Lee Han-seo had worked up quite a bit of courage before asking the question—something that, to him, felt like a big decision.
“…? Oh. I see.”
But the response he got was strangely underwhelming. With a puzzled expression, Park Woo-jun tilted his head and brushed it off like it was no big deal. It was the kind of reaction that said, “Why are you making such a fuss over something so minor?” He even smiled warmly and added, “You must be tired. Go take a shower and get some rest.”
As far as Han-seo knew, Woo-jun’s family had emigrated around the time he started high school. They hadn’t returned to Korea even once since then, which meant this was their first visit back in nearly a decade. Sure, before their deployment, Woo-jun had warned him that his family wasn’t particularly close, unlike Han-seo’s. He’d said not to be too surprised if things felt a little distant. But Han-seo hadn’t expected this level of detachment.
Their youngest son had been risking his life weekly, toeing the line between life and death, yet they stayed oceans away. Even if they weren’t the most affectionate family, shouldn’t the first thing they do be asking whether he’d been seriously hurt—or whether the dungeon he was heading into was safe?
To Han-seo, that was just common sense. That was how the world should work.
“Why the serious face, baby?”
“……”
“Hehe. Look at that pout. So cute.”
Woo-jun just chuckled like none of this was a big deal and reached out to pinch Han-seo’s soft cheek. Han-seo wasn’t even sure what emotion it was, but something hot and sharp welled up inside him—then he swallowed it back down. He might’ve been naïve enough not to suspect that Woo-jun was hiding something, but he wasn’t cruel enough to stab a dagger into someone else’s wounds.
That night, with all its strange, lingering discomfort, passed uneventfully.
***
“Hey! Woo-jun hyung!”
It had been a while since the two had commuted to the Esper team office together. After lunch at the cafeteria, they grabbed coffee to go and strolled hand in hand, enjoying the kind of peace that made it feel like the world couldn’t possibly touch them.
And then—someone shouted from behind.
“Woo-jun hyung!” came the voice, loud and far too familiar.
Who the hell calls someone else’s boyfriend that sweetly? Han-seo turned around faster than Woo-jun did, his expression already souring.
“…Esper Kim Young-woo.”
“Oh, and the Guide-nim’s here too! Long time no see. Out for a walk? Mind if I tag along?”
The moment Han-seo saw who it was, his face twisted like he’d bitten into something bitter. But whether Kim Young-woo didn’t notice or was pretending not to, he just smiled and, without waiting for a response, plopped himself beside Woo-jun while sipping on his bubble tea like nothing was wrong.
Kim Young-woo was the disaster incarnate who’d caused that whole mess a few months ago—the infamous Rotten Potato Incident. He barely remembered anything about his awakening, but one thing he did recall vividly was the image of Park Woo-jun rushing to save him. Ever since then, he’d been following Woo-jun around like a loyal puppy, constantly chirping, “Woo-jun hyung this, Woo-jun hyung that,” as if the man walked on air.
I’m the one who did the Guiding—so why is he obsessed with Park Woo-jun?
Still uneasy around Kim Young-woo because of their intense first encounter, Han-seo couldn’t even snap at him. He just stood there frozen, face awkward like a smiley potato on a lunch tray.
Every time he looked at Young-woo, he couldn’t help but remember that terrifying moment—bloodshot eyes, limbs twisted, crawling toward him like some ghost from a horror flick. Just the memory sent a chill down his spine.
Crap. Eye contact. Han-seo quickly softened his gaze and forced a smile. His lips, stretched to their limit, trembled slightly. Park Woo-jun, amused by how unlike Han-seo was acting, found it adorable and didn’t even bother moving Young-woo out of the way.
“I was so happy when basic training ended, but after that, I haven’t had a single chance to see you. If I’d known, I would’ve applied for an admin job instead. Hyung, you said you still come into the office when you’re not on missions, right?”
Kim Young-woo kept rambling without pause, like a one-man monologue. Han-seo instinctively tightened his grip on Woo-jun’s hand. Oblivious to the tension brewing beside him, Woo-jun just glanced down and chuckled, “Cute.” Han-seo mouthed, “Are you serious?” Woo-jun’s lips pulled wide open, showing off a full set of teeth like it was some kind of prize.
Meanwhile, Young-woo was still talking. “Woo-jun hyung, you’re listening, right?” Not even caring if anyone responded—just being next to Woo-jun seemed enough to make him happy.
In truth, Woo-jun didn’t pay much attention to anyone who didn’t directly approach Han-seo. But due to a strange sort of bureaucratic compromise, he and Young-woo inevitably ended up spending more face time together than either probably wanted.
So, Woo-jun simply treated him like a broken speaker—ignored his presence entirely, held onto Han-seo’s hand, and calmly kept walking. Han-seo, feeling awkward all by himself, shook out his empty coffee cup and forced down the last drops.
That’s when his back pocket buzzed. His phone.
Without a second thought, Han-seo handed his empty cup to Woo-jun and pulled out his phone. It was Chief Seo calling. Woo-jun peeked over and nodded toward the screen.
“Director Seo? You should take it.”
“Yeah. This might take a while. You go on ahead to the office. I’ll catch up after the call.”
“Why’s it gonna take a while?”
“The anniversary’s coming up, remember? Probably something about event planning. Anyway, just go. I can’t think straight when you’re around. Take that one with you too and clear him out.”
That last line was said in a near-whisper, like ventriloquism. But they were standing way too close for it to go unheard.
Popping his head out from behind, Kim Young-woo jabbed a finger at his own cheek.
“Whoa. Guide-nim—when you said ‘clear him out’… were you talking about me?”
“Uh, well… that is…”
“Ugh, forget it.”
With a groan, Han-seo shut his eyes tight and gave Park Woo-jun a firm shove on the shoulder. “Just go already.”
Yeah, sure—anyone would’ve been shocked seeing Kim Young-woo the day he awakened. His appearance alone could give someone nightmares. But for Han-seo, the real reason his heart still raced at the sight of the guy had less to do with his monstrous visuals and more with what came after.
That day, Woo-jun’s entire personality had done a complete 180. It had shaken Han-seo so deeply that even now, just being near Kim Young-woo was enough to send his pulse skyrocketing.
Woo-jun caught Han-seo’s startled shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Hurry and come inside,” he said with a soft smile before turning to walk away.
“W-Wait! Hyung, hang on! L-Let me put this down first!!”
Not one to forget orders—especially ones like “Get rid of him”—Woo-jun followed through without hesitation.
Kim Young-woo let out a panicked yelp as he was suddenly hoisted into the air like luggage, flailing in protest. Woo-jun didn’t even blink, carrying him off with zero concern for the guy’s dignity.
By the time Han-seo glanced back at his phone, the buzzing had stopped. The missed call was already logged.
Still, he didn’t move right away. Only after Woo-jun’s figure disappeared completely in the direction of the Main Building did Han-seo start scanning his surroundings. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he stepped off to a quiet corner and returned the call.
The line had barely rung twice when a familiar voice answered.
—Yes, Young Master.
“Sorry, Chief Seo. I was outside—couldn’t really pick up right away.”
—Is now a good time to talk?
“Yeah, it’s fine. What’s going on this time?”
—Ah… nothing major. Just—Team Leader Park’s mother contacted us. She’s asking if it’s possible to move into a place in the Mapo District.
“Mapo? Why? The area they’re in now isn’t exactly bad.”
That was putting it mildly.
When they came back to Korea with no property under their name—having sold everything off before emigrating—Han-seo had handpicked one of his apartments for them. It was in a location with one of the lowest dungeon activity rates and rented out at barely half the market value.
Not only that, but when they said the recently remodeled 36-pyeong apartment didn’t suit their taste, he’d redone the entire interior—wallpaper, flooring, everything. He’d handed them a fully customized space, and they hadn’t even been there a month. Now suddenly they wanted to move to Mapo?
The audacity left him speechless.
Judging by the clicking tongue on the other end, Chief Seo felt the same way.
—It seems to be because of Park Seon-jun’s commute.
“Unbelievable… They haven’t asked once how Woo-jun’s doing, but they’re worried about that guy getting to work?”
—If an apartment’s not available, they said a villa is fine too. They already know you own several buildings in Mapo.
“…What? How the hell do they know that?”
—Remember that article a while back? The one about underage chaebol kids and their real estate portfolios? Looks like they dug it up.
“Wow. So I’m just not allowed to have privacy, huh? What happened to data protection?”
—They didn’t use real names, but… come on. ‘H Corporation heir, L-kun’? Anyone could figure it out.
Han-seo had spent his entire life light-years away from anything resembling anonymity, but still—somehow—people kept finding ways to surprise him.
He had more money than he could ever spend in a lifetime. If it were just about Woo-jun’s family, he wouldn’t have minded being generous.
But wanting to move just because of Park Seon-jun’s miserable attitude? That wasn’t something he could overlook.
“Tell them no, Chief. Everyone in those buildings has active lease contracts. And if we have any vacancies, fill them up immediately. Doesn’t matter the price—just get tenants in.”
—Understood. I’ll take care of it. But… Young Master, how long are you planning to put up with this? They keep asking for your personal number. It’s starting to feel like they’re crossing a line.
“There’s nothing left to ‘put up with.’ I’ve already been more than generous. They’ve been back in the country all this time and haven’t even visited Woo-jun once. That’s all I needed to see. You don’t need to trouble yourself with them anymore either. Unless they’re literally getting tossed out onto the street, just ignore everything they say.”
