It had already been a week since that day with Kang Biso in the Guiding Room.
Ever since the day his identity was exposed, he’d kept showing up in disguise to receive Guiding. He’d done it before, but lately, he hadn’t missed a single day—always going out of his way to hide his face. That kind of dedication was honestly impressive.
I wonder what he wants to talk about today…
Back then, he used to bring my favorite snacks and beg for Guiding, or cling to me asking for skinship. But these days, he just sat quietly with a smile, chatting with me about little things.
At first, that change had felt a bit unfamiliar… but it didn’t take long for me to get used to it.
It’s kind of strange. He doesn’t say anything that special, but it’s still fun…
Maybe this is what it’s like to be in a relationship.
Just thinking about Kang Biso smiling beside me made me feel inexplicably happy.
“Hyung, I’m here!”
A soft knock came right before the door opened, and Kang Biso peeked his head through the gap. As always, he had his hat pulled low and was wearing those strange glasses. After closing the door behind him, he walked over slowly.
“You’re early today.”
“I rushed over ‘cause I missed you.”
He sat down naturally across from me, then quietly laced his fingers with mine on the desk, flashing a bright smile.
Watching him like that, I couldn’t help but smile too.
“How’s work at the Center these days?”
“Same as always. You come by and call me every day, so why ask now like it’s something new?”
“Well, still… I just wondered. Are you doing okay? Not having a hard time?”
I hesitated for a moment.
I wouldn’t say it was unbearable, but yeah—it was stressful.
I’d come back to the Center, but I hadn’t cleared up the misunderstanding about Kang Biso. And as for Kim Yong-ha, everything I’d heard about him was negative. Nothing had been resolved.
But I couldn’t be honest about that—not to Kang Biso. If I did, he’d definitely try to drag me back to the hideout.
“…Yeah. I’m okay.”
After a pause, I finally answered. Kang Biso nodded quietly, but I felt his grip on my hand tighten just a bit.
He stayed silent for a moment before speaking again, his expression more serious now.
“If things ever get too hard… you can always tell me. I’ll always be on your side, Hyung.”
“…That’s comforting to hear.”
I smiled and nodded.
Just hearing him say that made me feel better. Right now, having someone at my side, someone who would take my side no matter what—it felt warm and sweet.
Then, something popped into my head, and I looked at him curiously.
“How about you, Kang Biso?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Is everything okay with you? You’re always asking about me, but I want to know too. What have you been up to lately?”
“Me?”
I’d asked without much thought, but Kang Biso’s face instantly lit up. Still holding my hand, he lifted it and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.
“I’ve just been spending my life thinking about you.”
“…Thinking about me?”
“When I wake up, I’m excited about seeing you. At lunch, I look forward to eating with you…”
“…I really shouldn’t have asked.”
Thanks to his shameless honesty, all the embarrassment was mine alone to carry.
“What about you, Hyung?”
“Huh?”
“What about you? Did you think about me?”
The teasing tone from earlier was gone. His gaze was serious now—completely sincere.
I paused to think.
Thinking about Kang Biso…
Honestly, there wasn’t much to think about.
The truth was, my head was always full of him. When I was trapped by Kim Hyun-joong, when something bad happened—he was always the first to come to mind. And when I didn’t hear from him for a while? Even more so.
I slowly nodded.
“Yeah… I did. I think about you too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Probably even more than you think.”
At that, Kang Biso grinned like he had the whole world in his hands.
“I’m really happy, Hyung.”
As I sat there, watching him with that dazzling smile, almost in a trance, Kang Biso leaned in and asked softly…
“Hyung… do you like me too?”
He tilted his head curiously, but I still didn’t answer.
Instead, I slowly pulled my hand from his and climbed onto his lap, wrapping my arms tightly around him.
“…Hyung?”
Kang Biso looked stunned—eyes wide, completely frozen. He clearly hadn’t expected that.
All I could feel was the rapid, erratic pounding of his heart against me. Whether it was from surprise or excitement, I couldn’t tell.
I held him close for a moment, then slowly pulled away.
As I released him, Kang Biso looked at me, his cheeks noticeably flushed.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he said,
“Kiss me.”
His face was red, but his voice was firm. And without waiting for a reply, he closed his eyes like he was sure I would lean in.
…His eyelashes are insanely long.
The first thing I noticed were his lashes—thick, long, fluttering against his cheeks.
Then came the sharp line of his nose… and those soft, reddish lips. His entire face looked so perfectly put together that just looking at him made my chest tighten.
Still, I wasn’t confident enough to go all in.
So I gave him the lightest peck on the lips… or at least, that’s what I meant to do.
“Kang Bi—mmph!”
But before I could pull back, he grabbed the nape of my neck and pulled me in.
That light kiss turned into a deep one in an instant.
Our tongues entwined—hot, messy, desperate. I didn’t even know how long it lasted.
Eventually, when I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I pushed lightly against his shoulder.
Surprisingly, he let go without protest.
His lips, slick with saliva, parted slightly as he slowly licked them, then met my eyes with a teasing, sultry smile.
“I really love you, Hyung.”
Hearing that, I finally spoke my own feelings.
“I love you too. I really do.”
***
“Why did you call me out here all of a sudden?”
Kim Seong-gyeong had been excited. He was finally going to see Hwang Seol-bin again, ready to receive Guiding from him for the first time in a while.
But the moment he stepped into the Guide Center, instead of finding Seol-bin, he ended up face-to-face with Kang Hak-gwan.
The government Esper was notorious for keeping his distance—rarely seen in dungeons, almost never present at the Center. Seong-gyeong had figured they’d never cross paths. So seeing him here, like this, was completely unexpected.
“You’ll be receiving Guiding from Guide Kim Yong-ha.”
At first, Seong-gyeong thought he’d misheard.
He was being told this out of nowhere—what the hell was this nonsense?
Trying to keep a straight face, Seong-gyeong asked,
“…I’m sorry? What do you mean?”
“Guiding,” Kang Hak-gwan replied bluntly.
“But I—!”
“I understand you’ve been exclusively receiving Guiding from a D-Rank Guide recently… but you’re an S-Rank Esper. You can’t afford to forget that.”
What, did he dig up my records or something?
Anger flared inside him, but he held it in, speaking as calmly as he could.
“I don’t need a new Guide. I appreciate your concern, but Hwang Seol-bin’s Guiding works best for me.”
Kang Hak-gwan scratched at the scar on his cheek and let out a deep sigh, sounding thoroughly unimpressed.
“If it works so well, then why do you look like that?”
“I’ve just been too busy for regular Guiding lately…”
“You could get Guiding from him every day for a year and still not recover properly. You’re getting Guiding from Kim Yong-ha. That’s final.”
His tone left no room for argument.
Seong-gyeong’s expression darkened.
I’ve waited so long for today…
Seol-bin had been kidnapped—rumor said he was still recovering.
Seong-gyeong had been patient, holding back, waiting for him to come back to the Center, waiting for the chance to see him again. And now that he finally could—this?
Frustration boiling over, he raised his voice—something he almost never did.
“Why do you get to decide that for me?”
“Do you have any idea how much damage an S-Rank Esper can cause when they go into rampage?”
Kang Hak-gwan’s sharp retort shut him down instantly.
It felt like talking to a wall.
No matter how much Seong-gyeong tried to explain that he was fine with Seol-bin’s Guiding, the man refused to listen. To Kang Hak-gwan, everything he said was just childish whining.
“You’ll go see Guide Kim Yong-ha now. That’s an order. Dismissed.”
And with that, he shut the door on the conversation.
Seong-gyeong rose from his seat in silence.
…I just wanted to see Seol-bin.
Moments like this made him hate being S-Rank.
No matter how badly he wanted Guiding from Seol-bin, the responsibility of being top-tier came first.
And if he disobeyed Kang Hak-gwan and went to Seol-bin anyway, there was no telling what kind of consequences he might face.
Letting out a short sigh, Seong-gyeong reluctantly turned and began walking toward Kim Yong-ha’s Guiding Room.
God, I really don’t want to do this…
He stared at the door for a long while.
He knew he had to go in, but the whole thing left a sour taste in his mouth.
Especially when he thought about how forceful Kang Hak-gwan had been—and how suspicious Kim Yong-ha’s behavior had seemed the last time they spoke.
…No. Let’s think positively.
There were questions he’d been meaning to ask Kim Yong-ha anyway.
This wasn’t just about Guiding—it was a chance to finally get some answers about that incident that had ended on such an off note.
Determined, Seong-gyeong gave his cheeks a light slap, knocked, and opened the door.
“Oh, Esper Kim Seong-gyeong.”
Kim Yong-ha looked up from his papers and acknowledged him with a nod.
“Have a seat.”
“……”
Seong-gyeong didn’t say a word as he sat down, his expression cold.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes. It has.”
“…You don’t look well. I assume it’s been a while since your last Guiding?”
“I’ve been busy with dungeon work.”
When he’d been with Seol-bin, even meaningless small talk like this had felt warm.
But now, all he wanted was for this shallow conversation to end.
No matter how gentle his tone sounded, Seong-gyeong’s expression remained rigid and closed-off.
Glancing at him, Kim Yong-ha spoke again, this time with a note of genuine surprise.
“I didn’t expect you to come to me for Guiding.”
“…I didn’t really have a choice.”
“…I see.”
Even though the words could have come off as insulting, Kim Yong-ha didn’t seem to care.
He always had that vacant, detached expression—except when Hwang Seol-bin was around.
Some Espers even joked he was a puppet, not a person. A ridiculous rumor, but one that had somehow stuck.
Seong-gyeong watched him for a moment, then finally spoke.
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“Last time, when Kang Biso stormed in looking for Seol-bin…”
“Yes?”
The moment Seol-bin’s name was mentioned, Kim Yong-ha’s expression changed.
The fog cleared from his gaze, and the lethargy in the room turned sharp and tense.
Seeing that, Seong-gyeong lowered his voice, cautious.
“…What exactly happened to Hwang Seol-bin?”
