Hyun Je-ha had witnessed countless times the sight of Ahn Ga-hyun collapsing after pushing himself too hard with guiding.
Watching Yu-jin suffer because of him, he was consumed by guilt.
It’s… It’s because of me…
Je-ha slammed his fist into his own head. Even though it was his own body, he didn’t hold back in the slightest.
Just the fact that he’d caused Ga-hyun harm made him feel like a criminal of the highest order.
Still, that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to heal Yu-jin as soon as possible.
To treat the unconscious Yu-jin, he needed to pour Esper energy into him, providing the reverse guiding that Yu-jin was subconsciously unleashing.
But Je-ha, a man on the run, could only stand there and watch. He was an unofficial fugitive being hunted by the government. He didn’t want to ruin Ga-hyun’s life—his life now as Yeon Yu-jin—by ignoring his wishes.
Just when he was on the verge of sinking into helpless self-loathing, luck struck. Some freeloaders who had wormed their way into Ga-hyun’s spot as an Esper opened the locked door and entered—only to recoil in surprise.
Well, they’re not complete idiots, at least.
Je-ha had considered half-killing anyone who disrespected Ga-hyun, but it turned out to be an unnecessary worry.
They scrambled like their feet were on fire, trying to do something—anything—for Ga-hyun.
It was passable. Not great, but at least they were trying. Still, one guy was especially annoying.
That one… Ra Ho-yeon, was it?
Je-ha had dug into Yu-jin’s background and memorized the names of Secreti’s members.
Ra Ho-yeon had the gall to put on a pitiful expression and grab Ga-hyun’s hand, pressing it to his cheek without permission.
…This bastard?
He was probably just a clueless civilian who didn’t even know what reverse guiding was. Which meant he was doing this purely to flirt.
Jealousy boiled up in Je-ha’s chest.
He wanted to drag that pretty-boy bastard out of the room and snatch Ga-hyun away, whisking him off to a safe hideout. But reality was merciless. All he could do was stand behind the glass and helplessly watch.
He could only watch as Ra Ho-yeon sat there, in the spot Je-ha so desperately wanted to be in—cluelessly pouring energy into Ga-hyun, healing him.
He was envious. Bitter.
That should’ve been my place.
He knew Ga-hyun still considered him his partner. But it had been so long since their bond had been severed, and he missed it. It left a hole in him.
Even though he knew Ga-hyun would recover soon and be fine, Je-ha still felt melancholic.
I really do need to catch that bastard X as soon as possible.
Only then would Ga-hyun be able to return to his side.
He should’ve been rushing off immediately, but his feet felt like they were made of lead.
Just 10 more minutes. No, 5… Maybe just 1…
He lingered, caught in that aching reluctance to leave—and thanks to that stubbornness, he was still there when Yu-jin’s energy had recovered just enough for him to open his eyes.
Thank god.
Relief washed over Je-ha, and his face lit up like a tomato. Because the moment Yu-jin stirred awake, the first word out of his mouth was his name.
“…Je-ha…?”
Ra Ho-yeon, sitting beside Yu-jin and keeping vigil, immediately stiffened at that, but Je-ha was too ecstatic to care. He could’ve broken out into a little happy dance.
He knew Ahn Ga-hyun didn’t harbor any romantic feelings toward him. He knew that. But still… the fact that the first name on his lips was his… it made his heart race with joy.
The anxious restlessness that had made him feel like a stray dog whining for its owner melted away, and peace returned to him.
Ga-hyun’s one and only partner Esper… is me.
Still buzzing with uncontrollable elation, Je-ha returned to the hideout.
For once, he felt like he wouldn’t be haunted by nightmares—but would dream a happy dream instead.
***
The moment he came back, the Baekho Unit members flinched and stepped back.
“…What the hell? Who are you?”
“What kind of nonsense is that, Geum Na-ro? I didn’t know you were dumb enough not to recognize your own Captain’s face.”
Geum Na-ro, their intelligence specialist, greeted him with a hesitant bow once he realized it was Je-ha—but he still looked uneasy.
“…That’s strange. He’s got the sharp tongue that bites harder than a polar vortex, so it has to be the Captain… But why is he smiling…?”
“…I’m smiling?”
Je-ha glanced at the large mirror by the entrance. Sure enough, it reflected the image of a warm-looking young man smiling like it was springtime.
Oops. Guess I couldn’t stop smiling because I’m too damn happy.
Je-ha quickly wiped the grin off his face and returned to his usual icy expression.
“How about now?”
“Yes. Now you really look like our Captain again.”
Geum Na-ro accepted that and returned to his room, but the Guides among the Baekho Unit all stirred the moment they saw Je-ha.
“Captain, you look so much brighter…”
“Hold on. That erratic energy fluctuation you used to have—it’s gone!”
The Espers quickly examined Je-ha, asking one of the partner Guides to check his condition thoroughly.
The result? All clear.
“…Holy crap. His corrosion level dropped by nearly 20.”
Even a seasoned Guide wouldn’t be able to reduce that much corrosion in a single day, and yet…
Operations leader Ha Ri-ra muttered in disbelief.
“…He looked like he was about to explode when he left.”
His complexion had improved too. Come to think of it, no one had seen Je-ha smile once since his partner Guide died… but he had smiled just now.
“Wait, wait—are you saying…?”
Everyone in the Baekho Unit suddenly heard sparkly BGM in their heads. They all sensed it: spring had returned for their Captain.
“Captain… don’t tell me… you’ve finally decided to find a new partner Guide?”
One brave Guide asked the question—only to get smacked on the back by Ha Ri-ra.
“Ah! That hurt!”
“You little—! You know how sensitive the Captain is about that!”
She had once cautiously mentioned the possibility of a new Guide when Je-ha was on the phone, only to get chewed out for it. That was when she understood—he really had no intention of ever taking on another Guide.
So she’d shouted now, hoping to save this poor Guide from the same scolding. But Je-ha gave an answer that made them all nearly fall over.
“…Yeah.”
“…What?”
Ha Ri-ra seriously wondered if she had something wrong with her ears and spent five full seconds checking her own hearing.
“…What did you just say, Captain?”
“I said I’m thinking about taking on a new partner Guide.”
“…You… you mean it? For real? Seriously?? No take-backs??”
“…Yeah.”
GASP.
The Baekho Unit’s Guides gasped in unison. The man they’d assumed would die alone in solitary bitterness had finally changed his mind.
“Unbelievable…”
“Who is it?”
“Is it a woman? Or a man?”
“Are they pretty? Or handsome?”
“Whoever this Guide is, they managed to melt the frozen glacier that was our Captain’s heart!”
“Forget that—shouldn’t we be trying to recruit them into Baekho immediately?! If the Captain likes them this much, we have to get them on our side!”
“What if they’re a civilian?!”
“Doesn’t matter! Convince them! The Captain’s happiness comes first! Whoever the Guide is, they’ll understand once we explain everything!”
The members chirped like a flock of excited schoolchildren pestering a teacher to spill the tea on their first love.
Je-ha smiled and spoke up.
“I don’t plan to bring them in. Not yet.”
“W-why not?!”
“Because they already have partner Espers.”
“……”
The hideout, which had just moments ago been bubbling with excitement, fell silent like the bottom of the ocean.
He’d said partner Espers—plural.
That meant the Guide who had performed an emergency guiding session on Je-ha wasn’t just partnered with someone else—they had multiple partners. It was utterly, utterly devastating.
Ha Ri-ra nervously clacked her teeth together before she managed to ask,
“Um… Captain… If I may—does this Guide… feel the same way about you?”
“…Probably.”
Probably—a terribly ominous word. By now, every member of Baekho was giving Je-ha a look of pity.
Oh no. The Captain’s in another one-sided love again…
Wait, wasn’t his first partner Guide a mutual thing?
Nope. He died right before the Captain could confess. It was a long one-sided crush, and losing him before even saying anything completely wrecked him…
That’s tragic…
And now this one… The Guide probably just helped out because they couldn’t ignore our Captain wasting away. That’s what I’m worried about.
Times had changed. The way ability users chose their partners had evolved.
When dungeon gates and ability users first emerged, people had to follow government assignments—partnering up based on compatibility alone. But now?
Now it was all about time, trust, and forming deep bonds. That was the standard.
And once someone found the right partner, they didn’t change easily—unless that partner cheated or died.
So if this Guide already had multiple Espers… it meant they were living a happy, fulfilling life with those they’d chosen.
And now the Captain’s fallen for someone already taken…
Sighs echoed all around as the Baekho Unit fell into a pit of spiraling misunderstandings.
And in the midst of this gloom, only Je-ha was floating in a bubble of blissful delusion.
Hmm… Visiting every three days might be too suspicious. Would Ga-hyun hate that? But I get so anxious if I don’t see him for too long…
He wanted to check in every single day, if he could. But what stood in his way wasn’t just the government’s surveillance net.
[Ga-hyun♥]
[Sorry, I’m in special training for a while, so I don’t think I can see you.]
