Lee Tae-rim sat down and immediately turned on his smartphone, heading straight to his inbox. It was overflowing with unread messages. Among them, what drew his eye were the scout offers. In the past, Tae-rim wouldn’t have given them a second glance—but now things were different. He reread the ones he’d already opened.
Surprisingly, the offers had come from Districts 2 through 5. More than half the Centers in the other districts had sent him scouting emails.
He wasn’t sure if the rumors from District 1 had spread that far, but if he transferred, at the very least, he wouldn’t have to deal with sleazy Espers harassing him like earlier. As he read over the lines saying you’re welcome anytime, Tae-rim slipped into thought.
Districts 3 and 4 were a bit dangerous, but they offered the best benefits. They even made it clear they wouldn’t force him into external expeditions if he didn’t want to go—despite the fact that they regularly sent A-rank Guides on those missions. That part really drew him in.
Just the presence of an S-rank Guide was enough to give Espers a profound sense of stability. So even in districts that hadn’t sent him an official offer, if he decided to move, they’d probably welcome him with open arms. The question was—where should he go? Tae-rim was seriously considering his options.
Phone in hand, he searched for updates on the various districts. As expected, Districts 3 and 4 were the riskiest, but the perks made up for it. Honestly, the danger was mostly for Espers. For a Guide, it would just mean more work. Still, the thought of Seon Juho possibly tagging along made him hesitate. Did he really want to drag the kid into a hazardous zone? Lost in thought, Tae-rim continued scrolling.
“Hyuuung~ I’m baaack~”
Already? Time had flown by. Tae-rim turned off his screen as two people walked into the guiding Room.
“Welcome back.”
Seon Juho came bounding in like an excited child, still brimming with energy. Must’ve enjoyed his walk. He plopped himself right down on Tae-rim’s lap and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Jung Jae-heon, looking like a dog owner worn out from an overzealous walk, collapsed into a nearby chair.
“I don’t need any guiding. This little brat did all the work.”
“Hyung, I even caught one with a mana stone.”
“Yeah?”
Finding a monster with a mana stone was rare. Monsters didn’t have any real concept of kin; if they were hungry, they’d just eat each other. Every now and then, a monster that had consumed a lot of its own kind would develop a mana stone, regardless of its rank.
Mana stones were a valuable energy source, and the government paid a high price for them when recovered by Espers. To think Juho found one on his first day—he was lucky.
“Guess it’s just instinct.”
Jae-heon muttered under his breath as he watched Juho, who was now trying to cram his large frame into Tae-rim’s arms.
“Instinct?”
Worried the chair might tip over, Tae-rim gently coaxed Juho into the adjacent seat. But Juho dragged his chair right next to his and immediately glued himself to Tae-rim’s side again.
“Yeah. Losing his mind whenever he sees his Guide.”
“Ah…”
Where’s my soulmate hiding… Jae-heon murmured, staring off into the distance like a man lost in longing. Once the guiding session ended, he promptly took Juho back with him, as cool and indifferent as ever. Juho pouted and clung to Tae-rim, reluctant to leave, but eventually followed Jae-heon out with a sulky face.
That day, Juho came in for guiding three separate times. Given how long it would take just to visit once, the fact that he went back and forth three times showed he still didn’t have much control yet.
Still, Jae-heon said it wasn’t bad, which was his version of praise. Not that Juho was listening—he was too busy clinging to Tae-rim like a barnacle.
“Sorry.”
“Eh, young Espers are all like that. I was probably the same at his age.”
Jae-heon, now thirty-two—exactly twelve years older than Juho—smiled wistfully.
“You better treat Tae-rim right. If you go around flirting with everyone like I did, you’ll end up like me.”
Did he used to mess around and lose his Guide to someone else? Whatever the case, Juho—who normally ignored everything Jae-heon said—nodded solemnly at that one.
“You’ve got a 90% Matching Rate with Tae-rim, and Dr. Han’s been going nuts saying you’re S+ rank. You could probably tell the Center Director to shove it. Say you’ll only work with Tae-rim and threaten to transfer. If you say you’ll go to Districts 3 or 4, I bet even Central would cheer you on.”
“Then can I go with you, hyung?”
“Maybe?”
Great, teaching the kid all the wrong lessons. But Tae-rim didn’t say anything. Honestly, he kind of wanted to transfer too. If it happened, it would only benefit him.
“You two go on ahead. I’ll wrap things up and join you.”
“Okay.”
Juho grumbled after Jae-heon left, saying he’d be back in the evening for another guiding session—but then went right back to clinging to Tae-rim. Pressed up against him like a sticker, Seon Juho finally quieted down, lost in thought.
Seon Juho might still be a freshly Awakened rookie, but he was an Esper nonetheless. With his heightened hearing, he’d probably picked up on it already—that the rumors about Lee Tae-rim weren’t exactly kind.
On their way back to the dorms, they’d passed several Guides. Not a single one greeted them, and every glance they received was cold or sideways. Up until now, Tae-rim had mostly dealt with researchers and Espers, so he hadn’t been fully aware of the Center’s atmosphere. But out here, it was impossible to ignore. Everything was clear as day.
Most Espers were either out subjugating monsters or in the guiding Room receiving treatment, which meant the people wandering the halls were mostly Guides. Maybe that’s why it felt even more obvious. From Tae-rim’s perspective, the way he was being alienated practically screamed for attention.
And knowing Jung Jae-heon, he hadn’t brought it up to Juho without thinking. That made it sting a little more.
“Hyung, aren’t you eating?”
Lost in thought, Tae-rim had just been picking at his lunch. Juho’s voice pulled him back. He shook his head.
“Ah, sorry. Got a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?”
Juho had been poking around for just the meat with his chopsticks. When Tae-rim stared at him silently, Juho sheepishly started eating the vegetables too.
“I was thinking… maybe it’s time you started living on your own.”
“What?! Why?!”
Juho shot up from his seat, practically knocking it over. Tae-rim gave him a look and gestured for him to sit down again.
“The dorms are meant to be single rooms. The only reason we were living together is because you didn’t know how to handle anything yet. But now that you’re able to take care of yourself, it’s time to move into your own space.”
“N-No… I don’t want to. I don’t waaaant to… huuuugh…”
Juho stood up and stumbled over to him, then dropped to his knees in front of Tae-rim and clung to him, bursting into loud, messy sobs.
“I wasn’t saying right now—”
“Even if it’s not now, I still don’t waaaant to! I wanna keep living with you! I’m not going anywhere!”
Tae-rim immediately felt Juho’s Wavelength turn unstable. Maybe it was too early to bring this up. He’d just said it on impulse—trying to mask his own gloomy thoughts—and ended up making a mistake. Now Juho’s pretty face was a teary, snotty mess. Tae-rim sighed heavily.
“Hyung, you really mean it? You’re going to abandon me?”
“Why would I abandon you? I just meant living in separate rooms. We’d still see each other every day.”
“I don’t care! I don’t waaaaaant to! Huuuugh…”
Tae-rim gently lifted Juho’s chin and dabbed his face with tissues. Even after Juho blew his nose with a loud honk, it didn’t help. His tears kept flowing, and so did the snot.
“Aigoo, such a baby.”
“If I get to keep living with you, I’ll be a baby.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have brought it up so soon.”
“Then say it. Say we’ll keep living together. Right now.”
“Uh… well…”
“Hnnngh… hiccup…”
“Juho…”
“No, no, nooo…”
Tae-rim was trying to soothe the wailing Juho when the doorbell rang. Right—Jung Jae-heon had said he’d stop by for guiding. As Tae-rim stood up, Juho jumped to his feet too and latched onto him from behind. With a full-grown baby clinging to his back, Tae-rim trudged to the front door.
“Huh? What happened?”
Jae-heon’s eyes went wide when he saw Juho sniffling into Tae-rim’s shoulder.
“I mentioned the idea of him living on his own…”
“Huuuugh…”
“Ahh. Got it.”
Jae-heon let out a small laugh and stepped inside. When he saw the untouched lunchboxes on the table, he clicked his tongue.
“You guys were eating. Should I come back later?”
“It’s fine. Juho’s like this, so I probably won’t get to eat for a while anyway.”
“Alright then. I’ll just get my guiding and be out.”
Juho still had his arms wrapped tightly around Tae-rim, refusing to let go, so finding a proper seat was impossible. In the end, Tae-rim just sat on the edge of the bed. Jae-heon sat beside him and extended his hand.
“Damn, this kid’s glaring at me like he’s about to shoot lasers.”
Juho stared daggers at him, his eyes full of tears and snot, but Jae-heon just chuckled.
“Not scary at all, you know.”
In response, Juho hugged Tae-rim even tighter. Tae-rim took Jae-heon’s hand and started the guiding session.
“You idiot. If whining won’t work, use your brain.”
“…?”
“Jung Jae-heon-ssi.”
What was this Esper trying to teach the kid now? Tae-rim shot him a sharp glare, but Jae-heon just pretended not to notice.
