# Chapter 36
Jeongyun’s eyes wavered as the truth hit home. It wasn’t like this at first. He had been happy just being able to stay by Domin’s side, but the problem was that his desires had grown.
For a very brief moment, it was true that he had coveted the complete position at Domin’s side. He wanted to have a deeper relationship and therefore was unnecessarily wary of Saeon, who had a scandal with Domin.
But when had Domin known about these feelings that Jeongyun himself had only recently become aware of? He thought he had hidden them well, but in fact, everything had been exposed.
‘…This is humiliating.’
Jeongyun raised his arm to cover his bright red face.
Not only had Domin discovered the wicked feelings that Jeongyun himself didn’t want to admit, but he had also been told they were a burden. If there were a mousehole, he would want to crawl into it.
“Do you have something to say?”
Domin asked. But Jeongyun couldn’t give any answer.
Yes, if he had thoughts, he wouldn’t be able to speak easily. Domin smirked and flicked his finger against Jeongyun’s bright red forehead. This once again proved that he was completely the superior party. A satisfying result.
“Then I’ll assume you understood what I said.”
Domin waved his hand lightly and tried to leave the Guiding room. But before he could take even a single step, he was caught by Jeongyun.
Did he still have something to say? Domin turned back to Jeongyun with eyes full of boredom.
“Then… what if I don’t want it?”
Expecting an apology, Domin was surprised when a completely different question came from Jeongyun’s lips. Raising one eyebrow crookedly, Domin asked in a sharp voice:
“What do you mean, don’t want what?”
“All of it. I just need to be Esper Choi Domin’s dedicated Guide.”
“…You can be satisfied with just that?”
Though it wasn’t true, Jeongyun nodded firmly. He had no choice. Since his feelings were just a burden to Domin, the only way to stay by his side was to hide his emotions.
Although they were currently dedicated partners because of the one-sided imprint, Jeongyun knew better than anyone that even this was just due to Domin’s whim.
That meant when Domin got tired of him, this relationship would end too. It would be difficult then, but he planned to let Domin go, thinking of it as a happy dream.
The expectation that he could stay by Domin’s side forever… except for a very brief moment, he had never had such hopes. From the beginning, Domin was a person who didn’t match well with him.
“Hmm…”
But Domin doubted Jeongyun’s answer from the start. Until just a moment ago, he had looked like the world was collapsing, but now he said he didn’t want anything.
For some reason, this sudden change in Jeongyun’s attitude, like flipping the palm of one’s hand, irritated Domin strangely.
“Yeo Jeongyun, didn’t you want to have a deeper relationship with me?”
“I never wanted such—”
Before his words were finished, Domin approached with long strides and kissed Jeongyun’s cheek. Jeongyun’s eyes wavered without resistance at the lips that lightly touched and then left.
“Like this.”
Domin’s hand slid down and tickled Jeongyun’s palm. As he looked down at the warmth penetrating between his fingers, he saw that their two hands were interlocked without any gap.
“Or like this.”
Bending deeply at the waist, Domin breathed hot breath into Jeongyun’s ear. His shoulders flinched, and his fingers and toes curled up.
Domin ran his fingertips down Jeongyun’s tense waist and whispered in a low voice.
“I like you, Yeo Jeongyun.”
Even knowing it was a lie, Jeongyun’s heart began to beat wildly at those words from Domin. Even the expression he had barely maintained crumbled completely.
Having instantly seen through Jeongyun’s lie, Domin smirked and moved away. The body heat that had touched him vanished like a mirage in an instant.
“You want to have a relationship where we can say things like that.”
“…No, I don’t.”
Jeongyun barely held back his lips that wanted to follow his heart and gave the predetermined answer. After placing a hand on his pounding chest, he took a deep breath and faced Domin.
“I’m fine.”
Well, since he said he was fine even after all that, that must be how it was. Having lost interest in the boring response, Domin didn’t ask anything more.
“But please keep one thing for me.”
Just when he thought it was over, there was more. With renewed interest, Domin crossed his arms and waited for Jeongyun to speak.
Unlike his boldness earlier, Jeongyun, who had become timid, spoke in a small voice.
“I’d like you to keep your distance from Guide Ju Saeon.”
“Why?”
Jeongyun opened his eyes wide, seemingly surprised that Domin would ask a question in return. The reason was obvious, of course, but Domin deliberately asked to see Jeongyun’s flustered reaction.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like there’s any effect when I touch other Guides besides Yeo Jeongyun anyway.”
Domin finished the conversation on behalf of Jeongyun, who foolishly couldn’t say anything. Only then did Jeongyun breathe a sigh of relief and relax his face, which had been stiff with tension.
“Anything else? Nothing more?”
“As I told you on the phone, please control the intensity of Guiding so it doesn’t strain my body.”
Seizing the opportunity, Jeongyun answered eagerly. From Domin’s perspective, the repeated requests to control the Guiding intensity weren’t particularly welcome.
After going so far as to create a separate secret contract to obtain Guiding decision rights, being told to control the intensity was like being told not to use the privilege he had gone to such lengths to acquire.
“For example?”
“When deep contact isn’t necessary, I’d like Choi Domin to exercise restraint on your own.”
“I can’t give you a definite answer, but I’ll try.”
Since he wasn’t saying to stop completely, it was a range Domin could somewhat accept. Of course, he didn’t know how much he would keep to it.
That’s why he deliberately gave an ambiguous answer. If necessary, he could just say he hadn’t given a definite answer on the issue.
“And lastly—”
It seems it wasn’t over yet.
This was why one should never give even a single opening. Standing crookedly, Domin listened to Jeongyun’s continuing words with the thought of at least hearing him out first.
“Please respect me as your dedicated partner.”
Domin’s brows furrowed at the word “respect.”
In the relationship between Domin and Jeongyun, there was a clear superior and subordinate. Wasn’t it written in the contract? Party A, Choi Domin. Party B, Yeo Jeongyun.
Despite knowing this, to talk about respect was like asking to overturn what was written in the contract. Though he was speaking in roundabout ways, in the end, Jeongyun wanted to be in an equal position with Domin.
‘Look at this.’
He had thought Jeongyun was just naive, but he was quite clever in how he thought. If he had thrown a tantrum or threatened like Ju Saeon, Domin wouldn’t have even considered listening, but as the conversation flowed, they had already arrived at this point.
Of course, even if they had come this far unknowingly, Domin had no intention of giving in easily. The established relationship of superior and subordinate must never change.
“As long as Yeo Jeongyun doesn’t cross the line, I have no reason not to respect you while our dedicated contract continues.”
Domin particularly emphasized “as long as you don’t cross the line.” In other words, as long as Jeongyun didn’t ignore their clearly defined relationship, Domin would be kind to him.
Fortunately, the perceptive Jeongyun seemed to immediately understand what Domin meant. This was what he liked. Unlike with Ju Saeon, communication was possible with Jeongyun.
“Is that all now?”
Though he had no desire to listen further, he asked to confirm.
Jeongyun looked somewhat disappointed, but soon closed his parted lips and nodded. A perfect conclusion.
“Then, since we seem to be done, instead of standing there blankly, would you come here?”
Domin beckoned as he sat on a chair he had pulled over with his telekinesis. As Jeongyun approached hesitantly, a firm arm wrapped around his waist.
When he came to his senses, Jeongyun found himself sitting on Domin’s thigh. Holding the struggling Jeongyun’s arms, Domin whispered:
“Close your eyes and open your mouth. I’m going to kiss you.”
Jeongyun did as Domin instructed, squeezing his eyes shut and slightly parting his lips. He thought he heard a small laugh from beyond the darkness, but as their lips met, his mind went blank.
Unlike before, it was a gentle kiss, like melting candy. He softly pressed their overlapping lips, playfully bit the lower lip, and then his tongue slipped in between the opened gap.
Domin held Jeongyun’s hands, which were awkwardly positioned not knowing where to be placed, and interlocked their fingers more deeply. Just as their different body temperatures were gradually becoming one, the sweet kiss came to an end.
“Let’s end here for today.”
In place of Jeongyun, who was in a daze, Domin announced the end of the Guiding.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
