“What…? Did you just say you’re dating that bastard?”
Baek Beom stared at me, completely stunned, like he’d just heard the most forbidden thing in the world.
“Yeah. So stop calling him ‘that bastard.’”
“Th-then what about me…?”
“There’s nothing going on between us. Never was.”
When I spelled it out again, Baek Beom looked like the ground had just crumbled beneath his feet. He stood there, frozen, mouth hanging open.
As I brushed past him, our shoulders bumped lightly, and he stumbled backward with no strength in his legs. His face had gone pale, and his shoulders sagged as if all the life had drained from him.
He eventually lowered his head, lips barely moving, muttering something under his breath—but I couldn’t catch a single word.
Was it really that shocking?
I just couldn’t follow his logic. All I’d ever done was give him a few sessions of Guiding. That’s it. How could he have gotten things so twisted?
“Well, if you’ve finally snapped out of it, great. But could you also stop moping around like that? How long are you planning to stay in that pathetic state?”
“……”
After mumbling incoherently for a bit, Baek Beom shot me a wounded look—then poof, turned into a white puppy.
With a heavy sigh, he squeezed himself into the narrow gap between the sofa and the wall, burying his face like he was trying to hide. His hind legs and tail were still sticking out, which made it all look more cute than pitiful.
For a second, I felt a pang of guilt… but I shook it off.
Get it together. That’s still Baek Beom.
I reminded myself that the pitiful little fluffball was still that guy, and went straight to my room, collapsing face-first onto the bed.
Today had been too much.
I’d been on edge from the moment the date with Kang Biso started. Then came the whole mess with The Book of Wishes, the ring, somehow ending up in a relationship with Kang Biso… and then Baek Beom on top of that.
I’m dead tired.
I didn’t even want to lift a finger. But no matter how much I tried to relax, my mind kept circling back to Kang Biso.
The way he leaned down… the moment his lips touched mine… It wouldn’t leave my head, no matter how hard I tried to shake it.
Ugh, this is so embarrassing…
I hadn’t had the chance to really think about it earlier, what with Baek Beom barging in. But now that I did… god, it made me cringe.
Wait… didn’t we exchange numbers back then?
Suddenly remembering, I grabbed my phone and opened my contacts. Sure enough, there was Kang Biso’s name, right there.
“…Should I… text him?”
But my hands didn’t move.
“…Eh. I’ll probably have a chance to talk to him later anyway.”
After a long internal debate, I gave up. We’d see each other Monday. I could just wait until then.
But… something still felt off. Like I was forgetting something important.
“Ah—The Book of Wishes!”
I shot up in bed and bolted out of the room. Sure enough, the book was still lying on the living room floor. Baek Beom must’ve knocked it over earlier when he’d suddenly changed back and shoved me.
Luckily, it hadn’t moved. I grabbed it and rushed back to my room.
Let’s see what it says this time…
My heart pounded as I stared at the cover. What kind of story had unfolded this time?
I opened it slowly, flipping through the pages. The narrative picked up right after our last date. Kang Biso’s name appeared immediately, and just seeing it again made my heart flutter.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to concentrate. But the day’s exhaustion hit me all at once.
The more I read, the slower my eyes moved… and eventually, my heavy eyelids gave up on me.
Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
***
Kang Biso stepped out of the hideout early in the morning, his mood light, footsteps even lighter. In both hands, he held paper bags filled with cookies and chocolates—little gifts he’d prepared for Hwang Seol-bin.
Truth be told, he’d wanted to meet up over the weekend, take him out on a proper date, spoil him with good food. He’d even tried calling…
“Hyung! Quit slacking and get to work already!”
But Kang Bijun had blocked him at the door, eyes dark with fatigue.
The guy stood there like a guard dog, refusing to budge. Then he took things even further and snatched his phone.
Sure, Biso could’ve taken it back in a second. But his brother—with those panda eyes and desperate pleading—left him no choice.
So he spent the whole weekend working nonstop.
But at least… I get to see him today.
That one thought made everything feel worth it.
In reality, he felt like hell—his head pounded like he was one step away from rampaging, his body heavy from going too long without Guiding.
And yet, none of it really mattered.
He didn’t even know when it started. When the risk of rampaging began to feel so insignificant compared to seeing Seol-bin.
At first, he’d only noticed him because he was… strange. A Guide who was unaffected by his powers. A Guide who had the nerve—and the power—to knock out an Esper like him.
That should’ve been the end of it.
But the more he got to know Hwang Seol-bin, the more that curiosity turned into something else.
Interest.
And it just kept growing.
Though he usually carried himself with a stiff, unreadable expression, that rare smile—only visible when their eyes met—was impossibly sweet. That smile was what turned my curiosity into interest, and that interest into full-blown love in the blink of an eye.
The feelings had grown so fast, so suddenly, that ge ended up confessing without even thinking it through. But now… even if it was impulsive, hr was glad he’d done it.
Kang Biso smiled, his cheeks tinged a soft pink.
If he hadn’t confessed back then, it probably would’ve taken ages for him and Hwang Seol-bin to become a couple like they were now.
Then, the memory of what happened at the playground on Saturday came back to him.
The way Seol-bin had let those tangled emotions pour out of him—his voice, trembling and unsure, finally admitting that he liked him. Kang Biso replayed it in his mind like a treasured recording.
But right alongside that memory came something else: the obnoxious barking of that damn furball.
If it weren’t for that mutt, everything would’ve been perfect.
That weird-looking white dog who barked every time it saw him, like it had some personal vendetta. If that meddling mutt hadn’t shown up, they wouldn’t have had to end the date so abruptly.
It’s fine. There’s still plenty of time.
They’d just started dating. There was a whole future ahead of them—plenty of moments still to come. No need to rush.
Still… how did Seol-bin recognize the Book of Wishes so quickly?
Even while answering his confession, he’d held the book tightly, like it meant the world to him. Kang Biso hadn’t pressed for details, but the way Seol-bin clung to it had been bothering him.
Even if he’d heard about the book at the hideout, how could he be sure the one at his house was the real Book of Wishes…?
And yet, Seol-bin had reacted instantly—rushing to the bookshelf, desperate to find it. If he hadn’t been certain, he wouldn’t have acted like that. He wouldn’t have asked that woman for the book either.
Has he seen it before?
If so, that changed things. The government hadn’t even confirmed if the book was real, let alone what it actually did. If Seol-bin knew something, then he needed to know too.
But asking Seol-bin directly would probably just get him evasive answers. Which meant it might be time to squeeze more intel out of Kang Bijun.
He was also dying to know what Seol-bin had wished for, but…
I promised I’d wait until he was ready to tell me. So I’ll let it go—for now.
Right now, more than any wish, what he really wanted to know was what Seol-bin was doing at that moment.
Is he thinking about me? Waiting for me?
The thought alone made Kang Biso’s heart flutter.
“…God, I love this.”
With excitement building in his chest, he picked up the pace—and before he knew it, he was standing in front of the Guide Center.
He’s probably in a session by now.
It was still early, but Kang Biso found himself loitering outside Seol-bin’s Guiding Room, eyes fixed on the door, hesitating.
As he waited, another thought slowly crept in.
…We’re dating now. Isn’t it fine to just pull him out of here?
That long-suppressed feeling—jealousy—was starting to crawl to the surface. But now that they were official, he figured a little jealousy was more than justified.
He’s in there… Guiding another Esper…
The thought alone made his jaw clench, his expression darken.
“Thank you so much!”
Just then, the door opened and an Esper walked out, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Kang Biso had to grind his molars together just to keep from punching the guy square in the face.
He held himself back. Barely.
Because if he didn’t, Seol-bin might come to hate him. And that was the one thing he could never allow.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he stepped inside—his face now a perfect mask of calm.
“Hyung~.”
“Kang Biso…?”
Hwang Seol-bin looked flustered, clearly surprised by the sudden entrance. He scrambled to adjust his glasses and stood up quickly. Just watching him panic made Kang Biso’s lips curl into a smile.
“You’re not scheduled for quite a while…”
“I know. But I missed you, so I came early.”
“Th-that’s…”
“What, you don’t like that I came early?”
“N-no… that’s not it…”
Seol-bin’s head ducked low, his face burning red. But even as he tried to hide it, the corners of his lips tugged upward ever so slightly.
Kang Biso nearly lost control again.
How is he this damn cute?
He wanted to hug him right then and there. Kiss him until they were both breathless.
But if he did, Seol-bin would probably freak out and bolt.
Okay… slow. You have to go slow. Make sure he doesn’t run.
That was the plan. Whether he could actually stick to it was another story—because just looking at him made Kang Biso want to throw all restraint out the window.
Completely unaware of what was going through Biso’s head, Seol-bin awkwardly gestured to a nearby chair.
“Here. You can sit.”
His eyes still wouldn’t meet Biso’s, which made it even harder not to laugh.
Instead, Kang Biso held out the paper bag in his hands.
“I brought snacks. All your favorites. Thought we could eat them together.”
“…Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”
Seol-bin stared at the bag, murmuring a shy thank-you. His head was lowered, so Biso couldn’t see his face—but the bright red tips of his ears said everything.
…Adorable.
Kang Biso pulled out a cookie and handed it to him. Seol-bin accepted it carefully, thanked him again, and took a bite.
As the sweetness spread across his tongue, his face lit up. Smiling, he picked up another cookie and offered it back to Biso.
When Biso reached for it, his fingers brushed Seol-bin’s.
The Guide visibly flinched. He was clearly surprised.
But Biso didn’t let go.
He brought the cookie to his own mouth, still holding Seol-bin’s hand.
Even as he bit down, he didn’t release his grip. Watching Seol-bin’s fingers twitch nervously in his palm made something heat up deep inside him.
“It tastes even better when you feed me, hyung.”
“D-does it…?”
Seol-bin was still blushing like crazy, but he smiled anyway—and that was the last straw.
Kang Biso couldn’t hold back anymore. A soft laugh slipped out.
God, I really might devour him right here.
