FG | Chapter 5.3

I reached for 34e7ad3624 the doorknob to f18ddb1411 leave the bathroom 94bc303ad0 but hesitated. After standing there d0bc653d62 in hesitation for 23c08ccb39 a while, I a201d89b39 finally gathered the 4bbfb43e17 courage to open fcb4f7da38 the door.3c5677f37f5c6533

And then I froze.9a80428d16498f6d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Squatting right outside ef3e7479ef the door was 594b64897b Yeo Eundo.9c2d8d0d5e2e5c7a

He must have been waiting 1e5574b23b for me to come out. He sat there, d7e5436ce2 looking up at 99eeac3aee me quietly. For a second, 3d1d94feec I almost found 643e4b32ef it a little 14d258efe9 cute. But just as I was 60f503a12a about to walk past him—26a739a19a896475

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Yeo Eundo suddenly shot up 42a1c0c547 to his feet and cupped ad926f54d5 my cheeks with both hands.946a9620c87d76db

“Why is your skin so cold? Don’t tell me… You fbc8bc317a washed with cold water?”c080eb9f8a7b3aed

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His golden eyes were filled d2af08bd08 with worry. His anxious expression 5740023687 was contagious, and 49609c1425 the warmth I 77ad4cf4d4 had barely managed 9e34f14abb to cool off 38214e9876 threatened to rise 8c34277336 again. Irritated, I smacked his ab6259c94c hands away.db41430b73fa4bc9

“That’s none of your business.”31643cecf9c40037

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“……”20d09858cc7eebb3

A sharp retort lashed 12a731f6e1 out before I could 300c19dede stop myself. The unfamiliar emotions I 383f1582ec felt toward Yeo Eundo 9b961fc50b put me on edge.01fa57b24259412b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Not wanting to f92c54dee7 say anything harsher, 598b7c1fa7 I tried to 839da5b6fe step away. But before I could, Yeo 4e1ed86dd9 Eundo grabbed my wrist and 683214c4dc pulled me back.f77d5a556bb766d9

“What the—!”8cf4c7c1066f3a2f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Without warning, he dragged me 83198461c5 back into the bathroom. Letting go of ce53c54491 my hand, he dba7d86cee reached for the 56b798ec17 faucet, adjusted the 4321e121a2 hot water, and 345ef44772 then turned to f3c8759883 look at me.c251152cd92f25a2

“This lever controls the water temperature.”0915a68164265322

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…?”d2decaf691db1719

“See this red mark? That’s the hot water. I already set the 318ab69467 temperature, so from now 0eba056bb4 on, you just have 9411c93845 to turn it on.”37c00b4c57030c10

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

…Did he seriously think I used cold water because I didn’t know how to turn on the hot water?805ccdf8b473c7dd

Dumbfounded, I stormed ad64649046 out of the 902cddfdd3 bathroom. Yeo Eundo hurried after me.974a886358f85880

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“If you don’t know how, we can do it together next time.”41e70b88125d9556

Still talking nonsense, huh? I ignored him, sat ba61ab0476 down on the sofa, 09fe5022d1 and asked,e734c1184797d835

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s your average AD increase when you’re not using your ability? I mean, under normal conditions.”ea99315fc3786c67

Despite me completely 7020948d61 disregarding his previous 663fc7694f words, Yeo Eundo aaddc7a6c7 didn’t seem the 32eff963f3 least bit offended. He simply wrapped 63de9381db a towel around c9c49bdd69 my face and 7f6b2d4637 gently wiped off d122ab8143 the remaining water f12c468af7 as he answered.375f639b651ed082

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“AD levels don’t only fluctuate when I use my ability. When I get 91cc587ebd close to a 0a12001b45 Gate or when 91233bda54 I’m extremely excited, 5cb67f0b2a it rises about e5d5042788 twice as fast.”455dec7909004b32

“What about your usual level?”f48c64f33c1e56b1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“About 155, I think?”4f3e5e9f894eb1b9

“Even when you’re just going about your day?”1e2e0713f03dab91

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Most of the time, yeah.”0e791c53447526f9

That was an 8bbd677175 insanely high number, 0a150881df considering the average 596a3c85f7 Esper’s AD level 23a83c5d94 didn’t even reach 659aa25e91 100. And this was despite ad9ad00ee6 having Seon Jiyeol Guide 345fa85ae3 on standby at all e21a21bc73 times.206ce76169cc29c0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Hearing the number, I b2764628c1 realized it would’ve been 6d3429365a strange if he hadn’t d072e7247b gone on a rampage bb7039bdb5 back then.508b80e4575801b1

“But you received guiding from Seon Jiyeol, didn’t you? And your AD a78fec4d06 level was still 6d2f5bfa53 that high?”cd447850033bdad4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“……”d51f970ff6e0d66f

Yeo Eundo just smiled 9420e5a51f without answering.c56830694440bb79

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Avoiding the question meant he a0e11fe7b4 was guilty of something.d058996116d38ed9

I wasn’t sure 8761a62c35 if he would d0eb518de2 do something that dcaca0d8da reckless, but if 0af07c9f46 there was anyone fa371fd496 who knew just e31d24b791 how unhinged Yeo 2c4ede169e Eundo was, it ab339fbbc1 was me.16308250c5d2cb3a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Have you been refusing guiding this whole time?”0ad139534080654c

His head turned slightly away, eb3dff3dee clearly knowing I was scolding aa2fdc3595 him. I reached out, grabbed his 287d61434b face, and made him look 147e1476e4 at me—but he avoided my ff18e473a3 gaze, rolling his eyes to 876b717ec6 the side instead.abc7127955674211

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He looked like 2adb26cf3d a sulking child.395ce8d7361a5306

I softened my expression 4c57ba0826 and spoke gently.6b84b14543e7ca12

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m not going to get mad. Just tell me the truth. Have you really been 66f5abcb78 refusing guiding?”a98a99ab204c684c

Yeo Eundo hesitated, then 8d9fee4f74 sneaked a glance at 8cc6d3e9aa me before finally nodding.e85a124019e1fc82

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes.”e2316f3704ad6a26

“What about Seon Jiyeol?”597dd23995228776

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“??”6cbd342fccc3fc0f

He clearly had no idea 7cd1a78fa4 what I was talking about.94fcefb25f40820c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Your assigned Guide.”017621cdb1c609fd

“Seol Maehwa Guide-nim?”0d2a5ec4d4760e5a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“No, I mean Seon Jiyeol.”bbb48da4e0b95fb2

“What’s that?”5ec94083954e0dad

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Huh?”103818957ee89546

Seon Jiyeol was always 1c91bf6ef3 by his side. Even the news constantly 59c0c49186 showed them together like 29a1f83458 a set.4bb7962cfaef48f9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

How could he suddenly 0cdf0fa089 claim he didn’t know b78746a86b who he was?a1f134d0b6e0f51b

“I told you before—he’s your designated Guide.”fd843f72b2770f60

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“That guy isn’t my Guide.”9da09b0b40935b94

It was the 7d11c8e7bf same response he 17509e4506 had given me 9bfe0ec2b9 last time. But hearing it again, something 29cd651baf felt off.0a0b71e341b46023

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Throughout the conversation, 17f9962548 Yeo Eundo kept 0553cbc544 referring to Seon 43443f77d0 Jiyeol as that 5692eb480c guy instead of 966881a925 using his name.0384ec8dc5f7b906

“Esper Yeo Eundo… You do know who Seon Jiyeol is, right?”479feacc33a7d8ef

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…He was a person?”a4ebe1f6715c77aa

He wasn’t joking.934416ac7fa92220

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He genuinely didn’t know.d04329d0c058cb1d

“Wait, how could you not know? Seon Jiyeol Guide is 07319a61f0 the first S-class Guide 5402cb113b in South Korea! He even visited you at ed0675e3b6 the hospital, and he was 9a28a6312b there when we attacked the 46bd429ebf Gate this time too.”b730d743c6423674

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“The one who came to see me at the hospital was Seol Maehwa Guide-nim, and Seol Maehwa Guide-nim was there during the Gate raid as well.”eaed0791f6a9713c

“I’m saying, I wasn’t the only one there.”8947dca2b29f2eb2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Now that you mention it, I think you’re right.”c23e111e16b6c4a4

Since he put it that c86d154ee2 way, it felt like I 651703c637 was the one stubbornly insisting 3791b30b89 on something untrue.e716b086430961c3

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Come to think of 79f4e8b8e6 it, Yeo Eundo had 9c4d055e77 never once mentioned Seon da491f54e0 Jiyeol Guide’s name. If they had 8f95ba6f0b been that close, e5e5ccfdc5 he should’ve at 1ac07ccf6e least remembered him 8aa656aa30 subconsciously.2980ea877d85b961

If I kept this 2701423bc3 conversation going, I’d just 9895c79669 get more frustrated. Seon Jiyeol wasn’t the priority 7dc7af3873 right now, so I decided a0ad0868df to move on.3fa92d3852c102e9

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I reached out my hand 53893fe430 to him and said, “I’ll 023894d605 check your AD.”89600c6525a52862

As Yeo Eundo extended his e869ee57e0 arm, I glanced at the ad0a42d160 terminal strapped to his wrist. Unlike a simple ab6f9dee17 tester, the terminal cd75fff9e7 was much more 9093b9f7b6 precise. The AD level displayed f045d086a5 on the screen was d913c45fed [0]. Since he had been cbd01c0eee in contact with me d0c61e84a4 all night, the number c57589a5c6 hadn’t gone up at 1f1a974be6 all. If I wanted 678d9aa1e1 to prevent guiding 539093273e from leaking out, dabadae22d I needed to e1d1e5e3c9 give him a fadacdd573 proper dose—but at 61538dd06e this rate, things 61ea250400 were getting tricky.c3fa157b8e1242f2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Letting go of cdca6b5086 his wrist, I 45333fcb6f spoke.921f1034e6b5cabb

“It’d be better if you avoid contact with me from now on.”3fc22dd0d8ff97f2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What?!”bed09292ce365af9

Yeo Eundo looked as f146f801a0 if he’d just been d986424c66 struck by lightning. His whole body jerked, and 469a72cd98 he grabbed onto my sleeve ddc6b4983a in a panic. He even stuttered, as if b37306daa2 struggling to get his words 1f7f2861ab out.8ffb3fee290a9b9f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Why— why? I don’t want that.”8dbdd6b48af88d59

“And if someone asks, how will you explain it? Are you going 02f156cb91 to go around 9dc70643a7 blabbering that there’s f842c72068 a Guide who eba9f05db9 can initiate guiding d4ac08aa0e just by touch? Just focus on collecting df5531a488 your AD properly. I’ll guide you 4cbd83a64f when the time 4d34ae4145 comes.”b782b6b0c7879dee

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I recorded 140 as the 0ade55513a pending AD level on my efeb737238 tablet from yesterday.d42fda6040ca4637

Gu Seungjae was ee010c6900 handling the Center dcb350ea42 matters, so this 0a82858e95 was essentially a db679d3287 fake report. If I got caught, the 1ca9ff47ed best-case scenario would be a ddb625d6f2 pay cut, and in the f593cfb426 worst case, I’d get demoted. But there was f5e06c0c57 no way I c3532d5a20 could submit the 34cca5a24b actual reading of 1889a75335 [0].fed468c0ecd559be

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Gu Seungjae would take care 3ab8015079 of things soon enough, but 7ea501f724 if I was going to 667976882c pull this off, I needed e7d1c6c79a Yeo Eundo to play along.e6c6855f0f8c4b45

“Esper Yeo Eundo, I don’t want the fact that you’ve been imprinted or my guiding ability to become public knowledge. Let’s keep this between us.”46eddb7b8c058e6b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Between us… a secret?”bbf646f4a4eabdb2

“If you don’t want the secret getting out, your AD levels must stay normal. In return, I’ll f6a0179eee make sure to 90af8b2039 guide you when 7f58499b13 you need it. Do you understand?”93b0254c6809672a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Yeo Eundo reached out, b78d38a13d brushing his thumb over a39846e820 my lips as he 66bcbfd15b spoke.40a40f4b855fcaef

The pain from the 3c469cfa52 bite wound on my 8a05f0504e lips faded as it caed8bc4cd healed, and only then 510b831664 did he pull his 52c714ce35 hand away.1c0bd92755109097

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I understand.”81ce64a78f0f95f8

Realizing that I 9b8091abcc was staring at 4b735a1f2e him, who was a54d1cd0dc now grinning, I 2dbe693e09 quickly turned away e3ef523315 and stood up. When Yeo Eundo tried to 29ab89f7a5 follow, I stopped him.8e513399a345f6b9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I need to step out for a bit.”321e8f53d617fb44

“Where are you going?”a93c0856c3fa99e9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I’m heading to the Center to replace my tablet.”58e1b4543199ebdb

I grabbed my 6dd6312d38 coat and walked d4bf328b12 toward the front d57b9fc252 door, but just 59aa4b1168 as I was 7d91e1a055 about to leave, d1aaf12787 I sensed someone d043c78347 sticking closely behind 5864f7c9fd me. Without even looking back, 3e31658220 I spoke.163911fe351f78a7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I’m going alone.”68b8ca8d3dbee1d3

There wasn’t any official d4827a1353 business for Yeo Eundo 420b74870c at the Center, so cd0c9f08b8 there was no reason 593866e8d7 for him to come 361a2feb3b along. If he stayed 86ff0fd0ce glued to me, 2c111fabea it could expose 7dcdc00a38 not just my 501287b9ea guiding ability but 1b0d61ca91 also the fact 55e48e6560 that he had 374b1d1f0b been imprinted. Worst case scenario, 31fbd247ab my own grade 812ccb4c45 could be revealed 0fc3230615 as well.143ed1bc57bf496e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

If any of that bd3eb682a2 came to light, it’d d30bfa2145 make international headlines.fb0dddd8892733e9

If he tried to follow 3033a38358 me, I was ready to 5d8a25ee8f snap at him to shake 8eca16eced him off.9d7d8c6067eb8a6b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But then— clack.2e138076d288b302

The door unlocked and slid 5087151988 open.2f91bc5f2ceb71d1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It wasn’t automatic. Yeo Eundo opened it 0416ce22c1 for me.fcf642f82238379f

When I turned around, he 4ba757b055 was smiling brightly and waving 7e3fce1e82 me off. Then, the door 273a408919 shut right in f9d5b5e570 front of me.c2bce1cf2fccfaa4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I stood there blankly for a484eadcbd a while, debating whether I ede452b3e7 should just take him with 1b12f1b397 me.e6d5b3ddd472ca2b

Is he planning to bd211c4dd5 secretly follow me?83894a28137a404e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If an S-class Esper was 6d6f165131 determined to hide his presence, 26d058deb7 there wasn’t much I could 3bab22a002 do. But since he was imprinted 4f2ee0bf94 on me, there was no a76ce907c6 way he could completely slip 69e0640abc past my senses.734734e7091bfc46

Still, just in 46a8611893 case, I stayed 7a5e9b8ae4 alert for any bb6952953a sign of him d099ffc839 tailing me.dbb27afc94f8ac5e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But from my place to e6891f3669 the Center—nothing.a730e65d60e500e4

»જ⁀➴818b4d4b7985fd29

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I strode straight 8a8c4a65ce to the civil 297f6bc0ed affairs desk without b580de5442 hesitation. Yeo Eundo being 013d91ff6a unusually quiet made 3130cd2c99 me uneasy. If he had 879919141c just thrown a cf9117165f tantrum about wanting e591d04cc5 to come along, 85a8de1745 I wouldn’t have a260e461e4 been this on cf986a593b edge.2cf9ef78cba68e72

At the counter, I 30c4efb6b4 locked eyes with a fd5a63b262 D-class Guide civil servant 78498d81f1 who looked completely drained, 4722821037 with dark circles under c3de4679cc their eyes. Their face felt oddly familiar, 4ecc6c36b0 and I couldn’t help but 0d7a1dca24 feel a bit of sympathy fc008e82f4 for them, clearly worn down 8cf55929dd by overtime. With a flat tone, they 1cc0d61fa9 asked,f20392c8884d9c54

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What brings you here?”1e37ae06857866f9

“I’m here for a request from the Information and Statistics Department of the Planning and Coordination Office.”121e27d2796161ea

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

I handed over my 23e1d04780 pre-prepared request form along f00c4cee20 with my broken tablet. The official took my tablet ff3e3c1e2e and examined it briefly before 4e05cbd8ee responding in the same indifferent fd6cfe43d0 manner.7548b422a3bcd65a

“With this level of damage, recovering the data might be difficult.”8dfdcba7a8017537

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

They casually slid 50b8b4e706 a damage compensation d560ea3fff agreement toward me. Without hesitation, I pushed ab2db5fe2a forward my equipment request 515f8db959 reason form in return. Their brows furrowed 338f31e88c as they read 803a85815f it.6c8d7927e1cba36d

“…Please wait a moment.”60f0b6c33814a92e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A weary sigh escaped c804a2309f the civil servant, loud 2640cd3c9c enough for me to 1678f16306 hear, but I ignored d339a761ee it and stepped back.427a0924e555ace2