After finishing my morning routine, I stepped outside—and there he was. Kang Biso stood by the front gate of the Guide Dormitory, beaming as he waved at me.
As I approached, he slipped his fingers between mine like it was second nature, greeting me with the kind of warmth I’d grown used to.
“Hyung!”
“Did you wait long?”
“Nope. I just got here, too.”
I’d been restless all morning. Baek Beom hadn’t come back since heading out last night, and the uncertainty had me on edge. But something about Kang Biso’s bright, unshakable smile managed to ease that weight, if only a little.
Maybe he picked up on my mood. His eyes scanned my expression briefly before dropping to my neck.
“You’re wearing a turtleneck today?”
“…The marks got worse.”
They’d already been noticeable yesterday, but after the way Kang Biso had licked and sucked on them so relentlessly, they’d darkened overnight—so much that I wasn’t sure even a medicated patch could hide them now.
He looked at me knowingly, then leaned in, glancing back and forth between my face and neck. With his free hand, he gently tugged at my collar to peek beneath the fabric and inspect the marks himself. Judging by the pleased curve of his lips, he liked what he saw.
“Yep. Definitely darker than yesterday. So pretty.”
Pretty, my ass.
His face flushed with satisfaction, which only made me scowl. I swatted away the hand tugging at my shirt.
“…You’re going to stretch it out.”
“Ah—sorry! Hyung, should we get going then?”
I gave a short nod, and we started walking together. Even after everything that happened yesterday, Kang Biso acted like nothing was wrong. If anything, he was even more affectionate than usual.
I kept my gaze fixed ahead, saying nothing. Then suddenly, he leaned in front of me, blocking my view with his playful smile.
“Did you eat breakfast, hyung?”
Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about food. I had no appetite—still distracted by Baek Beom’s absence—and the thought of possibly running into Kim Yong-ha in the cafeteria made me too uncomfortable to go.
“No. I skipped it.”
“Our hyung can’t skip meals… Wanna stop by the convenience store real quick?”
“No. I’m not hungry. I’m fine.”
“But still—”
“I said I’m fine.”
I cut him off and quickened my pace. He followed quietly, letting me pull him along by our joined hands, though the concern on his face didn’t fade.
Skipping one meal wasn’t going to kill me. If I got really hungry, I could grab a coffee from the break room or something. We’d be heading to the cafeteria for lunch anyway, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Still, since he was obviously worried, I figured I should throw him a line.
“I’ll just have a solid lunch later.”
“Then I’ll bring lunch during our Guiding session! You’ll probably be starving by then, so we can eat first, then have a cozy little date. Doesn’t that sound perfect?”
A date… in the Guiding Room?
“But your Guiding—”
“Come on, skipping a session won’t kill me! Sure, I’ll miss it, but we’ve been doing it nearly every day lately!”
“Well, if you put it that way…”
I paused to consider it, then gave a slight nod.
“…Not a bad idea.”
“Right? It’s a great idea, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
He smiled, then leaned down and brushed a kiss over the back of my hand.
“Then I’ll come find you later, right on time.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
Kang Biso gave me a sweet eye-smile and walked me all the way to the Guiding Room. He lingered like he didn’t want to leave, dragging his feet even as I gently urged him on. Only after I coaxed him out the door did I finally sit down at my desk.
A stack of Esper files sat waiting—today’s assignments.
…Screw all this Guiding. I just wanna blow it off and spend the whole day with Kang Biso.
The thought made me chuckle under my breath. We were going to see each other again soon anyway, so maybe I wasn’t the only one thinking along those lines.
—Knock, knock, knock.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Yes, come in.”
“…Hyung.”
The door cracked open—and to my surprise, there was Kang Biso again, peeking in.
***
Kim Yong-ha bit down on his lower lip again and again as he walked toward his Guiding Room. Kim Hyun-joong followed behind him, clearly worried as he glanced over at him.
“…Guide Kim Yong-ha, are you okay?”
“I said I’m fine. Please just leave.”
“You really don’t look well.”
“…I told you I’m fine. So go do your job.”
Kim Yong-ha’s voice turned sharp as he finally snapped at Kim Hyun-joong, who had been pestering him like a shadow.
“…Alright. But if you’re feeling unwell or need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
With a long, weary sigh, Kim Hyun-joong finally left the room. As the door shut behind him, Kim Yong-ha stared daggers at it.
Like hell he needed more annoyances right now. Why couldn’t that guy just shut up and leave him alone?
Everything about Kim Hyun-joong irritated him—but that wasn’t the root of the problem.
The real reason was Hwang Seol-bin.
He had planned to talk to him today in the cafeteria. Planned to follow up on yesterday’s confession, to explain everything properly.
He knew Seol-bin hadn’t turned him down out of genuine rejection—it was because of that Esper’s threats. He was going to tell him he’d help him escape that control. That there was no need to hide how he really felt. That if Seol-bin would just be honest, he could finally say it: that he hadn’t meant what he said yesterday, that he actually liked him back.
And yesterday, he’d been too rattled to say any of this properly. The rejection had caught him so off-guard, all he could do was flail and stammer. Today was supposed to be his chance to reset—to lay everything out clearly, calmly, with evidence that Seol-bin had feelings for him too.
But Seol-bin never showed up.
They’d promised to eat breakfast together, but he didn’t come. Not even a message.
It was clear as day—he was avoiding him.
Anger flared hot in his chest, but he forced himself to breathe deeply and cool off. He’d seen them together yesterday. That Esper could’ve stopped Seol-bin from going. Threatened him again.
That had to be it.
And if that was true, the only way to know was to ask Seol-bin directly. So he skipped breakfast too and hurried to the Guiding Room.
But that wasn’t where he found him.
Instead, he spotted him somewhere completely unexpected—a side alley not far from the Guide Center. Seol-bin was walking slowly, probably on his way to work.
The moment he saw him, his heart leapt. He almost called out without thinking.
But then—he saw who was beside him.
That same Esper from yesterday.
They were holding hands.
Both of them smiling softly, like there was no one else in the world but each other.
That kind of smile—so subtle, so real—hit him like a splash of cold water. It wasn’t fake. It wasn’t forced. That wasn’t the smile of someone under duress. That was genuine.
So what did that mean?
That the whole thing hadn’t been a threat? That they were actually together? That Seol-bin’s rejection yesterday had been the truth?
His stomach turned. He didn’t want to believe it—but it was right there in front of him.
The truth he’d refused to face had crashed down all at once, suffocating in its clarity.
And he couldn’t bear it.
He’d turned around immediately and rushed back to his Guiding Room, trying to outrun the weight in his chest.
Now, sitting there, he looked down at his trembling fists—clenched so tightly they’d gone white, the knuckles shaking with fury.
“Kang Biso… That Esper’s name was Kang Biso, wasn’t it…?”
He closed his eyes, swallowing down the jealousy that burned through him like poison. If he didn’t, he’d end up storming over to Seol-bin’s office again, screaming like he had yesterday.
But even with his eyes shut, his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
…But still.
Now wasn’t the time for emotion.
He bit his lip hard, willing himself to think clearly. From this point on, everything had to be precise. Controlled. If he slipped up even once, he’d lose his chance forever.
Seol-bin might come off as clueless, but he wasn’t. He was sharp—sensitive. And he was brave. Strong enough to save others even when he was in danger himself.
Which meant one thing: there was no room for error.
Because what he was about to do…
Was kidnapping.
And the most important thing?
It had to be done before that Esper showed up.
Whether or not they were dating didn’t matter. Even if their relationship was real—it changed nothing. If anything, it only made this more necessary.
Because only by doing this could he make Seol-bin his.
Kim Yong-ha stood up and reached into his bag, pulling out a small bottle. He gave it a light shake—inside, the thick, dark liquid swirled ominously.
He looked down at it with a slow, chilling smile.
Everything was ready.
All he had to do was hand Seol-bin the drink. Once he passed out, he’d pretend to support him, help him out of the building—and walk right out with him.
Once Seol-bin was reported missing, there’d be an investigation. They’d check the CCTV and see the footage of him helping Seol-bin.
And when they asked?
He’d just say Seol-bin collapsed and he took him to the hospital.
That was the alibi. It was perfect.
…Can I really pull this off?
He shoved the doubt out of his head.
No. He would pull it off.
No matter what it took—he’d make Seol-bin his.
He couldn’t just stand by and watch Seol-bin stay by that Esper’s side any longer.
And this was the best time to act. Everyone was distracted with the morning rush.
Careful to avoid attention, he slipped toward Seol-bin’s Guiding Room. When he arrived, he stood frozen outside the door for a moment. His hand hovered.
Hesitation stirred—but he forced it down.
All he had to do was act like nothing was wrong. Walk in, hand over the drink. Once Seol-bin was asleep, carry him out.
That was it.
I can do this. Once it’s done… Seol-bin will be mine.
Imagining that future—where Seol-bin belonged to him—he steadied his breathing and gently knocked.
But no answer came.
No voice. No sound. Nothing.
…Was he not in?
No. He had to be. He’d seen him enter the building earlier—with that bastard Esper.
He hesitated, then lifted his hand to knock again—but stopped.
Still no sound.
No movement.
He pressed his ear to the door. Silence.
He had no choice.
If Seol-bin was in there, he’d go through with the plan. If not, he’d just come back later.
“…Sunbae?”
Slowly, he pushed open the door.
And froze.
He couldn’t speak.
Couldn’t breathe.
Couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
No—he refused to believe it.
—Chup. Smch.
“Nngh…”
“Haah…”
On the bed lay Hwang Seol-bin, face flushed a deep red, completely pinned beneath Kang Biso—who was kissing him hungrily, possessively, their limbs tangled as they clung to each other in the middle of a heated embrace.
They were too lost in each other to even notice him standing there.
Like the world around them didn’t exist.
