* * *
By the time Wonho returned, Haebom had managed to straighten his face completely.
“Eat.”
Wonho stuck a spoon into the bowl Haebom was holding and let out a sigh before sitting on the bed.
Haebom had assumed he would just hand over the spoon and leave, so he flinched when Wonho made himself comfortable.
Not like he could tell the owner of the room to get out.
So instead, he adjusted the bowl in one hand and picked up the spoon with the other.
Holding the bowl with just one hand made it feel much heavier than expected.
“You’re unbelievable. Yoon Haebom, give it here.”
Seeing Haebom frown while struggling to hold the bowl, Wonho sighed, took it back, and held it up for him.
Haebom blinked in surprise, staring at him.
Wonho, in turn, tilted his chin up as if to say, ‘What are you waiting for? Eat.’
Haebom rolled his eyes, debating if he really had to do it this way.
“Do I have to feed you too?”
“No! I’ll eat! Uh, thanks. I’ll eat well.”
The moment Wonho reached for the spoon, Haebom quickly grabbed it himself.
He scooped up some porridge, blew on it, and put it into his mouth.
He expected it to be hot, but it was just the right temperature.
“It’s good.”
The savory aroma that had lingered at his nose now spread throughout his mouth.
The porridge, with bits of vegetables and beef, tasted even richer.
Wonho glanced at him and exhaled through his nose—almost like he was proud.
Haebom picked up on that expectation and diligently finished the entire bowl.
Even as Haebom ate, Wonho held the bowl steadily without the slightest tremble in his arm.
It was at times like these that Haebom really felt the difference between himself and Wonho, an Esper.
“If you’re done, go to sleep.”
Seeing the empty bowl, Wonho pushed Haebom’s forehead, forcing him to lie down.
He clearly didn’t care about the whole ‘lying down right after eating is bad for digestion’ thing.
Instead of arguing, Haebom just nodded.
Satisfied, Wonho left the room without hesitation.
Since he wasn’t sleepy yet, Haebom simply stared at the closed door.
This was Wonho’s room, so he figured he’d come back.
But by the time Haebom finally drifted off, Wonho still hadn’t returned.
Bzzzz—
As Haebom placed the now-empty porridge bowl in the sink, his gear suddenly vibrated.
If it had been a gate or a monster-related alert, there would’ve been sound.
But since it was just a vibration, it had to be a summons from the Center.
‘Jin Seyoung?’
He tapped the screen.
[Guiding Request: Choi Yoonseo (G) → Wonho (E) = Request Pending]
“…Choi Yoonseo?”
A question mark formed in Wonho’s mind.
Choi Yoonseo had never once requested to guide him since awakening as a Guide.
Usually, when she needed to contact him, she would send a message or call.
Her pair, Na Hyunjoon, didn’t like her being involved with Wonho professionally.
He wasn’t particularly fond of their personal relationship either, but since Choi Yoonseo called it “friendship,” Na Hyunjoon at least pretended to tolerate it.
But an Esper and a Guide being friends?
Wonho found that impossible.
Espers were selfish by nature.
They didn’t make friends.
So he knew Na Hyunjoon’s so-called understanding had nothing to do with that.
Instead of accepting the guiding request, Wonho took out his phone and called Choi Yoonseo.
— Oh! Wonho-ya.
“You sent a guiding request by mistake.”
— Huh? No, I did it on purpose. Wonho-ya, you need guiding.
Her voice was as clear as ever, but Wonho frowned.
They weren’t a pair, so Choi Yoonseo couldn’t check his wavelength levels.
If she had been able to, she wouldn’t have said something so ridiculous.
— Wonho-ya?
“…Wait. I’ll be there.”
He didn’t need guiding, but he figured it was time they had a conversation.
She wasn’t exactly his Guide, but she had helped him before.
Not that it affected him much—he spent most of his time on the field anyway.
But Haebom…
Haebom was either at home or the Center.
That thought lingered in his mind.
Why?
He didn’t even know why he was worried about it.
Should he tell Haebom he was leaving?
Then again, since when did he report his whereabouts?
Wonho hung up and headed toward the door.
Yet, even as he stepped outside, his attention remained on the second floor.
As an Esper, sensing Haebom’s presence upstairs was easier than breathing.
Even now, Haebom was still awake.
It nagged at him.
But for now, he had something to take care of.
So he left for the Center.
All the way there, his mind kept drifting back to Haebom in his home.
It was ridiculous.
He had never paid this much attention to anyone before.
But for some reason, Haebom kept pulling his focus.
As if from the very moment they met—
He had been impossible to ignore.
Lost in thoughts of Yoon Haebom, Wonho found himself standing in front of Choi Yoonseo’s guiding office before he even realized it.
He had never been to her office before, and the unfamiliar setting made him feel uneasy.
He also wasn’t entirely sure why she had called him here.
Beep—
He pressed the intercom button at the entrance.
Unlike Haebom’s guiding office, where he could walk in freely, this one required an entry procedure.
That was because Wonho was Haebom’s paired Esper.
But since Choi Yoonseo wasn’t his pair, he had to follow the formalities.
The intercom button also had a fingerprint scanner, meaning everyone who entered was logged.
“Wonho-ya!”
The moment his fingerprint was scanned, Yoonseo was alerted to his presence, which was why she greeted him so enthusiastically as she opened the door.
It wasn’t something that had ever happened before.
Until now, Wonho had only met Yoonseo in public spaces like the center’s walking trails or the cafeteria.
That was to be expected.
What Esper would allow a Guide with a pair to be alone with another Esper?
The only reason they had met in crowded places was out of consideration for Yoonseo—Wonho’s consideration.
If he had been even a little selfish, if he had followed the rules strictly, Yoonseo would have become his Guide.
Looking back, Wonho was relieved that Yoonseo had never ended up as his Guide.
If she had, then who would have saved Yoon Haebom?
The gate where Haebom had appeared was one Wonho had already cleared.
Even if it was on the verge of a rampage, he had ensured that no monsters spilled over before it escalated.
If he hadn’t been there, that small-headed Guide would have been dead.
The thought made his brow furrow.
“Wonho-ya? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Yoonseo, noticing his expression, looked up at him with wide, worried eyes.
Her concern was almost ridiculous.
She was never the type to get nervous, but for some reason, she seemed uneasy now.
Maybe because Wonho, who she always thought would stay by her side, was now showing an unfamiliar expression.
Like this—right now.
“Don’t touch me.”
“…What?”
Yoonseo stared at him in shock.
Since awakening as a Guide, she had never touched Wonho.
That was because the man she liked, Na Hyunjoon, didn’t want her to.
Even so, due to their high compatibility rate, it seemed that simply being in the same space as Wonho had been enough for her.
She did feel some sympathy for him, of course.
But her own heart mattered more.
Wonho’s pain?
That wasn’t her problem.
* * *
Selfish bitch.
BRUH THIS BITCH