“Esper Han Ju-oh, you’re awake,” an Esper he recognized greeted Han Ju-oh. However, his gaze slid past him and locked onto Seo-ha, who was walking right behind.
“Looking sharp,” another Esper commented on Han Ju-oh’s refreshed appearance, but again, their eyes remained glued to Seo-ha.
Every Esper passing by glanced at Seo-ha at least once.
“Uh, let me know if you need anything,” one Esper dropped a line casually. He didn’t linger, likely wary of Han Ju-oh.
Even Espers with partners couldn’t take their eyes off Seo-ha, getting elbowed by their own Guides in the process.
“I’m just staring ’cause it’s fascinating. That’s all…” At this point, even Han Ju-oh had to realize where everyone’s attention was going, so Seo-ha confessed first.
“I’m handsome and charming, after all. You fell for me too, so I’d say… the match rate must’ve changed.” He started off saying they were looking at him instead of Han Ju-oh, but realizing the mood wasn’t suited for joking, he corrected himself.
“How did they know?”
“It just kind of happened.”
Esper Baek Jong-hoon didn’t elaborate. But once it got out that Seo-ha had guided him, rumors started to snowball.
“Everyone’s staring at me like I’m on fire, Ju-oh.” Seo-ha covered his face with one hand and winked at Han Ju-oh. His breezy laugh felt strangely out of place against the grim backdrop.
Maybe that’s why Han Ju-oh gazed at him for a long moment, then suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him over.
“Whoa—?” Seo-ha was dragged along and looked up at him, puzzled. Han Ju-oh pushed his body into the tent.
“Get some rest.”
“I’m fine, really…” The tent wasn’t tall, so Seo-ha had to crouch awkwardly and mumbled his protest. Judging by his attitude, he clearly planned to come back out unless Han Ju-oh physically stopped him.
“You’re cranky right now.”
“Me? I’ve been acting cranky?” Seo-ha blinked in disbelief, but Han Ju-oh didn’t respond. Instead, he zipped the tent closed without a word. He even fastened the zipper all the way down, watching silently as Seo-ha’s hand pressed against the inside of the tent.
Since Seo-ha hadn’t gotten proper rest while Han Ju-oh was asleep, his complexion looked rough. His skin was dry, and there were dark circles under his eyes. That alone was enough reason to push him inside. Keeping him out of other Espers’ line of sight was just a nice bonus.
As Han Ju-oh looked down at the tent, he spotted Ian watching them from nearby and approached. Ian didn’t look too bad himself, apparently having finished his own Guiding session. But his eyes held a trace of conflict as he turned to Han Ju-oh.
“What happened?”
The abrupt question made Ian sigh.
“Davis.” Ian revealed the root of the situation. “Your Guide helped calm down another Esper’s rampage, and apparently Davis brought that up. That’s where the trouble started.”
Ian shook his head. Davis might’ve spread the story, but things had gone sideways in ways even he couldn’t fully explain, so he held back on the rest.
Han Ju-oh turned his head, not expecting much more from Ian. He’d heard what he needed to. Now he turned to the person who could fill in the rest.
Catching that glance, Moon Roi looked around cautiously and lowered his voice. “While I was unconscious, Seo-ha guided Esper Baek Jong-hoon. He was on the verge of rampaging, and Seo-ha calmed him down. Davis saw that happen.”
Later, while Seo-ha was half out of it over the incident with Guide Jang Jin-young, Davis had checked the matching rate on Seo-ha’s watch.
The matching rate displays the most recent guiding session’s score. It doesn’t show unless you activate the screen—but Seo-ha hadn’t turned it off. No, he probably hadn’t even had the presence of mind to think about it.
“Davis doesn’t know Seo-ha’s situation…” Moon Roi ruffled his hair as he spoke, then glanced at Ian. Ian didn’t know everything about Seo-ha either. No one had ever insisted he should, and now it was just a matter of the past.
“He probably just made an offhand comment, but it ended up provoking the other Espers. You know how it is. If Seo-ha had a decent match rate, he’d be a Guide everyone would want.”
Han Ju-oh’s expression shifted instantly. His usual indifferent face sharpened, surprising Ian, though Moon Roi barely reacted.
‘They were already swarming him even with a low match rate. I figured this would happen eventually.’
Moon Roi glanced at the tent where Seo-ha was resting and let out a long sigh.
Guess the biggest event in this dungeon is Seo-ha.
It was bound to happen the moment his rising match rate became known.
“Just look at you, getting all this attention from Seo-ha. Espers without partners are scrambling to get close, and honestly, there’s no one who takes care of others like he does.” Moon Roi blatantly swept his eyes over Han Ju-oh as if to say he was part of the problem too.
“In this kind of bleak environment, having someone who gives you a place to rest, a moment’s peace, and cares for you without missing a beat… that’s not easy.”
“I’m jealous of that too.” Ian gestured at the tent with a tilt of his chin, arms crossed. Moon Roi instantly turned his head and narrowed his eyes at him like a flounder.
“Think about your size first. If we bring a tent that fits you, we won’t be able to carry anything else.”
“A tent like the one Ju-oh went into would be fine,” Ian, who was about five or six centimeters taller than Ju-oh, replied cheerfully without the slightest consideration for his own broader build. Moon Roi didn’t bother responding—he just shook his head.
Instead, he turned to Han Ju-oh.
“Even if you’re under contract, don’t let your guard down.”
“Yeah. Davis liked him too.”
“Espers are notoriously possessive.”
“Oh? And how would Guide Moon know that?”
As Moon Roi and Ian volleyed their remarks back and forth, Han Ju-oh found himself edged out of the conversation.
He glanced at Moon Roi, then turned away. He’d heard everything he needed.
Now fully grasping the situation, a wave of jealousy surged within Han Ju-oh, stoking the flames of possessiveness.
As he stepped toward the tent, Han Ju-oh suddenly stopped in place and turned his gaze in the opposite direction.
There—someone standing just far enough to be staring at the tent, no, at Seo-ha inside it.
Davis. An Esper belonging to the same guild as Ian and—
‘The Esper who once tried to kill me.’
In Han Ju-oh’s memory, Davis’s face was much younger. But what remained vividly clear was the hand that had once gripped with deadly intent—like it could snuff out his life at any moment. That memory hadn’t faded.
Sensing the stare, Davis turned his head. Their eyes met.
And Davis smiled—calm and composed. His look, as if he knew everything, didn’t last long.
Almost simultaneously, Davis and Han Ju-oh both turned toward a single direction.
So did the other Espers.
A horde of monsters was closing in.
“Everyone, prepare for combat!” Han Ju-oh’s voice rang out, and all the Espers moved swiftly into action. Guides, too, quickly scanned the surroundings with tense faces, seeking a zone where they could avoid becoming collateral damage while still staying safe.
To do that…
Seo-ha stepped out of the tent and instantly felt dozens of eyes on him. He let out a dry sound from his throat.
“Getting attention for all the wrong reasons.”
As he murmured to himself, Moon Roi came up and smacked him on the back.
“Why’d you hit me?” Seo-ha complained dramatically, rubbing a spot just out of reach. His reaction didn’t quite fit the seriousness of the situation.
“Be careful.” The words were loaded with meaning.
It was only something he could say because none of the nearby Espers were eavesdropping.
Seo-ha kept his eyes fixed on the direction the Espers had disappeared to, but began stretching his body little by little. The cramped tent had left him stiff. Moon Roi also stretched his arms, and soon the two of them looked like they were doing the same thing.
Stretching.
Loosening up, releasing tension, and staying prepared for whatever might come. Since Seo-ha hadn’t left the area, other Guides who had been sneaking glances his way didn’t stray far either. Pretending not to watch him, they subtly rolled their ankles or twisted their necks, mimicking his movements.
Moon Roi laughed at the sight.
“Everyone’s acting like they’re not watching, but they’re totally relying on you. And it’s not like stretching is some secret technique.”
Seo-ha didn’t turn his head but flicked a glance at a nearby Guide within his peripheral vision.
“It’s hard to stay sane in a dungeon.”
No one lives inside these places. At most, Espers enter twice a month. While it’s a safety measure, unless you’re someone like Seo-ha, it’s hard to build up experience.
Regardless, his top priority—Guiding Espers—was something he carried out without fail. Anything beyond that had to take a backseat.
“It’s complicated, that’s for sure.” Moon Roi jabbed at the air and muttered his thoughts aloud.
“Honestly, if I just looked at your outer behavior, I’d think you were an Esper yourself.”
Watching him, Seo-ha responded without thinking. “You should pretend to be one and sneak over there. Then you’d get to hear everything they’re talking about.”
“Yeah, and I’d die. Stop spouting nonsense and move.” Moon Roi grinned and began clearing the area. Seo-ha followed after him.
The Espers were no longer in sight. The battle had moved a considerable distance away. But still, just in case, Seo-ha kept a weapon at hand.
And he couldn’t stop thinking about Han Ju-oh.
‘I’ve got a bad feeling.’
‘Please… let nothing happen to him.’
