“Oof, what an eyesore. Being single must be suffering.”
“Should I give you a hug Guiding too, Esper Jung Jae-heon?”
“Hyuuung!”
“Really?”
Jung Jae-heon pressed his fists to his chin, eyes twinkling with anticipation. Tae-rim found the sight unexpectedly adorable and gave a small nod. Seon Juho, clearly not thrilled, pouted again. Tae-rim sent a strong surge of energy his way, and Juho immediately forgot about glaring at Jung Jae-heon, going limp and melty on the spot.
“Huaaah, hyung. That feels amazing…”
“Ahh! Jae-heon didn’t see anything, I swear!”
With Jung Jae-heon joining in on the teasing, the mood finally began to lighten—at least on this side of the partition.
Tae-rim quickly finished Juho’s Guiding and extended his hand toward Jung Jae-heon. Jae-heon hesitated for a moment, then took it and let Tae-rim pull him into an embrace, his face shy as he leaned into him.
Tae-rim began the Guiding.
“Haah… this feels so good.”
Jae-heon let out a sigh that sounded almost like a moan. Tae-rim’s face flushed, and he scrambled to compose himself, This is Seon Juho, this is Seon Juho, he repeated in his head. But the scent in his arms was completely different—it wasn’t Juho at all. The self-hypnosis failed. His face burned hotter.
Maybe suggesting a hug Guiding hadn’t been such a great idea after all. Determined to end it quickly, he focused all his energy into the Guiding. Just then, a stifled moan slipped from Jae-heon’s throat.
“Ah—hyuuung!”
“Hyung…” Juho called out, voice thick with betrayal.
Tae-rim awkwardly peeled Jae-heon off him.
“Guiding is complete.”
The atmosphere instantly grew awkward. Jae-heon cleared his throat, obviously a bit embarrassed, then chuckled playfully.
“Tae-rim, can I ask for that again sometime?”
His glance toward Seon Juho made the meaning clear: once the Incomplete Imprint was resolved, he wanted to experience it again. If it felt this good now, he must’ve been wondering how much better it could be when fully synchronized. Tae-rim smiled and nodded.
“Sure. Anytime.”
“Ah, hyuuung. Hiiing. He’s mine though…”
Juho immediately clung to Tae-rim, rubbing himself all over him like he was trying to erase every trace of Jung Jae-heon’s scent. He pressed and squirmed with such urgency, it was almost desperate. Tae-rim couldn’t help but laugh as he held the ferocious little ball of jealousy in his arms. Juho’s clinginess was just too cute.
“Hmph. I’m gonna cry now!”
“If you’re sulking this much already, what are you going to do later?”
“You…!”
“Tsk! Seon Juho! You can’t talk to your sunbae like that!”
“Hyuuung…”
“And no casual speech either.”
“Hyuuuuuung…”
Still whining, Juho clung to Tae-rim as they stepped out of the Guiding room. Jung Jae-heon followed behind. Kwon Hae-beom and Choi Jiwoon were still inside—doing who knows what. Tae-rim decided to ignore it and turned away.
They were walking toward the dorms, casually enjoying the fresh air, when Jung Jae-heon’s watch suddenly buzzed. He answered immediately.
[Esper Jung Jae-heon! It’s an emergency! Seven S-rank Gates have opened simultaneously!]
“What?! Where is it? Send me the coordinates!”
[Sending now!]
Oh god. Why is it that bad premonitions never turn out to be wrong? Tae-rim went pale.
“We’re moving. Now.”
At Jung Jae-heon’s sharp order, Seon Juho quickly scooped Tae-rim into his arms and took off in the direction they’d come from. Jung Jae-heon, already coordinating with HQ, turned and shouted back:
“If Kwon Hae-beom’s still inside, drag him out—now!”
Then he vanished down the path in a flash.
Seon Juho dropped Tae-rim off in front of the Guiding tent and shot off toward the contaminated zone without another word. There hadn’t even been time to wish him safety.
Tae-rim flung open the door to the Guiding room and shouted:
“Esper Kwon Hae-beom! Seven S-rank Gates have opened! Head to Esper Jung Jae-heon’s location immediately! Hurry!”
At Tae-rim’s urgent call, Kwon Hae-beom emerged from behind the partition, strode out, and took off into the sky without hesitation.
Tae-rim stepped inside and sank into a chair. His heart pounded so hard it hurt. The thing he’d desperately hoped wouldn’t happen—had. Seven S-rank Gates… and Seon Juho had flown straight into that hell.
“W-Wait, seriously? Did you just say S-rank Gates?!”
Choi Jiwoon stumbled out, adjusting his clothes. Tae-rim nodded gravely.
“Yes. It’s a full-blown emergency. Please remain on standby here, Guide Jiwoon.”
Outside, the chaos was escalating—Espers were rushing out in every direction, the air filled with the sounds of shouting and hurried footsteps. Tae-rim bounced his knee, nerves fraying with each passing second. Seon Juho had never even been through an A-rank Gate before, and now suddenly—an S-rank? Why today, of all days?! He tried to stay calm, but frustrated sighs kept spilling out.
“Guide Lee Tae-rim.”
Jeon Jun-pyo staggered in through the door, his shoulder soaked in blood. Tae-rim sprang up and rushed over, immediately pulling him into a firm embrace and starting the Guiding.
Jeon Jun-pyo’s injuries were severe. It looked like he’d been attacked from behind—his uniform was torn from shoulder to back, blood pouring from the wounds.
“Ahh… ha…”
As the healing began, Jeon Jun-pyo let out a breath of relief like he could finally breathe again.
“That’s enough, Guide Lee.”
“Hold on. You’re still at 11%. Just a bit more.”
“…Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”
He paused, maybe remembering how prickly Tae-rim had been in the past, but eventually nodded and wrapped his arms around him again. Tae-rim guided him until the end and sent him back out to the front lines.
“Tae-rim, your shirt—it’s covered in blood.”
“Oh.”
Jeon Jun-pyo’s blood had soaked into his crisp white uniform shirt.
“It’s fine.”
Uniforms were provided free and replaced as needed. Tae-rim just wiped the blood off his ear with a wet tissue.
The noise outside never stopped. The situation was clearly escalating. Voices echoed through the air—the groans of wounded Espers, the frantic efforts of Guides trying to stabilize them. The entire area was steeped in tension and urgency.
Tae-rim wanted to go out and help, but he couldn’t. For now, he was the only S-rank Guide present. There were still three S-rank Espers who might need him. Lee Yeong-jun and Bae Jieun were on their way, but until they arrived, he couldn’t risk leaving. All he could do was stay put, legs trembling from the pressure.
Finally, Lee Yeong-jun and Bae Jieun walked into the Guiding room.
“It’s a total war zone out there. Whoa—Tae-rim, your uniform…”
“Ah, Esper Jeon Jun-pyo was injured. I guided him—it’s all handled.”
“Well done. Now get some rest. And stop shaking your leg.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maybe it was the presence of the other S-rank Guides, but Tae-rim’s legs finally stilled.
“Oh, right—everyone’s armed, yeah?”
“Yes.”
Tae-rim double-checked the monster-grade pistol strapped to his thigh. It wasn’t powerful enough to inflict real damage, but it could buy time to escape. That’s why all Guides were required to carry one when heading into the field—no matter how safe things seemed.
“Jiwoon… don’t tell me you forgot yours.”
“U-uh… I left it… at the dorm…”
“You what?! Are you out of your mind? Go get it right now! There’s a vehicle waiting out front!”
“But if I leave, Hae-beom hyung—!”
“If you die, then Esper Kwon Hae-beom dies too! Your lives are directly connected, do you get that?! Go—now!”
Choi Jiwoon trembled, lips quivering, and soon tears began to fall. But Lee Yeong-jun’s face remained ice-cold. In the end, Jiwoon burst into tears and sprinted out of the room.
“Does he have any idea what’s going on? He can’t even think straight.”
“Oppa, don’t be so harsh. People forget things sometimes.”
“Oh yeah? Have you ever forgotten your weapon?”
“…No.”
The Guiding room fell quiet.
Suddenly, Tae-rim felt a strong sugar craving hit. He’d basically guided three Espers back-to-back. He wanted to hold off a bit longer, but there was no telling who might come through the door next—it was better to recharge while he could. Quietly, he got up and walked over to the fridge.
“Grab one for me too.”
At Lee Yeong-jun’s request, Tae-rim pulled out two bottles of sweet mango juice. Bae Jieun got up and fetched her own.
Gulp, gulp. The sugar hit his system instantly, bringing some energy back. He started to feel alive again. But it didn’t last long. As time passed, the steadiness he’d regained began to slip. His legs started shaking again. His mouth went dry, and he kept sipping his drink just to stay calm.
“Are you worried about Esper Seon Juho?”
“Yes…”
“It’s his first S-rank Gate. I’m worried too. I just hope he doesn’t get hurt.”
Tae-rim thought of Jeon Jun-pyo’s wounds—and imagined Seon Juho with the same injuries. The image alone made goosebumps rise all over his body. He exhaled shakily, his legs trembling harder.
“This is your first time dealing with a situation like this since your Awakening, right? Especially with your memory loss—it’s probably even worse for you. But don’t worry too much. Emergency support has already been requested from other districts.”
Even so, the fact that someone like Kwon Hae-beom had been injured said everything about how serious this was. Tae-rim couldn’t stop his legs from trembling.
“Seven S-rank Gates… It’s not like they opened in neat pairs or anything…”
Bae Jieun’s casual comment made Tae-rim snap to attention.
Pairs?
Wait—a memory surfaced. In the novel, it had only been six S-rank Gates. And Jung Jae-heon had joked, “One for each of us, huh?”
The moment came rushing back. Suddenly, this whole situation felt suspicious. It wasn’t just coincidence—this almost felt intentional. Like the number of Gates had been matched precisely to the number of S-rank Espers.
Only now, instead of six… there were seven.
