* * *
Especially when both Haebom and Wonho were fairly well-known around the center—it made things even juicier.
Kim Jihyun even thought it’d be nice if Haebom ended up not just as Wonho’s Guide, but his lover too.
That’d definitely knock Choi Yoonseo down a peg or two.
She nodded to herself, satisfied at the thought.
“It’s… it’s not like that. It’s just a possessiveness thing toward Guides with high compatibility… I don’t think he actually likes me.”
Haebom muttered his excuse, finally pulling himself together. His voice was quiet, but loud enough for the others to hear.
At that, the three of them shook their heads.
“That’s exactly the problem with this kind of rote education,” Yoon Geonwoo sighed.
“Yeah, Espers don’t always seem like regular people, but they are. Of course, a high compatibility Guide is valuable. Holding hands with one can make years of chronic pain disappear instantly—anyone would get attached. But they have feelings too, Haebom. Just like you. And so does Esper Wonho.”
It was a common bias among freshly trained Guides.
The training repeatedly emphasized not to fully trust Espers’ feelings.
An Esper without a paired Guide would often go out of their way to woo a compatible Guide—not necessarily out of affection, but because they needed them.
For survival.
And in the process, many Guides got hurt.
As soon as someone with better compatibility came along, the Esper would turn away without a second thought.
New Guides, believing they’d been loved, would get their hearts broken.
So the education became more and more strict.
Don’t fall for it. Don’t get tricked.
But… it’s never that easy, not when it comes to people.
“Sorry,” said Lee Taeyoung, glancing at Haebom.
“I guess I drilled all that too hard during your training.”
“Yeah, Taeyoung. This one’s on you. So you’re buying dinner.”
“What kind of bullshit logic is that—where’s that dog barking from?”
Jihyun didn’t miss a beat, grinning as she handed Taeyoung the bill.
He tossed it right back at her.
She clicked her tongue in mock disappointment.
“Anyway, don’t get too hung up on compatibility rates. Espers are still people. And life, well… it’s about giving and getting hurt sometimes.”
Yoon Geonwoo continued, watching the two of them bicker.
Haebom, who had always just assumed that Wonho liked Choi Yoonseo and only showed possessiveness because of the match rate, now found himself even more confused.
He’d accepted that Wonho could feel things, could be hurt… and yet still ignored those feelings.
Not that he knew what those feelings were, exactly.
But guilt toward Wonho started creeping in.
“Don’t take it too seriously,” Geonwoo said.
“Yeah, exactly. Keep it light. People fall in and out of love, date, break up—it happens. Give him some advice, Jihyun. You just broke up, didn’t you?”
“…Shut up.”
Jihyun reached for Geonwoo’s collar like she was ready to throttle him, but he dodged her easily.
Then he turned to Haebom and urged him to eat more.
Pushing past the storm of guilt, confusion, and everything else, Haebom took another bite of his steak and started chewing, prompting the others to watch him with warm, amused expressions.
“But hey, you’re not doing general Guiding anymore, right?”
Taeyoung tilted his head curiously, remembering what an Esper had asked him yesterday.
That Esper had known Taeyoung was the one who trained Haebom.
It had stuck in his mind, and truthfully, he was a little curious too.
Most Guides—even after forming a pair—still did a few rounds of general Guiding.
But Haebom had barely done it at all.
So it made him wonder: Did something happen? Had one of the Espers done something?
“Uh, well…”
Haebom, still chewing, froze at the question and looked up nervously.
He was caught off guard.
The truth was, he stopped general Guiding because Wonho clearly didn’t like it.
Haebom had just assumed it was that Esper possessiveness again—but the others clearly thought otherwise.
He rolled his eyes around again, trying to think of how to answer.
“Did something happen? Just tell us. Better to get that stuff handled early. Actually, the Esper who came for Guiding yesterday seemed way too interested in you. I was a little worried.”
Seeing Haebom hesitate, Taeyoung’s expression turned serious.
Haebom quickly waved his hands, saying it wasn’t like that.
Most of the Espers who’d come in for general sessions had been perfectly polite.
Except for Na Hyunjoon.
But since that guy hadn’t even completed the session, he didn’t really count.
Anyway, that wasn’t the point.
“Taeyoung, can you not? Isn’t it obvious Esper Wonho got jealous? Right, Haebom?”
“It wasn’t jealousy! He just… didn’t want me getting tired from other sessions and messing up his Guiding, okay?!”
“Sure, next excuse please.”
Haebom groaned, a soft sound escaping through clenched teeth.
Whatever he said, Jihyun clearly wasn’t buying it.
And honestly, even he thought it sounded like a poor excuse, so he just shut his mouth.
Jihyun chuckled.
She’d been in a bit of a slump since her recent breakup, but watching someone else’s messy love life was kind of reviving her spirits.
She didn’t plan to date again any time soon, but this was fun.
And if she could make Choi Yoonseo squirm in the process?
Even better.
She’d had her own issues thanks to Yoonseo and a clingy Guide who followed her around.
Watching someone like Yoonseo juggle two top-level Espers like she was balancing on a tightrope—yeah, it was irritating as hell.
Haebom flinched when he caught Jihyun’s sly, mischievous grin.
She gave him an innocent smile and patted his head.
The whole situation was messy and confusing… but weirdly entertaining too.
And so, the slightly chaotic, slightly sweet scene lingered, everyone wrapped up in their own tangled thoughts.
“Going straight home?”
It wasn’t until they’d moved from the restaurant to a café that the three finally let Haebom go.
In just a few hours, Haebom felt completely drained.
He hadn’t lived a life completely isolated from people—he had colleagues like Wonho, Jin Seyoung, and her team—but they weren’t nearly this talkative.
It felt like his soul had been wrung dry.
“Mm, yeah. I should head home.”
“We’re heading back to the center. Which way’s home for you?”
Lee Taeyoung asked, clearly intending to walk Haebom part of the way.
At that, Haebom hesitated.
He’d already texted Wonho when they were switching locations to the café, and about ten minutes ago, he’d sent another message letting him know they’d be wrapping up soon.
If he just waited here, there was a good chance Wonho would show up.
Still… if he mentioned that, Kim Jihyun would probably cause a scene.
“Yoon Haebom.”
Right then, a sharp voice called out his name, as if annoyed.
Haebom let out a soft sigh.
He’d planned to send the three off first—but of course, things didn’t go the way he wanted.
Wonho had shown up before they’d even left.
“Oh! Esper Wonho, you’re here to pick up Guide Haebom?”
“…Yeah.”
Kim Jihyun greeted him with an overly friendly smile.
Wonho raised an eyebrow in response.
Even though there was no reason to be on edge—they were all Guides, after all—there had been couples who dated and even married within the system, so it wasn’t like he could be completely relaxed.
Plus, Wonho didn’t exactly like Guides to begin with.
Guiding was painful for Wonho.
* * *
