I’d finished all my remaining Guiding sessions and was now waiting for Kim Yong-ha in the lounge.
“Sunbae! I’m so sorry I’m late!”
As an S-Rank, Kim Yong-ha had far more Espers assigned to him than I did, so it wasn’t surprising he showed up about thirty minutes late. Trailing behind him was Kim Hyun-joong, his face twisted in visible irritation.
“No worries. I just got here myself.”
I stood up as Kim Yong-ha bowed repeatedly, clearly flustered with guilt. I waved him off gently.
“Hey. Am I invisible to you or something?”
Kim Hyun-joong was glaring at me, apparently annoyed that I hadn’t greeted him. Guess he forgot about his vow to ignore me this morning.
“Oh? You two know each other?”
When Kim Yong-ha asked, Kim Hyun-joong instantly softened. His glare vanished, replaced by a syrupy, affectionate gaze as he answered.
“We’re friends. We’ve been really close since we were kids.”
Anyone hearing that would think we were practically brothers.
“Then let’s head out.”
“Yeah! I found this great spot—come on, let’s go!”
Even though his tone was flat, with no real inflection or charm, there was something oddly cute about the way he spoke.
I ignored Kim Hyun-joong’s bitter stare—clearly upset about being brushed off again—and followed Kim Yong-ha outside.
Normally, I walked alone. But having someone beside me today made the after-work stroll feel strangely refreshing. Not that it really counted as “after work” anymore.
“Sunbae, what do you usually do after you get off?”
“Me? I just… you know…”
“The Center’s usually so strict—it’s hard enough just getting permission to step outside. I’m really happy I could come out today.”
It wasn’t even that bad yet.
Once the real kidnapping and captivity arc kicks off, he won’t be seeing the outside of the Center at all.
The only reason he could go out like this today was because nothing had happened yet.
…Wait, what was the next episode again?
There were so many events in the story that the early chapters had started to blur together. I was sure something happened before everything went downhill…
And then it hit.
BOOM!
“Wh-what was that?!”
“What’s going on?!”
We’d barely stepped outside when a loud explosion went off. A smoke grenade detonated with a sharp pop, flooding the area with thick gray fog that made it impossible to see.
All I could make out were the sounds around me.
In that moment, it came back to me.
Ah. It’s this one.
The kidnapping that happened the day Kim Yong-ha stepped outside the Center. This was the catalyst that triggered everything that followed.
If memory served, the ones behind this incident were werewolves.
The Werewolf Kidnapping Case.
Once I remembered that, the rest of the story unraveled in my mind like dominoes. I never expected the timeline to catch up today.
Realizing it only after the incident had begun—god, I really had gotten dull. What happened to the sharp instincts I used to have as a Special Agent?
“Wh-what the hell! What is this?!”
Kim Hyun-joong’s panicked voice rang out from far away.
“A-are you okay, Sunbae?!”
Kim Yong-ha’s voice came from nearby.
“…Come this way. Grab my hand.”
“Okay!”
I reached toward the sound, and Kim Yong-ha’s hand met mine. I gripped it firmly and pulled, drawing his delicate frame straight into my chest.
“Ah…”
His eyes widened, startled by the sudden tug.
The smoke was thicker than I’d expected. I could barely see anything, even with my glasses on. I took them off, hoping for a better view. Oddly enough, my vision felt a bit clearer without them. I slid the glasses into my pocket and looked at Kim Yong-ha.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“……”
“…Kim Yong-ha?”
“Ah—n-no, I’m okay!”
His face looked a little flushed. Was he really fine?
“Guide Kim Yong-ha! Where are you?!”
Kim Hyun-joong’s voice kept getting farther away, lost somewhere in the smoke.
The so-called “Esper bodyguard” was a complete joke. He couldn’t even keep track of the Guide he was supposed to protect—just stumbling around uselessly in the smoke. Pathetic.
“He’s—”
“Shhh.”
I gently covered Kim Yong-ha’s mouth with my hand just as he started to call out for Kim Hyun-joong. He looked up at me, confused, but I didn’t explain. I stayed silent, on high alert, scanning our surroundings with every muscle tensed.
Baek Beom. An S-Rank Esper who possessed the power of a wolf—commonly referred to as a werewolf.
In the novel, he lay in wait right outside the Guide Center, watching for the exact moment Kim Yong-ha stepped out. The second he did, Baek Beom set off a smoke bomb and launched his ambush.
It was inevitable, really. With Kim Yong-ha’s face broadcast all over the news, it was only a matter of time before Villains came after him. Baek Beom just happened to be the first.
No matter how much Guiding he received, Baek Beom always felt unsatisfied. And with his low Matching Rate, Guiding barely worked on him anyway.
It was a common problem among S-Rank Espers.
So when the first-ever S-Rank Guide appeared, they all zeroed in on him—Kim Yong-ha.
After successfully kidnapping him, Baek Beom had assaulted him. Driven by the madness of a rampage, he’d lost all reason and attacked him violently.
I looked down at Kim Yong-ha, trembling in my arms, his face full of fear.
How old was he supposed to be in the story again? Twenty? Still just a kid. Innocent and clueless.
Grrrr…
A low growl echoed nearby.
Werewolves didn’t just have sharp eyesight—their hearing and sense of smell were enhanced too. In other words, if he wanted to, Baek Beom could strike at any moment.
His breathing grew heavier… closer.
Closer. Closer still.
I had to avoid provoking him. Stall for time. Just until Kim Hyun-joong found us. If we could hold out just a little longer…
“Hey! Where the hell is everyone?! Get over here—now! It’s dangerous!”
Goddamn it.
I clenched my teeth.
That useless son of a—
The second Kim Hyun-joong’s voice rang out, Baek Beom lunged.
I shoved Kim Yong-ha behind me and, in one swift motion, pulled a pen from my pocket and slashed it toward Baek Beom’s head.
No resistance.
He dodged.
Cold sweat slid down my back.
“Duck, Yong-ha!”
As soon as I shouted, Kim Yong-ha dropped low, and Baek Beom’s hand sliced through empty air where his head had just been.
Wild white hair, tangled and unkempt. Eyes glowing blood-red with a feral gleam. Even through the thick smoke, that killing intent was crystal clear—like a beast that had locked onto its prey.
Grrrr…
Baek Beom locked eyes with me, a snarl curling on his lips. If looks could kill, I’d be dead on the spot.
Too dangerous.
I threw myself backward just in time, his razor-sharp claws narrowly missing my chest. My shirt tore open in a long gash, but that was it—no skin.
Grrrr…
Snarling with frustration, Baek Beom bared his teeth, his expression twisted in rage.
Then his eyes shifted—to Kim Yong-ha.
Shit.
If I let things play out like the novel, he’d be kidnapped. And then…
The image of what would happen next flashed through my mind. The Guiding that followed wasn’t healing—it was torment. Brutal, violating, traumatic.
For a split second, I hesitated.
If I wanted things to unfold as written, I shouldn’t intervene. That was the safest route—the best way to return to my original role.
But…
My mind flicked back to Kim Yong-ha calling out “Sunbae!” again and again. That wide-eyed innocence. The flicker of genuine light behind the haze.
If he got taken now, he’d never be the same.
That brightness would disappear. What remained would be a shell—a broken version of him, buried in shadows.
Screw it.
I wasn’t the type to overthink things.
If someone’s struggling and I can help, I help. That’s my rule. Whatever comes later, I’ll deal with it then.
I dashed after Baek Beom and swung my pen low at his legs.
He didn’t see it coming. Too fixated on Kim Yong-ha.
The pen drove deep into his thigh with a satisfying thud.
“GRAAAHHHH!!”
A scream of agony tore through the alley. The smoke was starting to thin.
Realizing the tide had turned, Baek Beom glared at me one last time with pure hatred—then vanished into a nearby alley without another word.
“A-are you okay?!”
As the smoke cleared, Kim Yong-ha scrambled to his feet and rushed over, his face pale as a ghost.
“Sunbae! Y-you’re bleeding!”
His eyes widened in horror as he saw the blood on my hand, but I just wiped it off on my pants like it was nothing.
“It’s not my blood.”
“…Are you really okay? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Yeah. Not a scratch on me.”
“Thank god…”
At my response, Kim Yong-ha looked down at my clean hand and finally exhaled in relief. Still, he looked shaken—he couldn’t even meet my eyes properly.
Must’ve been the shock of nearly getting kidnapped. Understandable.
I felt like a complete idiot for even hesitating earlier—wondering whether or not I should let this fragile kid get taken. What the hell was I thinking?
Today taught me a lot.
The original plot? To hell with it.
There was no way I could stand by and watch a kid like that get thrown into a life full of pain. If I had the power to protect him, then I would. No second-guessing.
Maybe I’d grown attached. He kept calling me Sunbae, always following me around like a lost puppy. It got to me. I guess… this is what people mean when they talk about “caring.”
I’d figure out how to get back to my original body later.
There had to be another way.
The story was already off track. Even if I ended up dying like I was supposed to in the novel, it’d be meaningless now—just a wasted death.
“What happened? Is everyone okay?! Guide-nim, are you alright?!”
“I’m fine. Sunbae protected me.”
“Huh? Who protected—?”
Kim Hyun-joong came running, panting as he checked over Kim Yong-ha in a panic. But the moment he looked at me, he stiffened like he’d seen a ghost.
“Wh-who the hell are you?!”
“……”
…What?
He looked at me like I was some complete stranger. Like he didn’t recognize me at all.
“Guide-nim, come with me! That guy—he’s suspicious—”
Suspicious?
“You seriously don’t recognize my face?”
I was about to ask what his problem was when I suddenly remembered—I’d shoved my glasses into my pocket during the smoke attack.
I pulled them back out and slid them on.
“Ah…”
“Ah!”
Two identical reactions from Kim Yong-ha and Kim Hyun-joong. I stared at them blankly.
What the hell were they doing?
“Kim Hyun-joong. Are you even awake right now? The Guide you’re supposed to be protecting almost got kidnapped.”
“I-I didn’t know something like this could happen…”
“Then why are you even following him around? What’s the point if you’re not going to do your job?”
He couldn’t say a word. Just flinched and looked down.
I turned to Kim Yong-ha. He was standing stiffly beside him, head bowed, clearly uncomfortable after seeing Hyun-joong get scolded.
“I don’t think dinner’s going to happen tonight. We should report this incident to the Guide Center and have them assign you a different Esper.”
“Okay… I’m sorry, Sunbae. I shouldn’t have asked you to come out…”
“Don’t apologize. No one could’ve predicted this. The important thing is that you’re safe.”
“…Thank you. Really, Sunbae.”
For the first time, I saw something flicker in his eyes—a faint sparkle. He always looked a little spaced out, but now there was something clearer in his gaze. Maybe it was just the relief of being rescued, but it still made me a little self-conscious.
I gave a small nod, then shot Kim Hyun-joong a look, silently telling him to escort Yong-ha back inside. Thankfully, he seemed to finally get the message. He quickly led him back toward the Center.
“See you tomorrow, Sunbae! Please be careful!”
“Yeah.”
I gave him a lazy wave as they left.
Once I was sure the two of them had made it safely inside, I turned my gaze toward the direction Baek Beom had fled. Blood dotted the ground in a faint, fading trail.
Since I’d already committed to breaking the original storyline, I might as well go all in and take that werewolf out for good. He was never going to be anything but trouble anyway.
Assassination’s kind of my thing, after all.
Without hesitation, I followed the trail of blood into the shadows.
