“Posted the link in the group chat, so make sure you buy it.”
“If it’s supposed to be cost-effective, shouldn’t it be a bit cheaper? This one’s obviously a high-end cosmetic…”
“Hyo-il. Youth is something you can’t buy even with money.”
“Exactly. And it’s not like it’s out of our pay range anyway.”
“Don’t you make quite a bit from stocks too? Aren’t you richer than Tae-rim?”
“…….”
“Whoa, really? I can’t handle stocks—I guess I’m too chicken for that.”
“He’s loaded, LOADED.”
Still, Kim Hyo-il didn’t look convinced in the slightest. Lee Tae-rim looked through the cosmetic brands Yoon Ye-rin had mentioned and thought, Yeah, these are definitely luxury-tier. If it were his past life, his hands probably would’ve trembled just clicking the purchase button.
But now? Lee Tae-rim was rich. This level of spending was nothing. He figured he’d go home and take a closer look before buying.
“Even so, I bet Tae-rim’s richer. S-ranks usually hire financial professionals to manage their assets.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, that’s how it usually goes.”
Pfft. “Why do you sound like you’re talking about someone else’s money when it’s yours?”
Lee Jae-hwa chuckled as he said it. Lee Tae-rim laughed along.
“Don’t forget I’ve got amnesia, Hyung.”
“Ah…”
Another reason why Lee Tae-rim could have that much money at such a young age was because a professional was managing it all for him. And he had no plans to blow through it recklessly. At this point, his retirement fund was already well secured—more than enough, actually. On top of that, his wealth was still steadily growing. That’s why he could afford to splurge on expensive alcohol without hesitation.
“Now that you mention it, it’s been almost a year since Tae-rim lost his memory, huh?”
“When you put it like that… already a year? Feels fast and slow at the same time.”
“And we’ve got Juho’s birthday coming up in May, too.”
“Oh yeah… Wait, what?”
“He does? Whoa… A birthday present, huh… Man, I wouldn’t even know where to start. For Esper Seon Juho, this birthday probably feels like his very first one, doesn’t it?”
“That’s a lot of pressure…”
“…….”
It was already mid-April. Seon Juho’s birthday was on May 10th. Lee Tae-rim had forgotten, too—until recently, when Juho had offhandedly asked for… squats… as his birthday present. That triggered the memory and sent Tae-rim scrambling to check the date. It really was right around the corner.
If someone asked whether it was a burden, the honest answer would be: absolutely. Seon Juho had no memories from before age ten, so birthdays were probably a foreign concept to him. That made this upcoming birthday effectively his first. And that’s what weighed so heavily on Lee Tae-rim’s mind.
He’d already received a ring from Seon Juho, so what could he possibly give in return? Juho would probably be happy with anything… and that made it even harder. Tae-rim wanted to give him something truly special. Something unforgettable.
Do I really need to squat for him…? Tae-rim found himself seriously contemplating it.
But still, how did this kid turn out to be such a perv? He thought he’d raised him to be wholesome and well-adjusted… Tae-rim knew it was a mystery he’d never solve for the rest of his life.
“I’m thinking of cooking dinner for him that day, but… that’s not really impactful enough, right?”
“You’re asking that like it’s a real question? Even if you baked the cake yourself, it still wouldn’t cut it.”
After all, Juho had spent ten years trapped away from the world. No wonder the pressure felt heavier. Sure, material things could be solved with money. But Juho could easily buy those himself. Tae-rim wanted to give him something money couldn’t buy. He wanted this birthday to be the kind of memory that stayed with him for a lifetime.
“Knowing Esper Seon Juho’s personality, I doubt he’d enjoy a party with a bunch of people congratulating him…”
“Exactly…”
“All that matters to an Esper is their one Guide.”
“Did he beg you to do something? Like with the cooking last time?”
“…….”
“He did, didn’t he? Then just do that.”
If it were anything normal, he would’ve agreed right away. But asking for squats—directly to his face, no less—how was he supposed to grant that with a straight face? Tae-rim sighed deeply and buried his face in his hands.
“He asked for something impossible?”
“Not completely impossible, but…”
If he went through with it, his mental state might not survive the aftermath. The three people staring blankly at him couldn’t even begin to imagine—there’s no way they’d believe Juho could be that kind of pervert.
“If it’s something bedroom-related, just grit your teeth and go for it.”
That line came from none other than Lee Jae-hwa. Tae-rim’s eyes widened in shock. The other two turned to Jae-hwa, equally stunned.
“The way you’re hesitating, it really seems like there’s only one explanation. Am I wrong?”
“…….”
“Wow, Lee Jae-hwa. I did not expect that from you, but you nailed it.”
“Honestly, it’s not that big a deal once you do it.”
“You’ve done it?”
“Yeah. They liked it. I mean, sexual fantasies are fantasies because they’re usually unrealistic, right? So when you actually fulfill one, they’re bound to love it.”
“That’s not exactly wrong, but still…”
The three slowly turned their eyes to Lee Tae-rim. He could feel a cold sweat trickling down his back.
“If you can’t do it sober, just take a drink and get it over with.”
“I’m pretty tolerant with alcohol…”
“How much?”
“I drank a whole bottle of champagne and only got lightly tipsy.”
“Then just half a bottle of soju should do the trick. It’ll get you just buzzed enough to go through with it without being fully conscious.”
“…….”
Yeah. He knew that already. After all, he’d done that thing, hadn’t he? No way he could not know. Tae-rim let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Then who’s going to take care of my mental health afterward…”
“What the heck? It’s that intense? What the hell did he ask you for—no, never mind. I don’t want to know.”
The three started suggesting other ideas—famous cake shops, couple earrings, that kind of thing. And then they wrapped up with this:
“If you want to make it unforgettable, just give him what he really wants. You know what I mean?”
Lee Tae-rim felt like he might grow to hate squats.
***
“Juho, is there anything you want?”
After days of agonizing over it, Lee Tae-rim finally decided to just ask him directly. Seon Juho thought for a moment at Tae-rim’s question, then smiled brightly and answered.
“Squats.”
Tae-rim closed his eyes slowly.
“I’m kidding, Hyung. But… is that what you’ve been worrying about lately? My birthday?”
“Yeah…”
He thought he’d been hiding it well, but apparently not. Besides, with Juho being able to read Tae-rim’s emotional state through pheromones, it wasn’t exactly easy to keep things under wraps. Tae-rim let out a sigh.
“I don’t need anything as long as I have you, Hyung.”
“Juho…”
He knew he’d say that. And that’s exactly why it was so troublesome—it was the truth. Tae-rim didn’t know what to do with this sweet, devoted kid.
“Really, there’s nothing you want?”
“What I want… really is just you, Hyung.”
Tae-rim groaned inwardly. Half a bottle of soju, huh… No, even so, it’s his birthday. He wanted to be sober, at least for that. And to be honest, he was kind of terrified about what kind of mess it might lead to.
“Three times.”
“Huh?”
“I’m only doing it three times.”
“What?”
“S–squats!”
Juho stared at him, mouth slightly open in stunned silence. Tae-rim quietly reached out and closed Juho’s jaw for him.
“…Seriously?”
His voice was so full of raw emotion it left Tae-rim speechless. He honestly couldn’t understand why anyone would be so obsessed with something like this—but if Juho liked it that much, what could he do? Tae-rim gave a slight nod.
“Will you sit on me at the end?”
Tae-rim shot him a sharp glare. This punk… trying to sneak in a bonus now.
“Fine.”
Maybe it was because he’d already done that once before, but the idea didn’t feel like such a high hurdle this time. So he agreed—and Juho’s cheeks immediately flushed pink. Judging by his expression, he looked genuinely thrilled.
“You really mean it? Promise!”
Juho eagerly held out his pinky. Tae-rim hooked his pinky around Juho’s and even pressed his thumbprint to seal the deal. Juho looked over the moon.
“You like it that much?”
“Yup!”
Like a dog that’d just been promised an endless walk, Juho was practically bouncing with joy, even shaking his hips. Seeing those eyes sparkle with uncontainable excitement, Tae-rim thought, So what if my mental state takes a hit? If it made Juho this happy, what was so hard about sitting down and standing up a few times? Tae-rim let out a light chuckle.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“As long as you make it, I’ll love it.”
Juho threw his arms around Tae-rim and nuzzled up to him, giddy with excitement. It wasn’t just a regular birthday—it was a memorable first birthday. And for something like that, whatever Juho wanted, he fully deserved to have it. Tae-rim felt reassured that he’d made the right decision.
Sure, he’d be embarrassed in the moment. But Juho’s memories would linger long after. Though whether that’s the kind of memory someone should be making is up for debate… Either way, Tae-rim comforted himself with the thought.
The truth was, he already felt like dying from secondhand embarrassment. He could say with full confidence that if he didn’t really love Juho, there was no way in hell he’d do something like this. But loving him seemed to be the real crime here—because once feelings were involved, Tae-rim found himself endlessly soft. Back in the day, he would’ve scolded Juho and said no without hesitation. Now, he just… gave in.
While Tae-rim braced himself mentally to give Seon Juho the birthday present of his life, time moved on, and the calendar finally flipped to May. With the big day just around the corner, Tae-rim was caught up in a frenzy of last-minute preparations.
But in the middle of all that, someone else was nagging at the edges of his mind—Jung Jae-heon.
Lately, Jung Jae-heon had been acting strange. Ever since Kwon Hae-beom’s Guiding had been fully handed over to Lee Hae-il, Jae-heon had started receiving most of his Guiding from Tae-rim again. And during those sessions, there were moments when Jae-heon would suddenly space out.
At first, it seemed occasional—Tae-rim figured he must just be tired. But lately, the spacing out had become more frequent.
