From lemon candies that help with morning sickness (probably Jin Mu-seong’s doing), to luxury brand ganache chocolates and coin-shaped gummies—Eun-jo rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a handful of triangle-shaped chocolates.
“Here. Eat this and think it over again.”
He pressed the chocolate into the hand of the new Guide, who was staring up at him with wide, round eyes.
“Why are you so determined to become a team Guide?”
“Well, I…”
The newbie hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.
“I really need the money. My grandma’s seriously ill.”
“Ah…”
“Team Guides get a lot of bonuses, right? I know it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but honestly… money’s a big deal for me.”
Maybe he realized the mood had taken a nosedive, because he scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
“And if I get as popular as you, Guide-nim, maybe some Espers will pay the hospital bills for me too. Haha.”
He unwrapped two chocolates, popped one into his mouth, then held out the other. Eun-jo accepted it absentmindedly, nibbling the treat as a familiar memory surfaced—the original novel’s storyline.
Right… the main character had a similar backstory. The previous Guide had died, and the protagonist took the position to cover his grandmother’s medical bills. At the time, Eun-jo had thought it was textbook “tragic backstory” stuff. But now that he was living it, it hit differently. It didn’t feel like fiction anymore.
What was the protagonist’s name again?
He remembered laughing because it had been so hilariously on-the-nose. While Eun-jo fished through his memory, the new Guide popped another chocolate into his mouth and smiled.
“Not that I could ever get as popular as you, of course.”
He nodded toward the drawer. Seeing that, Eun-jo felt oddly exposed—like someone had just discovered a secret stash of love letters. He quietly closed the drawer.
“Try something lighter like the Security Team. Or the Special Task Force.”
“Special Task Force?”
“Yeah. Those gigs actually pay pretty well.”
Eun-jo met the young Guide’s eager eyes and added gently,
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Your family… probably wouldn’t want that either.”
“……”
“They wouldn’t want you breaking yourself for their sake.”
The newbie’s eyes shimmered at those tired, heartfelt words. Without warning, he grabbed Eun-jo’s hand.
“You’re the first person who’s ever said that to me…”
“Uh—wait, huh?”
The kid clung to him like an overexcited puppy, and Eun-jo instinctively spread his arms in surrender. It was meant to say back off, but apparently, it was taken as an invitation—because the newbie hugged him tighter.
“Please take my next session too! My name is—!”
The Guiding Room door slammed open.
Jung Tae-seok stormed in, both hands full of something. In a single motion, he yanked the two apart and narrowed his eyes. His gaze landed on the chocolate.
“What the hell? Why are you giving this out?”
“I gave it to him.”
Eun-jo’s response didn’t seem to change much. Tae-seok kept his eyes fixed on the chocolate, clearly not pleased. Sensing the tension, the newbie Guide looked between them nervously.
Finally, Eun-jo gave Tae-seok a slight push on the shoulder.
“I’m still in the middle of the session…”
“What kind of session is this?”
Tae-seok spun toward the newbie, who stood frozen like a deer in headlights. His light brown eyes flared with annoyance.
“I-I said I wanted to be a team Guide b-because I’m broke and…”
He didn’t even finish before Tae-seok’s face twisted into a scowl so vicious it could pass for a loan shark collecting debts. The poor kid looked like he’d seen a ghost. Without missing a beat, Tae-seok jabbed a finger at the door.
“I’ll hook you up with the Security Team. Now get out.”
“W-what?”
“If you don’t leave right now, even that offer’s off the table. Show up at the office this afternoon or don’t bother.”
After finishing what he had to say, Jung Tae-seok roughly tossed the documents on the table and set down the long-shaped bag he’d brought with him.
With a sigh, Eun-jo gave the new Guide a small nod. Only then did the newbie bow at a sharp 90 degrees and quietly leave the Guiding Room.
Tae-seok, meanwhile, was already moving busily around the table. Unlike his usual polished appearance at the Central Center, today he wore a simple brown knit sweater, looking casually relaxed. His hair hung just low enough to brush his eyebrows, and somehow, it paired perfectly with the soft knit.
Whoever he’s dating must be lucky. That face shouldn’t be legal.
Watching him from the corner of his eye, Eun-jo asked,
“You’re seriously going to introduce him?”
“Yeah.”
Tae-seok nodded as he opened a lunchbox he’d placed on the table.
“I’m not the type to say one thing and do another, unlike someone I know.”
The pointed dig hit its mark. Eun-jo’s shoulders drooped, his head bowing slightly like a scolded puppy. Did he think acting pitiful would make me easy on him? Tae-seok watched him with a sigh and leaned back against the chair the newbie had just vacated.
With a small nudge of his foot, Tae-seok tapped the chair across from him. Eun-jo obediently sat down without a word.
“You went around saying you weren’t with Park Tae-seok or Kim Tae-seok but Jung Tae-seok—and now you’re swapping rings with that bastard and sharing a bed with your team leader?”
“The ring’s not even mine…”
But the moment he looked at Tae-seok’s face, Eun-jo’s words caught in his throat. Maybe it was because Tae-seok was the only one he’d ever had a real date with—or maybe it was because he was Eun-jo’s first. Either way, some buried sliver of guilt suddenly stirred to life and shrank in on itself.
Tae-seok stared down at his gloomy little head and let out a sigh.
“Did you eat?”
“Chocolate…”
“Chocolate isn’t a damn meal.”
Snapping in irritation, he shoved the lunchbox in front of him. Inside the square container, something white and something black sat side by side.
Rice and seaweed…?
His brain registered the ingredients, but the dish itself was hard to place.
What’s with that weird dent in the middle?
As Eun-jo stared blankly at the food, Tae-seok caught the look and asked,
“What? You don’t like this kind of stuff?”
“What even is it…?”
“Jumeokbap.”
“This is supposed to be jumeokbap?”
The jumeokbap Eun-jo knew was round, bite-sized, and cute. He squinted at the oddly flattened rice and asked, half-joking,
“…Did you literally punch it because it’s called jumeokbap?”
“It’s called that because you’re supposed to use your fist, genius.”
Jesus. Eun-jo suddenly realized that the dent in the middle matched the shape of Tae-seok’s fist—and burst out laughing. Just picturing him standing in the kitchen, punching rice like some overcommitted home cook, made his chest feel ticklish.
“Pffft…”
Apparently taking that laughter as a green light, Tae-seok pulled out a spoon, scooped up a mound of rice, and held it out.
“Say ah.”
The moment Eun-jo opened his mouth, the spoon slid in smoothly. Despite the unappetizing look, the jumeokbap was actually delicious. Probably seasoned with tuna and soy sauce—it had a rich, savory flavor that filled his mouth.
As Eun-jo quietly chewed like a baby bird, Tae-seok’s expression softened, just a little. If this guy was gonna cheat on people, the least he could do was not be this damn cute. The way he sat there chewing, small and sweet, pissed Tae-seok off—and yet made him want to smile.
“Yeo Eun-jo.”
“Mm?”
The moment those big, round eyes turned toward him, Tae-seok leaned in and gave his cheek a loud kiss—mwah. Eun-jo’s eyes widened even more in shock, perfectly round.
“Would you still eat it if some other guy fed you like this?”
Eun-jo glanced down.
In the lunchbox sat a rice mound with a clearly stamped fist mark.
Who else would make something like this for me but you?
Tae-seok must’ve liked that answer, because a smug little grin lifted the corner of his mouth. Eun-jo hadn’t exactly meant it as praise—more like, no one else would ever make something this ridiculous—but if it made Tae-seok feel better, then whatever.
Ever since that day, he’d been stuck in Eun-jo’s mind. The way he shyly lit up at the sight of couple seats at the movies. The wounded look on his face. Those moments kept flashing through his head on a loop.
Why does my conscience have to kick in now, of all times…
As he swallowed the last of Tae-seok’s homemade rice, Eun-jo snuck a glance at him.
“Tae-seok, about that…”
“Hyung.”
Tae-seok cut him off and set his spoon down.
“I wanna hold your hand.”
He reached both hands across the table, gently tapping the surface with his fingertips.
“Because of that damn clause, I can’t even hold my boyfriend’s hand. Can you believe that?”
“……”
“I feel sore. Might have a fever or something, hyung.”
“……”
He didn’t look the slightest bit sick. Calm as ever, he kept tapping his fingers against the table. That heat in his eyes made Eun-jo flinch.
He wasn’t hurt. With healing abilities like his—and after stealing and firing a Security Team firearm—there was no way. Eun-jo knew that better than anyone. And yet, when he looked at Tae-seok, the word no just wouldn’t come out.
Just check his pulse. That’s it.
Nothing more. If he pushed for anything else, Eun-jo would refuse.
Trying to steady his wavering resolve, he slowly reached out his hand toward Tae-seok.
Bang!
The door that had been closed suddenly flew open.
A group of people in white chef’s uniforms came pouring into the room, and Eun-jo’s hand instantly snapped back before it could make contact.
