The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 179: Ambitions

They went to the busy food court again, choosing a pasta place, as a bit healthier alternative to fast foods. Lane was the one to pay, of course, jumping forward to swipe his card before Damien could so much as open his mouth to protest. He already quit the Guild, so there was no need to keep up with the pretense of saving money! Not to mention, Damien was the one to cook their last meal together, which included paying for all the ingredients, so there was no way Lane could allow him to pay this time!

"So," Lane started, when they found themselves an empty table and sat down. "How’s work? Still busy?"

"Yes, unfortunately, there’s a lot of work piled up after the summit..."

"Hmm." Lane narrowed his eyes, observing Damien as he stabbed his fork into his penne chicken alfredo. "And it couldn’t be split up between the other Team Leaders, who didn’t attend the summit?"

"That..." Clearly not knowing what to say, Damien paused for a moment, and then quickly added, "I’m almost done catching up anyway. So, unless something comes up, I should be able to find some time next week."

But Lane wouldn’t let the topic end so easily. "That’s great! However." He leaned forward over the table, and lowered his voice slightly, his eyes focused on Damien. "Don’t you think that Section Leader has it out for you?"

"...It might be a misunderstanding," Damien said, but even he didn’t sound convinced of his own words.

Well, he was sharp after all, so there was no way he hadn’t noticed. He was just pretending he didn’t.

"It is not." Lane shook his head in response. "I am certain of it. He was already trying to dig some dirt on you a few months ago, when I applied for a team transfer..."

"...A team transfer?"

"Ahem!" Lane coughed, trying to cover it up. That’s right, he had never told Damien that he wanted to change teams as ’Noah’... And judging by the man’s surprise, neither did Section Leader.

However.

"That’s not important right now, we can talk about it later," he waved his fork dismissively. "The point is, he seems to feel threatened by you, worried you might take over his position."

"Oh." Damien didn’t seem particularly surprised, so Lane continued,

"That reminds me, we’ve never talked about it... But would you like to become the Section Leader?"

For a moment, Damien remained silent, giving it a thought. "I’m... not sure," he eventually said. "In the future, maybe? I haven’t really considered it yet... Certainly not anytime soon. I haven’t been in the Association for all that long, and I lack education... I believe there are plenty of people far more deserving of the promotion than me."

Lane nodded his head lightly, listening in contemplation, while trying to suppress the satisfied smile that threatened to twist his lips. That was more or less the answer he expected... and he was glad Damien wasn’t too ambitious, at least for the time being. Although he himself was convinced that Damien would make an excellent Section Leader, despite his lack of sufficient experience... He wasn’t going to encourage his boyfriend, not when there were such unstable times ahead. Once it was all over, and the world adjusted to the upcoming changes, then it would be fine.

If the Association still existed then, that is.

And if Lane and Damien still...

"Anyway!" he exclaimed loudly, dismissing the topic, as well as chasing his own unpleasant thoughts away. "You said you might have time next week? Then I assume I can take you out on that long overdue all-day date?"

"Most likely. I can’t guarantee it though... May I ask what you are planning?"

"It’s a surprise," Lane only smiled mysteriously though. It was just an... innocent shopping spree, but if Damien knew Lane wanted to splurge on him, he’d probably try to protest...

The rest of the meal passed by in a relaxed atmosphere. It was only when they were on their way back, walking through the food court toward the stairs, when all of a sudden, Lane grabbed Damien’s arm, and pulled the man down, forcing him to duck behind some chairs together with him.

"What are you..." Damien started, but Lane quickly cut him off.

"Shh!" he hushed, pressing a finger against his lips, as his eyes scanned the groups walking by.

For a moment, Damien just stared at him, dumbfounded by the situation. "You really like hiding behind chairs, don’t you?" he asked calmly.

Only for Lane to chuckle in response, "Not particularly so, but a guy gotta do what a guy gotta do!"

It was only after he said it that it hit Lane what Damien was alluding to. However, he still chose to play dumb.

Even though Damien’s gaze was burning holes through his head.

Luckily, Damien soon gave up on trying to see through Lane, in favor of following his line of sight. And almost immediately, wavy light ash brown hair, cut just above the shoulders, caught his eyes.

Clara. She was chatting with two other women around her age, likely her friends from uni, as they slowly walked past various restaurants. Soon, they passed by the two hiding men, paying them no mind, preoccupied with their conversation.

"...Why are we hiding, though?" Damien asked, lowering his voice to match the situation, even though his sister was already too far to hear them, especially in this sea of noise.

"Well, I just thought it might be too soon for her to spot us... Since she might misunderstand," Lane explained. "Well, misunderstand. She’d probably think we’re dating, which is obviously true... But from her point of view, it would seem as if you moved on too quickly again, no? So, I thought you might not want it..."

Damien furrowed his brows. Lane was right, he didn’t quite like it... Clara was... a bit nosy, and while Damien didn’t want to tell her to mind her own business, since he knew she was only worried about him... He didn’t want to argue with her about it either. And it’s not like he could just reveal Lane’s secret to her!

"Thanks," he finally muttered. "And... I’m sorry."

Lane only hummed lightly in response.

’That should be my line.’