* * *
“Why? Is that kind of stuff useless as intel? Gonna get scolded? Should I give you something else instead…?”
“Enough. Quit teasing…”
Wonho said with a playful smile as he reached up to touch the corner of Haebom’s eye, seeing the way his face had wilted.
Honestly, even if it was classified, Haebom, as an S-class Guide paired with an S-class Esper, could probably learn anything he wanted.
If he were a spy, what mattered most was that he could take what he needed without getting caught.
But Wonho knew better than anyone: Haebom wasn’t a spy.
If he were, then everything—his expressions, his emotions—would all have to be an act.
But Haebom wasn’t the type to hide what he was feeling.
So unless he was some master actor, the claim that he was a spy just didn’t add up.
“Is it a problem that I trust you?”
“No, it’s not. Thank you. It might sound ridiculous, but… thank you for believing me.”
“Then come here. What are you doing? Didn’t you say you’re grateful?”
Wonho opened his arms. Haebom gave a small giggle and dove into them.
Wonho wrapped his arms around Haebom’s small frame.
The thought that Haebom had been shouldering this all alone for months made irritation toward his past self bubble up—he should’ve built that trust sooner.
Swallowing his annoyance, Wonho knew there was something he had to face now.
If Haebom had come from another dimension—did he want to go back?
Wonho was already investigating the dimensional rift.
Even before Haebom had told him anything, he’d suspected there was a connection.
The reason he was digging into it was simple: he was afraid that Haebom, who had appeared so suddenly, might disappear just as easily.
And that—that was Wonho’s biggest fear.
But what if Haebom wanted to disappear?
Would he be able to let him go…?
No. No matter how many times he asked himself, it was a definite no.
“I had a question.”
“…A question?”
“Yeah. The one you asked earlier. About whether people like you—people with abilities—existed in my world.”
Ah. Wonho remembered the question he’d asked after hearing Haebom’s story.
For a second, he thought Haebom was about to ask whether he wanted to go back.
Honestly, that question had risen all the way to his throat, but he hadn’t let it pass his lips.
He was scared—scared Haebom would say he did want to go back.
He used to live without any attachment, someone who could say, ‘If I’m going to be a danger to others, I’d rather lose control and burn out inside a gate.’
But now, with Haebom fitting perfectly in his arms, he’d gained something dangerously close to longing—clingy, sticky, suffocating longing.
So he couldn’t ask.
He was afraid that if he did, his desire would spill out before he even heard the answer.
He thought about the way he’d acted when they first met—so defensive, childish, harsh—and he swallowed down a sigh.
There was no way Haebom could just be happy being by his side after all that.
“There weren’t any people with powers. No gates, no monsters either. All this stuff only existed in novels, dramas, or movies. You’re the first real Esper I’ve ever seen, Wonho.”
Haebom mumbled into Wonho’s chest, shifting slightly in his arms.
It wasn’t even a confession, yet he felt unbearably shy saying it.
Unable to meet Wonho’s gaze, he buried his face deeper and continued.
“I only knew about Espers and Guides because… right before I came through the gate, I was reading a novel while camping. The main characters were an Esper and a Guide. Oh, like I told you before—camping’s my hobby… I had a ton of gear stored at home…”
It wasn’t that he had regrets about the life he lived before meeting Wonho.
Just one—his house, which he’d saved up to buy, and all the camping gear he’d filled it with.
He had friends, but not the kind he’d want to go back for.
If he was being honest, living as Wonho’s Guide—being by the person he loved and helping him—that life was better.
Much better.
It wasn’t the kind of “family” Haebom used to dream of, but it felt just as warm to have someone who liked him, who wanted to stay by his side.
“…So?”
“Huh?”
“So… do you want to go back? To where you came from?”
In the end, the question rose up and spilled out of Wonho’s mouth.
He didn’t want to ask it, didn’t want the answer, but the hint of wistfulness on Haebom’s face made it impossible to hold back.
Haebom blinked, caught off guard.
He’d already answered that question when Jin Seyoung asked it.
Even if today was the first time he’d said it aloud, maybe he’d made up his mind long before then.
He wanted to stay by Wonho’s side.
Maybe he’d always known.
“Would you… want me to stay?”
The real question was whether Wonho wanted to be with him.
Sure, he’d said he liked Haebom plenty of times, and Haebom didn’t doubt his feelings.
But still, there was always that tiny what-if…
Would it be too much for Wonho, knowing Haebom had given up his entire world just to stay with him?
That thought made his heart twist a little.
But even if it did, he didn’t think he’d change his mind.
‘I’ll just make sure it’s not too much’, he thought, frowning slightly as he nodded to himself.
Wonho frowned too, watching Haebom go silent and clearly overthink things in that tiny head of his.
He hadn’t answered right away because he was trying to figure out what Haebom meant by the question.
“…Didn’t I already say I like you? Like, a lot? Did you forget?”
“Wha—? Of course I didn’t forget… How could I forget that? I’m not a goldfish or something.”
“Exactly. You’re not a goldfish, Yoon Haebom. So why are you asking stuff like that?”
Wonho’s voice dropped an octave as he tightened his hold around Haebom, almost as if he were trying to crush him.
Not for real—just out of exasperation, because this little thing kept jumping to the wrong conclusions when left alone with his thoughts for five seconds.
“Nggh…! I can’t breathe…!”
With his face still pressed to Wonho’s chest, the squeeze pushed his nose down and made it hard to breathe.
Haebom squirmed a bit, and Wonho finally loosened his grip, just enough to let him breathe.
Haebom tried to wriggle free completely, but Wonho didn’t let go.
“Yoon Haebom. Haebom. I like you. Damn it, it’s probably all my fault—making you think weird shit like that. But that’s all on me. So just stay. Stay by my side. Don’t go anywhere.”
Having completely given up on escaping, Haebom quietly nestled back into his arms.
Wonho leaned in and whispered his feelings into Haebom’s ear.
He had always said he truly liked him, but it felt like those words had never really gotten through.
That bitter taste rose in his mouth.
Because he was the one at fault, he pushed back the flood of complaints and resentment that kept trying to escape his throat.
Everything was his fault, after all.
“…Yeah.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“Ugh…!”
Wonho was startled by Haebom’s murmured reply.
He grabbed Haebom by the shoulders and pulled him out of his embrace.
* * *
