It felt like going back to the old days after a very long time.
A Guide without a partner receives guiding requests from Espers who are also without a partner. Unless it’s a special case, the request is usually accepted, and then they hold hands.
It’s rare for someone to go straight for the lips when initiating guiding.
Besides, Seo-ha, who had been obsessed with increasing match rates, had held many hands before. Hands calloused from labor, hands with unusually long fingers, hands that felt particularly cold or hot to the touch.
It hadn’t been that long ago, yet it felt strangely distant now—probably because he’d gotten so used to Han Ju-oh.
‘Even if the match rate doesn’t go up, it’s fine.’
It wouldn’t be as despairing as it used to be. But he would end up clinging to the one and only—Han Ju-oh.
‘If it does rise…’
He’d have to think about what kind of meaning that might carry. In any case, guiding was over now, and it was time to focus on the present.
He let go of Esper Baek Jong-hoon’s hand.
Seo-ha’s expression couldn’t be defined by joy or disappointment alone. When he looked at Esper Baek Jong-hoon, the man masked his expression even more and stood up, taking Guide Jang Jin-young’s hand.
“This is where my job ends, so I’ll take my leave.”
Esper Baek Jong-hoon soothed the visibly curious Jang Jin-young and left the room.
As the secretary followed with a non-disclosure agreement in hand, only Guild Leader Kim Mi-yeon, Han Ju-oh, and Seo-ha remained.
Seo-ha was covering his watch with his right hand. With the screen hidden, there was no way the match rate could be seen.
Even so, neither Kim Mi-yeon nor Han Ju-oh asked anything. There was no need to press—they’d find out soon enough. They waited.
“Um…”
Seo-ha finally opened his heavy lips.
He struggled to continue, then turned to Han Ju-oh.
“What kind of result do you want it to be?”
Rather than mentioning the result that had already come out, he asked what Han Ju-oh wanted.
When Han Ju-oh didn’t respond, the silence grew awkward, prompting Seo-ha to hastily add more.
“You’re my partner. Honestly, it feels a little late, but… I want to know. Even now.”
“What if my answer is the opposite of what actually happened?”
Han Ju-oh threw a question back.
As they continued exchanging questions, each trying to gauge the other’s intentions, Guild Leader Kim Mi-yeon got up and returned to her desk.
She had too many responsibilities to focus solely on their conversation.
Once seated, Kim Mi-yeon turned her gaze to Seo-ha, whose back was to her, as he faced Han Ju-oh.
Since Han Ju-oh had said he’d bring him as a partner, she had looked into Baek Seo-ha.
What stood out most was how his match rate had been practically frozen for so long—and how most people had completely ignored him.
No one needs a Guide with a 3% match rate.
It had happened while she was abroad, and if Han Ju-oh hadn’t brought him in, things might have ended very differently.
Because of that, she understood just how significant this moment was for Baek Seo-ha. The way he treated his watch so delicately was adorable.
Not that you’d call a grown man “adorable,” which is why, when Seo-ha asked if she was surprised, she had brushed off the question with a vague reply.
After glancing at the pair, she smiled faintly and got back to work.
“I asked first.”
“And I asked too.”
It seemed unlikely that either would give a direct answer anytime soon, so it might be safe to just let it go for now.
While Kim Mi-yeon’s attention drifted elsewhere, Seo-ha shot Han Ju-oh a sidelong glare.
“This is kind of unfair, Ju-oh.”
“I don’t get why you’re dragging this out when the result is already there.”
“Oh, that…”
Seo-ha trailed off.
Well, it could look like he was being petty—hoarding information only he knew to throw Han Ju-oh off balance.
“We’re done here, so let’s go.”
Feeling cornered, Seo-ha abruptly stood up.
He bowed politely to Guild Leader Kim Mi-yeon, who saw him off without hesitation.
At the door, Seo-ha turned to look back at Han Ju-oh.
Still seated, Han Ju-oh followed Seo-ha with his eyes only. He was clearly thinking about why Seo-ha hadn’t told him the result.
It felt like a battle of pride—who would give in first.
But Seo-ha knew a very surefire way to ruin this standoff.
“Wanna go on a date?”
Han Ju-oh shot up instantly.
As if nothing that had just happened was more important than that one word—“date.”
Seo-ha couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased.
As Han Ju-oh came closer, Seo-ha cast a quick glance toward Kim Mi-yeon and whispered softly.
“Next time, if you tell me to stand up, I’ll jump up too.”
Just once.
He didn’t say it outright, but he only meant he’d give in one time.
Then he shut the door.
In the process, the watch on his wrist was briefly exposed, but Seo-ha didn’t bother to hide it.
There was nothing more he needed to keep from Han Ju-oh.
As he stood with that thought, Han Ju-oh reached out and gently took hold of Seo-ha’s left wrist.
He clasped it, covering the watch as if shielding it entirely.
Seo-ha looked up at him.
“I want it to be a secret only I know.”
Hearing Han Ju-oh’s honest thoughts, Seo-ha broke into a smile.
The truth was, Seo-ha wanted to accommodate Han Ju-oh.
If Han Ju-oh said he hoped the match rate hadn’t gone up, then Seo-ha would simply say it hadn’t.
He had no plans to guide any other Esper anyway—and he didn’t need to.
If, on the other hand, Han Ju-oh said he wished Seo-ha would become a recognized Guide, then he had been about to reply that, well, it might not be too far off.
The match rate that came out after guiding Esper Baek Jong-hoon was 10%.
Clearly an increase from before, but still not on the same level as with Han Ju-oh.
It wasn’t like he’d just had a massive awakening and suddenly become a standout A-rank Guide. He’d just taken one more step forward.
Seo-ha crinkled his nose in embarrassment.
“Honestly, if it had gone over 20%, I probably would’ve gone around bragging non-stop.”
See? I’m not some 3-percenter anymore.
He’d been planning to shout it from the rooftops—but the result was a little too lukewarm, so he held back. And yet, he kept rambling without pause.
“Seriously, this is kind of a scam. Back when I was desperate for it, nothing changed, and now that I’ve got a partner—this happens? Right?”
It sounded like he was complaining, but the way his cheeks were lifted high gave away his good mood.
Han Ju-oh didn’t bother pointing it out.
Whatever it was—as long as he was happy, that was enough.
“But hey, shouldn’t we settle our wish tally or something?”
He spoke as the thought popped into his head, then moved straight into the “grape bunch” count.
“I’ve been feeding and housing you this whole time, plus I worked hard today too… Should we knock off, like, twenty?”
Han Ju-oh gave Seo-ha a once-over and confirmed the man had zero conscience, then gave a half-hearted nod.
“Do what you want.”
“Really? Okay, then it’s settled…”
Seo-ha stopped walking, and Han Ju-oh halted right beside him.
Seo-ha was staring at something, as if spellbound. When Han Ju-oh followed his gaze, he spotted the Gate.
The Gate they were supposed to enter didn’t look much different from when it first appeared, but with his heightened visual ability, Han Ju-oh could see that the darkness had deepened.
“There’s a lot to check before we go in, huh?”
The reason they were still keeping their situation under wraps was simple.
It would be easier to make their intentions clear once everything was more concrete.
The government had torn them apart under the guise of a national emergency.
Just because the match rate had gone up didn’t mean anyone would be celebrating with them.
The people left behind were too jaded, too used up to embrace anything with innocent joy.
“We’ve got plenty of time.”
They had raised the match rate sooner than expected.
“But that doesn’t mean we’re going to slack off.”
Seo-ha looked back at Han Ju-oh and asked if he felt the same. Han Ju-oh gave a single nod, and Seo-ha, as if expecting it, turned back toward the Gate.
“Let’s work hard starting tomorrow and just play for today.”
After a flurry of heated excitement and running around, they ended up staying up all night.
“Baek Seo-ha.”
Seo-ha, tired out and pondering what kind of date would be satisfying enough, lifted his head.
He blankly stared at Han Ju-oh’s face, which had come close and just passed by.
Something had brushed his forehead and then pulled away.
“Dates are something lovers go on—you know that, right?”
Han Ju-oh teased him, as if to say that Gate or not, this was the most important thing.
“What the hell—who kisses someone that blatantly?”
Embarrassed, Seo-ha scolded him.
Truthfully, it was a gesture of affection because he liked him.
Maybe worried that Han Ju-oh might be upset, Seo-ha quickly leaned into him.
Technically, their lips touched and then parted—but their chests also brushed in that moment.
“I admit it. I like you too.”
He wasn’t sure about calling it love just yet—it was still a little too cringe-inducing.
But while guiding Baek Jong-hoon, he had realized it.
Time had been flowing so slowly for him ever since he met Han Ju-oh.
Even though Seo-ha’s confession was clumsy and unimpressive, Han Ju-oh’s face lit up with happiness.
Seeing his lover so pleased made Seo-ha excited too, and he started chattering.
“As a celebration, can I erase ten wishes from the tally?”
Even now, he wasn’t about to miss the chance to color in more grapes.
