“Seol-bin, who was that Esper earlier?”
“Who?”
I handed Yoon Yi-hyeon a cup of coffee and took a seat across from him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Without so much as a thank you, he leaned in close, his eyes wide and sparkling with curiosity.
“That guy! The ridiculously handsome Esper from earlier! Who is he? How old is he? Are you two close? What’s your compatibility rate? What’s his rank?”
He was pretending not to know, but this whole performance was clearly about Kang Biso.
Yoon Yi-hyeon had barged in earlier and interrupted the Guiding session I was giving Kang Biso. Luckily, we’d been near the end, so I managed to soothe him and send him on his way—but it looked like he’d caught Yi-hyeon’s attention in the process.
No wonder he’d been zoning out, staring at the door even after Kang Biso left.
“…Why are you so curious?”
“Why do you think?! He’s totally my type! I’ve always said I wanted to sign an exclusive contract with a super hot Esper and pour all my Guiding into just one person. That’s him! He’s The One. I felt it. Like, BAM!”
That Esper’s a Villain, though…
I bit down the words that rose to the tip of my tongue.
Kang Biso—the Esper-slash-Villain Yi-hyeon was drooling over—was one of the key characters in the novel. But in the story, his name barely came up, and only near the end. It wouldn’t be easy to connect that name to a Villain just from a glance.
Still, thinking back, the face described in the book matched Kang Biso’s exactly.
The one who stalked the protagonist, kidnapped him, locked him up—and played a major role in pushing the lead into darkness.
Who would’ve thought the obsessive, unhinged Villain was actually Kang Biso?
Of course, the way he was now—sweet, clingy, like a big puppy—it was hard to see the connection.
“He’s so hot! Come on, just tell me~.”
Blushing like a bride-to-be, Yi-hyeon was off in his own fantasy land, completely unaware he was crushing on a literal Villain.
I watched him quietly, then casually dropped the bomb.
“That Esper? He’s D-Rank.”
There was no way he actually was, not with how greedily he devoured my Guiding like it wasn’t nearly enough. But his forged documents said D-Rank, so technically, I wasn’t lying.
Yi-hyeon blinked, deadpan.
“What? Say that again. That face is D-Rank?”
“Yep. D-Rank.”
“…No way! That’s a cruel joke. How could someone like me—an A-Rank Guide—ever match with a D-Rank? It’s just not possible!”
Technically, he could, but with that precious pride of his? Not happening. Still, seeing him spiral like that made all my earlier irritation melt away.
…Wait, why was I annoyed in the first place?
The feeling didn’t make sense.
Whether Yi-hyeon liked Kang Biso or not had absolutely nothing to do with me. So why had I even brought up his rank…?
I shook my head and took a sip of coffee.
It was because of Yi-hyeon. Had to be.
I was probably just irritated by how he acted like he was the main character in some romance drama. That was it. Yeah. That had to be it. There was no way it had anything to do with Kang Biso.
I tried to convince myself—but Kang Biso’s face flashed in my mind.
Come to think of it… he is kind of charming.
That soft affection would disappear once the actual protagonist showed up. Still, for now, having him cling to me, saying he liked me… it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
But that was the line.
…No getting attached. Snap out of it.
I wasn’t some soft-hearted D-Rank Guide named Hwang Seol-bin. I was Hwang Dae-heon—the best damn Special Agent there was. The one who always finished the mission.
And I was going back.
Back to who I really was. No more letting Kang Biso shake me. I’d play the part of Hwang Seol-bin, do what I had to, and then return to my world.
I reminded myself of that as I took another slow sip of coffee.
***
“Oh? Hyung! What a coincidence seeing you here!”
The first meeting—pure coincidence.
“Hyung, hyung! I think we’re meant to be~.”
The second—okay, sure, it happens.
“Whoa, you live around here? I love how we keep bumping into each other. Don’t you?”
“……”
But the third time. Then the fourth. Then the fifth… At some point, it stopped being coincidence.
Even when I went for a quick walk after work, he’d show up like he’d been waiting for me.
Maybe he thought he was being subtle—some days it was the supermarket I stopped by, other times a convenience store, and sometimes he’d just stroll up on the sidewalk like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And today’s encounter? Right in front of my house.
“Hyung, you’re happy to see me too, right?”
He’s seriously just a human puppy.
How the hell did he even know where I lived? I let out a quiet sigh as Kang Biso walked up to me, smiling from ear to ear.
“Wait—did you just sigh? Hyung! Am I being annoying? Huh? Is that it?”
He instantly caught the shift in my expression and clung to my arm with a pouty face, practically begging for reassurance.
Whenever Kang Biso got sulky, he’d puff out his cheeks and mutter like a grumpy kid—it was always easier to just smooth things over quickly.
I shook my head and patted the hand holding mine.
“It’s not that.”
“Really? You’re not annoyed that we ran into each other? You’re not mad or anything, right?”
His anxious eyes practically shimmered, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ha… this is insane.”
I’d never been someone who laughed easily, but Kang Biso was relentless and weirdly sensitive at the same time. It was kind of hilarious.
Maybe it was because I’d never met anyone like him before. He was… unexpectedly cute.
And it was the first time I’d ever thought that about another guy.
The Kang Biso in the novel didn’t come off like this at all. But the one in front of me? He was way too adorable for his own good. Sure, I knew I needed to stay alert—he was a Villain, after all—but cute was still cute. Maybe I only felt that way because he was so much younger than me in real life?
“Uh… ah!”
Suddenly, Kang Biso let out a short yelp, slapped his hands over his face, and dropped to the ground like his legs gave out.
“…What are you doing?”
Startled, I looked down—and caught sight of his ears, bright red.
“Don’t look at me! That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile. Seriously… I kinda want to just… kidnap you…”
The last part came out in a low mumble, and I wasn’t sure I heard it right. Did he say… kidnap?
“…Anyway!”
Just like that, he sprang to his feet, his eyes sparkling like a puppy that just found a new toy.
“Tomorrow’s the weekend, so let’s have dinner tonight! My treat, okay?”
Ah. There it was—the real reason he’d stuck around so long today. Normally, he’d just wave and walk off, but now it all made sense.
It’s not like I had any urgent plans. And eating one meal with a Villain wasn’t going to derail the whole novel, right?
I met his wide, eager eyes and gave a small nod.
“Yes! Let’s go! I know a great spot!”
He lit up like fireworks, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him. I let him, pretending to resist.
It felt… different from when we held hands during a Guiding session. Maybe because this wasn’t professional. Maybe because it was just the two of us, off the clock. Either way, it felt more personal. Closer.
I was just starting to wonder where he was taking me when—
THUD!
“Huh?”
A loud bang rang out behind us—from the direction of my apartment.
“What was that?”
Kang Biso immediately stepped in front of me, protective and alert, scanning the area like a monster might jump out any second. But what came walking toward us from the shadows was…
Kim Hyun-joong.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
His face was twisted in fury as he stared us down.
Wait. Did he… did he just jump from my apartment?
From the third floor?
And not only that—he heard our voices, and then actually leapt down?
This guy’s fucking insane.
“Hey. Hwang Seol-bin. Come here.”
“…Hyung, who’s that? Do you know him?”
Kang Biso asked, tense and serious.
“Yeah. I know him.”
They were supposed to be childhood friends, so dropping formalities felt fine.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s going on? Seriously, that’s what you’re asking? Hah… I came here to get Guiding from my Guide, and I find you going off on a dinner date instead?”
My Guide?
Since when the hell was I his Guide?
“Grr…”
Kang Biso’s grip on my hand suddenly tightened.
“…Is that true?”
The ever-smiling Kang Biso was gone. His expression had hardened, completely unreadable, and his eyes were trembling with raw emotion.
“…You’re hurting my hand.”
“Agh—!”
As if suddenly realizing what he was doing, Kang Biso quickly let go.
“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to squeeze that hard… I just didn’t know you already had an exclusive Esper…”
“No. He’s not my exclusive Esper.”
“…What?”
If we’re going to talk, let’s get the facts straight. I had no idea why Kim Hyun-joong suddenly popped up spouting nonsense like that.
“If he were exclusive, I wouldn’t be Guiding other Espers at the Center, would I?”
A Guide with an exclusive contract doesn’t provide Guiding for anyone else—that’s basic common sense.
At my words, Kang Biso’s stiff expression finally eased, realization dawning across his face.
“Hey! What are you just standing there for?!”
Kim Hyun-joong snapped irritably, storming toward us.
“Looks like we’ll have to rain check that dinner.”
“…Hyung?”
“I should probably give him the Guiding he came for.”
“…Do you have to go?”
Kang Biso’s shoulders drooped, looking like a puppy left out in the rain. I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head.
“He’s not my exclusive, but I am officially assigned to him. And it’s been a while since he came in… It’d feel wrong to just turn him away.”
I tried to sound as apologetic as I could. Kang Biso lowered his head, visibly dejected.
It tugged at me a little, but this wasn’t something I could ignore. I still had to play my part as Hwang Seol-bin.
Besides, according to the diary, the time Hwang Seol-bin had been happiest was when he was Guiding Kim Hyun-joong. As long as I was borrowing his body, I owed it to him to at least do that much.
Of course, if Kim Hyun-joong tried to cross any lines, I wouldn’t let it slide. But for now, he stayed quiet.
I gave Kang Biso a couple of light taps on the shoulder—my way of saying “sorry”—and turned toward Kim Hyun-joong, who was still glaring holes into the side of my head. His face relaxed slightly when I moved, though he was still clearly pissed.
“Where the hell have you been? You expect me to wait around for you? And who the hell is that Esper?”
“We’re outside. Keep it down. You said you wanted Guiding, right? Then hurry up.”
“What? Hey! Don’t just walk off!”
I started moving, and Kim Hyun-joong scrambled to catch up.
I kept my eyes locked forward, not wanting to make eye contact. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of something behind me—not Kim Hyun-joong, but further back.
Kang Biso.
He looked really disappointed… He’ll be okay, right? I’ll just make it up to him next time he comes in.
Even as I walked away, I could feel his gaze burning into my back—but I forced myself to ignore it.
***
Kang Biso didn’t take his eyes off Hwang Seol-bin’s back until he was completely out of sight. Only once he’d vanished did Kang Biso’s expression turn to ice.
He pulled out his phone and tapped a number on speed dial.
“It’s me.”
[Yo, hyung. What’s up? Kinda late for this.]
“Did you finish looking into Hwang Seol-bin?”
[Yeah. I was just about to send over the file…]
“Read it out.”
[Okay. Hwang Seol-bin. Age twenty-one. D-Rank Guide. Parents died in an accident—he lives alone. Doesn’t socialize much. Mostly just goes between home and the Center. No real connections. Totally ordinary, low-profile Guide. Are you sure this is the guy you’ve been looking for?]
Twenty-one?
Kang Biso frowned. He did look young, sure, but the way he carried himself—so calm, so composed—he didn’t feel younger than Kang Biso at all.
But more importantly—
“He’s really a D-Rank?”
That was a joke. No way someone with that kind of ability was a D-Rank. He had to be hiding something. Deliberately suppressing his rank, maybe.
But that wasn’t the part that mattered most.
“He really has no family?”
[Yeah. It’s confirmed.]
“Good. Get ready.”
[Get ready for what?]
“Prepare to bring him home.”
[Wait—what?!]
Kang Biso ended the call before he could answer.
At first, it had just been the Guiding.
It wasn’t just good—it was addictive. So good it was practically euphoric. Something he’d never experienced before, no matter how many other Guides he’d tried.
For someone like him, whose match rate was so low that most Guiding did nothing at all, Hwang Seol-bin was like a miracle.
But it wasn’t just that.
He could fight. He was calm under pressure. And he was genuinely kind.
Originally, Kang Biso had planned to take his time. Build trust. Win him over slowly.
But now?
He’d changed his mind.
I want him to Guide only me. To look only at me. To stay by my side. Always.
Up until now, he’d been patient. But the more his desire grew, the harder it became to hold back.
I do whatever I want. That’s the whole reason I became a Villain.
Kang Biso licked his lips slowly. His mouth felt dry, like he was starving for something only one person could satisfy.
“Just wait a little longer… Hyung.”
Oh—right. He wasn’t really his hyung.
…Whatever. He probably thinks I’m twenty anyway.
I’m coming to get you, Hwang Seol-bin. Soon.
