It was broad daylight when he opened his eyes again.
Sunlight streamed in through the window. Eun-jo’s eyes flew open as he quickly scanned his surroundings.
Thankfully, they were still on the bed in the Guiding Room—some shred of decency remained. A thick arm was wrapped around his waist, and a large, warm body pressed against his back. When he turned his head, he saw Heo Nan-gyeom’s sleeping face.
Despite how aggressive he’d been, he looked surprisingly gentle now.
Seriously, he’s like a potato with two dicks stuck on it.
Recalling the absolutely savage night they’d had, Eun-jo lightly brushed his lashes, teasing him.
“Huh…”
He must be a deep sleeper—there was no sign of him waking anytime soon.
Eun-jo ran his hand over Nan-gyeom’s handsome features, poked at his cheek, played with him a bit, then slowly tried to sit up.
But Nan-gyeom’s arm was locked around his waist like a seatbelt. And worse, the hand draped over it had slid beneath his collar, resting against his chest. Eun-jo quickly turned his head.
“Heo Nan-gyeom.”
“……”
“Heo Nan-gyeom, you’re not actually asleep, are you?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. Then, with a quiet laugh, Nan-gyeom buried his face in Eun-jo’s shoulder.
“Did you sleep well?”
Eun-jo, now pulled into his arms, gave him a couple of sharp thumps.
“Wow. Where’s that guy who used to blush just from holding hands…?”
“Right here.”
“No way. The guy I know would never touch someone’s chest like this…”
When he twisted around in Nan-gyeom’s arms, their eyes met. Nan-gyeom’s usually cold gaze softened into crescent-shaped smiles.
“I had a good teacher.”
He pressed a kiss to Eun-jo’s forehead with a soft mwah.
At his shameless reply, Eun-jo yanked the hand out from under his shirt and bit down on it. If he didn’t, he’d go crazy from how ticklish his chest felt.
Nan-gyeom just smiled, watching him like a puppy getting nibbled on, then pulled him closer. Honestly, this—just lying together—felt even better than sex.
Seeing Eun-jo nestled in his arms, still marked by last night, Nan-gyeom felt a strange yearning rise up from deep within. The desire to Imprint him. Yeah, he was definitely still an Esper. No doubt about it.
He kissed Eun-jo’s hair and murmured,
“You still haven’t answered me. Did you sleep well?”
“…Slept like a rock. Thanks to someone who tortured me all night.”
Eun-jo pouted as their eyes met again, then gently asked,
“Are you okay, Heo Nan-gyeom?”
A soft sigh slipped from Nan-gyeom’s lips. He buried his face in Eun-jo’s chest and took a deep breath.
If he really did Imprint him, sweet-hearted Yeo Eun-jo would probably try to take responsibility for even him.
Nan-gyeom quietly shoved those selfish thoughts aside and slowly lifted his head. Eun-jo’s face looked worried, as if asking, Are you really okay?
“…Are you asking if I’ll be fine without doing it again?”
“What are you, an animal?”
“Didn’t know until now, but apparently I am.”
With a bit of mock affection, he pressed even deeper into Eun-jo’s chest—like he wanted to melt into him completely. Holding him tightly, Eun-jo gently patted his broad back.
“This is bad. I’ve totally spoiled you now…”
You can’t act like this with other Guides, he muttered under his breath.
Nan-gyeom, still buried in his chest, mumbled,
“Why would I need another Guide? I don’t even need Guiding anymore.”
Only then did Eun-jo remember—Nan-gyeom didn’t actually need to be Guided.
This hadn’t been about work, or about managing his Esper condition. It was the first time they’d slept together just because they wanted to. And that realization made Eun-jo’s face go red.
Why the hell am I getting flustered?!
Like he’d been burned, Eun-jo suddenly sat up. He peeled Nan-gyeom off him and scrambled to untangle his legs from the sheets.
“I should go check if my powers are back…”
But right then, the arm around his waist yanked him back hard.
“Ugh—!” Eun-jo’s body collapsed limply onto the bed.
As if he’d been waiting, Nan-gyeom immediately buried his face in Eun-jo’s chest again. His body radiated heat.
“Heo Nan-gyeom…?”
Eun-jo called his name, startled. Nan-gyeom responded by wrapping both arms tightly around him.
“Don’t go.”
“……”
“Isn’t this my time now? Just a little longer…”
His time—fleeting and unpredictable. Afraid the words building up inside him might spill out, Nan-gyeom bit down hard on his own lips.
Instead of begging Eun-jo to stay, he simply pressed his face deeper into his chest and breathed him in.
“Just… let me stay by your side for a little while.”
His voice trembled—something utterly unlike him. Eun-jo paused, instantly catching the crack in his tone.
He couldn’t stay by his side forever. But for now—for this brief, fleeting moment—he could offer the comfort Nan-gyeom needed.
Quietly, he reached out and ran his hand over Nan-gyeom’s back. Neither of them said a word. They just leaned into each other in silence. The only sound in the room was the slow, uneven rhythm of their breathing.
Who knew how much time passed. After lying quietly in his arms for a long while, Nan-gyeom spoke again, his voice low and subdued.
“…At one of my previous posts, there was a Guide who severed their Imprint.”
“…What?”
Eun-jo blinked, startled, unsure what he meant.
Nan-gyeom slowly sat up. Then, as if it had been waiting nearby all along, he retrieved Eun-jo’s clothes and knelt down on one knee beside the bed. His face had returned to that composed, unreadable calm.
“The Esper they were paired with kept turning violent. No one knows how they did it… but…”
“……”
“I saw it with my own eyes. So I know it’s possible.”
He slipped clean socks onto Eun-jo’s bare feet, then gently bowed his head. Soft lips brushed the top of Eun-jo’s foot and pulled away.
Finally, Eun-jo—still caught in thought—snapped back to reality and looked down at him.
“If that turns out to be too hard…”
“……”
Nan-gyeom’s eyes—warm and filled with quiet affection—looked up at him.
“Then instead of just one day… we can roll around in bed for a whole week.”
One night had already left him feeling wrecked. Just imagining a week made Eun-jo’s legs tingle.
With a look of horror, he raised his foot and pressed it against Nan-gyeom’s chest, pushing him back.
“Have you heard the saying, ‘Even the quietest cat jumps on the stove’?”
“If it’s you, I’d leap over more than a stove. A palace, even. Right now, I would.”
Nan-gyeom’s voice was calm and matter-of-fact as he responded. Then he took Eun-jo’s foot, and with the same unhurried ease, kissed from his ankle up to his calf.
For someone who’d just lost his virginity, the man moved like a damn playboy.
“…Wow.”
Eun-jo stared at him blankly, murmuring under his breath,
“What the hell did I teach you…?”
Nan-gyeom just smirked, clearly pleased by the stunned look on his face, and quietly helped him get dressed.
***
The moment he stepped out of the room, Eun-jo grabbed a nearby Esper and tested his powers. Still nothing. As always, Guiding only worked with Heo Nan-gyeom.
There’s not much time left.
Only a week remained on the deadline they’d agreed on. And at this point, there was only one option left: the case Nan-gyeom had mentioned—severing an Imprint.
Cutting an Imprint was the end of the line. The final, absolute, no-going-back kind of decision. Still, Eun-jo didn’t plan to go through with it just yet. He just wanted to look into it.
He waited for Esper training hours, then quietly slipped into the team’s office. After making sure no one was around, he hurried to the back room and dragged out his suitcase.
His heart was pounding. If anyone saw him packing, it’d set off chaos. Who knew whose temper might snap this time. Frantically, Eun-jo stuffed his passport and clothes inside, then yanked the zipper shut.
“Oh, right!”
He pulled out his phone and pager, tapped quickly on the screen, and scrolled through his contacts. Then he called Park Hee-won.
—Guide-nim?
“If anyone asks where I went, just say you don’t know.”
—…Huh?
Hee-won sounded uneasy, sensing something was up.
—Wait, wait, where are you even going? Huh?
“If I told you, you’d crack the second someone flicked your forehead.”
—No way! I’d spill the second they looked like they were gonna flick me!
Spineless traitor. Eun-jo groaned, thinking of all the spicy cheese tteokbokki he’d treated him to over the weeks.
“Just pretend you don’t know! You’ve seen me do whatever the hell I want since forever!”
—Guide-nim—no, Hyung…!
That desperate voice was the last thing he heard before hanging up. He’ll manage.
Tossing his pager and phone onto the couch, Eun-jo walked out of the office.
