* * *
Haebom’s eyes darted around as he searched for an answer.
“…A person? Wonho? Um, my Pair Esper?”
Seeing Wonho’s expression turn cold at his first answer, he quickly added more.
But he couldn’t exactly tell Wonho, “You’re my favorite supporting male lead from a novel I read!”
Even if he had been just a supporting character before, he was more than that now.
Whether this was a novel or reality, the Wonho before him was alive, breathing, feeling, and capable of being hurt.
At the very least, he considered Wonho a friend.
“…A friend? Can we be friends?”
Haebom cautiously asked. Wonho let out a deep sigh.
In what world do friends share a bed and rub their naked bodies together…?
If that was what being friends meant, then Wonho figured he had none.
Well, not that he had any to begin with…
When he didn’t answer and only sighed, Haebom mumbled softly, “So we can’t be friends?”
He had somewhat expected this.
Wonho had never liked him from the start, so maybe he wouldn’t agree to be friends.
But hadn’t they gotten a bit closer now?
He had even put his body on the line to guide him—how hard could it be to just be friends too?
It was a little upsetting.
Yet, Wonho remained silent, refusing to respond.
The more they talked, the clearer it became to Wonho why he was feeling this way.
Honestly, up until just now, he had thought it was simply because he hated Na Hyunjoon.
Or because guiding with Haebom felt too good—no, insanely good—so unlike with Choi Yoonseo, he didn’t want to lose him.
It seemed like such a simple reason.
But his feelings weren’t something so trivial.
When had this started…? No, maybe it had been from the very beginning.
“Love at first sight,” huh…?
He never thought he was capable of such a feeling.
If he had never realized it, that would be one thing, but now that he had, it was embarrassingly clear that all his actions up to this point made him seem like an elementary school kid bullying the person he liked.
Haebom, completely unaware of Wonho’s complicated thoughts, pouted in disappointment and kept sneaking glances at his hardened expression.
“He really hates the idea of being friends. So petty… Maybe he won’t guide me anymore either!”
Grumbling internally, Haebom glared at Wonho.
It wasn’t just because of him, but still, he had come all this way out of concern for Wonho, yet he wouldn’t even agree to be friends?
Of course he felt hurt.
“…What was it you were trying to say?”
Haebom was chewing his rice with extra determination—since he couldn’t chew Wonho out instead—when the other man suddenly asked.
It reminded him why he had started speaking in the first place.
This infuriating Wonho wouldn’t even agree to be friends, so should he stop general guiding if he hated it that much?
If Wonho despised it to this extent, maybe it was best not to do it.
Even if they weren’t friends, they were still paired partners.
They should respect each other… Just because Wonho refused to respect him didn’t mean he should do the same.
That would make them the same kind of person.
Steeling himself, Haebom shot a glare at Wonho.
Respect was respect, and being pissed was being pissed.
“I was going to say that if general guiding bothers you, I won’t do it. Thinking about it, that’s why you came to my office last time, isn’t it? We didn’t get to talk properly then. Ahem, not that I was in any state to talk…”
As he spoke, memories of that day in his office flashed through his mind.
His ears burned, but he forced himself to ignore it.
Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that.
“…Why do you think it bothers me?”
What was with him today?
Why was he asking so many questions?
Haebom found it odd but thought back to the reasons.
Other than what he had already considered, nothing else came to mind.
The possessiveness espers felt toward high-compatibility guides…
Though in Wonho’s case, his stronger distaste for Na Hyunjoon was probably because of Choi Yoonseo.
He had even briefly entertained the possibility that Wonho might like him while talking to Jin Seyoung.
But Wonho liked women, just like him.
Even in a world where same-sex relationships were normal, a guy who had always liked women suddenly falling for a man seemed impossible.
Haebom, oblivious to the depth of Wonho’s feelings, only sank deeper into his misunderstanding.
“Hmm, because espers don’t like their paired guides guiding others?”
“And why do you think that is?”
Could he really say it?
That espers felt possessive toward their highly compatible guides?
He pursed his lips.
That phrasing made it sound like they were mindless beings obsessed with ownership…
As Haebom’s eyes darted around in thought, Wonho grew increasingly frustrated but held himself back.
If he kept pressing, he might end up saying something he didn’t want to.
This wasn’t how he wanted to confess.
Especially not to someone who hadn’t even considered such a possibility.
“If you guide others, you might not be able to guide me properly? Not that you need to worry about that… Jin Seyoung told me I have a high guiding energy output. It regenerates faster than others’, as long as I rest a little. That’s probably why I’m ranked S. But if it bothers you, I won’t do it.”
In the end, Haebom chose a different answer over bringing up possessiveness.
It still painted Wonho as selfish, but it was better than implying he was driven by possessive instincts.
Hearing Haebom’s response, Wonho’s expression hardened.
Seeing that, Haebom swallowed a sigh.
Talking to him felt frustrating, like they were going in circles.
He wished Wonho would just state his thoughts clearly.
“Yoon Haebom, think again. Why do you think I kept barging into your office? Don’t give me that bullshit reason. Did I ever force you to guide me? Why do you make me sound so petty— Never mind. Just use that tiny brain of yours and figure it out. Why do you think I hate it?”
“Hey…!”
Wonho pressed a finger to Haebom’s forehead, making his head tilt back.
He huffed angrily, glaring up at him.
He knew the reason.
He had deliberately avoided saying it to spare his feelings.
This ungrateful bastard…!
Wonho, watching Haebom fume, picked up a side dish with his chopsticks and popped it into Haebom’s slightly open mouth.
It was a silent order: shut up and eat.
Fine. He could guide all he wanted.
It wasn’t like Wonho had wanted to receive it this way.
But looking at Haebom’s clueless face, he felt a sudden spiteful urge.
Today, even if Haebom begged him to stop, he wouldn’t let go.
Not that he had ever actually let go when Haebom asked him to before.
The fact that, with that tiny brain of his, the best reason Haebom could come up with was just concern over ineffective guiding… it dampened his mood.
But at least he wouldn’t be doing general guiding anymore.
If Haebom ever guided another esper, not just Na Hyunjoon, the thought alone was enough to make him bolt awake in the middle of the night.
He might just break through a gate out of sheer rage.
The thought of other espers making moves on Haebom while he was away had his teeth grinding.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of Wonho’s inner turmoil, Haebom simply chewed through the side dish Wonho had shoved into his mouth instead of cursing him out.
“…Where are you going?”
* * *
