* * *
Even if he didn’t now, Jungwoo was confident he could change that.
No matter how exceptional of an Esper Wonho was, the fact remained.
No, because it was Wonho, Jungwoo thought his chances were even better.
Wonho had never shown much attachment to Guides.
Regardless of what their compatibility rate was, the story of how he went an entire year without making a move on his highly compatible Guide was well known.
Even Na Hyunjoon, whose compatibility with Wonho was lower than his own, had… Of course, people could argue that it was because they were both S-class Espers.
But to Jungwoo, it simply seemed like Wonho didn’t put much significance in Guiding.
And that was absurd.
If an Esper didn’t value their Guide, then what did they value?
A Guide was an Esper’s lifeline, their salvation.
The only existence that could fulfill their needs in every way.
Most of all—sexually.
No matter how many times an Esper slept with a hundred ordinary people, it could never compare to sleeping with one high-compatibility Guide.
Jungwoo ran his tongue over his lips, parched from the thoughts running through his mind.
He wanted nothing more than to push this fragile little Guide onto the bed and take in every ounce of his breath.
But he held back.
Last night had made it clear—this one wouldn’t be easy.
They had held hands for two whole hours, and yet, he had remained entirely unfazed.
Beep—Beep—
“Ah, it’s over.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Haebom withdrew his hand from Jungwoo’s grasp.
Jungwoo stared at Haebom’s small, slender fingers with an air of regret before letting out a soft chuckle.
“I guess I enjoyed holding your hand too much, because the time felt so short. I’m disappointed.”
“Haha, is that so? Hmm… Esper Jungwoo, then, take care.”
Haebom had absolutely no tolerance for such cheesy lines.
He needed to get Jungwoo out of here as soon as possible.
That thought turned into immediate action, and before he realized it, he was already seeing him out.
He briefly wondered if he was being too obvious about shooing him away, but if he listened to any more of that, he might turn into a chicken out of sheer embarrassment.
Haebom opened the Guide office door, intent on sending Jungwoo off.
“Ah?”
The moment he opened it, his eyes widened in surprise.
“…Are you okay?”
Standing right outside the door was someone—no, Wonho.
Startled, Haebom instinctively took a step back, only to bump the back of his head against Jungwoo’s chest.
Not hard, but still.
Normally, Wonho’s expression was always on the cooler side.
But having seen him off just a while ago, the stark contrast of his now icy demeanor made Jungwoo’s presence at his back all but imperceptible.
“Guide Yoon Haebom?”
“Ah, I’m fine. Are you okay, Esper?”
He hadn’t hit him that hard, but the chest was definitely softer than the head, so he figured he should ask.
Jungwoo, pleased that Haebom was worrying about him, lifted the corners of his mouth.
But that satisfaction didn’t last long.
The suffocating presence in front of him made sure of that.
It was irritating to admit that someone younger than him could make him feel pressured like this, but the difference in rank was undeniable.
If only this were Na Hyunjoon instead of Wonho…
At least Na Hyunjoon, despite being an Esper, was still a decent human being.
But of all people, it had to be Wonho. Internally, Jungwoo grumbled in frustration, though outwardly, he kept up his friendly smile.
‘Huh?’
Haebom glanced back and forth between the two men staring each other down over his head.
Why did things keep ending up like this?
At least this time, there weren’t any onlookers.
Not that it mattered—there was nothing going on between him and Wonho anyway.
“Um…”
“Yes? Go ahead.”
Jungwoo, unwilling to show any sign of backing down in front of Haebom, instantly responded to his quiet call.
It was a little annoying that Haebom hadn’t used his name, but that was something he could work on later.
The important thing was that, between him and Wonho, Haebom had addressed him.
Given that everyone knew about the issues between them, it only made sense.
“Uh… Have a safe trip home.”
Jungwoo furrowed his brows. Did he hear that right?
Haebom tilted his head in confusion at Jungwoo’s expectant gaze.
“…You’re not leaving? Oh, or maybe Wonho isn’t here for me but for—”
“No.”
Jungwoo had remained motionless, scowling, but before Haebom could even finish, Wonho firmly cut him off.
He wasn’t here for Jungwoo. He was here for Haebom.
Haebom wasn’t sure why he’d come, especially when he was supposedly on his way home, but he nodded anyway.
“…Haah. Alright. I’ll be going, then. See you later, Guide.”
Jungwoo let out a long sigh, glancing between Haebom and Wonho before finally bidding Haebom farewell.
‘See you later.’
He left out the tomorrow on purpose.
He didn’t want to seem too obsessive, but the more he watched, the more he felt uneasy about the situation between them.
A Pair was too strong of a bond to ignore.
If Wonho really wanted to, he could prevent Haebom from Guiding any other Esper.
Just like how Na Hyunjoon kept Choi Yoonseo from Guiding anyone but him…
Hiding his unease behind a pleasant smile, Jungwoo brushed past Wonho on his way out.
As Jungwoo walked down the hallway, Wonho’s gaze followed him.
Observing. Calculating.
It had been two hours.
Two hours had passed since his ‘Gear’ had rung.
The Guide office was completely soundproof, even to an Esper’s ears.
He had no way of knowing what had been said or what had happened inside.
But it seemed the worst-case scenario hadn’t come to pass.
Unless the emergency button was pressed, there was no way to open the office doors once a Guiding session started.
Not unless it was before the session had begun.
And there was no way an aroused Esper would be able to cool down in just two hours.
He certainly hadn’t been able to.
“…Ho—Wonho!”
Lost in thought as he stared after Jungwoo’s retreating figure, Wonho snapped back to reality at the sound of his name.
He turned his head toward the person who had called him.
“…Why are you here?”
When Haebom tilted his head slightly with a bright expression and asked, Wonho clenched his teeth.
He had no idea why he was feeling this way, but his mood was terrible.
Just earlier, when he ate chocolate cake in the morning, he had been fine.
But now, his mood had plummeted exponentially.
What the hell was this feeling…?
“Hmm?”
As Wonho took a step closer, Haebom instinctively stepped back.
He wasn’t sure why, but Wonho’s expression didn’t look good, and he had reacted without thinking.
Had he been too obvious about avoiding him?
But Wonho didn’t seem to care. Instead, he took another step forward.
Then, with a loud bang, the guide office door slammed shut on its own.
No one had closed it, so it must have been Wonho’s doing.
Even though Haebom had only seen it a few times, it was always fascinating whenever Wonho used his ability.
“…Guiding.”
“Huh?”
“You asked why I came. I came to get a guiding session.”
Haebom blinked several times, wondering if he had heard correctly.
Even after blinking repeatedly, Wonho’s expression remained unchanged.
So he really had heard right.
But why come all the way here?
* * *
