“Boss.”
Leaning against the door, Seon Ak-yul looked visibly pissed. His scowling face contorted even further as he shot a sideways glance at Ho-eun.
“I’ll go first, then pass him over.”
“Oh, right. He still hasn’t recovered, has he? Take him.”
Watching the two of them treat him like some object, Ho-eun was reminded of what Hosoo had once said—that Guides were treated like tools. The fact that he couldn’t even say no in this situation filled him with helpless frustration.
Han Yeoreum stepped aside from where he’d been practically sprawled across the place and let out a long yawn.
“Once you’re done, feed him and bring him to my room. I want to sleep with him.”
“I’ll see how it goes.”
What the hell are they even talking about?
Completely left out of the conversation, Ho-eun rolled his eyes around nervously before carefully getting up from the bed.
He was currently being held captive. Thankfully, he wasn’t restrained, so he could still move around.
Lowering his rolled-up shirt, Ho-eun looked at Seon Ak-yul, who tilted his head as if to say “Come here,” and he obediently pretended to comply.
I’ll watch for my chance and find a way to escape.
Being around Han Yeoreum always seemed to dull his thinking, so he needed to make the most of the time away from him to think clearly.
An old classmate—someone he’d once helped after they were bullied—had become none other than the infamous anti-government boss people now called a menace to society. It felt like a dream. A surreal nightmare.
On top of that, he’d been watching Ho-eun for ten years—without forgetting, without missing a beat. For ten years, he’d been stalked without even realizing it.
“Ha…”
Ho-eun let out a hollow laugh, quiet enough that no one could hear.
He’d been so clueless, replying to BreadBoy’s comments with words of gratitude, not knowing that the user was actually Han Yeoreum. He wanted to go delete every single comment that very second.
As much as Han Yeoreum creeped him out and made his skin crawl, Ho-eun knew this was truly the worst situation he could be in.
It wasn’t just that he’d been kidnapped by the anti-government faction—he was now a Guide being toyed with by Espers.
Seeing Han Yeoreum so brazenly touching another man, smiling like he was in heaven, made Ho-eun question what “Guiding” was even supposed to mean.
What irritated him even more was that, despite not wanting to give any Guiding, Han Yeoreum could effortlessly draw it out with just a touch.
Even though he didn’t want it, he was still helping Tiger. That fact made him feel utterly pathetic.
“You’d better not do anything stupid.”
As Ho-eun approached, Seon Ak-yul’s tone turned menacing. His shadow writhed on the ground, swelling and shrinking like it was alive, echoing his mood.
“Just follow quietly.”
“……”
Seon Ak-yul turned and walked ahead, his back clearly showing signs of wear. It didn’t seem like a lie that his Guiding reserves had run dry in the earlier fight. His self-healing was sluggish.
What happened at the scene?
He had no idea how things ended and the uncertainty gnawed at him.
Did Seon Ak-yul bring all the captured anti-government Espers with him? What happened to the people on their side?
What about Assistant Manager Bae Yeon-woo, who got stabbed in the gut—was he okay? If a healing Esper was nearby, he should be safe… he had to be safe.
And Do In-ho—God, he wasn’t crying somewhere because Ho-eun had disappeared, was he?
His thoughts spiraled, an endless chain he couldn’t stop. Feeling himself sinking into that spiral, Ho-eun looked around in an attempt to shake off the gloom.
The hideout, which felt more like an abandoned factory, had a wide-open central space with an enormous staircase descending through the middle. Instead of being a primary means of movement, the stairs seemed more like a design feature. Elevators were placed at each level, suggesting the staircase was built to give a clear line of sight through the floors.
Ho-eun was currently on the third floor. Looking down, he could see the first floor through an open door—inside looked like a manufacturing room, crowded with people wearing hazmat suits.
They reached the farthest door in the hallway. Seon Ak-yul placed his hand on the doorknob and issued a quiet threat to Ho-eun.
“You’d better just stick to Guiding and not try anything funny.”
That last part was said with a sneer, like he was barely holding back the urge to lash out.
SKREEEEECH
The poorly-oiled metal door let out a chilling screech as it opened. The room inside was dark—no ceiling lights were on.
“Hyung. I brought him.”
Seon Ak-yul shoved Ho-eun’s back, forcing him into the room. He stumbled in, completely unguarded.
Even in a tiger’s den, if you keep your head, you’ll survive.
The old saying ran through Ho-eun’s mind like a mantra.
CLICK
A soft light flickered on—a small lamp placed next to a leather sofa. With it came a clear view of the black couch in the corner.
“You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Ho-eun recoiled at the sight of Choi Seon-yul, half-reclining on the sofa.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
But he barely managed a few steps before Seon Ak-yul blocked his path.
“Assistant Manager Bae Yeon-woo… is he…?”
“Assistant Manager? Oh, you mean the pink-haired guy? Who knows. I didn’t check if he lived or died.”
Hearing Seon Ak-yul speak so coldly about someone’s life made Ho-eun whirl around and grab him by the collar.
“You promised!!! You said if I gave you the key, you’d stop the attack!!!”
“Gah—Damn, how’s a civilian this strong? You saw it too, didn’t you? I stopped the attack and saved Hyung, then ran back to the hideout. I didn’t exactly have time to check if that guy was breathing or not.”
Ho-eun breathed heavily through flared nostrils, trying to swallow his rage. Finally, he let go of the collar.
“You think you’re the only one pissed? I couldn’t even save Shin because of you!!!”
“Enough.”
The shadows that had been writhing on the floor began to take shape, prompting Choi Seon-yul to raise his hand in warning.
“Tch.”
Seon Ak-yul, who had looked ready to throw a punch, backed off begrudgingly. Ho-eun, still fuming, breathed heavily through clenched teeth.
SNAP
A sharp snap echoed in the room. Turning toward the sound, Ho-eun saw a thin streak of light shoot straight at him like a whip—then sharply curve at the last second.
It pierced cleanly through his ankle. The flesh just above his heel bone was shredded to the point the bone was visible.
He collapsed to the floor, staggering in pain.
“Grrgh—!”
Even the slightest breeze felt like needles in the open wound. The pain left his fingers trembling.
“I was gonna slice your face up instead, but… I’ll save that for later.”
Choi Seon-yul spoke in a chilling voice, eyes flicking toward Seon Ak-yul, signaling him to bring Ho-eun over.
“Let me go!!!”
Thrown easily over Seon Ak-yul’s shoulder, Ho-eun pounded on his back in protest. But every move sent a new jolt of agony through his injured leg. He couldn’t even scream properly. His resistance crumbled in under a minute.
Ho-eun was forced to sit on Choi Seon-yul’s lap, pulling his body away as far as he could.
“How about barking like a dog again, huh?”
Seon-yul grabbed his jaw, forcing Ho-eun’s face toward him. His skin felt like it was burning.
“…So this wasn’t your real face, huh.”
It seemed the Ability Product that changed his appearance had worn off after five hours—exposing his true face to someone who hadn’t known his identity.
“You look way better like this. I might keep you like this for a while.”
Seon-yul gripped his jaw even harder. Ho-eun tried to turn his face away, but he was overpowered. His eyes widened as Seon-yul jammed his fingers into his mouth, invading it with brute force.
“Mmgh!!!”
“Ha… Better than any drug.”
As Seon-yul drew Guiding from him, the rage that had made him want to tear Ho-eun apart slowly ebbed away. His real face wasn’t bad either—it fit his taste. Maybe he’d save the destruction for later. With a long sigh, he wrapped Ho-eun in his arms.
“Ak-yul, you should touch him too.”
“You’re hogging him and now you’re telling me to?”
“Ah, right. Let me charge up a bit first, then I’ll pass him over.”
Blood dripped from Ho-eun’s ankle, forming a small pool on the floor.
He stared blankly at it.
So this is what Hosoo and Assistant Manager Bae meant when they talked about how Guides get treated.
He wasn’t seen as a person—just a tool. A device that gives Guiding.
“……”
He wanted to see Do In-ho. Wanted to go back to the PR Department. What the hell was he doing here?
The sensation of Guiding being forcibly pulled from him through skin contact with Choi Seon-yul wasn’t like what he’d felt with Do In-ho.
It wasn’t warm or soothing. It felt like dozens of tiny needles stabbing him—like holes being poked into his body. Like he might actually die from this.
How long had he been stuck in Seon-yul’s arms? Time crawled as if the world had frozen.
When it finally felt like it might be over, Seon Ak-yul came forward.
The wound above his ankle had stopped bleeding. The dried blood showed how much time had passed.
“All the Guiding I’ve gotten before this was trash.”
“Agreed.”
Choi Seon-yul and Seon Ak-yul each made their remarks.
Ho-eun wanted to tell them that hearing that from them meant absolutely nothing—but his lips wouldn’t move.
“……”
Strangely, it felt like more Guiding was being drained than usual. His strength was gone. His eyelids drooped—not from sleepiness, but from total depletion.
I can’t fall asleep here…
He forced his eyes open, but they were so heavy.
“What the—did he just fall asleep?”
“Seriously? Maybe he’s completely lost it.”
Seon-yul’s eyebrows twitched as he watched Ho-eun’s chest rise and fall in slow, steady rhythm.
“Hyung… Aren’t you gonna get chewed out by the boss? He said not to hurt him.”
“I’ll just say he tried to run. Not like I broke his ankle or anything.”
Seon Ak-yul glanced at Ho-eun’s twitching ankle.
“Hmm. Maybe I should make the other one match? Still pissed I couldn’t save Shin because of this brat.”
He gripped Ho-eun’s intact ankle like he might snap it right there.
“If he can’t walk on either leg, we’ll have to carry him all the time.”
“Ah, right. That’s a pain. You’re so smart, Hyung.”
“We’re done. Go put him back.”
Stretching as he got off the sofa, Choi Seon-yul cracked his neck with a satisfied groan. He hadn’t felt this good in ages.
Seon Ak-yul approached the sleeping Ho-eun, leaned in, and bit down hard into the pale skin of his neck. Like his brother before him, he let out a lazy breath and wrapped his arms around Ho-eun’s chest. As more of their bodies touched, a deeper, more potent wave of Guiding surged in.
“God, that rage from earlier is gone now. This guy’s amazing.”
Patting Ho-eun’s cheek, Seon Ak-yul smirked.
“Let’s get along from now on, Guide.”
Kwon Ho-eun, limp like a corpse, could only respond with the faint sound of breath.
