“What did I tell you? I told you not to listen to Kim Joon-young.”
From Lee Han-seo’s point of view, this was utter bullshit—yet somehow, Park Woo-jun fell for it every single time. At this point, Han-seo was almost impressed.
“B-But still…”
Woo-jun pushed away the hand covering his mouth and looked like he was about to cry from sheer injustice. Han-seo seriously debated whether to kill him or let him live. For now, he decided to keep him alive—he was curious what kind of insane nonsense would come out of his mouth next.
“That senior said… said you’d leave me… sniff… and go to another Esper… some rich Esper…!”
The tears that had just started to dry suddenly turned into a full-blown flood. It looked like actually saying it out loud made him even more emotional. Damn it. It was unbelievably cute… but also driving Han-seo insane. He was furious and exasperated, yet still found Woo-jun—who was a full head taller—adorable. That in itself was terrifying.
“Hey. Park Woo-jun. If I hear even a rumor that you stepped one foot into that lab, I swear to God, I’m ending this. Imprint or not, we’re done. You got that? Huh? Did you hear me?!”
“Hnnngh… You say that, but you’re already checking out other Espers. I saw it just now… for over thirty minutes…!”
Incredibly, Woo-jun even looked genuinely wronged. …Should I kill him? Seriously? Whether he realized how close Han-seo’s patience was to snapping or not, Woo-jun kept sobbing.
“Just one month! I said we should rest for one damn month! Are you trying to blow a hole in my sanity?! Is that why you’re acting like you can’t understand me?! Huh?!”
Han-seo had just wanted a peaceful break. One month to rest, go on a few dates, be all lovey-dovey. But no—this idiot just didn’t get it. Han-seo was about to lose his mind.
“No… I wanna work. Make money… so I can buy you your favorite meat…”
“Even if you work every single day for the rest of your life, you’re never gonna earn more than me!”
Sure, Woo-jun got tens of millions wired into his account after every mission. He wasn’t hurting for cash. But trying to keep up with Lee Han-seo, the ultimate trust fund baby, was laughable.
Han-seo had received a Gangnam apartment for his fifth birthday, a commercial building in Sinchon for his tenth, and company shares the year after that. By the time he finished elementary school, he already had enough money to last multiple lifetimes.
Woo-jun might’ve been a bit slow and overly timid, but he wasn’t dumb. So this had to be either: one, someone with a silver tongue had tricked him into volunteering for the lab, or two, he just couldn’t stand the thought of Han-seo Guiding another Esper. It was one or the other.
“I don’t care! I’m going to the lab tomorrow! Don’t try to stop me!”
“HEY!!”
…Or maybe it was both.
People walking by were starting to sneak glances into the Guiding Room, probably wondering what all the shouting was about. If Kim Joon-young heard this, they’d be so screwed. Han-seo stormed past Woo-jun—who was now covering his ears and shaking his head like a child—locked the door, and activated the soundproofing wall.
“Park Woo-jun. As impossible as this sounds, are you trying to break up with me or something? Is this your twisted way of staging a protest and I’m just too dense to get it? Huh? Are you trying to say goodbye and I’m the idiot who’s not getting the message?!”
“La la la, not listening! I’m gonna sign up for the research right now!”
“JUST ONE MONTH!!”
“I’m going! And you better not go to work either!”
“God, just rest! Take care of that body—it’s mine!!“
Han-seo felt like his throat was stuffed with an entire sack of dry roasted chestnuts. He might as well mash them all up and make a damn chestnut latte out of it.
Maybe it was the yelling, maybe it was the rage—but dizziness suddenly hit him. He grabbed the desk for balance, and Woo-jun panicked, rushing to support him.
“W-What’s wrong, Han-seo?! Are you sick?!”
Honestly, he felt better than that one time he got dizzy from playing the recorder too long in elementary school. But Han-seo kept his eyes lowered and went limp, acting like he was about to pass out. The voice above his head freaked out completely. It was a deeply satisfying reaction.
He hadn’t planned this from the start, but yeah—pretending to collapse was the fastest way to turn roasted chestnuts into a smooth, delicious mousse.
“Han-seo, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! What do I do?!”
What do you do? Easy. The blinds are down, the soundproof wall is up—time to kiss, maybe get a little handsy, see where it leads. That’s literally what the soundproofing wall is for.
Completely unaware of his Guide’s devious thoughts, Woo-jun looked like he was about to faint from panic. Han-seo, eyes still closed and ears on high alert, was secretly thrilled. If this guy could just keep his head on straight, he was so soft that even a single sigh from Han-seo could send him spiraling. And yet, every so often, he had to pull crap like this and drive him insane.
If only Woo-jun knew how much it gutted Han-seo every time he came back bloody and bruised from a mission. If he saw how dead Han-seo’s eyes got every time Woo-jun stared at him without recognition. If he knew how much it tore Han-seo apart, he’d never insist on going out again.
“W-We need to call the medical team—!”
Even the newest Guides knew about the close, shady ties between the medical unit and the research lab. And now this guy wanted to just walk into their arms? That was practically begging to be turned into test data.
“Are you really this clueless?”
Han-seo’s eyes flew open and he grabbed Woo-jun by the collar. Not that it mattered—Woo-jun looked completely relieved that he was awake. Grinning through tear-streaked cheeks, he looked as harmless as a village mutt.
“Ugh… I’d rather die. Seriously, I’d rather just die than deal with this.”
“I-I’m sorry… It’s all my fault. Please don’t be sick, Han-seo.”
Still… in all his life, had there ever been anyone who loved Lee Han-seo this recklessly? Someone who gave everything they had and still thought it wasn’t enough—someone who treated him like spun sugar drifting on water, precious and fragile, like he needed to be cherished every second?
“Enough already, you idiot. Are you taking the Recovery Ampoule or not? Say it. Right now.”
“……”
“……?”
“Hehe.”
“Just try me one more time. I will kill you.”
Whether it was from high blood pressure or sheer frustration—this was Han-seo’s own personal sweet potato. He let out a deep sigh and tugged the annoyingly handsome face closer.
“We’ve still got a little time before we’re off the clock. Let’s kiss.”
“Just a kiss?”
“……”
“Okay, okay. Just a kiss.”
This time, without being told, Park Woo-jun leaned in, syncing his breathing like a pro. He went straight for a tongue-to-tongue kiss—like that was the obvious next step. When it came to moments like this, the idiot was freakishly sharp.
“Mmmf…”
Now that he thought about it—had he locked the door when he activated the soundproof wall earlier? Arms wrapped around Woo-jun’s neck, head tipped back, Han-seo briefly lost himself in thought. Sensing his hesitation, Woo-jun pressed their lips together more firmly, nuzzling into the kiss like he was trying to soothe him.
Their kiss deepened, slow and hot. Tongues tangled and explored, breath catching in their throats. By the time Han-seo felt a tight knot forming low in his stomach, his body was already reacting. His thighs squeezed together, his legs rubbing against each other as if to ease the tension.
Maybe that slight movement gave him away—because Woo-jun was still kissing him, but now he was chuckling low in his throat. Annoyed, Han-seo bit the tip of his tongue in retaliation, hard.
“Ah…!”
But Woo-jun took it as permission. His hand darted down without missing a beat. Even if it was the wrong answer, the boldness alone deserved an A+. That big hand slipped straight past his waistband, rubbing against the half-hard heat with slow, purposeful pressure. Han-seo’s lashes trembled. His legs tingled all over.
Feeling like he was about to completely lose it, Han-seo yanked at Woo-jun’s collar in desperation. Usually, it was the Esper who lost control first during Guiding—but with them, it was always Han-seo who gave in first, spiraling into pleasure before Woo-jun ever did.
Which meant that by the time he came back to his senses, he was always shirtless—while Woo-jun, more often than not, still had his zipper up. So if there was ever a window to stay sane, it was now. Han-seo had to get his damn clothes off while he still had the clarity.
Because no matter how you looked at it, whether you were a Guide or an Esper, wanting to touch the person you love—wanting to feel skin on skin—that craving was universal.
“Hey—hang on a sec. Lemme take this off first…”
His fingers shook with arousal, fumbling clumsily with Woo-jun’s clothes. Watching him struggle like that only made Woo-jun feel more lightheaded. Still, he held himself back, letting Han-seo take the lead. When Han-seo whispered, Lift your arms, he did. When he said, Take off your pants, in that impossibly sweet voice, Woo-jun obeyed without complaint.
The moment Han-seo grinned like he was finally satisfied, Woo-jun felt his heart do a flip. Damn it, Han-seo… you’re seriously insane.
He smiled through clenched teeth, the kind of smile you made when your heart was getting pummeled in the best possible way. The way Han-seo wrecked him from the inside out was just too much.
