* * *
Haebom stiffened, feeling like something was slithering up his skin. His jaw clenched.
And now he was talking about the guiding he received from Yoonseo yesterday.
Why was he telling him this?
“…It doesn’t seem like you need guiding. Let go.”
If only he could yank his hand away.
But even as an S-rank, Haebom was still just a Guide—there was no way he could overpower Na Hyunjoon.
Instead, he clutched the emergency call button with his free hand.
Na Hyunjoon only shrugged before finally letting go. Haebom had expected some kind of struggle, but he backed off surprisingly easily.
“Shame. I was curious about what guiding from a high-matching Guide felt like.”
Before Haebom could snap at him, a loud beep sounded.
Then—BANG!
The office door slammed open with such force that Haebom hiccupped from the shock.
Of course, the one who had entered was none other than Wonho.
During a guiding session, no one could enter unless the emergency call button was pressed.
But once it was over, the only person who could walk into Haebom’s office without permission was Wonho.
Usually, Wonho would wait outside until Haebom let him in.
This was the first time he had ever barged in like this.
His expression was dark as he glanced at Haebom, who was still hiccupping.
Then, his gaze shifted to Na Hyunjoon, who remained seated with a relaxed smile.
And just like that, Haebom felt like he had been placed in the middle of some ridiculous love triangle.
He hadn’t done anything, yet somehow, he always ended up in this position.
Why did it always feel like he was the one being accused of cheating?
“What’s this, Wonho Esper? Hmm… No matter how much of a pair you two are, did you forget the rule that prohibits another Esper from interfering during guiding?”
Leaning back fully against his chair, Na Hyunjoon smirked at Wonho as he spoke.
A moment ago, he had been leaning forward toward the table, but now he lounged back with a grin—one that was completely different from his previous expression.
In contrast, Wonho simply glared at him, his face frozen in cold silence.
“…If you’re going to fight, please take it outside.”
Haebom sighed deeply and muttered under his breath.
Though he spoke quietly, there was no way the two Espers wouldn’t hear him.
“Not fighting.”
“Not fighting, Guide Haebom.”
The words came out of both their mouths at the same time.
Na Hyunjoon added a little extra, but still, it almost seemed like the two of them were oddly in sync.
“Even if you’re not fighting, please leave. Na Hyunjoon Esper, if you already have a pair and are receiving guidance from them, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t waste any more of our time. If something like this happens again, I’ll be putting you on the blacklist.”
With a firm expression, Haebom fixed his gaze on Na Hyunjoon.
Wonho, seeing this, looked slightly taken aback.
Haebom had always been gentle with him, so he had assumed he was like that with everyone.
That’s exactly why, the moment he heard Na Hyunjoon was with Haebom, he had sprinted here like a madman from Jin Seyoung’s lab.
Even while running, he had questioned whether he was overreacting, but just imagining Haebom—his soft-spoken Haebom—alone with that insufferable Na Hyunjoon made his blood boil.
And when he finally flung the door open, seeing the two sitting face-to-face had made his insides churn.
Not even when Choi Yoonseo announced she liked Na Hyunjoon and became his pair had he felt this way. No—this wasn’t just about that.
He had never, in his entire life, felt this kind of emotion before.
If this was merely an instinctive reaction to a high compatibility Guide, then he should have felt the same for Yoonseo.
But he didn’t.
It was only Haebom who made him feel this way.
Still standing by the door, like a towering pine tree rooted in place, Wonho didn’t care what was going through his mind.
Meanwhile, Na Hyunjoon, watching Haebom practically ordering him out, put on a pitiful expression.
They say a person’s emotions reflect in their eyes. Haebom could tell that Na Hyunjoon wasn’t actually hurt by this situation.
If anything, he seemed amused.
So, Haebom felt no sympathy for him.
If it had been Wonho, maybe… but Na Hyunjoon?
Not a chance.
Haebom involuntarily flinched at his own thoughts.
“I was just curious,” Na Hyunjoon finally said.
“I wanted to know what it feels like to be guided by someone with a high compatibility rate. As I mentioned, my pair’s rate isn’t all that great.”
At those words, Wonho’s expression immediately twisted.
What kind of bullshit is that?
He shot Na Hyunjoon a glare, but the latter had no intention of explaining himself.
Instead, he simply straightened his posture from his previously relaxed slouch.
His movements were clean, without a hint of reluctance—completely contradicting his earlier ‘pitiful’ act.
“I’ll be back, Guide Haebom.”
Haebom didn’t respond.
He had no desire to see Na Hyunjoon again, and the way he so casually addressed him felt off.
They had only met twice—there was no reason for him to speak so familiarly.
To Haebom, Na Hyunjoon was nothing more or less than someone who had hurt Wonho.
Not waiting for a reply, Na Hyunjoon passed by Haebom and stopped in front of Wonho.
He hadn’t intended to create tension, but with Wonho standing firmly in front of the door, there was no avoiding it.
“Take good care of your precious Guide, Wonho. Don’t be an idiot and let someone else snatch him away again.”
Na Hyunjoon reached out, aiming to pat Wonho’s shoulder.
Smack.
A sharp sound rang out as Wonho slapped his hand away.
“I’ll take care of my own Guide, so don’t bother. Worry about your own.”
“Ah, are you worried about Yoonseo? You can call her, you know. I admit, I was a bit much before. You two are friends, after all. If she ever needs guiding, she can always come to me. She’s actually pretty decent for an A-rank.”
“…Fuck off. You reek of trash.”
Wonho’s voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
The room’s atmosphere instantly turned frigid.
Espers often revealed their core abilities when they radiated killing intent, and as an ice-type, Wonho naturally emitted an icy aura.
Na Hyunjoon, unbothered, merely chuckled as he strolled past him.
He had no reason to linger—he had just wanted to provoke Wonho a little before leaving.
Haebom felt his mood drop.
It makes sense to be upset when someone talks like that about the girl you like…
But why do I feel this shitty?
With a small sigh, he forced himself to lift the corners of his lips.
Oblivious to Haebom’s sinking mood, Wonho kept his gaze locked on Na Hyunjoon until he fully exited the office.
Haebom assumed that was because of Choi Yoonseo, and the smile he had tried to force gradually faded.
“…Yoon Haebom.”
Haebom, lost in thought, didn’t even realize Wonho had called his name.
Seeing this, Wonho frowned deeply.
He had rushed here the moment he heard Na Hyunjoon was with Haebom, but maybe he had been too late.
Na Hyunjoon might look like a decent person on the surface, but he was a snake.
Who knew what kind of words he had used to make Haebom feel like this?
Not that Wonho even understood why he was so fixated on it.
All he knew was that he was worried.
So, he took a step closer.
“Yoon Haebom, are you okay? Did that bastard do something to you?”
“…Huh? Oh, no. We didn’t even do the guiding, so nothing happened. I was just… lost in thought. By the way, Wonho, are you done with your tests?”
* * *
