Jeong Seyeon was looking at me with the same gaze as before, and I continued our conversation while occasionally meeting his eyes as I applied the medicine. After hearing everything, Seyeon questioned me.
“Is imprinting only valid with an exclusive guide contract?”
I had mentioned the exclusive guide contract with the intention that I would take responsibility if imprinting occurred, but Seyeon’s face had hardened.
In terms of benefits, an exclusive guide is better than a temporary guide, and it’s also more advantageous for exercising rights over each other. However, since the bond between an Esper and guide is important for an exclusive guide contract, there were many provisions to strengthen that aspect. The most representative of these were the obligation to live together and the stipulation that the guide couldn’t have any occupation other than being a guide.
‘We’re already living together, so is having another job besides being a guide the issue?’
But since this could just be my assumption, I carefully asked.
“Is there something about the exclusive guide contract that bothers you?”
“Honestly, yes.”
“Which part?”
“I can’t quit my job until Se-eun becomes an adult.”
The answer I had anticipated came from Seyeon’s lips. I was a bit taken aback by his more resolute demeanor than I expected, but I also had questions.
‘But can being in a gang even be considered a job?’
Of course, I couldn’t blurt out what I was thinking. The wound treatment had long been finished, but I just kept fidgeting with the ointment cap without closing it. It was because I felt anxious when he said he wouldn’t consider an exclusive guide contract.
“Is your current job related to Se-eun? An exclusive guide contract would be more convenient, with more stable and higher income, so I wonder what part worries you…”
After saying this, I felt my face burning with embarrassment as it seemed like I was trying to persuade him to make an exclusive guide contract.
‘This is all because of Woo Jeonghyun. If I hadn’t heard that all guides like me, I wouldn’t be clinging like this.’
As I blamed my own uncool behavior on my brother and fanned my heated face, Seyeon responded.
“If we don’t make an exclusive guide contract, does that mean I can’t imprint with you?”
Though differently phrased, his question was essentially the same as his first one. But the feeling I got from his words was slightly different this time.
‘So hyung wanted to ask about imprinting, not the exclusive guide contract?’
I realized I might have misunderstood his intentions from the beginning. He had been focusing on imprinting all along, not the exclusive guide contract, and I had misinterpreted.
“Hyung, do you want to imprint with me? Regardless of the contract.”
The meaning behind these words was not insignificant. Since the Esper performs the imprinting but the guide bears all the risks, imprinting was generally avoided even in exclusive guide relationships.
“Is my answer important?”
Though he murmured in an indifferent voice, it wasn’t a negative response. I momentarily held my breath when I detected a hint of amusement in his eyes. An inexplicable heat rose within me, making my tongue go dry.
“Of course it’s important. Imprinting requires mutual agreement…”
My words were cut short as Seyeon’s hand pressed down on my shoulder, causing me to fall backward. Even in that moment, I managed to hold onto the disinfectant to prevent it from spilling. Seeing this, Seyeon took the medicine from my hand and closed the cap. Then his shadow fell over my head.
“Why do you think I kept asking? It’s because I want to do it with Jeongjae right now.”
I had never thought of Jeong Seyeon as a gangster. If I hadn’t seen it firsthand at his family home, I would never have associated him with gangs, not even if I died and came back to life. But in this moment, I realized. Without a single curse word, with just a shift from formal to informal speech, his aura changed. It became vulgar and savage, a rougher feeling closer to something raw.
“Close your eyes, Jeongjae.”
As my vision turned black and Seyeon’s lips sucked in my lower lip, a red light went off in my head. My premonition that this wouldn’t end with just a kiss became reality the moment his hand slipped under my clothes.
I could tolerate his rough, large palm kneading around my waist, but when his hand moved higher and gathered my flat chest flesh, I unconsciously let out a moan and twisted my waist. Every point of contact between us was so hot that I couldn’t think straight.
This was qualitatively different from any guiding I had done before. Perhaps due to our increased matching rate, I was absorbing his energy like a sponge. Despite the considerable amount he was pouring out, saliva pooled in my mouth and I felt thirsty. I knew these were precursor symptoms of excessive guiding, but since I was the one who said guiding was necessary and even recommended imprinting and an exclusive guide contract, I couldn’t push him away.
‘This won’t lead to imprinting, right?’
A trace of anxiety barely held onto the thread of reason, but when Seyeon’s lips passed my chin and sucked on the tender flesh of my neck, my mind went blank. Unfamiliar sensations I hadn’t felt during my first guiding with him rose like goosebumps across my entire body. Every hair stood on end, and everywhere his lips touched pulsed intensely.
Meow.
I heard Serubi’s cry from outside the door. As I was admiring Seyeon’s beautiful face buried in my chest, I turned my head toward the door. The arm around my waist tightened. He pressed his lower body close to mine and grabbed my chin, fixing it toward him.
“Hyung, wait, just now… mmph!”
Our lips collided again, and I couldn’t tell if the dizzying sensation spreading through me was due to the guiding or a physiological response.
Meeooww!
Serubi’s hysterical cry cut between us more sharply than before. The sound of scratching at the door grew too loud to ignore, and soon I heard Yang Garam and Do Wonjin’s voices as they noticed the commotion.
“What is it, Serubi? You’re being noisy.”
“Why are you doing that in front of Seyeon hyung’s room?”
“Seeing how Serubi’s acting, Jeongjae must be inside?”
Knock, knock.
“Hyung, are you with Jeongjae?”
“It’s Garam. Can I come in?”
My wandering senses returned at the sound of knocking.
Since several people lived together, there was an implicit rule not to invade each other’s spaces without explicit invitation. I wouldn’t have thought of coming to Seyeon’s room if he hadn’t called me. So the door wouldn’t open right away, but judging from the sounds outside, it was only a matter of time.
“Hyung, shouldn’t we go out?”
It wasn’t like we were doing something bad in secret—we were just guiding—but my heart felt like it was shriveling up.
Jeong Seyeon rose with an expressionless face and a sigh. Then he pulled up the blanket that had fallen to the floor and covered me up to my neck.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll go take care of this.”
Knock, knock.
“If you don’t open the door, I’m coming in?”
It was Do Wonjin. Judging by his voice, mixed with irritation and impatience, he seemed to have guessed the situation inside.
Meanwhile, Seyeon had put on his clothes and opened the door, revealing Do Wonjin standing askew and Yang Garam holding Serubi. Since the bed was directly visible from the door, I pulled the blanket over my head before our eyes could meet.
‘Seyeon hyung will explain things well and send them away. But then what? Do we continue? What if Serubi comes again and interferes?’
I heard voices as they were talking, but I was so lost in my own serious thoughts that I couldn’t listen carefully.
“…so, let’s ask Jeongjae.”
Only when I heard my name did I start paying attention to the conversation outside, but it seemed the discussion had already ended as the presences beyond the door entered the room. I startled and firmly gripped the edge of the blanket. It was a shallow calculation that if I hid quietly like this, they would soon leave. But as if mocking me, Serubi once again carried out his interference operation. He jumped onto the bed and began scratching at the blanket I was under. At the sound of ripping threads, I had to come out from under the blanket before even five minutes had passed.
“I’m sorry. The blanket is all ruined because of Serubi.”
Thanks to Seyeon buying me time, I was able to tidy up my disheveled clothes before coming out, but the sacrificed blanket was full of holes with stuffing poking out.
“I don’t think the blanket is the issue right now.”
I rolled my eyes at Do Wonjin’s words as he sat on the edge of the bed looking at me. Now that I noticed, the atmosphere was unusual. Yang Garam’s expression was beyond anxious—he looked precarious, and Do Wonjin’s face was also tense. Seyeon too had a much heavier atmosphere than before, with wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“Let’s talk in the living room.”
At Seyeon’s words, Do Wonjin ran his hand through his hair and turned, while Yang Garam reached out to help me off the bed, then held my hand tightly as we went to the living room. After Seyeon joined us last, Do Wonjin spoke as if he had been waiting.
“As you know, the temporary guide contract includes a clause that states the guide cannot refuse if the Esper requests termination of the contract.”
I nodded slightly in agreement. This was how I could unilaterally end my contract with Joo Seolhyeon.
But I didn’t understand why this topic was coming up in this situation.
“When I first heard your story, Jeongjae, I didn’t think beyond the fact that you were considering imprinting with me, but if you’re thinking about imprinting with other guides as well as me, I think we need to be clear.”
I could guess what Do Wonjin was getting at. And I also understood why Yang Garam was still pale and holding his breath. Come to think of it, I had only mentioned in passing to Yang Garam that our matching rate had increased, but I hadn’t explained about imprinting in detail like I had with Do Wonjin and Jeong Seyeon.
‘They think that if I sign an exclusive guide contract with the person I imprint with, the contracts with the remaining guides will be forcibly terminated.’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
