# Chapter 54
It had been a while since his mind was tight with tension at the thought of entering an unknown gate alone with an Esper. After reaching a relatively safe place and the situation unwinding, he found himself laughing at things that weren’t particularly funny.
“Heh…”
When Ko Eungyo laughed, Lee Seungwoo seemed to take it as permission and gently pressed his lips against his again. At the same time, Ko Eungyo recalled what Lee Seungwoo had said… that he seemed to have changed like a different person.
Indeed, anyone would be able to tell that Ko Eungyo had changed. Most people would simply assume his personality had changed and move on.
Lee Seungwoo didn’t seem much different from ordinary people. But Ko Eungyo had the impression that even if Lee Seungwoo discovered that Ko Eungyo was actually Jang Iju, he wouldn’t care much. If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t abruptly cut off their conversation like this and act spoiled as if he didn’t want to continue the discussion.
There was no particular relationship between him and Lee Seungwoo. They had never connected emotionally, and the circumstances that brought them together were simply because Lee Seungwoo had capriciously jumped into this relationship. He knew exactly why Lee Seungwoo had changed his mind.
Because of Guiding.
He knew that the irrational attachment an Esper with insufficient Guiding feels toward their Guide would disappear once the Guiding was fulfilled, so this was truly just a temporary whim.
Ko Eungyo realized that what he felt for Lee Seungwoo was strangely indescribable.
Yes… it was truly strange.
This emotion, whether it was tolerance or sympathy, he couldn’t tell. The softening of his heart and the inexplicable desire to be kind to this man who was much younger than himself. It was too stirring to simply attribute it to the virtue of being a Guide.
He was fully aware of how strange this situation was, but… there was definitely some magic inside the gate. Something that mysteriously bound people together.
One thing was clear: he wanted to accept the lips that kept pressing against his.
“Ah, wait.”
The moment he parted his lips following his desire, sand entered his mouth along with a tongue. Ko Eungyo grimaced and tried to push Lee Seungwoo away, but instead of backing off, Lee Seungwoo tried to press in deeper.
“Ptui, wait… I’m eating sand. Lee Seungwoo!”
“Yes…”
His response sounded almost dreamlike. Ko Eungyo felt bewildered at the pressure of lips and tongue pulling at him.
They hadn’t even started Guiding yet, so why was Lee Seungwoo clinging to him like this?
It felt like watching a baby sucking on a bottle with no formula in it. He felt somewhat sorry and somewhat annoyed. Yes, Lee Seungwoo had used quite a lot of his abilities since entering the gate.
It wasn’t his fault that he wanted Guiding right now, having steadily used his abilities for survival despite already lacking Guiding, with a compatible Guide right in front of him. It was as natural as wanting to sleep when lying in bed while feeling tired.
Ko Eungyo thought there was no other option and slowly began Guiding. Immediately, he felt Lee Seungwoo flinch noticeably.
He lightly touched Lee Seungwoo’s damp shoulder, not to push him away, but to stroke and pat it reassuringly. To let his Esper understand that this was permission in the true sense—that it was okay to Guide like this if he wanted, given the emergency situation.
Right then, he heard the sound of water parting. Lee Seungwoo couldn’t hold back and came closer to him. Their noses collided as they practically embraced each other. Sometimes their teeth would clash. But rather than wanting to stop kissing, his mind grew hazier.
The kiss deepened. A tongue swam deep into his mouth, stealing the soft flesh under his tongue as if caressing it. When he slightly parted his lips, unable to swallow the sand particles rolling around, Lee Seungwoo’s fingers wiped them away. He felt firm fingers on his tongue. When Lee Seungwoo threw them into the lake water, he realized they weren’t sand but crystal particles.
The problem was that sand was inevitably stuck to their skin. Naturally, it was also on Lee Seungwoo’s fingers.
Ko Eungyo groaned at the bitter taste of the crystal.
“Ugh…”
Of course, Lee Seungwoo paid no mind.
“Ah… Professor.”
He never imagined there would be a day when he’d be kissing with gems in his mouth. He allowed Lee Seungwoo to hold him, rubbing skin against skin—neck, shoulders, arms, and legs—while constantly sighing. Perhaps because of the soft lighting, Lee Seungwoo’s eyes seemed slightly moist.
Sparkling crystal particles stretched and fell between their saliva. Seeing Ko Eungyo neither able to swallow nor spit out the glistening saliva, Lee Seungwoo bit his lips again.
He felt Lee Seungwoo gently sucking his lower lip while caressing his back.
Guiding while sensitive mucous membranes rubbed against each other was indescribably good. Throughout the kiss, jellyfish occasionally tickled his toes as they passed by beneath his feet.
‘This is… a bit dangerous…’
It seemed he was enjoying it too much. Sitting in a place like this… doing kiss Guiding, the act itself felt too good… he couldn’t believe something this pleasurable existed in the world. His cold reason softened like pudding. It felt like he could sit there kissing until dawn.
He contemplated how much he should permit Lee Seungwoo right there.
Even though he had only thought about it, there were times when Lee Seungwoo seemed to understand Ko Eungyo’s intentions. As soon as he had that thought, Lee Seungwoo’s hand rested on Ko Eungyo’s knee. It gently caressed the knee cartilage before brushing upward. Before he knew it, he felt hands fidgeting with his earlobe. Damp hands meticulously wrapped around the back of his neck, which he had washed carefully, pulling him even closer.
Unlike when they first started Guiding, this was a very gentlemanly movement. The memory of being clearly rejected by Ko Eungyo before must have taught these hands manners.
He couldn’t help but laugh in the middle of the kiss.
Then the lips moved elsewhere. Lee Seungwoo slightly engulfed his earlobe, complaining it was too salty. He could feel warm wind drying his hair and body. Simultaneously, there was a cozy, tingling sensation. It was because Lee Seungwoo had bitten his earlobe.
Yes, no matter what, having sex here would be a bit too much.
He smiled while pausing the Guiding, looking at Lee Seungwoo using his abilities, and said:
“See, you shouldn’t have put your mouth on me carelessly after washing with seawater.”
“It tastes salty, and I like it.”
Lee Seungwoo retorted in a grumpy voice. Ko Eungyo couldn’t help but laugh again. He wasn’t usually a person who laughed a lot, but strangely, laughter came easily now.
“I feel like I’ve eaten a stone because of you.”
“…”
“Is that supposed to be a remorseful face?”
Up close, Lee Seungwoo’s face was slightly reddish. Ko Eungyo found it strange and tilted his head slightly, staring intently at Lee Seungwoo.
Was it because he was breathless from kissing? No, an Esper wouldn’t have such limited lung capacity.
But it wasn’t a misconception, as Lee Seungwoo lowered his gaze, avoiding Ko Eungyo’s eyes. He hastily reviewed what he had said earlier to scold Lee Seungwoo.
Is he genuinely sorry towards me?
“Esper Lee Seungwoo?”
“Ah, um… yes.”
Lee Seungwoo covered his face with one hand as if he couldn’t bear it. Not only did he cover it, but he also stepped back from Ko Eungyo.
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
As Ko Eungyo stood up, the lake water rippled. Lee Seungwoo answered no twice more in a small voice, but he still wouldn’t meet Ko Eungyo’s gaze.
*
They judged they had rested enough and decided to leave the turning point before it got any later.
Considering the time they needed to fight in the boss room, staying any longer would have more disadvantages than advantages.
Setting everything else aside, they were extremely thirsty.
There was a lake in the safe area, but it was seawater, not freshwater, and even if it were freshwater, it wasn’t purified, so they couldn’t use it as drinking water. Perhaps because they had washed with seawater, the desire to drink water became even more desperate by the time they were leaving the turning point.
They determined they needed to escape this gate as quickly as possible before their dehydration symptoms worsened.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
