The Way to Love in the Place of Dead Chapter 17

On his shoulder was the sun insignia, the mark of an esper, so he’d figured he might be able to seduce him under the pretext of guiding. If he didn’t take the bait, so be it—that was the half-hearted attitude with which he’d made the pass.

“Leaving me in this state and claiming you get nothing out of it? I’d feel cheated. If we’re talking about someone who truly gets nothing, that’d be Aran Rapperd. He’s a multi, both an S-rank esper and an S-rank guide himself.”

“Which is why he doesn’t receive guiding, but he also doesn’t give it.”

“That’s what he announced, but he does give it when it’s urgent. Even if it’s only the radial type.”

‘So that’s why his wavelength was in that state?’

Gray looked down at his gauze-covered hand. The wavelength he’d read in that brief contact was intensely hot, matching his ability. It was an overwhelming power, seething as if he’d dipped his hand into a volcano and pulled it out, such that if an ordinary guide carelessly attempted guiding, they’d likely be incinerated on the spot.

‘He himself seemed fine, though…’

Even in a state that couldn’t exactly be called stable, he had looked at ease. Not like someone putting on a strong front, but like someone genuinely without any physical issues. As if he had always lived in that form and had never experienced a stability greater than that.

“But if he’s an S-rank, you’d think guys who’d received it even just once, even the radial type, would be clinging to him. How come I haven’t seen any?”

“Ah… according to my roommate… He said he’d rather die than ever receive it again.”

“Why?”

“He said it hurts like hell.”

That didn’t sound like the impression of an esper who had received what should have been an honor of a guiding session.

“He said the skill is incredible, but the process of aligning wavelengths hurts like a son of a bitch. Described it as feeling like his brain was being prodded with a scalpel without anesthesia. But even so, he said after sleeping it off, he woke up feeling more refreshed than ever, which pissed him off even more.”

A guide that espers rejected, and an esper who maintained his composure without a guide. The more he heard, the more fascinating the relationship between the two became.

“So isn’t that exactly why me and my roommate come looking for you guys?”

Before he knew it, the esper who had climbed off the bed was unfastening Gray’s belt buckle, pulling down his underwear, and taking his penis into his mouth. The inside of the mouth, already thoroughly soaked with saliva and semen, was obscene. Even as he felt the tongue work of the esper kneeling between his legs, Gray superimposed the eyes he’d seen yesterday over the ones meeting his now. He had merely thought they were pretty eyes at first, but ever since he’d returned, they had lingered in his mind, refusing to let him go. As if the burn hadn’t been just on his hand.

“Have you actually gone impotent or something?”

The esper spat out the cock that wouldn’t stiffen despite the caresses, disappointment surfacing on his face. Gray tucked away his completely cooled member and pushed him aside.

“I’m so gonna spread this around~”

The amused esper was soon pulled from behind by another roommate and dragged away. Just as he took another cock into his mouth and resumed the play—

Ding-dong.

“What the hell.”

A bell rang, jolting them back to reality. Gray, who had been about to head to his room now that his mood had cooled, stopped in his tracks.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong— At the continuously ringing bell, irritation finally erupted from the bed, and Gray irritably flung open the front door.

“Can’t you see the do not disturb sign…?”

The very person he’d been violating in his mind just moments ago was looking up at him with clear eyes.

“Hey.”

Thankfully, it turned out he wasn’t impotent after all.

A few hours before Kay visited Room 4701.

Still unable to adjust to the morning’s brilliance, Kay had woken up after a long sleep and was wandering the kitchen. In one hand, he held the ‘Limpus Living Guidebook’ for those from Willamere.

‘Is this the water purifying button?’

A cup built into the baffling machine was dispensed with a ding, water pouring out, and the water supply stopped automatically.

‘Convenient.’

After drinking the water, Kay turned and discovered the photos affixed to the opposite hallway. The photos densely plastered across the wall were lively and boisterous.

Among the faces he’d never seen before, only one person caught his eye.

Aran, younger than he was now. He was among his comrades at an event labeled ‘Graduation Ceremony.’

‘Were you like this, too, I wonder?’

His heart fluttered as he imagined a youthful version of El, who had already been an adult when he first met her. As he brought his hand to the feeling, which resembled excitement, the person right next to him also came into view.

‘This is the one who used water. And this one is…’

In the photo were the woman who had created the water prison last time, the man who had come running with a tablet, and Jin, standing a little apart from the others as if unwillingly.

‘Are they all friends?’

At the sudden thought of the word “friend,” a face came to mind first.

Aside from Lea, he was someone who could at least be called a friend in his small, narrow world, but whether he could still be called a friend now was ambiguous.

It had been five years since he’d last seen him, and even that had been a farewell that was hard to define clearly.

“Kay. Are you angry? I’m sorry.”

“You should have at least told me!”

“Then you would have stopped me.”

“Of course I would. Are you even listening to yourself?”

Being born an esper in Willamere was like a kind of lottery. If you were alone, it meant being born with an extra skill you could use for survival; if you had a family, you could use it to protect them, or—whether by your own will or against it—you could sell yourself to Limpus.

That was what Kay’s one and only friend had done: sold himself to Limpus for the sake of the orphanage. Until the very day before he left, without a single word.

“It’s for your sake. And for mine, too.”

“How is that for your sake!”

“Kay.”

At those words, Simon quietly pressed his lips to the back of Kay’s hand. It was an act akin to a kiss of affection, but from Simon, who didn’t pull away for a long time, Kay sensed something.

He doesn’t know what expression he wore at that moment. Simon had simply given a brief farewell, as if to say, ‘It’s okay. I knew.’

“I’ll be off, then.”

A quiet final farewell. The lingering sensation of those lips, the kiss that remained for so long it wouldn’t fade, angered him more the more he dwelled on it as time passed. Because he had belatedly guessed that it had been a confession without being a confession.

And so, now. In front of Room 4701.

Ring Gayner

Gray Hamilton

Alex

Simon Yeager

After confirming the names on the nameplate, Kay ignored the [Do Not Disturb] notice and pressed the bell.

“Ah-ahng, ahng!”

The moans audible even outside the quarters were so rough that he pressed the bell several more times, worried it might not be heard, and the door was flung open irritably.

“Can’t you see the do not disturb sign…?”

The man speaking was the A-rank guide he’d seen yesterday. Only after checking the nameplate once more did he recall the name Gray.

“Hey.”

“Hah.”

The man laughed as if dumbfounded by the casual greeting. His hand, the one holding the front door, had white gauze taped to it.

“What brings you here? Need some guiding or something?”

Even though it was early morning, over his shoulder, lewd remarks about biting down on cocks and being completely ruined drifted out, and it seemed to be a continuation of yesterday’s activities.

“No. I came to see Simon. Is he here?”

Amid the lewdness, the wet, squelching sounds of pleasure clearly audible outside the door, someone shouted.

“Close the damn door, Gray!”

“Come in for now.”

The Simon he remembered didn’t seem like the type to be in this kind of atmosphere, but given the time they’d been apart, there was no telling how a person might have changed. The moment Kay stepped inside the entrance, the door closed behind him.

“You don’t need to be so guarded.”

“You’re the one who could just give me a simple answer.”

“Just an answer? That’s not hard. He’s not here right now.”

“Then sorry to have bothered you.”

Even though he’d come on impulse, now that he was here and was told Simon wasn’t, he actually felt relieved. Kay turned without hesitation. He pivoted, thinking that they would naturally run into each other at some point as time went on.

“He won’t be here later, either.”

That was, until he heard those words.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Simon Yeager is gone. About three weeks ago now, I think?”

“Are you saying he’s gone missing?”

“Who knows. Rather than missing…”

As Gray trailed off, a significantly taller man leaned against Gray’s back.

“A bonus guest? He’s cute. Introduce us.”

His subtly flushed face seemed due more to alcohol than sex. The moment he approached, the smell of alcohol stung Kay’s nose.

“Look at his bracelet first, and then say that.”

Bracelet?