Churu for the Angry Guide

7

“Ah, I see.”

Jihan seemed to share Siwoo’s sentiment, looking a bit exasperated. Geonho ignored this and continued with his confident attitude.

“I asked, and he said he’s not.”

“Alright, alright.”

Jihan patted Geonho’s back, telling him to do whatever he wanted. He seemed very accustomed to Geonho’s simple-minded attitude.

Jihan’s gaze, accompanied by a gentle smile, naturally shifted to Siwoo.

“So he’s not a beastkin, you say.”

“Yeah, he’s not.”

Geonho shook his head and answered on Siwoo’s behalf. Siwoo inwardly praised him and buried his face in Geonho’s firm stomach. It was to avoid Jihan’s persistent gaze.

“Hah…”

However, Geonho misinterpreted this action and burst out laughing with his mouth wide open. After struggling so hard to escape his embrace, now the cat was burying its face in his chest.

He had intended to look after it briefly, but it seemed that “brief” period might be extended. Perhaps for a lifetime.

“Are you cold? Want a blanket?”

Geonho asked, gently stroking the cat’s back as it snuggled into his arms, his mouth corners lifted in a broad smile. It was understandable to feel cold after coming into an air-conditioned room from the hot outdoors.

“Geonho, warm him up with your body heat. He seems to like it.”

“Right. You think he likes me too, hyung?”

Geonho’s smile widened as he eagerly took Jihan’s playful words. Jihan chuckled and quietly observed the white, round body with his arms crossed.

“But is it male or female?”

“Probably male.”

Geonho shrugged and carelessly grabbed Siwoo’s thighs, spreading them apart. Siwoo, who had been curled up, was startled and froze like a stone once again.

“Yep, it’s there.”

Geonho nonchalantly pointed at Siwoo’s private parts, as if confirming his guess. At the same time, Siwoo let out a loud meow and threw a punch at Geonho’s high bridge of the nose. With all his might.

‘Where do you think you’re looking, you crazy bastard!’

Out of embarrassment, he ended up extending his claws. It wasn’t intentional.

“Ah…”

Geonho tilted his head back slightly and covered his nose. This one seemed to hurt a bit more.

‘That’s what you get for looking!’

Siwoo, having escaped from Geonho’s arms again, hissed. He jumped onto the coffee table, took a defensive stance, and glared at the two men.

Although he had struck with his claws out, being an Esper, Geonho probably wasn’t injured. Moreover, he wasn’t just an ordinary Esper, but a high-ranking Esper from the famous Baekya Guild. Surely not from these small claws.

“Are you okay?”

There’s no way he could be hurt…

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

Siwoo perked up his ears at their conversation. B-bleeding?

“It’s just a scratch.”

Blocked by Jihan, Siwoo couldn’t see Geonho’s face from where he was sitting. From their conversation, it seemed he was injured enough to bleed, even though Geonho said it was just a scratch.

“When did you last receive guiding?”

Ignoring Jihan’s question, Geonho roughly wiped the red droplets with the back of his hand. A long, thin claw mark remained across the bridge of his nose. Perhaps due to Geonho’s strong features, it looked like a knife wound.

If he had been in good condition, even a knife scratch wouldn’t have left a mark. But now, due to the poor circulation of wavelengths in his body, even his skin tissue had weakened. These were all symptoms of insufficient guiding.

“Hey, why are you scared? It’s fine.”

Geonho snickered at the cat who had taken refuge on the coffee table. The snow-white face was tilted up, looking at him. It seemed to be checking his reaction, aware that it had caused the injury.

Geonho stepped towards the table and extended his hand to the cat. It was a gesture of reconciliation.

“I won’t hold you too tightly now. Sorry.”

He apologized for grabbing the cat’s legs too forcefully again. Siwoo was angry for a different reason, but Geonho couldn’t know that.

Siwoo quietly curled his tail while glancing at the quite large wound on Geonho’s face.

Although Geonho waved his hand again, inviting him back into his arms, Siwoo pretended not to understand, feeling uncomfortable. He was a bit surprised that his claws had scratched deeper than he thought.

“What are you guys doing?”

At that moment, another new person appeared. Siwoo recognized who it was just from his voice.

‘It’s the youngest. The big one.’

He was the Esper that had left the strongest impression when Siwoo watched the Baekya Guild interview. The youngest, who became gentle when he spoke, contrary to his large build and cold impression. Siwoo had liked his personality.

“Have you eaten?”

As expected, the kind youngest entered with a gentle eye smile. Jihan waved and greeted him with a smile as well.

“Not yet, you?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

“You ate early. Geonho, have you eaten?”

Geonho shook his head roughly and answered halfheartedly. Even with the youngest’s arrival, he kept his eyes on Siwoo, not sparing a glance. He seemed disappointed that Siwoo wouldn’t come back into his arms.

“What’s with the cat?”

Seojun tilted his head and looked down at Siwoo, who was sitting on the round table. Siwoo met his gaze without much thought but then paused.

‘His eyes…’

Bright golden eyes sparkled like jade beads. It was a gleam that TV screens could never capture.

He had already suspected from the large build, but it seemed he was indeed a beastkin. The most distinctive feature of beastkin was in their eyes.

Siwoo, Seojun, and even Geonho – except for Jihan, the three of them had bright-colored eyes that seemed to hold a luminous light. It was a color that couldn’t appear in ordinary East Asians.

“Geonho brought it.”

“Are we keeping a cat?”

Seojun’s eyes widened as he looked at the box full of cat supplies. Judging by the size of the box, it seemed to be for more than one cat.

“He says he’s looking after it for a while. The little one’s too skinny.”

Jihan explained the situation instead of Geonho while examining the box filled with various toys. He had brought so many things. It was enough to keep a cat for over a year.

“It doesn’t look that skinny to me.”

Seojun muttered dubiously after closely observing the cat. From the outside, the snow-white cat looked well-groomed.

The glossy white fur, light pink nose, and above all, that haughty expression didn’t look like a starving animal at all.

“It’s all fur. Just fur.”

Geonho sighed at Seojun’s doubt and pressed down on the white fur. This revealed the thin body underneath.

Thanks to the tuna can he had just eaten, his belly was slightly bulging, but his body itself was thin.

Compared to the stray cats roaming around the center, it was a seriously thin body. While they were all well-fed with plump bellies, this one was pitifully skinny.

“It’s really pretty. Is it female?”

“No, male.”

Seojun nodded and stared at Siwoo.

Siwoo quickly averted his gaze, wondering if Seojun, being a fellow beastkin, might have noticed. Not all beastkin could recognize each other. However, sometimes those with keen intuition or sharp perception could easily spot one another.

That fool probably wouldn’t notice, but the youngest might.

“But hyung…”

Siwoo swallowed hard, startled by the youngest’s cautious tone. Could it be that he was found out?

“Does the leader know?”

At Seojun’s question, Jihan also turned to look at Geonho. Geonho, who had been enthusiastically petting the white fur, maintained his silence despite noticing their gazes.

The leader couldn’t know. Of course, he couldn’t have gotten permission either. If he knew, the cat would surely be sent to a shelter along with all the supplies.

“Um… shouldn’t we tell him?”

Seojun scratched the back of his head as he spoke, having grasped the situation. It seemed Geonho had brought the cat without considering the consequences. It would be right to either send the cat away or confess to the leader before getting more attached.

“The leader doesn’t like animals…”

“He doesn’t dislike them.”

Geonho glared at Seojun, cutting off the conversation as he stood up. He turned around with a frown, as if he had made a decision.

“Jihan hyung, let’s go.”

“Where?”

Jihan blinked, pausing in the middle of waving a fishing rod toy with a mouse attached. Geonho’s answer, after a short exhale, was brief.

“To hyung.”

It seemed he was going to ask for the leader’s permission. Jihan looked as if wondering why he had to go along, but eventually followed Geonho’s lead.

“If he says no, give up cleanly.”

Jihan advised, but Geonho didn’t respond. Instead, he just cautioned Seojun to look after the cat well.

“Make him drink water, and play with that.”

“Okay! Should I set up the litter box too?”

Seojun immediately rummaged through the box at Geonho’s words. Just as Geonho started to respond with an “Uh,” Jihan placed his hand on Geonho’s shoulder and they disappeared in an instant teleportation.

While Seojun, as kind as his first impression, was setting up the litter sand, Siwoo was lost in thought for a moment. Geonho’s face, which had seemed familiar, was starting to overlap with someone else’s. Who could it be?

‘Ah…!’

He finally remembered. Who that fool resembled.

‘They’re identical.’

He had the same eyes as the Baekya Guild leader Siwoo had seen on TV. Though their eye colors were different.

What was the name of that rude leader again? Kang… something.

‘Oh, startled me.’

Just as Siwoo was trying to recall his hazy memory, a small mouse toy suddenly landed in front of his paws.

The mouse toy, as white as Siwoo, had bright red eyes. Siwoo instinctively grabbed the mouse’s tail and looked up at the youngest who had thrown the toy at him.

He thought the youngest might want to play, but…

‘…’

The youngest who had carelessly thrown the toy now wore a completely different expression from earlier.

He looked down at Siwoo for a moment with eyes devoid of any smile, then flopped down on the sofa. His face said everything was a bother.

“Hey, you’re shedding fur. Go away.”

He even pushed away the water bowl that had been moved to the table with his foot. Not his hand, but his foot.

Siwoo, who had observed this carefully, slowly tilted his head to the side.

Well, well, look at this guy.