Yoo Ji-ho, who had been staring at Hye-seong in complete silence for quite a while, finally opened his mouth.
“…Hae-won-ssi…”
“It’s Hye-seong.”
“……”
“I’m Baek Hye-seong.”
At that, Yoo Ji-ho paused, one eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.
“Right. Hye-seong-ssi, you really take initiative with your work, huh.”
“Ah…”
At those words, Hye-seong’s gaze dropped slowly from Ji-ho’s eyes to the floor.
“…It’s nothing. Of course I should work hard. I mean, I’m your guide.”
“……”
“Then, I’ll just finish up tidying here. You can go ahead and rest, Yoo Ji-ho-ssi.”
With a slightly stiff expression, Hye-seong turned away and began mopping the floor with the rag he’d already soaked earlier. His bottom lip was tightly pressed between his teeth.
Sigh.
Something sounded from behind him, but Hye-seong’s mind was entirely elsewhere.
His heart thudded out of rhythm without his permission.
Now that he was officially assigned to Ji-ho’s team, Hye-seong was essentially his one and only subordinate.
“Hye-seong-ssi, you really take initiative with your work.”
He’d just gotten praised by his superior for being proactive, and he’d even managed to correct him on his name.
It was hard to describe just how proud that made him feel!
Hmm, maybe I should check the printer toner too?
Riding the high of that praise, he felt energized to clean even more thoroughly. His mopping movements in the S Team’s office were now filled with a sense of purpose and satisfaction—subtle, but unmistakable.
Meanwhile, next to him, Yoo Ji-ho was still wiping down a ceramic pot in a purely mechanical fashion.
“…Sigh.”
He stared blankly at the back of Hye-seong’s head, as if the guy was locked in combat with a mop.
“Oh? Yoo Ji-ho-ssi?”
So focused on cleaning, Hye-seong only noticed the silence around him much later. When he turned around, Ji-ho was already long gone. Blaming himself for not being more personable, he finished organizing the office and restocking supplies.
Cleanup took quite a while, and after finally completing everything, Hye-seong sat down at his desk and looked around. The now-gleaming office felt strangely empty with just him sitting in it.
Still, Ji-ho said he’d be coming to work here from now on—that was truly a stroke of luck. It’d be easier to sync schedules, and he could monitor Ji-ho’s condition firsthand…
As he glanced at his desk, he spotted the tablet he’d used earlier. It was still displaying Ji-ho’s wave pattern data from that morning.
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, Ji-ho never actually gave him a clear answer earlier. Hye-seong nervously fidgeted with the communicator on his wrist.
[Yoo Ji-ho]
He found the contact on the list, but his previously frantic fingers froze in place. Starting today, Ji-ho’s contact had been automatically registered in Hye-seong’s communicator. He could now send messages or initiate voice calls at any time.
He really should’ve set up the schedule earlier. His hands trembled slightly at the thought of messaging first—but he wasn’t Ji-ho’s fan anymore.
He was his guide.
Steeling himself, Hye-seong summoned his courage and sent a message.
[Hello. When would be a good time for guiding? ^^ — Sincerely, Baek Hye-seong]
Ah. Right after sending it, he realized that last part was probably unnecessary. Ji-ho’s communicator would’ve auto-registered his contact as well.
“……”
He stared at the device, eyes full of tension, but no reply came from Ji-ho. Then he remembered—Ji-ho had been wearing his uniform. Maybe he had an important schedule Hye-seong wasn’t aware of.
He really did look incredible earlier…
Guides also had their own formal uniforms for official events. Aside from the deep navy color, they were identical in design to esper uniforms.
But when he wore it, it didn’t quite land…
Hye-seong looked down at himself. He’d gotten used to the outfit now, but at first, he honestly felt like a kid playing cops and robbers. He’d hated the way he looked in the mirror. Even now, he thought he looked kind of silly in uniform.
Leaving the still-silent communicator aside, he picked up his phone and opened a portal site. As expected, it didn’t take long to find Ji-ho’s face on the main page.
“Huh? This photo…”
Judging by the uniform, it must’ve been taken today. The same Ji-ho who’d exchanged a few words with him earlier had appeared on the front page of multiple articles. Every headline read…
“Yoo Ji-ho Returns to Work,”
“Back on Duty.”
Seeing those words, all he could feel was concern. Public opinion around Ji-ho was still cold following the last incident. Had someone stirred up trouble again?
He felt anxious even clicking on the articles. But oddly enough, the headlines were incredibly mundane.
Even if it was Yoo Ji-ho, it seemed odd that just showing up for work as a public servant would make the news. Were people still nitpicking him over that ridiculous post from before?
Instead of reading the articles, he opened a popular online forum that regularly posted updates on espers and the Yeouido Center.
“Whoa, is this it?”
After some searching, he found a post with skyrocketing views and comment counts. Heart pounding, he clicked on it.
Contrary to his worries, the reason Ji-ho’s return was trending today was his appearance in uniform.
***
[Title] Just saw Yoo Ji-ho arriving at HQ in his uniform.jpg
(Photos)
Apparently there’s an official event today, so he came in full uniform.
(Photos)
This is his usual white shirt + slacks look.
(Photos)
Even left one of these behind when he was in full tactical gear.
Source: luvegsd.go.kr
[Comments]
└ Someone please share the HD version, PLEASE PLS PLSSSSSSS
└└ Chill, here’s the original post link lol
└ He’s definitely a cool-toned guy—his features pop in black
└└ His features always pop, dude
└└ LMAO
└└ I meant relatively, jeez;;
└ Why the uniform though? Is there some event?
└└ My friend’s an inspector there—they’re filming a campaign video today
└└ If I enroll in Korea U, can I become an inspector and meet Yoo Ji-ho?? Someone please tell me, my husband is there
└└ Gotta go to grad school first, and getting into Yeouido Center’s even harder… your IQ better be off the charts if you wanna see your “husband”
└└ whimpers
└ Every time I see him, his eyes are so… intense;;
└└ Knew the “sus-sommelier” would show up sooner or later. Dude’s saving lives and y’all still judge his eyes??
└└ Ignore list: updated
└ Why are people even taking these photos? Isn’t that a government building? Just thinking about someone glued to the gates zooming their camera in gives me the creeps. Do espers not get privacy?
└└ 100% agree. He’s not a celebrity.
└└ It’s not even his house, it’s a government office, stop overreacting
└└ Preach. Imagine risking your life for the public, only to get stalked by paparazzi. The mental toll must be insane
└└ Alright, y’all are too invested
***
Moved by the comments defending Ji-ho’s privacy, Hye-seong found himself instinctively tapping the thumbs-up icon. A small window popped up:
[‘Likes’ and ‘Dislikes’ are available to members only. Would you like to log in?]
“Oh.”
He didn’t even have an account. He stood there for a while, gripped by indecision as if faced with some profound philosophical dilemma, finally reaching for the Yes button…
Bzzzt.
A vibration buzzed from his wrist. Hye-seong set his phone down and quickly checked his communicator.
It was a call from Dr. Na Hye-yoon.
“Yes, this is Baek Hye-seong.”
—Hye-seong-ssi, can you come to my lab? Ji-ho’s schedule ends in about ten minutes, so it’d be a good time to start guiding.
“Ah, understood! I’ll head out right away!”
Finally—it was today.
His first chance to perform guiding for Yoo Ji-ho as his official guide.
Hye-seong quickly packed his things and left the office. Getting from HQ to the research building would take a bit of hustle. But something was odd.
Why are we guiding in the lab?
Guiding involved significant psychological factors, so most sessions took place in specially designed rooms equipped for comfort—like a lounge. If not available, open areas like the Center’s park or empty team offices were sometimes used.
When he first started guiding Ji-ho, they used a standard guiding room. No special instructions, nothing out of the ordinary.
But now, being directed to a place neither espers nor guides usually frequented—the lab—felt strange.
Well… Ji-ho is special.
Maybe his guiding process required something unique. Accepting that, Hye-seong made his way briskly toward the Supernatural Management Research Institute.
Maybe they set up a special guiding room just for him?
Maybe that’s where he was headed. A private room, just for Yoo Ji-ho. The idea sparked his curiosity—he imagined it must be something pretty extraordinary.
“Hye-seong-ssi.”
“Huh? Doctor.”
He was still looking around the unfamiliar research facility when he heard a voice. He turned toward it instinctively.
“This way first.”
It was Dr. Na Hye-yoon. He had spotted Hye-seong through an open door and called out.
It wasn’t his office yet; they still had a little further to go. But where he led Hye-seong now was labeled “Laboratory.”
The dimly lit interior was set up for observation. Beyond a glass partition directly ahead sat…
Yoo Ji-ho, slouched in a chair in front of a desk.
The small lab space was lined with large measurement devices, and to the side stood a portable bed like something from a hospital.
Hye-seong had been expecting something refined—special, even. But this place looked more like an experiment chamber. It was clearly far more austere than the guiding rooms other espers used.
