I Possessed a Promiscuous Guide 73

He couldn’t bring himself to hate someone who had willingly risked danger just to repay a debt to him.

Just imagining Yu Je-hyun falling out of love with him and, just like in the novel’s original storyline, falling for Ji Yeon-woo instead made his chest ache with a dull throb.

But rather than wallowing in despair, Lee Haru pulled himself together.

Ever since the moment I entered this body, the story has already changed.

Originally, this body was supposed to die early on. But Lee Haru’s deep-seated resentment had summoned him here.

In the original story, Lee Haru’s death would have left a significant psychological impact on the leads, and from that aftermath, Ji Yeon-woo would appear, kicking off the main plot.

But he was still alive. And he had resolved to stay alive until the end. Even if he were to die, he would first experience a love he never got to in his original world, lose his virginity, and then die.

It wasn’t like him to sink into gloom over something that hadn’t even happened yet.

Lee Haru let go of Ji Yeon-woo, whom he’d been holding. With his eyes flushed red and staring up at him, Ji Yeon-woo looked so much like a rabbit that Haru let out a faint chuckle.

He had felt it before—Ji Yeon-woo felt like a younger brother. Maybe it was because this body looked much younger than his original one.

Seeing his gaunt, hollowed-out face made a wave of sympathy rise up.

“Did you eat?”

Ji Yeon-woo looked as worn out as Yu Je-hyun. When Haru stroked his now sunken cheek, Ji Yeon-woo gave a slight shake of his head.

“Let’s eat something first.”

Judging by the emptiness in his stomach, he’d probably skipped at least two meals. It had been like this ever since meeting Yu Je-hyun.

Whether it was emotional emptiness or something else, he couldn’t even feel hunger like before. No matter what food he tried, it felt like chewing on sand—dry and tasteless.

But he wasn’t alone anymore. Ji Yeon-woo was with him. Someone who had likely been too worried about his abduction to eat properly. He wanted to at least serve him one warm meal.

Even if the two of them were still locked up in this fancy prison.

“Fortunately, they’re stocking the place with plenty of food. If they hadn’t even provided that, things would’ve been really rough.”

After seating Ji Yeon-woo at the dining table, Haru opened the fridge door.

In the early days of his abduction, Hong Seong-jun had shut the bedroom door and left, making him think he might starve to death.

After that, he must have gotten more cautious—he now kept most of the doors in the house unlocked.

Still, Haru never imagined that while he slept, Ji Yeon-woo had been locked inside the bedroom.

“By the way, who kidnapped you, Guide Ji Yeon-woo?”

“…The head of Black.”

He’d assumed it was Hong Seong-jun, but that had been a complete misjudgment.

Haru’s hand froze over the fridge’s contents. The image of the leader of Black flashed through his mind.

Maybe it was because of the multiple times his life had been threatened by him. Just remembering that grotesquely veined body made Haru’s fingertips tremble.

He hadn’t seen the man even once since arriving here. And now to find out that it wasn’t Hong Seong-jun but that man who had kidnapped Ji Yeon-woo—

“…H-Hyung?”

Ji Yeon-woo sensed something was wrong just from looking at Haru’s back and called out to him in a worried voice. Snapping out of it, Haru quickly pulled out the ingredients he needed.

“I was just thinking about what to make. Do you know what ‘Egg in Hell’ is?”

“…What’s that?”

Though it was obvious Haru was changing the subject, Ji Yeon-woo tilted his head in confusion at the unfamiliar word.

The truth was, he still hadn’t adapted to this changed world. In just a few years, everything had shifted drastically from what he remembered.

Even after translating the words in his head, he couldn’t picture anything. What the hell kind of dish was an egg in hell?

“It’s one of my favorite dishes, and I think I can make it with what we have here. It’s easy on the stomach too, so it won’t be hard for you to eat.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Just knowing that it was Haru’s favorite dish gave Ji Yeon-woo a feeling he would come to love it before even tasting it.

But unlike his anticipation for the food, he couldn’t stop thinking about Haru’s faint smile.

Unless it was his imagination, Haru looked even paler than before. That expression—he recognized it. It was the same one worn by the Guides who had been trapped with him in Black’s facility.

Only now did the reality of their situation sink in. Haru had been alone here all this time.

He must have been scared all along, yet the moment he saw Ji Yeon-woo, he’d forced a brave face and held back his tears.

And now, in that state, he was even trying to cook something nice for him. Ji Yeon-woo’s heart ached.

He stood and walked over.

Haru was standing at the counter, his back still turned, preparing the ingredients.

More than the finely chopped pieces on the cutting board, Ji Yeon-woo’s eyes were drawn to the dangerously trembling knife in Haru’s hand.

At this rate, an accident seemed inevitable. Just as he opened his mouth to stop him—before Ji Yeon-woo could even say a word—Haru, sensing someone approach, flinched.

“…Ah.”

He had been trying to fight off the paralyzing fear by concentrating fully.

But in the split second his focus faltered, the knife sliced into his fingertip instead of the ingredients.

“Haru-hyung!”

Ji Yeon-woo was the first to react, while Lee Haru remained frozen from the sharp sting of pain. Crimson drops of blood fell with stark contrast onto the white onion, drip, drip, pooling beneath the cutting board.

Just the sight of the wound made Ji Yeon-woo’s stomach twist. In a panic, he grabbed Haru’s hand.

The blood, which had only stained the tip of his index finger at first, was now running down the back of his hand, soaking into the cuff of his sleeve. The pain grew stronger with each passing second—especially because the blade had been slicing through an onion.

Though it was his own hand, it felt like he was looking at someone else’s. As Haru blinked blankly, Ji Yeon-woo reached over and turned on the tap.

The moment he brought Haru’s slender fingertips under the water, the clear stream quickly turned red. As the blood washed away, the raw, exposed wound became painfully visible.

Ji Yeon-woo bit his lip at how bad it looked.

If he had known this would happen, he would have asked for at least one healing potion to keep in his pocket. His eyes brimmed with tears.

“That must really hurt… Just a second. The first-aid kit…”

He was about to look for one to stop the bleeding and apply ointment, but Haru reached out with his uninjured hand and grabbed Ji Yeon-woo’s wrist.

“There’s a healing potion in my pocket.”

It was the one thrown at him by the head of Black. Since coming to this place, Haru had been forced to change into different clothes, but each time, he made sure to tuck the potion into his pocket.

In a place where serious injury could strike at any moment, a healing potion was practically a lifeline.

Ji Yeon-woo’s hands trembled as he reached into Haru’s pocket. His fingers brushed against the cold glass.

He quickly pulled out the potion, poured a small amount onto his fingertip, and gently dabbed it over the raw wound.

As Haru’s brow tightened from the sting, Ji Yeon-woo puckered his lips and blew cool air across it.

What the hell was I thinking?

Haru scolded himself. He had always taken pride in his mental resilience, but it seemed it had worn down far more than he’d realized.

The leader of Black hadn’t even appeared—he had only heard his name from Ji Yeon-woo’s mouth—and yet it had been enough to send him into a panic.

The bloodstained onion was obviously ruined. More than that, Ji Yeon-woo looked truly shaken, and that made Haru feel guilty.

“I’m okay now. I was just… lost in thought for a second. Sorry for worrying you.”

The wound had already healed cleanly. Haru held his hand under the running water a bit longer to wash off the lingering blood.

He was about to pat Ji Yeon-woo’s shoulder when he noticed the droplets still clinging to his fingers. Wiping his hand against his pants, he waited until it was mostly dry before gently tapping Ji Yeon-woo’s trembling shoulder.

Seeing how badly he was shaking made Haru’s expression sink as well.

“What the hell are you two doing?”

Huh? This felt familiar somehow.

The place was different, the timing different, and the voice belonged to someone else—but the situation felt strangely similar.

Both Haru and Ji Yeon-woo turned their heads toward the voice at the same time.

Their eyes trembled for very different reasons. Haru immediately recognized that it was Hong Seong-jun disguised as Kang Min.

Even if his appearance had changed, the look in his eyes was unmistakable. The same deadly stare that made it feel like he wanted to drown Haru in a bog and leave him to die. Just meeting his gaze made it hard to breathe.

“Esper Kang Min! I’m so glad you’re here!”

The problem was, to Ji Yeon-woo, the man looked like the real Kang Min.

Panic welled up inside Haru. If this continued, their rescue plan would be exposed.

He could accept the consequences for himself—but he couldn’t let Ji Yeon-woo keep getting toyed with in that bastard’s clutches.

“C-Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Haru stepped forward first. Grabbing the imposter Kang Min—Hong Seong-jun—by the wrist, he led him toward the bedroom.

He could feel Ji Yeon-woo’s startled gaze behind him, but there was no time to explain.

He had to get Hong Seong-jun away from him for now. And when the bastard left again, then he would explain everything to Ji Yeon-woo.

All he could do now was pray that Ji Yeon-woo would stay quiet until then.

Author: Levia