A strict command was issued to Ji Gwanyeong and Choi Taehun:
“Must become close.”

This order, which seemed like something only elementary school children who fought would receive, was exactly what this cold pair, who had only exchanged contact information after their first sexual encounter, really needed. Choi Taehun could not hide his shock at realizing he had rolled around with a man whose contact information he didn’t even know.

However, the abstract expression of “becoming close” wasn’t something easily achieved by simply saying, “From now on, we’re friends, boom!” That is, even though Ji Gwanyeong returned to the movie set, and Choi Taehun began receiving education and aptitude tests at the center, awkwardly exchanging updates, it didn’t mean they would immediately become closer.

– What did you do today?
– Hmm… the same. In the morning, mental care counseling, in the afternoon, center training and aptitude tests. Oh, I’m good at guide training.
– That suits you. Maybe because you have so many younger siblings.

Of course, they got to know a bit more about each other. Ji Gwanyeong was a little surprised that Choi Taehun took care of his younger siblings so fiercely and didn’t even seem annoyed by them. Choi Taehun, on the other hand, was taken aback to realize that Ji Gwanyeong had strangely little trust or expectation in people, making him secretly marvel at this.

Esper Ji Gwanyeong and guide Choi Taehun seemed to have personalities that were polar opposites. It was so hard to find common ground between them that it made one wonder why they even shared the same name, aside from being a pair.

Lying on the bed, Choi Taehun stared blankly at his phone’s blank screen.

Ji Gwanyeong, fundamentally, was quite kind and gentle. His behavior was always so courteous, to the point that Choi Taehun sometimes thought, “Does this person see me as a child?” Of course, just like the time at the center, he occasionally played pranks in nonsensical directions, and sometimes surprised Choi Taehun.

“Are you going to sleep?”
“Whoa, you startled me!”

Ji Gwanyeong entered the bedroom without making a sound, laughing lightly. The guide, initially surprised to see the man he had messaged just moments ago standing before him, soon let out a deflated laugh. Choi Taehun, who had been living alone after moving out of a noisy home, had always kept the radio or TV on to have some background noise. Ji Gwanyeong casually pulled a chair from the table, sat on the bed, crossed his legs, and shrugged his shoulders.

“How was the shoot?”
“I finished all my scenes.”
“Must have been tough. Acting isn’t an easy job.”

Articles about “Esper Ji Gwanyeong” returning to the set popped up online every day. He was an intriguing subject for both the media and guides, even among other espers. His title as an actor quickly dispelled any misconceptions about espers being odd superhumans.

He said he had already received several movie and drama scripts that only an esper could have been offered. Choi Taehun sometimes wondered if the man before him had continued his acting career simply because of a favor he had done for him.

“Well, it’s not bad.”
“…Even though you don’t like dramas or movies?”
“Haha.”

It was no surprise, as Ji Gwanyeong didn’t like anything that had to do with his profession as an actor. He didn’t even bother to watch the things he appeared in, not paying much attention to his own performances. The guide was often wide-eyed in disbelief when Ji Gwanyeong would say, “I haven’t seen it, but it seems different from the script.”

Ji Gwanyeong, this esper, really had no interest in people. It felt as if the part of him that should have had human compassion was completely cut out.

…Why?

For the first time, Choi Taehun found himself genuinely curious about Ji Gwanyeong. Ji Gwanyeong had somehow leaned toward Taehun and was playfully touching his guide’s ear with his fingertips. This was one of the unusual actions from the man Taehun had slowly become familiar with.

When they were together like this, Ji Gwanyeong would move his hands along Taehun’s face, hair, and shoulder. At first, the guide had been stiff with this, but after realizing that this wasn’t necessarily a request for sex but just a simple gesture, he relaxed. Honestly, this was more comfortable than sex for him.

“Ji Gwanyeong.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a schedule tomorrow?”
“No. Day off.”

Ji Gwanyeong slid his hand from the guide’s ear along his jawline, then gently tapped his well-shaped lips. Taehun let out a soft chuckle before continuing the conversation. At his smile, Ji Gwanyeong’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Then, how about we get closer tomorrow?”
“Sex?”
“…Ji Gwanyeong.”
“It was a joke. Alright, what should we do?”

Does one get better at being playful with age?

Choi Taehun sighed as he watched the languid smile of the man, who was six years older than him. He then spoke.

“Anything. Hmm. First, I’d like to get out of the center or the dorms.”
“Agreed. I’m tired of it.”

For some reason, Ji Gwanyeong was really annoyed by the people at the center. He was always able to maintain a perfectly polite attitude, but oddly, he became a little off whenever he was at the center. Taehun thoughtfully rolled his eyes. There was a reason why their pair had only moved between the center and the dorm so far.

The people still didn’t know that Ji Gwanyeong’s guide was a man. The only information they had about Taehun was that he was a member of the center, and that their names were linked. Because of this, Taehun had to be even more careful. There weren’t many options available yet, and Ji Gwanyeong’s fame made it difficult to go to places with large crowds.

“…Ji Gwanyeong’s house?”

Ji Gwanyeong smiled slightly, as if frowning. He then asked quietly.

“Why there?”

“There’s nowhere else to go, is there? And why, when celebrities have scandals, don’t they usually say they’re staying at home?”
“A scandal?”
“This is kind of a scandal, isn’t it?”

Ji Gwanyeong sometimes speaks in a peculiar tone like this. It’s not the usual polite speech but a slightly arrogant, informal tone. Choi Taehun, while talking with Ji Gwanyeong, started to get the vague feeling that this might be his natural way of speaking.

The esper gave a faint smile, as if resigned to what his guide had said. He then quietly added,
“If you’d like to go.”

* * *
In South Korea, there is no one who doesn’t know about the Jaeyoung Group.
Almost everyone knows the name of the only son of the late CEO, Ji Yeonghoon, and his wife, who passed away in a helicopter accident. Taehun sat in the spacious, eerily quiet living room of Ji Gwanyeong’s mansion, watching as Ji Gwanyeong prepared tea. Ji Gwanyeong, the actor beloved by the public, was also the subject of gossip about his tragic family history.

Although he was the only son of a chaebol family, after his parents died, he was completely ignored by relatives who fought over inheritance. Eventually, he ended up losing control of Jaeyoung Group to his uncle, whom his father despised, and became a man reduced to a clown.

Taehun also knew about the one condition that Ji Gwanyeong had demanded until the very end after receiving only half of his parents’ inheritance—he had insisted on getting this mansion, where he and his esper were now sitting.

After Taehun realized that Ji Gwanyeong was his esper, he took a late glance at the internet and various media reports, which were full of stories about the actor’s tragic personal life. The headlines were so blatant that Taehun couldn’t help but frown, but Ji Gwanyeong didn’t seem to respond to it at all.

“I’m not sure if you’ll like the black tea.”
“I drink cold-brewed black tea with tea bags every summer. My little sister likes it.”
“That’s good.”

Taehun wasn’t particularly good at reading people, but he wasn’t entirely oblivious either. Since entering the mansion, he had sensed a subtle change in Ji Gwanyeong’s attitude. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what kind of change it was.

“There’s tea, but no snacks to go with it.”
“This is enough.”
“Sorry. It’s been a long time since I had a guest.”

At that moment, Taehun realized one of the things that felt off. There wasn’t a single servant around, which was odd for such a large mansion. For a house of this size, there should at least be a housekeeper or two, but the emptiness he felt suggested there was no one else around.

As Ji Gwanyeong poured tea into a fine cup with a flawless posture, Taehun’s gaze was drawn to him. Sensing Taehun’s observation, Ji Gwanyeong made eye contact and smiled faintly. When he smiled like that, the man, who was usually unreadable and hard to gauge, gave off a surprisingly warm impression.

Taehun picked up the cup that Ji Gwanyeong had pushed toward him and took a sip of the tea. He still felt uncomfortable with the silence between them. Perhaps because they had first mixed their bodies before getting to know each other, Taehun found it hard to endure the awkward atmosphere with his esper.

“…Hmm. It seems there’s no one working here. The house is huge.”
“There are people who come by once or twice a week to take care of things.”
“So, do you cook your meals yourself?”
“Well, sometimes. Just whatever I can make at the time.”

The guide’s face broke into a faint smile at the lax response that didn’t quite match Ji Gwanyeong’s perfect appearance. Choi Taehun now smiled like this every now and then in front of Ji Gwanyeong. The esper never missed even a single moment of his guide’s behavior.

“That’s impressive. I never thought you’d get your hands dirty.”
“It’s not a house as grand as it sounds.”

The sudden response that pierced the thoughts of Ji Gwanyeong, which had been lingering at the back of his mind, made Taehun unconsciously tighten his lips. The esper’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the guide, still holding his cup, fidgeted with it, unable to guess what was going through the man’s mind as he smiled at him.

Taehun couldn’t tell whether the heat rising from his back was from the sudden rush of warmth or if it was just the tea being too hot. The esper spoke in a low, slow voice.
“Since you came here to avoid people, wouldn’t this be more comfortable?”
“…Yes, well.”
That tone again.

Taehun awkwardly nodded, feeling the same slightly sarcastic undertone he had noticed before, the one he had heard when he felt dizzy with heat earlier. Although the esper always spoke kindly to him, for some reason, Taehun thought that tone suited Ji Gwanyeong more.

It might be a bit contradictory to think that such an impeccable and perfect-looking man would better match a tone that seemed close to arrogant condescension, but the guide honestly admitted to feeling that way.
“It suits you better.”

The esper tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as if to ask, “What are you talking about?”
“I appreciate you speaking politely to me, but… somehow, speaking comfortably like that suits you more.”

“…Ah.”
“I guess it’s because you’re older than me. Just speak comfortably.”

Taehun, feeling slightly embarrassed after what he said, rubbed his nose. Until now, it was always the esper who had approached him warmly first. This was the first time Taehun had asserted something or made a request to the man.

But Ji Gwanyeong didn’t show any particular reaction to the guide’s words, just staring back at him with a blank expression. The guide, feeling a bit awkward at the esper’s response, wondered if he had said something unnecessary. Taehun found the silence between them increasingly hard to bear. Suddenly, the reason he had come to the esper’s house popped into his mind. ‘We must get closer.‘

“Um… Ji Gwanyeong, why… did you become an actor?”

Taehun blurted out the question, unsure of what Ji Gwanyeong might think. Feeling unsure of himself, he rambled a bit, adding, “Well… this is part of getting closer. I don’t know much about you.”

The esper looked at the guide with a puzzled look before slowly speaking.
“Because it’s loud.”
“Pardon?”

“Just by standing still, people gather around, and my name gets tossed around noisily. It’s easier to hide this way.”

“What… are you hiding?”

The guide thought his voice had come out somewhat foolishly. However, Taehun didn’t realize that he was hearing the sincere response from this arrogant man. It was a deep thought of the esper’s, one that the researchers at the center would never have come close to understanding.

“Myself.”

Is he hiding that he’s an esper?

The guide tried his best to make sense of the ambiguous statement. Thinking back to his childhood, a time he couldn’t quite remember, to be precise, from the very beginning of his thoughts, Taehun had always lived as a guide.

It was because of this that he had been able to accept sex with a man, something he had never imagined in his 28 years. He could place the act of mixing his body with a stranger above his own aversion, all to fulfill his duty as a guide. He had never once doubted it. He was even somewhat proud that, because he was a guide, he might be able to save someone.

“Why do you have to hide?”

Because of this, Taehun couldn’t easily understand Ji Gwanyeong’s words about hiding himself by wearing a noisy shell. The esper didn’t immediately respond to the second question and just silently sipped his tea. That was because Ji Gwanyeong hadn’t yet considered it.

Ji Gwanyeong thought that Taehun’s brown eyes, staring straight at him, seemed to stir up the things he had locked away deep inside his heart. In reality, it was something he could easily divert with a relaxed answer. As he always had, he could speak lies with a gentle tone.

But Ji Gwanyeong couldn’t easily spit out those familiar words and instead asked himself, Why have I been hiding?

Just as Taehun had never doubted his role as a guide, Ji Gwanyeong had been convinced that he could only “survive” by hiding himself so deeply.

Taehun didn’t rush the answer; he just quietly stared at the esper across from him. The “monster” started thinking more urgently. He had to say something. To ensure that Taehun, the guide, wouldn’t suspect him.

To make sure he wouldn’t…

In the end, Ji Gwanyeong, looking at the guide’s calm face, opened his mouth without a clear answer.
“…Well.”

While he answered with apparent ease, his gaze never left Taehun, as though he were carefully examining the man in front of him. Taehun finally found a name for the strange change he saw in Ji Gwanyeong.