And now he's being pitied.

Fuck his life.

"Beyond that, we could get a rotation of people checking in, asking you how you're doing, just generally keeping track of you."

Nod nod.

"I... suppose that'd be useful."

"Do you know of anyone else in Quasar you're compatible with, who could tell how backlashed you are?"

Flinch. "Lee Tae-gun."

"...ah. Tae-gun would be—a tough nut to crack."

"...why?"

"He's... very reserved and private," Park Yoo-min hedges. "It's difficult to get close to him. Although, for something like this..."

"We're compatible enough I could feel him guiding me from a distance, yesterday. —I think it was asymmetrical, he didn't seem to react at all."

"Oh. Wow." Yoo-min and Seungjoo are compatible enough they don't need to be touching to guide each other but Jaeha and Tae-gun were substantially farther apart than just "not touching". "—did you use your powers on him yesterday?"

"I've been clean for weeks now."

"I see. Well, that's a possibility, if he can tell how backlashed you are. And maybe we should find other people, but—don't feel forced."

"You're handling this very well, I appreciate it," Haru tells Yoo-min.

"Man this sounds incredibly tough for both of you, I couldn't do anything else."

...they barely know each other. Why...

"Well, you know, it's not thrilling but at least I am so cool that I could redeem him without having even known what I was redeeming him from, or something, so that's validating."

Eyebrow lift.

"What was it you said the other day in chat? 'Guiding dick too bomb'?"

"Oh so you do read it!"

"Mostly over Haru's shoulder."

"I like to think that my aura of incorruptible integrity was helping at least as much."

"It was also your thoughtfulness, thoroughness, self-awareness, and ability to inspire me to become a better person."

"Oh, well, now you're just trying to make me blush."

"I would actually love to cause you to blush someday. Stretch goals."