Unlike the Espers on the second floor, the plushie hunt among the Guides on the first floor was lively and good-natured.
Min Yu-hyun had already found two Beom Do-il dolls. Lee Jun-hyung found one Hyun Tae-oh doll, and Kang Chi-yu found a Yoon Do-jae doll.
Jun-hyung, noticing how Chi-yu couldn’t take his eyes off the Tae-oh doll, joked as he asked to hold it.
“This doll looks like it has OCD. I feel burdened just carrying it around.”
“Haha.”
Chi-yu accepted the Hyun Tae-oh doll and fiddled with it, smiling faintly at how perfectly it captured Tae-oh’s sharp, bad-tempered face.
Watching him, Jun-hyung’s lips itched to ask if Tae-oh had confessed yet. But that was going too far. He bit back the question and instead glanced at the Yoon Do-jae doll in Chi-yu’s other hand.
“Oh, that one’s Esper Yoon Do-jae?”
“Yeah.”
Chi-yu nodded and offered the doll.
“Pfft! Damn, it’s uncanny.”
Jun-hyung burst out laughing as soon as he got it.
Yu-hyun’s eyes also flicked toward the doll.
“Anyone can see that’s Central Bureau’s FM.”
“Haha.”
It really was. The doll captured Yoon Do-jae’s quiet, steadfast aura perfectly, while still being handsome. Yu-hyun pursed his lips, nodding as if to say it was just like him. Then he lifted the Beom Do-il doll he was holding up to eye level.
Turning it side to side with his fingers, he couldn’t help but admire how well the details were captured. Mischievous, a little cute, and undeniably good-looking.
Thinking of Do-il’s somewhat dopey but endearing face, Yu-hyun pouted unconsciously.
“Can I see that for a sec?”
Jun-hyung reached out, and Yu-hyun reflexively handed him one of the Do-il dolls.
“Wow, they actually made it really cute.”
Jun-hyung smiled at the doll, and Yu-hyun carefully studied his expression.
Do-il had said his feelings were one-sided, but the look on Jun-hyung’s face suggested that might not be true. And yet, it was ambiguous—affectionate, but with a clear line drawn.
Yu-hyun suddenly grew curious.
“Are you two… dating?”
Jun-hyung didn’t even flinch. Without taking his eyes off the doll, he answered calmly,
“No. We’re just close friends.”
That quiet but firm answer brought to Yu-hyun’s mind the image of Do-il’s flushed face.
Idiot. You should’ve listened to me.
He scolded Do-il silently. If the guy had just gone along with his little jealousy plan, Jun-hyung might have shown his hand. Instead, that fool had flat-out refused with a stubborn glare.
Yu-hyun stared at the Do-il doll, thinking the result of ignoring him would be a lifetime of unrequited love.
Jun-hyung, watching him, felt a wave of discomfort. But he quickly tucked it away and handed the doll back.
If Do-il and Yu-hyun became a Pair, that would be fate. Just like how he’d once chosen Jeong Moo-young, who was now gone. And if Do-il’s destined partner turned out to be Yu-hyun—or anyone else—that too would be fate.
Jun-hyung decided to let Do-il’s heart follow its natural course. What mattered was not making him cling to a love that wouldn’t be returned, nor showing petty resentment at losing a friend.
Forcing a smile, Jun-hyung asked,
“Doesn’t that doll look exactly like Do-il?”
Yu-hyun looked at him and smirked.
“Yeah. Dumb as hell, just like him.”
“Haha.”
“Looks like there aren’t any more inside. Want to head out to the garden?”
Still playing with the Tae-oh doll, Chi-yu asked. The two nodded, following him out.
“Why are there two Beom Do-il dolls but only one of everyone else’s on the first floor?”
“Right? Feels like they’re trying to push Guide Min Yu-hyun.”
Jun-hyung said it lightly, as though joking, but Yu-hyun puffed up proudly.
“Well, that’s how broadcasting works. In the end, A Pair is Born needs me on screen.”
Neither Jun-hyung nor Chi-yu argued. Yu-hyun looked at them and thought it’d be nice if the Espers recognized his greatness the way the Guides did.
About ten minutes later, the Espers spilled out into the garden too.
Chi-yu, still clutching the Tae-oh doll, froze when his eyes met Tae-oh’s. He tightened his grip, but Tae-oh teleported instantly in front of him, giving him no chance to hide it.
“Found mine, huh?”
His gaze fell on the doll in Chi-yu’s hand.
“Ah, I didn’t find it. Jun-hyung did. I was just… looking—”
“Does it look like me?”
Tae-oh jerked his chin toward the doll, lips curling.
Chi-yu dropped his eyes and nodded.
Ever since Tae-oh’s unexpected confession, he couldn’t look him straight in the eye.
The misunderstanding about Tae-oh and Yu-hyun had been cleared, and Chi-yu now knew their feelings were the same. But after hearing Tae-oh declare, “I’ll keep pushing until you cave,” he’d been frozen in place, unable to respond.
If only he’d said then, “No need, I already like you.” Maybe they’d already be together.
But when it came to Tae-oh, nothing ever seemed to go the way he wanted, and it left him endlessly frustrated.
Tae-oh bent down, tilting his head to catch his eyes, and with a mischievous grin asked,
“Hm?”
Their gazes locked, and Chi-yu’s face burned red.
“What?”
He turned away brusquely.
“Does it look like me or not? Why won’t you look at me? You scared ‘cause I said I’d chase you?”
“Wh—hey, we’re filming! Watch your mouth.”
“What’s the big deal?”
Straightening, Tae-oh smirked.
“If it goes public, that’s even better for me.”
“…..!”
“They said there were already rumors after our special, right? That we were dating?”
“T-that’s because you…!”
“Whatever. If we stamp it official now, that works for me.”
“…..”
“But you don’t want that, huh?”
“…..”
“That’s why I’m being careful. Damn considerate of me, don’t you think?”
“…This is you being careful? Running your mouth in front of the cameras?”
“That’s fine. They’ll cut what they want, keep what they want.”
“…..”
“But… the way you’re holding me in your hand right now—it’s driving me crazy.”
Tae-oh licked his lip, staring at the doll.
Startled, Chi-yu snapped, “Hey! Watch it!” Tae-oh only laughed brightly, like a child.
The cameras whirred, capturing it all.
“Chi-yu.”
“…What?”
Chi-yu froze when Tae-oh caught the arm he’d raised to swat him. His eyes dropped to the veins standing out on Tae-oh’s forearm. Yet the grip on his wrist wasn’t painful.
“Can I rub lips with you?”
Chi-yu’s head snapped up. Meeting his eyes sent a shiver racing through his stomach.
“D-don’t be ridiculous. We’re in the middle of a game—”
“Then after the game?”
Tae-oh’s thumb traced his wrist gently, sending sparks through every nerve.
“…I-if it’s Guiding…”
Chi-yu’s eyes followed that thumb, whispering.
“Well, you do need Guiding anyway.”
Tae-oh let him go, but the released skin felt strangely empty, almost aching.
Chi-yu rubbed the spot himself and looked up. Tae-oh swept his eyes over the garden, then bent down again.
“Wait for me. I’ll finish this stupid game fast.”
Chi-yu glanced at Tae-oh’s empty hands and scoffed.
“You didn’t even find a single Jun-hyung doll, did you?”
“Why would I find his? I’m finding yours.”
“…God. You don’t even know the rules. What exactly are you finishing?”
“Rules don’t matter. If I get all of yours, that’s it.”
“Fine. Then you can trade them for whoever has Jun-hyung’s.”
“Are you insane? They’re all mine—ah, fuck. Yoon Do-jae, you found one?”
Tae-oh cursed under his breath, spotting Do-jae holding a Chi-yu doll.
“Forget Yoon Do-jae. Just find me, got it?”
He stroked Chi-yu’s cheek teasingly. Startled, Chi-yu waved him off, shooting him a glare. Tae-oh just laughed.
From a distance, Do-jae’s expression hardened.
He tried to approach, but Tae-oh blocked Chi-yu so completely there was no opening. And with Tae-oh already making him uncomfortable, Do-jae couldn’t bring himself to push in and make it worse.
The only advantage left was that he was still Chi-yu’s official partner.
Turning the doll in his hands, he thought hard about how to make Chi-yu notice him without adding to his discomfort.
***
The game looked like it would end with no winner. How this would look on broadcast was anyone’s guess, but right now it was chaos.
Tae-oh, who’d already found two Chi-yu dolls, was badgering Do-jae for the one he had, while Do-jae insisted he should hand it over instead.
“Bullshit. Why the hell would I give this to you?”
“Because it’s my partner’s doll.”
“Shut the fuck up and cough up yours.”
“You know the rules, don’t you?”
“Fuck the rules. Just give me Chi-yu.”
“It’s mine.”
“Fuck off—why the hell is Chi-yu yours?!”
“‘Cause I found it. Actually, this one’s mine too—you just snatched it.”
“Bullshit. I saw it first.”
“No, I did.”
Neither was backing down.
Meanwhile, Yu-hyun, having collected all three Do-il dolls, was foaming at the mouth watching Do-il happily holding two Jun-hyung dolls instead of his own.
“You can’t be this stupid! At least learn the rules before you start!”
Do-il, as guileless as ever, replied,
“I know the rules.”
“Then why are you finding Hyun Tae-oh’s partner’s doll?!”
“Well… I didn’t feel the need to win.”
“What do you mean there’s no need to win?! If you’re in, of course you should win! Is this how you live your life, Beom Do-il?!”
“……”
“Even if you’re second-tier, you can’t be this lacking in competitive spirit—!”
Yu-hyun dragged a hand through his sleek hair in frustration. Do-il only fiddled with a Jun-hyung doll.
“I have zero intention of losing. So go find me at least two of my dolls.”
“Uh…”
“Now!”
His voice rang sharp across the garden. Even Tae-oh and Do-jae stopped their bickering to look over.
Startled, Do-il dashed back into the house. Yu-hyun sighed deeply at his retreating figure.
A little ways off, Chi-yu and Jun-hyung exchanged awkward glances, then looked at each other.
“If those two Pair up, Do-il’s gonna be completely whipped.”
Jun-hyung’s tone was light, but his expression wasn’t.
Chi-yu caught it and answered softly,
“…Yeah…”
Jun-hyung muttered to himself,
“Idiot. Why would he find my dolls…”
He puffed out his cheeks, pulling out his phone.
Yu-hyun walked over, still irritated, shaking a Do-il doll in one hand.
“Your friend’s kind of hopeless.”
Jun-hyung looked up briefly.
“He’s… bright.”
Yu-hyun chuckled dryly.
“Bright? More like dumb.”
“That’s his charm.”
Jun-hyung lowered his eyes again.
“Another charm like that, and I’d probably drop dead.”
“Still, you won’t find another like him. You’d know if you lived with him.”
Yu-hyun glanced at his phone—Jun-hyung was playing a game. Whenever it came to Do-il, he lost the ability to stay objective, always retreating into his game instead.
Not knowing this, Yu-hyun thought they were oddly alike—eccentric, hard to read.
“Well, his work style is my type at least. Clean. Efficient.”
Jun-hyung’s hand faltered for a moment, then moved again quickly.
Chi-yu, meanwhile, turned toward Tae-oh and Do-jae, still locked in argument over his dolls. He sighed. What a disaster.
He thought back to the staff, who’d been so proud of this game they designed to make season two stand out. He could already imagine the editors’ faces as they tried to salvage this footage.
Just then, Do-il came running back, holding two Yu-hyun dolls in one hand and clutching Jun-hyung’s two dolls protectively in the other.
“Found two!”
Yu-hyun’s lips twitched upward, barely visible.
Jun-hyung caught it, then quickly dropped his eyes back to his phone, stiffening at the rush of emotions. He tapped his game and let out a faint laugh.
“Looks like you won, Guide Min Yu-hyun.”
His eyes never left the screen.
Yu-hyun pouted, unable to hide his satisfaction.
“Here!”
Do-il darted over and shoved the two dolls into Yu-hyun’s hands before scampering over to Jun-hyung like an eager puppy, peering down at his phone.
“Wow, you cleared a lot already?”
Yu-hyun shot him a look of disbelief but quickly plastered on a fake smile for the cameras.
Just as Jun-hyung had said, victory for this game went to Team Min Yu-hyun and Beom Do-il.
