Back when they were called “flopped idols,” Secreti had never received this much attention.
Whether it was favorable or not, none of the Secreti members were about to turn their noses up at it.
Ra Ho-yeon said,
“In the end, it’s all thanks to Yeon Yu-jin. We’re just riding the coattails.”
“Still, trying to Guide someone without permission is…!”
“You seriously think personal rules matter more than saving lives, Yoon-chae?”
“……Hah.”
“Don’t be stupid. Okay? Let’s not bother Yu-jin anymore.”
“Wow, how can you talk to me like that, Hyung?”
“I’m just saying we need to be realistic. Be honest—have we ever gotten this much attention since debut?”
They hadn’t.
I looked us up online and there was barely anything.
Huddled under the blanket, I still caught every word the members whispered a short distance away.
That guy—Jin Eutteum, right? The one who apparently died inside the Gate—they never even found the body.
That alone was big enough to make national headlines. But the fact that Secreti had rescued civilians stole the spotlight, pushing everything else into the background.
Meanwhile, our manager had clearly gotten some kind of call from the agency CEO and was grinning ear to ear.
Understood! You want us to tighten security around the Secreti boys, right? Got it!
Up until now, we’d been living such a peaceful—no, boring—life that we didn’t even have to worry about sasaeng fans.
So what happens now?
They said I’d be staying because of the penalty clause, but to be honest, I wanted to bolt. I didn’t know the first thing about being an idol.
I’ve never danced or sung before in my life…
If this were a novel and I could use the abilities of the body I’d possessed, that’d be one thing.
But the powers I’d been using were my own—those of an SSS-rank Guide, from my previous life. Who knew how that was going to play out?
If I say I can’t perform because I suck at dancing and singing, I’ll probably have to pay that entire penalty myself.
Ugh. What a mess.
I couldn’t exactly ruin the mood for the Espers who were all excited after seeing us all over the media, either.
Whatever. Things’ll work out somehow.
I’d possessed a total stranger’s body and could still use my past life’s abilities. If that wasn’t a miracle, what was? Another one could always happen.
I didn’t want to think about it anymore, so I decided to just sleep it off—until…
“Yeon Yu-jin.”
“…What.”
Shin Tae-boem grabbed my shoulder and spoke with serious weight in his voice.
“First of all… thanks. At the end of the day, it was your decision that got the public to recognize us.”
He seemed uncomfortable being hailed as a hero. A light flush actually crept up Shin Tae-boem’s cheeks.
Honestly, it was kind of gross.
What kind of grown-ass Esper still hasn’t trained to control his powers?
Even in peaceful times, Espers should’ve gone through at least the basics. Raising them like hothouse flowers was never the answer.
Some of us grew up like weeds, stomped into the ground by combat boots and left to die. The world was never fair.
“There’s nothing to thank me for.”
It wasn’t like I did it for them.
“…….”
“You know why I acted so fast in that moment, right?”
The only thing on my mind at the time was saving people.
They say habits die hard. I died in my past life trying to protect people—and now, even in this one, my body just moved on its own.
I hadn’t even had time to weigh my options. I knew it would raise suspicion, but I didn’t have a choice.
Hmm? Come to think of it, why hasn’t Lee Ha-ram asked me anything?
I’d braced myself, sure he’d interrogate me about how I managed to stay so calm under pressure. But…
Lee Ha-ram hadn’t even shown his face in my hospital room.
It was like he’d forgotten all about his surveillance duty—there wasn’t even a hint of him watching me.
What the hell?
Does the government really run things this sloppily?
More than that… Even though a Guide and an Esper kissed—and two guys at that—why hasn’t any reporter jumped on it?
I’d acted fully expecting a media storm.
From what I remembered—and from what I’d looked up—same-sex ability pairings were still taboo in Korea.
So what’s going on?
It almost felt like someone had made sure everything was covered up for me.
Just as my curiosity started boiling over, a loud thud echoed from behind me.
“…What the hell?”
I sat up and turned toward the noise. A massive fruit basket now sat on the table.
Apple mangoes, kiwis, passion fruit, pineapples, apples, bananas, tangerines—overflowing with expensive-looking fruit.
“Did you buy that for me to eat?”
“You think I bought all that to fatten you up? Obviously it’s a get-well-soon gift for you.”
What the hell was with this guy?
We were practically at each other’s throats just the other day.
I stared, eyes wide, and Shin Tae-boem looked away, pretending he didn’t notice.
“Just eat it. I picked only the tasty ones.”
“Thanks, I guess, but…”
Why did it feel so damn awkward?
As I stared suspiciously at the innocent fruit, Cha Si-yoon slid a box of donuts from a famous franchise toward me.
“…What now?”
“Same reason Tae-boem-hyung brought the fruit.”
What was with these guys?
Were they that desperate for public attention?
They’d gone beyond dislike—they’d hated Yeon Yu-jin. And yet… maybe stopping the Dungeon Break really had made waves. In a good way, thankfully.
I looked awkwardly at the gifts piled on the table and turned my head sharply.
“Gifts, really?”
I pointed to Shin Tae-boem’s still-scratched-up shoulder and leg.
“Shouldn’t you be recovering before trying to look after others?”
“I-I’m almost healed, okay?! I’m not some weak-ass D-rank Guide like you!”
Crack.
“Oh yeah? Must be nice being an A-rank.”
A vein popped on my forehead.
Little punk doesn’t even recognize the greatness of his legendary senior…
And I couldn’t exactly tell him I was actually SSS-rank. Ugh.
[Plus, you’ve got me, so your self-healing’s working overtime. You don’t even need to stay in the hospital.]
Potato crawled up onto my head and chimed in again.
Right. I’m the mature one here—I’ll let it go.
Potato had a point. Thanks to my passive self-healing ability, if I just rested and ate well for a day or two, I’d bounce back.
I only feel this lousy because I used Guiding with a D-rank body. If I can just build up muscle like I used to…
But Yeon Yu-jin’s body was so fragile. I wasn’t sure it could develop muscle even if I tried.
Even though I’d been stuffing my face ever since I possessed it, his natural build was skinny to the bone, like he was born to be underweight.
Ugh. This sucks.
Grumbling to myself, I caught Shin Tae-boem staring intently at my face.
“Agh! You scared me!”
“…What are you thinking about so hard? You mad I called you a D-rank Guide?”
“Huh?”
Mad? Me?
“Why would I be? You think I’m some petty little bitch who gets offended over that?”
I protested my innocence, but Shin Tae-boem decided on his own.
“You’re mad.”
“I am not!”
Ugh. My temples were throbbing. It wasn’t the aftermath of the excessive Guiding that was killing me—it was talking to him.
Frustrated to my core, I shoved all the members out of my hospital room.
“Shut up and get out. Unless your goal is to piss me off, scram while I’m being polite.”
“So heartless.”
Ra Ho-yeon joined in the nonsense. I flipped him the bird.
“Get lost. I’m a patient who needs rest.”
“Wow. You really emphasized the word ‘patient,’ didn’t you?”
Seo Yoon-chae didn’t miss the chance to jab at me. I mouthed: “Try me if you want another taste of that reverse guiding.”
“……!”
Seo Yoon-chae instantly flinched and stepped back a few paces.
Yeah. That’s the right amount of distance between us.
Feeling satisfied, I slammed the door shut and flopped back into bed, rolling myself in blankets and sinking deep into thought.
…Was it Je-ha who cleaned up the aftermath?
Ever since I left the vault, I’d felt eyes on me.
Did that mean he’d also seen me use Guiding to stop the Dungeon Break?
Part of me hoped he had. But another part… was worried.
…What if he thinks I’m some weirdo?
If someone with the same ability as Ahn Ga-hyun suddenly appeared just after Ga-hyun was assassinated…
What if the government thinks I’m bait to catch Je-ha and sets a trap?
No. No, that can’t happen.
[If that’s the case, wouldn’t you end up dead at Hyun Je-ha’s hands?]
“Shh! Don’t jinx it! Don’t say that!”
[That’s just superstition.]
“Still!”
Bad vibes, be gone! Shoo! Shoo!
…But seriously, what if he really sees me as an enemy?
Plagued by anxiety, I didn’t fall asleep until dawn.
The dream was the same as always.
Bittersweet but not truly missed—memories of those days on the front lines, slaying monsters alongside Je-ha.
In that memory, I was smiling like an idiot.
