Guiding continued into the afternoon. After sending off the Esper I’d just finished working with, I stretched and let out a sigh, finally taking a moment to breathe. It should be about time for Kim Seong-gyeong, right?
Knock knock
“Yes.”
“Seol-bin, it’s Kim Seong-gyeong. May I come in?”
So he’s here. I straightened up and answered,
“Yeah, come on in.”
“…It’s been a while, Seol-bin.”
“It really has. But…”
The moment I saw him, I froze.
Kim Seong-gyeong looked like a ghost of his former self. He’d lost a lot of weight. His skin was pale, his complexion sickly, and dark circles drooped under his eyes. His gaze was dim—lifeless. It didn’t take a professional to see he was in terrible shape.
What the hell happened? Has he gone this long without Guiding? What about Kim Yong-ha?
Even if the story had started to stray from the original, at the Guide Center level, it should’ve been Kim Yong-ha who handled his Guiding. An S-Rank Esper receiving Guiding from an S-Rank Guide—there was nothing more standard than that.
So how had things gotten this bad? Why had they left him like this? On paper, it made way more sense for him to be with Kim Yong-ha, not me…
Watching him blink slowly, like he was barely staying conscious, I spoke gently.
“…You don’t look good. I think you should get Guiding from Kim Yong-ha instead of me.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“I don’t know… I’d really prefer to be guided by you, Seol-bin.”
“Still…”
“Come on, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. How have you been?”
“Well… you know…”
You’re asking me how I’ve been with a face like that?
As I looked at him—clearly exhausted, yet still trying to smile—I couldn’t help but sigh.
Whatever the reason behind his condition, it could wait. Right now, Guiding came first. I didn’t like getting tangled up with the main characters of the original plot, but we were at least familiar with each other. And honestly, if I ended up seeing a headline about him collapsing or worse… I’d feel awful.
“Please give me your hand.”
“Okay.”
He reached out, and I gently took his hand. I adjusted my energy output and began Guiding slowly, carefully.
…This is worse than I thought.
I’d expected him to be unwell, but this was another level. Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn’t gone into rampage yet.
“…Your condition is really bad. How long has it been since your last Guiding? At this rate, you could lose control. You should really see someone like Kim Yong-ha—he’s an S-Rank too—”
“Haaah…”
“Kim Seong-gyeong?”
“But no one else… makes me feel this good when I’m guided. I only feel this way when it’s you, Seol-bin.”
His cheeks turned red as he spoke, like a shy confession, and for a moment, I was too stunned to reply. The Guiding Room fell into a heavy, quiet stillness.
After a while, some color returned to his face. His sweat-drenched blond hair stuck to his forehead, and his flushed blue eyes were locked on me, warm and intense.
“Haaah…”
Even though his energy was stabilizing, his breath came fast and shallow. His pale face was tinged with red, and the way he looked at me—his lips slightly parted, his chest rising and falling—it was… sensual. Like something I shouldn’t be watching. It felt far too suggestive.
“Um…”
“Oh—yes?”
Snapping out of it, I looked up, startled by his voice. He’d pulled his chair even closer. Now he was right in front of me.
With dazed eyes, he gazed into mine and whispered,
“Can I… kiss you? Just once. Please? Ever since you started Guiding me, my throat—it feels like it’s burning.”
He leaned in, licking his lips like a man parched with thirst. His voice trembled with desperation.
I froze.
I knew I should shut this down immediately. But the look on his face—his cheeks flushed, his eyes glassy and pleading like he’d burst into tears if I said no—made me hesitate. Just for a second.
Maybe he took that hesitation as a yes, because he slowly leaned in. His lips were just inches from mine. I should’ve pushed him away. But all I could think was… His eyes are really beautiful.
And then—
BANG!
The door burst open with a loud crash.
Startled, I came to my senses and shoved Kim Seong-gyeong away. He fell back easily, but even as he did, his eyes stayed on me, still fixed on my lips with unmistakable longing.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing to my hyung?! Get away from him!”
The one who kicked the door open was Kang Biso. Technically, he was next after Kim Seong-gyeong, but judging by his entrance, he must’ve been waiting outside and heard everything.
“You…”
Kim Seong-gyeong’s expression darkened the moment he recognized him.
Right, those two had met in a dungeon before. If memory served, things hadn’t gone particularly well between them.
Kang Biso marched in without hesitation and stepped between me and Kim Seong-gyeong.
“Don’t you dare try anything with my hyung.”
“Your hyung, huh…”
Gone was the soft, flustered expression from earlier—Kim Seong-gyeong’s eyes were sharp now, cold and clear as ice. I couldn’t see Kang Biso’s face from behind, but judging from his posture, he was clearly pissed.
Ugh, great. Here we go.
Why did it feel like they were fighting over me?
If this were still the original story, Kim Yong-ha would probably be here by now, turning this into a subplot. But the plot had already gone off-script, and now I had no clue what I was looking at.
The tension between the two was thick enough to cut with a knife. I couldn’t let this escalate.
“Kang Biso, you’re not allowed to enter during a Guiding session,” I said firmly.
Kang Biso whipped his head around and looked at me with a stunned, betrayed expression.
“But he—!”
“Kang Biso. Please wait outside until the session is over.”
“Ugh…”
He deflated at my tone.
“…But he’s mine… This isn’t fair…”
I didn’t quite catch the last part, but he muttered something and slumped out of the room, looking completely dejected. Honestly, his drooping shoulders made me feel a little bad.
Still, I had no regrets. Letting two Espers fight in the middle of a Guiding session would’ve been way worse. Personal and professional needed to stay separate.
—Beep beep beep.
Right after he left, my phone alarm went off. Time was up.
Already?
Maybe I should’ve just let Kang Biso stay inside. But knowing him, he wouldn’t have sat quietly, so I dropped the thought.
“That’ll be all for today, Kim Seong-gyeong.”
“…That’s too bad. I was hoping we’d have more time to talk, especially since it’s been a while. I didn’t expect the session to feel so short… and we were interrupted.”
He glanced at the door, then looked back at me with a sigh.
I responded with a polite smile
“You’re welcome to come again.”
“I’ve been so busy lately… not sure when that’ll be.”
Right, there had been a lot of buzz in the news lately—dungeons popping up nonstop. An S-Rank Esper like Kim Seong-gyeong probably didn’t even have time to sleep.
Poor guy. This was why being too gifted could be a curse. Just another reminder that I needed to keep my Guiding abilities hidden. No need to suffer like that if I could help it.
“For your health, you really should get regular Guiding. If you can’t come here, find another Guide. It’s the only way to prevent a rampage. Especially in your condition, it’s essential.”
“…Thank you. You’re the only one who ever worries about me like this, Seol-bin.”
His complexion had improved significantly after the session, and the genuine gratitude in his voice made me feel a twinge of guilt.
The truth was, if I’d wanted to, I could’ve fully healed him. But that would’ve drawn too much attention. People would’ve started asking questions. So I held back on purpose.
And here he was, thanking me, completely unaware.
Next time, I promised myself, I’ll heal him completely.
Just as I was about to end the session for real, Kim Seong-gyeong called out softly.
“Um, Seol-bin?”
“Yes?”
He hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring.
“This is for you.”
“A gift?”
I looked down at the ring, taken aback. Set in the center was a blue gem—almost identical to the color of his eyes.
“It’s a protective ring. One-time use, but it’ll generate a shield if you’re ever in danger.”
A shield ring? Why give something like that to me?
Shouldn’t he be giving that to Kim Yong-ha or someone more relevant?
It looked expensive too—definitely not something you hand over lightly. I hesitated, unsure if I should accept it.
Then Kim Seong-gyeong smiled gently and said,
“I only survived that last dungeon because of your Guiding. And when things got bad, you stood up for me. You were my anchor—gave me strength to keep going.”
“I… see.”
“I’ve always wanted to thank you properly. Please accept this. It’s a token of my gratitude.”
There was no way I could say no after all that.
In the original story, someone like me—a literal extra—would never have received something like this from him. But I’d altered the timeline. I’d stepped in, helped him, and now here he was—genuinely grateful.
And honestly, who knew? I might actually need this ring one day.
“…Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”
I accepted the ring, and Kim Seong-gyeong’s face lit up like the sun.
“Then… I’ll be back soon. Please take care of yourself.”
“That’s my line. Be safe out there. See you next time, Kim Seong-gyeong.”
With a quiet smile, he turned and gently closed the door behind him.
I stared at the ring for a moment, then slipped it onto my finger. It fit perfectly. I smiled, feeling oddly pleased.
And that was when the door opened again.
“Hyung…”
“…Kang Biso?”
He walked in slowly, just like before—head down, shoulders drooped. Still looking heartbroken.
Was he still upset about earlier? I wondered. But then I noticed where he was looking—right at the ring on my finger.
His hand twitched slightly, like he wanted to reach out for it but stopped himself.
So… he must’ve heard everything outside. Including the part where Kim Seong-gyeong gave me this ring.
And now, judging by the way he was acting, was he… trying to take it?
But it was a gift. Mine.
Without thinking, I instinctively hid my hand behind my back.
Kang Biso clenched his jaw, and his eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. Then, in the softest, most pitiful voice, he whispered:
“…Hyung, are you really going to keep that?”
