Churu for the Angry Guide

6

Was that guy always this kind of character?

Siwoo blinked in confusion as he watched Jihan double-lock the window. He almost dropped the Churu in his mouth from surprise.

“Where did you find that again?”

Jihan, who was enjoying the sight of the dumbfounded Siwoo, looked around for a moment. Then, seeing the table cluttered with water bottles and snacks, he chuckled.

“No wonder a thief cat came in.”

Th-thief? Siwoo frowned, feeling the sting of the accusation.

He had properly obtained the Churu through a deal. That fool had said he’d give all the Churu if Siwoo just followed him. Come to think of it, all of that was his, but he only took one packet on purpose.

How dare he call me a thief cat?

“What are you staring at? Don’t get too attached.”

Jihan, amused by Siwoo glaring at him with wide eyes, stretched one corner of his mouth. Irritated by the playful attitude, Siwoo puffed up his fur and huffed. He didn’t like the attitude that seemed to look down on him.

“Looks like you don’t need help.”

As Siwoo huffed, forgetting the situation, Jihan nodded towards the tightly closed window. As much as he wanted to transform into a human right away and smash the window, he held back.

He had a feeling that if this guy found out he was a beastkin, it would become a big problem. It didn’t seem like it would end with just embarrassment.

“If you need something, you should behave.”

Right? Tilting his head and smiling lazily, he suddenly rubbed his forehead.

“……”

He pressed his temple firmly for a moment without saying a word, as if he had a headache. Even then, his beautifully curved lips remained the same. Annoyingly.

“Don’t come in recklessly next time.”

Jihan unlocked the secondary lock while brushing his hair back. After acting like he would keep Siwoo trapped, he unexpectedly let him go without resistance.

“Our leader is quite scary, you know.”

Even without him saying so, Siwoo had no intention of going near Building A of the main complex. He also felt uncomfortable about seeing that simple fool who had filled his stomach so well again.

I’ll never come to this area again.

“Take care.”

Siwoo glanced up one last time at Jihan, who was saying goodbye with quite a kind word. He even unlocked the latch that Siwoo had been tapping, seemingly really intending to let him go.

He was a guy whose personality was hard to gauge. Unlike that dull fool.

Anyway, thinking he had survived, Siwoo poked his face through the gap of the window Jihan had opened. Just as he was about to jump out after gauging the height—

“Hyung!”

Along with a booming voice, Siwoo’s body was roughly lifted up. At the same time, the window closed with a ‘click!’ No one had touched it.

“Why did you open the window? What if he escapes!”

Geonho, who had been excitedly entering the guiding room carrying a large box, shouted angrily. He threw down the box and tightly hugged the cat, pulling it towards him with telekinesis.

“I opened it so he could leave.”

Jihan shrugged lightly as he replied. Then, seeing Geonho stubbornly hugging the white ball of fur, he tilted his head.

“Geonho.”

“What?”

“Are you trying to make him burst?”

“What are you talking about?”

Geonho frowned, then widened his eyes as he heard the cat in his arms let out a pained “Nng.” Due to his inability to control his strength, the cat had flattened in his arms. He had made the already bony creature even smaller.

“Hey, are you okay?! You’re not dead, right?”

Genuinely alarmed, Geonho pressed his ear close to the cat’s chest to check for a heartbeat. Fortunately, the cat was still alive and well.

Nyaong―!

Just very angry.

“Wow, what a temper.”

Jihan watched with interest as Geonho got repeatedly slapped on the cheek by the cat. How hard it was hitting! Even with those tiny cotton paws, there was a clear ‘smack, smack!’ sound.

‘Control! Your! Strength! When hugging! You idiot!’

Thoroughly angered, Siwoo hit the sharp chin with all his might. He vented his frustration by meowing curses with each hit.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

‘Sorry doesn’t cut it! I almost broke my ribs!’

Nyaong! Meowing roughly, he kicked with his hind legs and escaped from the man’s arms. If he stayed in those thick arms any longer, he felt like his body wouldn’t survive.

Isn’t controlling strength essential for an Esper? It was hard to believe that this guy who couldn’t even manage the basics was really an Esper of the Baekya Guild.

Siwoo, who had fled to the table, glared at Jihan and the fool while licking his sore arms and chest.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I think my jaw’s dislocated.”

“Let me see.”

Seeing Yoo Jihan Esper treating him so familiarly, it seemed they really were from the same guild.

He had doubted it, but he really was an Esper from a top-tier guild.

‘That fool? Why?’

He scrutinized the fool with confused eyes. He looked strong on the outside, but his actions were completely off.

‘Is he rich?’

Siwoo, still unable to read wavelengths, couldn’t feel the energy flowing from Geonho at all. He had no idea how powerful an Esper he was.

‘Ah, my Churu!’

He suddenly snapped to attention as he belatedly remembered the Churu he had dropped from his mouth. He had momentarily forgotten the most important thing.

‘Where, where is it….’

Siwoo’s eyes crinkled as he urgently looked around. The red Churu packet with small teeth marks had fallen next to the fool’s foot. Of all places, there.

“Was it the cat you brought?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s all that?”

Jihan nodded towards the box Geonho had brought. He could guess what it was without hearing the answer.

“Just… I brought it because it was there.”

Geonho trailed off as he tidied up the overturned box on the floor with his telekinesis. The large box was full of soft cushions and cat supplies. Just as Jihan had expected.

“You’re not planning to keep it here, right?”

“Oh, no.”

Despite his quick denial, his averted gaze made his thoughts clear. Jihan approached the box directly and picked up an item from inside.

“You’re really not thinking of keeping it, right?”

What Jihan pulled out was a cat litter box. Kang Geonho, who had even thoughtfully bought sand, seemed ready to become a cat owner. How was he planning to handle the consequences?

“The cat’s too skinny. I’m just going to fatten it up a bit and then send it to a shelter or something.”

Geonho finally confessed the truth as he moved the cat supplies to the table with his telekinesis.

Actually, when he left, he had only intended to get one cushion. But the cat’s body felt so thin in his hands that he couldn’t bring himself to let it go just like that.

“It’s not like it’ll fatten up overnight.”

“One week. I’ll fatten it up within that time.”

Geonho raised his index finger decisively as he answered. Seeing his determined look, Jihan didn’t try to dissuade him further. It wasn’t like he would listen anyway.

“I don’t mind, but will the leader approve?”

Jihan scratched his white nape as he hit Geonho’s weak spot. Geonho seemed most troubled by this point and avoided answering.

Just then, the fluffy ball approached stealthily.

“See, he likes me too.”

Geonho pointed with his chin at the cat approaching him. Seeing it creep up, he thought it might be trying to surprise him. He smiled, thinking the cat already felt close enough to play pranks.

“If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t come close.”

“I don’t think he’s coming for you.”

Jihan muttered, looking at the Churu that had fallen near Geonho’s foot. However, seeing Geonho look so happy as he picked up the cat, he held his tongue. Seeing him grinning like a child when he rarely smiled, Jihan couldn’t bring himself to tease him further.

Nya, nyaong!

However, Siwoo, trapped again in the arms of the seemingly happy Geonho, felt differently. He was terrified of being squeezed breathless again.

“I won’t use force. Like this. Okay?”

As if understanding Siwoo’s feelings, Geonho held him carefully while gently patting his body. He looked even happier that Siwoo had approached him.

“No matter how much you like it, don’t hug it recklessly. And don’t bring it into the dorm.”

Jihan, who had been watching, spoke up. Even though there was no one stronger than him around, Geonho’s lack of caution was a problem.

“Why?”

“What if it’s a person?”

There were quite a few beastkin in the center. This was because many of those with different body cells from ordinary people had manifested as ability users.

“It’s not. It’s definitely a cat.”

Geonho, who had been getting his solar plexus hit by Siwoo, said confidently. Even Siwoo, who had been struggling hard, froze in slight surprise at his confident attitude.

“You’ve already tested it?”

When Jihan asked, seemingly surprised, a typically simple Geonho-like answer came back.

“No, just my gut feeling.”

Your gut feeling sucks. Siwoo swallowed the words he couldn’t spit out and clicked his tongue inwardly.