"There's still 8 minutes left, should we just talk instead?"
After that kind of experience, I definitely didn't want to risk falling asleep and having the same dream again, so I suggested this to Ilyas and brewed some tea for him.
Sitting down on the sofa, I crossed my legs and sipped my own cup of tea – waiting for Ilyas to finish drinking before asking him a question I had been curious about.
"You are still studying in university right?"
"Yes, it's my last semester before graduating, I'm a business major."
"Last semester? Then you must be busy, won't being a guide affect your time?"
All this time I had avoided asking personal questions and opted for small talk instead. I knew what kind of past Ilyas had and bringing it up when Ilyas didn't want to talk about it seemed rude. But after this incident, my curiosity about Ilyas skyrocketed.
What would it be like to view the world from the protagonist's perspective?
It wasn't a question in a sense of how a 'Protagonist' in a comic would act, but as how a 'Protagonist' of their own life viewed the world.
I wanted to know how Ilyas who suffered from trauma of losing his parents could stand back up and even brightened the people around him.
"The university allowed me to take a break and prioritize guiding espers. My break ends this Monday though, so I can't accompany you guys inside the gate anymore, but don't worry! I will come to the office right after my class ends as fast as I can."
"Where's your university?"
"It's Greenfield University, I usually go there by bus."
Checking the location, it took at least an hour by bus from here. While bus fare was relatively cheap, the time spent getting there wasn't.
Imagining Ilyas rushed in time just to get here reminded me of the time I was in university too. Back then I was often late because I was working part-time jobs to get some extra money for my parents. My family's financial situation wasn't great at that time.
So a bright idea crossed my mind.
"Want me to drive you?"
"W-What?"
From what I understood, Ilyas lived with his grandmother as his sole family member, so his desperation for money in the comic summary I read must be because of university debt and their cost of living. So me, driving him to and from the university might help lift some of his financial burden.
"N-No it's fine, aren't you also busy? I don't want to trouble you."
"Not really, unless there's an emergency request to raid gates, I'm available most of the time."
I gave him an assuring smile because what I said was indeed the truth. It's not like I didn't have a single second to spare, after all, all I did in my house was watch TV and loiter around like a lazy caveman.
My family in this life was rich, so I didn't have to worry about making money. All I needed to think about in this life was my health, which would be solved in time if I constantly received guiding from Ilyas. So there's literally nothing troubling me.
"Let's head back together later. I need to know your address to pick you up."
Ilyas scratched his cheek while smiling awkwardly at my suggestion. But I once again affirmed my intention to him.
"Alright, thank you for the ride."
I nodded and gave him a thumbs up, "Don't worry, I'm chill with it."
BEEP!
The alarm signaling the end of my guiding session rang.
We planned on having dinner together after this guiding session so I quickly tidied up the teacups and followed Ilyas out of the room.
"Should we go to this place? The ramen is great."
I suggested one of my favorite restaurants to my teammates, which they all agreed to. It was a small shop on the street. Not too fancy but not too shabby either, a perfect place if we wanted a cozy place to hang out in.
And once again, we gathered for a meal.
Bone & Broth : Chicken and Ramen specialist
Seeing the sign, I guided my team inside the shop and ordered four sets of meals. It didn't take long for bowls of steaming hot ramen to be served on our table. The savory smell made our mouths water.
The three slowly took a bite, chewing the noodles and took a spoonful of the broth.
"How is it? It's good right?" I asked, gauging their reaction.
The shop owner had been nervously glancing at us since our meal got served, so I might as well ask on his behalf.
Ilyas was the first to answer.
"It's delicious, especially the thick and creamy soup."
"I hate to admit it, but it's good."
"It definitely has a unique flavor to it."
I turned toward the shop owner and gave him a thumbs-up. "That's what they said boss, your ramen shop got our approval."
Each of their comments was heard directly by him.
Being caught red-handed trying to eavesdrop our opinion, he coughed awkwardly before pretending to do something else. This time with a smile proudly hung on his lips.
His act of 'indifferent but actually cared' reminded me of my own father, I guess it's a fatherly trait no matter which world you're in.
"You guys finish your meal, I'll go to the restroom first."
I excused myself, leaving the table. It's a small restaurant so the only restroom they had was a small one for personal use.
Once I entered, I immediately closed the door behind me.
"Ha, this again."
Red fluid dripped down the floor. I pulled out my handkerchief and gently wiped my bleeding nose. It's already the seventh time this week and the week hasn't even ended yet.
Luckily, esper's body was sturdy enough to endure most illnesses, or else I would already be a terminal patient lying in the hospital right now.
Judging that there's no blood left, I stepped outside the restroom, which was immediately greeted by a menacing pair of eyes.
"Ethan."
My heart almost jumped out of my ribs once I saw Cedric standing in front of me. He stared at me from head to toe before signaling me with his eyes.
"Let's talk outside."
Confused, I just stood there for a while before moving my legs to follow Cedric.
What's this about?
I was sure there's no conflict between us, and our relationship had already become as good as friends, so why did he have that angry look on his face?
Cedric stopped in the alleyway beside the shop and turned to face me. I was about to ask him what happened before he suddenly yanked my hand.
"Why are you hiding this from us?"
He said in a low voice, almost a whisper, but his words didn't address any subject so I was confused about what he meant.
Seeing my expression, Cedric sighed as he rolled my sleeve – revealing the white shirt underneath.
That shirt was stained red.
Surprised, I immediately pulled my hand – hiding it.
"You didn't even notice I was standing in front of the door, did you?" Cedric said, stepping closer to me.
Because Cedric was taller than me, his silhouette under the moonlight felt menacing.
"Your senses have dulled Ethan, if this keeps going on, you might lose your life in the gate someday. Hell, you might even be dead right now just from the impurities accumulated in your body."
"I'm fine, Ilyas is with us now anyway, it's just a matter of time before I heal."
I put on my most unwavering gaze to assure Cedric. Seeing it, he sighed before finally backing down.
"This is why we can't argue with you. Why would you let your body get to this point? You should just treat guides like batteries and receive guiding back then."
Hearing him said words like that, my 'little pups reformation' instinct kicked in. I frowned, "Cedric, we talked about this. Don't treat guides like objects, they are humans too."
"Yeah, yeah, I've had enough of your nagging."
Cedric rolled his eyes as he scratched his ear, before turning his gaze to me again.
"I don't usually ask someone a favor but I need you to fulfill this one thing for me."
He slowly opened his mouth and spoke in the most serious tone I had heard from him.
"Don't die."