Choi Taehun may not be a morning person, but once he learns something, he sticks to it. Waking up earlier than seven o’clock, as he did now, is a remnant of the past in an environment that has long since changed.

Lying under the covers, blinking dazedly, Taehun soon gazed at the white ceiling that came into view. His body felt limp and sluggish, like a soaked cotton ball. Yet, it wasn’t a bad feeling. In fact, the sensation of the blanket touching his bare skin felt almost strangely good.

Pulling the fluffy blanket tightly around him, he exhaled contentedly and, still in a daze, began to question the comfort of the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling.

‘…It feels good, but why does it feel good?’

The guide always sleeps neatly dressed in pajamas. He had never experienced lying on a bed like this, bare. It was then that Taehun’s eyes suddenly snapped open, as though a doll’s power had just turned on.

“…Uh, good… morning.”

“Yeah.”

Ji Gwanyeong was sitting by the bed, his sharp eyes staring at Taehun, as if he had been observing him for some time. Taehun, still wrapped in the blanket and lazily rolling around, felt a sudden wave of embarrassment, realizing he had completely forgotten about the man with such an overwhelming presence.

The guide, flustered, hastily got up with a slightly flushed face. But at that moment, a soft groan involuntarily escaped Taehun’s lips. The pain that had been pulling from his inner thighs from the previous night was the cause.

The man, who had been motionless like a statue, finally reacted. No, to call it a mere ‘reaction’ wasn’t enough. Without even realizing it, in the blink of an eye, Taehun’s body was abruptly pulled by the esper.

Taehun, a twenty-eight-year-old healthy adult male, wrapped in a blanket as though making a burrow, was now gently leaning against the same man, which he thought might look like a comedy scene.

“Ji Gwanyeong.”

“…”

Ji Gwanyeong didn’t answer, just staring at him with a raised eyebrow. With the meaning behind that slightly intimidating face becoming clear, Taehun sighed softly. That’s when the man’s shoulder, which had remained still, twitched slightly.

“Gwanyeong-ssi.”

“…Why?”

“I’m fine. Well, not completely fine, but…”

“Where does it hurt? We should go to the center immediately.”

“…My waist hurts and my thighs are sore. But if you suggest going to the center for this, I’ll really chase you away, Gwanyeong-ssi.”

The guide, watching the esper blink slowly and move, spoke in a hoarse voice. Ji Gwanyeong was panicking, putting aside rational judgment. Taehun felt a bit embarrassed, knowing that it was all because of him that the guide was acting in such an unfamiliar, awkward way.

Ji Gwanyeong, with a perplexed expression, watched his partner scratch his chin. Taehun’s ears turned red, and a cough escaped his mouth.

The tension in Ji Gwanyeong’s shoulders, once tightly drawn, slowly relaxed. The guide had kept his promise from yesterday. As soon as the esper realized this, he pulled the man’s neck towards him, capturing his slightly parted lips with a touch that felt a little more greedy.

Despite the small sounds of complaint that seemed to be muffled between their intertwined tongues, Ji Gwanyeong completely ignored them this time. In fact, the previous night, he couldn’t sleep at all while watching over Taehun, who was sleeping soundly.

He stayed up all night, unable to even close his eyes, checking Taehun’s breath, brushing his hair off his forehead repeatedly, and dropping kisses on him.

Now, it felt like a reward for that time spent.

Gwanyeong gently teased the soft part inside Taehun’s cheek with the tip of his tongue, causing Taehun, who had reflexively parted his legs, to be caught off guard. Although Taehun didn’t show much of it, he was quite surprised.

Sex isn’t something that only happens after sunset, but Gwanyeong hadn’t expected the man in front of him to jump on him from the morning, appearing completely “fine” already. He gently bit his slightly parted lips and, feeling the warm sensation of the tongue, his shoulders reflexively twitched.

“J… Gwanyeong-ssi!”

Taehun, looking at the man who was gazing down at him with faintly flushed eyes, suddenly found himself speechless. If he were to ask why the kiss stopped, he honestly wouldn’t have a good reason.

But for some reason, it felt like it had to stop.

If the body was meant to be shared for the purpose of guiding the esper, then it was certainly the guide’s job to do so. Taehun had always seen physical contact with Gwanyeong as a necessary act to keep him from reaching his limits as an esper, and he could almost instinctively sense when that state was approaching.

However, the kiss from earlier felt different.

The bright morning sunlight streaming through the window made the black pupils of the esper gleam. The fact that all of his attention was focused solely on Taehun made something inside him stir uncomfortably. When Gwanyeong’s breath brushed against his forehead, his fists involuntarily clenched.

It was then that Taehun realized the source of the discomfort he had been feeling.

Just now, he and Gwanyeong felt like lovers. It was a feeling like sharing a kiss upon waking up beside a loved one after spending the night together, both ticklish and warm.

The guide felt a strange heat rising in his throat from the word he had just thought of. He was relieved that he managed to suppress the foolish question he almost blurted out after over a month of holding it in.

‘Does Ji Gwanyeong care about me?’

Taehun found himself curious.

Recently, he had been acting like a fool. He had been staring at a man on TV with a beautiful face, wondering if anyone could help but fall in love with him. Sometimes, he couldn’t put down his phone, fearing it might ring.

He had been agonizing over the fact that, based on their matching rates and shared names, he had ended up kissing and having sex with someone who was supposed to be his partner. He had learned enough about Gwanyeong, his partner, and how indifferent he was to everything.

The man didn’t even bother watching the works he appeared in and had no close relationships with anyone. His refusal to consider taking a matching test for so long was likely due to his personality, which rejected the idea of having people around him.

“Choi Taehun?”

Taehun knew that the man in front of him allowed only him to cross the solid boundary he had built around himself. That knowledge made him feel a small sense of pride.

The guide had always been ignored by others, but to see the powerful and beautiful esper change his behavior with just a casual word from him made Taehun feel as if he held a strange power. But the reason Gwanyeong paid such close attention to his words was simple.

…Because he was the only guide for him.

Since he was five years old, when he first became a guide, Taehun, who had always found it difficult to understand things like “matching,” now felt as if the name tag, which had once seemed so familiar and natural, was like holding a puzzle with mismatched pieces. He even thought that he would rather the man in front of him be a little more ruthless toward him.

If that had been the case, he wouldn’t have been left alone, worrying over such “misunderstandings.”

As the eldest son, Taehun had always been the first to have everything. The shiny new books, the perfectly wrinkle-free new clothes, the soccer balls without a single stain—they were all his.

But among all those things, there was not a single one that was entirely “his.” His favorite book, after being read by his younger siblings, Ujin and Seungyu, was ragged, as if it had been read hundreds of times, and the clothes he had cherished but never really wore were passed down and had lost a few buttons along the way. In the time spent living as a guide, Taehun had learned not to keep anything for himself.

However, for the first time, Taehun had something completely his own.

An esper with a name engraved upon him that would never be erased—his esper was more magnificent than anything Taehun had ever had. It was more precious than the robot whose wings had been taped up multiple times, or the soccer ball that made strange sounds every time the air leaked out.

Little by little, Taehun felt himself disappearing.

The only warmth he could feel was from the man who, having severed ties with everyone and become thoroughly isolated, now held only his hand. The selfish satisfaction he felt and the arrogant feeling of standing above everything in his life—it all became clear to him.

If Ji Gwanyeong… even if that person wasn’t an esper, I…

Taehun stopped his thoughts there, and with a sense of self-disgust for what he had just thought, he clicked his tongue inwardly. The basic premise of a guide that he had heard countless times before came back to him.

“A guide must truly understand the esper and support their heart.” Taehun couldn’t believe how pathetic he felt, adding such dreadful thoughts without even meeting the basic qualifications of a guide.

He took a small breath as Ji Gwanyeong’s fingertips traced his jawline. Only then did he finally open his mouth, feeling a slight relief that his voice, somewhat hoarse, managed to hold back any trembling.

“…Did you get some sleep?”

“I slept.”

“Don’t lie, really.”

Without the slightest hesitation, the esper quickly responded, but then his mouth shut tight. Taehun, who had been wearing a stiff expression, finally let out a faint smile.

Ji Gwanyeong stubbornly captured that small smile with his eyes. In fact, Taehun hadn’t smiled that often in front of his partner as he had expected. Ji Gwanyeong was rather concerned about this.

“Don’t get mad when you see the people at the center. They’re just trying to help.”

“That ‘crazy training’?”

“…Still, there are some useful things. Did you know that the first esper at the center to be ‘unmeasurable’ was in the intelligence category?”

“Not useful at all. Why should I care about that?”

Taehun glanced at the seat beside him and subtly gestured with his eyes.

Though his expression seemed somewhat reluctant, Ji Gwanyeong couldn’t refuse and moved closer, getting up from his position above his guide to lie next to him. It was an action as if it was only natural to be together.

The feeling of their body heat touching under the same blanket was almost thrilling, it felt so good. The esper gently turned his body and pulled the guide into his arms, slowly trailing kisses from the back of his neck down to his firm shoulder blade.

“Isn’t it fascinating? How smart must someone in the intelligence category be?”

Taehun’s voice, beginning to relax, became somewhat languid. Instead of responding to the comment, Ji Gwanyeong chose to lightly nip at his guide’s ear. No matter who it was, he wasn’t the type to talk for long about another esper, someone who wasn’t his own.

“Do you want to sleep a little longer?”

At Ji Gwanyeong’s quiet question, Taehun answered with half-lidded eyes, “Yes.”

The pair of esper Ji Gwanyeong and guide Taehun was undoubtedly an immense power that the center—and even this country—had obtained. Even seeing how Ji Gwanyeong had freely spoken his mind to the minister without anyone stopping him showed just how strong they were.

Because of this, the center’s researchers had worked tirelessly to ensure that information about such a pair did not leak out. While they were obligated to make regular reports to the academic community, the fact that Ji Gwanyeong, an esper, had chosen to become an actor meant that the center’s goal was to at least lessen the overwhelming attention pouring in from both domestic and international circles.

However, today, all the center’s long efforts were in vain.

[Top star Ji Gwanyeong’s guide is a same-sex man?] [Esper finally reveals himself]

Right now, the pair, who were at the center of this controversy, were happily dating on Itaewon’s Kyungridan-gil, a place already crowded with people. Just a few days ago, the commotion had raised everyone’s attention, and now, it seemed that the pair was fueling that fire.

Miyeon clicked on several articles that had popped up on the public network and sighed softly. Honestly, this almost felt like a half-hearted surrender.

Although it was a somewhat annoying situation, she figured that the security team, who would be frantically working to block Taehun’s photos and profile, would be busy today, so she wanted to step away from this noisy pair for a while.

Miyeon, with a somewhat tired face, turned to Oh Yeon and spoke.

“Even if Ji Gwanyeong is the kind of person who lives as he pleases, what do you think is going on with Taehun?”

“He must have been frustrated. He’s been going back and forth between the residence and the center for months without being able to see his family comfortably.”

That was a reasonable point. Since Taehun had gotten his esper partner, he had been living a very monotonous life. In fact, the center should be grateful that Taehun had silently followed along without expressing any complaints or dissatisfaction.

It wouldn’t have been easy to accept such a drastic change in life, especially when spring began and as they neared the summer, a period when life suddenly and completely shifted.

“Ugh, just thinking about the other day gives me a headache. I’m not going to think about it today.”

“Would it be okay not to send the security team?”

“Security? Who would be protecting whom? ‘That esper’ and ‘that guide’?”

No one in the research lab could refute Miyeon’s words.

No matter which esper the center sent, there was no one who could protect Ji Gwanyeong. Moreover, there was no one who could protect Taehun better than Ji Gwanyeong could protect him.

Oh Yeon slightly tilted his head as if deep in thought, then soon answered softly, “I understand.” Unfortunately, Oh Yeon’s stubbornness was exactly what Choi Taehun needed at that moment. Miyeon, who had nonchalantly dismissed the idea of bodyguards for Ji Gwanyeong, would have thought differently if she had been at the location where the problematic pair was.

In reality, Taehun hadn’t come out without any plans, as the researchers feared. He understood the influence that Ji Gwanyeong had, so before leaving, he used every method available to him.

The somewhat outdated glasses, the black mask, the navy cap, and the slightly worn cardigan that Ji Gwanyeong wore—all of these were carefully chosen by Taehun to erase any trace of his Esper’s presence.

Once dressed in this completely opposite style, Ji Gwanyeong almost seemed like a different person. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but smile, reassuring Taehun with a pat on the shoulder.

However, Taehun’s confidence quickly faltered when a taxi driver hesitated and asked, “Aren’t you the one on TV?” It worsened when they arrived at Gyeongridan-gil. As soon as he got out of the taxi and looked around, he heard a “Hmm?” and then a distinct voice saying, “Isn’t that Ji Gwanyeong?”

Taehun had underestimated the popularity of Ji Gwanyeong, the male lead of the top-rated drama currently airing.

“Choi Taehun.” The actor, known for his good vocal delivery, spoke exactly what he wanted to say, even with his mask still covering his face. Taehun, hearing the shutter sounds from behind, looked at Ji Gwanyeong with a face that seemed ready to cry. He had no time to enjoy this rare outing. His mind was filled with thoughts like, “Did I mess up? Are we going to be all over the internet?”

In reality, his worries had already become true, but Ji Gwanyeong, being clever, had made an excuse before they left, saying he didn’t want to deal with the Center’s interference, so he left his phone at the staff house.

“…Why?” “Give me your hand.” Ji Gwanyeong could hear every whisper of the people around them. He knew they had taken pictures more than twenty times already, but he didn’t mind. Sure, his agency would probably be upset, and his manager would likely scold him, but the researchers at the Center would be furious too.

But he couldn’t keep Taehun locked up in that place like a holding cell forever. Sooner or later, he would have to go out into the world, and if that had to happen, today was as good a day as any.

His mood was much lighter than Taehun had imagined. Ji Gwanyeong himself hadn’t realized he would feel so carefree. The Esper gently placed a reddish leather bracelet on Taehun’s wrist.

“What’s this?” “It looks good on you.” Taehun reflexively knew that now the shop’s sales were basically secured. The bracelet that Ji Gwanyeong had chosen was already tied neatly on his left wrist.

Taehun absentmindedly watched Ji Gwanyeong pay, fiddling with the bracelet. Despite being someone who hated even the smallest bit of dirt, he surprisingly found Ji Gwanyeong’s behavior endearing.

Above all, the usually difficult man seemed to be enjoying himself a lot. Taehun had imagined this situation of going out together many times before, but each time he had pictured a nonchalant Esper with a disinterested face standing awkwardly beside him, which had always made him hesitant to go out. If he had known that Ji Gwanyeong would look so visibly happy, he would have come out with him sooner. Taehun scratched his chin.

When they got back to the staff house, he was sure he would have to contact the Center and apologize to his parents and younger sibling for causing a stir, but for now, this moment was all that mattered.

“…Isn’t your mask uncomfortable?”

It was an outdated, somewhat tacky pair of horn-rimmed glasses that Miyeon had bought years ago. If I had worn them, they would have surely looked dull. But that impressive man, who stood out wherever he went, managed to make even those glasses look like the latest trend. The Esper glanced over the glasses, slightly squinting, and then lowered the mask that had covered his face to whisper softly in his guide’s ear.

“You said you’d never take it off.”
“I think it’s already pretty obvious.”
“True.”

His voice sounded like he was stating something unsurprising.

As the man, who had everyone knowing but pretending not to, removed his mask and tucked it into his pocket, Taehun felt the crowd around them ripple like a faint wave. A sigh of awe was naturally drawn from those watching.

The guide, holding hands with the man walking ahead, softly asked,
“How many times do you think we’ve been photographed? And would you mind letting go of my hand?”

“You probably don’t want to know. And besides, it’s my choice.”
No matter how kindly he acted, the man still didn’t budge.

Taehun’s face flushed with a sense of embarrassment at Ji Gwanyeong’s voice mimicking his tone. Whether the word that Ji Gwanyeong was present had spread far or not, many people were now seen taking photos with proper equipment.

The Esper considered messing with the cameras’ inner workings but decided to allow a few photos this time.

“What do you want to eat?”
“Are you buying for me?”
“Do you think I’d let you pay?”
“I’m going to ask for something really expensive.”
“Go ahead.”

It was a strange feeling. It felt as though Ji Gwanyeong had truly become the protagonist of a drama or movie he had often appeared in. Having all these people’s attention on him, while the man held his hand and smiled beside him, gave him a strange sense of fulfillment, though it was also a bit frightening.

Ji Gwanyeong thought, This man is truly ‘my Esper.’ His heart thudded harder and faster.

Just then, the Esper’s gaze, now tinged with a slight sense of confusion, fell on his guide. Ji Gwanyeong was incredibly sensitive to even the smallest change in Taehun.

“Ji Gwanyeong! You just came out of ○○○○. Is this person next to you your guide?”
“Sorry, I’ll have to decline the interview.”
“Just a moment, Ji Gwanyeong! Then, what about your recent movements in the suburbs…!”

It seemed like removing the mask had become some kind of signal, and one by one, reporters who had been watching nervously started blocking their path. Taehun, wondering if their presence was making his partner uncomfortable, noticed his Esper’s eyebrows twitch slightly, signaling some displeasure.

But the reporters, thirsty for mechanical responses from the Center, persisted and began following them. It was from this moment that Ji Gwanyeong’s previously euphoric mood began to slowly decline.

For him, today was supposed to be time spent entirely with his guide. Any interruptions were unwelcome. However, the guide seemed a bit relieved by the situation. Taehun gestured for Ji Gwanyeong to let go of his hand for a moment, and then mixed into the crowd a few steps behind. The slightly sulky expression on Ji Gwanyeong’s face, as he silently asked, “Why?” was noticeable.

However, it was Ji Gwanyeong’s job to get rid of the reporters. If I did it clumsily, who knows what might happen. The guide subtly stepped back and watched his partner from a distance.

Though his personality was even worse than imagined and people found him terrifying, it was a relief that he was socially adept. Even though his eyes radiated a murderous intent, as if he wanted to tear someone apart, he still had the face and demeanor of a beloved top star. Ji Gwanyeong, while subtly sighing as if engraving the character for patience inside, was quite different from his usual Center persona, which made it somewhat amusing to watch him deal with the reporters.

That was when it happened.

A slightly sweet, sticky scent, like candy, filled the air.

“Hello.”

Taehun, startled by the greeting that had clearly fallen in his direction in the oddly empty alley, turned around. The person who spoke was a young man with light brown hair that had a somewhat hazy look, thin in build.

The young man was dressed in a loose hoodie, a dark-colored shirt, and jeans of a similar tone. He appeared to be about the same age as Taehun, or perhaps a little younger.

“You’re his guide, right?”

The young man’s voice was oddly cheerful and gentle, enough to ease the tension and awkwardly make Taehun smile back. Perhaps that was why the guide hadn’t yet detected the strange meaning behind the words. He simply thought the person might be a reporter and, with a half-smile, tried to step away from the situation.

But the young man seemed to know more about Taehun than expected.

“‘Choi Taehun,’ right?”
“…Do you know me?”
“It’s our first time meeting. But you don’t know how much I’ve wanted to meet you.”

The young man—no, Lee Hansol—was soon followed by a man who appeared like a shadow, with a blank expression.

‘There was no one here just a moment ago?’
Taehun’s eyes widened in shock.

The man he locked eyes with appeared slightly pale. No matter how good a shell someone might wear, people’s instincts can often see through it.

This was one of those moments for Taehun.

The thought that making a scene might cause problems for Ji Gwanyeong, who could be caught by reporters, tangled with the uncomfortable sense of danger he felt from these two, causing his instincts to kick in.

Hansol, no longer with a faint smile, looked at Taehun as he stepped back, narrowing his eyes and smiling. Lee Hansol wasn’t lying.

He didn’t know how long he’d searched for them—the Esper, or the guide.
“Thank you for finding my Esper, Taehun.”
“I’m sorry, but I think you’re mistaken. I haven’t done anything like that…”

“Haha. Look over there. They’re coming now, right?”

Taehun flinched instinctively at the warm presence behind him.

However, the person associated with that name was not the one with Taehun’s name. Clap. Lee Hansol’s hands clapped together, as if he was enjoying the moment. The guide slowly turned his gaze toward the direction Hansol was pointing. Through the crowd, he saw his “Esper” walking briskly toward him with a somewhat intimidating expression.

Lee Hansol continued, his voice full of amusement, as if he was about to burst out laughing.

“Ji Gwanyeong, that person. ‘My Esper.’”