“Phone number? Yeah, I gave it to them. They said they needed a virtual one so their own numbers wouldn’t be exposed. I asked an acquaintance to set it up under my name and handed it over. But what about it? It’s not like I told them to use it to threaten some B-rank Guide. All I did was lend them a number, that’s it.”
Watching Sung Ji-yeol insist, to the bitter end, that he’d done nothing wrong, Yoon Do-jae recalled what Hyun Tae-oh had told him.
“Don’t waste your time trying to reason with the queen bee. Just say one thing: if he wants the same thing done to him that he did to Kang Chi-yu, then he should keep it up.”
Even without meeting him, Tae-oh seemed to have Sung Ji-yeol pegged.
Maybe it was because he despised people almost to the point of obsession—like a man with a human phobia—that he understood them so well. Whatever the reason, it was clear that persuasion was useless.
So Yoon Do-jae repeated Tae-oh’s words exactly.
“If you want the same thing done to you that you did to Guide Kang Chi-yu, then by all means, keep at it.”
Sung Ji-yeol’s face instantly hardened.
“…Those were Esper Hyun Tae-oh’s exact words.”
At that name, his rigid expression drained of color.
At heart, Sung Ji-yeol was the type who caved in front of power. And when someone as overwhelmingly strong as Hyun Tae-oh delivered a warning, he knew better than to keep harassing Guide Kang Chi-yu.
He immediately switched sides and told Yoon Do-jae,
“I’m not planning to get involved anymore. I won’t be helping those B-rank Guide antis either.”
Still, irritation leaked through as he muttered,
“But seriously, what the hell is it about that B-rank that makes Esper Hyun Tae-oh so protective?”
All this fuss just because of a childhood friend—it was absurd.
Of course, Hyun Tae-oh, notorious for his so-called “human germaphobia,” probably cherished his one and only friend. But still…
That was when Sung Ji-yeol heard a word that nearly made his jaw drop.
“His lover. Esper Hyun Tae-oh’s lover.”
***
Some people are just destined to succeed. The B-rank Guide who became Hyun Tae-oh’s lover rocketed to stardom when the Black Gate Special aired in place of the canceled episode of A Pair is Born.
Unlike most Guides, who possessed only one ability, Kang Chi-yu had both Rampage Recovery and Wave Stabilization. He skillfully and quickly stabilized Espers brought in at the brink of Rampage.
To the public, he looked like an exceptionally capable Guide. But among Guides, the buzz was even louder—because only they could fully appreciate just how meticulous and precise his Guiding was.
While using Rampage Recovery, he would also employ first-stage Wave Stabilization, making things easier for the next Guide to step in.
Later, to conserve his energy, he switched to using only Rampage Recovery—but that too was praised as smart and efficient.
And when a nearly Rampaging Mutant Beast was suddenly summoned into the Guide Safe Zone, Kang Chi-yu rushed in without hesitation and cast Rampage Recovery. That bold act became a story passed around Guides everywhere.
Thanks to that, he won not only the admiration of the public but also respect within the Guide community, quickly rising as a star in his own right.
Watching this unfold, Sung Ji-yeol realized one thing: Kang Chi-yu was not someone to make an enemy of.
He still thought it was ridiculous—what was a B-rank worth, anyway?—but Chi-yu was both Hyun Tae-oh’s lover and a Guide whose abilities had been recognized through the Black Gate incident.
Befriending him couldn’t hurt.
No—in fact, it could be an opportunity.
Getting close to Chi-yu meant getting closer to Hyun Tae-oh. And with Chi-yu’s backing, it might even be possible to drag Min Yu-hyun down.
Both Chi-yu and Yu-hyun annoyed him, but Chi-yu’s absolute ally made him untouchable for now. Yu-hyun, though—this was the perfect chance to tear down someone who’d always grated on him with his legion of fans.
Whistling, Sung Ji-yeol began to think about how best to cozy up to Guide Kang Chi-yu.
***
Chi-yu found himself puzzled at how quiet his phone had become. He guessed maybe, after the Black Gate broadcast, even the antis had changed their tune.
After the broadcast, he realized just how many fans he’d gained.
Mostly he heard about it from Lee Jun-hyung, through comments and news mentions. But there were plenty of ordinary people too—loitering near his under-repair house or staking out near Hyun Tae-oh’s, knowing that’s where he was staying.
And after the incident with the Mutant Beast in the Guide Safe Zone, even Central Bureau Guides started showing interest in him. It hit him then—he’d really “made it.”
He had no idea Hyun Tae-oh and Yoon Do-jae had been the ones to quietly resolve things behind the scenes. To him, it simply felt like the sudden flood of fans had silenced the antis.
“Three days left. Want to go on a trip?”
Hyun Tae-oh asked as he casually draped an arm over Chi-yu’s shoulder, seated beside him on the sofa.
These days, Tae-oh rested his arm on Chi-yu’s shoulder everywhere—walking outside, wandering the house, even on the couch or bed.
When Chi-yu had once asked why, Tae-oh had answered with that absurd line: “I like how you fit snugly into my arms.”
Which made no sense, since Chi-yu wasn’t exactly short.
Granted, Tae-oh was tall even for an Esper, but saying that an adult man—one who wasn’t on the smaller side—fit “snugly” into his arms? Chi-yu honestly had no idea how to react.
Still, he couldn’t deny he liked the closeness, so he had no intention of stopping him.
“Where?”
Honestly, just being at Tae-oh’s house was enjoyable enough. He had no strong desire to go elsewhere. But Tae-oh thought his house might feel stifling, so he asked anyway.
“Anywhere. Isn’t there some place you’ve always wanted to go?”
“Mm… not really?”
“How about the beach? That newly reopened zone.”
“…Ah, Q-Zone?”
Tae-oh nodded.
Chi-yu remembered hearing Guides talk about it. After the Mutant Beasts that once inhabited Q-Zone suddenly vanished last year, word spread about its stunning beaches. Everyone wanted to see them.
Once a restricted zone, it had been reopened and quickly developed into a vacation spot for Espers and Guides. It sounded like there’d be plenty to see.
Tae-oh seemed to think so too, saying it would make a good trip.
Chi-yu nodded. “That sounds nice.”
“Then how about right now?”
The words right now sent a jolt through him, filling him with sudden nerves.
Living at Tae-oh’s house didn’t feel awkward—his own home was under repair, after all, and there was a good reason for staying.
But their first trip since becoming lovers—that was different. It felt like something he needed to prepare himself for.
The thought of a couple’s first trip carried a certain weight. It wasn’t pure excitement—it made his chest tighten.
He couldn’t exactly explain why, but he wasn’t bold enough to just say yes so casually.
Back when they were childhood friends, traveling had been simple. Now the meaning of such a trip was completely different.
“No, not right now. Let’s go on the weekend. Do-il and Jun-hyung can come too—”
“What? Why the hell would we bring those humans along?” Tae-oh frowned before Chi-yu even finished.
“…You do realize you’re human and I’m human too, right?”
“Doesn’t matter. Why drag them along? This is our first trip.”
“Our first trip was when we graduated from the Esper Academy.”
After graduation, they’d gone on a ten-day trip together.
They’d traveled a few times since, but that had been their first long journey, far from home.
There hadn’t been any romantic train or plane rides—they teleported everywhere. But the beauty and mystery of the unfamiliar zone had captivated them, and they’d had fun exploring.
Back then, Chi-yu had been quietly in love, following Tae-oh wherever he wanted, secretly thrilled at the idea of a trip with just the two of them.
Knowing Tae-oh wasn’t the type to travel with anyone else, he’d filled the trip with silent hopes.
But the reality had been nothing more than a clean, simple trip between childhood friends. He’d been disappointed—silently—and comforted himself alone.
Tae-oh would probably never know what he’d felt back then.
“That wasn’t when we were dating. We hadn’t even kissed or held hands.”
It was almost as if Tae-oh had read his mind.
Chi-yu let out a soft, incredulous laugh. “Since when is a trip just about kissing and holding hands?”
“That’s obviously part of the point.”
“We do that plenty at home. And we’ve got all the time in the world. We’re not in a rush.”
Even after all that, Tae-oh didn’t back down.
“I still want to go, just the two of us.”
“Not long ago, Do-il and Jun-hyung helped us out with the Anti mess…”
“Then pay them.”
“You really need to drop that capitalist mindset of yours—thinking money solves everything. And do you think they even need it?”
Central Bureau members didn’t exactly lack money. With salaries, bonuses, hazard pay, and emergency assembly allowances, they made staggering sums each month.
“Do we really have to bring them?”
“It’s not bringing them. Going together is just more fun.”
“Being together, just us, is way more fun.”
“Well… yeah, but…”
Chi-yu trailed off, clearly uneasy.
Tae-oh tightened his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“What is it?”
He knew there was another reason. His face demanded the truth.
Chi-yu let out a short sigh and finally spoke from the heart.
“It’s just… we only just started dating, so it feels a little awkward. Not that you’re awkward—it’s more that we are. The change between us feels… I don’t know, different. Not exactly awkward, but…”
Even as the words left his mouth, he realized he didn’t know what he was saying.
Scratching his forehead, he struggled to gather his scattered thoughts into something coherent.
