One day, out of nowhere, a being appeared in my life and seeped into every space and every moment of time.

 

Ivan had once vowed, while watching his parents and older brother, that he would never create anything precious in his life again.

 

He never wanted to experience that feeling of becoming utterly pathetic after giving love to the closest person in the world, only to receive not even the slightest bit of reciprocation in return.

 

Even Gloria, the only person besides blood relatives to whom he had ever opened his heart, had left him in the most vain and empty way possible.

 

All of it had left deep scars in Ivan.

 

Of course, the mere fact that he had grown attached to Simon had already made that vow waver pathetically, but he truly believed there would be no next time.

 

And yet, foolishly, once again…

 

He impulsively brought home that shadowy, scrawny kid and let him soak into every part of his life.

 

Now, every time Jin showed even the slightest emotional fluctuation, Ivan’s heart would sink with a heavy thud before climbing back up, such moments had become routine.

 

He hoped Jin’s days would be happy, and strangely, just wishing for that already felt like consolation.

 

“Haa…”

 

At the small sigh Ivan let out, Simon, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror.

 

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere, sir?”

 

“No.”

 

“You must be tired, sir. It’s been a long time since your last outing.”

 

Charlotte, sitting in the passenger seat, had already fallen fast asleep.

 

Simon gazed tenderly at the side of her sleeping face for a moment, then suddenly startled himself and stiffened awkwardly.

 

Fortunately, Ivan, who had been staring only at the sleeping Jin, didn’t notice.

 

“I should pay more attention to security from now on. It seems Jin will be visiting often.”

 

“I’ll inform the security guild.”

 

“When we arrive, take a break too, Simon. I’ll give you the afternoon off. Go somewhere nice with Charlotte and have a relaxed lunch. You’ve worked hard driving.”

 

“It’s not hard work at all.”

 

“Simon.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

Hearing the low, sincere voice, Simon suddenly felt his eyes grow hot. He barely held back tears.

 

“No, sir. I only did what you asked of me.”

 

“You always handle everything so cleanly, like someone who’s already gone in and out of my head. I know it’s not easy. If it weren’t for you, Simon… I really wouldn’t have made it this far.”

 

The times when he hadn’t been able to express his gratitude suddenly weighed heavily on his heart today.

 

In the end, what good is a sincerity that no one ever hears if it stays locked inside?

 

Jin always made a point of saying “thank you” out loud for even the tiniest acts of consideration or gifts.

 

Even though Ivan had taught him that he should accept things as if they were only natural.

 

Living together with such a child gradually made Ivan think that maybe he, too, should start practicing opening up his own feelings little by little.

 

And naturally, the very first person he should do that with was Simon.

 

When Ivan quietly lifted his gaze, Simon was busily wiping at eyes that had turned misty and blurred with tears behind his glasses.

 

A ticklish warmth spread across Ivan’s chest.

 

The sky, which had been clear all day, suddenly darkened and rain began to fall.

 

The sound of raindrops hitting the car roof was oddly pleasant.

 

Ivan found himself irritated today by the sight of his own pitch-black, gloved fingers gently stroking Jin’s soft, snow-white cheek.

 

☄️

 

Jin’s guiding room had been completely remodeled.

 

The long-postponed construction of the guiding room had finally been carried out on a large scale.

 

In the wide space where the barrier had been removed now stood an expensive bed, a comfortable sofa, and a table.

 

Two palm-sized small robots constantly sprayed disinfectant, purified the air in real time, and quietly moved around every corner of the guiding room, floor, walls, and ceiling alike, without pause.

 

Anticipating that the bathroom would see much more use from now on, the bathtub had been replaced and all the small fixtures had been changed out.

 

While other guiding rooms were also excellent, it was obvious that extra care and attention had been lavished on Jin’s.

 

Added specifically for Jin were a bookshelf, a comfortable reading chair, and a wardrobe.

 

It was more efficient to stay here and read a book rather than go all the way back to his own room when the break between sessions wasn’t very long.

 

After all the construction was finally finished, Jin came to look around the guiding room and awkwardly surveyed the strangely unfamiliar space.

 

“If there’s anything else you need, just say so. Even if it’s something uncomfortable.”

 

Simon watched Charlotte’s back as she neatly hung Jin’s robes on hangers one by one with the wardrobe door flung wide open.

 

Jin noticed where Simon’s gaze was lingering and gave a small, knowing smile.

 

No matter how you looked at it, it clearly wasn’t just Charlotte who had feelings for Simon, so what exactly were these two doing?

 

“Thank you, Manager. Won’t the other guides feel upset if they think I’m getting special treatment every single day?”

 

Of course, there wasn’t a single guide in Moribelle who actually felt that way.

 

They had all watched Jin grow up from close by, and last year Ivan had publicly announced that Moribelle would no longer hire underage guides going forward, so Jin would hold onto the position of youngest for quite some time.

 

To the veteran guides in their forties and older, Jin, who was practically the age of their own daughters, was showered with affection wherever he went.

 

“They say espers speak with skill alone. Age doesn’t matter; only ability does. And when it comes to ability, there isn’t a single guide in Moribelle who surpasses you. So even if someone feels upset, what can they do about it?”

 

At Simon’s cool, matter-of-fact tone, Charlotte’s head whipped around.

 

“You’re not seriously saying things like that in front of the other guides, are you?”

 

“What’s the problem?”

 

“Even if it’s the truth, they’re all precious guides and individuals. How do you think they’d feel if you openly compared them by saying ‘skill this’ and ‘ability that’ right to their faces?”

 

Naturally, Simon wasn’t the kind of person who would do that.

 

Charlotte knew that perfectly well, yet she was picking a fight anyway.

 

“Ah, sorry. I was thoughtless in front of a B-rank guide.”

 

And Simon had absolutely no intention of backing down to her.

 

“What? You… seriously…!”

 

Having seen the two of them bickering countless times before, Jin didn’t take it seriously at all.

 

Whether they went at it or not, she slowly wandered around the guiding room, trying to warm up to the new space.

 

Even though it still felt unfamiliar, there wasn’t a single corner she didn’t like, so she knew she would come to love this place in no time.

 

For a while, the childish back-and-forth between Simon, who wasn’t acting his age, and Charlotte continued. To Jin, it was unmistakably lovers’ quarrels, even if they pretended otherwise. 

 

Eventually, it reached a lull.

 

The outcome was always the same, so nothing about it was particularly surprising.

 

Charlotte went right back to organizing the robes as if nothing had happened, while Simon swept back the slightly fallen strands of hair from his forehead and straightened his appearance.

 

Jin watched the two of them with a soft smile before happily starting to ponder which books she should place on the new bookshelf.

 

☄️

 

So this is what being full feels like.

 

After visiting the place where her parents rested, Jin felt as though he had finally shaken off the heavy burden she’d been carrying all this time. 

 

She felt incredibly light and relieved.

 

Because each outing required mobilizing at least four bodyguards, she couldn’t go as often as she wanted, but still, she managed to visit about once a month.

 

Ivan would usually put his busy schedule on hold and accompany him most of the time. 

 

Occasionally, just the two of them would go, with Ivan driving personally and no Simon or Charlotte along. 

 

Naturally, the security vehicles followed behind.

 

For nearly a year now, going to the memorial park at least once a month was more than enough to satisfy Jin.

 

Whenever they arrived in front of the gravestone, whether the person accompanying him was Ivan, Simon, or Charlotte, they always gave Jin her own private time, so she could chatter away as much as she wanted, saying everything she needed to say.

 

Though Jin was usually quiet and spoke little, here she would talk nonstop without pause.

 

The once-empty space on the gravestone had long since been filled with words brimming with aching, heartfelt longing.

 

If I could just keep living with this kind of heart from now on, maybe I could carry this complete, overflowing happiness in my arms until the day I die.

 

A life spent sharing precious moments with precious people and faithfully carrying out the things I need to do.

 

Just thinking about it filled me with pride and surging confidence.

 

Guiding done in this state of mind was truly at peak efficiency. It didn’t feel difficult at all.

 

Through recent guiding sessions, Jin had come to clearly feel just how tremendously she had grown.

 

Controlling guiding energy had become so natural that it almost reached the realm of pure instinct.

 

The moment a vague thought floated by, “It would be good to move like this”, she would look back and realize she was already doing it.

 

Because of that, the satisfaction level of the espers receiving guidance from Jin, who had upgraded her skills through her own will, kept breaking new highs day after day.

 

“Guide Jin… I-I… this kind of guiding is really… If I die in the gate today, I’d have no regrets. It’s been a happy life.”

 

“Thank you so much again today, Guide. I’ll live virtuously, feeling like I’ve been reborn.”

 

“Guide. Do you happen to know the seafood restaurant called <Dignity of the Sea> on 47th Street? It’s mine. You can eat there for free for the rest of your life, so please, please come visit. I’ll serve you the absolute best dishes!”

 

Every time she heard such glowing praise, Jin responded with the biggest, warmest smile she could muster.

 

Being recognized as an outstanding guide had never felt this satisfying.

 

That day too passed in joyful, delighted spirits, and it was already late afternoon.

 

Having confirmed that it was Jin’s break time, Simon came looking for her in the guiding room.