Good-looking people really are dangerous. On his way to work, clutching his still-pounding heart, Ho-eun muttered to himself.
“Even I’m like this…”
Now that the nickname “Shifok” was fading away and the Civil Complaints Division staff clearly liked Do In-ho, Ho-eun figured it wouldn’t take long before other Guides started liking him too. If that happened, dating would be a breeze.
Maybe it was hearing that word—Imprint—yesterday that had left his mind in such turmoil. Of course, he wasn’t delusional enough to think about imprinting with Do In-ho, not when they were in such unequal positions. Still, Ho-eun was a Guide. There was a chance he might imprint with someone else.
“If that happened… it’d be an office romance. Is that even possible around here?”
The only couple that came to mind were Leo and Choi Yoo-bin. Aside from them, he hadn’t seen any Esper-Guide couples. Maybe the Incheon Branch just didn’t have many workplace relationships. Or maybe imprinting in general was that rare—he wasn’t sure.
Whatever the reason, he knew one thing for sure: he had to stop entertaining those kinds of feelings for a twenty-year-old kid who knew nothing. Even if the kid had said “Take responsibility for me forever.” It was like a five-year-old saying, “I’m gonna marry Mommy.”
Arriving thirty minutes earlier than usual, unlike the day before, Ho-eun used the extra time to finish the checklist he hadn’t completed back at the dorm.
“You’re here early.”
“Good morning!”
Ho-eun answered with a voice full of pep. His booming tone made Bae Yeon-woo wince and cover his ears as he quickly retreated to his seat.
“Kwon Ho-eun.”
At 9 o’clock sharp, Bae Yeon-woo called him over. Feeling a bit less nervous than yesterday, Ho-eun grabbed his notepad and pen and headed to Bae Yeon-woo’s desk.
“This is your full-time employment contract. It’s mostly procedural, but look over the terms and sign it before handing it back to me.”
“Got it.”
Ho-eun took the contract and returned to his seat, running his fingers over the stiff paper. It wasn’t all that different from the agreement he’d signed upon joining. A few additional clauses, but the core message was the same: As part of the Guide Corporation, you are to cooperate with Espers affiliated with the Esper Corporation.
“Cooperate, huh…”
Picking up his pen, he signed his name on the signature line. His second contract didn’t bring out any emotions. Maybe when his salary increased, it would feel different.
“Assistant Manager, here you go.”
Having signed it without hesitation, Ho-eun handed the document over. Bae Yeon-woo, looking bored as usual, took it and, like a trade-off, handed him a thick stack of papers.
“What’s this?”
“Your transition notes. It’s written simple enough for an elementary schooler to understand, so get it in your head.”
“Understood.”
With slumped shoulders, Ho-eun dropped the papers on his desk and let out a deep sigh.
“There’s so much… I don’t wanna work.”
He knew this wasn’t the kind of job you could quit easily, but that didn’t stop today from feeling like the kind of day he desperately wanted to resign.
The thick handover document included detailed instructions on how to use the company’s internal programs and website, from submitting leave requests to ordering necessary supplies. Ho-eun went through the features one by one, trying them out as he read.
Thinking back to high school, all he’d needed was a “Teacher, can you do this for me?” Now that he was an adult and an employee, it was nothing but endless paperwork.
Bzzzt
His eyes already aching from staring at documents and his monitor, Ho-eun saw his phone screen light up with a vibrating message alert.
[Hello, this is the Executive Secretary under the Chairman of the Guide Corporation. I’m contacting you regarding the promotional shoot for the Guide medical exam…]
“…Ah.”
As he read the preview, his face went ghost-white. He’d completely forgotten about the filming he’d agreed to with the Chairman of the Guide Corporation. Which meant… he’d have to show his face again.
“I don’t like it when people recognize you, hyung. It feels like they’re taking you away from me.”
Do In-ho’s voice echoed in his ears. With a groan, Ho-eun slammed his forehead against the desk.
This was bad. He had just barely managed to soothe In-ho yesterday, and now a filmed medical exam? There was no escaping it—Kwon Ho-eun’s face was going to be broadcast again.
He didn’t even want to imagine how In-ho would react. And this time, he hadn’t even given him a heads-up. He might actually get mad for real.
“You already made me put up with that YouTube video. And now this? I’m disappointed. I can’t work with a liar like you anymore!”
In his imagination, a furious Do In-ho turned away and walked off into the distance. No! It wasn’t on purpose! He wanted to yell, but his imagined self couldn’t reach him.
There was wisdom in old sayings. It really was better to get hit early and get it over with. If only he’d told him the same day he got the offer, things might not have come to this.
No—even just saying something yesterday would’ve helped…
But regret changed nothing. Ho-eun shook himself out of it and opened the message.
[Hello. This is the Executive Secretary under the Chairman of the Guide Corporation. I’m contacting you regarding the promotional shoot for the Guide medical exam. The shoot is scheduled for X month X day. Please review the attached concept and script. Feel free to reply if you have questions.]
“Script?”
Downloading the file, he saw a short script along with the shoot concept and styling guide. The lines weren’t long, so there was no need to memorize them in advance—but it was more formal than expected.
“Slacking off during work hours?”
“Eek—Assistant Manager!”
Startled by the voice from over the partition, Ho-eun looked up to see Bae Yeon-woo peeking over—not scolding, just curious.
“Assistant Manager… I think I need some counseling.”
“Nope.”
“It is PR-related!”
Ho-eun stared up at him with wide, pleading eyes. It would take a monster to reject that face. With a sigh, Bae Yeon-woo dragged a chair over and sat down next to him, clearly annoyed but resigned.
“This is part of that PR video follow-up. Chairman Baek Woo-gyeong proposed the Guide medical check-up shoot.”
“Hopefully it lures in some anti-government rats.”
“Right? If they show up—no, wait. That’s not the point. The thing is, I… I didn’t tell Esper Do In-ho I’m doing this shoot.”
“So?”
“Well, he didn’t want me to show my face in the last video either. But somehow my identity got revealed…”
“……”
“And if he finds out about this one—well, if I tell him I’ve already agreed to shoot—who knows how he’ll react…”
“…What are you?”
With a sly grin, Bae Yeon-woo wiggled his pinky.
“Are you two dating? Is that why you’re worried about upsetting your boyfriend?”
“Huh? No! It’s not like that!”
“Then what’s the problem? This is work. If the company tells you to do it, you do it. You’re not even dating—why do you feel the need to tell him everything?”
“B-because we’re partners. Communication’s important!”
“Kid, more than that partner stuff, maybe you should’ve told your team’s assistant manager about this first?”
“…Oh.”
Caught off guard, Ho-eun bowed his head.
“I’m sorry.”
He hadn’t just failed to tell Do In-ho—he hadn’t told any of the team. He’d been with Hosoo at the time and probably hadn’t thought of it as something that needed to be reported to the others.
“Hey, by the way… Assistant Manager, you and Team Lead Nam Yeon-woo… are you two…”
“Wanna die?”
“I haven’t even said anything yet!”
“You were about to ask if we’re dating.”
“Well… yeah.”
“We’re not. Not like dating between Guides and Espers is impossible, but…”
Bae Yeon-woo shook his head, unimpressed. A dozen people flashed through his mind.
“Realistically, it’s smarter not to. Other companies, you break up and you can just resign. Here? Best-case scenario, you get reassigned to a different team.”
“Right… if you break up…”
“Exactly. So stop having stupid thoughts. First thing’s first—get your family registered for protective services.”
“Protective services?”
“People are already speculating whether you’re the same guy as that YouTuber HOKET. If your face goes public, you’re admitting that you’re Kwon Ho-eun. The anti-government freaks aren’t stupid—they’ll do background checks.”
In short: if information about his family leaked, they could be in danger. It was the first time he’d ever seriously worried about his family since joining. Understanding the implications, Ho-eun shot up from his seat.
“Wait… Is the field that dangerous?”
“What the hell did you think field work was?”
With a grim look, Bae Yeon-woo yanked Ho-eun’s necktie and dragged him out of the office. It was hard to believe this was the same man who’d just been chatting moments ago.
Afraid he’d get strangled if he lagged behind, Ho-eun hurried to match his pace.
***
At the very back of the Incheon Branch park was a path that led into a forest. From the overgrown trees at the entrance to the eerie atmosphere that crept in immediately, it gave off a vibe that made even drunk people steer clear.
As his feet grew heavy with reluctance, Ho-eun wanted to stop right there—but faced with Bae Yeon-woo’s stiff profile, he followed him into the woods in silence.
The trees were ancient—tall, thick, with dense leaves that blocked out most of the sunlight. Though the breeze felt cool and refreshing, Ho-eun’s initial sense of dread faded a little as he took in the earthy scent around him.
“….”
They walked for a while. Eventually, the tight pull on his necktie went slack. Ho-eun, turning his gaze forward, froze in place at the sight of the open clearing.
“This is…”
A sprawling field, filled with so many tombstones it was impossible to count them all.
“These are the graves of Guides who died in the field.”
“…!”
Stopping for a moment as if remembering someone, Bae Yeon-woo stepped toward one of the markers in the middle.
“This one’s my mentor’s.”
“…I see.”
“More died than you’d expect, right? Unlike Espers with freakishly strong bodies, Guides are just ordinary humans. It’s easy for us to die.”
Bae Yeon-woo held a cigarette between his lips but didn’t light it—instead, he chewed on the filter.
“Since Guides are so rare, the company does everything it can to protect us. But in the field, death can come at any time. If you’re here for the money and wouldn’t regret dying, that’s one thing. But…”
He stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket.
“Does your precious sense of purpose include dying—and having your family die—with you?”
The question stabbed into Ho-eun’s heart like a knife. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but the words jumbled like puzzle pieces in his head.
Sacrifice…
He’d been prepared to sacrifice himself the moment he saved Do In-ho from Overload. But not once—not once—had he thought about his family or those around him dying for it.
“You’ve been living in some fantasy world, haven’t you?”
“….”
The biting words couldn’t be denied. Holding in a shaky breath, Ho-eun looked around. A breeze passed through. Had he imagined that empty, lonely feeling?
“…Where do I apply for family protection?”
That was the only sentence Ho-eun could manage. There was no way he could come up with anything to counter the wound left by Bae Yeon-woo’s words.
