He’d been in top form lately.
With a face practically glowing, Jin Mu-seong stepped out of the hotel. Honestly, if he’d had his way, he would’ve pulled Eun-jo back into the tub for another round. But it had already been a week since he’d left his post at the Central Center. If he stayed any longer, the Center Director would probably come drag him back by the collar.
Can’t even use my powers…
Eun-jo had pleaded with him not to use his ability before falling asleep—over and over, until Jin Mu-seong finally swore he wouldn’t. Using his powers for a day or two wasn’t a big deal, but now, obeying his lover meant more.
Just remembering those soft little breaths escaping from Eun-jo made him grin. Halfway down the hallway, Jin Mu-seong suddenly burst into laughter like a maniac.
“Team Leader?”
From the opposite side, Kim Dan-seop approached, recognizing him. Glancing toward the direction Jin Mu-seong had come from, he asked cautiously,
“You’re over here at this hour because…?”
“Ah.”
Worried there might’ve been another incident, Dan-seop looked nervous. Jin Mu-seong put on his usual diplomatic face.
“Central sent an urgent request for document delivery.”
“Documents?”
Dan-seop looked at his empty hands, clearly puzzled.
“Then the documents…?”
“I sent them through the pager system. Got them stamped, too.”
“……”
“They were marked urgent by the Center Director himself. If you want, feel free to go check.”
“Then… what’s with the collar?”
Dan-seop pointed at the leather strap wrapped around Jin Mu-seong’s neck like a dog collar. Jin let out a small, “Ah,” as if he’d just remembered.
“This? Just a personal preference.”
“You… need that for delivering documents…?”
Dan-seop asked carefully, but quickly waved it off before he got an answer.
“…Never mind. Not like anything happened.”
He scratched the back of his head. Honestly, he didn’t want to know why someone would wear something like that just to drop off paperwork.
“If something had happened, the Guide wouldn’t have kept quiet.”
Just remembering the fire extinguisher incident made it obvious. That day, when three Espers went wild and trashed the dorm—yeah, the Center had been wrecked, but Eun-jo screaming and spraying foam everywhere had left a stronger impression. He was the one who’d managed to calm those Espers down in a single blow.
“Haha.”
Jin Mu-seong laughed again, probably thinking the same thing.
“Right…”
Trailing off, he smiled, then stared quietly at Dan-seop. The moment those serpent-like eyes locked on him, Dan-seop flinched, his shoulders jerking. That was when the weight of who he was standing in front of finally hit him—Jin Mu-seong, Team B’s leader.
There was nothing overtly threatening. His expression was kind, his voice calm.
But there was a pressure—heavy and suffocating—that came from just being in his presence.
“Just one favor.”
Jin handed him a business card. In bold letters: Jin Mu-seong, Team B Leader, Central Esper Center.
“If anything happens, contact me first.”
“……”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s morning or the middle of the night.”
“Why… would I need to contact you…?”
As a non-Espers working in a regional center, there was no situation where he’d ever need to call someone like Jin Mu-seong. The Security Team would respond faster anyway.
Still confused, Dan-seop stared at the card. Jin gently pushed his hand, signaling him to keep it.
“My rule is: prevention before treatment.”
“…Huh?”
“Let’s just say… there are enemies everywhere. And well, my lover’s pretty popular.”
Jin Mu-seong’s soft smile was disarming. Before he realized it, Dan-seop nodded and tucked the card into the inside pocket of his coat.
Only after watching him zip the pocket shut did Jin Mu-seong nod politely and walk past.
“Are all Team Leaders like that…?”
Dan-seop watched him disappear, thinking of the pressure he always felt around Park Se-yul. Only when Jin Mu-seong’s figure was completely gone did he start walking again.
Just as he rounded the corner near the park, someone yanked him by the collar.
“Wh-What the hell—?!”
Had the Center collapsed again? Panicked, Dan-seop spun around—only to find Jung Tae-seok glaring at him with a face like a demon.
With a look of disgust, Jung Tae-seok tossed him aside like he was something filthy, then stared down the path Jin Mu-seong had taken.
He’d been out patrolling, just in case. Sure, a ceasefire had been declared—but it was just that: a ceasefire. The war wasn’t over yet.
Fuck!
The second Jung Tae-seok saw Jin Mu-seong stepping out of Eun-jo’s room, his vision went white with rage. He wanted to storm in right then and there—but if he did, he’d end up demolishing the Center again. Worse, Eun-jo would be furious. Hell, he might even get dragged to the Disciplinary Committee.
Just thinking about that damn collar around Jin Mu-seong’s neck made his face contort.
Fuck this shit.
Unable to hold back, he muttered another curse and stormed up to Kim Dan-seop.
“What the hell did that bastard say?”
“Uh… what?”
“That fucking collar. Why the hell was he wearing it?”
Why are you asking me? Dan-seop wanted to reply, but Jung Tae-seok already looked like he’d snapped—there was no light left in his eyes.
“He, uh… he said it was for filling out paperwork…”
Dan-seop could only repeat the bullshit excuse Jin Mu-seong had given him.
“Fuck.”
Jung Tae-seok spat the word again and turned away.
He didn’t need to hear anything else. Screw the ceasefire.
“Only an idiot would still be following the rules.”
With that, he bolted down the hallway—straight toward Eun-jo’s room.
Dan-seop, finally snapping out of it, chased after him. By the time he caught up, Jung Tae-seok was already kicking open the door.
Cradled in his arms was Eun-jo, wrapped up tight in a blanket like a bundle of laundry. Jung Tae-seok glared at Dan-seop, pulled a pager from his pocket, and hurled it into the room behind him.
The crash of it breaking echoed down the hall.
“W-Wait!”
Before Dan-seop could even think about stopping him, Jung Tae-seok was already sprinting toward the parking lot.
I didn’t think I’d have to use it this soon!
Fumbling for his phone, Dan-seop quickly dialed the number from the business card.
The call rang just twice before Jin Mu-seong answered.
— “Yes, Mr. Dan-seop?”
“Uh—listen!”
Through the lobby windows, Dan-seop spotted headlights flaring to life.
“Guide Yeo Eun-jo is being kidnapped!”
***
Around the same time, Park Se-yul was walking toward Eun-jo’s room when something caught his eye—the parking lot, lit up by sudden headlights.
He instinctively checked his watch. Midnight. No one from the center should’ve been moving around at this hour.
The moment he recognized the foreign SUV, Park Se-yul took off running. He dove into his sedan, fired up the engine, and hit the gas without hesitation.
“Goddamn it…”
He pounded the pager with one hand—no response. Scowling, he tossed it aside and floored the accelerator.
“Jung Tae-seok, you son of a bitch…”
He’d reached his limit. It wasn’t like he enjoyed this shitty ceasefire either. The only reason he’d tolerated it was for Yeo Eun-jo—to give him space, time.
And this is how you use it?
Rules existed for a reason. Grinding his teeth, Park Se-yul locked onto the SUV’s taillights in the distance. His engine howled as the car surged forward.
He caught up fast. Swerving hard, he slammed into the SUV’s rear—right behind the driver’s side.
The vehicle rocked violently from the impact. Inside, Eun-jo, still unconscious, slammed his head against the window with a dull thud.
“Ah…!”
Groaning, Eun-jo clutched the top of his head. A wave of pain radiated from his forehead.
“…What the hell…”
“Hyung, go back to sleep.”
A calm voice murmured beside him.
Hyung? Jin Mu-seong never called him that. Blinking, Eun-jo turned his head toward the voice.
“You… who the hell are you…?”
“Just go back to sleep, hyung.”
The low voice came from the shadows, revealing a cold, expressionless profile. When Eun-jo met those eyes—burning with quiet rage—his whole body went stiff.
One wrong word, and something terrible was going to happen. He held his breath, then slowly let it out through his nose, trying not to make a sound. Carefully, he glanced around to take in his surroundings. Outside the window, dark rice fields zipped by under the cover of night.
I was definitely in the room…
The last thing he remembered was collapsing in Jin Mu-seong’s arms, on the bed. The sheets had been soft, freshly laundered. Jin Mu-seong must’ve taken care of him until the very end.
So how the hell did I end up in a car?
And not just any car— it was Jung Tae-seok’s.
Eun-jo was still piecing things together when—
BEEEEEEEEP!
A deafening honk blasted from behind.
“Son of a bitch!”
In the side mirror, a high-end sedan came into view, its headlights flashing wildly. It swerved close, aggressive—like it was ready to slam straight into them.
Behind the wheel, Park Se-yul’s face came into view—grim, furious, eyes locked onto his target.
