Chapter Text
With a slam of a door, Dokja was left alone once again in the quiet space of the guiding room. The feux-calm of the tidy area –carefully curated by a team of designers– did little to relax tense Espers entering the white walled interior.
Dokja sighed, rubbing his throbbing hand, sore from the tight grip of the Esper who came and went in a huff. He massaged the slender fingers, tilting his head to the side and blowing air to loosen the dark fringe that was beginning to grow past his eyebrows.
Maybe it was time for a trim, Dokja distracted himself.
It hadn’t been long since he began working at this guild, but it had taken him years to get to a point where the grumblings of the Espers didn’t faze him. He decided that whether he let them push him or not, they would leave unsatisfied regardless.
Not that he blamed them– how could he? The relationship between a guide and an esper was tumultuous at best: almost like an overflowing bathtub and its drain.
He clenched his hand into a fist, not blaming the Esper who was assigned to him for their tight grip and frustration at the slow pouring relief they were granted. Dokja eyed the bed in the corner of the office, just behind the seat in front of him. Of course, there were easier, more fulfilling ways for Espers to get relieved of the volatile energy swirling in their bodies, but Dokja didn’t provide such service. He already felt light-headed at the bare contact of palms.
It was easy to ignore desperate eyes when you knew what the alternative was.
Dokja knew what his body was made to handle, and the company was just happy to have another guide to try and match the outnumbering Espers.
Checking the dark banded watch that adorned his wrist, he browsed his schedule to see when the next Esper would be gracing his presence. When he was certain no sudden add-ons had been booked, Dokja quickly stood and made his way to leave the guiding room, ignoring the dizzy spell that followed his steps and blurred his vision slightly.
Nothing so debilitating that would stop him from getting his coffee for the day.
As he stepped out of his assigned space, using the door as a temporary support as he closed it, he took long strides to get the blood flowing back to his thumping head. He walked past the hallways housing other guides and chose not to dwell on some of the questionable sounds of ongoing sessions, instead focusing on the nearing clearance of cubicles and the office breakroom his precious coffee maker was in.
As he bee-lined it to the machine that had allowed him to adjust to the new workspace, he could see a few of the office staff leaving. He bowed briefly to be polite, a tidy smile on his face, before resuming his necessary task of getting caffeine into his body.
As the machine whirred, he heard a step and a clearing of a light voice behind him. At this, he turned around part way, not expecting the brown haired woman to actually be directing her attention towards him.
“Oh!” Dokja stepped to the side immediately, “Were you waiting for the coffee maker?”
“No, no,” She smiled kindly, waving her hands in front of her to mirror her words. “I just noticed you were a new face and thought I should say hi.”
Dokja peered carefully at the glowing face of the woman in front of him.
Dokja couldn’t believe there was someone so friendly at the establishment. From her expression, Dokja didn’t doubt she was being genuine. When she reached a hand forwards in greeting, he took it in a firm shake.
“Nice to meet you! My name is Yoo Sangah, I’m in HR.”
Though Dokja didn’t expect to be dealing with human resources this early into his new career, he figured setting a good example upfront wouldn't be so bad.
“Hello, Ms. Yoo, my name is Kim Dokja. I’m on the guiding unit.” He smiled, eyes fully-formed crescents.
The woman in front of him smiled knowingly, and Dokja could assume she had already known who he was. Likely a new guide was something worth talking about here at the company. He had already heard plenty in this very break room about certain guides and espers, and he was sure he had his own fair-share of rumours going around.
Great.
“So,” He might as well keep the conversation going, his coffee was taking extra long today it seemed, “How long have you worked for MinoGuild, Ms. Yoo?”
The fair haired woman tapped her fingers lightly on her thigh as she stood, “It’s been a few years, I initially started on contract”. Dokja nodded to this. However, his smile slipped a little when the other got serious, speaking in a low-tone. “Mr. Kim, if you ever feel like rumours are getting out of hand, do not hesitate to contact our department.”
Dokja simply nodded, wondering exactly what types of rumours were even going around for her to bring this up. He didn’t doubt there were nasty rumours– especially considering he was one of few guides refusing high contact guiding– but he tended to keep to himself at work and never came across anyone saying things to his face.
“If any Esper tries anything, we’ll write up a stern incident report! Don’t you worry!” The genuine gravitas of her expression made Dokja laugh, agreeing heartedly to let her know if anything ever did occur.
The beeping of the coffee machine brought him back, and he thanked Ms. Yoo for her reassurances.
He hadn’t expected to feel so comforted during his coffee trip, but it was nice to know someone this warm was working in their HR.
“Well, I’ll head back to work.” Yoo Sangah patted her blazer smooth. “It was nice to chat with you, Guide Kim!”
With a coffee now warming his hand, Dokja smiled. “It was nice chatting with you as well, Ms. Yoo.”
With a final wave at the door, Dokja was alone in the break room and he sighed in contentment at the familiar scent filling his nose. Three packets each of sugar and cream later, the dark liquid became something drinkable.
It was nice to have some peace finally, even though having someone to talk comfortably with was also quite nice. He took a sip.
It was in the middle of his next sip that this peace was short-lived, and Dokja was shocked to see a familiar name flash on his wrist, signaling an urgent need for guidance.
[ Yoo Joonghyuk ]
There, in bold, black letters, the name of one of the top Espers in contract with the guild.
He popped his head out of the break room, coffee in hand, eyes searching for the scheduling staff at the office desk. It was a large behemoth of a table in the back, often buzzing with multiple hands typing away at their computers. Dokja almost envied the monotony of that line of work. He didn’t doubt that- if he hadn’t presented as a Guide fresh out of school- he too would be whizzing around in a cubicle.
He approached the distant desk, careful to make his presence known and gain the acknowledgment of a worker clad in business wear, seeing one nod towards him.
“Excuse me. I believe there is an error in my schedule.” He unclipped his employee badge, ready to scan it when prompted. He saw a few other employees look up from their computers nearby, obviously alarmed and curious at the thought of there being an error in the system. “I believe I was scheduled with the wrong Esper.”
The worker in front of him prompted him to scan his badge on their reader.
“Please give me a moment to pull your schedule. . ." She peered at her screen, “Guide Kim.”
In the short moment that followed, he could only hear furious typing, before she tilted her screen to give Dokja a view of his official schedule, blaring bright light and cementing his worry further.
“Everything appears to be in order, Guide Kim.” Eyes flitted up for the first time to look at the man standing in front of the desk, “You were booked with Esper Yoo for an immediate guiding session.” Dokja saw more heads raise from their computers at the mention of the specific Esper.
“I. . . suppose there wasn’t an error, then.” Dokja paused. “Very well. Thank you for your help.”
The woman was quick to go back to typing up a storm, no time to dwell on the plight of the guide.
Dokja sighed and made his way towards his assigned guiding room, coffee cup still in hand. Though he hadn’t exactly guided – or met, for that matter– this Esper before, the name was a topic of discussion among the staff in the break room. How could it not be? Much of the Guild’s success could be attributed to this Yoo Joonghyuk person (or so he had heard, anyways).
But that wasn’t what the hushed conversations around the coffee machine were often about.
Dokja learned quickly that the infamous man was hard to come by, and there wasn’t a guide on this floor that had ever been assigned to the Esper. Some would even swear that they had seen the looming man in the halls between missions, eyes shining gold with barely contained rampage. Many voices would express relief that they never would have to guide such a charged Esper.
Of course, Dokja felt bad hearing all this gossip regarding a man he had never met – and one that was obviously lacking in an outlet for their power, judging by the mentions of gleaming eyes. From talking with Yoo Sangah earlier, it seemed nobody was safe from workplace gossip: not him, and definitely not a high-ranked Esper.
Being a fly on the wall during break times sure was a great way to get intel on the employees he shared the building with.
He took a final swig of his coffee as he walked briskly, downing the last drop with his head tilted back and throwing out the now softened paper cup along the way.
As he walked the stretch of hallways back to his assigned space, Dokja balled his fist decisively. He wouldn’t mind guiding the Esper bit-by-bit, despite his low affinity as a Guide.
He could offer a hand. It was the least he could do considering all the things he’s overheard (though terrifying) that the Esper had accomplished since the Guild’s inauguration years prior. He might even owe his current job to the positions that opened as the guild grew and spread its influence.
Dokja came to a stop at his familiar door, pushing it open to see an unusual mad rush of staff and managers in what used to be the tidy, pristinely kept facade of a guiding room. The table and couches had been pushed impossibly close to the walls, and a splatter of blood marred the one window that faced out the room.
He stared dumbly at the workers as they hooked up vital readers and machines Dokja had never seen before to a darkly clad man laying still in the bed, a bed that had gone entirely unused in Dokja’s time here as a guide.
As he stood dumbstruck, an employee caught a glimpse of him, and quickly alerted the room of his presence.
“You must be Guide Kim!” The worker made quick work ushering Dokja towards the bed and before he realized, Dokja was somehow sitting in a chair they materialized for him at the edge, facing the man lying flat and unresponsive on the sheets.
Dokja almost recoiled away seeing the bloodied face of the man, but held himself still, reminded of his earlier determination to not let his prejudgments get in the way of his guiding responsibilities.
Not missing the hesitance of the guide, another worker quickly raised a cloth to wipe away the red splatter on the other’s face, “Oh! Do not worry, Guide Kim. This is not Esper Yoo’s blood.”
Dokja didn’t exactly know what to make of that. He took one last look around at the workers who now stood still –waiting– and turned back to take the man’s hand in his.
The hand was rough, and definitely larger than his own, but this was the case for many of the Esper’s he guided. Firm skin pressed warmth into his own palm, and he got to work slowly opening up the floodgates.
Guiding an unresponsive Esper was a tricky task, and Dokja couldn’t say he was an expert, but he had found a method that worked over the years.
Sometimes Espers would return bruised and bloodied from the missions they were sent on, and an unconscious Esper meant one that couldn’t control the amount of energy they were pouring out. Too much out-pour too fast was bad news for the Guide, and Dokja had seen Guides go into shock before. There was a tricky balance here: he needed to be sure he wasn’t opening the drain too fast–or much at all, in this case.
Just a crack , Dokja repeated to himself. Just a–
Dokja felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm, almost causing him to let go of the other’s hand in shock. He managed to hold on despite the shock to his system. The feeling only grew as Dokja tried to dampen the transfer a little more. Making sure contact wasn’t lost, Dokja lightened his grip as to somehow lower the intensity of the guiding.
He could see the skin of his arm bubbling and twisting underneath the thin material of his collared shirt, and he felt like throwing up at both the visual of it and the sickening feeling spreading throughout his gut. He lowered his head, resting it at the edge of the mattress, careful to turn the knob further closed in his mind, trying to save himself the nausea he would undoubtedly be feeling in the upcoming days while still easing a little bit of the Esper’s burden.
Whatever he was feeling, he knew the Esper would be feeling a hundred-times worse without any guidance at all.
Though he still felt the awful surge of the diffusion, Dokja raised his head to regain some semblance of control over his posture. As he did, a cold shiver ran up his neck and he locked eyes with the now-awake man before him.
Gold eyes, wide and angry, stared up at him from where the Esper lay in bed.
Shocked, Dokja couldn't keep his focus on the task at hand, and he felt an overabundance of searing energy shoot up through their point of contact. The glaring Esper lain before him yanked his hand free at this. Revulsion was evident on his face, but Dokja didn’t get a chance to feel offended before he gripped his own head in vertigo. His ears rang and his vision was considerably blearier than a typical overwhelming guidance session. The voices around him faded in and out as he continued to slump over with his head in his palms, but he could make out the faint timber of an angry voice in front of him.
Dokja was still very much conscious, however he couldn’t find it in himself to care about anything in the moment, hearing the Esper’s booming voice yelling into the small room, stating that he didn't need guiding. Scoffing at this, Dokja recalls the bright gold of the Esper’s eyes.
He quickly pressed his lips together immediately after, though, remembering who he was in the presence of.
He sensed the air in the room shift with tangible anger, and expertly avoided making eye-contact with the source of the fury by firmly keeping his hands over his face.
Still mostly in a dizzy-spell, he felt a team of workers help to have him removed (from his OWN office , might he add) and take him to a resting site some distance away.
As he was carried and placed to rest, he couldn't help snickering at the whole fiasco. He now stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling in what he surmised was a medical office or observation room. It felt like a whirlwind had come and passed and now he was laying silently in an empty, darkened room, listening to the ticking of a clock nearby.
With a sigh, Dokja used his energy to turn his head to the side and peer at his adorned wrist.
Hmm…
It made sense, but Dokja somehow hadn’t expected it: his schedule had been cleared for the rest of the day, with the greyed-out slots now designating ‘rest’.
He let his arm fall limply back down, resigning himself to napping the rest of his workday away.
Though he barely had the chance to guide Esper Yoo earlier, it sure had taken a lot out of him. There was still the unanswered question of why he had been assigned to such a high-ranking Esper in the first place. Typically, he was assigned C or B Level Sentinels. There had only been one instance at his previous company where he had to guide a rank higher than that – however that had been an emergency and an A-rank at most. It took him days to recover. This was all written in his employee history. . .
It just didn’t make sense and Dokja’s gears began turning.
Was this a sort of right-of-passage for new employees? It hadn't seemed like anyone else had guided the Esper though, from what Dokja had been overhearing in the employee break room.
A splitting headache greeted Dokja shortly into his deliberation, and he sighed. Though his mind was swirling with pending questions, he understood that what he really needed was rest; he would ponder the situation tomorrow with a fresh head.
He let his mind fade to black.
— — — — —
— — — — —
Dokja startled awake to movement at his side, and he was vaguely aware that the place he was sleeping in was not the usual palette of his apartment.
The pounding in his head had only slightly diminished, but the true difficulty came when trying to turn his head and see who had entered the resting space. Grunting in effort, Dokja managed to squint and make out the shape of a medical staff and a manager he recognized from Esper Yoo’s team. The indistinct chatter of discussion was hard to make out in his post-sleep state, but the two seemed to notice the other stir on the bed. The medical staff cleared their throat and finished writing up something on their board, before leaving the room with a polite smile.
“Guide Kim,” the manager said, "we just finished noting your vitals, I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”
Dokja offered a brief shake of the head after opening his mouth and failing to get any words out.
“Right.” The manager pulled out a screen device and held it up so that the horizontal guide could see it without moving. “We want to share some data on the success of the guiding session the day prior.”
So it’s already been a day? Dokja thought.
“As you can see, Esper Yoo’s AIM had been significantly reduced from just one session, and the prognosis of future guidings is looking promising thus far,” The manager was rattling off data as if Dokja cared.
And what do you mean future guidings?! Look at me!
Dokja closed his eyes. Sleeping for a day had not nearly been enough to bring him back on track. The manager seemed to realize that they had brought the wrong approach.
“And of course–I can’t forget to list the benefits included in becoming a guide for our top Esper.” The manager looked suspiciously nervous, wringing the black tie around their neck before continuing their spiel. “This would include –but not be limited to!– paid breaks leading up to and prior to guiding sessions, your choice of added amenities, a new selection of guiding spaces closer to Esper Yoo’s quarters for ease of access–” Dokja put a hand up at this, before managing to sit up.
“Excuse me, but that is hardly an added benefit.” His voice was hoarse.
“Ah yes, you’re right, my apologies.” The manager looked like there was a gun to their head, ready to shoot if they didn’t get Dokja to agree to their arrangement. “All of these are open to discussion and we will be more than accommodating to your needs, Guide Kim. All we hope is that you agree to guiding Esper Yoo.”
Dokja sighed, bringing his knees up to rest his head a bit atop them.
“Let me ask one thing,” He turned to look at the manager with narrowed eyes, “why exactly am I being chosen for such a. . .” Dokja paused, “ respectable task as guiding the company’s only S-rank Esper?”
Especially since I’m a B-rank guide, Dokja wanted to add. And not even a good one with how fastidious and quick to nausea I am.
“Well,” The manager was fully hanging their head at this point, “Esper Yoo has been on the verge of a rampage for a while now and he isn’t the easiest to convince. If there is something he doesn’t want to do. . . “ The staff got a troubled look in their eye, obviously recounting past scenarios of the prickly Esper.
“So, Esper Yoo was allowed to get to the brink of a rampage because he simply didn’t want to receive a guiding? The very same Esper that is almost single-handedly keeping this company afloat?” Dokja couldn’t help but be a little snappy about it. “And this doesn’t even explain why exactly I was chosen in the first place.”
The guide crossed his arms before leaning back into the bedrest behind him, allowing the staff opportunity to speak.
“Yes, well. . . you are actually the only guide here with a feasible match rate with Esper Yoo.”
Dokja was incredulous at the words he was hearing. “I barely have a high match rate with any Espers, not even with those at the same rank as me– how in the world am I a good match with an S-rank?” It didn’t make sense.
“Well, I never said it was a good match rate, pur se,” Now Dokja was just confused. “It’s still low, but it’s higher than we’ve ever gotten with any other guide here. It seemed like our only shot with Esper Yoo on his last leg.” The manager looked almost hesitant to say any more.
Dokja sighed, both tired and frustrated with the way this was playing out.
“Just tell me more about the benefits”
“Ah yes, if you insist–” The manager perked up instantly. “meaning you’ll agree to the guiding, Mr. Kim?”
Dokja felt guilty looking into the hopeful mask adorning the other’s face, “I haven’t agreed yet , I’d like to hear more about those employee perks you were talking about.”
He hoped he wasn’t getting into anything too troublesome.
— — — — —
— — — — —
Had Dokja mentioned that all he wanted was a stable, boring office life?
As he sat here in his guiding room, arms crossed and sitting upright in the cushioned seat, he stared across at the sweating manager and the obvious lack of an Esper in the space beside.
Dokja tapped a slender finger on his upper arm, peering with a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes at the other for the nth time in the last hour. The manager checked their watch nervously.
“Esper Yoo will be here shortly.”
“Hmm.”
The manager pursed their lips, growing increasingly irritated and apologetic.
At least I’m getting paid for this. Dokja checked his own watch and saw the time change to indicate exactly an hour and one minute over the assigned start time.
When a knock was heard, the manager shot to stand and turned to face the door in time to see the one and only Esper Yoo enter behind another staff personnel.
Dokja could see the manager and the staff exchange colourful expressions between each other in silence, an unperturbed Joonghyuk Yoo confidently making his way to the guiding seat across from Dokja and sitting leaned back in front of him.
Offering a smile that wasn’t returned, Dokja then turned to the manager who gave him a thumbs up as they came back to stand behind the couch Esper Yoo sat.
With a quiet sigh and a plastered smile, Dokja introduced himself.
“Hello, Esper Yoo!” Dokja extended a pale hand towards the other, “My name is Kim Dokja, and I’ve been assigned to handle your guiding sessions until you reach a stable zone. Nice to meet you officially.”
His hand hung awkwardly in the air between them.
After a beat where it seemed the other was not going to reciprocate, the manager nudged the Esper from behind, trying to be discreet.
With a gruff exhale, Esper Yoo actually reached forward to meet Dokja’s hand in a crushing handshake, causing him to yelp at the strong hold and pull back.
Holding his own hand in the palm of the other, Dokja looked up to see Esper Yoo looking back with a disinterested look on his face.
“Joonghyuk Yoo,” The Esper gave him own name, “But don’t call me so casually. It’s Esper Yoo .”
Dokja felt a vein pop in his forehead, looking up disbelievingly at the manager who avoided eye-contact.
“Right.” Dokja couldn’t wait for the sessions to be over. . . and it hadn’t even started yet. “I’ll be in your care then, Esper Yoo .” Dokja might have said the other’s name between gritted teeth, obvious annoyance coming through. The said Esper simply raised an eyebrow at the clear irritation.
With a breath, Dokja vowed to calm down and conjure up some sympathy.
Esper Yoo is just high-strung. Yeah. It happens after never receiving proper guidance. Have patience. . .
Dokja put on a sweet smile again, catching the other a bit off-guard, though the Esper was good at reining in his expression quickly.
With an extended hand, Dokja offered a guiding session. The other finally sat up properly in the seat and reached out to grab the hand, but this time with intent to relieve some of that built-up emanating energy.
When Dokja came in contact with the tanned hand of the other, the zap of heat was an expected, but still shocking disturbance to his own system. Though he could keep his face undisturbed, the volatile energy was pushing for a reaction.
Dokja couldn’t help but feel his hand tremor a bit as his eyes lost focus every now and again as he did his best to ease some of the dark swirling excess within the Esper. He could see the dark haired Esper narrow his eyes at the changing state of the Guide, his glaring eyes focused intently on the man struggling to guide him.
Barely registering that the rough palm of the other was no longer in contact with his hand, Dokja blinked and tried to regain focus. His mind was already spinning, and he hadn’t noticed that the Esper had yanked his hand free, turning away from Dokja to face his skittish manager.
“What kind of weak guide did you bring me”, the voice was booming in the space of his office, and Dokja squeezed his eyes at the noise.
“Well, I was the only one short-sighted enough to guide you.” Dokja spoke before he could register what came out of his mouth.
The Esper whipped his head back to glare at the Guide, but the guide looked around as well, incredulous.
“My gosh! Who said that!”
The manager was making sharp hand motions behind the Esper for Dokja to stop.
Sighing through his nose, Dokja reached out once again for the Esper to continue guiding.
“Let us resume, Esper Yoo.” Dokja enunciated each word, trying his best to be understanding despite regretting agreeing to guide the other.
The other peered back hesitantly, and Dokja could appreciate the only good virtue of the other: his handsome face.
Of course, Dokja wanted to be kind and understanding to the other’s situation as well, and if he needed to reason and convince himself that the other’s face could make up for the poor personality, he would do what he had to do.
For the paycheck , Dokja reminded himself.
The other ended up not taking the outstretched hand this time, grimacing in disgust before getting up to leave with his manager trailing close behind. Dokja tried not to feel too offended.
With the room no longer suffocated with the others’ awkward presence, Dokja leaned back into his couch, finally letting the headache catch up to him.
Guiding the other, even briefly, sure took a toll on him– both physically and mentally.
Dokja got up, heading towards the break room where a much-needed coffee was awaiting him.
— — — — —
— — — — —
It was a whirlwind of a week following his first encounter with the Great Esper Yoo, and it was getting increasingly hard to find good in his heart.
Maybe if he looks extra deep he could find some? Perhaps he should go take another look at that handsome mug of the other’s to find some resolve in guiding him.
Dokja huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. Esper Yoo’s manager had all but pleaded Dokja to ignore the contempt thrown at Dokja days prior and scheduled them another guiding session for the next day. The Esper (dis)respectfully chose to never show up for that one.
Or, what about the session the manager assured Dokja the other would be attending the morning after? There wasn’t even a measly whiff of the top Esper in the building that day.
And here he was again, waiting for Joonghyuk Yoo to show up for a session.
Oh right! The guiding session that was supposed to have started and ended by now! The session that was booked especially to aid Joonghyuk– Joonghyuk’s session !
He also learned the bastard was the same age as him. If he expected him to be referring to the other as ‘Esper Yoo’ all the time, he better show some mutual respect.
But, Dokja couldn’t say he wasn’t worried about the other, either. Sure, it was quite bothersome to be cursed at when you’re trying to help, but the other honestly looked more alarmed than angry when he woke up that first day.
Dokja was pulled out of his thoughts by the looming figure of Esper Yoo walking into his office, not having bothered to knock. He saw the manager poke his head through the door before giving Dokja a shaking thumbs up before closing the door and leaving Dokja alone in the room with the already agitated-looking Esper.
Dokja was acutely aware of the fact that his one exit out of the room was blocked by the darkly clad Esper sitting in between the door and Dokja’s seat. Dokja liked to think he was a perfectly average height for a man in his country, but having Esper Yoo in the same space as him made him question if his genetics had let him down.
Note to self: rearrange guiding room.
He cleared his throat.
“Hello, Esper Yoo. How are you today. . .” The broad-shouldered man sat silent on the other seat, looking off at nothing with obvious disinterest.
Dokja just extended his hand out for the other.
The other didn’t even look in his direction, and there was no manager to encourage participation this time.
Retracting his hand, Dokja stared unabashed at the Esper gracing his presence.
“Esper Yoo.” No response. “Joonghyuk.”
The other’s head spun so fast that Dokja didn’t even see it turn. One second the man was looking elsewhere, and in the next second he had his blazing eyes trained on Dokja.
“What–” The other seethed out his words, but Dokja smiled after getting his attention.
“Oh! I thought since we were the same age, we could be a little more friendly–what do you say, Joonghyuk?”
The other didn’t even know what to say, rendered speechless by the gall.
“Come on, you can call me Dokja. We can be friends.” The thought seemed to repulse the other. Dokja reached out again, encouraging the Esper to meet his hand.
When the other still didn’t participate, Dokja changed his tactic.
“Joonghyuk,” Dokja watched with joy as the other’s eye twitched, “Look, I don’t want to be here any more than you.“ Actually that was a lie, I’m getting paid a good amount, “the faster we get you to a safe point, away from rampage, the sooner we can go our separate ways.”
This seemed to work and the other grunted, but grabbed Dokja’s hand in a death grip.
With a wince at the hold, Dokja began guiding.
The session didn’t last long however, and once nausea overtook his body, the Esper promptly left with a piercing glare.
Welp. Dokja could at least say he tried.
— — — — —
— — — — —
A hot cup of coffee sure had a magic about it; the bitter and sweet of it, cut by the cream, was just what Dokja needed during a stressful week.
And, as an added benefit, it seemed like he was finally getting along with the other staff at MinoGuild better.
No longer a fly on the wall, it was getting easier to be a part of some of the conversations he used to just eavesdrop in on. A lot of these conversations had initially been driven by uncontrollable curiosity from others in the company about the infamous Esper Yoo, but Dokja kept his mouth mostly shut, trying to adhere to the employee conduct policies he had agreed to when first joining.
But, here he was, standing with his freshly brewed coffee and one of the office workers he had managed to become quick friends with.
Her short hair was animated as she squinted her eyes at something Dokja had said.
It was just the two of them in the break room this particular day, and Dokja had definitely confided a bit more than he should have to Sooyoung about his experiences guiding the prickly Esper.
“I just don’t get it. Guiding is a good thing, right?” Dokja wished he could understand the mindset of the Esper a little better. Maybe it would help him be more patient and careful during sessions.
“Okay, but get this,” Han Sooyoung pressed her hands together by the fingertips, pointing them pensively towards Dokja, her eyebrows raised high in an intense expression, "imagine you had to pee, but you were only allowed to pee a drop at a time–”
"Okay, thanks." Dokja throws his half empty cup out," I think I'll head back.”
“–I would rather just not receive any guiding at all!" She yelled out as Dokja walked briskly out the break room door.
As Dokja walked towards his office, he regretted not taking that half-cup of coffee back with him, despite the quick loss of appetite fueled by what was probably one of the worst analogies Dokja had ever had the displeasure of hearing in his entire life.
Once at his own space, Dokja tapped his watch screen to see if the schedule had changed.
It hadn’t.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s name remained bold and blinking in his timetable, reminding him of an upcoming session.
Dokja had low hopes for the Esper’s attendance, but dutifully waited while scrolling his phone. As the minutes passed, Dokja’s annoyance grew.
Why was it that Dokja was the one who would leave their sessions absolutely sick to his stomach, but Esper Yoo was the one acting pissy?
Even if Sooyoung was right, and guiding was a tedious task for the other, surely it was better than being on the verge of a rampage at all times?
Dokja heaved a sigh, looking at his watch and the beeping name glaring back at him from his wrist. This was the fifth booked session missed with no indication or cancellation from the team setting the top Esper’s schedule.
Well, he couldn't be too upset either; this was also the fifth time he was able to scroll his phone during work hours without consequence in the past week. Dokja felt his mouth quirk up at the corners at the hilarity of the situation.
He had spent the last few days trying to shake down this elusive Esper– For what? The Esper was the one in need of guiding. Dokja couldn’t believe he was going out of his way to secure a guidance with the other, especially since he would end up bed ridden and nauseous. If he had learned anything from the three times he had guided Esper Yoo, it was that the man was boiling over with a surplus of energy. Whenever he came in contact with Joonghyuk Yoo, he felt like he was touching someone feverish with heat– scalding , almost.
Dokja didn’t particularly mind, though, as someone who was perpetually cold. The cool, dry office air didn’t exactly help him keep warm.
As the name eventually ceased beeping on his wrist, Dokja took it as his sign to take another break. Maybe filling his stomach with coffee again would lend some warmth to his thin body.
As he stood from the couch and made his way towards the door, he slipped his phone into the slim pocket of his trousers. A single step from the door, Dokja swung the door open only to freeze in place, the towering figure of Esper Yoo Joonghyuk blocking the doorway.
Dokja paused, making the effort to shut his mouth that had been left hanging at the unexpected visitor. “What . . . brings you here, Esper Yoo?” He asked tentatively.
“Guiding.” The answer was short and to the point.
Dokja blinked. Obviously he was here for a guiding, Dokja shouldn’t have asked.
“Come on in.” The smaller stepped towards the side, making room for the towering Esper to make their way inside the room. Dokja noted how the room felt viscerally smaller with the presence of the Esper, almost as his senses were warning him of something.
But Dokja wasn’t going to get caught up in such preconceptions. He was sure he was feeling this way due to the influence of the other office workers and guides who would often pull him aside during breaks to speak negatively of the Esper in front of him now. If anything, Dokja could pride himself in his spotless history with HR. He trusted Han Sooyoung enough to not rat him out, of course.
With a smile, Dokja took a seat across the table from the Esper in need of guidance.
“I’m happy to help, Esper Yoo.” Dokja continued to offer a pleasant smile, nodding his head with conviction.
The man taking up the cushioned seat ahead only looked back at the other questioningly, but Dokja paid it no mind. He extended his palm outwards for the other to grab.
It took a few moments, but the other eventually met his outstretched hand with his own, the rough skin causing Dokja to tense. The miniscule reaction resulted in Yoo Joonghyuk retracting his hand immediately.
Dokja felt apologetic seeing the other’s wary expression. He needed to pull himself together and ensure the other was making progress. The extra pay for guiding this prickly Esper was the primary added benefit, of course, but Dokja liked feigning a sense of good will just as much.
He reached forward further, beckoning the broad-shouldered man to take his hand once again. The other did.
With closed eyes, Dokja focused his mind. It was easier than when Esper Yoo had been lying unconscious, because not only could Dokja do his best to slow the drain of energy, but Esper Yoo was conscious and could limit his release in tandem. It was an added layer of assurance that Dokja appreciated.
He could feel the warmth of the other seep through into the bones of his fingers, spreading a zapping heat up his arm and into his throat. It wasn’t always this intense with other Espers, and Dokja could feel the difference between ranks most certainly now as he had this chance to guide the top ranker. The guide opened his eyes slightly, peering down to where Esper Yoo’s large hand lay on his own. His hand was noticeably pale in the other’s tan hold, and Dokja could tell the other worked hard as an Esper. He could also tell that he was definitely underqualified for this.
But at least he was willing to do it. Bad guiding was better than no guiding, after all.
Dokja felt a bead of sweat trail down his temple, and a wave of vertigo inflicted him slowly as he continued to try and drain the overflow from the man across him. It felt like he was trying to drain the ocean. He could feel the dark expanse of energy the other was holding, and the longer he peered in, the less sure he became that there would be an end to it.
With this thought, Dokja tried to accommodate more, opening up to look deeper. With a furrow of his brow and a gasp of pain, Dokja was yanked out of his thoughts by the other pulling his hand away and getting up.
“That’s enough.”
Dokja was still sitting there with his hand stretched out dumbly, before shooting up as well.
“That was nowhere near enough, Esper Yoo.” Dokja followed after as the other made his way to the door. “At least make sure you come back for frequent guiding sessions-” As he trailed after, Dokja underestimated the impact on his body from such a strained guidance, and tripped over the leg of the table before landing on his side right at Esper Yoo’s feet.
The Esper simply stared down at the crumpled frame of Dokja before grunting and turning to step out the door.
With an embarrassed grimace, Dokja sighed into his hand. The other wasn’t going to come back, was he?
— — — — —
— — — — —
He did, in fact, return.
But it took another week of imploring from the team assigned to the irritable Esper before Dokja got a glance of the burly man again.
But, alas, here he was, seated almost knee-to-knee with Dokja.
“So!” Dokja chirped in a cheery tone, legs crossed and leaned forward, chin propped up by a closed fist, “How are you this fine morning, Esper Yoo?” Dokja tilted his head to the side, having fun seeing the glare the other sent his way.
He didn’t mind seeing such a sour frown first thing in the morning if it meant he would take the rest of the day off– and paid , on top of that!
Joonghyuk Yoo wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he didn’t want to be here. Not once since they had begun guiding had the other even hinted at being thankful that Dokja so graciously agreed to put his poor body’s health and wellness on the line to ensure the Esper was at least relieving some pent-up energy. (At least, this is how it’s being framed by the workers flitting around Esper Yoo.)
The actual reason Dokja is so willing to guide the other is nowhere near as benevolent: he leaves work nauseous more often than not, so why not get it over with? He’s getting paid way more just to hold hands with one prickly Esper – it’s not a bad deal, honestly. And, the other finally gets some guiding, on top of that.
And so, with a sly smile, Dokja reaches a hand over, beckoning the other to do the same. With narrowed eyes, the wavy haired Esper places his hand atop Dokja’s.
While Joonghyuk Yoo wasn’t the talkative type, Dokja felt the itch to fill the silence. But he could tell that opening his mouth any further wasn’t going to do him any favours with the sneering man across from him. Following his intuition, he kept quiet.
The silence wasn’t all that bad, though. While guiding, he could use this time to peer up through his long bangs at the brooding man he was in close proximity to. He could note the sharp line his jaw took and the crick in the sides that gave away that he was annoyed to even be in the same room as Dokja. The furrow of thick, dark brows was the other tell-tale sign that Dokja’s mere presence was not a willful part of his daily schedule.
He really was overdue for a haircut, though. The hair was poking into his eyes every time he tried to get a better look at the handsome Esper sitting across from him. At the very least, Dokja hoped the long dark fringe hid some of the shameless staring he had been doing.
The man was certainly good-looking, he’d give him that. Having such premium eye-candy was just an extra bonus he got from agreeing to guide the neglected Esper.
Dokja had definitely been zoning out, and when he came to, he realized Joonghyuk was looking back at him with twitching eyebrows. Blinking to get the irritating hair out of his eyes, Dokja sat up a bit straighter, a little embarrassed at getting caught. He used his free hand to swipe the hair away sheepishly.
“Just cut your hair if it bothers you so much.”
“What?” Dokja opened his mouth dumbly, not expecting to be spoken to.
The other turned his head away again, no intention to repeat his words or humour Dokja with more conversation.
That’s okay, though, because Dokja had heard him fine the first time.
As the minutes ticked on, Dokja could tell from the twitch in the other’s brows and the relaxing of his jaw that the guiding was helping. The progress would be slow, but it was a good sign to see the other starting to feel some benefits. This was already the fourth time Dokja was guiding Esper Yoo. Any longer and he was sure the other would have weaseled his way out of sessions by asserting that there had been no progress.
It was also around this time, though, that Dokja could feel himself getting light-headed. The excessive heat from the palm of the Esper was starting to seep too deeply into Dokja’s arm, and he was acutely aware of a space so deep inside himself begin to jitter and shake with the energy flowing in.
Yet, as he peered into the depth of the darkly dressed man across him, the ocean remained almost endlessly full and turbulent.
Dokja couldn’t help the quiet groan of pain that left his lips and that was all it took for Esper Yoo to recoil and stand up to leave.
With a hand covering his face, Dokja let himself fall and rest his head on the armrest to the side of him. He turned his neck to catch a glimpse of a broad back leaving the assigned room.
Dokja snickered and turned back to press his head against the cool surface, missing the glance sent his way before the door was opened and closed.
Now alone, Dokja simply laid back onto the couch and shut his eyes, letting the waves of heat and nausea roll over him. He could be assured there would be no assigned guidings for the rest of the day, so closing his eyes for a while wouldn't hurt.
He couldn’t know when exactly he drifted into sleep, but when he awoke, the sun appeared to be high in the sky, and a blue bottle of nausea medication was placed neatly on the glass table nearest to him.
— — — — —