“Pretty spacious house, isn’t it?”
“…It really is.”
“That’s one of the perks of living on the outskirts. You get a big house, a wide yard, and you’re surrounded by nature. Sometimes I think about buying a mansion in a place like this too. The city’s just too chaotic.”
“Ah, yes…”
What pointless chatter. Hiding my irritation, I forced a smile and replied.
I was currently standing inside a massive standalone house located on the outskirts of Seoul—not too far from the city center if you wanted to get technical about it.
It was a colossal mansion, the kind that left my jaw hanging open. Honestly, never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined stepping foot into a place like this in my entire life.
Yet the man walking leisurely ahead of me spoke as if he could buy a mansion of this scale at any time without a second thought.
It was seriously infuriating.
He knew exactly how much money I had. That was because he was none other than Jang Gijun, the Guide Association President—the very person who had informed me that my matching rate with Cha Jae-woo was a staggering 97.8%.
‘Sigh. Right, you’re the big-shot President of the Association. You can probably afford a dozen of these without breaking a sweat.’
Good for you, really.
Grinding my teeth at his infuriatingly smug words, I readjusted the modest luggage in my hands.
In truth, I didn’t have the luxury to waste time getting annoyed at his blabbering. Every time I remembered that this mansion belonged to Cha Jae-woo, my entire body trembled violently. No way I could keep caring about that nonsense.
It had only taken four days from completing the guide assessment to setting foot in this house. There was no backing out now.
Technically, if I returned the signing bonus that was quietly tucked away in my bank account, I could cancel the contract. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Even while calling myself insane, some foolish part of me had ended up feeling sympathy for Cha Jae-woo—someone I barely even knew, whose face I had only ever seen.
‘You idiot. Who do you think you’re pitying here?’
I had to physically restrain my hand from slapping myself across the face. Inside, curses were spilling out nonstop.
“Should I address you as Mr. Lim Haeyul now—or rather, as Guide Lim Haeyul?”
Jang Gijun’s voice abruptly snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. At the same time, a chill ran down my arms, raising goosebumps.
I quickly shook my head.
“No, just call me Lim Haeyul.”
“How could I? You’re a proper guide now.”
“……”
“It’s a good thing the house is this big for you too, Guide Lim. Even though you’ll be living under the same roof, there’ll still be enough distance between you.”
‘Then why bother asking if you’re going to call me whatever you want anyway?’
My resentment simmered again. Still, Jang Gijun wasn’t wrong, so I bit my lip and held my tongue.
It really was a relief that the house was this spacious. If the house had been smaller, the distance between me and Cha Jae-woo would’ve been that much closer—meaning the risk of having my energy drained in real time would’ve shot through the roof.
“That’s true.”
I finally managed to answer, though it was terribly belated.
We had just crossed the wide, green lawn and arrived at the front door. Jang Gijun casually turned the doorknob. I had noticed several security guards stationed at the main gate, but surprisingly, the front door itself wasn’t even locked.
‘I guess with guards at the gate, they don’t bother locking it.’
Still, a burglar could climb the wall, couldn’t they? No, wait—what kind of lunatic would dare scale Cha Jae-woo’s walls? I shook my head vigorously, brushing away the useless thoughts.
“He’s probably on the second floor.”
From the outside, the house had looked warm and cozy despite its size. But inside, it was eerily empty and desolate.
Afraid of getting lost in this vast, cavernous space, I hurried to keep pace with Jang Gijun, practically running after him.
For someone whose height seemed well below average, he sure walked fast.
The second floor was at least a little better than the first. There were multiple pieces of furniture arranged around, and even a painting hanging on the wall, hinting that most of the living happened up here. Still, the desolate atmosphere couldn’t be erased.
Jang Gijun strode confidently to the right. A large door loomed ahead.
‘Could that be Cha Jae-woo’s room?’
The feeling that it was hit me with undeniable certainty.
“Esper Cha Jae-woo.”
Unlike when we first entered the house, where he seemed ready to barge in without a second thought, this time Jang Gijun showed a semblance of respect. He politely knocked and called out Cha Jae-woo’s name.
No answer came, but there was a faint sign of movement inside. That seemed to be enough—without hesitation, Jang Gijun flung the door open.
‘So much for being respectful.’
I immediately took back the thought I’d just had.
“Gasp—”
But my thoughts about Jang Gijun didn’t linger long. Because right then, what unfolded before my eyes made everything else scatter from my mind.
Right in the middle of the spacious room, on a massive bed, was a veritable spectacle of bare skin. It wasn’t a bathhouse, yet here I was, staring at half-naked bodies sprawled across someone’s bedroom. My mouth hung open, utterly stunned.
“Esper Ch-Cha Jae-woo!”
Startled out of my wits, I didn’t even have time to check my expression. Even Jang Gijun’s voice sounded just as flustered as mine. Apparently, he hadn’t expected Cha Jae-woo to greet us while tangled up with half-dressed people either.
“You’re here?”
As I fumbled awkwardly, not knowing where to put my eyes, a languid voice drifted over. I didn’t even need to look up to know immediately that it was Cha Jae-woo.
I had heard his voice before, through various media. Low, deep, and so magnetic that it perfectly matched his breathtakingly handsome face. Now, I was hearing it live, in vivid, overwhelming clarity.
“What… what exactly is this?”
Jang Gijun’s voice managed to stabilize a little, though he, too, had turned his head away in an effort to maintain some semblance of composure.
Cha Jae-woo didn’t answer right away. Instead, I heard the soft rustle of sheets, then the sounds of clothing being put on, followed by heavy footsteps approaching steadily.
‘Is Cha Jae-woo coming closer?’
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I knew it was true. With every step he took, my skin tingled with a sharp, buzzing sensation.
“Since Lim Haeyul and Cha Jae-woo’s matching rate is extremely high, just being in close proximity might trigger a reaction. But don’t worry—it won’t result in actual guiding unless there’s physical contact.”
‘So this is that,’
I realized, gritting my teeth against the unfamiliar, uncomfortable sensation and rubbing my arms.
Meanwhile, the heavy footsteps drew closer and closer.
“What else? I’m guiding.”
“You call this guiding?!”
“What choice do I have? Head’s pounding, stomach’s churning, whole body’s aching—Matching rate or not, when it gets this bad, you grab whoever you can, right?”
His slow, drawling tone made it sound like he was drunk, but there was no smell of alcohol.
My eyes darted everywhere before I finally dared to glance up. Honestly, considering his bare legs were visible up to the knees, I didn’t think I should look any higher. But just then, I caught sight of the hem of a robe, which gave me enough courage.
My gaze shot straight up to his face. And in that instant, I met his eyes—he had been looking at me the entire time.
A messy fall of black hair draped over jet-black eyes, so deep it felt like I could be sucked right in. My mouth hung open again, helplessly.
Cha Jae-woo was nothing like how he appeared on TV. No camera in the world could capture even one-tenth, no—a hundredth—of what stood before me.
It was clear to me now: when God made him, He must have poured meticulous effort into every inch of him, from head to toe.
No words came out between my parted lips. I had never in my life stood face-to-face with someone like this. I was genuinely starting to wonder if I was even looking at a human being.
“I told you, didn’t I? That I’d be bringing a guide today.”
While I stood there stupidly, unable to tear my gaze away, my eyes locked deeply with his. Somewhere in the background, Jang Gijun’s voice tried to cut through the tension, but Cha Jae-woo didn’t budge—his gaze stayed firmly on me.
Belatedly, I shuffled back and lowered my head. The top of my scalp prickled under the intense stare. He was still looking.
‘Why the hell is he staring like that? My heart’s gonna explode.’
My heart pounded violently in my chest, and I bit down hard on my lips to keep it together.
Falling for a man’s face like this—It was pathetic. But honestly, it wasn’t something you could resist.
Anyone who saw Cha Jae-woo in person would have agreed with me, no doubt about it.
“Ah, right. The guide.”
“…Esper Cha Jae-woo.”
“Yeah, yeah. I half-listened. They said a high-matching-rate guide showed up. That it’d be soon. Bring him over. They’re always saying that crap—who’d believe it anymore, you know? Naïvely?”
It wasn’t alcohol, maybe it was drugs—Or maybe that was just how he always spoke.
The words themselves were sharp and grating, but his voice was so indifferent it threw me off. Maybe it wasn’t an act. Maybe he had simply given up.
“They should have sent the matching rate certificate already.”
“I don’t trust anything that comes out of the Association’s mouth.”
“…This time, it’s real. As you can see.”
There was a simmering anger buried in Jang Gijun’s voice, though it was clear he was doing everything he could to hold it back.
Cha Jae-woo said nothing. I lifted my head again, assuming by now he would’ve finally looked away from me.
“…Ah.”
But Cha Jae-woo’s gaze was still fixed squarely on me. Even while talking to Jang Gijun, he hadn’t once looked away. I could feel my pupils shaking violently, scattering like an earthquake under the pressure of his stare.
Forcing down the instinct to flee, I barely managed to meet his eyes. Those pitch-black irises were utterly still, showing no sign of disturbance.
“This is Guide Lim Haeyul. You seem unaware, so let me tell you—the matching rate is 97.8 percent.”
‘Is this when I’m supposed to introduce myself?’
As Cha Jae-woo’s eyebrow subtly lifted, I cautiously bowed my head. Even though my skin was still prickling and my shoulders felt strangely heavy, it was tolerable. Barely.
“Um… Hello. I’m Lim Haeyul…”
“97.8 percent?”
There was no response to my greeting. Instead, for the first time since entering the room, Cha Jae-woo turned his head away from me—to Jang Gijun—to confirm what he had just heard, his voice thick with disbelief.
“Yes.”
As soon as Cha Jae-woo showed a reaction, Jang Gijun’s attitude immediately grew more assertive.
“From now on, Guide Lim Haeyul will be living here with you—”
‘Wait, you’re only telling him this now?!’
Outrage bubbled up but fizzled out before it could surface. I didn’t have the capacity to focus on anything other than the tension suffocating the room.
“Ugh!”
A large hand seized my arm. Cha Jae-woo had grabbed me and yanked me forward.
I stumbled into him without the slightest resistance. The world spun dizzyingly around me, and almost instantly, everything began to black out. I had always been confident in my physical resilience, never once having fainted before, but now I understood with brutal clarity what it meant to lose consciousness.
“My energy… my e-ner-gy…”
“Guide Lim Haeyul!”
Strength drained from my limbs, and my mind slipped away fast. As my words—mumbled like a dying man’s last will—faded into the air, Jang Gijun’s panicked shout echoed after me.
And absurdly enough, that was the last thing I remembered.
