The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 58: Taking Exams Again

Lane let out a sigh, entering the small lounge in the training center. He had just finished the written exam for Basic Guide Qualifications, and had around three hours before the practical part. There was no point in going back home, as he would have wasted too much time commuting, so he just came here instead.

He got himself a coffee and some snacks from the vending machine, and sat down by one of the empty tables, starting a game on his phone.

Everything was normal, as it should. Two days had already passed since his encounter with Damien, and so far nothing happened...

"Mr. Jenkins, good morning! Have you finished your exam?"

Lane almost jumped out of his seat at the sound of the voice. He took a deep breath, and forced the corners of his lips to go up, forming a polite smile, before turning around.

"Good morning. Yes, I finished it not long ago. And please, just call me Aidan."

"Mn. Alright. Then... you may call me Damien as well," Damien nodded his head lightly. "Is this seat empty?" he then asked, pointing at the chair opposite Lane.

"Ah, yes, please," Lane agreed absentmindedly. His thoughts were completely focused on something else.

Damien was offering to be on the first name basis? What was that about? Another trap? That would be the most logical explanation... But neither ’Evan’ nor ’Noah’ referred to him that way. It was always ’Team Leader’. ’Team Leader Lennox’ before joining the team. So, what was Damien possibly trying to achieve here?

"How did it go?"

"Huh?" Lane blinked a few times, pulled out of his thoughts.

"Your exam. Have you received your results yet?"

"Ah, yes."

Unwilling to sit quietly in class any longer than he had to, Lane naturally finished earlier, and had his papers graded on the spot.

"And?" Damien lifted his brows.

"I can’t say I did well, but I was able to pass." Lane took a sip of his coffee.

Damien’s eyes were following him closely, examining his every move. He didn’t make it too obvious, but as Lane was vigilant, he couldn’t help but notice.

And he also couldn’t help but smile inwardly, when Damien’s gaze focused on the paper cup and the snacks in front of Lane.

Lane wasn’t about to give himself away so easily this time. Although he knew Damien already recognized him, and he didn’t expect the man to show up in the lounge, he still stuck to his plan. His coffee was black, and the snacks he picked were all salty and spicy.

Just because he liked sweets, it didn’t mean he couldn’t endure a few hours without them.

It was nowhere enough to shake off Damien’s suspicions regarding his identity though.

"Would you mind showing me your papers?" he asked next.

"Ah?" Lane’s eyes twitched. "This... Well, since I didn’t do too well, it’s a bit embarrassing..."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." Lane nodded.

He wasn’t embarrassed. Not in the slightest. However, his results... Were awfully similar to Noah’s. With the first part of the exam mostly correct, and the second part completely wrong...

"Anyway, is Team Leader Lennox going to be our examiner for the practical part?" he quickly changed the topic.

Damien stared at him for a bit longer, in the end though, he dropped the subject. "No, I’m not one of the instructors, so I’m not qualified to grade the trainees," he shook his head. "And I’ve told you to call me Damien."

"How could I? I’m just a trainee Guide, while you, Sir, are a Team Leader, and an S-ranker at that..."

"I might be a Team Leader, but you’re not my subordinate. Therefore, there’s no need for you to treat me as your superior."

Lane paused, staring into Damien’s calm, emerald eyes.

Damien was serious. Well, he pretty much always was, but it was different this time. Not his regular seriousness which meant ’you need to follow the rules’, but a weird type that seemed to say, ’there are no rules you need to follow right now’...

Was it a trap?

It seemed obvious that it should be.

But maybe it was just Lane being paranoid. With how things were recently, he had started to think of Damien’s every move as a trap. Because he had to be on guard at all times, to make sure his situation wouldn’t get any worse.

However...

What if it wasn’t a trap this time?

Considering that the man seemed to like him, it wouldn’t be that weird for him to want to be on a first name basis. Reduce the distance between them, and make their relationship less professional.

And normally, Lane wouldn’t mind... Damien was hot, after all. Very attractive, both his body and face. His personality was a bit too stiff, but that wasn’t enough to discourage Lane from going to bed with him. He was more than willing to tolerate this much.

"Ugh..." Lane hesitated, scratching his neck as he looked away, avoiding Damien’s gaze. "I’ll... give it a thought. I’m just... not quite comfortable being so casual so quickly..." he excused himself.

"Alright." Luckily, Damien let it go. "Take your time. I don’t want to pressure you."

"...Right." Lane’s eyes twitched.

’If you really don’t want to pressure me, then forget everything about Evan and Noah!’ he complained inwardly. ’If it wasn’t for you recognizing me, we could hook up just fine...’

Naturally, he didn’t voice any of it out loud. He just quietly ate his snacks, waiting for Damien to leave.

But Damien didn’t leave. He just pulled out his laptop, and started reading something. Work stuff, most likely. He didn’t try to converse with Lane, but he showed no intention of moving either.

Lane went back to playing his game, but he kept on failing. He just couldn’t focus at all. Although Damien wasn’t even looking at him, busy with his own stuff, his presence alone was simply too distracting...

The time seemed to drag on forever. Until Lane eventually couldn’t take it any longer, and jumped out of his seat.

"Well then, Team Leader Lennox, it was nice seeing you. I should probably go now, since my practical exam starts soon..." he stretched his lips in a forced smile, stuffing his phone back in his pocket.

There was still half an hour left, but Lane would much rather spend it waiting by the door than in this suffocating atmosphere. His whole body simply felt too itchy to sit still any longer.

"Mn, alright. Good luck then." Damien nodded his head.

And then, he proceeded to close his laptop, and pack up his things, leaving the lounge as well.

Lane couldn’t help but stare at him, dumbfounded. He wasn’t even trying to hide it, huh? That he was in the training center only to keep an eye on Lane.

...Was it always going to be like that from now on?

Lane got shivers at the mere thought.

Good thing that Damien had his duties as a Team Leader, and Lane would be joining another team and going out on inspections soon. Only this thought gave Lane some hope to cling onto. Otherwise, under such strict vigilance, he might have ended up going insane...