As the men who had set up folding tables on one side of the Guiding Room exited, another group entered, each carrying sleek silver containers tucked under their arms. They were even wearing tall chef hats.
“What the hell is this…?”
Seriously, what now? Eun-jo squinted at the name tags that came into view.
“Ilteun Hotel…?”
The tables were quickly filled with food—everything from Chinese dishes like chili shrimp and yuringi to crepes, sushi, and fresh seasonal fruit. A colorful spread. Once everything was perfectly arranged, the hotel staff bowed and filed out. And right through the gap they left behind, Park Se-yul strolled in like he owned the place. Eun-jo’s mouth fell open at the unexpected visitor.
“You need to eat, don’t you?”
Peering through his silver-rimmed glasses, Park Se-yul’s sharp gaze landed on the table where the two of them sat. His eyes settled on the lunchbox sitting in front of them.
“Is that… dog food?”
He tilted his head, looking genuinely curious. Unable to stay silent any longer, Jung Tae-seok shoved his chair back with a loud scrape and stepped forward.
“What are you doing here?”
“I told you—I came to bring him food.”
“We already ate.”
Park Se-yul pointed at the lunchbox, disbelief plain on his face.
“That? You call that food?”
Then he turned to Eun-jo, his expression clearly saying, You actually ate that? The way he looked at him felt like he was scolding a puppy that had just chewed on garbage. Eun-jo blurted out a quick defense without thinking.
“I-It was tasty, okay?”
“Tying you up wasn’t supposed to make you an actual dog.”
No one told you to eat dog food. Clicking his tongue, Park Se-yul grabbed Eun-jo by the shoulder and gently pulled him toward the lavishly set table.
“You should eat proper food.”
But before Eun-jo could move, his left arm was yanked in the opposite direction. Jung Tae-seok had grabbed hold, his grip tight, his glare fierce as he stared Park Se-yul down.
“We said we already ate.”
“And I’m saying I want to feed my Guide something decent. Is that a problem?”
“Your Guide?”
A low, grinding sound came from Jung Tae-seok’s clenched jaw.
“Let’s get one thing straight. Yeo Eun-jo is Team A’s Guide—not yours, Team Leader.”
“And who does Team A belong to?”
“They’re under the Center—”
“Exactly. Which makes them mine. Not yours, Tae-seok.”
With an elegant flick, Park Se-yul brushed Tae-seok’s hand away and pulled Eun-jo back toward him. Eun-jo felt like a chew toy caught between two overly possessive dogs. This was insane. What was this, some twisted Joseon-era punishment where you get ripped apart?
“Maybe we need to reestablish the chain of command.”
The temperature in the room dropped like a stone. Eun-jo’s arms throbbed as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
He had a feeling. The same sinking dread he’d felt right before the dorm exploded. This time, it felt like the Guiding Room was about to blow.
“H-Hey, guys, can we just—”
Before he could finish, both men hurled his arms aside at the same time. Eun-jo stumbled and crashed to the floor with a pained grunt.
In a flash, weapons appeared in both their hands. Park Se-yul gripped a spear made of ice. Jung Tae-seok had somehow produced a taser from God knows where.
“Seriously, what are you two holding—!?”
Just then, the door creaked open again. A group of rookie Guides had arrived right on time for their session. The moment they saw the two A-Team Espers squared off like war gods, they gasped.
“Eek—!”
Frozen in shock, they slowly pulled the door shut again. Through the narrow crack, their panic was written all over their faces.
“W-We’ll come back later!”
“Hang in there, Guide-nim!”
“Take care of yourself!”
As their footsteps retreated down the hall, Eun-jo pressed a hand to his forehead. His skull throbbed. Great—just great. What kind of rumors would this mess spark now? He didn’t even want to imagine it.
CRASH. A dish flew across the room and shattered. The sofa and tables started freezing over. Yuringi exploded like artillery fire. A strand of udon smacked right onto Eun-jo’s head with a wet slap.
That was the final straw.
“That’s it. I’m done.”
Eun-jo stormed toward the door and kicked it open with a deafening BANG. The whole room shook. Both men froze mid-action.
They turned toward the sound—Eun-jo stood there, udon noodle slipping from his head, his expression stone cold.
“Get. Out.”
“……”
“I said GET OUT!”
That was his limit. He glared at the two of them, fury blazing in his eyes.
“WHAT, YOUR LEGS STOPPED WORKING!?”
Finally, the two men began moving toward the door. Their faces said they still had a lot to say, but with Eun-jo glaring daggers at them, they wisely kept quiet and stepped out of the room.
“Make sure you eat,” Park Se-yul muttered as he passed.
“I can take care of myself. Just leave!”
Eun-jo slammed the door shut with a bang and looked around the room. Total disaster—just like his life. He stared at the food scattered across the floor, then scrubbed a hand down his face.
“God, this is impossible. Seriously.”
Yeah. Surviving was the real struggle.
***
The war didn’t end there.
His new dorm room couldn’t even open because it was buried under a mountain of delivered gifts. Every single meal, the Guiding Room was piled high with bentos and gourmet spreads. As if on a perfectly planned rotation, the three men took turns showing up at the Guiding Room and the Training Center. Thanks to that, even the rookie Guides who used to stop by occasionally had all but disappeared.
Yesterday, Jung Tae-seok had thrown a fit, demanding to know why his card was the only one getting rejected—then shoved his credit card into Eun-jo’s hand before storming off. And this morning, Jin Mu-seong had the nerve to offer him a massage like some sleazy flirt. In full view of everyone. In the damn hallway.
“Haah…”
A sharp pain pulsed behind Eun-jo’s temples. He pressed a palm against the side of his head as he trudged down the corridor.
Please… just let this training run go by without a disaster.
He couldn’t even bring himself to face the training coordinator. He’d tried reaching out to Park Joo-hee, the Esper Center Director, to request a transfer to the Central Center—but it was pointless. She responded like she was passing off a ticking time bomb, all smiles and sweetness.
—“Don’t come here. Just hang in there until they cool off.”
What about my brain? When does that get to cool off?!
He hadn’t had the guts to actually say that, and now he regretted ending the call so quickly. He should’ve pushed harder. Eun-jo clicked his tongue in frustration—
And stopped in his tracks.
A shadow appeared at the end of the hallway. Park Se-yul stepped out from where he’d been waiting, leaned against the wall. Familiar face. With a sigh, Eun-jo turned and headed back toward the training room.
“I have work to do.”
In other words: Don’t bother me. He didn’t even look at him. Just walked past—
Until a large hand caught him by the wrist.
“Team Leader…!”
“I know.”
Se-yul gave a quiet nod, eyes drifting down to Eun-jo’s waistband.
“You’re not doing it right. Here.”
Eun-jo’s lashes fluttered. He hadn’t been able to pee properly since they were separated. Even when the urge came hard and fast, he’d barely get a trickle out—never enough to feel relief. It was like his body was waiting… for permission.
“It’s not… It’s nothing like that.”
“You sure?”
When Eun-jo clammed up, Se-yul asked again.
“Really?”
“……”
The second time, he couldn’t lie. His bladder was about to burst.
Se-yul, calm as ever, took his hand and led him to one of the unused restrooms. Their footsteps echoed on the tile as he nudged Eun-jo into a stall and closed the door. Even standing still, the cramped space barely fit them.
Se-yul reached down. Eun-jo swallowed hard. His whole body tensed. But then—
Se-yul paused.
“Can I take it off?”
That low voice brushed along his neck. The taller man’s body was pressed behind him like a wall. Eun-jo gave a small nod. In one smooth motion, Se-yul undid his pants.
It had been a while since he’d seen him like this, but Eun-jo’s body was still as cute as ever. Hairless and smooth. Delicate, like it didn’t even belong to the same species as his own. Se-yul wrapped his hand around the small, blushing shaft.
“Nh, mm…!”
He started stroking—slow, steady. The pleasure was sharp, immediate, and Eun-jo couldn’t stop the moan that slipped out.
“Ah… hah…”
“They’re probably hearing all of this.”
Se-yul chuckled, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. He wasn’t doing any better—his patience was razor-thin.
The body he’d trained responded flawlessly. Each bite along Eun-jo’s neck had him gasping, trembling, clawing for control.
“Hngh… ah…!”
As his hand sped up, Eun-jo’s shaft flushed a deeper pink. The pressure built until it was unbearable. He arched his back, eyes glazed over, pleading.
“I—I have to go… please… hngh…”
“Hah…”
But he couldn’t go—not without permission. Se-yul’s lips curled into a smile as he watched his adorable Guide, clinging to him and trembling like a leaf.
And finally, he gave it.
“Go.”
The second the word dropped, a stream burst forth. The soft, steady trickle echoed in the tiny stall. Caught between humiliation and relief, Eun-jo’s whole body trembled.
“Ahh… hnnngh…”
Se-yul helped him through it, even shook the last few drops away for him. Then, he leaned in and kissed Eun-jo on the cheek.
As his breathing slowly settled, focus returned to Eun-jo’s eyes. And with it, the weight of what just happened.
Again… He touched me again.
The memory made him want to disappear. But Se-yul, completely unfazed, turned him gently and started pulling up his underwear and pants, one layer at a time. When he was done, he looked down into Eun-jo’s eyes—still lowered in shame. Behind silver-rimmed glasses, Se-yul’s eyes sparkled.
“Yeo Eun-jo.”
That flushed, mortified face was something he wanted to burn into his memory. His precious puppy. So sweet he couldn’t bear it.
“Choose me. Stop wasting time.”
“……”
“You can’t even piss without me. What exactly do you think you’re gonna do on your own?”
Clicking his tongue, Se-yul leaned in and kissed his cheek again. And right then—across Eun-jo’s soft skin, a pattern appeared.
An Imprint Mark.
“I’m not waiting forever.”
He straightened his jacket and stepped out of the stall. His footsteps echoed as they faded down the hall.
Finally, Eun-jo dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
Holy shit…
What the hell was he supposed to do now? His heart was pounding so loud it felt like the whole building could hear. He clutched at his chest as if that would somehow muffle it.
“This is insane…”
This was bad.
The people trying to imprint him… were way too dangerous.
