The next morning, Chi-yu showed up at breakfast with his lips so swollen they looked like they’d burst.
Those who had come out early to eat froze the moment they saw him. Chi-yu prayed with all his heart that no one would say a word as he slid into an empty seat and lifted the lid of his lunchbox.
Last night, Hyun Tae-oh had been an absolute demon when it came to kissing.
Chi-yu had been so consumed by the practiced, relentless kisses that he couldn’t even remember how they’d ended up on the bed. Every shaky breath he let out was immediately swallowed up by Tae-oh’s mouth.
Tae-oh had kept his firm line—no Stage 3 Guiding—but he had satisfied his craving in another way, through endless kisses.
Trying not to think about the obsession of last night, Chi-yu forced himself to eat.
“Your lips…”
Just then, Beom Do-il, who had no sense of tact whatsoever, started to comment. But Lee Jun-hyung kicked his leg under the table, shutting him up.
With chopsticks still hanging from his lips, Do-il turned and glared at Jun-hyung.
“Eat.”
Jun-hyung said it quietly, and Do-il bobbed his head like a scolded child before quickly stuffing rice into his mouth.
Chi-yu shot him a glance, then moved his swollen lips and started eating properly. The others followed, silent, focusing on their meals.
Meanwhile, Chi-yu’s personal camera director zoomed in, capturing every detail of his battered lips.
Moments later, Hyun Tae-oh, who never ate breakfast, came down the stairs scratching his stomach under his T-shirt. His hair was tousled as if he’d just woken up, but his face was still unfairly perfect.
Only—his lips were swollen too. Not as bad as Chi-yu’s, but slightly reddened, plumper than usual. Lips that told exactly how long the two had been pressed against each other last night.
“You’re not eating breakfast?”
Jun-hyung asked as Tae-oh grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Yeah.”
The easy response made Min Yu-hyun and Do-il stare wide-eyed.
Normally, Tae-oh ignored anyone who tried to talk to him. For him to answer Jun-hyung without hesitation was shocking.
Do-il’s gaze darted between the two, unease stirring into delusions.
Maybe Tae-oh had partnered with Jun-hyung and grown fond of his personality. Maybe he liked his clean, straightforward Guiding. Or maybe he was simply drawn to Jun-hyung’s pretty, handsome face.
The thought of Tae-oh stealing Jun-hyung left Do-il’s chest tight.
“But, hyung, what’s with your lips? Don’t tell me you and Kang Chi-yu’s comrade were trading punches to the mouth?”
That anxiety twisted into warped jealousy, spilling out as pointless provocation.
At his words, the camera crew jumped to capture close-ups of both Chi-yu’s and Tae-oh’s lips. Jun-hyung kicked Do-il’s leg again. Chi-yu gave Do-il a look that said, What the hell are you spouting?
Even Tae-oh frowned mid-drink, baring his teeth in irritation.
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“I mean… both your lips are swollen.”
“Shut the fuck up and quit staring at Kang Chi-yu’s mouth before I gouge your eyes out.”
Do-il’s face twisted.
“Ha. There he goes again, throwing a fit. I can’t even look with my own eyes?”
“What? A fit?”
“I mean, I’m grateful you pulled strings to get me cast, hyung, but in a free country, how can you tell me what I can and can’t look at—”
“Cut the hyung crap. I’m not your hyung.”
“You get me on the show, you’re my hyung.”
“Stop talking shit. Call me something else.”
“Fine, fine. Then let’s just say we’re friends.”
“Friends? Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell would I be your friend?”
“Then comrades.”
“Comrades, my ass. We’re not even in the same division, don’t even work in the same zone.”
“Ah, fuck, then what do I call you?! Just Tae-oh, huh?!”
“You little shit, you wanna die? Don’t call me anything.”
“How the hell am I supposed to live without calling you something?!”
Do-il shouted in disbelief, but Tae-oh ignored him, crushed his empty bottle, and tossed it perfectly into the trash.
Then he pulled out the chair beside Chi-yu and sat down as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Chi-yu looked at him, and Tae-oh glanced between his face and his lunchbox before opening his mouth wide.
“Ah.”
Chi-yu stared, bewildered, as Tae-oh leaned closer, mouth opening even wider.
“Ahhh—”
“What the hell…”
“Just one bite.”
“Eat your own.”
“You know I don’t eat breakfast.”
“Then why ask?”
“Watching you eat makes me wanna try.”
“……”
“Ah—”
Do-il muttered bitterly as he shoveled food into his mouth.
“There’s nothing more annoying than someone asking for a bite while you’re eating…”
Already convinced Tae-oh might actually be interested in Jun-hyung, Do-il’s jealousy twisted everything further.
When Tae-oh cut him a cold glance, Chi-yu quickly scooped up rice and shoved it into his mouth before he could snap again.
Then he picked up a rolled omelet and held it for Tae-oh to bite.
“Wanna eat some breakfast?”
Tae-oh took a bite, and Chi-yu put the rest in his own mouth.
It had been an unconscious gesture, but Tae-oh’s lips stretched into a long grin.
“Nah. Breakfast messes with my stomach.”
“You’ll regret it when you’re older. Breakfast is important.”
Chi-yu started to nag, and Tae-oh leaned on the table, watching him with a look that said he found him unbearably cute.
Min Yu-hyun looked at the two of them, dumbfounded.
What the hell are they doing in front of cameras?
It felt like they thought this survival reality program was some cheesy dating show like You and My Flirt.
Hyun Tae-oh behaving like this was bizarre enough, but the thought that this footage might actually air made Yu-hyun uneasy.
If it did, people would definitely start gossiping that Hyun Tae-oh and Kang Chi-yu were together. And if that happened, his own chances of becoming Tae-oh’s Pair for A Pair is Born 2 would shrink.
Among so many viewers, there were always some with unusual preferences. What if they became Chi-yu fans instead of his? That kind of flirting would only hurt him.
Yu-hyun sighed, already deciding to ask the Production Director to cut the breakfast scene altogether.
The whole situation was stifling. The more he thought about being stuck here with these people, the more frustrated he became.
At Central Bureau, followers practically tripped over themselves for him, yet here he was, surrounded by nothing but the wrong kind. Unbelievable.
This couldn’t continue.
There was no way Min Yu-hyun could afford to get zero votes in the Pair selection.
Chewing, he resolved that no matter what, he’d push forward with Hyun Tae-oh.
And Yoon Do-jae felt the same. He too wanted to end up as Chi-yu’s Pair.
But watching Chi-yu and Tae-oh feed each other and chat left his expression stiff. He raised a glass of water to hide behind, pretending to drink while staring at Chi-yu’s swollen lips as he scolded Tae-oh.
Those plump lips only made his already cute face cuter. And knowing they were swollen from kissing made them seem almost… sexy.
Do-jae tried desperately to empty his mind of the image of Chi-yu doing saliva-contact Guiding with Tae-oh the night before.
But the harder he tried, the clearer his imagination became: Chi-yu’s face, eyes closed, accepting the kiss. His mouth went dry.
It wasn’t jealousy, exactly.
Emergency saliva-contact Guiding was written into every Guide’s manual. He’d received it himself more than once.
The more meaning you gave it, the more it undermined Guiding itself. It wasn’t supposed to involve emotions.
But humans weren’t machines. You couldn’t erase your feelings every time. It was impossible to come away unaffected.
Do-jae himself had felt it before: that awkward, slightly embarrassed, yet oddly warm feeling whenever he ran into a Guide he’d shared saliva-contact Guiding with. A contradictory, confusing emotion.
That was why such Guiding was usually left to official Pairs or Imprint-bonded partners: to prevent emotions from spiraling out of control.
Involuntary saliva-contact Guiding might be uncomfortable, but it was work, and it had never caused him problems afterward.
But seeing Chi-yu do it so naturally with Tae-oh—it was clear how much of his heart he’d already given him. And that left Do-jae heavy with unease.
That unease turned into desire.
He wanted it too. He wanted to share saliva-contact Guiding with Kang Chi-yu.
It wasn’t just that Chi-yu’s Guiding had suited him perfectly from the start. He wanted to carve out a bigger place in his heart.
If even a sliver of feeling could be born from saliva-contact Guiding, then it would be the perfect chance.
He didn’t want to make things hard for Chi-yu. But he couldn’t just stand by and watch Tae-oh take him, either. Even if it troubled Chi-yu, he had to move forward.
So the moment they teleported into their assigned zone, Yoon Do-jae spoke.
“May I receive Stage 2 as well?”
Chi-yu turned to him in shock. He could feel Do-jae’s strong grip on his wrist from the teleport, his hand still holding on tightly, as if nervous.
“Stage 2…?”
Could he mean saliva-contact Guiding?
Chi-yu didn’t dare say it aloud, worried he might be misreading. What if Do-jae had only meant handholding or a hug, and he blurted out saliva-contact Guiding on his own? The embarrassment would be unbearable.
And with cameras rolling, every word had to be careful.
But before he could finish, Do-jae spoke words that made his eyes go wide.
“I’d like to receive saliva-contact Guiding.”
