* * *
What he didn’t know was that the moment his status switched from “on” back to “off,” several Espers who had been waiting to request his guidance let out disappointed sighs.
And what he especially didn’t know was that Jin Seyoung had intentionally blocked all of those requests.
Knock, knock—
“Come in.”
He didn’t even ask who it was before telling her to enter.
Haebom let out a small chuckle.
Well, it wasn’t like anyone in the center would ever come to his office to threaten him.
Still, he hesitated.
He wasn’t sure why, but opening this door felt oddly nerve-wracking.
He hadn’t known her for that long, but from what he had seen so far, Jin Seyoung was definitely the type to—
BANG—!
“…Ah.”
Haebom let out a small sigh, blinking rapidly.
He had assumed the door wouldn’t open unless he pushed it, but before he could even reach for it, it had been flung open.
Of course, the culprit was none other than Jin Seyoung.
“What are you waiting for? I told you to come in.”
“I—I was just about to….”
Jin Seyoung greeted him with a bright smile.
Haebom couldn’t look her straight in the eyes and instead let his gaze dart around the room.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, but for some reason, he felt like a child being scolded.
It was a strange feeling.
He had never experienced it before, but it reminded him of what it might be like to go on a trip with a lover and then meet their family the next day.
The fact that he had grown so comfortable with Jin Seyoung was unsettling in its own way.
“Hurry up and get in. If I keep you standing out here, Wonho’s going to throw a fit again… ugh, just thinking about it is exhausting.”
With that, Jin Seyoung stepped behind him and nudged him into the lab.
It wasn’t a hard push—he could have resisted if he wanted to.
But there was no point.
Accepting his fate, he walked inside.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—there was no one else in the lab besides Jin Seyoung.
“Did you get enough rest?”
Seeing him fidget awkwardly in his chair, she spoke first.
Haebom, feeling embarrassed, gave a small nod.
He had… technically gotten enough rest.
“I called you in since you’re already here at work. You should get a check-up before you go. Wonho made such a fuss about it. I did a quick scan earlier, but checking while you’re unconscious isn’t very reliable.”
“…What?”
She kept saying strange things.
Wonho throwing a fit about him standing outside, running a check-up while he was unconscious…
Haebom stared at her in confusion.
Seeing his reaction, Jin Seyoung sighed and explained what had happened after he had passed out.
When she finished, Haebom gaped at her in horror.
“Wait, so you’re saying…!”
“Yep. After the guiding session, you passed out, and Wonho stormed in demanding I check you. He wouldn’t let up—he practically turned the place upside down. I seriously thought you had some kind of life-threatening condition. Turns out you just guided another Esper right before Wonho, so when your guiding energy drained all at once, your body couldn’t handle it and you collapsed. There’s nothing to worry about, but just to be sure, you should get examined.”
With that, Jin Seyoung casually got up, telling him to enjoy his coffee while she got things ready.
Haebom sighed.
The mere thought of Wonho carrying him around the center like that made his head throb.
Wonho wouldn’t have cared one bit about what other people thought.
Of course, in this place, guiding was as natural as breathing, so it wouldn’t really affect his reputation.
Still, his face burned.
Why was he the one embarrassed when someone else had caused all the trouble?!
And to top it all off, after receiving his guidance, Wonho had gone straight to Choi Yoonseo for more.
The frustration and resentment toward Wonho simmered quietly in a corner of Haebom’s heart.
“Haebom, come over here.”
“…Okay.”
He wanted to run.
But aside from the center and Wonho’s house, he had nowhere to go.
Dragging his feet like a puppy reluctant to take a bath, Haebom trudged into the examination room.
Hoo, hoo…
Haebom took a deep breath just as Jin Seyoung instructed.
The lingering frustration inside him eased a little as he inhaled deeply and exhaled.
It was such an obvious thing to do, yet it felt almost silly to be upset in the first place.
With that, the guiding energy test began, followed by several other examinations, and finally, a blood draw.
Once everything was complete, Jin Seyoung spoke.
“Just have some coffee while you wait for the results.”
“Thank youuu…”
“You don’t need to thank me. This is my job. Wonho’s bratty self doesn’t need to push you around—you would’ve done the tests anyway.”
Jin Seyoung ruffled Haebom’s hair as she habitually expressed her gratitude, then guided him out of the examination room and into the lab.
She told Haebom to sit tight while he cleaned up, promising to be out soon.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Haebom rubbed the spot where his hair had been tousled.
He hadn’t done anything special, yet it felt like he was being praised.
He sipped on his coffee while waiting, and before long, Jin Seyoung returned, dusting off her hands.
“The results won’t take long. Just wait a bit, hear them out, and then head home. After a guiding session like this, you should rest for at least two days. Besides, guides who have paired espers have flexible work schedules.”
Jin Seyoung said it jokingly, hinting that Haebom had been overly diligent about coming in to work.
Not that it was a bad thing.
Technically, guides with a paired esper were supposed to come in every day, just like Haebom did.
That was written in the contract, after all.
Given the unpredictable nature of their work, it made sense for guides to be on-site rather than lounging at home, unaware of an unfolding crisis.
But most people didn’t follow that rule.
Having a pair made fulfilling the required guiding sessions easy, which led to unpaired espers becoming even more desperate for regular guiding—an endless cycle.
It was why, the moment Haebom switched his status to “available,” espers had swarmed to him like bees to honey.
Jin Seyoung sighed and told Haebom to take full advantage of whatever benefits he could.
There was no need to bend over backward just because the center expected him to.
“I guess I feel like your older sister. Makes me nag at you a lot.”
Just like Wonho, Haebom reminded her of a youngest sibling who needed looking after.
Jin Seyoung actually had a younger sibling their age, which was a big reason she had always kept an eye on Wonho.
Not that he needed an excuse—he had known Wonho since childhood.
“I don’t mind. I appreciate it.”
“That’s a relief. If it ever gets annoying, just let me know, okay?”
“Alright…”
When Haebom smiled, Jin Seyoung smiled along with him.
She still wasn’t sure how things had ended up this way, but one thing was certain: for Wonho, Haebom was salvation.
* * *
