Beyond The Control

Chapter 30

As expected of something big, its momentum was also tremendous. The semen that burst from the urethra splattered not only on my combat uniform top but also reached my face.

Startled, I instinctively wiped it off, and a whitish fluid came off. By then, Song Ji-hyeok’s ejaculation hadn’t ended. After ejecting a couple more times as if spitting out the remnants, he finally seemed to finish completely and asked me while catching his breath.

“Don’t you have tissues?”

“Over there.”

As I pointed to the desk with my fingertip, Song Ji-hyeok got up. At the same time, the weight pressing down on me disappeared. I thought I had been short of breath during the guiding because of the constant kissing, but now it seemed it was because Song Ji-hyeok had been overlapping his body on top of mine.

Although the guiding ended well, I was still in an awkward situation. Unlike Song Ji-hyeok who had just relieved himself satisfyingly, my core was still standing at attention.

‘If you were going to cum, you could have at least said something so we could finish together. Some people even touched the other person’s until their palm got hot.’

But it was too late to complain as the guiding was already completed. If I asked him to take care of mine when there was no need to suck or lick anymore, I felt like I’d receive a contemptuous glare.

The heat subsided quickly, but because I had been so thoroughly excited, it didn’t seem possible to quietly put it away. However, it felt embarrassing to take care of it alone like an afterthought, and I couldn’t send Song Ji-hyeok out either. Rather, I needed to keep him here, so I quickly spoke to him as he was almost done cleaning up.

“Are you free this evening?”

“Why?”

“If you’re not busy, let’s have dinner together.”

I didn’t add that there were things I wanted to hear. If he had any sense, he’d know why I was doing this.

“I’ll let you know after I check.”

Leaving those words, Song Ji-hyeok left the guiding room first. It was almost ridiculous how he looked perfectly composed in an instant, as if he had never been excited. His ability to switch gears was even more impressive than Udyr-level.

Left alone, I awkwardly stood up and entered the bathroom attached to the guiding room. Despite my attempt to speak casually earlier, my thing was still standing firmly, pointing towards the sky.

‘Next time, I should just cum right away too. …Though I’m not sure if there will be a next time.’

I would find out about that later through my conversation with Song Ji-hyeok.

***

After work, Song Ji-hyeok and I headed to a home-style restaurant not far from the guild. As a regular customer of 7 years, I greeted the owner warmly and we sat down at a nearby table.

I ordered our usual home-style meal for two, and today I specially added some stir-fried pork. Meanwhile, Song Ji-hyeok was busy looking around the restaurant. Just by the wrinkle between his eyebrows, I could clearly see what he was thinking. Worried that the owner might overhear, I spoke to him in a low voice.

“The restaurant itself is a bit old, but don’t worry about the hygiene.”

“How do you know that, senior?”

“You can tell just by looking. Here come the side dishes.”

Several types of side dishes filled the table abundantly. Although I’m a fan of the company cafeteria, I eat here once or twice a week because it’s cheap and tastes similar to my mother’s cooking.

“Enjoy your meal.”

Even after all the dishes were served, Song Ji-hyeok still looked displeased. But if he thought I would change the place even now, he was mistaken.

“Just try one bite first. Eat and then talk.”

With that, I started eating first as if to prove a point. I whetted my appetite with the bubbling wild chive soybean paste soup, and also took a bite of the stir-fried pork. As I ate heartily, sampling various dishes, Song Ji-hyeok finally picked up his chopsticks.

Before long, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. I knew he’d be like this.

He reluctantly took a spoonful of rice first and picked up a little of the side dish in front of him, but at some point, he started eating various things busily as if he had gained momentum. And Song Ji-hyeok was no less of a big eater than me and ate quickly too. In the blink of an eye, he emptied one bowl and asked for more rice.

“Delicious, right?”

“…It’s okay.”

Wipe the sauce off your mouth before you speak, man.

“Owner, can we get a bottle of soju here?”

While at it, I ordered a bottle of soju belatedly. When I asked if he would drink, Song Ji-hyeok obediently picked up a glass. It seemed he liked soju.

When we were somewhat full, I finally voiced the words I had been patiently holding back.

“Didn’t you receive guiding from Guide Choi Young-sun when you were in the dungeon?”

Although it was in the form of a question, it was a problem to which I already knew the answer.

When I guided Song Ji-hyeok earlier, I didn’t feel any other guide’s energy residing in him at all. It meant he hadn’t received guiding for at least a few hours…. This didn’t match with Song Ji-hyeok’s behavior that I had experienced so far, who would boldly demand guiding even on the bus ride back on the last day. From what I heard, the 4th dungeon was a high-level dungeon even among A-class ones, so guiding would have been even more crucial.

“I did.”

Song Ji-hyeok answered with a slightly frowning face again. After letting out a sigh, he continued with words I hadn’t expected.

“But something felt off. Especially from her side.”

It was hard to easily understand. Objectively, they had a matching rate high enough to form a pair immediately, and her grade was high too, which is why I had been frustrated. But something felt off?

Even if that were the case, Choi Young-sun wouldn’t have shown it. In other words, it means there was something uncontrollable, whether momentary or not….

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to dig deeper. Song Ji-hyeok changed the subject before that. However, the topic was so important to me that I couldn’t help but focus immediately.

“I’m still your lifeline, right, senior?”

Look at how he talks.

It’s an expression that puts himself above and belittles the other person, but regrettably, it wasn’t wrong. Rather, I thought so myself, and I was the one who was more desperate.

Knowing that useless pride was of no use in living, I deliberately smiled faintly and responded calmly.

“Are you deciding on me? Have you finally made up your mind?”

“…That’s right. But.”

Before I could rejoice, Song Ji-hyeok immediately added:

“I’m not saying I’ll make you my official pair right away. Let’s see for about a year, and if there’s no problem until then, I’ll keep you by my side.”

This too would have been a statement that could deeply scratch someone else’s pride, but to me, it was nothing. Rather, if you think about it a little deeper, it was something to rejoice about. Because he chose me instead of Choi Young-sun, who was my biggest concern.

That one year was understood as meaning to try to match each other rather than looking for another guide. As that thought reached me, I couldn’t hold back the laughter that was trying to escape on its own.

“Really? You’ll tell Director Park Sang-chul tomorrow?”

“Do as you like.”

Damn, it seems to be real. Finally, some luck seems to be rolling into my life.

Highly encouraged, I filled my empty glass myself and downed it in one go. It just tasted sweet as if I had drunk something other than soju. In the heat of the moment, I threw out words half-jokingly and half-seriously.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to make a pair contract right now? We confirmed today that we match well.”

“No, I want to be more cautious.”

“What if someone else snatches me away while you’re doing that?”

“As if that would happen.”

“Oh, you’re so annoying.”

Contrary to my words, the smile didn’t leave my face. Just as the probability of Song Ji-hyeok meeting a guide who matches better than me converges to zero, I too would never meet an Esper with a higher value than Song Ji-hyeok for the rest of my life. In other words, the one-year grace period was actually meaningless, and it was fair to think that he and I were now in the same boat.

“Senior, don’t you have any side effects or aftereffects from guiding? I heard some people do.”

“Hmm, I don’t think I’ve had any.”

“How about today?”

“As you can see, I’m fine.”

This was something that even Team Leader Ju found quite fascinating. I heard that some guides struggle even with Espers just one grade lower, but I had no problems despite a three-grade difference with Song Ji-hyeok.

Anyway, after answering nonchalantly, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Could it be….

“Did something happen to Guide Choi Young-sun?”

Contrary to the thought that he might deny it, Song Ji-hyeok readily agreed. However, I could see him slightly grimacing as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

“From the first guiding, her face turned pale, I thought I was seeing a ghost. And…”

I didn’t miss the chance when he was about to trail off.

“And what? Don’t tell me she coughed up blood or collapsed?”

Unless it was a serious problem, Choi Young-sun wouldn’t give up on guiding Song Ji-hyeok. But given that her face turned pale, and she didn’t do it at all today, it seemed something ominous had happened.

No matter how much of a rival she was, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Unlike me who had become quite serious, Song Ji-hyeok somehow raised one corner of his mouth crookedly. It was a smile close to a sneer by anyone’s standards.

“She just threw up.”

“What?”

“As soon as the second guiding ended, she grabbed a nearby tree and vomited. That’s a guiding aftereffect, right?”

If it happened right after, it was likely an aftereffect. I too occasionally had splitting headaches or felt nauseous when giving guiding.

“If she’s like that just from holding hands, what more could she do? It would feel disgusting to receive guiding from her anyway.”

It was an honest statement he could make as an Esper. But from my perspective, my feelings became a bit complicated for a moment.

Seeing him act like this now, he probably spoke bluntly and directly to Choi Young-sun too. In other words, it meant that if I also showed such side effects or aftereffects, he could switch to someone else.

But…

‘I won’t back down so easily.’

Now that my biggest rival, Choi Young-sun, had stepped back, I couldn’t let someone else snatch Song Ji-hyeok away. And fortunately, I had no problems even with mucous membrane guiding, so the possibility was very high that I would be fine even if we progressed to guiding involving bodily union.

So, that measly one year. I’ll endure and endure, and somehow secure the position of official pair guide, I will.