* * *
“My Guide.”
Those words weighed heavily on Raon’s chest.
He had possessed this novel’s world and lived as a Guide for five years, yet never once had he heard anyone say that to him.
No one had cared for the selfish, arrogant Han Raon.
And yet, you call me “my Guide.”
The voice of Siwoo, who had desperately called out to him until the very end as Raon closed his eyes as a villain, returned to his mind.
Raon reached out and gently stroked Siwoo’s jet-black hair.
“…Yeah. I’m your Guide.”
And you’re my Esper.
He couldn’t bring himself to say that last part out loud—perhaps out of guilt toward him.
Or maybe because he wasn’t sure how long this moment would last.
With a bitter smile, Raon extended his arms.
“Come here.”
“……”
Even if this time was short, Raon couldn’t leave Siwoo alone.
He wrapped his arms around Siwoo’s neck as the younger clung to him tightly, as if clinging for dear life.
“Mmm…”
The dazzling sunlight pierced Siwoo’s eyes.
Frowning, he slowly opened them.
The sun was already high in the sky.
He blinked blankly.
Even in the light, his pitch-black eyes looked like the deep sea.
His consciousness still hadn’t fully returned.
“Ah.”
He vaguely recalled that something dangerous had almost happened yesterday.
Feeling unwell wasn’t new, but yesterday had been especially bad—perhaps from the stress caused by Raon’s sudden change in behavior.
Siwoo let out a deep sigh.
“Huu…”
Come to think of it, he felt like he’d seen Raon in his dream.
A crushing sense of helplessness gripped him again.
He was sick and tired of seeing Raon in visions.
“…?”
But strangely, his head felt clear.
Even after taking medication before bed, that damned headache never went away—until now.
Confused, Siwoo noticed the presence beside him a beat too late.
He turned his head, startled.
“Uuungh…”
“…!”
Siwoo froze.
He stared in disbelief at Raon, who was sleeping beside him.
That translucent blue hair shining in the sunlight, the clearly defined masculine features—it was unmistakably Raon, the man he saw every day.
Was he still dreaming?
But he had never had such a vivid dream before.
Siwoo’s body trembled.
“Ugh… Hmm?”
Raon stirred from the vibration between them, slowly coming to.
Half-asleep, he blinked drowsily.
“Yawn… Siwoo, you’re awake?”
“Why… Why are you…?”
“Hm?”
Raon’s eyes finally registered Siwoo’s panicked expression.
Looking at him curiously, Raon parted his lips slightly.
Come to think of it, this was a situation easily misunderstood.
The two of them had woken up in the same bed, and he was lying there shirtless.
Siwoo’s eyes wavered wildly.
“Siwoo, I can expla—”
“Did we… do it?”
“…Huh?”
Do it? Do what?
Raon almost asked without thinking but stopped himself when he looked at Siwoo’s wide, trembling eyes and remembered last night.
He’d performed mucous membrane guiding to stop Siwoo’s contamination levels from rising.
That part was fine.
The problem was Siwoo had gotten excited and lunged at him.
“He bit like a rabid dog.”
There was no way someone as young as Siwoo had any experience.
He’d kissed him aggressively and bitten near Raon’s neck.
If it had gone any further, a real misunderstanding might’ve happened.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Siwoo’s contamination level improved, his body relaxed, and the leftover medication knocked him out cold.
He looked delicate and pretty, but his body was as burly as you’d expect from an S-rank Esper.
Raon had barely managed to lay Siwoo on the bed and then collapsed beside him.
He must’ve stripped during sleep out of habit.
“Yeah… it’s pretty easy to misinterpret.”
Without his memory, it looked exactly like something had happened.
Raon rubbed the bite mark on his neck with his hand.
“We didn’t do anything.”
“Then… then…”
As an adult, Raon should have cleared up the misunderstanding.
But instead, something else came out of his mouth.
Siwoo’s flustered reaction was refreshingly new.
He was making a face Raon had never seen before.
Avoiding eye contact and trembling like a puppy caught in the rain.
“Seriously… too cute.”
He shouldn’t be enjoying this, but Raon found it extremely fun to tease him.
Feigning innocence, he stretched and spoke.
“Ugh, my back hurts.”
“Y-Your back hurts?!”
“Yeah.”
Raon nodded calmly to Siwoo’s horrified question.
Siwoo looked completely lost.
“Then… should I massage it for you?”
“…Really?”
Siwoo blurted it out before he could stop himself, and Raon chuckled, accepting without hesitation.
Next thing he knew, Siwoo was giving him a full-body massage.
“Oh, that’s good. A little harder there, Siwoo.”
“….”
‘What the hell is going on?’
And… did we do it? With Han Raon? That?
‘I don’t remember anything…’
He vaguely remembered seeing a vision of Raon, but couldn’t recall what they had done exactly.
Siwoo just followed Raon’s instructions, even helped him shower, and eventually left the dorm with him, looking fairly put together.
“Good luck with your mission, Siwoo.”
“….”
“Don’t forget, you need to come back for the match rate test. Don’t be late.”
“…Okay.”
Siwoo nodded blankly.
Unlike last night, Raon gently tapped his pale cheek before walking away.
Siwoo moved like a robot.
“He was too cute—I couldn’t help teasing him.”
After parting ways with Siwoo, Raon muttered to himself.
Yesterday had been an emergency.
He hadn’t expected to kiss Siwoo for mucous membrane guiding, but nothing beyond that had happened.
Even that had been a medical procedure.
“…I mean, what am I supposed to do if he’s that adorable?”
He laughed to himself.
Seeing Siwoo flustered like that finally made him seem his real age.
Hadn’t he been acting way too mature all this time?
Always expressionless like a doll, talking stiffly.
Still, he’d have to clear up the misunderstanding soon.
He’d teased him too much—Siwoo would be furious if he found out the truth later.
But until then, Raon figured he’d enjoy the moment.
He grinned and briskly walked back to his own dorm.
“Ah.”
As he turned the corner, Raon bumped shoulders with someone.
He reflexively bowed his head and apologized.
“Excuse me.”
But the other person didn’t respond. Curious, Raon looked up.
“…!”
Dojin was staring down at him.
Those strange turquoise eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, Raon couldn’t move.
Of all times, it had to be before he’d left the Esper dormitory area.
Clicking his tongue, Raon tried to pass him quickly.
“Excuse me.”
“I heard you paired with Yoon Siwoo.”
“….”
That deep voice stopped Raon in his tracks.
He didn’t want to engage, but as a member of Alpha Team 1, he couldn’t ignore a superior officer.
Raon stiffly turned to face Dojin.
“Yes, I signed the contract yesterday.”
“Then what about Alpha Team 1—”
“I’ll still assist as team Guide as needed, so there’s no need for concern.”
Since Hamin hadn’t reawakened yet, they couldn’t fully rely on him—it was unavoidable.
Still, Dojin had Hamin, so he’d be fine… or was he just concerned for the team as their leader?
Raon was mulling it over absentmindedly when a voice pierced his ears, pulling him back with a sense of unease.
“Shouldn’t you have reported this to me first, as your Captain?”
“…Pardon?”
Raon blinked, startled by the displeasure clearly laced in Dojin’s tone.
But what he said wasn’t wrong.
Raon quietly bowed his head toward him.
“My apologies. I’ve been receiving suggestions to pair with Esper Yoon Siwoo for a while now, and the director pushed things forward so aggressively that I didn’t get a chance to inform you.”
Honestly, that was just an excuse.
The real reason was that Raon had been trying to avoid running into Dojin as much as possible.
Besides, Raon was a Guide before he was a member of Alpha Team 1.
The Director, his direct superior, had approved the pairing, and surely he had informed the Alpha Team 1 espers beforehand.
So Raon couldn’t understand why Dojin was questioning why he hadn’t personally reported it.
Up until now, Dojin hadn’t cared what Raon did.
He usually acted as though Raon didn’t even exist—initiating a conversation like this was rare.
Something felt off. Raon stared at Dojin with suspicion in his eyes.
“If there’s nothing more, I’ll be taking my leave.”
He tried to walk past, shaking off the unease.
But Dojin, with his larger build, blocked Raon’s way.
Raon instinctively frowned and looked up at him.
“What are you—”
“Did you just come from Esper Yoon Siwoo’s quarters?”
Dojin asked in a low voice, almost accusing.
Raon couldn’t understand why he was even asking something like that.
Dojin’s gaze was fixed on the nape of Raon’s neck, which even his uniform couldn’t completely hide—still messy and disheveled.
* * *
