With Yonghyun gone to give a simple verbal report along with the handover, Wonwoo and Jinho were left alone in the container house.
"Um, uh. By any chance, Wonwoo-nim, what kind of food do you like?"
"Me? Oh... I'm not really picky. I eat everything well."
"I see...! In that case, would it be alright if I chose the restaurant? I have a place I really like."
"Yes, of course. I'm really not picky, so please choose whatever you'd like."
Why is this so awkward? It wasn't this bad when I was alone with Chief Shin Yonghyun...
Wonwoo fidgeted with his phone, his head lowered. For some reason, he felt that embarrassing feeling whenever he met Jinho's eyes, and he found himself avoiding his gaze. But since it was rude to keep avoiding eye contact with someone right in front of him, Wonwoo mustered his courage and lifted his head again.
"Um, uh. Han Jinho... Esper-nim."
"Please speak comfortably! The agency staff members call me that, but honestly, I think the title is too long. I'd appreciate it if you'd just call me Jinho-ssi."
"Th-then. Jinho-ssi. Um... please call me comfortably too. 'Wonwoo-nim' is a little embarrassing."
"Okay, I will. Thank you for your consideration."
"No, I'm the one who's more grateful. Haha."
As soon as Wonwoo finished speaking, Jinho crinkled his round eyes and smiled. Is this what they call a smile that just makes you feel good looking at it? Wonwoo marveled inwardly.
"You're really handsome."
"Th-th. Yes. Th-thank you."
"...Did I, by any chance, say that out loud?"
Jinho nodded, his cheeks blushing furiously. Wonwoo imagined himself running out of the container house right now and throwing himself into the Han River.
He made the excuse that this was all because of that thing called the 'System,' and that there was absolutely nothing strange about him.
"Sorry, I'm sorry. I was just thinking, but I was rude... It's just that I've never seen someone so handsome before."
Ugh, this mouth! Wonwoo now imagined slapping his own mouth.
"Not at all. I'm happy. Very happy."
"...Pardon?"
But at Jinho's following words, Wonwoo stopped his imagined antics and looked at him.
"I, I... from the day I received the message..."
"Messa...ge?"
"Uh, yes. The message that I would meet my destiny... no, that I would meet you, Wonwoo-ssi. From the day I received that message, I tried really, really hard."
"Tried, in what... what way..."
"It's a little embarrassing, but I got a skin massage every day, and made sure to take my vitamins. I even had my nails done."
He's already so handsome, and he even gets treatments, Wonwoo marveled at Jinho's diligence. A handsome person who even puts in the effort... Right, if an unattractive person gets dressed up, they're just a person who got dressed up, but a handsome people are different. Wonwoo nodded his head in admiration.
"Last night I did a hair treatment, and today I got a skincare treatment too.... I, I really wanted to look good for you, Wonwoo-ssi... I tried... so hard. So I'm happy you see me that way."
"...Yes, yes. Um... yes. You're very sparkly and pretty..."
"I'm so relieved! I, I've been waiting for the moment I would meet you, Wonwoo-ssi."
"Me?"
"Yes. I heard from Chief Shin Yonghyun. He said he knew the day he would meet his Guide. I, I knew too."
Wonwoo's eyes widened involuntarily as he stared at Jinho. The moment their eyes met, Jinho once again folded his eyes into a beautiful smile.
***
Jinho's world was small. Things that would have been a matter of course for an ordinary person were like special events for Jinho, the Esper.
For example, when others were worrying, 'Which middle school, which high school should I go to?', Jinho was forced to contemplate, 'Which region should I be dispatched to so that my abilities can be used to nearly 100%?'
That wasn't all. Jinho spent more time with staff from the European Union's Esper Management Department than he did with his own parents. He was more familiar with military vehicles for Gate raids than with a school bus. Instead of career surveys, he conducted Gate surveys.
More often than sharing stories with his family over a meal, he found himself exchanging dry jokes and chugging potions with fellow Espers who could suddenly die in an accident and be gone the next day.
Dorm, Gate, and the headquarters building. Then Gate, Gate, Gate again.
After awakening as an Esper, Jinho's world became small.
To argue that it was child abuse or a violation of labor laws, the role of Espers in Gate raids was simply too great. And the younger the Esper, the more easily they could be assigned to high-risk Gate raids for low pay.
Because they didn't know any better. And so, they were easier to manage and handle.
That was why everyone remained silent and dragged young Espers, Espers who had just become adults, to the front lines of the Gates.
Nowadays, there was the Esper Association and guilds established with Espers at their core, so even mediocre Espers could reap some benefits while the two organizations kept each other in check and tore at each other's throats. But it wasn't like that when Jinho first started his Esper activities. It was a completely different world from the present, where even if you were on the front lines, you were in a system that was established to some extent.
In an interview upon renouncing his Norwegian citizenship and returning to Korea, Jinho had said that he dearly missed and felt nostalgic for the time he lived in Korea as a child. But what Jinho truly missed was the life he had with his maternal grandfather as a non-Esper.
That's why, upon seeing the words 'the only one on my side' in the message from the System Prince, Jinho was reminded of his childhood.
'My, you look so lovely in whatever you wear. Don't you think so, Jinho-ya? Look at your grandmother's lovely face.'
'Oh my, what nonsense are you sprouting at this old age. Why are you saying such silly things to the child!'
'You say that, but you like it.'
'Who wouldn't like being called lovely?'
Jinho spent his childhood between the two of them, who were always happy despite their bickering.
Whenever his grandmother came home after hearing harsh or cruel words from somewhere, his grandfather would immediately rush over and get angry on her behalf. Conversely, when his grandfather went through something upsetting, his grandmother would fret and then prepare a dinner table that evening with only his grandfather's favorite things.
Jinho learned from his maternal grandparents about a relationship where you are happy together when there are joyous occasions and sad together when there are sorrowful ones.
'Jinho-ya, the word "nampyeon" (husband) is a funny word. Not "nam-pyeon" (someone else's side), but "nae-pyeon" (my side).'
From his grandmother, who looked so happy as she said that, Jinho learned, 'Having someone on my side means a happy life.'
To be honest, at the time, he just thought, 'I see.' No, he had no thoughts at all. Everything was just good.
But as time passed, he returned to Norway where his parents were, awakened as an Esper without even going through a proper puberty, and as he struggled and struggled, his grandmother's words suddenly came to mind. And then he realized.
If I have someone on my side, does that mean I have a place where I can lean on my heart?
Who can I confide in about this difficult situation? Won't I be lonely? Will I be able to drink potions and find them delicious? If I complain about the side effects of my ability, will I not be ignored? Will I be able to cross the Gate without getting motion sickness?
If only my ability was something that summoned things, I could have made my own allies. Hmm, am I lonely after all?
When being assigned to a raid party, would I not have to be on edge about who I'm paired with?
Could I be a little less concerned with what the management staff thinks? And then would I not have to care about what other Espers think? Would I be able to say, 'Please be careful and come back safely'?
Could I comfortably ask what something tastes like, if it's delicious? Could I grumble that the standard-issue energy bars taste bad? Could I ask what scent cotton candy has?
What would it feel like to have someone who gets angry for me over a decision that was railroaded through while I was lying in bed suffering from aftereffects?
Therefore, he was incredibly happy at the words that he could meet his destiny. He was happy when he received the message, and he came to Korea a little hastily. And he prepared for the moment he would meet his destiny.
Even when he heard the union staff say that he sold off the grace of being raised in the land of courteous people in the East, or when people whispered everywhere that he was stupid and kicking away his own good fortune, or when he heard talk that maybe he ran away because he had some kind of defect, he just smiled and brushed it off, saying, "I'm craving the jjimdak (braised chicken) my grandmother used to make."
He remembered his grandmother who, when asked, 'What did you like about grandpa?' had laughed and said, 'His face!', and so he paid more attention to his appearance than anyone else. It seems foolish thinking about it now, but for Jinho, it was his best effort.
But that moment came so suddenly. The moment he faced Wonwoo, Jinho realized that it was all for naught to have briefly thought, 'Could it be that Agent Mihee is my destiny?'
A dream of sinking softly into fluffy, sweet cotton candy. That dream wasn't just a dream, it was a premonition.
As soon as he realized he was in the same space as him, Jinho became restless. Without letting the other two notice, he secretly brought his wrist to his nose to check for any scent and straightened his bangs and the hair in the back.
'I'm so glad I went to the esthetician's today. Oh, but did I put on cologne? I might have sweat while running over. It should be fine, right? My bangs didn't look weird when I checked earlier, r-right? I put on lip gloss too, I wonder if it looks okay?'