I stood there in a daze, completely speechless, staring at Kim Yong-ha.
I had never seen him like this before. I wanted to tell him to stop joking, that what he was saying was ridiculous—but the way he had his hands clenched so tightly made it hard to say anything at all.
…Why? Wasn’t Kim Yong-ha supposed to end up with Kim Seong-gyeong?
No matter how much the story had changed, the fact that the main character was now confessing to me—it just didn’t make any sense…
“…Sunbae?”
“…Ah. It’s just… a bit sudden.”
A single tear fell from the corner of Kim Yong-ha’s eye.
“Sunbae, I mean it. I’ll do better. I’ll treat you better than he ever could…”
“Wait, hang on… Since when…?”
Still stunned, I took a step back. But instead of stopping, he moved closer.
“…Since the first time we met. It was love at first sight.”
The first time we met?
What did I even do back then? As far as I remember, I just followed the script from the original story.
It didn’t make any sense. But with a wistful smile, like he was recalling a fond memory, Kim Yong-ha went on.
“You believed me. Even when I told you something as unbelievable as coming from another world.”
“Well… that…”
That was only natural. It was a core plot point in the novel—I couldn’t exactly forget it. And if I wanted to stay close to him like in the original, I had to at least pretend to believe him.
“You treated me kindly when I couldn’t adjust and kept feeling out of place. You even saved me… more than once. How could I not fall for you?”
Saving him… It wasn’t anything special. I just couldn’t ignore what was happening right in front of me. And deep down, I didn’t want him to lose that bright personality of his just because of what was coming. I guess I saw him a bit like a younger sibling I wanted to protect.
Even when I’d worked as a Special Agent, I always had a soft spot for kids like him. Helping had just come naturally. So when he started getting attached, I figured he was just grateful…
I never imagined those feelings had turned romantic.
“Sunbae.”
He looked at me with such aching sincerity in his eyes, his voice trembling.
“I’ll love you more than he ever will. I know it. I don’t even care who he is or what he does—I’m a Guide too, and I can make you happier than he can. Please, Sunbae. Please.”
This was… way too much.
I didn’t know how to answer.
I had Kang Biso.
The way he looked at me—with that raw, uncontrollable affection that made him forget how to manage his expressions… Kang Biso, who could barely hide how flustered he got just being near me.
Kim Yong-ha’s voice might have been full of emotion, his gaze tender and shaking with love, but it didn’t hit me like Kang Biso’s confession had. It didn’t make my heart skip a beat. Honestly, I just felt sorry.
That’s how deeply I’d fallen for Kang Biso.
So I took a breath and answered calmly.
“Kim Yong-ha.”
“…Yes?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t accept your confession.”
His eyes widened. He hadn’t seen it coming. His lashes trembled as he stared at me.
“…Why?”
“Because I think… I like him a lot more than I thought I did.”
“……!”
“And to be honest, I don’t feel anything special for you. I only looked out for you because you’re my junior.”
When things get complicated like this, it’s best to be clear and firm.
My words seemed to hit him hard. The color drained from his face as he lowered his head.
…He must be hurting.
But even if he was, there was nothing I could do.
The one I had feelings for wasn’t Kim Yong-ha—it was Kang Biso.
“…Then…”
His voice trembled in my ear.
When he slowly lifted his head, the look in his eyes had changed. They weren’t sad anymore—they were unsettling. Dangerous, even.
The jealousy and obsession in his gaze were so sharp, so obvious, it sent a chill down my spine.
I’d only ever seen him dazed or smiling before. Seeing this side of him was… unnerving.
Something was definitely off.
“Then why… why were you always so nice to me? Why did you take care of me, help me when I was in danger…? Wasn’t all of that for me? Huh?”
“It’s not like that. We just happened to be in those situations together, that’s all.”
“No, it has to be more than that! You were only kind to me! Just me! You did all that because you liked me!”
His voice kept rising, and the wild gleam in his eyes was almost feverish—like his feelings were tipping over into something darker.
Not even when he turned dark in the original story did Kim Yong-ha ever react like this. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak.
“…Like I said, none of that was because I had special feelings for you. But if I gave you the wrong impression… then I’m truly sorry.”
His face went even paler, completely drained of color. But he shook his head, like he couldn’t accept it, and shouted.
“No! That’s not true! Sunbae, I know you love me! You have to! There’s no way you don’t!”
…What the hell is he saying right now? Is he even listening to a word I’m saying?
Just like with Baek Beom, I was completely thrown off. The way he forced his thoughts onto me, refusing to hear a word I said—it was exactly the same. I honestly couldn’t understand why things like this kept happening. What had I done to deserve this?
“Please, calm down, Kim Yong-ha.”
I did my best to keep my voice gentle, trying to deescalate the situation. But he was already too far gone. He started mumbling like a man possessed.
“Yeah… there’s no way. There’s no way you don’t like me. Stop lying. Just be honest, okay? Please?”
The poison laced in his voice, the thick tension that filled the room—I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
“Kim… Kim Yong-ha?”
“You like me. You just can’t say it. Right? He’s threatening you, isn’t he? That guy. You’re pretending not to like me because he’s making you. Right?”
His words, though completely unhinged, were spoken with terrifying certainty. But the twisted smile on his lips was trembling with anxiety, like he was barely holding himself together.
“It’s his fault. All of this. You do like me, Sunbae—I know you do. It’s okay. Just say it. Say you love me.”
There was madness in his eyes—cold, razor-sharp—and he stepped toward me again.
I took another step back.
I could’ve used force, but I didn’t want to. Kim Yong-ha wasn’t like the other Espers. If I made the wrong move, someone could get seriously hurt—him most of all.
What do I do? Just push him away gently?
I hesitated—and in that instant, he closed the distance completely, close enough that our bodies were nearly touching.
He opened his mouth again and reached out toward me—
Knock knock—
“Hyung, I’m he—”
The door opened, and Kang Biso stepped into the room.
Seriously? Of all times… now?
The moment he saw me standing there, face-to-face with Kim Yong-ha, his expression froze.
“…”
Startled, I looked between the two of them. Kim Yong-ha turned toward the sound, locking eyes with Kang Biso. And Kang Biso—clearly not thrilled—met his gaze with a cold glare.
The tension in the room was suffocating. This wasn’t going to end well if I didn’t step in.
“Kim Yong-ha.”
“…Yes.”
Maybe Kang Biso’s presence grounded him a bit, because at least his response was calmer than before.
“Let’s pretend that last part never happened.”
“Sunbae…”
“I already said no. I meant it. Don’t twist it into something else. Just… leave.”
For a moment, it looked like he might argue. His lips parted like he had something to say, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth again, then silently turned toward the door.
That’s when he came face-to-face with Kang Biso, who was still standing there.
With his back to me, I couldn’t see Kim Yong-ha’s expression. But judging by how hard his fists were clenched—trembling with fury—he had to be scowling.
Please don’t say anything else…
“…It’s you, isn’t it?”
Kim Yong-ha’s voice cut through the silence. Kang Biso, already aware of what was going on, stared him down coolly.
“And what if it is?”
“You really think… you’re a good match for Sunbae?”
“Kim Yong-ha!”
His voice had turned sharp, confrontational. I instinctively called out, startled.
He flinched, then pretended he hadn’t heard me and left without another word.
What the hell just happened…? How did it get to this point?
I stood there frozen, my thoughts tangled. That’s when Kang Biso approached, his voice low and controlled.
“Hwang Seol-bin.”
“…Yeah.”
The chill in his voice made it hard to respond. I slowly looked up to meet his eyes.
…Shit.
His gaze wasn’t just cold. It was absolutely glacial.
***
Kim Yong-ha collapsed into a chair the moment he returned to his Guiding Room. Everything that had just happened kept spinning in his head, like a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.
“I don’t have any special feelings for you. I only looked out for you because you’re my junior.”
The words echoed, drilling into his chest, unraveling him inside. His lip stung—he’d bitten it hard enough to taste blood. But it was the only thing keeping him from losing it entirely.
Hwang Seol-bin had always been there for him, ever since they met. He’d stayed close. Given him attention. Helped him. And now he was saying none of that meant anything?
“No way…”
Yong-ha shook his head violently, like he could shake the thought loose.
There’s no way. Sunbae definitely loves me…
It was all because of him—the man he’d seen earlier in Seol-bin’s Guiding Room. He must’ve been an Esper. If it weren’t for him, Seol-bin would’ve told the truth. He would’ve admitted he had feelings for him.
If only that guy hadn’t confessed. No—if only he didn’t exist in the first place.
“If only he were gone…”
The thought barely finished before Yong-ha shook his head again.
No… it’s not just him. There are others, too.
Hwang Seol-bin was too charming, too perfect. Even Kim Hyun-joong spreading weird rumors—maybe that was just another ploy to get Seol-bin’s attention. Sure, Seol-bin seemed to be avoiding him, but childhood friends… those ties were hard to ignore.
Not to mention the Espers, all leaving glowing feedback after their Guiding sessions.
How do I make him mine?
As he agonized over the thought, a dark, twisted idea crept into his mind.
What if I just… locked him away?
If he did that, no one else could take him. No more worrying about who he was meeting. Seol-bin would be with him. Only him.
My Seol-bin. Just for me. By my side.
Yeah. That’s all he had to do.
A crooked smile tugged at Yong-ha’s lips as he started thinking of where he could hide him.
Someplace only he knew. Someplace no one would ever find.
And then it hit him.
Why go far? I could just use the Guide Center.
The building was huge. There were tons of unused rooms—and some areas were off-limits to Espers altogether.
As an S-Rank, he could access almost all of them. If he planned carefully, no one would ever find out.
And if he got stronger—if he took control of the Guide Center—
…then Hwang Seol-bin would stay by my side forever.
Forever.
