Flustered, Hye-seong glanced away and looked around the apartment. His half-eaten bowl of ramen caught his eye.
It was a shabby place, but even now, Yoo Ji-ho was still holding his hand. And whether they changed locations or not, the only thing Hye-seong could really do for him was keep holding that hand.
He asked cautiously.
“Then… would it be okay if I finish my food first?”
Ji-ho nodded.
And just like that, Yoo Ji-ho stepped inside, having removed his shoes, and awkwardly sat on the living room floor beside Hye-seong, still holding his hand tightly.
Unlike earlier, when Hye-seong had reached out first, this time it was Ji-ho who refused to let go.
“Just a second.”
Hye-seong switched Ji-ho’s grip to his left hand, picked up the chopsticks he’d set down, and asked,
“Are you hungry, by any chance? I haven’t touched this yet. Or I could make a fresh one if you’d prefer…”
Ji-ho frowned and shook his head. Hye-seong nodded silently and resumed eating.
It was strange, eating ramen in front of Ji-ho, in his own apartment of all places—but thanks to the times he’d nibbled almonds in front of him over the past few weeks, it didn’t feel all that awkward.
Still, seeing Yoo Ji-ho sitting in the middle of his cramped home was surreal. The setting and the person didn’t match—it looked like a poorly photoshopped image.
After clearing away the half-eaten bowl, Hye-seong even brushed his teeth while still holding Ji-ho’s hand. Despite how he looked, Ji-ho seemed fairly stable—he even initiated conversation.
At first, Hye-seong had assumed the situation was serious. But the more he saw, the more it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“You’ve been living here alone this whole time?”
“Yes, sir.”
Still, it was clear that tonight, he’d need to guide Ji-ho and likely stay over. So he packed a few clothes and basic toiletries into a bag.
He shut the broken door as best as he could, then turned to glance at Ji-ho. For once, Ji-ho looked away instead of meeting his gaze. He’d said something about buying him a whole new place, but Hye-seong didn’t even bother responding.
…It made him a little anxious, but it’d be fine for one night. It’s not like there was anything worth stealing in this apartment anyway.
And then, just as they stepped outside, standing under the streetlight, Ji-ho said something strange.
“Alright, say goodbye.”
“…Sorry?”
“Say goodbye to the house.”
“…”
Hye-seong silently looked up at Ji-ho, eyes full of pity.
What am I supposed to do with him…
Maybe he’d been wrong to think Ji-ho seemed fine.
It looked like he’d pushed himself way too hard in battle today. Hye-seong couldn’t understand how he was still standing.
Tearing his gaze away with difficulty, Hye-seong looked at the front door and whispered in a voice barely audible.
“Bye. Take care…”
Then he peeked at Ji-ho’s face and saw him smiling softly. Hye-seong smiled back, bright and clear.
Glad I went along with it.
As he stood there quietly, Ji-ho gave his hand a gentle tug.
And just like that, hand in hand, they descended the steep stairs together, step by step.
***
Fresh out of the shower, Ji-ho was now dressed comfortably and seated on the bed, guided there by Hye-seong’s hand.
He looked noticeably different from his usual self, so after some hesitation, Hye-seong had decided to bring him straight into the bedroom. Around the time they reached Ji-ho’s private quarters, his hands had started to tremble slightly—as if some inner tension had finally begun to unravel.
Ji-ho leaned back against the headboard and silently watched Hye-seong move.
“I’ll sit over here.”
Spotting an armchair in the corner of the room, Hye-seong dragged it over and sat beside the bed. Last time, he’d collapsed and ended up using Ji-ho’s bed, but that wouldn’t be necessary tonight.
As he reached back for Ji-ho’s hand, he suddenly gasped.
“What’s wrong?”
Under the soft light of the room, Ji-ho’s hand looked wrecked. Hye-seong asked anxiously,
“What happened to your hand?”
“Oh.”
Ji-ho looked down and frowned, as if suddenly remembering. Then he answered casually,
“Must’ve hit it on something.”
“That must’ve hurt so much…”
From his knuckles to the back of his hand, deep bruises spread like stains—so bad they hurt just to look at. There were also several marks that looked like injection sites, but the bruises were so severe it was hard to tell.
A wave of heartache made Hye-seong bite his lip.
He’d always thought Ji-ho’s hands looked just like him—straight, unblemished, and elegant. Seeing those fingers in this state made him ache in ways he couldn’t put into words.
“I don’t really remember.”
The indifference in Ji-ho’s voice was almost shocking. He must’ve really pushed himself during the battle. But why had he come here, of all places? Were there no Guides available at the Center?
Hye-seong gently laid Ji-ho’s bruised hand on his lap and began stroking it softly. Then, quietly, he said,
“You’ll be all better by tomorrow. I’ll hold your hand the whole time you sleep.”
“…”
“So just rest easy tonight.”
Espers had extraordinary healing capabilities. Injuries like this would heal quickly. Right now, guiding him was the top priority. He’d worried that maybe he’d only be allowed two hours again, but it didn’t seem that way tonight.
Even if Ji-ho didn’t show it, his senses were likely on high alert from the accumulated pain.
Espers suffering from Chronic Guiding Deficiency absorbed energy as desperately as if they’d found an oasis in a desert. But Ji-ho had never done that.
Still, if they spent the night like this, Hye-seong figured he’d probably sleep through half the next day. But that was fine—if it helped Ji-ho even a little, it was worth it.
As Hye-seong continued running gentle fingers across Ji-ho’s hand, Ji-ho hadn’t taken his eyes off him once. Then he finally spoke.
“Hye-seong.”
“Yes?”
“…Why did you leave?”
“…”
The soft, steady strokes of Hye-seong’s hand faltered for just a moment. He blinked and looked down.
“Why did you quit?”
He hadn’t expected to see Ji-ho again—so of course, he hadn’t prepared an answer for this.
After a pause, Hye-seong forced a smile and said cheerfully,
“I just felt like I wasn’t enough to stand by your side. I thought it’d be better if you met another Guide.”
“…Another Guide, huh.”
Ji-ho let out a bitter laugh. But Hye-seong kept going.
“I mean, it didn’t make sense for someone like me—just a newbie with only a month of experience—to be assigned to you. Honestly, I agreed with that. And it turns out others did too. I didn’t want you to hear unnecessary gossip because of me. Someone like me becoming your Guide…”
“What kind of things did they say?”
Startled, Hye-seong fell silent. He shook his head, but Ji-ho pressed again.
“Who said that crap?”
“It’s just…”
“Hmm?”
Ji-ho smiled gently as he urged him to answer.
But Hye-seong stayed quiet, shaking his head again, then slowly continued—his gaze now fixed on the floor.
“For a long time, I watched you from afar, always hoping you’d be healthy and happy.”
“…”
“That’s all I really wanted. But this… this wasn’t what I had in mind. I never imagined you would need to be taken care of by someone like me…”
As those bruised hands tensed, Ji-ho—who had been so relaxed until now—suddenly gripped Hye-seong’s hand tightly.
“You’ve always said you prefer to avoid Contact Guiding. But all I can do is briefly hold your hand—and even that’s not enough to properly stabilize you.”
“…”
“So I think it’s better if I just work from where I belong.”
With that, Hye-seong nodded once.
He couldn’t bear to confess how pathetic he felt—especially not while looking Ji-ho in the eye. So even after finishing, he kept his gaze glued to the floor.
Then, after watching him silently all this time, Ji-ho finally spoke—his voice low and steady.
“Then just do it.”
“…What?”
“Just do all of it.”
With that, Ji-ho yanked on the hand he’d been holding and pulled him hard toward the bed.
“Ah!”
Off-balance, Hye-seong fell onto the mattress. The hand he’d been holding now gripped his jaw, tilting it upward. He squeezed his eyes shut.
“W-what are you doing…!”
“This is what you meant, isn’t it? That just holding hands isn’t enough.”
With those words, Ji-ho leaned down. Holding his chin firmly, he parted Hye-seong’s lips and pressed his own against them.
His tongue slid smoothly past the inner surface of his lips. Gasping in shock, Hye-seong instinctively pushed at Ji-ho’s shoulders. He shook his head and flailed, but the strength holding him down—his body and his mouth—was overwhelming.
Ji-ho’s tongue explored his entire mouth before finally retreating, leaving him gasping for breath. And as he turned his head, Ji-ho’s lips, which had been biting onto his own, finally let go.
“Ah… hng…”
Even though their lips had separated, it felt like something had been pulled from deep inside him. The foreign sensation left his mouth open, a weak moan escaping before he could stop it.
“…See? It works.”
Ji-ho whispered, his breath hot against Hye-seong’s cheek.
“If this is what it takes, I’ll do all of it. So just stay here.”
