“Uuughhh…”
My entire body ached like hell. It felt like I’d been beaten evenly across every inch of my flesh—like I’d been flattened under a steamroller.
Without even realizing it, I muttered,
“…Ugh. Je-ha… water, please…”
“Je-ha? Who’s that?”
“Who do you think? My one and only partner…”
“Oh ho… So that’s how it is?”
Wait. That voice…that infuriating tone sounded familiar.
Who was that again?
My foggy brain churned a bit before landing on the answer: Shin Tae-boem.
“Aaaack!”
I shot upright in shock. The sight before me was the interior of a single-person hospital room.
But… what surrounded me were the bruised, bandaged, and very pissed-off members of Secreti. Each of them glaring at me with murder in their eyes.
Ra Ho-yeon narrowed his eyes coldly, like the embodiment of winter’s chill.
“We seem to have a lot to talk about.”
He tapped his lips lightly with a finger.
“You stole our first kiss, and I’m very curious to hear what excuse you’ll come up with.”
That was guiding during a state of emergency, you absolute dipshits…
So much for knowing how to separate personal from professional.
Was I expecting too much from these oversized toddlers who were all brawn and no brain?
Even if I was the patient who just woke up, even if I were some random nobody, I was still their teammate—a Guide—and this was how they acted?
I had only one response.
“So what?”
“…What?”
“It’s a shame that a face like yours has never been kissed before, sure. But so what? If we hadn’t used our powers in that moment, there’s a good chance civilians in the area would’ve died or been seriously injured.”
And now, after it’s all over, the only thing they can talk about is my first kiss like a bunch of whiny brats?
How the hell did punks like this end up as Espers?
I was so disgusted it gave me chills.
If I had the strength, I would’ve kicked each and every one of their shins.
I raised my head and glared at the Secreti members gathered around me like vultures in a dome.
“If kissing is enough to stop a dungeon break, I’d do it as many times as needed. Clinging to something meaningless like a first kiss—pathetic.”
What was so sacred about a damn first kiss anyway? Ugh.
“Your ‘first’ doesn’t mean jack. The fact that you’re obsessing over it just makes you look like idiots.”
If these guys had been stationed on the frontlines twenty years ago, they’d all be dead already.
I didn’t even bother to hide how disgusted I was. The look on their faces said it all—confused, humiliated, and furious.
“So you’re saying… you take zero responsibility for what happened?”
“What is there to take responsibility for?”
I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I wasn’t a criminal. Besides, we were teammates. There was nothing inappropriate about it.
But Seo Yoon-chae’s face turned beet red as he shouted,
“We’re idols! There are already gross rumors going around that Espers and Guides probably mess around behind the scenes when no one’s looking!”
“And those rumors aren’t even true.”
I shot back without hesitation, and Seo Yoon-chae snapped his mouth shut.
“…”
Please. These guys would rather make out with an earthworm off the street than ever hook up with me.
“The fact that you’re flipping out over a first kiss just proves it—clearly, nothing’s ever happened between us. We weren’t involved. We’re not even close.”
The fact that I even had to say this out loud—while technically bonded as an Esper-Guide pair—was deeply humiliating.
The only solution for idiots like this is to work them to the bone.
But right now, I didn’t even have the strength or motivation for that.
I slowly swept my eyes over the four Espers standing awkwardly around me and then pointed at the door.
“You’ve got enough energy to come barging in here whining, so why don’t you use it to check yourself out of the hospital. Don’t give me stress. I’m a patient who needs complete rest. Ugh, everything hurts…”
I flopped back into bed and yanked the blanket up to my neck.
“Th-that little—!”
Seo Yoon-chae shook with fury, leaning heavily on his crutches. Looked like he was dying to hurl one at me.
“Hey! Don’t you guys have anything to say to him? That little bastard keeps running his mouth…!”
Seo Yoon-chae huffed and puffed, trying to rally the others into punishing me somehow.
“…Well, I mean… Yeon Yu-jin’s not exactly wrong.”
The one who started the whole commotion—Ra Ho-yeon—calmly stepped back, nodding with a neutral expression.
“…Ra Ho-yeon?”
“If we hadn’t stepped in, there could’ve been mass casualties.”
He pulled out his phone and showed the 8 o’clock news, which was currently broadcasting live.
“Look. It’s about us.”
The anchor on screen was reporting on the day’s dungeon break incident.
***
Today’s headline. Members of the idol group Secreti have made headlines after combining their powers to subdue a sudden dungeon break in the middle of the city.
Around 11 a.m. this morning, at a park in ■■-gu, ▲▲-dong, Seoul… Citizens and reporters were waiting for Ranker Jin Eutteum, who was expected to emerge after his seventh consecutive dungeon conquest.
However, what stepped out of the gate wasn’t Hunter Jin Eutteum.
Citizen 1: “I-It’s a monster!”
Citizen 2: “Please help! Someone!”
As monsters poured out, the park descended into chaos. With no other ability users nearby and the situation escalating by the second, things looked dire.
Then, one young man hurled four others straight toward the monsters.
That young man was Yeon Yu-jin, a member of the idol group Secreti, composed of Espers and a Guide.
Thanks to Yu-jin’s quick thinking and coordination, the other members joined forces and successfully eliminated the monsters. Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties.
Experts have since raised questions, noting that Secreti’s Espers appear to have never received formal combat training, yet displayed A-rank level abilities—prompting calls for immediate re-evaluation.
Head of Seoul Gangnam Guide Center, Mr. XX: “Frankly, I’m shocked that Yeon Yu-jin is a D-rank. His response was on par with professional Hunters. His guiding ability is clearly extraordinary. It’s a waste for someone like him to remain in idol work.”
Civilians who witnessed the event have been posting about it on social media—mostly positive accounts.
***
Ra Ho-yeon then showed me the latest SNS and community posts.
***
@kangnag_kong
Didn’t even know who Yeon Yu-jin was until someone went, “Oh, the guy who tried to off himself?” Then it clicked. But DAMN, he was badass. Did he spend his whole hiatus just bulking up at the gym? The way he was tossing Espers around—my eyes couldn’t believe it.
@52__master2938
Who the hell is Yeon Yu-jin?
@kangnag_kong
Watch the news, go go.
Sweet face, but yeets Espers like javelins.
@Veganisbegun____23
@kangnag_kong Falling for him, huh?
Cute face?
Hidden super strength?
Real-life ability user?
Sounds like your type to me.
@kangnag_kong
Back off, Satan. I already have a bias, thank you very much.
@Veganisbegun____23
Then what’s with you reposting every blurry photo and half-second clip of Yeon Yu-jin like your life depends on it?
@kangnag_kong
I plead the fifth. Destiny made me do it.
***
[Hot Topic] Secreti’s Redemption Arc
They flopped so hard after their first album, everyone thought they were sinking for good. But plot twist of the year?
Thanks to Yeon Yu-jin’s heroics, Secreti just went full-on citizen hero status.
People who didn’t even know the group exists are now full-on stanning after the Yeon Yu-jin Incident.
Some are even saying they should drop the idol act and go full superpower team.
Hello? Their agency better be rowing this boat hard.
Strike while the iron’s hot, people—ditch the flop-idol image already!
Give these boys a taste of capitalism!
- Yeah I watched the video. Wild.
2. Didn’t even know these guys existed before. The vibes? Unreal.
3. Why are they all so damn good-looking? Where have they been hiding??
4. An idol group with legit Espers? Love that for them.
5. Meh. This hype won’t last. Probably just viral noise. Can’t wait for the paid comments to start.
6. LMAO, someone’s salty. Jealous much? That low IQ really jumped out.
