“Nice to meet you, Esper Park Woo-jun. I’m Song Ga-eun, an A-Class Guide. There was a bit of confusion earlier, so I’m running a little late. You must’ve been bored waiting, right?”
“…It’s fine. And, uh, waiting wasn’t that boring or anything.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Alright, I’ll go ahead and unlock the isolation room, so why don’t you try stepping out—slowly. Very slowly. Imagine there’s a tray of raw eggs under your feet.”
As the isolation room door slid open, Park Woo-jun tried to follow her instructions—moving as cautiously as if he were walking across a sheet of ice. But the moment the door opened, it suddenly became hard to control his body. No matter how careful he tried to be, every time he set his foot down, the cement floor cracked beneath him with a loud crunch.
“Uhh…”
“It’s okay. That’s completely normal right after an awakening, so don’t panic. Here, come take my hand first. You’re not in pain or feeling overwhelmed yet, right? The anesthetic’s strong—it should last at least thirty minutes. As long as you get Guided before then, you’ll be fine.”
Park Woo-jun hesitated, unsure whether it was okay to take her hand. It wasn’t just that he was worried he might accidentally crush her—though her hand barely reached his chest. More than anything, he wasn’t the type to casually touch someone he’d just met.
Song Ga-eun chuckled softly and reached out to take his hand herself. Her slender fingers were just about to touch his trembling ones when—
Someone came running down the hall at full speed, panting hard.
Something about the sound made Woo-jun’s heart race. Almost like his body moved on its own, he turned his head instinctively—like a magnet had yanked him toward the source.
“Noona!! I told you he’s mine!!”
Woo-jun nearly thought his eardrums had burst. A shout that he normally could’ve brushed off now thundered straight into his brain, resonating like a drumbeat behind his eyes.
The pain was so intense he collapsed on the spot, clutching his ears. Song Ga-eun immediately placed a hand on his back. A soothing sensation began to spread from the point of contact, slowly calming him. So this is what Guiding feels like…
“Noona! How many times do I have to tell you to listen to your respected sunbae? Huh? By rank or experience, I should be the one handling him!”
“Oh, please. Are you serious right now, Lee Han-seo? I mean—excuse me, sunbae! At least lie with a straight face. You, helping new Espers adjust? Even a stray dog would laugh at that.”
“Why not? I’m a Guide too. There’s no reason I can’t do it.”
“Oh, there’s plenty of reasons. Starting with this—does Ryu Ho-yeon sunbae know you’re here? If you already told him and he’s fine with it, then maybe I’ll step aside.”
“……”
“Come on, Mr. Park Woo-jun. You must’ve been really shaken. Let’s get you Guided first.”
The man who had barged in like a bulldozer now stood frozen in the hallway, looking devastated. Leaving him behind, Woo-jun followed Song Ga-eun down an unfamiliar corridor. But for some reason, he couldn’t stop himself from looking back.
When he did, the man—who had just been yelling his lungs out—was now standing there like a lost puppy in the rain, no umbrella in sight. It was Park Woo-jun’s first time seeing him in person, but even someone with zero interest in media couldn’t live in this country without recognizing that face.
Of course he knew who the man was. Asia’s first and only S-Class Guide, Lee Han-seo.
“Um… that guy…”
“Oh, don’t worry about him. That’s Guide Lee Han-seo—you’ve probably seen him on the news, right? Your rank hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’re expecting at least A-Class, so we were planning to assign a temporary Guide from the A-Class roster. But that guy? He’s been throwing a fit since yesterday, insisting he should do it. That’s what caused the delay.”
In the media, Lee Han-seo always looked stern and cold—kind of intimidating. But seeing him in person, he looked more like a flustered chick flapping its wings. It was oddly fascinating. And strangely… disappointing. Why can’t he be the one Guiding me? And who the heck is this ‘Ho-yeon’ she mentioned?
Even after being Guided and transferred to the Chief of Espers’ department for orientation, Park Woo-jun couldn’t get Lee Han-seo out of his mind.
***
“Hey. You’re the new Esper, right?”
That sharp, almost bratty voice that had etched itself into his brain suddenly spoke up again. It was during lunch, right after morning training, when Park Woo-jun was eating alone. He was mid-bite and couldn’t respond, so he just looked up with wide eyes, spoon still in his mouth. Lee Han-seo jabbed him in the forehead with an annoyed expression.
“Remember me? I’m the one who Guided you during your awakening.”
Of course he didn’t. From Woo-jun’s perspective, he’d just blacked out and woken up already labeled an Esper, dragged to the Center.
“Oh? Giving me the silent treatment?”
He quickly shook his head. Han-seo grinned. “We’re the same age, so I’m dropping honorifics, cool?”
And just like that, he stuck to it.
“Did you get your evaluation yet? Got a Guide assigned?”
Han-seo plopped down in the seat beside him and wouldn’t stop talking as Woo-jun ate. No, he hadn’t been evaluated yet, which meant no assigned Guide. For now, he just clocked in at the Guide Management Department like a good little newbie.
If he could’ve answered all that out loud, he would’ve. But like always, his lips and tongue felt way too heavy. He avoided Han-seo’s gaze and fiddled with the rice on his tray with his chopsticks.
“I’m Lee Han-seo. Say it—Lee Han-seo.”
“Lee Han-seo…”
It was a name he already knew, but repeating it aloud like it was his first time hearing it made his heart pound. For the first time, Park Woo-jun wanted to run away.
“Good job. That’s your Guide’s name, so don’t forget it.”
Lee Han-seo beamed, all smiles, completely unaware of the chaos he was stirring in someone else’s chest. Meanwhile, Park Woo-jun’s heart was pounding like a drum again.
“M-My Guide…? B-But… isn’t it supposed to be decided after the rank evaluation, based on the Matching Rate…?”
“Nope. Forget all that. You’re gonna be my Pair. I’ve already made up my mind.”
Woo-jun nearly nodded on instinct—but barely stopped himself just in time. The word S-Class echoed in his head. Lee Han-seo was an S-Class Guide. And as far as he knew, the only S-Class Esper in the entire country was Team Leader Kim Joon-young.
Someone like him? Barely awakened, completely unranked? There was no way he’d ever reach that level. Being paired with someone like Han-seo felt so far-fetched it was almost laughable. He lowered his eyes, his voice small.
“I haven’t been ranked yet… S-Sorry…”
He wasn’t even rejecting the idea—just apologizing for not having a rank yet. But that alone took all the courage he had in him.
Han-seo furrowed his brow slightly, tilting his head. Woo-jun tensed. What if he got mad? What if he stormed off?
His family used to do that—snapping at him the moment he stuttered, calling him slow, stupid, and eventually giving up on him altogether.
“You don’t want to?”
Instead of yelling, Han-seo simply asked. Just that. And Woo-jun panicked.
He shook his head so hard it nearly came off, flailing his hands for good measure—even though he’d already dropped his spoon.
“N-No! It’s not that I don’t want to—!”
“Then that’s all I need to hear. If it’s not a no, that means it’s a yes.”
Han-seo’s voice was so upbeat it practically bounced. Not like a melody with musical notes, but more like soft raindrops pattering on a lotus leaf—light, playful, and warm.
And once again, Woo-jun’s heart went wild. Yes. Of course yes. But how could someone like him possibly be allowed to want that? Someone so ordinary—barely even qualified—paired with the Lee Han-seo? Could he even say it out loud?
As he hesitated, flustered and unsure, Han-seo leaned in closer, grinning as he teased, “So? Do you like the idea? Yes? No? Huh? Huh?”
His eyelashes fluttered. His face was way too close. Close enough that Woo-jun could feel his breath. His brain felt like it might explode from the heat.
“Y-Y-Yeah… I do…”
The words squeaked out—tiny, barely a whisper, as if dragged up from the bottom of his soul. His eyes were clenched shut the whole time. And naturally, the whisper was so faint, there was no way even a Guide like Han-seo could’ve caught it.
“Hm? What was that? Say it louder.”
Woo-jun swallowed hard. He could feel it—if he didn’t speak now, if he let this moment pass, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
“I… I want to be your Pair… Han-seo. I want to be matched with you…”
Oh god. I said it. I actually said it…!
Still whispering like he was trying to vanish into the air, Woo-jun shot to his feet, grabbed his tray, and bolted from the cafeteria like a man on fire.
“…Wait, what? Hey! Where are you going?! Park Woo-jun! You can’t just drop a bomb like that and run off! Hey! Hey!!”
Needless to say, he had no idea his voice had been so soft that even Lee Han-seo—Guide or not—hadn’t heard a word of it.
