For some reason, his instincts were screaming at him. If Lee Tae-rim ever realized the pheromone scent was coming from him, then there was no way they could keep staying this close.
And Seon Juho couldn’t stand that thought. Absolutely, positively not.
But the scent was only getting stronger—there was no way he could hide it forever. He had to find a way to win Tae-rim over before he found out.
The problem was, to Tae-rim, Seon Juho still looked like a kid. Sure, being seen that way had its perks… but he wanted Tae-rim to see him as a man. Still, he didn’t want to do anything Tae-rim might hate.
Why did it have to be one or the other? Why couldn’t he be both—cute and masculine?
Even so, he couldn’t risk showing Tae-rim his real self.
Seon Juho’s world revolved around Lee Tae-rim. If Tae-rim disappeared, there’d be nothing left. That’s why he didn’t laugh or cry—just like back when he was still a test subject.
Without Tae-rim, everything became dull and meaningless. He didn’t want to do anything. But if he just stayed still, he wouldn’t be able to stay by Tae-rim’s side.
So he trained relentlessly. Hunted monsters without rest. If it weren’t for the reward of Tae-rim’s Guiding, he wouldn’t have lifted a finger.
Tonight, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he fell asleep with Tae-rim in his arms— and that alone made him feel completely at peace.
No matter what those Molt bastards tried to pull, he would protect Tae-rim. This peace— he wouldn’t let anyone take it from him.
***
The anti-government organization Molt had gone strangely quiet. The sweltering summer heat had cooled to a chilly breeze, and ever since they sent out Choi Jiwoon, there hadn’t been a single movement from them.
Which only made the government more nervous.
They issued a public statement claiming the gate that opened in the sky that day was simply a “new gate pattern.” Along with that, they made a grand, theatrical announcement about strengthening the defensive barriers to withstand even S-rank monsters.
Those who didn’t know the truth believed it without question. But Lee Tae-rim, who knew at least part of what was really going on, didn’t believe a word.
Between hunting Molt operatives and enhancing the barriers, the Center had become busier than ever. The defensive barriers were fundamentally modeled after the abilities of Espers who specialized in shields, which meant both the Espers and the research staff were swamped with work.
To help Seon Juho build experience, the First District Center dispatched him to the Fourth District. Monster sightings had been on the rise there, so Seon Juho was sent along with several A-rank and lower Espers.
He clearly didn’t like the idea of taking Tae-rim with him, but in the end, they went together. It was too dangerous for him to be out there without a single Guide who could handle his Guiding. So Tae-rim talked him into it, while Seon Juho pouted and made his dissatisfaction perfectly clear.
He had insisted that it was dangerous for Tae-rim to leave the Center at all. He already didn’t like the idea of visiting First District field sites, let alone being sent to an entirely different district. He tried hard to convince Tae-rim to stay behind.
And although Tae-rim argued back, he agreed with Seon Juho deep down.
If Molt really was after Seon Juho, then they would absolutely target Tae-rim too— the only one who could properly Guide him. Dr. Han had been a spy, which meant Molt was well-informed about Seon Juho’s unique circumstances.
Even so, it was important that Seon Juho gained experience. The First District was too safe—that was the problem.
He was still new to Awakening and absorbing everything like a sponge. If he got too used to a soft, cushioned environment, it could dull his instincts. That was why they decided to send him out. Even if it was just a one-night, two-day assignment, a fresh experience—even a brief one—was worth it.
Unlike his last dispatch to the Third District, this time Tae-rim was the only S-rank Guide accompanying the team. So they didn’t assign him his own quarters—he’d have to wait with the Fourth District’s S-rank Guides.
“Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”
After flying in by helicopter, Tae-rim dropped Seon Juho off in the contaminated zone, then made his way to the S-rank Guiding Room. There were seven S-rank Guides in the Fourth District, so it wasn’t surprising that three were currently on standby.
In the First District, unless something serious happened, only one Guide was typically sent out at a time. Feeling a little awkward, Tae-rim took a seat.
“Hello.”
Because the districts operated independently, there wasn’t much interaction between them. Each district even had its own internal website and bulletin board, making it rare to cross paths at all.
“You must be the Guide for that Esper, right? We heard today’s arrival was the one they’re calling S+ rank.”
When powerful Espers emerged, word always spread fast. Dr. Han had caused such a scene that the First District Director likely bragged to anyone who’d listen. From there, it would’ve trickled up to higher-ups, then back down to everyone below.
“Esper Chae Jeong-ri is really excited. She’s the strongest Esper in our Center, and kind of aggressive by nature. She’s probably already challenged him to see who can bag the most monsters.”
“Oh… Seon Juho probably ignored her. He’s not into that kind of stuff.”
“I heard he’s still pretty young—how old is he?”
“Twenty.”
“Wow… really young. Chae Jeong-ri is thirty-five this year. Still, I bet she pestered him to take the bet anyway. She’s always pulling stunts like doubling training hours for whoever catches the least monsters.”
“Well, that’s not exactly pointless.”
“True. The Espers hate it, though.”
The conversation flowed easily. With so few S-ranks around, everyone seemed to make an effort to get along.
Incidentally, Bae Jieun—who used to actively dislike Tae-rim—was now behaving like Choi Dong-ha. Whenever she saw Tae-rim, she looked visibly uncomfortable.
Before long, Espers started coming in and out for Guiding sessions. There were sixteen S-rank Espers stationed in the Fourth District, and as far as Tae-rim could tell, they were all polite and respectful. Of course, they were standing in front of a Guide, so some of it was probably just good manners.
Sure enough, just like they’d guessed, Chae Jeong-ri had challenged Seon Juho to a bet. He completely ignored her, though, and now she was off competing with herself.
“Is Esper Seon Juho doing okay?”
“Yes. Just as strong as the rumors say. He definitely lives up to the S+ rank.”
Thankfully, Seon Juho was doing well. But Tae-rim still worried a little. What if he started acting clingy here too—pouting, whining, crawling into his arms? He’d finally built up this cool, dignified S+ image… it’d be a shame if he ruined it now.
“Hyung.”
“Welcome back.”
As if sensing Tae-rim’s concern, Seon Juho walked in composed and mature. He didn’t sprint across the room to throw himself into Tae-rim’s arms. He didn’t whine about being tired or try to cuddle up.
Tae-rim glanced at his watch—his danger level was exactly 45%—and began Guiding him.
While doing so, he introduced him to the other Guides. Seon Juho offered polite greetings and responded naturally to their questions.
Tae-rim continued Guiding him, feeling… strange. Not in a bad way. Just—off.
He suddenly had the urge to tell everyone in the room: “This kid is putting on such an act right now.”
“Things must be really peaceful in the First District. I actually applied there once, but eventually gave up. You’re lucky, Guide Lee.”
Tae-rim remembered how he’d once longed to transfer to the Third or Fourth District. He could only offer a strained smile now.
“Does Esper Seon Juho have any plans to transfer? He’s young and S+ ranked—he’d gain a lot of experience in the Third or Fourth District. A lot of Espers come here specifically for that.”
“Only if Tae-rim hyung transfers too.”
“Oh wow, that’ll be tough. S-rank Guides rarely get transferred.”
“Are you two… dating?”
“No.”
Tae-rim immediately regretted how fast he’d answered. And maybe he’d answered too sharply, too. The way Seon Juho’s eyebrows drooped—it was clear he’d noticed.
Tae-rim quickly smiled to cover it up.
“No, we’re just… like brothers, that’s all.”
“You’re blushing, Guide Lee.”
“Your face is totally red. You must be really flustered.”
Laughter broke out. Tae-rim let out a sigh.
“Hyung…”
He could almost hear Seon Juho’s silent, “That was mean.” But Tae-rim pretended not to notice.
“Anyway… yeah. That’s how it is.”
He fanned his face with his hand, trying to cool the heat.
Now Seon Juho looked properly sulky. The change was so subtle most people wouldn’t even notice, but Tae-rim had spent too much time with him not to catch it.
Guess I’ll be paying for that tonight, he sighed inwardly.
