If it weren’t for those three, he was certain he’d get every single vote. Most of the 1st Division Espers liked him and wanted his Guiding. There were more than enough Espers desperate for the chance to work with him, even just once.
And yet, out of all of them, it had to be that bastard Hyun Tae-oh and the stiff-as-a-board Yoon Do-jae. Not to mention even an A-rank Esper he normally wouldn’t bother to look at.
He’d heard from the Production Director that Hyun Tae-oh had influenced the casting, but he hadn’t expected things to turn out this lopsided. Still, with him and Hyun Tae-oh appearing together, the first episode’s ratings were as good as guaranteed. That much wasn’t a concern. What mattered was making sure that once the show moved forward, he secured a permanent spot.
The idea that Min Yu-hyun could fail to become a fixed member of A Pair is Born was laughable—unless it was some kind of April Fool’s prank. Which made Yoon Do-jae’s constant gaze at Kang Chi-yu the moment he teleported in, and his ears reddening every time he spoke to him, all the more irritating.
Min Yu-hyun’s eyes narrowed. If Yoon Do-jae really had feelings for Kang Chi-yu, that was another problem entirely.
Of course, if it were up to him, he’d Pair with Hyun Tae-oh. But it wasn’t his choice alone. The three Espers had to select him first, and that selection process had to be broadcast for the viewers.
Naturally, as an S-rank Guide, he stood far above a no-name B-rank and a forgettable A-rank. The thought of losing to them was absurd. Still, Yoon Do-jae’s suspicious reaction toward Kang Chi-yu might put him at a disadvantage in the early survival stage.
So he stopped Yoon Do-jae, who was heading upstairs with a cup of coffee from Lee Jun-hyung.
“Let’s talk.”
“…What?”
“Not here. In my room.”
Yoon Do-jae looked uneasy, but since filming hadn’t even started yet, and knowing Yu-hyun’s stubborn personality—always determined to get what he wanted—he quietly followed him inside.
The moment the door closed, Yu-hyun spoke words that made Yoon Do-jae’s expression twist with open hostility for the first time.
“Since the program’s theme is survival, it’ll be easier for viewers to understand—and enjoy—if you pick me in the fourth week.”
“…”
“In return, I’ll take full responsibility for your Guiding. For as long as you want.”
“…”
“Of course, I can’t neglect my Pair’s Guiding, but I hope you’ll understand that.”
“I refuse.”
“…What?”
“If that’s all, may I leave?”
Yoon Do-jae pointed over his shoulder at the door with his thumb. Flustered, Yu-hyun raised his voice.
“This is a proposal that benefits you far more than me. Don’t you realize that?”
“…”
“All you have to do is pick me. Then you can get my Guiding however you want. And if I pick you back, you’ll be my partner on the fixed PairBorn lineup. You’re still saying no?”
“Yes.”
Yoon Do-jae answered flatly, without the slightest change in expression.
“Don’t tell me you actually want to Pair with that B-rank?”
“…”
“If so, that’s a rule violation. Filming hasn’t even started, and you haven’t trained as partners. If I go to the Director and tell him—”
“Trying to buy me off like this is a violation too. If this were caught on camera, it’d be a scandal, don’t you think?”
“That’s—!”
“I don’t care if you tell. The truth is, I liked him before casting was finalized. That’ll only add more drama to the show.”
With that, Yoon Do-jae turned and left.
Yu-hyun stared at the closed door, forcing down the anger boiling inside him. No matter how he looked at it, Yoon Do-jae was hopeless. Part of him thought, Of course. He’s never shown interest in me since our 1st Division days.
But to turn down such an opportunity? What an idiot.
Having failed to buy off Yoon Do-jae, Yu-hyun figured his only real option was to Pair with Hyun Tae-oh. Being chosen by an A-rank wasn’t worth celebrating, and if he Paired with one over Tae-oh, he’d be torn apart by public opinion. Headlines like “Min Yu-hyun Pairs with an A-rank!” would be everywhere in minutes.
If he wasn’t going to secure all three votes anyway, then by any means necessary, he had to Pair with Hyun Tae-oh. But that, of course, wasn’t going to be easy.
Hyun Tae-oh was fundamentally misanthropic, someone who hated physical contact. He was only used to it with Kang Chi-yu because they’d grown up together like brothers, but that familiarity wasn’t enough to justify a new Pairing. They’d already Paired once for the 100th Special. Doing it again wouldn’t fit the program’s concept.
Yu-hyun suspected the reason Tae-oh agreed to appear this time was because he’d felt firsthand the surge of popularity after that special. A man who’d never appeared on TV suddenly choosing to come back as part of the revamp lineup—it was only natural for people to think he’d gotten a taste for it.
In any case, those were factors that worked in Yu-hyun’s favor. Since he’d chosen to appear, he was confident he’d generate the biggest buzz.
There’d already been a scandal linking him and Tae-oh, and public opinion adored them as a couple. That scandal was probably part of why Tae-oh agreed to appear. Even if the scandal itself was practically fabricated.
The day they went to Zone G on an emergency summons to secure a mutant sample, photos and videos had been taken. Because of a containment box malfunction, they’d been forced close together, and the shots had been taken at just the right angle to make them look like a couple.
The public had taken those doctored images and spun endless stories about the two of them dating.
If they’d known how many times Tae-oh had told him to get lost that day, they’d never dare say such a thing. Yu-hyun had wanted to kill him for treating him—Min Yu-hyun, the superior S-rank Guide—like some filthy insect.
And yet the world spun stories of love and flirting. Idiots. Not taking advantage of it would be even dumber.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, chin in one hand, Yu-hyun thought. With Yoon Do-jae out of the picture, he only had one option: target Hyun Tae-oh. The cameras would start rolling tomorrow, and from the moment filming began, he had to seize the upper hand.
Editing could only do so much—the flow of events couldn’t be erased.
The first step was figuring out how to buy off Tae-oh. Pairing with him came with too many perks. If Tae-oh just went along, they could even be crowned the “Couple of the Century.” It wasn’t like he was asking for romance—just an act for the cameras. That was nothing.
And if by chance Tae-oh did actually fall for him? He could reject him cleanly. Problem solved.
Completely unaware of how delusional he sounded, Yu-hyun was already drafting a plan to reel him in. He brimmed with confidence. As long as he wanted it, he could get someone like Tae-oh—despite always being told to fuck off.
Tapping his cheek with his finger, he pondered the best method. Then suddenly, he thought of Kang Chi-yu.
Since Tae-oh was such a misanthropic neat freak, maybe his childhood friend could help. Sure, rumors said the two weren’t just childhood friends but true lovers. But if the public could fabricate smoke without fire about him and Tae-oh, then those rumors were meaningless too. After all, someone like Hyun Tae-oh wasn’t capable of genuinely loving anyone.
***
“So what I’m saying is—can I get Guide Kang Chi-yu’s help during filming?”
At those words, Kang Chi-yu frowned. Yu-hyun had suddenly summoned him upstairs, only to stand by the window whispering like it was some kind of secret.
“…What?”
“Well, I’m appearing on this show.”
“…And?”
“Since I’m on it, it’s going to explode. The focus on me and Tae-oh will be huge. You agree with that much, right, Guide Kang?”
“…”
When Chi-yu didn’t answer, Yu-hyun narrowed his eyes and kept going.
“No matter how many of us are cast, in the end, the audience will only watch me and Tae-oh.”
Chi-yu just stared at him. His logic wasn’t wrong, so there was no point in arguing. He already knew what kind of person Yu-hyun was—narcissistic, self-centered. He’d even seen him during deployments, sunglasses on, giving orders like he was there for fun.
A narcissist, plain and simple. The kind who believed everyone was beneath him. In that way, he resembled Tae-oh. The difference was, Tae-oh didn’t even bother looking down on people—he just didn’t care about them at all.
“So if the show does well, the success spills over to everyone else too. Helping me is—”
“I don’t see what you’re actually asking me to do.”
Chi-yu cut him off. No point in listening to more nonsense. Besides, once Tae-oh came out of the shower, he’d see them together, and Chi-yu just wanted to get back downstairs.
But before Yu-hyun could explain further, a door at the end of the hall burst open. Tae-oh stepped out, towel scrubbing at his wet hair.
He was shirtless, muscles fully on display. Chi-yu’s face flushed as he remembered being trapped under that body, and he quickly turned to the window.
Tae-oh frowned—not at Yu-hyun’s words, but at the sight of the two of them standing together by the second-floor window.
The whole point of splitting Guides and Espers by floor was to minimize Chi-yu’s contact with Espers. The producers had insisted on including Yoon Do-jae and Yu-hyun despite the risks, so this was the compromise.
But if anyone could just wander upstairs, what was the point?
“Why’d you take so long in the shower?” Yu-hyun snapped.
“Why’s a Guide upstairs?” Tae-oh shot back bluntly, eyes shifting to Chi-yu, who still refused to meet his gaze.
“I really can’t sleep downstairs. You know that, right?” Yu-hyun pressed.
Chi-yu’s heart tightened instantly, only for Tae-oh’s face to harden.
“What the fuck are you talking about? How would I know that?”
“You told me once why you only live on the top floor. Don’t you remember?”
“Why the hell would I remember something so useless?”
“Calling it useless when it’s the same as your own situation…! Ugh, forget it. I can’t sleep on the first floor. Reassign me.”
“No. Guides downstairs, Espers upstairs.”
“That’s ridiculous! Why split us at all? Just let whoever wants to stay upstairs, stay upstairs—Esper or Guide!”
“So we can get another round of scandal photos with you stuck on the same floor as me? Forget it.”
“Hey, fuck! I told you not to bring that up!”
Yu-hyun scowled. Even now, he shuddered remembering how Tae-oh had nearly torn him apart when that scandal broke—accusing him of letting those photos happen.
“If you don’t like it, go downstairs. We split the house for a reason. Why’re you barging in?”
“What? Barging in? Stop talking to me like that or I’ll—!”
“Shut up. Get down while I’m asking nicely.”
“You own this place? I’m part of this show too. I’ve got every right to live upstairs. I’m not the only one—your childhood friend’s here too!”
Dragging Chi-yu into it, Yu-hyun finally made their eyes meet.
“You want to stay upstairs?” Tae-oh asked.
Chi-yu opened his mouth to say no, but Yu-hyun cut him off.
“Of course he does! I’ll share with Guide Kang. The three of us will stay upstairs!”
Tae-oh looked at Chi-yu. Chi-yu looked back at Yu-hyun, flustered. Yu-hyun tilted his head, pulling a pitiful face only Chi-yu could see. With a soft sigh, Chi-yu said,
“I don’t think Guides and Espers need to be forcibly split between floors.”
Tae-oh sighed too, then said he’d move Yoon Do-jae and Beom Do-il downstairs instead. Yu-hyun muttered that he only listened to his childhood friend, never to him.
Watching the two bicker nonstop, Chi-yu was seized by a strange feeling. Even to himself, it was unfamiliar.
Bitter, stifled. A little sad. A little heavy.
He drew in a long breath and turned his back on them. But before he could take a step toward the stairs, Tae-oh caught his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah—to my room. If I have to switch rooms, I should move my stuff—”
“Guide me first. I’m dying here.”
“…Ah.”
“I’ll do it.”
Yu-hyun suddenly reached his hand toward Tae-oh.
Chi-yu’s heart sank. Tae-oh’s brows shot up.
“Since we’re obviously going to Pair, and since I’m moving upstairs, I’ll give you some Guiding now as a bonus.”
He said it as if their Pairing were already a done deal. Buried under layers of misunderstanding, it was all too easy for Chi-yu to take it the wrong way.
Tae-oh’s face said What the fuck are you talking about? But Yu-hyun just smiled, shaking his hand invitingly.
“So go on—take my Guiding first.”
Yu-hyun figured it would be good practice for contact Guiding anyway, especially if he wanted to secure his spot. He couldn’t imagine being refused.
After all, he was Min Yu-hyun—an S-rank Guide from the Central Bureau’s 1st Division. The Guide every Esper wanted.
He knew he was narcissistic, but his rank, ability, and talent made him superior. He’d always been praised for his looks, always certain he’d shine brighter than anyone beside him.
So why did Hyun Tae-oh treat him like nothing?
“Take your Guiding? Don’t make me laugh.”
Tae-oh scoffed.
“Fuck off. And why the hell would you be my Pair?”
Yu-hyun gritted his teeth, forcing his irritation down.
“Because once this show ends, the Pair becomes fixed on A Pair is Born. And right now, the only Pair the audience wants is you and me—”
“You really do spout bullshit seriously, don’t you?”
Tae-oh laughed coldly.
“There’s no world where I Pair with you. No world where I take your Guiding. So get lost.”
Then he turned to Chi-yu, hand extended.
“Guide me, Chi-yu. I’m really struggling right now.”
Yu-hyun stiffened, watching Chi-yu take Tae-oh’s hand. Tae-oh pulled him straight into his room.
Left behind, Yu-hyun exhaled in relief that the cameras weren’t running yet.
But he was furious. No one—no one—was allowed to treat him that way. And yet Tae-oh dismissed him coldly, just because he was an SS-rank Esper.
Pride wounded, Yu-hyun swallowed his anger down.
Inside the room, Kang Chi-yu was bewildered. The way Tae-oh treated him wasn’t romantic at all—it was no different from how he treated anyone else. If anything, he seemed even more annoyed.
Chi-yu tilted his head slightly, still not understanding what was going on.
