It wasn’t until I demolished two whole pizzas—one bulgogi with sweet potato mousse and cheese crust, the other a potato pizza—that I finally felt full.
Yes. This is it. That greasy goodness! The explosive combo of carbs and fat!
“So good!”
The calorie rush was so satisfying, it felt like my depleted guiding energy was finally recharging—absolutely blissful.
Out of courtesy, I offered the Secreti members some, but every single one refused flat-out.
“You’re eating so earnestly, it’d feel like a crime to take any from you.”
“Go on, eat. All of it.”
“If you want more, just say so.”
“Please, eat as much as you like. We already had dinner, so we’re full.”
Well, if you insist. More for me.
Sniff… it’s just too good.
As I devoured the food, the members stuck to my arms like glue, which helped my energy refill nicely. Soon, I could move around without much trouble.
Now that my stomach was full and my physical condition was stabilized, I figured it was time for a heart-to-heart.
I sat down on the living room sofa, ready to talk things out. But the moment I sat, the chickling Espers all dropped to their knees on the floor.
“…What are you doing?”
I didn’t tell them to kneel. But the chicklings all bowed their heads on their own.
“We’re sorry.”
“Really sorry.”
“R-really. I mean it.”
“I apologize, Yu-jin hyung.”
Ra Ho-yeon, Shin Tae-boem, Seo Yoon-chae, and Cha Si-yoon apologized to me one after the other.
If this had happened back when I was starving and drained of guiding energy, I might’ve stormed out without a second thought. But now? With a full belly and cozy warmth? I was feeling pretty generous. I was ready to hear them out.
“Sorry for what, exactly?”
If all they had were empty apologies, I wouldn’t let it slide.
Even though I arrogantly crossed my legs on the couch, none of them said a word about my attitude. They just kept glancing up at me cautiously.
It was satisfying to see them reflect properly for once. The one who had been the most aggressive toward me—Ra Ho-yeon—spoke first.
“I’m sorry for assuming you were just a burden to the team without any real proof.”
“Hmm?”
Go on. Keep it coming.
“And… not just that. I’m sorry for all the times I was indifferent or ignored you. I’m sorry for the cold and rude way I treated you when you woke up in the infirmary.”
“……”
“I was careless. As the leader, I should’ve looked after you better, since you’re one of us. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I wanted to at least apologize. I really am sorry.”
A faint tremble in Ra Ho-yeon’s shoulders stirred the surrounding energy into a wave of emotion.
It’s not a lie.
Ra Ho-yeon truly felt remorse. For me—for Yeon Yu-jin. That alone told me his apology was sincere.
And then…
“M-me too. I’m sorry. I used my concern as an excuse to try and control you. And… I always looked down on you, made snap judgments, treated you unfairly. I’m really sorry.”
Even Seo Yoon-chae.
“For all the harsh words. For ignoring you. You’re a teammate who’s faced danger with us, and I still didn’t trust you. I just stood by again. I was wrong.”
Shin Tae-boem, too.
“Hyung, I’m sure you had your own struggles. But I never even tried to understand them. I hated you, judged you unfairly… I’m really sorry.”
Even Cha Si-yoon.
Each of them took responsibility for their actions and laid out their faults clearly as they apologized.
But the one who really deserved these apologies… is already dead and gone.
I thought I’d feel good getting an apology from the ones who used to look down on me. But I didn’t. The taste in my mouth turned bitter.
What would the real Yeon Yu-jin have felt, hearing these words?
Still, seeing them kneel and beg for forgiveness wasn’t so bad. If they were total scumbags with no remorse, I would’ve stormed out of here and run back to Je-ha already.
Pfft. Good thing I’m a saint.
They were just immature kids—not beyond redemption—so I decided to call off the escape plan.
…Putting the contract penalties aside.
I downed the rest of my soda with a satisfying gulp and set the can down on the table.
“You can get up now.”
“……!”
At my words, the bratty Espers’ faces brightened.
Seo Yoon-chae, ever clueless, lit up with those soft green eyes.
“Y-you’re forgiving us?”
“Nope.”
I shut that down fast and clean. Seo Yoon-chae instantly crumpled like a wadded-up newspaper.
“Then why…?”
“It doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you 100%. Just halfway.”
“Then…!”
“Whether I fully forgive you or not depends on how you act from here on out.”
I wasn’t actually Yeon Yu-jin. The truth was, their earnestness had softened me almost completely. But just in case this kind of thing happened again, I figured I should keep a safety lock in place.
…What if they start hating me again?
But contrary to that worry, the Secreti members looked visibly relieved.
“Got it.”
“That’s fair enough.”
“We’ll make up for what we didn’t do before. We’ll try.”
“I’ll be someone hyung can trust and rely on from now on.”
Ra Ho-yeon, Seo Yoon-chae, Shin Tae-boem, and Cha Si-yoon all looked at me with bright, sincere eyes.
Eyes filled with affection. I’d seen that look thousands of times—from Je-ha.
Still… it’s wild to see those looks aimed at me from them.
My nape tickled for no reason, like I’d been bitten by a mosquito or something. I cleared my throat and gave a little warning to the chickling Espers.
“Ahem. Alright. I’ll be watching, so take good care of me from now on. We may not be Hunters, but Espers should still treat their Guide well. Got it?”
Seo Yoon-chae hesitantly raised a hand.
“…Can I ask something?”
“Permission granted. What is it?”
“As an Esper, what does it mean to treat your Guide well?”
You really need to ask that…?
Still, I’d had experience teaching people with zero knowledge of abilities back in the front lines. So I answered calmly.
“It’s not that complicated. Espers and Guides are still just people, same as anyone else. When you’re paired, you just need to respect each other, care for one another, be kind and warm. Trust each other enough to have each other’s backs.”
Truth is, that’s what Je-ha told me when I first got dropped into the front lines.
Back when I was horrified at the idea of guiding through physical contact, he’d said that to me.
“Some people, even some Espers, tend to look down on Guides because they can only transfer energy through touch. But touch is just a method. It’s not like Guides want that kind of contact. If you don’t want things to get physical, then you need to build up mutual affection. Compatibility is heavily influenced by the emotions between a Guide and an Esper.”
Seo Yoon-chae nodded thoughtfully, then said,
“So it’s like… more than friends, but not quite lovers?”
“…Basically, yeah. A lot of Esper-Guide pairs do end up dating.”
“Lovers, huh…”
Seo Yoon-chae’s eyes narrowed, then curved into a wide arc.
“Then if we, as Espers, give you affection and trust… will you return it in equal measure?”
“I guess…?”
I didn’t think they’d actually do much, so I just said it offhand. But Seo Yoon-chae’s eyes sparkled.
“Alright. Got it.”
What… was that? Why’s he smiling at me like that?
The creepiest part was that the other members smiled the same way, then turned around and whispered among themselves.
“There’s a chance…”
“Not entirely out of the question…”
“Could happen…”
“Hey. Why are you whispering without me?”
I grabbed Ra Ho-yeon and turned him around, but he quickly shook his head like it was nothing.
“No, no! We weren’t excluding you. Really.”
“Then what was that?”
“Just saying we’re counting on you from now on.”
Ra Ho-yeon reached out and held out his hand.
“As a fellow team member, I’ll be someone you can trust.”
“…Sure, whatever.”
At least they were growing, mentally. I silently upgraded my internal assessment of Secreti: from chicklings to fledglings.
“Me too. Let’s get along from now on.”
“Then starting today, you’re reporting to the company practice room. No exceptions.”
“…Huh? What?”
“Gotta strike while the iron’s hot. We’ve decided to move up our comeback schedule as much as possible.”
Ra Ho-yeon gripped my hand tightly.
“Think of that pizza as your last supper. From now on, it’s chicken breast and salad on repeat…”
Goddammit. I should’ve run when I had the chance.
***
The dead can never be met again. They can’t be brought back.
Hyun Je-ha had spent the last twenty years haunted by that fact.
And yet, like a miracle, his dead partner—Guide Ahn Ga-hyun—had come back to life.
The shell was different, yes. But Je-ha didn’t care. Just knowing Ahn Ga-hyun was breathing under the same sky as him again made Je-ha feel full, alive. And that’s why he was afraid.
What if Ga-hyun dies again?
No one else knew that Ga-hyun had come back as Yu-jin. Not yet. But who knew what might happen?
That bastard—suspected to be X—the one with the red orb earring, had tested Yu-jin and then fled.
Je-ha was anxious.
So, ignoring Yu-jin’s order to return to the base, Je-ha remained hidden where he had a clear view of the Secreti dorm.
This is for Ga-hyun. If those so-called team members try anything shady, I’ll grab him and bolt.
When it came to Ahn Ga-hyun, Je-ha had a habit of letting his emotions kick reason out the door.
His eyes, fixed on Yu-jin, trembled ever so slightly.
And then…
Yu-jin collapsed.
Because Je-ha had taken all of his guiding energy while faking a pre-rampage state.
