Alone on the rooftop, Kim Yong-ha let his outstretched hand fall limply to his side as he called out for Hwang Seol-bin.
“Haa…”
So damn frustrating.
And it was all because of Kang Biso. If that bastard didn’t exist, Seol-bin’s eyes, his touch—everything would’ve belonged to him.
But reality had other plans. All he got from Hwang Seol-bin was a cold, disgusted glare filled with contempt.
If only Kang Biso weren’t in the picture…
Kim Yong-ha clenched his fists, biting down on his lip until it nearly bled. Just thinking about Kang Biso made something hot and violent boil inside him, like lava bubbling to the surface.
And the regret—God, it was unbearable.
If Kim Hyun-joong and Kang Biso hadn’t barged in, he could’ve undressed Seol-bin, claimed him, made him his.
He remembered the flushed look on Hwang Seol-bin’s face, colored red with desire.
“I’m not giving up. I’ll take him back. No matter what.”
Next time, he wouldn’t let him slip away so easily. He’d hide him somewhere no one could find, keep him all to himself. And then he’d explore every inch of him—body and soul.
Eventually, once enough time passed, Seol-bin would forget everyone else and belong to him alone.
The mere thought made his lips curl into a smile.
But to do that…
Things couldn’t stay as they were.
If he wanted to have Seol-bin completely under his control, he needed a better plan—more thorough, more airtight. A way to be alone with him without anyone interfering. Even Kang Biso wouldn’t be able to find them.
This time… I won’t fail.
Fueled by a burning resolve, Kim Yong-ha turned and left the rooftop.
***
Not long after, Kim Yong-ha heard that someone was looking for him and made his way to the Team Leader’s Office.
When he entered, Esper Kang Hak-gwan was already seated on the sofa, waiting for him.
What now? I already gave my full statement about what happened.
Feigning calm, he sat across from Kang Hak-gwan and asked casually,
“What did you call me in for this time?”
“There are a few more things we need to clarify regarding the incident.”
“…Clarify?”
The sharp gaze aimed directly at him made him instinctively wary, but he tilted his head with feigned innocence. Kang Hak-gwan studied him silently before dropping the first question.
“I heard Guide Hwang Seol-bin was being held against his will before the kidnapping. Did you know anything about that?”
…Fuck.
He didn’t think they’d go straight for the throat. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?
His mind scrambled for an answer. He couldn’t exactly say, I was so obsessed with him I locked him up.
“…No. That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“So you’re saying you had no idea Guide Hwang Seol-bin was being restrained before he was kidnapped?”
“…Right. I didn’t know anything.”
Kim Yong-ha shook his head with an expression of polite confusion. Kang Hak-gwan ran a hand across the scar on his face, then let out a low scoff.
“That’s not what Guide Hwang Seol-bin told us.”
…So this asshole already knows everything. He’s testing me.
Kang Hak-gwan had clearly already spoken to Seol-bin—he knew. He was just toying with him now.
Realizing he’d been played, Kim Yong-ha stiffened, a flicker of irritation flashing in his eyes.
“Esper Kim Hyun-joong also said it was all your doing. Still going to pretend you don’t know anything?”
At that, Kim Yong-ha’s expression twisted.
So that bastard went and ratted him out.
He was all too eager to lead the charge back when they were calling Seol-bin a fake, but now he was throwing him under the bus?
Kim Hyun-joong had always rubbed him the wrong way, but this? This was a full-on backstab.
Figures. The guy probably thought he could pin all the blame on him and walk away clean.
…But so what?
Kang Hak-gwan was trying to pressure a confession out of him because he didn’t have any real proof.
Yeah, that had to be it. Two testimonies weren’t enough to convict anyone.
Kim Yong-ha lifted his chin with an almost amused defiance.
“I told you. I don’t know anything about that.”
Kang Hak-gwan’s expression turned stone-cold, but Kim Yong-ha didn’t care. This kind of pressure wouldn’t last forever. All he had to do was get through this—then it’d all be over.
“Kim Hyun-joong said something about him before, but I didn’t really care, so I forgot what it was. I haven’t seen him around much lately, either…”
The nerves must’ve gotten to him because his words started to tumble out without filter.
Worried he might’ve slipped up, he glanced at Kang Hak-gwan—only to find the man staring back at him, unreadable.
But he didn’t look away. He met that stare head-on.
Kang Hak-gwan seemed like he wanted to tear right into him, but eventually, he looked away and said, slowly,
“Well… if that’s what you’re saying, we’ll let it slide this time.”
“This time…?”
Kim Yong-ha blinked in confusion, but the moment he asked, Kang Hak-gwan’s gaze snapped back to him. That sharp, cold stare hit like a blade, sending a chill crawling down his spine. Then, in a low, measured voice that sounded almost like a warning, Kang Hak-gwan said:
“You should be grateful you’re an S-Rank Guide.”
The implication was crystal clear—if he wasn’t S-Rank, they’d have torn him apart by now.
Cold sweat broke out across Kim Yong-ha’s back.
“I was just—”
“Watch yourself. We can’t afford more problems. The only reason we’re letting this go is because you’re an S-Rank Guide.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he gave a slight nod toward the door.
“That’s all I have to say. You’re dismissed.”
Kim Yong-ha shot him a glare before storming out, slamming the door behind him.
Even though he’d spent the entire meeting on edge, trying to hold himself together, the anger boiling in his chest was impossible to contain.
Watch myself? What a fucking joke.
If it were up to him, he would’ve already dragged Hwang Seol-bin back—tied up and hidden somewhere no one could find. He was barely holding back as it was.
And what the hell was that about “letting it go because he’s S-Rank”?
In the end, it was the Espers who needed Guiding. They were the ones who should be bending over backward to please him. Who the hell did they think they were?
Tch. Whatever. Let them talk all they want.
None of it mattered. No matter what they said, he wasn’t giving up on Hwang Seol-bin.
Not now. Not ever.
***
Fuck, fuck, fuck… fuck!
Kim Hyun-joong cursed silently as the memory replayed in his head.
He’d been knocked out before he even had a chance to react to the intruder. By the time he woke up, everything had already gone to hell.
In the middle of the chaos, when he couldn’t find Kim Yong-ha anywhere, he assumed something had happened to him.
Instead, he was told Hwang Seol-bin had been kidnapped.
That fake? Why the hell would anyone take him?
Still reeling, he was dragged in front of some Esper named Kang Hak-gwan and bombarded with questions.
He’d been used by Kim Yong-ha, humiliated by an enemy Esper—and now this? His nerves were already fried, but being interrogated like a criminal made it so much worse.
And maybe… maybe that’s why the thought crossed his mind:
Wouldn’t it just be easier to blame it all on Kim Yong-ha?
After all, he was the one who lured Seol-bin to that place. He was the one who first brought up locking him up.
If he claimed he was only following orders—just doing his job as a bodyguard—then maybe he could walk away clean.
So he said it. Told them it was all Kim Yong-ha. That it was his fault Seol-bin had been taken.
But instead of taking him seriously, they laughed in his face.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha asked you to lock him up? Come on. Even your lies are half-assed.”
The mocking tone made his blood boil.
“I’m not lying! He begged me for help, and now Seol-bin’s gone—what more proof do you need?!”
“And how exactly do you know he caused the kidnapping?”
“Because—”
But the moment the question was out, he froze. He had no answer. Nothing concrete, anyway.
“I see. So everything you said was a lie.”
“No! It was him! I’m telling you, it’s all true!”
“Then why did you help him? Even if he asked, you could’ve refused. You could’ve reported it.”
“……”
“Tsk.”
That disdainful click of Kang Hak-gwan’s tongue lit a fire in his chest.
Being manipulated by that self-absorbed S-Rank Guide had already pushed him to his limit—and now he was being laughed at on top of it?
But the worst part? He had no comeback. Because Kang Hak-gwan was right.
“All you did was lie there like dead weight.”
“That’s not—!”
“We can’t leave an incompetent Esper on an S-Rank Guide’s security team. As of today, you’re off Kim Yong-ha’s protection detail.”
“What?! You can’t do that!”
All the effort he’d poured into staying on Kim Yong-ha’s good side—completely tossed aside.
His pride, his position—it was all taken from him in a heartbeat.
Furious, he jumped to his feet.
“Why the hell am I getting punished?!”
“You endangered your charge and failed to do your job. That seems more than enough reason, don’t you think?”
With that final blow, he was dragged out of the room.
And just before they shut the door, they warned him not to speak a word of this to anyone.
So in the end, they gagged him and kicked him to the curb.
“Goddamn it… if it weren’t for Kim Yong-ha…”
Kim Hyun-joong clenched his fists so tightly they turned pale.
If he hadn’t let himself get used like a pawn, none of this would’ve happened.
He was still stewing in regret when—
“…Esper Kim Hyun-joong?”
A voice called out.
He turned, and there stood Yoon Yi-hyeon, his face filled with concern.
The sight alone was enough to make Kim Hyun-joong frown.
“…What do you want?”
“It’s nothing, really. You just looked… upset. Did something happen?”
Here he was again—acting all friendly, just like last time. Which only made it more suspicious.
What’s his angle? Why does he keep approaching me like this?
Suspicion filled his eyes as he looked Yoon Yi-hyeon up and down. The other man seemed flustered by the intense stare.
“It’s not like I have an agenda. I just thought… you seemed angry. I figured maybe you needed to talk.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Yeah, fair enough. Still… I heard someone mention Guide Kim Yong-ha’s name. Figured maybe it had something to do with him.”
Yoon Yi-hyeon sighed, folding his arms.
“I don’t like him either. He acts like he’s above everyone—Guiding however he pleases, even though he’s never been properly trained. And now they’re assigning bodyguards to him, too? Seriously?”
“……”
He shook his head in frustration.
“I can’t stand how he treats people. Like he’s the only one that matters just because he’s S-Rank.”
This time, Kim Hyun-joong actually agreed.
No matter how many times he tried to strike up a conversation, Kim Yong-ha would just brush him off. Never offered Guiding, never gave him the time of day. He only used him when it was convenient.
“If he’s been getting on your nerves, maybe this is a good time to let it out. You don’t exactly have people around to vent to, right?”
Yoon Yi-hyeon gave him a sly smile, voice warm and persuasive.
And just for a second, Kim Hyun-joong’s defenses started to waver.
Maybe he did need someone to talk to.
It’s just a conversation, he told himself. It’s not like he’s asking me to do anything weird like Kim Yong-ha did.
Fueled by his lingering resentment, Kim Hyun-joong looked at Yoon Yi-hyeon and slowly nodded.
“…Alright.”
