The man gripping the nape of his neck let out a scoffing laugh, but Lee Haru was dead serious. If he had possessed Ji Yeon-woo—the story’s main bottom—maybe things would have been different. But as a villain or a side character, death flags could stab into his body at any moment.
He had barely started adjusting to this world. Since he had ended up in the body of an S-Rank Guide, he had every intention of adapting to life in that role and indulging in all the delicious food he could find.
In his original body, he had died young. Now that he had been granted this second chance, he wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible.
Besides, there were still too many unanswered questions. He needed to uncover what had really happened to the original Lee Haru.
He had to find out whether the mysterious man from his memories was truly Kang Min, just as he feared, or someone else entirely. Only then could he put Lee Haru’s grudge to rest.
Yeon-woo-nim, please… Just let me live…
The only person he could depend on was Ji Yeon-woo, the main bottom of the novel. He prayed—though it was more of a desperate plea than an actual prayer—that his desperation would somehow reach him. Just then, the man dragging him came to a sudden stop.
“Gah!”
Because he had been hauled along by the wrist, Lee Haru’s body tumbled straight to the floor the moment the man let go. Sharp pain shot through his knees and wrists as he collapsed, and a low groan slipped out.
“Why is this kid so slow-witted?”
He wanted to retort that it was not him being slow—it was the man being too damn rough. But Lee Haru was not that clueless.
The man in front of him was not someone he could afford to provoke—unlike Yu Je-hyun, who he could sometimes tease without consequence. He had seen Ji Yeon-woo freeze up like a terrified kitten the instant this man entered the room.
One wrong move, and he could die right here. Even as his legs wobbled, Lee Haru forced himself upright.
He cautiously approached the man, who now stood before a door, and offered a nervous smile.
“Do I… go through this door?”
He asked as politely as possible, his tone practically groveling.
“…Yeah.”
The man’s expression clearly said, What kind of pathetic creature is this? but Lee Haru pressed forward and opened the door.
There was no way he could outrun the man with his current abilities. His best bet was to stay on the man’s good side and pray the S-Rank espers would arrive before it was too late.
“H-hello…”
He even offered a polite greeting as he stepped inside. But the moment he saw the group filling the room—clad head to toe in black—his entire body stiffened.
…I am so screwed.
The sheer intensity of their presence gave it away instantly. Every one of them was definitely an esper. And the man who brought him here had mentioned something about a “welcome ritual.”
They had dragged him here knowing he was an S-Rank Guide. And everyone knew what that meant.
No way… they’re not seriously expecting me to guide all of these guys, are they?
Only now did he understand why Ji Yeon-woo had trembled like a mouse caught by a cat.
If Yeon-woo had gone through something like this before, the fact that he had remained sane was nothing short of a miracle.
“What are you standing there for? Move.”
“R-right…”
Frozen in place, Lee Haru could not bring himself to step farther inside. The man gave his back a firm push.
He probably meant it as a light nudge, but Lee Haru stumbled forward, flailing helplessly, and ended up right in the center of the group.
Gulp—he swallowed hard, the sound echoing in his ears. Despite the crowd, not a single noise filled the room.
The only audible sound was the faint echo of the man’s footsteps as he leisurely followed behind.
Everyone was dressed the same—faces covered, only their eyes visible—making it feel like he was surrounded by a horde of doppelgängers.
Goosebumps crawled over his skin. Every pair of eyes was locked on him, unblinking.
“This is the S-Rank Guide we brought in. Each team gets thirty minutes. Make the most of it.”
The moment he finished speaking, the group sprang into motion with eerie coordination. He was clearly their leader.
What the hell is going on now?
What had seemed like a loose crowd broke into neatly organized groups of five, revealing a bed that had been hidden among them—a king-sized bed covered in plastic sheeting.
It sat squarely in the center of the room, no headboard, no frame—just there. It was impossible to mistake what it was meant for.
God, I really want to cry.
Even saying, We can just hold hands and guide, would probably get him laughed out of the room. Lee Haru clenched the front of his shirt, hands trembling with anxiety.
He was still clothed for now, but he had no faith that things would stay that way.
“Team One, move.”
At the man’s command, five figures advanced toward him. Their eye colors varied slightly, and their builds were different, but to Lee Haru, they looked like quintuplets.
Every one of them was taller than him. Having five people closing in all at once made his body instinctively curl inward.
As he stepped back, one of them suddenly lunged forward. Before he could react, he was grabbed by the collar and dragged to the bed.
“Urgh…”
A heavy thud resounded through his back as he hit the mattress, a dull pain blooming instantly. One wrist was already swollen, marked with clear finger-shaped bruises.
Right now, he would have killed for one of the many healing potions back in his room.
That’s only if I actually make it out of here alive.
Even if he survived, if what happened here was so horrific he could not even speak of it… would he really be able to celebrate being alive? He doubted it.
“Scared? Poor little thing.”
“Quit talking. Just strip him already. We only have thirty minutes.”
One of the men encircling him spoke with a mischievous grin, his eyes glinting playfully. The man beside him immediately snapped back in irritation.
At the mention of stripping, Lee Haru’s gaze darted around desperately. But the group surrounding the bed had closed in tight—there was no gap to escape through.
Still, sitting there and just letting it happen felt unbearable. Fueled by sheer frustration, Lee Haru hurled himself between the two arguing espers, his dark eyes flashing with urgency.
Thunk—
“What do you think you’re doing?”
To the Espers, Lee Haru’s attempt at resistance looked slower than a worm crawling. The same man who had earlier mocked him as pitiful caught him effortlessly.
His limbs sagged limply, like a baby animal caught by the scruff of the neck. The moment the man’s hand touched him, his Guiding power was sucked out like a vacuum.
“…Damn. This is good. Not the same as Ji Yeon-woo, but still amazing.”
The green-eyed man’s gaze glazed over in a dazed haze. The turbulent storm of his rampage risk, which had been boiling just moments ago, was now ebbing away with startling speed.
But on the other end, Lee Haru felt completely drained. His whole body was going slack, as if the man was leeching the life out of him through his Guiding energy.
So hungry…
According to Ji Yeon-woo, it had already been three days since he was captured. That meant three full days with nothing in his stomach.
Should’ve ordered that extra round of food…
Images of the lobster he had eaten with Yu Je-hyun shimmered in front of his eyes. All the dishes he had skipped because he was too full back then suddenly felt painfully out of reach.
“You’re not the only one who needs it. Lay him down. We’re all about to lose it.”
Getting Guiding from an S-Rank Guide was nearly impossible. Even in Black, Ji Yeon-woo was the only S-Rank Guide available.
Unless you were the leader of Black or part of the executive branch, receiving Guiding was practically unheard of. The man currently siphoning energy from Lee Haru had only ever experienced it once—back when Ji Yeon-woo had gone through his own initiation.
Grumbling, the colleague who had argued with the green-eyed esper shoved Lee Haru back onto the bed.
He curled up instinctively to brace for the impact and managed to lift his head, barely. Between his parched lips, a voice like dried paper rasped out.
“H-Hey…”
Sure, the looming threat to his body was terrifying—but honestly, he was on the verge of going mad from hunger. Once the emptiness had taken hold, it blanketed his thoughts completely.
“I’m really hungry right now… Could I maybe eat something first before we start Guiding?”
His voice was so frail and pitiful that the espers paused for a beat, curious what he would say. Then, one by one, they burst out laughing.
“Hungry? Oh, we’ve got plenty for you to eat. We’ll make sure you get your fill of protein.”
The esper who had been silent until now finally spoke, his hand already moving to his belt buckle. The other four followed without hesitation, beginning to loosen their pants.
Lee Haru’s senses snapped back with brutal clarity.
This is not the time to be talking about food.
The moment their cocks started to come into view, his mind went into a tailspin. The only small relief was that he did not see any of the absurd, club-sized monstrosities from his memory.
Even so, the sight of those sweaty, fleshy things stretching out in the espers’ hands—one after another—was enough to make him want to black out then and there.
