I thought I hadn’t been found out. How the hell did he figure it out…?
Hye-seong, frozen like a statue, finally stammered out an explanation.
“It’s not that. I just… haven’t had much of it before…”
“Well, that’s too bad. Coffee’s all we’ve got.”
At that genuinely regretful remark, Hye-seong flinched in surprise. Even if Ji-ho made something bitter and disgusting like herbal medicine, Hye-seong still wanted to drink it all.
“I’ll learn it this way then!”
With that declaration, he raised the cup to his lips again, determined to drink it down. But the moment the cup touched his lips, his body rejected it.
“Mph!”
The iced coffee spilled past his sealed lips and splashed all over his jacket.
Without making a sound, Ji-ho stood up faster than Hye-seong had ever seen him move. The next thing he knew, the cup was gone from his hands.
“I’m so sorry…”
“Phew, it’s okay. You just spilled it on yourself.”
Huh…?
He didn’t understand every word, but Ji-ho had said it was fine. Aside from a slight flicker of surprise, his expression seemed calm and even relaxed.
Thank God he’s such a kind person. Still, Hye-seong felt nothing but guilt and regret for making such a mess in someone else’s home.
He’d always wanted to be the kind of Guide an Esper could trust, but now it felt like he’d taken a step back from that goal.
Crestfallen, Hye-seong quietly wiped his face and clothes with the tissue Ji-ho handed him, then resumed drinking the coffee—this time with a straw.
Ugh…
Somehow, it tasted even more bitter through the straw.
The fancy glass he’d been given earlier had lasted less than a minute before it was taken away. Ji-ho had reclaimed it himself.
When Ji-ho returned, what he placed into Hye-seong’s hands was a tumbler with a sturdy silicone lid. Hye-seong turned it around in his hands, giving it a little shake.
He was pretty sure he could toss it out onto the street and not spill a single drop.
Meanwhile, in Ji-ho’s hand was the same type of glass he’d handed to Hye-seong earlier. It suited Ji-ho, who looked far more mature, perfectly.
Hye-seong found himself stealing glances at the stylish glass that had been his just moments ago—only to belatedly realize Ji-ho was staring at him. Ji-ho, who had been watching him all this time, spoke first as their eyes met.
“Guiding.”
“Ah, yes! Give me your hand.”
He reached out, but Ji-ho didn’t move. He just kept staring at Hye-seong’s face, unblinking.
“Wh-Why are you looking at me like that?”
That gaze felt so intense it was like it could burn him. It was the kind of look a predator might give its prey. Hye-seong tensed unconsciously and swallowed hard.
A moment later, over the background noise of the quietly playing movie, Ji-ho’s voice came—lower than usual.
“Guiding doesn’t have to be done just by touching hands, right?”
The vague implication made Hye-seong’s pupils tremble violently.
“What… What do you mean, exactly…?”
Ji-ho didn’t answer. Instead, he set his glass down, never taking his eyes off Hye-seong. As Ji-ho leaned closer, Hye-seong’s grip on the tumbler tightened. He had no idea what was happening.
A shadow fell over Hye-seong’s face as Ji-ho whispered in a low voice.
“…Let’s go with this today.”
His large hand reached toward Hye-seong’s cheek.
“Tell me if you don’t like it.”
“……!”
Then Ji-ho lightly pinched his cheek.
His touch was tentative at first, like he was testing something, but then his fingers began kneading the soft flesh just beneath Hye-seong’s widened eyes. The right cheek—the one that wasn’t red.
Without realizing it, Hye-seong grabbed Ji-ho’s wrist with both hands, but he didn’t squeeze. He just placed his hands there.
Ji-ho used his other hand to support the back of Hye-seong’s head. Hye-seong was, of course, flustered.
“Wh-What are you doing?”
“Just a moment.”
“Ah…!”
The gentle kneading of his face made a sound of protest escape his lips. Ji-ho, however, looked utterly serious, unbothered by it.
Like a sculptor inspecting the symmetry of his work, he leaned back to assess the balance, then leaned in again to work on both cheeks.
“Does it hurt?”
“N-No…”
Faced with that intense focus, Hye-seong let go of Ji-ho’s wrist and just sat there, quietly letting it happen. He didn’t know the reason behind it, but he figured Ji-ho must have a reason for doing this.
“Mm, now it’s starting to hurt…”
The distance between them was too close for comfort, so Hye-seong shut his eyes and just surrendered his face to Ji-ho’s hands.
“Ah, there we go.”
His cheeks were now nearly symmetrical. The way he sat there letting someone randomly squish his face—yeah, that alone was enough to please Ji-ho. The stiffness in his lips relaxed into a soft smile. And yet, at the same time, something about it annoyed him.
“Hye-seong.”
It hadn’t felt bad. The faint red mark on that small area of skin had triggered a strangely disturbing thought.
“Even a glow-in-the-dark jellyfish would know it’s not just the heat making your face red.”
“…A jellyfish?”
He’d never even thought about doing something like this before. Other than in rare situations where violence was absolutely necessary, he’d never felt any urge to touch someone’s face.
And yet here he was, acting like this—and lying to himself about it. Pressing into Hye-seong’s cheeks with his now slightly relaxed hand, Ji-ho spoke.
“It’s nothing, just asking.”
His voice was a little lower now, prompting Hye-seong to raise his gaze slightly and meet his eyes. Ji-ho was staring down at him from just inches away.
“Do you guide other Espers, too?”
“……”
It must’ve been the red flush earlier—that was clearly still bothering Ji-ho. When Hye-seong didn’t respond, Ji-ho’s tone turned incredulous.
“Even though you’re my Pair?”
His gaze felt like it could see straight through him. Hye-seong looked down and mumbled.
“…It’s not like that. I really was just hot…”
“Oh, yeah? Guess I must’ve been mistaken.”
Ji-ho’s lips curled a little higher.
“Turns out you’re a better liar than I thought, Hye-seong.”
“No, I’m not! I can’t lie!”
“Exactly.”
Hye-seong had been shouting defensively, but he froze again, sneaking another glance at Ji-ho. His hand was still cradling Hye-seong’s cheek.
Hye-seong’s eyes went wide. For some reason, Ji-ho looked incredibly at ease. There was no hint of resistance to the guiding at all.
Does he actually like guiding this way? It was a method Hye-seong had never even heard of, but since Ji-ho seemed to be enjoying it, he decided to just let it be.
He’d been avoiding Ji-ho’s gaze earlier, but now he couldn’t look away.
With his head tilted slightly down to look at him, Ji-ho’s lashes looked so long. The gentle curve of his smiling eyes and elegant lips were so perfect, it made Hye-seong forget how to breathe. He looked like someone who had everything.
The moment he realized the distance between them was way too close, Hye-seong also realized this was the closest he’d ever been to Ji-ho—and he looked beautiful.
“……”
“……”
So Hye-seong, completely entranced, forgot about the situation and smiled back at him. And at that, Ji-ho’s smile disappeared.
His face hardened.
“Baek Hye-seong.”
“Yes?”
“You said you were my fan, right?”
Huh?
The words hit like a splash of cold water. Snapping back to reality, Hye-seong tried to pull away, but Ji-ho’s hand gripped his head firmly, not letting him go. Hye-seong started silently grunting in protest.
“You are my fan, aren’t you?”
“Wh-Who said that…”
“I heard it from the doctor.”
“A-Ah, Dr. Na…”
Immediately, his cheeks—already soft like rice cakes—were stretched out to the sides.
Why would Dr. Na say something like that?! Hye-seong’s mouth twitched in panic. He didn’t have time to worry about how ridiculous he looked with his cheeks pulled like that.
More than anything, Ji-ho looked genuinely amused. That’s what made it even weirder.
“That’s why you followed me around all the time, being a pain, right? Isn’t that so?”
“What? A pain? I never did that!”
“Really? Doesn’t feel that way.”
As Hye-seong protested with wide, indignant eyes, Ji-ho gave a soft laugh.
“You definitely pestered me. Even when I was on the brink of a rampage, you stuck to me all night.”
“……”
“No fear. No permission.”
Hye-seong averted his gaze, thinking Ji-ho was scolding him for that night after all. But Ji-ho’s stare was relentless.
“Are you planning to keep bothering me like that?”
If he didn’t answer, he was sure Ji-ho would never let go of his cheeks. After staring into Ji-ho’s eyes for a long time, Hye-seong finally gave in.
“…Yes.”
There was no other answer he could give. If guiding Ji-ho counted as bothering him, then Hye-seong fully intended to keep doing it.
At that brazen response, Ji-ho murmured with a faint smile.
“What a naughty fan.”
“……”
But despite his words, Ji-ho looked pleased with the answer. Strangely pleased.
“A naughty fan…”
Hye-seong, once again entranced, stared at him—then suddenly widened his eyes. His cheeks still stretched out, he protested seriously.
“That’s not true.”
“Hm?”
“I’m not your fan or anything like that.”
After speaking, Hye-seong shook his head fiercely to emphasize his point. He didn’t want Ji-ho to feel burdened by finding out he had a fan. He was sure this would be a relief to him.
But Ji-ho’s eyes had gone cold—completely unlike before.
“…You’re not?”
Even a robot would’ve looked more human than the look Ji-ho was giving him.
His expression hadn’t changed. He still seemed skeptical. So Hye-seong tried again.
“Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t like you, Ji-ho? That’d be the rare one. If there is, that person’s probably a weirdo. I just… I just admire you like everyone else does. I respect you, that’s all. It’s not because I’m a fan…”
