“Why’s the Team Leader acting like that today?”
“No clue… but honestly, it’s even scarier when he’s not yelling…”
“Lee Han-seo’s not picking up, right?”
“Yeah… looks like today’s a total disaster.”
In the small meeting room packed with operational staff, lower-ranked Espers exchanged nervous whispers, trying their best to patch together their fraying nerves. All eyes were on Park Woo-jun, the Esper Chief of Operations, who sat at the head of the table with a chilling presence that made it hard to breathe.
“You there.”
“Eek—! Y-Yes, sir?”
Was it because they dared to whisper during a meeting he was leading? Park Woo-jun’s finger pointed directly at them. The moment their eyes met the lifeless, pitch-dark gleam in his gaze, a cold shiver ran down their spines. Him being in a foul mood wasn’t exactly surprising—Julian Moore had barged into the Center unannounced the night before, no warning, no coordination. That alone was enough to throw the place into chaos. And now some outsider was trying to wedge himself into the sacred bond of a Bonded Pair? No Esper in their right mind would sit back and let that happen.
But the strange thing was… Park Woo-jun hadn’t stormed in raging. He came to work looking calm and collected, even wearing a bright, unreadable smile. That smile—delicate and pristine, like a daffodil in bloom—looked perfect on his beautiful face, the kind that didn’t belong anywhere near a battlefield. And that made it all the more terrifying.
Because a smile meant nothing when the eyes were already dead. And the oppressive, venomous aura he was oozing—like a slow-acting toxin with no restraint—was undeniable. In fact, the only people holding up in the room were either A-Class Espers or regular humans who couldn’t sense energy at all.
“Focus. We’re on duty.”
“S-Sorry, we’ll focus.”
“Good. And don’t even think about calling someone else’s Guide.”
“Hrk—…”
So that’s what this is about. That’s what set him off.
But you’re the one who…! You were acting like a complete lunatic…! We just wanted to ask him to come talk you down…!!
The injustice burned in their throats, but no one in their right mind picked a fight with a madman. The two Espers bowed their heads together like scolded children, whispering meek apologies.
What the hell had happened last night? Everyone knew that Park Woo-jun, for all his quirks, was a pretty chill guy—as long as you didn’t touch Lee Han-seo. Yet here he was, looking like a man ready to burn down the world. People were dying to know, but no one had the guts to ask. The only one with enough backbone to even think about it was fellow S-Class Esper, Ryu Ho-yeon, but…
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
…he was catastrophically clueless and, just as importantly, couldn’t care less about Park Woo-jun. He hadn’t paid attention to the meeting from the start, happily crunching away on some fancy artisan cookies he’d bought with the corporate card.
Earlier, when the meeting was just beginning, one of the newly transferred civil servants—still wet behind the ears—had innocently asked, “Didn’t your Guide come with you today?” just trying to make small talk. Park Woo-jun had dropped his dazzling smile in a heartbeat. His face hardened, and he just stared at the poor guy in silence, eyes boring holes through him. Park Woo-jun usually seemed like the carefree type, trailing behind Lee Han-seo like a loyal pup. But moments like this made it painfully clear: something inside him was… off.
“Why are you asking where Han-seo is?”
“Huh…? Oh, I just meant—he’s usually here when the meetings run long…”
“And why exactly is that any of your business?”
“……”
The poor civil servant couldn’t sense Esper energy, but he could definitely read the look on Park Woo-jun’s face. He’d opened his mouth to be polite—and nearly lost his career.
After that, nobody said a word. Everyone avoided eye contact with Park like their lives depended on it.
“Ahem… then, I’ll continue. Thanks to Team Leader Park Woo-jun’s efforts, we successfully cleared the first U-Class Dungeon. It was a major achievement, of course, but based on our observations, we believe this wasn’t a one-time occurrence. In the worst-case scenario, we may start seeing them pop up more frequently—similar to how S-Class Dungeons went from rare anomalies to monthly threats. That’s the current projection from the research team.”
It wasn’t far-fetched. S-Class Dungeons, once considered once-in-a-decade catastrophes, were now emerging every few weeks. From the moment dungeons first appeared, their difficulty and frequency had only escalated. Records from sixty, seventy years ago listed B-Class as the highest danger level at the time.
Like some twisted test of humanity’s limits, dungeons kept raising the bar—just when people thought they’d adjusted.
“Hmm…”
As the researcher spoke, Park Woo-jun tapped his fingers on the table. The only reason they’d cleared the U-Class Dungeon so easily was because they’d thrown seven S-Class Espers and a whole crew of top-tier A-Classes at it.
But what if… What if a U-Class Dungeon opened on the Korean Peninsula? Could South Korea handle it alone?
That was the true focus of today’s meeting—and a pressing issue the Center had to address. The question of whether they could resolve it independently, without foreign aid, was critical. As the country’s frontline defense, they had to prepare in advance. Waiting until after disaster struck would cost far too much.
“We’ve been ordered by the Prime Minister’s Office to prepare at least a rough draft of the manual and make a formal announcement by the next National Assembly plenary session. If there are any necessary legal or administrative procedures, they want those submitted at the same time. The public’s starting to get uneasy… and you’re the only one who’s actually set foot inside a U-Class Dungeon.”
“Got it. I’ll consult with the S-Class and A-Class team leads and get it fleshed out. How long do you think the review process will take? I need to know when I should have the draft ready by.”
“Well, we’ll need to run full strategy simulations and revise it based on feedback, so there’s not a lot of wiggle room. Would it be possible to submit it before the end of the day next Tuesday?”
“That should be doable. In that case, I’ll need Placement Division to help adjust the roster until the draft is ready. If any S-Class emergencies come up before Tuesday, form the assault team around Esper Kim Joon-young.”
“Understood. I’ll let the Section Chief know.”
“That wraps up today’s meeting. Team leads, please stay for a moment. Everyone else, you’re free to go.”
Ryu Ho-yeon had ended up with the title of S-Class team lead after both Park Woo-jun and Kim Joon-young pushed it onto him. Even now, he sat silently, offering no input—he had almost no administrative experience, after all. The one supporting Park in practice was the A-Class team lead.
“Sorry to throw something so big at you right after you’ve transferred.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but… haha. I’ll do my best.”
The man flashed a bright, easygoing smile, his tanned skin and gleaming white teeth giving him a dazzling presence. But unfortunately, no one left in the room had the luxury to be distracted by how ridiculously good-looking he was.
“Feel free to speak casually. I heard you’re related to Joon-young?”
“Then I’ll drop the honorifics. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Likewise, sunbae.”
The man who had finally returned to Central Branch just a few days ago after turning down offer after offer was Han Ji-soo—an A-Class nature-type Esper once hailed as the strongest in the country, before Park Woo-jun came on the scene.
With his return, he’d taken on dual responsibilities as both the A-Class team lead and head of the Nature Affinity Division. While he and Park weren’t total strangers, they’d never had a chance to actually talk. This was their first real interaction.
The two leaned in, discussing various scenarios and hammering out initial guidelines for U-Class Dungeon strategy and assault team deployment. All the while, Ryu Ho-yeon remained silent, still focused on devouring the remaining snacks. He only opened his mouth once he’d cleared the table.
“Hey.”
He casually brushed crumbs off his fingers and inserted himself into the conversation without a hint of shame.
“So what do we do if a U-Class and an S-Class open at the same time? We can’t exactly set an S-Class aside as backup… and we’re not even sure three people are enough to clear a U-Class.”
“Hey, Park Woo-jun.”
“You’re not wrong. But we’re choosing only the best A-Class support, right? If we split our forces, there won’t be anyone left to respond to an S-Class.”
“Hmm… Then maybe we should just go all-in on the U-Class and try to clear it as fast as possible? The odds of both gates opening at the exact same time are basically zero.”
“What, you gone deaf now? Where’s Han-seo?”
Park Woo-jun, who had been flatly ignoring Ryu Ho-yeon like he didn’t even exist, finally reacted when Han-seo’s name came up. That ever-smiling face twisted slightly, expression warping.
“Esper Ryu Ho-yeon. Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a discussion?”
“Not like you left me here to participate. I’m just supposed to sign the minutes, right? So enough stalling—where’s Han-seo? He’s not in the Guide Training Room either.”
Park Woo-jun had only intended to sketch the outline and rush back to Sweet Home, where Han-seo was waiting. He thought Ryu Ho-yeon would’ve let go after getting a Bonded Pair of his own—but no, still obsessed with someone else’s Guide. It was exhausting.
Park Woo-jun shot him a cold glare but said nothing, instead turning back to Han Ji-soo and continuing the conversation as if nothing had happened. Ryu Ho-yeon stared him down for a few moments, then either gave up or thought of another plan. He signed the blank meeting minutes with a flourish and stormed out of the room.
“I’ll take care of the minutes. Go on.”
“Huh?”
“It was obvious you’ve been itching to leave this whole time.”
“…Thanks.”
Must be the blood relation—this one had a sharp read on people, just like Kim Joon-young. Barely muttering a thank-you, Park Woo-jun all but sprinted out of the room.
He stopped by the Center’s café to pick up Han-seo’s favorite: ice cream waffles. His steps were so light he couldn’t help but hum as he walked. The path back to that cozy, narrow fortress where Han-seo waited felt like paradise. Finally, he could breathe again.
“Should’ve done this from the start. No need to show Han-seo off to people who don’t matter.”
Last night, Han-seo had been so tired he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, soft breaths settling into a peaceful rhythm. Park Woo-jun hadn’t slept a wink. He’d spent the whole night watching him.
It hurt—knowing something that shone so brightly in his eyes was just as dazzling to others. Even after the Imprint, Han-seo was still delicious prey in the eyes of other Espers. It was unbearable. What could tie him down tighter? If such a method existed, Park Woo-jun would tear off his own limbs to have it.
As he traced Han-seo’s slim wrist—small enough to wrap in one hand—and his delicate calves, which looked like they might snap from the slightest pressure, he fought down wave after wave of dangerous urges. He had to hold back. If he actually broke something, Han-seo would be in pain. So he had to restrain himself… right?
Even as he bound both of Han-seo’s wrists with Esper-grade chains from the dorm closet, Park kept sighing in frustration.
“Mmm… What are you doing…?”
“Shh, good boy. Can I see your hands for a second? Just for a moment. Is it okay if I tie you up?”
“Mmm… yeah…”
“Go back to sleep. You’re fine.”
Half-asleep, Han-seo had obediently stretched out his hands, not a hint of suspicion in his voice. Then he drifted off again. That blind trust, that willingness to surrender—it calmed Park’s fraying nerves just a little.
In the end, he’d untied both arms and just secured one wrist to the bedpost. Seeing Han-seo lying there, neatly restrained, satisfied Park so deeply he peppered the boy’s forehead with kisses and tied the chain into a cute ribbon.
God, I really do love him too much, he thought, repeating it over and over to himself with no one to hear.
“Baby, I’m home! Were you good while I was gone?”
Cheerfully humming, Park Woo-jun swung the door open and stepped inside—
“PARK WOO-JUN, YOU CRAZY FUCK—GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!”
The second the door opened, a thunderous roar shook him to the core.
“I spoil you one time and you go off the rails! I heard the door, you asshole! You’re not even gonna come in?! PARK WOO-JUN! FUCKING HELL!”
…Was he about to get chewed out?
But Han-seo said it was okay… He even gave me his wrists… This is so unfair…
“You maniac! Get in here and UNCHAIN ME RIGHT NOW!!”
