Yoo Ji-ho stared down for a moment at the documents scattered on the floor, then turned away without picking them up.
Sunlight shattered and spilled across the private terrace, so dazzling it looked more like a luxury penthouse at a seaside resort than living quarters attached to a government facility.
And stepping out from that terrace was Yoo Ji-ho, dressed in uniform. And not just any uniform—he was immaculately dressed, breathtakingly so.
***
It was Baek Hye-seong’s first day commuting to the S Team office from the guide dorms, and he immediately got to work cleaning.
It looked like the place had been left unattended for some time, though perhaps the Director’s Office staff had been helping out here and there, because it wasn’t in terrible condition. It seemed like something he could finish on his own fairly quickly. Admittedly, he’d started because he had nothing else to do… but it made him wonder—do team guides usually have this much free time?
Just then, a silhouette brushed past the door he’d left open. Moments later, the figure reappeared, peeking into the office with a frown.
“Oh?”
It was Yoo Ji-ho. Hye-seong’s expression lit up as he stood there holding a pile of wet wipes and a garbage bag in both hands.
“Hello! Are you here to see the Director?”
He’d heard there was a shoot scheduled today. Maybe that’s why Yoo Ji-ho wasn’t wearing his usual simple shirt and slacks—he had on the full uniform today.
“What are you doing?”
“……”
Yoo Ji-ho usually dressed more casually than other espers, who tended to at least wear basic protective gear. He often gave off the impression of a slightly delinquent cop.
But now, in the black esper uniform, he looked like a young elite officer straight out of a Hollywood military movie. Hye-seong caught himself staring, almost entranced, before snapping back to reality.
“Ah, I was cleaning. I think I’ll be using this office from now on, so…”
“I see. Keep it up.”
Yoo Ji-ho left without even stepping fully into the office.
“…He must be really busy.”
Hye-seong mumbled to himself, sounding a little disappointed—and the fact that he was disappointed startled him.
Of course he’s busy. Just getting the chance to be in the same room as him had felt like a dream not long ago, and now here he was, feeling let down because they barely spoke?
He was upset that they’d exchanged only a few words… What a ridiculous thought—anyone hearing that would laugh him out of the room.
Greedy. You’re getting too greedy. Shaking his head, Hye-seong pulled out a fresh wet wipe. Just a few large ceramic planters left to clean. Oddly enough, despite the S Team office being in disarray, a few orchid plants were perfectly well cared for. Had to be the Director’s taste.
Thud—!
“Eek!”
A sudden, somewhat threatening noise echoed through the hallway. Hye-seong instinctively turned toward the wide-open door. It had come from the direction of the Director’s Office.
Then came loud shouting from the same direction. At first, it sounded like someone getting scolded, but after listening a bit longer, it became clear both sides were yelling at each other.
What on earth was going on? Hye-seong stared at the doorway, wide-eyed.
Bang—!
“…Haah.”
A moment later, Yoo Ji-ho reappeared with a loud sigh and a sour expression on his face.
His hair—perfectly styled earlier, like he’d just stepped out of a salon—was now slightly tousled. It had only been a few minutes.
This time, he actually walked into the office, his long strides eating up the distance until he stood right in front of Hye-seong. Another sigh escaped his lips, and then, as if someone had told him to say it, he muttered:
“…Need some help?”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard, Hye-seong blinked wide-eyed.
“With what?”
“……”
Yoo Ji-ho didn’t answer, but Hye-seong quickly realized what he meant. He gasped and frantically waved his hands.
“Ah—no! It’s fine. I’m almost done. I can handle it myself! You’re busy—”
“I’m not busy.”
And with that, Yoo Ji-ho snatched the clean wet wipe out of Hye-seong’s hand. Then he pointed at the ceramic planter and gave him a look that said, “This one?”
Reluctantly, Hye-seong nodded his head with great enthusiasm.
“……”
“……”
In a heavy silence, Hye-seong simply watched Yoo Ji-ho move.
Pfft.
Then burst into laughter.
He couldn’t help it—Ji-ho was wiping the planter in the most awkward, half-assed way imaginable, holding the tissue like it might bite him.
“Why are you laughing?”
“N-Nothing.”
Ji-ho frowned deeply, but Hye-seong’s light brown eyes were still sparkling with amusement.
Yoo Ji-ho must not be used to chores like this.
Seeing this imperfect side of someone who had always seemed so flawless—Hye-seong, as his fan, found it oddly touching. Ji-ho probably didn’t realize how endearing that was.
And the fact that he’d offered to help despite being so clumsy… was really kind of sweet.
Maybe that shouting earlier… was him arguing with the Director? That thought piqued his curiosity.
As the silence stretched, Ji-ho suddenly spoke again.
“Since they’ve got you cleaning like this without even asking, looks like I’ll be reporting here from now on too.”
“Oh, really?”
“They said we need to get closer, so I guess we’ll be seeing each other every day. Isn’t that great?”
“Yes!”
The enthusiastic response made Ji-ho flinch.
“I thought you’d be too busy… This is really great. Hehe.”
“……”
No, this wasn’t just great—it was the best possible news. Hye-seong’s whole face lit up. Ji-ho, watching him, looked momentarily thrown.
If Ji-ho started coming here regularly, it’d be so much easier to monitor his condition. It was definitely better than just receiving charts.
Actually, he had received some charts about Ji-ho earlier—limited information, but enough to know that guiding was urgently needed. He’d been anxious to get started right away.
But he didn’t even know where to find Ji-ho, and contacting him first was absolutely out of the question… So in the meantime, he’d just started cleaning.
With no one else on the team except Ji-ho as team leader, Hye-seong was on his own unless told otherwise. But now he’d get to see him every morning. That was ideal. He could check his condition, schedule guiding sessions accordingly…
Yeah. This is definitely a good thing. Nodding to himself, Hye-seong mulled it over.
“Um, excuse me… Do you have time today?”
“…Why?”
“Pardon? You need guiding. I looked at your charts, and I think you should be getting it daily starting today.”
“Why?”
“Huh? Uh, as you know, your overall guiding intake is very low right now, and on top of that, your guiding efficiency is also poor, so—”
“Why?”
Huh? Hye-seong blinked and went silent.
He was just trying to explain that low efficiency leads to lower results, but… how was he supposed to explain this further?
But Ji-ho didn’t stop.
“Why do I need to get guiding every day?”
“Ah…”
Hye-seong’s mouth hung open for a moment, then slowly closed. A thought had quietly crept into his mind.
Could it be… that Ji-ho doesn’t know I’m only a B-rank guide? Maybe that part was missing in my profile when he chose me? Maybe he didn’t notice?
“…I’m just confused about why you’re saying that.”
“Well…”
Maybe this dreamlike opportunity was never really mine to begin with. Something about it had felt off from the start.
His heart sank like a stone.
With his gaze dropping to the floor, Hye-seong cautiously opened his mouth.
“Well… I’m actually a B-rank guide. So, um… It might take more time than you expected. Did you maybe not know…?”
“I can just call you when I’m in danger and get guided then, right?”
“……”
“Why are you suddenly saying it has to be every day? No one ever said that.”
So that’s what Ji-ho had meant. Hye-seong looked up, confused. His expression was blank.
He thinks he only needs guiding in emergencies? Hye-seong blinked in disbelief and finally muttered:
“…You shouldn’t be skipping guiding sessions.”
“What?”
Ji-ho’s eyes widened slightly at that. Hye-seong kept darting glances at him, testing the waters.
Ji-ho’s stiff expression curled into a sharp, almost amused grin, like he’d misheard something.
“What did you just say?”
“I looked over your charts, and you’re showing signs of Chronic Guiding Deficiency. I’m sure you already know, but when that happens, you need to receive guiding consistently—more than others—until your efficiency recovers. You don’t respond well to guiding as it is. And well… that’s why I’m here…”
“The Director told you to be this dedicated?”
“A-Ah, no?”
“No?”
Director Shin Hyung-cheol hadn’t said anything in particular to Hye-seong.
There wasn’t much reason for a guide or esper to talk directly with the Director unless they’d made a major mistake.
The only reason they’d even seen each other this morning was because the Director’s Office was next door. He’d just greeted Hye-seong with a kind look and a warm smile.
A pat on the shoulder, a sparkle in his eyes, like he was counting on him. That was it.
And Hye-seong had been deeply moved by that warmth. It was an overwhelming position, but he’d resolved to do his best.
“I looked at your charts and made the call myself. Honestly, you don’t look well even now, and… I’m worried. I really hope you can get guided soon.”
“……”
“No, you need to get guided soon.”
The way he said it—eyes wide, voice firm—left Ji-ho momentarily speechless.
