“It’s the name ‘Ji Gwanyeong,’ isn’t it? I wonder if it’s actually you, Ji Gwanyeong.”

Ji Gwanyeong had been an Esper who ‘hid in plain sight, attracting more attention than anyone else’ for over ten years. It was both fortunate and unfortunate that most people at the Center knew someone who was linked to a name like his. And that person was someone he was close with—unfortunately, it was a tragedy in itself.

Choi Taehun was such a good person. For someone like him to be tied to someone so unpredictable…

“Starting with the second question… yes, it’s Ji Gwanyeong, the real deal.”

“What about the first one?”

“To be precise, it wasn’t because of that person. It was because of the Esper, to be exact.”

How dare he speak so arrogantly?

The atmosphere in the interrogation room immediately turned cold with Ji Gwanyeong’s quietly added words. Miyeon, feeling she couldn’t lose in this power struggle, responded firmly.

“Even if he’s a terrorist, a one-sided attack using power is prohibited. Also, unauthorized Esper access to a Guide who is protected by the state is forbidden. Just with that, Ji Gwanyeong, you—”

However, Miyeon didn’t get to finish her sentence.

That was because the already warped laptop belonging to Oh Yeon suddenly flew up and slammed down forcefully on the table. Miyeon reflexively swatted away the bouncing parts, but if the laptop had been aimed at her head, she didn’t think she would’ve been able to block it in time. The creature, who had been smiling all this time, was no longer smiling at all.

Oh Yeon, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the two Espers, noticed exactly which part of the conversation triggered a strong reaction from Ji Gwanyeong.

When Miyeon said, “Unauthorized Esper access to a Guide who is protected by the state is forbidden,” Ji Gwanyeong slowly lost the smile on his face.

With an expressionless face, Ji Gwanyeong looked at the mirror. The people on the other side of the thin glass, who had been babbling about needing more Espers and injections to ensure safety, suddenly grew quiet, realizing that Ji Gwanyeong was watching them intently.

Without taking his eyes off them, the creature spoke.

“I thought the people at the Center would be smart, but you’re dumber than I thought.”

Miyeon felt cold sweat on her palm. It was hard to ignore the pure fear rising within her—something she’d never felt after awakening as an Esper.

“Hey, right now you think you’re holding a card that can control me easily, don’t you?”

“……”

“I walked in on my own two feet, promising to move quietly as you wanted. So why are you scratching at me, trying to get under my skin? Do you really think I have to show patience even to you?”

A card that can control an Esper with immeasurable power.

Oh Yeon mulled over those words. The answer was obvious.

“…Choi Taehun.”

“Finally, you’re starting to understand. Yes, that person.”

Just hearing the name of the Guide made Ji Gwanyeong’s expression noticeably improve. He continued to refer to Taehun as “that person,” with a sense of distance, but couldn’t hide his fondness for him. Taehun had never shown a high matching rate with any Esper before.

Miyeon wondered, could Taehun be matched with this person? She hoped not.

Someone as ordinary and good-natured as Taehun would find it difficult to handle even the mere association with such a violent figure. Miyeon had seen that neat and proper Guide for a long time while at the Center. Oh Yeon felt the same.

They were all long-time drinking buddies of Taehun and had each undergone a matching test with him at some point.

Ji Gwanyeong settled back into his relaxed attitude.

He lazily rested his chin on his hand and spoke, his tone a mixture of formal and informal speech, giving off the air of an arrogant predator.

“Right now, what you should be doing isn’t sitting me down in this trivial room and asking me obvious questions.”

“…”

“You should be figuring out how to keep me here by any means necessary. Even if you have to put a leash on me.”

The Esper seemed to be enjoying himself.

“Now, let me ask. Who do you think is holding my leash?”

The ceiling that came into view was cloudy and white, unlike the dark scene he had last seen. Choi Taehun, having regained consciousness, didn’t get up immediately. He just blinked his eyes for a while, then tried to speak, but the burning thirst that quickly overwhelmed him made him attempt to vocalize it.

But what came out of the Guide’s mouth wasn’t a proper voice—it was a cracked groan. Taehun was a little surprised by the sound he had made.

“You’re awake. Should I call a doctor?”

The deep voice that came from beside his head made Taehun flinch in surprise. He hadn’t noticed that someone had been watching over him. The figure, barely visible, smiled faintly and gently supported the Guide as he struggled.

“…Water, please.”

“Ah, yes. Here you go.”

The unknown man carefully helped Taehun sit up and even assisted him in drinking the water. The man’s hand, which covered Taehun’s, was very warm. And… there was something slightly… strange about it.

Unconsciously, Taehun slightly pulled away from the man’s touch, as if he could feel the skin brushing against his. He hadn’t imagined that a man of the same gender would be touching him like that, so he hadn’t suspected anything and acted without doubt.

Only after swallowing the moderately cool water did Taehun feel like he was slowly regaining his senses. He began to follow the fragments of his memories in a daze.

What happened? Right, he was waiting for his friend, and then… a terrorist attack. Yes, the building collapsed. And then…

“…Ah.”

Choi Taehun’s eyes slowly widened.

The figure of the man sitting beside him gradually came into focus, becoming clearer. Black hair, a pleasant white complexion, and features that seemed drawn, along with a relaxed smile.

Taehun knew the man’s name very well.

Although his slightly wrinkled shirt and jeans didn’t fit the usual immaculate image of him, it strangely suited him.

“Hello.”

It was Ji Gwanyeong.

Taehun couldn’t help but feel a slight tingling on his back.

Sex. Intercourse. Sex. Chew. …Chew?

Choi Taehun took a long drag from his cigarette, then exhaled, unknowingly letting out a hollow laugh and a sigh. It was a stark contrast to the way his older brother, Choi Seungyu, always scolded him to use only good words.

“Chew… gross.”

This crude word, which Taehun had never once spoken in his life, was the perfect expression for what he was feeling right now.

He was slowly trying to process the situation that unfolded after he woke up in the Center’s hospital room. Taehun felt uncomfortable with the image of a man floating around in his head. No, to be honest, it annoyed him.

Choi Taehun had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that he would think so intensely about a man of the same gender.

Ji Gwanyeong. Ji Gwanyeong.

He was at the heart of everything that was happening.

As soon as the Guide woke up in the hospital room, he was pushed into the examination room with the man who was now throwing him a loose smile. Since most of the people at the Center were familiar faces, Taehun had intended to ask them to delay things. He still had a dull headache, after all.

But that was a futile thought. The researchers, who always smiled and said things like “You’re working hard again today,” all wore expressions that were nothing short of serious.

Eventually, Taehun, after encountering one of the closest Esper researchers at the Center, Oh Yeon, asked a rather foolish question: “Is something wrong?” since everything had been so incomprehensible since he woke up in the hospital room.

Of course, the most bizarre thing was the situation he found himself in again, entering the matching test room, where he had thought he would never go again. And with that Ji Gwanyeong!

When the Guide asked a question, Oh Yeon had answered briefly, saying he would explain later, avoiding giving any clear explanation. In the end, Taehun was dragged to the examination room and sat down, still with a dazed look on his face, wondering if he was still in a dream. It was somewhat convincing.

Taehun blinked, feeling uncomfortable with the figure sitting across from him, who was looking at him with an almost unreal gaze. His finely crafted face wore a slightly awkward smile.

He had never heard the rumor that Ji Gwanyeong was an Esper, not even as a joke in passing. Choi Taehun had let himself be swept up by the researchers who were tying various machine cords to him.

The matching test with the Esper boasted a tedious time of at least five hours. Because of this, there was once a time when Taehun had to sit for a solid twenty hours. For Espers with excellent physical abilities, it was probably nothing to bat an eye at, but for Taehun, who was essentially no different from an ordinary person aside from being a Guide, such a long examination was nothing short of torture.

However, today, it seemed that Lady Luck had taken pity on Taehun. She had clearly granted him the opportunity to rest by shortening the time he had to spend. Of course, it was in a manner he never wished for.

As soon as the matching test machine was activated, the screen displaying the analysis results quickly flashed a series of numbers. Just as Taehun had been about to ask for something to eat, his hand suddenly stopped.

98.72 – 99.10 – 121.3 – 97.2 – 99.8 – 100 – …

Taehun stared blankly at the numbers that appeared on the large screen before shaking his head roughly. He was sure he hadn’t fully woken up yet.

He hadn’t seen numbers like that on a screen in over ten years. So, it had to be a dream. But no matter how many times he tightly closed and opened his eyes or shook his head, the blue numbers remained clear.

Are those numbers even possible? Like this, right away?

Only then did Taehun realize where he was, and the chill that spread through him froze him completely. He had thought he barely survived the terror attack. When the ceiling of the Center came into view and Ji Gwanyeong greeted him, he wavered between whether it was a dream or reality. But he had been happy to be alive.

Yet, seeing the numbers before him, he was so stunned that he wondered if he had already died and was wandering in an impossible nightmare.

The Guide, whose gaze had been glued to the giant screen, slowly turned his eyes toward the man sitting across from him. Ji Gwanyeong, similarly attached to the testing machine, tilted his head slightly as he observed the constantly changing numbers. His eyes seemed unaware of what those numbers meant.

For Esper-Guide pairs with a matching rate between 30 and 50 percent, a simple, social level of physical contact was enough to bring out their full potential. They weren’t typically given high-difficulty tasks.

But the problem arose with a matching rate of over 50 percent.

From that point onward, it was no longer possible to calm down an Esper with highly sensitive and developed nerves using simple gestures like hugs or handshakes. The higher the matching rate, the more intense and intimate the contact needed to be for the Guide.

If the rate had been around 70 percent, it might have ended with something as simple as petting. But the number on the screen now mocked Taehun’s expectations by breaking the high score. ‘151.2’.

Meanwhile, the researchers outside the matching test room were just as stunned as Taehun. No, they were not just shocked; they were absolutely horrified. Oh Yeon, without realizing it, watched Taehun from the test room, her face filled with anxiety as she observed his troubled expression.

A matching rate over 100 was truly unprecedented. Even matching rates in the 90s were rare enough to be studied, but 150?