“…Ah, is it really that hard for you? Your eye color still looks fine, though….”
Chi-yu spoke while staring straight into Do-jae’s eyes.
Do-jae’s gaze trembled faintly under that unwavering look. It was the first time someone had looked at him so closely, so fully, as if they’d filled their eyes with nothing but him. Seeing his own reflection inside Kang Chi-yu’s eyes made his heart race.
His ears burned hot, no doubt glowing red without even needing to check. He worried Chi-yu might notice and get flustered, but Chi-yu didn’t seem to care about his ears at all.
“It’s probably because I’m only a B-rank, and I’ve been Guiding Tae-oh nonstop, right?”
Chi-yu continued with that same worried expression.
“So the amount or quality of Guiding I can give Esper Yoon Do-jae might be a bit lacking….”
“Huh? …Ah. No, that’s not it….”
“Should I ask Guide Min Yu-hyun to help instead?”
“What!?”
“If you received some Guiding from him, you’d probably feel much more comfortable….”
“No! That’s not it at all. Don’t misunderstand—it’s not lacking.”
Yoon Do-jae shook his head firmly.
“I don’t want Guiding from anyone else. I only want Guiding from you, Guide Kang Chi-yu.”
“…You mean… saliva-contact Guiding…?”
Chi-yu asked cautiously.
Do-jae answered without hesitation, his voice unwavering.
“Yes.”
Chi-yu’s face immediately turned as red as Do-jae’s ears.
“Th-that would be a little… difficult….”
His voice cracked with embarrassment.
Do-jae, watching him, pressed further: would Chi-yu allow it if they became Pairs?
“…What?”
“If you and I became Pairs, would you allow it then?”
Chi-yu blinked, speechless.
There was no chance he could Pair with Yoon Do-jae. Hyun Tae-oh had already declared his intent to claim him. Abandoning Tae-oh to become Do-jae’s Pair was impossible.
It was a love he’d carried for so long he couldn’t even measure how many years had passed. Finally, when that love was within reach, the thought of forming a Pair with someone else was unthinkable.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to cut Do-jae down with a cold rejection either.
The cameras were still rolling—they had to finish the shoot smoothly, without awkwardness or hurt feelings.
Chi-yu decided he’d explain his feelings for Tae-oh properly after filming ended. For now, he gave a small nod.
Do-jae, bracing himself for rejection, couldn’t help but smile when Chi-yu unexpectedly nodded.
Chi-yu froze for a moment, startled by the radiant, carefree smile on Do-jae’s face—a smile he’d never seen before.
Do-jae’s cameraman quickly zoomed in, while Chi-yu’s director zoomed out to capture the two of them standing face-to-face.
***
Beom Do-il’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of a mutant beast.
His assigned zone wasn’t supposed to have Gates, so there should have been no reason for one to appear here.
But right in front of him stood a grotesque monster, tongue flicking out, three eyeballs bulging from its head and rolling wildly. It was clearly a new mutant species, one not listed in the codex.
Though only an A-rank and unable to take on mutant beasts, Do-il desperately tried to hold it back, shouting for the camera crew to use their teleportation accessories.
The directors, wearing safety necklaces, pressed them and teleported away. Confirming their escape, Do-il shouted to Min Yu-hyun.
“I’ll hold it off—teleport and get backup!”
Yu-hyun’s face twisted in outrage.
“You want me to abandon my partner and run away alone?!”
The beast’s tongue lashed toward him in that instant. With both water and ice attributes, Do-il instantly raised an ice wall to shield him.
“I’m not saying run away—just get help! I can’t take down a mutant beast, and I might not even be able to protect myself. That’s why—”
Before he could finish, Yu-hyun immobilized the tongue, and Do-il reflexively cut it down.
The beast shrieked and grew another tongue, launching another attack.
Together, they fought desperately to withstand the barrage.
While Do-il bought him time, Yu-hyun managed to press his mic to call for backup.
But then—
The mutant beast suddenly lunged at Yu-hyun from behind. It happened too fast to dodge.
The moment Yu-hyun’s eyes widened at the monster right in his face, Beom Do-il teleported in front of him, pulling him into his arms.
“Khk!”
“Esper Beom Do-il!”
Do-il cried out as the beast’s fangs sank into his shoulder. Yu-hyun immediately forced it into Sleep before it could rip him apart.
Thanks to that, the worst was avoided, but blood gushed like a fountain, splattering both their faces.
Yu-hyun, notorious for hating filth even on the battlefield, looked stunned. Do-il instinctively apologized.
Yu-hyun grimaced in disbelief. His shoulder was shredded, yet he was apologizing over a little blood splatter?
What kind of man did he take him for, to think he’d scold the very person who just saved him?
He wanted to shout at Do-il for apologizing in that state, but seeing how much pain he was in, Yu-hyun couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice.
When the support team arrived, they froze at the sight of Do-il’s mangled shoulder and Yu-hyun drenched in blood. No one dared speak until they were teleported to the hospital.
Do-il was pale, wracked with pain. Yu-hyun’s face was taut, as if ready to explode.
***
“Just in case, I’ll set up a barrier.”
Yoon Do-jae spoke as he raised a Defensive Barrier with his wind attribute.
“I can put them to sleep, though.”
“It’s fine. There are only twelve, I’ll finish quickly.”
“But still….”
“It’s not that I don’t need your Sleep ability. I’m worried that if you’re put in danger, I’ll lose focus. That’s all.”
At those words, Chi-yu glanced nervously toward the cameras filming him.
“I don’t want a single hair on your head harmed. Please wait here.”
Do-jae sealed Chi-yu inside the barrier and teleported straight into battle.
Chi-yu, stuck awkwardly inside alongside the cameramen, let out a long sigh.
Even the civilian staff were out there unshielded, yet he, a Guide, was huddled safely behind a barrier—it was embarrassing.
He’d let Do-jae’s overprotective behavior slide so far, but as it grew more blatant, he began to wonder if he wasn’t handling it wrong. Maybe it was time to draw a firm line before things went further.
Just as that thought formed, Do-jae reappeared, dropped the barrier, and asked:
“Were you bored?”
“…Ah, no, not at all. But, Esper Yoon Do-jae, I think we need to set some things straight—”
Before Chi-yu could finish, Do-jae cut him off, as if reading his intent.
“Guide Kang Chi-yu.”
“…Yes.”
“Please give me more time.”
“…What?”
“Watch me longer. Judge me longer. Experience me longer. If even then you feel I’m not the one, you can reject me.”
“……”
“If at that point you still think I’m not right, I won’t pursue you anymore. Isn’t that enough?”
“…I….”
Chi-yu bit his lower lip.
“I’m not asking you to blindly choose me. Just… please give me a chance.”
“……”
“The chance to win you over.”
***
Beom Do-il nearly collapsed the moment he teleported into the hospital. Min Yu-hyun caught him firmly by the waist, supporting him, and quickly called for a doctor.
In the emergency ward, while Do-il’s shirt was removed for treatment, Yu-hyun stood with arms crossed, watching intently.
Do-il’s body was surprisingly well-built.
Most Espers relied on their abilities and tended to have lean, model-like builds rather than heavily muscled ones. Hyun Tae-oh and Yoon Do-jae were exceptions, training their bodies rigorously. But overall, Espers had sleeker, more refined physiques than athletic ones.
Yet Do-il stood out with his broad shoulders and solidly toned frame. Even in uniform it had been noticeable, but bare, it was striking.
As the doctor worked, Yu-hyun’s eyes roamed unabashedly over every line of his body.
Though still lightheaded from blood loss, once his wound was cleaned and bandaged, Do-il felt steadier. But Yu-hyun’s unrelenting stare made him uneasy.
“Um… Guide Min Yu-hyun, you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
Embarrassed by that scrutiny, he asked. Yu-hyun only clicked his tongue in irritation, giving no reply.
Do-il had no idea what was so displeasing.
“Why did you save me?”
“…What…?”
“I’m a Guide, but I’m S-rank. I’m better in combat than most Espers. Even if you hadn’t recklessly thrown yourself in front of me, I could’ve handled it. I would’ve put that beast to Sleep one way or another.”
“…Ah.”
“You knew you’d get hurt. If I hadn’t put it down in time, your shoulder would’ve been ripped off. No one knows that better than you, Esper Beom Do-il.”
Do-il stared at him silently.
“You’re my partner. Of course I had to save you.”
Then he spoke in a voice full of gentle warmth, smiling brightly like a child.
Yu-hyun’s eyes widened, then his face hardened.
“Tch. Acting like that after just a week of being partners….”
He muttered bitterly, spinning on his heel. But his pale neck and ears betrayed him, flushed red.
