“The fourth gate has been cleared.”
After the Gate Wave, the gates that appeared were numbered in the order they were generated. When Moon Roi was the last to emerge from the gate, those waiting nearby sprayed him down with disinfectant.
Before the gate closed completely, people would go back inside to retrieve any valuable or research-worthy remains.
“Good work.”
As Moon Roi wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, an Esper approached and clapped him on the shoulder. It was the same Esper who had entered the gate with him this time as a temporary partner.
“You too, hyung. Good job.”
“Your guiding was great this time. I think we’re a good match—let’s team up again sometime. Think about it and let me know.”
“Sure.”
When Moon Roi nodded, the Esper hummed a cheerful tune and walked off. As Moon Roi watched him go, the faint smile on his face disappeared.
“There won’t be a next time.”
The stress had piled up just trying to push him off—he’d been clinging, saying he needed rapid guiding. Even knowing that unwanted physical contact could make someone uncomfortable, he’d pressured Moon Roi by invoking an emergency, forcing his way in under the guise of necessity.
If he’d had to stay in that dungeon just one more day, who knows what might’ve happened. That’s how intense this gate had been. The Esper had been particularly clingy and persistent.
“So tired.”
Moon Roi pressed his dry eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again and picked up his phone. He dialed a familiar number. While holding the phone to his ear and waiting for the other side to answer, he didn’t even notice how many people passed him by.
Ever since the national state of emergency was declared, there hadn’t been a moment of peace. Things flowed much like the day before, but there was a subtle rise in tension, a faint undercurrent of unease in the air.
Part of it was due to the uncertainty—no one knew what might happen next. But the unnatural presence of the gates themselves played a major role in heightening that anxiety.
—You made it back safely.
At the sound of the sudden greeting, Moon Roi let out a laugh and plopped down on the roadside nearby.
—You’re not hurt, are you?
“If you were that worried, shouldn’t you have come out here to wait for me?”
—I believed in you.
Sometimes, Baek Seo-ha’s shameless attitude left him speechless, but he didn’t mind. At the very least, it meant someone cared that he’d come out alive.
“How are things going for you?”
—Me? Hmm…
Seo-ha’s hesitant response sounded like something was stuck in his throat, and a shadow passed over Moon Roi’s gaze. Seo-ha had said he’d be entering a gate soon. The issue wasn’t just that it was an S-Class gate due to the Esper’s ranking—if Seo-ha’s compatibility rate didn’t rise, they’d be in serious trouble. Moon Roi was far more concerned about his friend Baek Seo-ha than Han Ju-oh. All he wanted was to make sure his friend didn’t end up in danger.
—It’s gone up a little.
“Really? By how much?”
—Two? Three?
Moon Roi lowered the phone and glanced at the screen. It wasn’t like he could see Baek Seo-ha’s face through it, but for a second he wondered if he should go see him right away.
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
—I’ve still got time, so I’ll do what I can while I can.
Seo-ha’s slow, unhurried tone only made Moon Roi feel more anxious. At this rate, it seemed like they might reach the day of the gate raid with no progress at all.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
—Remember you said that. Help me later.
When Seo-ha’s soft laughter came through the receiver, Moon Roi’s face relaxed, and he continued the conversation in a lighter mood. Even in a world full of danger and urgency, just knowing the people close to him were safe made for a better day.
***
“Tsk. He goes straight home after finishing up? Seriously.”
Knowing Moon Roi had called the moment he left the gate, Seo-ha clicked his tongue. He was the one in the dangerous situation, yet he was the one worrying about someone else.
“I don’t need him looking out for me anymore…”
He let out a bitter chuckle and mumbled under his breath, only to suddenly feel a gaze directed at him.
“Ah, sorry.”
Seo-ha quickly put down his phone. He’d answered the call in the middle of guiding Han Ju-oh. Now, he climbed back onto Han Ju-oh’s body.
“But isn’t this position kind of inconvenient for you?”
Han Ju-oh had told him to get on top, so Seo-ha had obliged—but the whole time, he’d felt guilty about it.
“I’m not exactly small, and I’m a grown man. I must be heavy.”
“You’re not heavy.”
Han Ju-oh shook his head, and Seo-ha stopped asking, taking it as permission to continue as he pleased. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Han Ju-oh’s neck. Their bare chests pressed together. Having separated for just a moment, the warmth between their bodies had already begun to cool.
This time, the guiding method was to press their chests together and transmit energy directly through contact. Han Ju-oh had suggested it, but in truth, Seo-ha had been thinking the same thing.
They had already tried various approaches to guiding. At present, Seo-ha’s matching rate was at 10%. Still lacking, yes—but he tried to stay positive. It had more than tripled compared to before, and with Han Ju-oh approaching him more proactively, they’d been able to try a lot more.
But after holding hands, hugging, kissing, slipping their hands under each other’s clothes, and touching sensitive areas, they were running out of ideas. They weren’t sure what to attempt next.
In the end, they decided to watch a steamy romance film together. Although it didn’t show a full-on sex scene, it did include kissing, stripping, and embracing—and that gave them the idea.
They’d embraced before, but never like this—never while undressed.
“This feels weird.”
Seo-ha had thought he could handle it, but as something deep in his gut started to stir and bubble up, he confessed honestly. With the intensity rising, it was getting harder to pretend everything was fine.
What was the point in trying to stay composed when their bare skin was pressed so tightly together?
He figured it might be less embarrassing to just admit it outright. It wasn’t out of consideration for Han Ju-oh—Seo-ha was simply trying to ease his own discomfort.
Seo-ha unwrapped his arms from around Han Ju-oh’s neck and looked him in the eye.
“Are you okay with continuing this?”
“You can’t avoid it just because you’re aroused.”
Han Ju-oh shook his head as if it didn’t matter, but Seo-ha hesitated, wondering if he really meant it—then wrapped his arms back around him. There wasn’t much time left before the guiding session ended anyway. The next time they guided, their bodies would be cooled down, so it should be fine.
Seo-ha pressed himself close again, holding Han Ju-oh tightly. With not even a sliver of air between them, the energy flowed even better than when they’d touched more awkwardly before.
‘It’s increasing.’
He’d already surpassed the amount of energy they’d exchanged in their previous sessions. And there was no sign of a block. Seo-ha shut his eyes tight and steadied his breathing. He couldn’t help but wonder how much higher it could go. If this method worked, things would get complicated. He’d planned to be fully wrapped up to the neck next time they guided, but if it kept going this well… they might have to take their pants off too.
“Mm—”
Seo-ha’s eyes flew open as he realized what was now pressed beneath him. Sitting atop Han Ju-oh, he could feel something hard growing underneath his ass.
Startled, he instinctively shifted his body, but unless he got off Han Ju-oh altogether, there was no avoiding it. He moved to get away, but it ended up creating friction—making it look like he was grinding against him.
“I didn’t mean to do that…”
Seo-ha murmured his excuse, but suddenly his body was flipped. In a flash, he was lying flat, staring up at the ceiling with Han Ju-oh pinning him down.
“The guiding’s almost over.”
“It’s not over yet.”
Han Ju-oh reached out and touched Seo-ha’s lips with his index finger. The ticklish sensation made Seo-ha flinch. Was this supposed to be revenge for earlier, when he’d accidentally tickled him?
“Let’s go a little longer.”
Han Ju-oh’s fingers licked along his lips as he spoke, and the way he looked at Seo-ha made it overwhelming—enough to make him wonder if he should try to escape.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but… I don’t think I can handle it.”
Seo-ha admitted his weakness in advance, but he didn’t run. Just because he was aroused—or because he might get devoured—it didn’t mean he could flee.
He had to endure it. Accept it.
Seo-ha reached out to pull Han Ju-oh close again—but Han Ju-oh moved faster. He pressed Seo-ha’s protruding nipple between his index and middle fingers.
“What the hell.”
Seo-ha blinked in surprise as Han Ju-oh narrowed the gap between his fingers, pinching it.
“Keep guiding.”
Han Ju-oh didn’t give him time to think of anything else. Left with no choice, Seo-ha inhaled deeply and exhaled as his chest swelled, forcing himself to continue guiding.
“Ah…”
When Han Ju-oh twisted his nipple, a stifled sound slipped from Seo-ha’s lips. Flustered, he quickly covered his mouth with the back of his hand, but it was too late. The moan had already escaped.
His whole body tingled, the hair at the back of his neck standing on end. The sensation was so intense, it made focusing nearly impossible. Still, he tried to push forward with the guiding—but then noticed Han Ju-oh’s gaze had changed.
Han Ju-oh looked down at Seo-ha and imagined a twist on the typical hypothesis: what if a Guide lost control, just like an Esper driven to their limit?
