* * *
Most Guides wouldn’t understand, but if he was around a poorly matched Esper, they could end up leaking Guiding energy without realizing it.
Just standing next to them could cause him pain.
Thankfully, the three Guides Haebom had met today knew how to manage their energy.
And with Haebom by his side, Wonho had been feeling better than ever.
No pain. No discomfort.
None of the usual symptoms.
“See? Still wanna say you’re not into him? Think about it—his feelings and Guide Haebom’s too.”
While Kim Jihyun kept teasing Wonho with a sly grin, Lee Taeyoung leaned closer to Haebom and whispered quietly—so quietly even an Esper like Wonho wouldn’t catch it.
Haebom flinched at the ticklish breath against his ear and made a face like he couldn’t tell whether to laugh or cry.
As if sensing the dark aura behind him, Taeyoung quickly backed away.
And sure enough, it was coming from Wonho.
He shrugged, putting on the most harmless expression he could manage.
Sighing, Wonho brushed past Kim Jihyun and walked straight up to Haebom, standing in front of him, blocking Taeyoung from view like a wall.
Taeyoung scoffed under his breath, but he didn’t get in the way.
“Guide Haebom, we’ll get going then. Esper Wonho, take care.”
“Ah—yes. Bye!”
“Let’s go eat something tasty again sometime, okay?”
Haebom stepped slightly aside from the wall of a man standing between them, quickly nodding.
He’d heard some odd things, but it had been a fun outing. It was the first time he’d spent this kind of time with colleagues, and all three of them—older than him—treated him like something cute and precious.
There was no way he could’ve disliked it.
Any resolution not to get too attached to this world was already crumbling—he just hadn’t noticed yet.
“…Looks like you had fun?”
Haebom, who had been waving enthusiastically until the three were out of sight, tilted his head at the sudden voice.
When he turned, Wonho was wearing an unmistakably displeased expression.
After hearing those strange comments from the others, every little action from Wonho now felt… off.
It couldn’t be.
No way… right?
Or maybe?
“Yoon Haebom, did something happen?”
“Huh? No! No, not at all. Let’s just go home!”
Seeing Haebom looking up at him all spaced out, Wonho moved to place a hand on his forehead—just to check.
But before he could touch him, Haebom quickly stepped back.
If he hadn’t, Wonho’s hand would’ve landed squarely on his forehead.
Dodging the touch, Haebom turned and practically marched forward, almost as if he were running away.
“…Right. That way.”
Haebom had started walking in the wrong direction.
At Wonho’s quiet correction, he quickly adjusted his course.
Wonho figured there was no need to interrogate him—after all, they were going to the same house.
Still, the urge to press him, to demand answers, was right there at the edge of his throat.
But thanks to Jin Seyoung’s many lectures about how to handle people, he managed to hold it in.
Who would’ve thought he’d be worrying about human relationships like this…
Though honestly, whatever he had with Haebom didn’t feel like a normal relationship.
As Haebom drifted farther from him—emotionally, not physically—Wonho stifled a sigh and closed the distance between them again.
Back at home, Haebom flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV.
But of course, he wasn’t watching it.
His eyes kept darting over to where Wonho was sitting on another sofa, legs crossed, a bit farther away.
“…What.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Wonho finally couldn’t take it and snapped at him, voice edged with irritation.
He knew he’d been unfair—blowing up at Haebom for ridiculous reasons—but he was doing his best not to be that guy.
Still, ever since they got back home, the weird tension and all the avoiding eye contact—it was getting under his skin.
What the hell had they talked about that had Haebom acting like this in just a few hours?
If he’d known it’d be like this, he would’ve wrecked that whole social outing.
If Taeyoung and the others knew what he was thinking, they’d have been furious at the injustice of it all.
They had no idea what kind of impact their little gathering had made—it had made Haebom aware of Wonho in a way he never had been before.
Caught in the act of stealing glances, Haebom looked away fast, eyes darting.
“Just say it. What is it? Why are you acting so weird? Did you eat something bad? Are you sick? If you’re sick, just tell me. I’ll take you to the center hospital right now.”
There was no other explanation for this behavior—he had to be either physically or emotionally unwell.
Wonho was already planning on dragging him to the hospital just in case.
“Hic! Hup…!”
Startled by the sudden hiccup, Haebom slapped his hands over his mouth.
Wonho sighed and told him to wait before heading into the kitchen.
Haebom held his breath, hands pressed firmly to his mouth, watching Wonho’s back.
He hadn’t meant to act like this.
But once the thought crossed his mind—what if Wonho likes me?—he couldn’t unthink it.
Everything started to feel awkward.
Haebom had never dated before.
He’d never even been in the same space as someone who might like him.
Or maybe there had been someone, but he was just too oblivious to notice.
Whether he’d missed the signs or whether there really had been no one… he didn’t know.
But now, the idea that Wonho might like him had completely thrown him off balance.
Every time Wonho so much as reached toward him, he’d flinch or flee.
Just being in the same room was a struggle.
He didn’t want to make things weird.
He didn’t want to be misunderstood.
“…Drink this.”
“Hic, sniff… Mmh, thanks.”
Haebom took the cup Wonho handed him and gulped the water down.
Thankfully, the hiccups stopped right away.
The real problem was Wonho, who was staring at him, clearly waiting for him to say something.
Wonho took the cup back from Haebom’s hands.
He frowned slightly when Haebom flinched at the touch.
Without saying a word, Wonho turned to set the cup back down.
“Wait, it’s just…! You said you liked me. But it’s not like that… I mean, I know it’s not like that, but I keep thinking about it anyway. Just… cut me some slack today, okay? I’ll try not to be weird about it from tomorrow…!”
Thump—the dull sound of something falling on the rug cut him off.
Both of them looked in that direction.
The cup that had been in Haebom’s hand was now rolling across the rug.
“Oh no! Are you okay?”
Luckily, he’d finished the water, so the cup was empty.
And it had landed on the rug, so the sturdy mug hadn’t broken.
Haebom leaned down from the sofa to pick it up—only he didn’t get the chance.
Wonho had stepped in and pulled Haebom upright before he could reach it.
“…The cup— Wait, your face…!”
“…Fuck.”
Up to this point, between the two of them, the one who always blushed and wore his heart on his sleeve was obviously Haebom.
Sure, Wonho showed emotions sometimes too—annoyance, irritation, that kind of thing.
But the one who always went beet red?
That was Haebom.
Yet right now, it was Wonho whose face looked like it might burst from the heat. Haebom stared at him blankly, arms caught in Wonho’s grasp.
“Hey. Who said that? That I don’t like you?”
Wonho hadn’t called him “hey” like that in ages.
Maybe he was just so shocked that it slipped out.
* * *
