[Hyung, good morning! I was planning to come pick you up early today… but something came up, so I might not be able to make it for a while. ㅠㅠ]
[I miss you. Ah, I really want to hear your voice.]
[I’ll wrap things up as fast as I can and come back.]
[Until then, don’t go anywhere near that bastard. Avoid him no matter what. I should be there with you right now… It’s driving me crazy with worry.]
[Screw work, should I just drop everything and come see you instead?]
I stared at the flood of messages on my screen the moment I woke up, completely thrown off.
…He’s saying some seriously reckless stuff.
If Kang Biso, the boss, was saying it was something urgent, then it must’ve been serious. Judging by the tone of his texts, he sounded ready to come charging over any second. I quickly tapped out a reply, jabbing at the keypad with growing urgency.
[Just woke up. Finish your work and come back safely. I’m not going anywhere, so don’t worry about me.]
Still… what the hell happened? Just yesterday, he was clinging to me like he’d never let go. Did something really go wrong?
Should I try asking him?
No—he wouldn’t tell me anyway. Even during our dates, he never talked about the internal affairs of ZEC.
For all his recklessness, Kang Biso had a surprisingly strict line between business and personal matters. If he didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t.
…He’ll be fine, right?
As the boss of the world’s most powerful Villain organization, he wasn’t someone who’d go down easily. Even so, I couldn’t shake this sense of unease.
Pushing the worry aside, I stepped into the living room. The silence wrapped around me like a blanket. Baek Beom hadn’t come home in days. Was rejecting him really that much of a shock?
Not that I regretted it. Even if I could turn back time, I’d make the same choice again. Still… I felt strangely empty. I missed the soft, fluffy fur. The way he’d shamelessly nuzzle up to me with his little acts of affection.
Not Human Baek Beom— I missed Puppy Baek Beom.
So this is what people mean by “loss syndrome.” If this kept up, I was afraid I’d end up chasing the ghost of that cute puppy for the rest of my life.
Shaking off the lingering feelings, I finished getting ready and stepped out of the dormitory.
Now that I thought about it, it had been a long time since I’d gone to work alone. He always used to be waiting at the alley near the dorm, running up the moment I appeared with a cheerful “Hyung!”
Without Kang Biso—who’d somehow woven himself into my daily life without me realizing—it felt like the commute stretched longer than usual, quiet and dull.
…Maybe I’m feeling a little lonely.
Just then, lost in thought and walking to work, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
A new message.
[Hyung! Are you getting ready for work? Make sure you eat breakfast! Also… please don’t get annoyed if I spam you with texts today. I think I might explode if I don’t message you constantly. You know how much I love you, right? Ahh, I really miss you. If you reply even once while you’re bored, I swear I’ll be so happy I’ll lose my mind. I miss you. I love you.]
It was from Kang Biso again. I read the message and let out a quiet laugh.
…God, he’s shameless.
How many times had he said he missed me now? Was he trying to brainwash me or something? He kept saying it over and over, and now I was starting to feel the same.
I sent back a simple reply, then lifted my head. Just like that, the walk that had felt slow and empty moments ago seemed to brighten, my steps lighter.
Seriously… it’s kind of ridiculous.
That a single message could change my mood this much.
Smiling without realizing it, I walked on, eyes still lingering on the phone that had just received his text.
***
I was sure they’d be together…
Hiding in an alley near the Guide Center, Kim Yong-ha tilted his head as he watched Hwang Seol-bin walk to work. For days now, Seol-bin had been commuting alongside that Esper—but today, he was alone.
Kim Yong-ha rubbed his chin, thinking. This was the perfect chance to approach, but… those Espers stationed nearby were glaring so intensely it felt more like surveillance than coincidence.
It’d be bad if they overheard anything. Worst-case scenario, Seol-bin might dodge him again.
And lately, he had been avoiding him—every single time they crossed paths.
…It’s that Esper’s fault.
Every time Seol-bin brushed him off, all Yong-ha could think of was Kang Biso. He clenched his teeth in frustration. That bastard was definitely the reason things had gone wrong between them.
There was no way Seol-bin would’ve suddenly turned cold for no reason. The same Seol-bin who used to look at him with such soft, kind eyes…
If only that Esper didn’t exist…
Yong-ha bit down on his lower lip, frustration simmering.
“I’ve been watching for days. Looks like today’s our shot. No one else around—should we take him now?”
Kim Hyun-joong, who’d been observing with him, tossed out the idea casually. It wasn’t a bad suggestion, but Yong-ha didn’t like the tone at all.
The reason? It was Hyun-joong’s attitude.
The same guy who used to tiptoe around him and suck up had done a complete 180 ever since they’d decided to suspect and confine Hwang Seol-bin.
From that day on, he’d started dropping honorifics, talking down to him, and acting like he could do whatever he wanted.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha, maybe you don’t get it, but when it comes to Espers…”
At the same time, Kim Hyun-joong started letting slip little comments—condescending remarks that made it clear he looked down on Guide Kim Yong-ha.
This had to be the real him.
God, he’s annoying…
He honestly couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore. Kim Yong-ha hadn’t fully understood why Hwang Seol-bin would stiffen up just at the mention of Kim Hyun-joong—but now, having seen the guy’s true colors with his own eyes, it all made sense.
He wanted nothing more than to keep his distance from him, just like before.
But with no telling when Kang Biso would return, today was the only window he had. If he was going to make a move, this was it. Just for today—just this once—he’d let Kim Hyun-joong do things his way.
“All right.”
The original plan had been to provoke Kang Biso and draw him out of the Guide Center…
But with Biso absent today, they’d been handed a far better opportunity than expected.
“So… when I go up to sunbae, keep an eye on our surroundings, yeah?”
“Right now?”
“Nah. I think lunch break will be best.”
Fortunately, Kim Hyun-joong seemed more than eager to play along. His face lit up with enthusiasm, like he’d been waiting for this moment.
Yong-ha spent a few extra minutes walking him through the details again, emphasizing what not to do. They couldn’t afford a single misstep. This was a one-shot deal.
Just a little longer…
Soon, Hwang Seol-bin would be his.
***
─ Knock knock knock
“Come in.”
It had been a while since he’d last heard that voice—one he used to hear quite often. Just hearing Hwang Seol-bin speak again made Kim Yong-ha’s heart pound like it was going to explode. Trying to suppress the thudding in his chest, he carefully opened the door and stepped inside.
“Who… Ah…”
Hwang Seol-bin’s face froze as he turned toward the door. His expression made it clear to anyone that he hadn’t been expecting this guest—he looked completely caught off guard. Under Seol-bin’s unusually sharp gaze, Kim Yong-ha forced down the ache blooming in his chest and walked fully into the Guiding Room.
As expected, Kang Biso wasn’t there. Holding back a grin that threatened to rise, Kim Yong-ha spoke to Seol-bin in a calm, collected tone.
“Sunbae…”
“…What brings you here?”
The cold, firm reply, as if drawing a clear boundary, made Kim Yong-ha’s throat tighten—but he couldn’t afford to repeat the same mistake he’d made last time.
Feigning remorse, he fidgeted with his fingers and shot Seol-bin glances full of contrived guilt.
“I just wanted to apologize for what happened before. I’m truly sorry for that day. It won’t ever happen again. I think I got carried away seeing you two so close together… I really, really apologize.”
He bowed deeply, bending at the waist, but the chill in the air didn’t seem to thaw. After a moment of hesitation, Hwang Seol-bin slowly opened his mouth.
“…Alright. I accept your apology. But I’d really prefer if you didn’t visit me personally again. Like I said before, it makes me uncomfortable.”
“…Understood.”
Kim Yong-ha bowed his head again to show his sincerity. Only then did Seol-bin’s guarded expression ease slightly.
Still, that warmth he once showed was nowhere to be found. In fact, his face now looked like he was silently telling him to leave if he had nothing more to say. Not even the apology had broken the hold of Kang Biso’s brainwashing.
Staring at Seol-bin’s face, Kim Yong-ha slowly spoke again.
“Um… sunbae, by the way…”
“…What is it? Do you still have something to say?”
As Hwang Seol-bin narrowed his eyes in suspicion, Kim Yong-ha bit his lip hard, forcing himself to sound casual as he continued.
“Team Leader asked me to call you for a moment.”
“And why are you the one delivering that message?”
With a mild, placating tone, Kim Yong-ha folded his hands and explained the fabricated situation to Seol-bin.
“I was with the Team Leader when he asked. He said he needed to see you right away. He looked really busy, so I told him I’d bring you over—said I wanted to take the chance to apologize anyway.”
“…Is that so? Then where should I go?”
After briefly mulling it over, Hwang Seol-bin stood from his seat and headed out. Kim Yong-ha smiled and took the lead.
…It’s almost time…
The thought of finally making Hwang Seol-bin his sent his heart racing wildly.
He would free him from Kang Biso’s brainwashing and make him look at no one but him. He’d mold him into someone who couldn’t live without him.
His body, his mind—everything about Hwang Seol-bin would belong solely to him. Just how beautiful would he be then?
The thought alone was so intoxicating that Kim Yong-ha’s gaze grew darker and heavier than ever before.
Honestly, I didn’t want it to come to this, sunbae.
But if I didn’t go this far, you’d never even glance my way.
You’re the one who made me this way.
So don’t you dare blame me, alright?
Kim Yong-ha didn’t even realize that his lips were curling into a twisted smile.
