“Does it hurt?”
“…A little.”

“You seem like you can’t relax today. Your muscles look tight too.”

A suppressed breath escaped from Oh Yeon’s lips. Indeed, he was quite stiff, just as Park Seungwon, his guide, had said. Seungwon gazed at his partner silently, then dropped a kiss on his sweating forehead. With just that light kiss, the tension in his face noticeably softened.

No matter how much Oh Yeon was an esper with non-physical intelligence, he had physical conditions far beyond the average person. But spending 20 out of 24 hours at the center, and barely finding time in the remaining 4 hours to meet his guide, it was impossible to be perfectly fine.

Park Seungwon sighed lightly and applied more gel to the back of Oh Yeon, who had become dried out.

It had been a long time since they had sex.

Thanks to that, Oh Yeon, whose senses were heightened far more than usual, shook his head slightly and furrowed his brows. Park Seungwon took in every detail of his body, now heated and trembling with excitement, paying attention to his esper’s reactions.

Seeing someone with enough strength to snap a neck in seconds, spread their legs and willingly expose their most vulnerable parts, was always so stimulating it left him dry-mouthed. But…

“This won’t do. Not today. If we continue like this, it will be too hard for you.”

Today, the esper didn’t seem to be in the best condition to accept him. Even though he drenched his backside with gel, he could barely slip in one finger.

Oh Yeon, whose face had relaxed after contact with his pair guide, looked at Seungwon’s expression with slightly reddened eyes. His guide didn’t seem to be in a good mood. The man, who always had a slight smile and a friendly face, was rarely revealing his true feelings.

Oh Yeon reached out and wrapped his arms around Seungwon’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Only then did Seungwon realize that he had made his esper feel self-conscious. He clicked his tongue inwardly.

Damn. I wasn’t mad at you.

Seungwon eagerly responded to his esper’s kiss, deeply intertwining his tongue with his. Park Seungwon, the guide, wasn’t angry at his esper. The person who made him upset was the man who had kept the center in semi-emergency recovery, forcing Oh Yeon to work overtime all week.

Ji Gwanyeong, that annoyingly strong esper!

Seungwon sighed softly as he held his stiff, extended body close. The man’s gaze followed, as if asking the reason. He was so reserved, almost too quiet, that it seemed he couldn’t express himself easily, yet he was making constant efforts to accommodate his partner’s feelings. Park Seungwon quickly curved his eyes into gentle crescent shapes and spoke first.

“Just… I’m upset seeing you tired.”

“I’m fine. I just need some rest.”

“Haha, I know. After sleeping beside me for a few hours, you’ll be back to normal.”

Despite Seungwon’s playful words, Oh Yeon remained silent, closing his mouth tightly as he stared at his guide. It was a sign to be honest. Park Seungwon was extremely weak to that kind of expression from Oh Yeon. Eventually, the guide sighed once more, kissed his partner’s cheek, making a sound, and finally spoke his mind.

“Yeon-ah.”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t you just shoot a few times at Ji Gwanyeong? It’ll be fine in no time anyway.”

“No. You’ll be court-martialed, and I’ll end up in a cell.”

The voice, which usually sounded like a low metallic clang, was now flowing several times faster than usual. It was because he knew his fiery guide, who was passionate about shooting, would understand. Seungwon embraced Oh Yeon tightly and nuzzled his face into his shoulder, like a child seeking comfort. Oh Yeon’s eyes, listening to the steady beat of Seungwon’s heart, narrowed slightly. Thump. Thump. Thump. Along with the heartbeat, came the regular sound of breathing.

Seungwon’s voice always seemed to loosen something tight in Oh Yeon’s mind, like a taut bowstring being relaxed.

“I’ll go alone, so just visit me, okay?”

“Go ahead. I’ll visit with the new guide.”

“……”

For a moment, the movement stopped abruptly.

Oh Yeon noticed this and gave a faint smile. Seungwon, who was looking up at him by now, wore an expression of mild grievance. Oh Yeon gently ran his fingers through Seungwon’s hair. The light brown hair was so fine that his fingers glided through it without any resistance.

“Still, things have been quiet lately.”

“Ji Gwanyeong?”

The esper nodded slightly and kissed his partner’s forehead.

“……It’s unsettlingly quiet.”

With a disheveled face, Choi Taehun opened his eyes and immediately woke up at the sight of the man in front of him, whose face was glowing. In fact, he usually struggled to wake up right away, but lately, thanks to the man in front of him, he had been waking up quite easily. The man, holding his hand tightly, was exhaling steadily.

Taehun lightly held the intertwined hands, then slowly released them. Just then, as if he had been awake for a while, the esper’s eyes opened. It was always a surreal sight. Taehun felt a little embarrassed at the thought that he was the only one reflected in those dark eyes.

He was sure he had fallen asleep alone. There were plenty of nights when he had tossed and turned until late. But somehow, after drifting to sleep, he would wake up to find the esper holding his hand or, if not, asleep in his arms.

…Waking up while still holding hands is less awkward.

He recalled the time he had been startled and pushed Ji Gwanyeong away, screaming when he saw the man’s bare body in front of him. Taehun cleared his throat and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Good… Ahem, good morning.”

“Yeah.”

Ji Gwanyeong’s voice was smooth and steady, with no roughness or dullness. It was the usual pleasant, low tone. Did he really just wake up? Taehun thought to himself, feeling a little exasperated.

Actually, his doubt about his guide wasn’t unfounded. Ji Gwanyeong usually woke up at least 30 minutes to an hour before Taehun. He would wake up listening for the breathing of his pair before he even stirred from his deep sleep.

Once the esper came to his senses, his actions were quite simple.

He would stare at his guide’s face, lips slightly parted as he slept, or carefully push the tangled hair aside. Time would pass quickly while watching his guide.

“Gwanyeong-ssi.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to get up now.”

“Okay.”

But the moments when he woke up and looked straight at him were the most pleasant. Ji Gwanyeong knew the reason Taehun’s eyebrows furrowed a bit. He was just pretending not to notice. The hands that were intertwined gently tightened.

“…You know.”

The esper lightly kissed the tips of Taehun’s fingers, then let go. Of course, that caused Ji Gwanyeong to blush up to his neck and drop his head.

The truth was, Taehun had been struggling to adjust to Ji Gwanyeong’s sweet and kind behavior lately. Ever since that day when he kissed him in front of the researchers at the center, something in the way Ji Gwanyeong acted had changed. Taehun still didn’t know exactly what his emotional and sometimes complicated esper was thinking. He just thought things probably weren’t going in a bad direction.

“Oh, didn’t you say you weren’t coming today?”

“My schedule got moved.”

“Ah…”

Of course, Ji Gwanyeong’s current agreeable behavior was unfamiliar to Imihyun as well. She exchanged a look with the guide, giving him a strange expression. Taehun awkwardly smiled in response. He knew that the reason Ji Gwanyeong obeyed the center’s wishes so well was because of that.

‘If only he could be a little kinder to the center’s people, but if he doesn’t want to, there’s nothing I can do. What can you do?’

Since Taehun had said that, Ji Gwanyeong’s sharp edges had softened. Miyeon, pretending to search for training programs, rolled her eyes and watched the often-accident-prone pair.

Oh my, oh my. What’s going on here? This is so much fun.

Right now, she was enjoying the strange energy swirling between the two tall men. Honestly, after their big fight and, well, after admitting to herself that she had been cornered and hurt her pride, she had felt furious. So furious, in fact, that that night, she had sat with her guide and drank a lot of liquor.

But the surprising part was what happened next. It was truly a transformation. To put it bluntly, that damn Esper brat turned into a human.

Ji Gwanyeong, who had been indifferent to training, scoffed at mandatory Esper education, and got irritated when asked for cooperation with the center’s research, began to quietly follow the center’s schedule, responding by slightly raising his eyebrows. The surprise I felt back then, and still recall now, made my jaw drop.

Of course, the reason for the change was obvious. Ji Gwanyeong, who had struggled to push away Choi Taehun, was now clinging to him with his neck turning bright red, almost without realizing it!

Imi Hyun could hardly stop herself from laughing and teasing Ji Gwanyeong, but she restrained herself. She didn’t want to add unnecessary pressure on the already uneasy guide, who was caught off guard by this sudden obedience from a formerly wild beast.

Choi Taehun, sitting next to him, glanced at his pair, who was quietly flipping through the Esper training manual with a neutral expression. He wore a navy shirt and black cotton pants, but he looked so different in them.

Despite being busy with drama filming, he still managed to make time to come. It was a bit appreciated, as Taehun feared that the fact that he was Ji Gwanyeong’s guide might be discovered by outsiders. His life was dull, going back and forth between the center and his residence, but it was still a bit refreshing when the person who caused this situation visited.

Lately, it seemed like Ji Gwanyeong was, for lack of a better word, submissive to Choi Taehun. He was so obedient that Taehun could hardly utter the words he had been too embarrassed to say when he tried to speak them out loud.

“Ji Gwanyeong, are you okay?” the guide had asked, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask the same question that morning.

Yes, after “that day,” Ji Gwanyeong had indeed become docile. But at the same time, he started keeping some distance from physical contact with Choi Taehun. The most they did was hold hands or cuddle in the morning, and even then, Ji Gwanyeong didn’t initiate any physical contact when the guide was awake.

Taehun couldn’t help but be bothered by it. It was like studying for a huge exam — the body felt comfortable, but the awkwardness made the mind uneasy. It had been quite a while since they had last had sex. It had been almost a month since the shock incident that had caused him to collapse.

“…Why?”

“Oh, never mind!”

But asking about their sleeping arrangements made Taehun flustered.

The guide, avoiding Ji Gwanyeong’s gaze, fiddled with his phone. Yet Ji Gwanyeong continued to stare at his pair for a while longer.

Feeling the weight of that gaze, Taehun swallowed dryly, his eyes darting around. When the man sitting across from him looked at him like that, it felt like all his thoughts were being read.

“Eh, well, it’s fine. He must be doing that because it’s okay, right?”

Taehun tried to comfort himself, but Ji Gwanyeong, who had once stuck by his side whenever possible, hadn’t come to the residence for almost a week after “that day.” It was because of the drama filming.

The guide found himself staring at the TV, watching a man who appeared more impressive than anyone else on screen. The man on screen was certainly the one with whom he had woken up in bed just a few days ago, but somehow he seemed unfamiliar.

Maybe it was because he had never seen the gentle smile or the sweet tone that matched it in person.

“Actors are called actors for a reason…”

The guide watched the Esper on the screen shift his gaze to another person, then quickly grabbed the remote and turned off the replays. The reason was unclear but felt awkward because he knew the person on the screen. Taehun, feeling restless, changed the channel and sipped his lukewarm coffee.

[Today, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially expressed dissatisfaction over the joint research discussions between South Korea, the US, and Japan regarding Esper-Guide studies. More details will be covered by reporter ○○○.]

Lately, the discussions about Esper-Guide relations on the news didn’t seem as trivial to Choi Taehun anymore. He had always worn the guide’s name tag, even when he couldn’t remember when, but until his pairing with Ji Gwanyeong became significant, he had treated such issues as if they were from a completely different world.

But now, the situation had changed. His pair, Ji Gwanyeong, was now part of a pair that had one of the highest matching rates in both the domestic and global academic community. Ji Gwanyeong’s power was said to be difficult to measure. Although he still couldn’t quite grasp it, he knew that the peaceful situation they had enjoyed might not last forever.

For a while, Taehun focused on the news but kept checking his phone, which still hadn’t received any messages. It had been a short call the previous night, but after that, there had been no contact from Ji Gwanyeong.

The guide felt a bit uneasy about it, and then, unknowingly, he let out a soft laugh.

“…Why am I even expecting him to contact me?”

Ji Gwanyeong was his “pair Esper,” not his lover.

There was no reason to expect regular calls or messages. The guide realized that, at some point, he had been expecting things that lovers might expect from each other.

Had he been single for too long?

Choi Taehun felt strangely heated up, almost to his neck, and let out a small “Ugh” as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He truly felt like a fool. Mixing bodies with Ji Gwanyeong was his job as the guide. It was to firmly hold on and lead him, so his anxious mind wouldn’t cloud up, but it wasn’t a relationship where more than that would be asked or given.

The guide, feeling as though he might be harboring “pseudo-romantic” feelings for Ji Gwanyeong, dropped the coffee cup he had been holding tightly. The face that appeared on the black screen was flushed.

This was all because Ji Gwanyeong, that same man, had slept with him. And Ji Gwanyeong had saved his life… and lately, it was probably because he had been looking at him with such strange eyes. He couldn’t let any odd feelings form around that.

The guide muttered to himself as though brainwashing himself.

My goodness. Homosexuality. This was a choice I had never even considered once in my life. Recently, mixing with an Esper and naturally engaging in skinship, something had clearly dulled within him.

It was then.

After being off for a while, the phone screen blinked on. It was Ji Gwanyeong.

Why now? Taehun, with a slightly flustered expression, stared at the screen for a while before eventually picking up the phone and pressing on the message.

[I just woke up after the early morning shoot.]

The guide stared at the message from his Esper for a while, then replied briefly with one word. Of course, Ji Gwanyeong, who had been getting his makeup and hair done before the shoot, raised an eyebrow at the reply.

[Yes.]

It was a message with no trace of cuteness whatsoever. In fact, it wasn’t even a full sentence. It was just a word. Even though Ji Gwanyeong was six years younger, it wasn’t playful, but there should have been some childishness typical for his age. Yet Choi Taehun was always so serious, rigid, and upright.

Maybe it couldn’t be helped since he had five younger siblings. Ji Gwanyeong recalled the first time the guide had woken up and introduced him to his family.

“The firstborn son with a rigid personality, and someone who cannot easily entertain bad thoughts, a person who lives a righteous life.”

That truly suited Choi Taehun’s neat face well.

However, it wasn’t the image of a saint. Perhaps due to a couple of basketballs rolling around the residence, his slightly tanned skin gave off a lively, bright, and unshadowed feeling.

Ji Gwanyeong closed his eyes slightly and recalled his guide. It made him feel good. His heart, as though walking a tightrope, felt like hot breath seeping through, with new thorns growing every day.

I’m weak. I’m weak. I learned that fact for the first time in my life. The monster, like someone reluctantly accepting a strange garment, hesitated for a long time before trying it on. Ironically, only then did the deepest, most fragile wounds inside get covered.

Ji Gwanyeong remembered the warmth of the hand that Choi Taehun had held.

That would probably remain deeply etched in his heart, even if he lost all other memories. Choi Taehun wouldn’t leave him. He would save him and protect him. The Esper repeatedly recalled the words that were even sweeter than his guide’s confession.

Having awakened as an Esper, Ji Gwanyeong, who lived every day as if he couldn’t die or go mad, began to dream dreams he hadn’t thought of before. They weren’t grand things. They were simply small, trivial, but precious things that the monster could never have hoped for.

When he opened his eyes, Choi Taehun would be there. He imagined a future where the guide, who still didn’t smile at him often, would smile and grab his hand, his eyes squinting as he did so. It seemed like Taehun was getting tired of only going back and forth between the residence and the center, so maybe they could go out for a meal in the evening, somewhere like a nice restaurant or a cinema. If not, maybe Ji Gwanyeong could try learning basketball, which Taehun liked. He gave a faint smile.

There was nothing he couldn’t do for that.

He could tolerate anything—the center, which he didn’t like, the reporters who noisily followed him around looking for exclusive stories, and the old man who, having severed ties with his family long ago, was now starting to linger around again. He had already endured these things for so long that there was no surprise left.

The Esper pressed his temples a few times and took a deep breath.

…Not yet, not yet.

He whispered softly to himself, as if making a promise.