a crease formed between Sa Hae-geon’s brows. He stared at me with an inscrutable gaze, then let out a small sigh.

“I should have found you earlier. It might have been better to just kidnap you instead of practicing cooking.”

“Why? I like that you’re good at cooking.”

“Still. I don’t feel good thinking that you’ve been working with people who find you bothersome.”

Sa Hae-geon muttered in a upset voice, lowering his eyes. I was at a loss for words at his sincere demeanor, which could make someone mistake us for a very close couple.

“I’m happy enough just having you eat the fruit I peeled. It was actually my dream. Watching TV with you while peeling fruit.”

“How is that a dream…”

“Even you can’t criticize my dream. Anyway, I’m so happy to have achieved my dream. Although those people are annoying.”

“I don’t really care. Not everyone is like that. So you don’t need to worry about it either.”

When I spoke as if it wasn’t my problem, Sa Hae-geon frowned. At that moment, the news channel announced breaking news.

[This is breaking news. The Ability Management Headquarters has stated that the reason for Guide Chae Do-min’s disappearance is ‘unauthorized leave’.]

I stopped chewing the fruit and blinked at the strange words of the announcer. What? Unauthorized leave? …Me?

What on earth is this about? I was completely dumbfounded.