The only thing that seemed to get Kwon Hae-beom moving was tracking down the bastards who’d left Choi Jiwoon in that state. Judging by the fact that he was still personally handling the investigation, that much was clear.
Tae-rim felt bad for Seon Juho, but in moments like this, he honestly hoped Juho’s Incomplete Imprint would resolve soon. Even just getting rid of that 10% drop in Matching Rate would ease some of the anxiety. To be honest, having to manage two S-rank Espers on his own was nerve-wracking. If he couldn’t handle even one of them properly, someone’s life could be at risk. That kind of situation was the last thing he ever wanted.
“Noona, you really love sweets, but you don’t seem to gain weight at all. Is it just your metabolism?”
Yoon Ye-rin definitely had a sweet tooth. When she brought home ice cream, she insisted on buying a pint per person, one for each of them. Thanks to that habit, Lee Jae-hwa kept grumbling that he was putting on belly fat and had started working out because of it. Ye-rin let out a short laugh as she replied.
“Metabolism? Please. I only eat like this when I’m at the Center. It’s all for show. At home, I basically starve. Just plain water for breakfast and dinner. And lunch? I eat about half of what everyone else does. It’s only desserts that I let myself go on.”
“Wow…”
Still, even if it was just desserts, those were usually packed with calories. How did she not gain weight?
“For me, giving up snacks is worse than giving up actual meals. And hey, sugar’s a critical energy source for Guides. You know that, right?”
She wasn’t wrong. Even people who didn’t usually crave sweets would start reaching for them after an intense Guiding session. One or two Espers wasn’t a problem, but guide any more than that, and sugar cravings hit hard. For Guides, sugar was essential.
“So maybe that’s why you never see any obese Guides.”
He’d seen a few slightly chubby ones, but never anyone outright overweight at the Center. Even Lee Jae-hwa, who kept complaining about his stomach, was still slim.
“What are you talking about! Everyone just pretends like they’re not watching their weight, but we’re all managing ourselves. You think we don’t exist? Please.”
“Huh?”
“Look at the Espers. Who the hell wants to be the fat one trying to Guide a flock of peacocks? We’re all out here flapping like crazy under the surface just to look like graceful swans. Me included.”
“I see…”
“You’re one of those types who just doesn’t gain weight, huh? Most people who like staying active aren’t fat.”
“Hmm… Now that I think about it, I guess I don’t gain much considering how much I eat. Not as much as Juho, though.”
“Man, the way Espers eat? I can’t get over it. They stack their trays like mountains—how the hell do they not get fat?!”
“I think it’s all burned off when they use their powers. Juho’s like that too.”
“Then Guides should burn it off while Guiding, right?! Why is it just our sugar getting sucked dry…”
“It’s not fair.” Yoon Ye-rin muttered, shoveling another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Said this was exactly why she couldn’t quit sweets.
After Ye-rin left, Choi Dong-ha came in for Guiding. Things had gotten even more awkward between them. Dong-ha had probably heard by now that Choi Jiwoon had been a spy. No wonder the air between them was tense.
Tae-rim, feeling the awkwardness too, found himself wishing Dong-ha would just go to another Guide. There were a few A-rank Guides with solid Matching Rates—so why keep coming to him?
Then again… if Jiwoon had been a Manufactured Guide, what happened after the Imprint? The question suddenly crossed his mind. Did the two of them live happily ever after like in the novel? Or did it turn into some tragic soap opera?
If he had to bet… unfortunately, it was probably the latter.
Tae-rim had seen Jiwoon’s records too. In the beginning, Jiwoon had been Guiding just fine. But after about a year, he started taking medication. The names of the drugs had been redacted, but the different blank spaces showed the type changed multiple times over the years.
Maybe Molt had changed his meds. But if Jiwoon had requested the change himself, that probably meant the Guiding had stopped going well.
He remembered the day Jiwoon had almost been kidnapped. Jiwoon had collapsed, devastated that he couldn’t guide Kwon Hae-beom. He’d probably stopped taking the medication, thinking he wouldn’t need it while under disciplinary suspension.
Back then, they chalked it up to stress. But during that time, Jiwoon had only emitted energy on par with a C-rank. And when he reappeared and got tested at the Center, he’d tested at B-rank again. Looking back, maybe he really had always been C-rank.
An Imprint was supposed to mean two people truly loved each other. But Jiwoon couldn’t guide Kwon Hae-beom at all without medication. They say Imprinting makes Guiding stronger—but for a Guide who couldn’t function at all without pharmaceutical help, who knew what that bond had really meant.
Maybe some miracle had happened. But Tae-rim didn’t think that was realistic. To him, Jiwoon had just been selfish.
And yet… even now, Kwon Hae-beom still loved him. That was incredible. If it had been Tae-rim, he doubted he could ever forgive Jiwoon. Not even if the feelings had been sincere.
Knock knock knock. The door creaked open slightly. It was Seon Juho.
“Hyung, time to go home.”
Did he think flashing that smile and peeking in like that made him look cute? Ugh. Truth was, it did. People around him said Seon Juho was handsome but not exactly cute. But to Tae-rim—who was clearly seeing through rose-colored glasses—Juho looked nothing but adorable.
Tae-rim clocked out with his cute Seon Juho in tow. He really needed to help the guy move toward independence… but every time Juho looked at him with teary eyes and mumbled that he didn’t want to be alone, his heart softened all over again.
And right now, Tae-rim wasn’t even sure he could let him go.
Not after he’d come to understand just how warm it felt to have Seon Juho by his side.
And that… made everything all the more complicated.
Lee Tae-rim was known for being firm and decisive—so much so that people occasionally called him cold. But that firmness always seemed to melt away whenever he was with Seon Juho. Even now, looking up at Juho, who had grown so much taller before he realized it, Tae-rim still found him nothing but adorable. It felt like his rose-tinted glasses had only gotten thicker.
After dinner, while watching a drama, Tae-rim suddenly caught a sweet scent lingering faintly in the air. At first, he chalked it up to personal preference—maybe it was that fruity shampoo Juho liked to use. Probably just the shampoo… he thought. But for some reason, the sweetness kept making him think of an Alpha.
Tae-rim glanced sideways at Juho, who was leaning against his shoulder, nose tucked against the side of his neck.
No way…
He gently cupped Juho’s head in both hands and brought it closer, sniffing his hair.
“Hyung?”
The scent in his hair was sweet—similar to what he’d just noticed in the air.
“H-Hyung?!”
As Tae-rim lowered Juho’s head further, bringing his face close to the back of Juho’s neck, Juho reached out, flustered, to stop him.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re always sniffing me. Why can’t I?”
“It’s not that you can’t, it’s just…”
Tae-rim gently tugged down on Juho’s shoulder and, like Juho always did to him, buried his nose in the nape of his neck and inhaled deeply.
…
There was definitely a sweet scent—but whether it was pheromones or shampoo, he couldn’t tell. It was too faint to be pheromones, but oddly persistent for just a shampoo.
“That tickles, hyung.”
Tae-rim finally let go. Juho’s face was beet red. Tae-rim burst into laughter and ran both hands through Juho’s hair, ruffling it messily. Juho stayed still, letting him do it, though even his neck was flushed with color now.
“You little punk. You’re always clinging to me, so what are you getting all shy about?”
“I-I didn’t know it would tickle that much…”
“Oh. I’m not really ticklish, so.”
Juho, who had his head down, slowly lifted it. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Then… can I stay close to you like this?”
“What, asking now of all times?”
“Waaah~” Juho grinned as he wrapped his arms around Tae-rim, then—just like always—pressed his nose against the back of Tae-rim’s neck and breathed in.
“I got scared. Thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to smell you anymore.”
His sigh of relief tickled against Tae-rim’s skin, but unlike Juho, it wasn’t enough to make him blush.
He pretended not to notice—but honestly, he knew exactly what kind of thoughts were running through Juho’s head. He might act like a kid, but he’d gone through all the usual Esper education. No doubt he had his fair share of wicked little thoughts. And wanting to be closer to someone you love—that was just instinct.
That’s why Tae-rim was so conflicted. He didn’t know how to deal with Juho’s openly displayed emotions.
Juho might act childishly, but physically, he was already twenty. So craving physical intimacy was a natural part of it. Thankfully, aside from sniffing, he hadn’t done anything else—yet. But you never knew when he might cross a line again. Like last time… licking the back of his neck. He’d let it slide with a scolding then, but he couldn’t keep brushing it off forever.
The real issue was himself. He needed to make a decision—clearly, firmly—whether to accept Juho or not. But the second tears welled up in Juho’s eyes, his resolve crumbled. And yet, it wasn’t like he suddenly saw Juho as a man, either. It was maddeningly complicated.
While Tae-rim wrestled with all these thoughts, Seon Juho’s heart was pounding.
At first, he’d been able to hide his pheromones completely. But as time went on, the scent kept getting stronger, harder to mask. So, to cover it up, he’d picked a shampoo that closely resembled his pheromone scent.
Somehow, it seemed to have worked this time.
Thank god.
