I rushed back to the hotel like I was running away, and as if he’d been waiting, the puppy welcomed me with eager eyes and a wagging tail.
“Ah, sorry. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”
I walked over to unclip his leash, and he stretched his neck out as if the collar had been suffocating him. Feeling guilty, I quickly unfastened it.
“Woof woof!”
Once freed, the puppy leapt onto the bed, bounced into my lap, and rubbed his head against me with playful affection. The soft texture of his fur and the warmth of his small body soothed the chaos that had been swirling inside me.
…He’s adorable.
Absentmindedly, I started Guiding him again, stroking his head as I did so—more out of habit than intention.
He let out a low, pleased hum and sprawled across my lap, fully relaxed. Maybe it was because I’d been Guiding him regularly, but his energy felt surprisingly stable now.
It was the complete opposite of Guiding with Kang Biso—his aura had been wild, aggressive, overwhelming…
That kiss…
No—what the hell am I even thinking?
I shook my head hard, trying to erase Kang Biso’s face from my mind before it could settle there again.
Focus. Think about something else.
Determined not to spiral, I reached down and gently rubbed the puppy’s belly. He was now flopped onto his back, completely carefree. The fluff of his fur was addictively soft, soothing with every stroke. But as I kept watching him, a strange thought crept into my mind.
Come to think of it, I’ve Guided him quite a bit… so why hasn’t he turned back into a human yet? His energy feels plenty stable…
His injuries were mostly healed, and with how often I’d Guided him, he was no longer at risk of rampage. So then what? Did something go wrong? Had he been a dog for so long he forgot he was ever human? Why wouldn’t he change back?
If I could be sure he’d stay like this, I wouldn’t mind keeping him as a pet… But Baek Beom was dangerous. You never knew when he’d snap.
I couldn’t keep him around like this forever.
He didn’t play a huge role in the book, but he had a nasty habit of popping up out of nowhere to attack Kim Yong-ha and stir up trouble. He was a recurring headache—one that couldn’t be ignored.
Sure, some of that chaos had helped bring Kim Yong-ha and Kim Seong-gyeong closer, but keeping Baek Beom alive just for that was too risky. It was smarter to deal with him now, while he was powerless.
I narrowed my eyes, staring at the puppy.
Could he be… choosing not to turn back?
Maybe I should test him. Just pretend to attack him—if he felt truly threatened in this vulnerable form, even Baek Beom would have no choice but to revert.
And if he did turn back… then I’d decide what to do.
“Woof woof!”
Just as I was deep in thought, the puppy sat upright and nudged his head into my hand, looking up at me with those big, trusting eyes. The obedience in his gaze made my heart waver.
Could I… really attack him?
Those round, beady eyes were too cute. The idea of hurting him started to fade, replaced by a pang of guilt. But leaving him be was dangerous too…
“Ugh, whatever. It’s late. Let’s just sleep, okay, puppy?”
I scooped him up and lay down on the bed. He trotted up to my face, tail wagging, and licked my cheek. His affection made me laugh, despite everything.
Yeah. He’s way too cute like this… I’ll figure it out later.
If Baek Beom stayed like this—if he couldn’t turn back…
Then maybe raising him properly as a pet wouldn’t be so bad.
***
“…So it’s today.”
Time passed faster than expected. The day of the re-evaluation had finally arrived.
“I’m heading out now, puppy. Watch the place for me, okay?”
Leaving those words behind, I went to work. To calm my nerves, I stopped by the break room, grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat at my desk, staring out the window in a daze.
The re-evaluation… Kang Bijun should handle it, right?
I knew his hacking skills from the novel, but I couldn’t shake this nagging anxiety. Still, he promised—he’d take care of it. He even infiltrated the Villains’ hideout for this.
…The real problem is Kang Biso.
He must’ve heard everything from Kang Bijun—the whole reason behind the infiltration. Who knows what kind of scheme he might pull regarding the re-evaluation?
These were the same people who’d been plotting to kidnap me, after all. If Kang Biso ordered Kang Bijun to do something reckless, it could get ugly.
My brows furrowed again as the worry crept back in. Nothing was ever easy when it came to Kang Biso.
Ugh, forget it.
If something did happen, I’d make him regret it—thoroughly. He already knew Esper abilities didn’t work on me, so I’d infiltrate the hideout myself if I had to. Use every trick in the book to wipe out the Villains at their root.
And maybe—just maybe—it’d make things easier when I finally returned to my original world. Kim Yong-ha wouldn’t have to suffer as much, either.
“Sunbae! I figured you’d be here.”
“Ah… Kim Yong-ha.”
The break room door opened, and a familiar face stepped inside.
As usual, Kim Yong-ha wore his signature blank expression. After making himself a cup of coffee, he casually sat down next to me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You’re five minutes earlier than usual today.”
“…Am I?”
“Yeah. You usually come at the same time every day, but today you were a little early.”
“……”
I was quietly surprised. I knew he followed me around a lot, but I hadn’t realized he was observing me this closely.
When I didn’t respond, he glanced over at me and asked carefully, “Did something happen?”
“Ah… I’ve got a re-evaluation today.”
“A re-evaluation?”
“Yeah. I already took the test once, but they said I need to retake the Guide assessment.”
“Ahh… I see.”
He hummed softly in response, and I sipped my now-cold coffee, deciding not to elaborate further.
That’s when someone I’d completely forgotten about came to mind.
“…Now that I think about it—where’s Kim Hyun-joong?”
“Oh, Esper Kim Hyun-joong?”
After the Baek Beom incident, Kim Yong-ha hadn’t been allowed to leave the Center. Put nicely, it was “protection.” Realistically, it was house arrest. That just went to show how valuable he was here.
Even inside the Center, that protection never stopped. After Kang Biso had managed to infiltrate once, the administrators were on edge. They worried that an Esper pretending to need Guiding might try to kidnap him.
So, they assigned him an Esper bodyguard around the clock.
That bodyguard was none other than Kim Hyun-joong. Sure, his personality was crap, but as a recognized A-Rank Esper, he’d been deemed suitable to protect Kim Yong-ha.
But honestly, what was the point? During the Baek Beom incident, he didn’t help at all—if anything, he just got in the way. Maybe he got kicked off duty because of that?
Curious, I waited for Kim Yong-ha’s reply. He lowered his head slightly and whispered,
“…I told him to wait outside the break room. I got the feeling you didn’t like him…”
As he fidgeted with his fingers, he kept glancing over at me to read my reaction. I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Huh. The protagonist’s got more awareness than I expected.
With that spaced-out expression, I figured he’d be a little slow. But he was surprisingly sharp. Then again, with how openly hostile Kim Hyun-joong was toward me—and how blatantly I ignored him—it would’ve been weird not to notice.
It was a thoughtful gesture, and I appreciated it. I gave him a small nod in acknowledgment.
—Beep beep beep beep.
My phone alarm went off.
Time to get to work.
I stood up, and Kim Yong-ha followed my lead.
“Good luck today, sunbae.”
“Thanks. You too, Kim Yong-ha.”
“Yes, sir!”
Standing at the door was Kim Hyun-joong, and the moment he saw me, his face twisted in annoyance.
I didn’t bother saying anything. Just shot him a cold glare.
“……”
Looking at that face, I felt a wave of sympathy for Kim Yong-ha.
Guarded 24/7, stuck inside the Center, and to top it off, stuck with that guy as a bodyguard? Talk about miserable.
I turned away and walked past him. Apparently, he didn’t like being ignored, because his voice suddenly rose in frustration.
“…Hey! Hey! Hwang Seol-bin! I’m talking to you!”
Nope. Didn’t hear anything. I ignored his yelling completely and walked off without looking back.
Seriously, how many times had I told him? And he still didn’t get the message. At least he knew better than to follow me—he must’ve realized protecting Kim Yong-ha took priority.
And with that, another busy day began.
***
The morning flew by in the blink of an eye. The Espers must’ve figured out my temperament by now—no one pestered me for extra Guiding anymore.
After lunch, I returned with my usual post-meal coffee. Just as I sat down and let out a breath to relax, there was a knock at the door.
Who is it?
“Come in.”
“Guide Hwang Seol-bin. Did you have lunch already?”
“Hello?”
The Team Leader and Kim Yong-ha stepped into the room. I got up and gave them a polite bow.
“We’re here to inform you of your re-evaluation schedule. We’ve cleared your afternoon, so you can head to the lab right after lunch.”
“Understood.”
I’d already seen my schedule was wide open this afternoon, so I figured it would be around now anyway.
“Good luck with the test, sunbae!”
…Wait. Why’s Kim Yong-ha with the Team Leader?
I glanced toward him, and the Team Leader must’ve noticed my curiosity because he explained,
“Since Guide Kim Yong-ha is still new here, I’m helping him adjust to the Center.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“He’s our only S-Rank Guide, after all. Naturally, we’re giving him extra attention.”
As expected of the protagonist. Always getting special treatment.
The way the Team Leader looked at Kim Yong-ha was full of warmth. When we first met, he didn’t look at me like that—not even close. I was honestly surprised his face was capable of being that gentle.
I simply nodded to show I understood.
“We’ll get going now. Make sure you’re not late, Guide Hwang Seol-bin.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
“See you later, sunbae!”
After giving the Team Leader a respectful bow, I raised a hand in return to Kim Yong-ha’s cheerful wave. His face lit up instantly.
He looks a lot more relaxed now.
If he’d been through the Baek Beom incident, there’s no way he’d be smiling like that. He seemed to be settling in well, and that eased my mind a little.
Once they were gone and the hallway grew quiet again, the anxiety I’d been holding back crept up all at once.
Please… let it come out D-Rank.
I reached for my coffee in an attempt to calm myself, but…
“…Cold already.”
Sitting here stressing out wasn’t helping. Might as well get it over with.
Swallowing the last bit of my nerves, I stepped out of the Guiding Room and headed toward the lab.
