Chapter 46

"For such a master to allow the immediately adjacent room... It must be bothersome to him... I can't help but be surprised."

Nain nodded as well. But he'd rather not stay in the room next to a sensitive person. If he had his way, he wanted to just ask for a different room.

Having watched right beside him as an academy classmate ruined an entire semester's grades because of a changed dormitory room, Nain was a bit worried he might end up in the same state soon.

The person who used the room next to his classmate's in the dormitory had a very sensitive and fastidious personality. Every morning, notes would be slipped through the door gap saying things like "This is from next door. You're too noisy. The thumping sounds aren't human-like, so I'm sorry but I'm asking if you're raising an elephant."

He had filed complaints through the dormitory supervisor dozens of times. The classmate who had cried about how stress was making his grades drop and causing his hair to fall out in handfuls ended up becoming lovers with the person who used the next room the following semester.

He didn't know why it ended that way, but anyway, meeting someone too sensitive would dry up a person's blood.

"But I'm relieved that the master finally has a Guide. Actually, I was worried that the master might pass away much earlier than this old man."

The old butler's sincere concern made Nain feel a small sense of guilt.

The pair contract between Ash and Nain wasn't purely for guiding purposes alone. Behind it was an equal exchange of compensation, and the contract would expire and end the moment Nain returned to his original dimension.

Nain could help Ash as a Guide. Ash, who hadn't found a matching Guide for over ten years. Nain was his first Guide.

'Though it doesn't feel real yet.'

But if he went back, what would happen to Ash...? That thought crossed his mind briefly.

"...I have something to tell you."

"Yes. What is it?"

August answered with a gentle face. Nain was fundamentally someone who knew how to respect his superiors. He didn't want to deceive someone who was treating him so kindly.

"Actually, I'm a dimension wanderer. Ash saved me."

It wasn't something worth hiding until the end anyway. It seemed like a better choice to speak up now and get it off his chest. It was a story everyone at the center knew, and from what he'd heard, rumors spread faster than expected, so it would probably become widely known outside the center soon. August would also be able to access news about him and Ash just by going online without needing to ask around.

"Ah, saying I'm a Guide isn't a lie. They said I have such talent."

"..."

"...I'll go home someday. Until then, I have promises with Ash so I can help him, but I can't guarantee I'll take responsibility for life."

Though he was sorry to shatter August's relief about Ash in one blow, relieving his own guilt was more of a priority for Nain. What kind of response would come back? Would he point fingers saying he was irresponsible? Or would he smile bitterly saying it couldn't be helped? Nain looked at August calmly.

August, who had been silent and keeping his mouth shut as if a bit surprised, belatedly nodded slowly.

"I see. How long has it been since Guide-nim came here?"

"About a month."

A month... August paused for a moment before speaking in a quiet voice.

"Are you alright?"

"What?"

"Isn't it difficult?"

"...?"

"A month means it's still time to watch others' reactions rather than adapt. I thought Guide-nim might also still be a bit lonely."

"..."

Just as he was about to deflect by saying thank you for worrying and that he was fine, Nain suddenly felt his chest tighten for some reason and closed his mouth.

'I really am fine though.'

He had been perfectly fine until just moments ago, but suddenly he couldn't continue speaking. August didn't find it strange that no answer came back from him and just smiled good-naturedly. Words from someone who had walked through the years carried weight. They were people who could make even the same words sound more profound.

Actually, there was a vague anxiety. There was no way it wouldn't be difficult. Everything was unfamiliar and scary. In the constant floating sensation of being adrift, Nain sometimes didn't know what to do and watched the people around him.

His words were right. He hadn't adapted already. He had just become a bit more accustomed to hiding his surprised reactions so he wouldn't look shaken.

People, environment. There seemed to be no one in this world who was completely on his side.

"How weary it must have been without knowing anyone."

Even when meeting new people. Even when thinking he had adapted a bit, Nain was ultimately a foreigner. When everyone returned to their places, only Nain had nowhere to return to, and that's why he had to be even more desperate.

There was no time to not be okay. He had to pretend to be fine even when he wasn't.

August silently patted the shoulder of Nain, whose eyes had reddened, and quietly offered him tissues. After a long while, thick tears fell intermittently below his deeply bowed head. I want to go home. I'm scared. The isolation he had tried not to be conscious of suddenly rushed over him and weighed down his shoulders.

August comforted the young man who was only looking down at the table with reddened eyes just by watching him. The silence gently soothed Nain's heart.

Sometimes time comforts people. There were things that would quickly become better just by letting them flow without doing anything.

How long had he been sitting? The churning feelings had eventually subsided. His vision was still blurry and his nose stung, but his head was much calmer than before. August, who had been silent all along waiting for him to calm down, broke the silence and spoke.

"I was once a dimension wanderer too. So I understand those feelings best."

"..."

Now it was Nain's turn to be surprised. It was the most shocking story he'd heard recently. Nain, experiencing once again that when someone is too surprised no words come out, moved his lips and stammered.

August told his story until deep into the night. Nain listened attentively to the story of a man who had lived through the most similar circumstances to Nain's in this world.

The milk tea that had been hot enough to burn the roof of his mouth had somehow cooled to lukewarm.

* * *

"Good morning."

"...Ash?"

Ash's attending physician, Daniel, shifted his gaze to the clock. He frowned as if he had never dreamed he'd see Ash in the examination room before work hours began. He was the very person who had heated up not only the center but the entire internet all day yesterday. And that too, with a dimension wanderer who had been doing odd jobs on the first floor...

Daniel also knew that various rumors were circulating within the center.

'You know he goes to see that dimension wanderer's face every day?'

'That bastard was smiling... gave me chills...'

'He goes around saying it's his Guide. My sister heard him say that with his own mouth.'

'I didn't believe it so I went to meet him, but turns out the kid wasn't even a Guide. Maybe because he's young or immature, he was kind of cute. I could understand.'

Daniel had heard all sorts of rumors for a week. Center people really loved rumors and enjoyed talking about others. Of course, he didn't believe all those rumors, but he thought there might be some truth to parts of them.

He had personally seen Ash go looking for Nain as soon as he came out of a gate. Moreover, Daniel was the very person who had told Ash that Nain was doing odd jobs on the first floor of the medical ward.

The story about Nain being a Guide had been so disputed among center people that the truth was completely unknowable, but Daniel had his own thoughts. He thought 'Ash has lost his mind.'

But yesterday's events had revealed that most of the rumors were true.

'Why with Ash...? Was it really consensual? Did that dimension wanderer do drugs?'

And as of yesterday, theories that Nain had done drugs began circulating. They were just people who couldn't live without spreading false rumors for even a day. What kind of ridiculous rumors. Daniel just shook his head in dismay.

When he heard about the two's pair contract, he was also very surprised, but thinking it over, he thought it was fortunate for at least one person.

'It must have been instinct.'

He had wondered why, but Ash had also instinctively recognized his Guide at first sight. When he had been doing all sorts of strange things to hang around the dimension wanderer, Daniel had been puzzled, but now he knew the reason.

It wasn't for nothing that his ability wavelength had stabilized... In the end, Ash's test results had been accurate.

Of course, even such Daniel thought forming a pair contract within a week was far too hasty. That bastard was crazy.

"What's the matter coming here without even contacting us?"

Daniel asked Ash with wide eyes.

Gate operatives had to attend the center's medical ward for a full week after coming out of gates to receive examinations. This was because the incubation period for the disease called 'gate cold' was about three days to a week.

But Ash, whose incubation period had already passed and who had no need to come here, had crawled into the examination room on his own feet again.