“The Guides and researchers are just regular people, so of course they’d fall for it easily… They probably didn’t even realize it was happening to them.”
“Yes…”
“My guess is, they were trying to make Choi Jiwoon into Hae-beom’s Guide, but then you showed up and snatched away 70% of the Matching Rate, so they wanted to push you out of the picture. Even if Espers don’t care much about gossip, rumors still get around. And whether they realize it or not, they’re influenced by them. Espers are still human.”
“I see…”
Lee Tae-rim didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t the one who had gone through that. It was the original Lee Tae-rim—who no longer existed—who had suffered. But that didn’t mean the current Tae-rim didn’t feel wronged. When he first woke up in this body, those rumors had forced him to be alone all the time. It was so isolating and painful, it had felt like he was on the verge of depression.
“I’m planning to report the guys who sexually harassed you, and I was thinking of posting this incident too as an official announcement. What do you think? I’ve been debating when to go public with it, but I feel like now’s the perfect time. The higher-ups finally gave the green light…”
As always, things moved at a glacial pace. Jung Jae-heon had cursed them for being so damn slow. Honestly, Tae-rim didn’t care about those old rumors anymore, but still, he nodded. The Tae-rim who’d gone through that ordeal would probably want to be vindicated. Of course, maybe it wasn’t all entirely unjustified, but still…
“Yes, I’m fine with it. But I’d like you to mention that I wasn’t completely in the right either. I did make mistakes too. It wasn’t all one-sided.”
“Yeah, I’ll include that.”
He was genuinely curious about what had happened to the original Lee Tae-rim, but in the end, he decided not to dwell on it. There was no one to give him any answers anyway. Why bother torturing himself over something that would only stress him out?
“Oh right. Juho mentioned something… the external expedition.”
“Ah…”
“You really didn’t want to go, huh.”
“Ahem.”
“But Juho had a point. Honestly, Zone 1 is the only place that sends just S-ranks. More specifically, you’re the only one being sent.”
“Right…”
“Originally, Zone 1 used to send A-rank Guides on external expeditions just like all the other zones. But seven years ago, there was an accident—an A-rank Guide died during an expedition. An S-rank monster showed up out of nowhere. The odds of that happening are ridiculously low, but it just had to happen in Zone 1.”
What were the chances of running into an S-rank monster in such a vast area? It could only be described as truly unlucky.
“After that, the Guides raised hell about not going on expeditions anymore. And back then, expeditions would leave just one A-rank Esper behind along with the Guide. That Esper died too. That’s why they changed the system to leave three people behind, like we do now.”
“I didn’t know that…”
“I pushed for that too. Over time, the Center Director kept trying to send Guides back out again, but I came in the middle of it and said we shouldn’t. Even if the chances are tiny, we can’t risk another tragedy. But after seeing you, I changed my mind. Shield technology’s come a long way, and more importantly, your training scores… You’re really damn good. It put me at ease. With three A-rank Espers by your side, I figured they’d be able to buy enough time.”
Jung Jae-heon laughed heartily as he spoke.
“So I was planning to keep things as they are… but now they’re upgrading the shield again. Plus, some of the retirees went out after a long time and seemed to be in high spirits—they ended up taking out nearly all the roaming monsters. Ha! Is it really that exciting to you?”
“Uh, no, not exactly…”
But he couldn’t hide his expression. He’d only gone once, just once—but it was such an amazing experience that he wanted to share it with everyone. It felt like too much of a waste to keep it to himself.
“Once people get out there, even the ones who griped about you going alone will shut up.”
No one knew what the passing criteria for the expedition would be, but if all the people who came back hated it, everyone would start to understand Tae-rim’s feelings. He hoped the cutoff score would be low. He hoped a lot of people would go—so they could all hate it together.
“By the way, how’s that search for a Guide going?”
“……”
Jung Jae-heon’s face, which had just been all smiles, instantly fell. Tae-rim shut his mouth. Crap. That was a slip.
“No one’s passed the 75% mark…”
“Ah…”
“So I’m thinking of lowering the threshold to 70%… Maybe I’ll go out and meet them myself…”
He’s really desperate. Tae-rim felt a pang of sympathy for Jung Jae-heon.
“You’re putting in so much effort, you’re bound to meet someone amazing. Hang in there.”
“Thanks.”
The mood lightened again after that, but there was still something quietly lonely about Jung Jae-heon. The calendar might’ve been counting down to spring, but his retreating figure felt like a man in autumn, braving the chill of a fall breeze.
Tae-rim could only pray that he’d find a good connection someday.
Still, you never know. Just like how Kwon Hae-beom had a chance encounter with a guide, maybe Jung Jae-heon would have a similar connection.
After work, Seon Juho excitedly bragged about suggesting an external expedition. Lee Tae-rim praised him with a calm, “Well done.”
“Hyung, it still hasn’t healed?”
“Steroid ointment works well, but it’s not a miracle cure, Juho.”
“Hing…”
Truthfully, it had already healed. A steroid ointment could close up a knife wound in a week. A little scratch like that had been gone for ages.
“So, just this once—oof!”
“Hyung!”
Seon Juho suddenly leapt on Lee Tae-rim. Tae-rim ended up pinned beneath the oversized puppy who didn’t know his own strength. He was splayed out on the couch but had grown used to this by now. From behind Juho, he could see his tail wagging wildly. Tae-rim could only laugh.
“Really, just this once.”
“Yeah! Just once with hyung!”
“Huh?”
“Is it okay if I masturbate while looking at you?”
“What?!”
“…It’s not okay? Even just once?”
Tae-rim knew once was never going to be enough. He mulled it over. But the thought that Seon Juho might genuinely struggle to hold himself back softened him a little.
“…Fine.”
It was going to be mortifying—watching Seon Juho masturbate while staring at him. But seeing Juho look so crestfallen tugged at his heart. Tae-rim let out a long sigh. He was already weak when it came to Seon Juho, and after acknowledging his own feelings, it felt like he’d only gotten weaker.
Seon Juho turned off the TV, even though the drama hadn’t ended, and lifted Tae-rim into his arms. Before Tae-rim could object, he was carried off into the bedroom. Lying on the bed, Tae-rim could only stare blankly as Seon Juho immediately began stripping.
As he tugged off his t-shirt and peeled off his pants, his sculpted, muscular body came into view. Seon Juho didn’t hesitate before sliding off his underwear, too. Tae-rim swallowed hard at the sight of his already-hard cock.
Even though he remembered everything from when he was drunk, watching it all sober made his face flush red with heat. Seon Juho’s cock was still that same pale pink he’d once called pretty. It looked almost alien, swollen with veins like it had a life of its own—how could something so obscene still be that shade of pink? No matter how many times he saw it, it always looked out of place.
“Hyung, can I take your clothes off?”
“Uh, yeah…”
Seon Juho’s cock, so stiff it looked like it could pierce the ceiling, bobbed with every step he took. The sight was indecent. Tae-rim couldn’t help but wonder—are all Alphas like that? Or is Juho just especially big? He started worrying about the future.
Juho shyly peeled off Tae-rim’s t-shirt, then licked his lips as he stared at Tae-rim’s chest. On instinct, Tae-rim covered his chest with both hands. Juho’s eyes instantly changed—like a beast who’d just spotted its prey.
“N-No sucking!”
“Aww…”
After what he’d done last time, making his nipples swell like that, he should’ve had some shame. Tae-rim clicked his tongue and gave him a stern look. But Juho just kept staring longingly at his chest, licking his dry lips.
“Strong touching is also banned. And no pinching, especially!”
“Why are there so many rules?!”
“It’s karma.”
“Hing…”
Juho slid off Tae-rim’s pants and paused in front of his underwear, staring. Then, this time, he took the initiative.
“Sniffing’s okay, right? I’m not taking it off. That’s fine, right?”
His voice was full of desperation. Caught off guard by the sheer intensity of it, Tae-rim nodded before he realized what he was doing. And the second he did, Juho yanked off the underwear in one swift motion and immediately buried his face between Tae-rim’s thighs.
“J-Juho!”
“Ha… you smell amazing…”
Tae-rim knew that pheromones smelled different depending on the spot, but hearing Juho say it out loud like that made his face burn. He had no idea what to do as Juho inhaled deeply, his nose buried right between his legs.
“Hyung… can I lick you…?”
“…J-just a little.”
A hot tongue lapped at his cock. Tae-rim instinctively covered his face with both hands. Juho was already jerking himself off, hand wrapped around his own shaft. Tae-rim didn’t even know where to look anymore.
“Tastes so good…”
The bite marks where Tae-rim had applied ointment were mostly faded now, though some bruises lingered. Juho began leaving fresh ones, licking and sucking as if savoring every inch. Tae-rim bit his lip as smacking sounds filled the air. Juho licked in every way imaginable—flicking with the tip of his tongue, then stroking with long, slow licks.
The constant stimulation was starting to heat up Tae-rim’s cock too. Juho lapped at the sticky pre-cum leaking from the slit, smearing it all over as he licked it up. Tae-rim’s cock glistened, wet with spit and slick, and Juho’s eyes gleamed with hunger.
