ATTS Ch 5

Living in Kwon Yijae’s house was a completely different experience from Shin Jeha’s time in isolation.

“Are you awake?”

“Good morning, Director.”

Shin Jeha would start his day by smiling bashfully and meeting Kwon Yijae’s eyes as he came to get him.

Almost strangely, and sometimes puzzlingly, Kwon Yijae would come to wash him at precisely the right time after Shin Jeha woke up. Despite the seemingly bothersome task, Kwon Yijae never showed any sign of it.

After carefully washing Shin Jeha, who couldn’t move properly, Kwon Yijae would carry him to the dining room. Each time, Shin Jeha would be held with an awkward expression and an uncomfortable posture. The way he tried to minimize contact suggested he was quite shy.

Because of the significant difference in their height and build, Kwon Yijae seemed to experience no difficulty or discomfort carrying Shin Jeha. As a result, Shin Jeha hadn’t used a wheelchair since entering the house. Always carried by Kwon Yijae, Shin Jeha sometimes worried, needlessly, that he might forget how to use one.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Yes.”

The meals set before them were different for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unlike Shin Jeha’s meals, which resembled the liquid food given to patients, Kwon Yijae’s plate always seemed to have meat dishes with a metallic scent of blood.

Their eating pace also differed. Kwon Yijae, who ate several times more than Shin Jeha, and finished his meal neatly and without pause, would drink his black tea while waiting for Shin Jeha to finish.

Dessert was always only given to Shin Jeha. Most of the time, it was eaten at the dining table, but if Kwon Yijae stood up with the plate, the location would change. He might eat it one piece at a time while reading in the study, or very occasionally, sitting on a cushion below the sofa, looking up at Kwon Yijae as he was hand-fed. Shin Jeha would be flustered at those times.

Kwon Yijae paid close attention not only to daily life but also to Shin Jeha’s physical condition. Recently, he had called doctors to the house to conduct necessary tests. The results went directly to Kwon Yijae.

All of Shin Jeha’s ailments stemmed from the lack of Guiding, but they weren’t the kind that could be completely cured by Guiding alone. The most serious issue was his legs, weakened from prolonged immobility. The doctor diagnosed Shin Jeha with needing intensive rehabilitation and a dietary plan to address his eating disorder.

As a result, after breakfast, Shin Jeha would undergo rehabilitation exercises with a physical therapist who visited the mansion. One of the rooms connected to the living room was a fitness room, fully equipped with every imaginable piece of equipment, even impressing the therapist.

He spent most of his afternoons in Kwon Yijae’s study.

Kwon Yijae would sit at his desk and work, occasionally taking phone calls. He spoke English while working and read documents in English. Shin Jeha wanted to know, was curious about what he did, but couldn’t understand and didn’t have the confidence to ask.

Instead, Shin Jeha was given the freedom to read any book in Kwon Yijae’s study. However, the bookshelves were mostly filled with academic papers analyzing the relationship between Espers and Guides or their wavelengths. Occasionally, he would find an interesting title and take the book out, only to be met with highly complex content. He would often doze off while trying to force himself to understand the incomprehensible material. Kwon Yijae would sometimes ask the dozing Shin Jeha,

“Is it a good read?”

Shin Jeha’s answer was usually similar.

“It’s interesting, but a little difficult.”

“Is that so? Then take a look at this too. It will be helpful.”

The new book Kwon Yijae gave him was still challenging, but he made an effort to read it diligently, considering Kwon Yijae had chosen it for him.

In the softly lit second floor, bright enough to not be glaring, Shin Jeha would steal glances at Kwon Yijae working, his profile fully visible.

He sat with an uncomfortably straight posture, reviewing documents. His gaze was fixed on the large monitor, and the sound of typing short sentences on the keyboard indicated he was giving work instructions.

However, Shin Jeha knew he wasn’t solely focused on work.

“Yes?”

A low voice would precede Kwon Yijae turning his head slightly to look at Shin Jeha. Their eyes would meet without a chance to avoid it.

“Do you need something?”

“…No.”

Shin Jeha would reply with a bashful smile. Then Kwon Yijae would nod briefly and return his gaze to the monitor.

In fact, Shin Jeha spent most of his time in the study not reading but trying to understand Kwon Yijae. The Kwon Yijae he observed was a highly efficient person. There was a reason for every action. He didn’t even attempt anything without a clear purpose.

By Kwon Yijae’s standards, inefficient things were pointless conversations, idling, and miscellaneous tasks that simply wasted time. Shin Jeha, aware of how much of a waste of time his attempts to understand Kwon Yijae were by his standards, still wanted to know him, even a little bit better.

Someone who stayed by his side while he was confined to the house. Someone who let him know he wasn’t alone, even without words or shared activities. Each time he realized this, Shin Jeha felt a poignant swelling in his chest.

Since entering the house that first day, Shin Jeha hadn’t gone outside once. He couldn’t find a reason to. As long as Kwon Yijae was with him, he lacked nothing in this house.

Since the day he had to use a teaspoon, the things Shin Jeha needed were prepared before he even realized he needed them. Cutlery and dishes that weren’t too heavy for him to lift, workout clothes for his rehabilitation exercises, a low table in the study, and the large, soft cushions scattered throughout the house. Each time he discovered a small change, Shin Jeha felt a surge of happiness. It was proof that Kwon Yijae cared for and considered him.

Sometimes, he felt incompetent for having nothing to do and would be consumed by guilt for relying on Kwon Yijae for everything. Nevertheless, Shin Jeha wanted to hold onto every moment spent in this house. The passing time felt both precious and comforting.

Since becoming an Esper, Shin Jeha had never imagined he could live like this. Immersed in this quiet, peaceful life, free of problems, he realized something belatedly.

Perhaps he had been lonely.

Confined to the isolation ward at the Center, Shin Jeha’s social interactions had been extremely limited. The only constant presence by his side had been his beloved dog. The Center staff, his attentive physician, they all only sought him out when necessary. And Shin Jeha, too, sometimes found it difficult to be alone.

Now, all he had to do was turn his head to find him. Kwon Yijae, his Guide.

The blind devotion an Esper felt for their Guide resembled unrequited love. Each time Shin Jeha looked at Kwon Yijae, he experienced a simultaneous pang of pain in his heart and a sense of comforting fulfillment.

Each time he became acutely aware of Kwon Yijae’s presence beside him, Shin Jeha imagined his life as a complete Esper.

Doing work that helped people, repaying his debt to Kwon Yijae. And perhaps… maybe someday, Kwon Yijae might need him. While opinions might differ on whether Kwon Yijae was someone who needed protection, Shin Jeha wanted to protect him. In Shin Jeha’s eyes, Kwon Yijae was simply his Guide. A precious person an Esper should protect with all their might.

But for that, he needed to undergo Guiding….

Shin Jeha’s wandering thoughts were interrupted by Kwon Yijae standing up. He approached silently and took the book from Shin Jeha’s hands.

“Oh…”

“It’s time for your exercises.”

Kwon Yijae’s expression was stern when giving instructions.

“Do well. I’ll be working.”

“Yes…”

Shin Jeha was carried by Kwon Yijae to the rehabilitation room. He set him down and closed the door. The physical therapist, who had arrived unnoticed, greeted him professionally with a, “Good afternoon.”

🤎

“Director, can I ask you something…?”

Kwon Yijae nodded, looking at Shin Jeha and the book he was holding.

“Anything, as long as I can answer it.”

“This… here…”

Shin Jeha struggled to lift the book and placed it on Kwon Yijae’s lap. The sentence Shin Jeha’s finger pointed to was related to the awakening of an Esper’s wavelengths.

Wavelengths referred to the channels through which Espers used their ESP and the traces left by their abilities, visible only to Guides.

Espers gained the ability to use ESP by awakening their wavelengths, but how their transcendental abilities were generated and the mechanisms behind their manifestation remained an unsolved mystery for humanity.

“I think you would know better than me, Mr. Shin Jeha. Since you’re an Esper, after all.”

“Um, what I’m curious about is….”

Shin Jeha asked Kwon Yijae very carefully.

“I was wondering what my wavelengths look like to you….”

Shin Jeha’s question was carefully phrased to avoid provoking Kwon Yijae. Just because he had become Shin Jeha’s Guide didn’t mean his inherent aversion to Guides would change.

“What do you think wavelengths are, Mr. Shin Jeha?”

Kwon Yijae suddenly asked after observing him for a while.

“Aren’t they… proof of ESP usage?”

Wavelengths changed like living things. The more an Esper used their ESP, the larger, more complex, and more distorted their wavelengths became. This made using ESP more difficult, disrupted their abilities, and in severe cases, like Shin Jeha’s, caused excruciating pain.

Guides were people who could touch an Esper’s wavelengths. Guiding was the process of untangling and smoothing out these tangled wavelengths.

“That’s the usual explanation. I think of them as residue.”

Kwon Yijae said, pulling a blank sheet of paper towards him.

“Have you heard of fractals?”

“Fractals? No, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s like this. A small structure repeating itself continuously, expanding as a whole.”

Kwon Yijae drew a shape resembling a snowflake, then replicated it in six more places. Shin Jeha nodded as he watched the structure expand in similar patterns.

“I haven’t examined your wavelengths in detail, but…”

For Kwon Yijae to properly examine Shin Jeha’s wavelengths, close physical contact, sexual intercourse, was required.

“So, for now, I’d call it a feeling. It’s similar to a fractal in that similar things are clustered together, but it’s also different in that they are distributed irregularly.”

The strange shape Kwon Yijae began drawing on the paper was sharp and pointed, layered and repeating itself. The moment Shin Jeha saw it, he could vaguely grasp the source of his pain.

Seeing Shin Jeha staring at the paper with his mouth agape, Kwon Yijae’s lips curled into a smile.

“Imagine dozens of these piled up, and you’ll understand.”

“……”

Just as Espers’ wavelengths had unique forms, Guides’ methods of handling them varied as much as their personalities. Some Guides were adept at reading complex wavelengths, while others were quick at untangling them.

Shin Jeha’s case was extremely severe. Guides struggled even to read his incomprehensible wavelengths. It was common knowledge that Espers with complex wavelengths possessed powerful abilities. Because of this, the Korean Center had kept a close watch on Shin Jeha and spared no effort to Guide him.

However, despite meeting numerous Guides, it was all for naught. The few Guides who managed to read his wavelengths were often swept up in them instead of being able to touch them. This caused adverse reactions and resulted in immense pain for both the Guide and Shin Jeha. Shin Jeha vividly remembered that difficult period.

“But why are you curious about this?”

“Um, I don’t know much about that side of things…”

Unable to bring himself to say he was curious about the realm of Guides, Shin Jeha mumbled. Kwon Yijae, knowing why he was struggling, simply enjoyed the situation without pressing him. Shin Jeha, fumbling for words, whispered in a near-tearful voice,

“I must be bothering you. I’m sorry….”

“No. I didn’t say that. Will you keep reading?”

Relieved by the question that seemed to conclude the topic, Shin Jeha nodded awkwardly and took the book Kwon Yijae handed back to him.

Shin Jeha wouldn’t know. There had never been an Esper whose wavelengths Kwon Yijae couldn’t read. And no Esper’s wavelengths could affect him. That was because of Kwon Yijae’s unique ability as a Guide, much like his personality.

There were other ways to perform Guiding. He could deeply thrust himself into Shin Jeha’s throat and make him cry out, or he could toy with him until he was satisfied before proceeding.

But all of those were less efficient than penetrative sex. They took too long and were too bothersome. So he hadn’t even considered them. He wasn’t going to keep Shin Jeha by his side forever.

That’s why Kwon Yijae was waiting, even though he knew Shin Jeha was anxious. His Guiding would push Shin Jeha to his mental and physical limits. In his current state, Shin Jeha would surely collapse if Guided using Kwon Yijae’s methods, and then Kwon Yijae would have to bear the responsibility.

That was the reason for the current, unwarranted peace.

Having finished his intensive rehabilitation exercises, Shin Jeha moved his spoon slowly. His fingers, gripping the spoon, twitched slightly, showing his exhaustion. Watching Shin Jeha struggle to eat his porridge, Kwon Yijae suddenly asked,

“The exercises must have been tough today.”

“Ah… yes, a little…”

It was Kwon Yijae himself who had requested the high-intensity rehabilitation, regardless of Shin Jeha’s wishes.

“Physical activity definitely seems to help. At least you seem to be eating well today.”

“I always eat well. But I’ll keep it in mind.”

Sometimes, Shin Jeha resembled a dog wagging its tail at a single word of praise from Kwon Yijae. Like now. The amount of porridge on Shin Jeha’s spoon increased slightly.

Espers were this easy.

“Um, Director. It’s nothing important, but…”

“Speak freely.”

“It’s been a few days since I came here… and I… I didn’t bring my cell phone from the Center.”

Shin Jeha had realized the absence of electronic devices quite late. It was more than just leaving his belongings behind. There were no clocks or phones in this house. No matter how trivial, he couldn’t know anything without asking Kwon Yijae. The only text available to Shin Jeha was in books.

The minor inconvenience, unnoticed until now, suddenly felt significant.

“There’s a laptop in the study. You can use it if you need to.”

Kwon Yijae continued cutting his meat as he spoke casually, then met Shin Jeha’s eyes, knife in hand.

“But do you have any reason to use it?”

His voice sounded chilling, but Shin Jeha, remembering his words about speaking directly, answered honestly.

“I don’t know if it’s okay to say this, but… I… I left my dog at the Center.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I’m worried about how he’s doing… and I have nothing to do except for exercising…”

“Are you bored?”

At Kwon Yijae’s blunt question, Shin Jeha nodded slightly. With his head lowered, he didn’t notice Kwon Yijae looking at him with a hint of pity.

“I understand you didn’t graduate high school.”

“Yes. I went at first, but… I was hospitalized and couldn’t attend.”

Shin Jeha’s high school days were a distant memory and a nightmare he didn’t want to revisit.

Before becoming an Esper, Shin Jeha had been the boy who sat at the very back of the classroom. He was also the active boy who would be the first to burst out the classroom door during PE and lunch breaks. He was always the last runner in the relay race and the striker in soccer during school sports events. When he went to play survival games with his friends, Shin Jeha was always the sniper.

But after the accident, everything changed. With the Center’s help, he transferred to a school where no one knew him, but even there, he was an outsider.

His growth stunted, he didn’t get any taller, and his seat was moved forward. He wore an ability control device and hid the fact that he was an Esper, as the world couldn’t know about underage Espers. During PE, he sat blankly in the stands and submitted medical absence notes whenever the Center called for him.

All sorts of ailments began. The place he returned to after school became the hospital, and he would rush out during lunch to vomit. His classmates avoided the perpetually gloomy and quiet Shin Jeha.

Nevertheless, Shin Jeha persisted in attending school. Until the day he collapsed at school and was taken to the Center, never to leave the isolation ward again. Shin Jeha’s life as a high school student ended in the summer of his eighteenth year.

It was a pathetic melodrama he didn’t even want to talk about.

“I understand high school education is compulsory in Korea. It’s not like you’re going to live isolated from people forever just because you’re an Esper. There are also social expectations to consider, so it would be best to finish your education.”

Shin Jeha blinked at the unexpected words. He hadn’t thought he could go back to school. Even if the ending was terrible… if he recovered, perhaps.

“Would it be alright if I prepared for the GED?”

“GED…? Ah.”

Kwon Yijae belatedly understood what Shin Jeha was talking about. He had learned about the exam while preparing to bring Shin Jeha to his house. Actually, Kwon Yijae preferred sending Shin Jeha to a regular high school rather than having him take the GED…

“Well, I don’t see why not. You have plenty of time. I’ll have everything prepared if you need anything.”

“That…”

Shin Jeha hesitated for a moment, then said awkwardly,

“I can prepare for that myself. It’s my responsibility. And I have to do it.”

Shin Jeha didn’t want to be a burden to Kwon Yijae any longer. Living in this house and receiving Kwon Yijae’s help for everything was already embarrassing enough.

The Center would take care of this much if he asked. After all, that was what Kim Sanghyun was there for. Since Shin Jeha had never asked him for anything, it would probably be fine.

“Is that so?”

Despite the casual reply, Kwon Yijae put down his fork and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Looking at his own still-full plate, Shin Jeha realized his answer was wrong. Kwon Yijae was someone who never left his meticulously planned and prepared meals unfinished.

“Um, Director.”

As Shin Jeha awkwardly put down his spoon, Kwon Yijae spoke as if he had been waiting.

“I think we can start.”

At the cold, indifferent tone, Shin Jeha reflexively asked,

“Start… what?”

“The Guiding.”

At those words, Shin Jeha lost his appetite.

Kwon Yijae checked the time. 6:20 PM. Usually, Kwon Yijae would put Shin Jeha to bed and turn off all the lights on the first floor by 11 PM. It was fine to keep him up late for a day.

“Are you done eating?”

“Ah, that… yes…”

As soon as Shin Jeha answered, Kwon Yijae stood up and lifted him into his arms. Kwon Yijae headed towards one of the rooms on the first floor. The heavy door, always closed, opened. Kwon Yijae had no intention of rolling around in bed with Shin Jeha.

Honestly, even now, if asked if he found it unpleasant, that much was true.

🤎

Shin Jeha thought Kwon Yijae was dissecting his heart.

“Guiding, guiding…”

Kwon Yijae was already moving before Shin Jeha could brace himself. Holding Jeha, Yijae moved faster than usual. A door, always closed before, a room Jeha had never entered, opened.

Before Jeha could even take in the unfamiliar room, Yijae tossed him onto the bed almost violently. Jeha’s head snapped back as he collided with the mattress. Yijae was already pulling off his gloves.

Kneeling on the bed, Yijae roughly grasped Jeha’s throat.

“Ugh…”

He wasn’t choking him fiercely like before. A steady pressure built in each finger, slowly draining the breath from Jeha’s lungs. It felt like drowning, slowly sinking beneath the surface after swallowing too much water.

“Tell me if it hurts…”

What was he saying? Yijae’s voice rippled like a wave from beyond the surface, unreachable as Jeha sank deeper.

A sudden thought struck Jeha.

If he kept sinking like this, where would he end up? Perhaps somewhere an esper could never choose for himself…

That might… actually be nice…

Just as his thoughts began to fade with his body, Jeha was yanked upwards. Yijae seemed to have grabbed his hair, pulling him from the water. Air rushed into his lungs, a torrent beyond capacity that threatened to burst his chest. With each gasp, Jeha’s chest heaved.

“Haah… haah… haah…”

Yijae looked down at him with arrogant eyes.

“As I suspected, touching isn’t enough for guiding.”

Jeha, still struggling to breathe, looked up at Yijae. He realized their eyes had met in the dim room just as Yijae leaned down.

“Mmmph!”

Cold lips pressed against Jeha’s.

Yijae moved without hesitation, devouring Jeha’s parted lips as if consuming them.

Jeha shuddered as Yijae’s thick tongue forced its way between his lips. It relentlessly probed and explored, ravaging his teeth, palate, and the inside of his cheek. Jeha surrendered completely, offering himself to Yijae’s unrestrained touch.

More, a little more. Each time he gasped for air, dizziness forced his lips apart, only for Yijae to seal them shut. Yijae’s knee pressed between Jeha’s parted legs. Something flickered behind his tightly closed eyelids.

It felt like something inside him was slowly, very slowly, being stripped bare. He recognized this feeling, this sensation. Yijae was meticulously observing and exploring his wavelengths.

In that moment, Jeha realized something. While his body trembled and his heart raced with excitement, his mind turned cold. Yijae’s erection pressing against his groin felt different. It wasn’t hot, nor hard.

Jeha only knew intellectually how guiding should feel. They said it was so stimulating that neither guide nor esper could bear it. And for him, it was.

But Yijae kissed him with a detached calmness, as if he felt nothing. The sensation that seemed to heighten every nerve ending belonged only to Jeha. And the more he felt, the more his body was dragged along, his cock hardening at the pleasure his guide poured into him, trembling at the care Yijae showed him now.

“This isn’t working either.”

“…Hngh…”

“You’re more complicated than I thought. I’ll need a closer look.”

Yijae’s calm voice brought Jeha back to his senses. Yijae wiped his damp lips with the back of his hand, a perfunctory gesture, as if it were a necessary chore.

A wave of inexplicable humiliation washed over Jeha.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“No. Nothing to be sorry for. It’s not like you chose to be born this way, Mr. Shin.”

Yijae’s calm words masked his inner turmoil. He wasn’t surprised. The deeper he looked, the more he understood why the Center treasured Jeha. With such immense wavelengths, even he couldn’t fathom the extent of Jeha’s abilities.

It was natural that the aftereffects lingered, considering he’d never been guided before…

What if, after guiding, he could unleash this level of power all at once?

“D-Director… are you… angry…?”

“Do I seem angry?”

Yijae smiled.

“Perhaps, I am.”

That didn’t mean guiding Jeha was impossible. To be precise, Yijae could guide any esper. He had no intention of finding the beginning or end of their wavelengths.

He’d simply shatter them from the start.

Yijae always wondered why guides bothered to find the beginning and end of wavelengths, slowly unraveling them one by one. If you could cut it, cut it. If you couldn’t, break it.

He’d yet to encounter a wavelength he couldn’t break. Of course, most guides wouldn’t even consider such a thing. An esper’s wavelength was their power itself. A broken wavelength meant a powerless esper, so they wouldn’t dare attempt to touch it.

But Yijae did. He forcibly crushed and shattered esper wavelengths. For the esper, it meant excruciating pain, a different kind of sensation that mirrored agony, exploding through their entire being. That was why most espers who received his guiding couldn’t endure the process.

Yijae didn’t know what his guiding felt like for the espers. It was the espers, not him, who requested guiding. So, he felt no need to understand or consider their experience.

For the first time, Yijae found the process intriguing. He wondered how an esper, desperate to live and on the verge of death, would react to the pain that offered salvation.

“D-Director… can you… guide me…?”

Jeha asked cautiously, his voice barely above a whisper, but Yijae found it pathetic. The question was akin to doubt, a challenge.

“Isn’t it ridiculous to ask that now? What will you do if I say I can’t?”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I just…”

Jeha was worried that Yijae was angry about his messy wavelengths, or that the guiding process would be too troublesome.

“You should have thought about offending me before you opened your mouth.”

Yijae’s eyes flashed. Jeha’s body was flipped over in an instant.

“Ouch!”

His face was buried deep in the pillow, his hands yanked behind him. Yijae twisted Jeha’s wrists as if to break them, then bound them tightly with a nearby chain. It wasn’t meant for this, but it would do. He secured Jeha’s wrists like a criminal and warned him.

“It’s going to be very painful. I’m not in a position to go easy on you.”

“Yes, ngh… I’m… prepared…”

Those words only served to irritate Yijae further. If he’d been warned about the pain, the least Jeha could do was ask him to be gentle. Yijae had no interest in espers who were intent on breaking themselves before he even touched them.

“Scream if it hurts, and moan if it feels good. I won’t tolerate any unauthorized injuries. Understood?”

Yijae ripped off Jeha’s pajamas. The half-torn garment landed on the floor. Even lying face down, his spine was clearly visible beneath his thin skin. Jeha’s body was truly pitiful.

Yijae grabbed Jeha’s buttocks and pulled them apart. Jeha awkwardly lifted his hips slightly, his bound hands wriggling uselessly.

Unsurprisingly, Jeha’s hole was tightly closed, having never experienced proper guiding. Yijae traced a thumb over the puckered entrance, feeling the dry texture.

“Ah… D-Director…”

“Not even wet.”

It lacked manners, not even recognizing its owner, pretending to clench at his touch.

Smack!

“Ouch!”

Yijae spanked his buttock. He’d meant to be relatively gentle, but a red mark began to spread like a stain across the pale skin. He focused on the right buttock.

Smack, smack, smack!

“Ouch!”

His buttocks, with what little flesh they had, offered a satisfying resistance. Perhaps because he was so thin, they fit perfectly in his hand with each strike. Yijae enjoyed himself, striking from different angles. The force of his blows intensified.

Smack!

“…Hngh…”

The merciless spanking continued. Jeha’s face burrowed deeper into the pillow. He muffled his cries against the fabric. His attempt to endure the pain only fueled Yijae’s sadism. Crack! Even at the sharper sound of the blow, Jeha only whimpered.

“Ha…”

Yijae laughed. Telling him to cry out in pain meant he shouldn’t hold it in. Pain should be embraced, not endured. At least, that was how Yijae wanted to mold Jeha.

Yijae sat properly on the bed and pulled Jeha closer. Jeha’s buttocks landed on Yijae’s thighs, his cock, slick with precum, pressed against them.

“D-Director… Ah, aah, ouch!”

Yijae showed no mercy. Now he began alternating between buttocks. The repeated blows turned the skin different colors. One side flushed red, while the other turned a bruised purple.

With each stinging blow, Jeha’s feet twitched and his back arched. The room filled with a violent cacophony of tearing skin and his cries.

Crack!

“Aaah!”

Before the burning pain could subside, another wave crashed over him. He wanted to beg for it to stop, to sob that his skin was tearing. He felt like a child being punished for a grave mistake. Jeha rubbed his forehead against the bed, his fists clenching in the chains. His knuckles turned white with the force of his grip.

Jeha didn’t know how to express his pain, nor did he understand what Yijae wanted. It was because he’d always had to endure his suffering alone. Above all, what saddened him most wasn’t the physical pain, but the fact that Yijae’s cock beneath him remained completely still.

It was different from before.

What was different? Jeha felt so hurt and miserable, tears threatened to spill.

“Ha…”

Yijae looked down at the bruised, swollen buttocks, brushing his hair from his forehead.

Shin Jeha, you fucking…

“I don’t think this is going to work today.”

With those chilling words, Yijae pushed Jeha’s legs onto the bed. Shocked, Jeha tried to turn and look at him, but his vision was blurred.

That expression was precisely what Yijae had wanted. Seeing Jeha’s face contorted with pain, blurred with tears, utterly ruined, he felt a stir below.

How was he supposed to teach him, to make him usable?

“D-Director… Did I… do something… wrong…?”

Jeha asked in a choked, heartbroken voice.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. The problem, if there is one, is here.”

Yijae grabbed Jeha’s buttocks and squeezed, pulling them apart. Unlike before, a cry escaped Jeha’s lips. The entrance had tightened even further, barely a visible trace remaining.

“You’re not built to take a cock, so how am I supposed to have sex with you? I can’t even put it in, and even if I could, I’d tear you apart.”

Yijae’s voice was frigid, as if he could embody the chill of winter with his words. The cold indifference, after all the beating, amplified Jeha’s humiliation and despair.

Yet, Jeha was okay. He needed the guiding.

“Even if… it tears… I’m… okay… Guiding is… something I… have to do…”

“Are you saying I can treat you however I want?”

Jeha squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.

“You… need it…”

He barely managed to get the words out. In that instant, his hair was grabbed and yanked up roughly.

“Ouch!”

Yijae gripped Jeha’s jaw and forced him to look up.

“No. You’re the one who needs it.”

A chill ran down Jeha’s spine. The overhead light cast half of Yijae’s face in shadow. Divided diagonally, half-concealed and half-illuminated, his expression was neither a smile nor a frown.

Cold, chilling, ruthless. It reminded him of their first encounter. Jeha instinctively understood. This face, this expression, was the true essence of Kwon Yijae.

As this realization dawned on him, sending a shudder through his body, Yijae narrowed his eyes. He seemed displeased with even the sight of himself in Jeha’s eyes. He tightened his grip and shoved Jeha’s face back into the pillow.

Umph!

The sound was muffled, swallowed by the fabric.

“You have a knack for making people into assholes, Mr. Shin. Didn’t you say you wanted to become a bad person? So why are you trying to make me the bad guy?”

No.

“How can you say such a thing after seeing how I’m treating you?”

No, that wasn’t it. Jeha wanted to shake his head and explain, but he couldn’t. Yijae’s hand pressed down on his head, his nose and mouth smothered against the sheets, preventing any sound from escaping. Stripped of every means of expression, all Jeha could do was struggle.

But maybe Yijae wouldn’t even like that. It was Jeha who had asked for this.

“People should be held accountable for their words. You want to be torn apart? I can do that. You’ll learn never to have such thoughts again.”

Every word from the usually polite man was terrifying, chilling. Jeha wanted to beg, to apologize. But Yijae wouldn’t allow it.

“So keep your useless mouth shut from now on.”

Yijae released Jeha’s hair and reached for something on the bedside table. A pair of black latex gloves. He snapped the wrist of the right glove, the latex clinging snugly to his skin. Then he grabbed a large tub of lube and poured it liberally over the glove.

The lube dripped onto Jeha’s buttocks, filling the crevices. Jeha whimpered, his body spasming intermittently. Yijae spread the bruised, hand-marked buttocks and pushed the tip of the lube bottle into the tight entrance. He squeezed the bottle, emptying almost the entire contents into Jeha in one go.

“Mmph…”

Jeha bit down on the sheet to stifle his cries. No matter how wronged he felt, no matter how little he understood his transgression, he couldn’t risk angering Yijae further.

Yijae mechanically inserted a finger. His index finger first. Even without being told, he would have known. The entrance, tightly closed, had never known penetration. It twitched and clenched at the foreign sensation. Yijae spanked him mercilessly.

“Open up.”

The command was simple, and Jeha understood. But he didn’t know how.

Just one thick finger was enough to stretch the entrance taut. Yijae pushed it in to the knuckle, exploring the inside before deliberately hooking the largest joint and scraping downwards with his fingertip. The copious amount of lube sloshed inside, threatening to spill over.

“Hngh…”

Jeha was inexperienced, and Yijae was impatient. He forced two fingers inside, scissoring them to stretch the entrance. The previously pale opening, unused to anything entering, flushed crimson as it reluctantly yielded. Yijae spanked him again.

“Agh!”

The physical pain only made the tight opening clench tighter. Yijae clicked his tongue and forced his way in. When four long fingers, curled together, were inserted, Yijae mercilessly pushed in to the bone. Jeha’s thin body trembled, convulsing against the pain.

An immense pressure built against his hand, forcing the tightly clenched hole open. Yijae rubbed his thumb against the taut opening and thought, it really might tear.

But espers healed. He didn’t care. He straightened his fingers, then curled them into a fist and pulled. Pop. Something tore.

“Agh!”

A sharp pain shot through him, like a knife slicing through flesh.

“I told you to keep your mouth shut.”

Blows rained down on his buttocks with each word. Jeha stifled his sobs and whimpers. Yijae’s other hand grabbed the reddened, bruised flesh and pulled it aside. His thumb slipped inside. He hooked the thickest part of his thumb inside the opening and smirked. He moved his arm in a churning motion, and Jeha shuddered violently.

“Ahngh!”

Yijae pushed his arm in slowly. The black glove disappeared between the red and purple swells of Jeha’s buttocks. Tendons stood out on his thick, muscular forearm. Yijae pushed his arm in as far as it would go, burying it deep inside. The sheer force of his grip caused the clear lube to seep out.

“Ugh, hngh, ah, hngh…”

It was a terrifyingly strange sensation.

This wasn’t the guiding he knew. It wasn’t Yijae’s cock that was inside him. It was his thick forearm.

Yijae’s hand, buried inside him, opened and closed repeatedly. Each time he made a fist, something seemed to bulge against Jeha’s thin stomach. He tried desperately to endure the strange, unfamiliar sensation. His toes, white with strain, scraped against the sheets.

“D-Director, hngh… Director…”

Ignoring Jeha’s pitiful cries, Yijae made a fist and rotated his arm inside, churning. The inner walls, undoubtedly unaccustomed to any contact, clung hot and tight to his arm. Yijae rotated his arm as if wiping it clean, then squeezed and twisted his fist inside, widening the passage. With each movement, Jeha’s cries reached his ears.

His arm hadn’t gone in very far, but the protruding bones of his hand met a sudden narrowing, a clenching. Without hesitation, Yijae pressed and ground his fist against it. The jelly-like lube, melted by the heat, turned watery and slick.

“Haaah!”

“I told you to shut up.”

Like a punishment, Yijae pulled his fist back and slammed it forward.

“Agh! Haah, ah, agh!”

Jeha’s head snapped back, a scream tearing from his throat. He felt like his insides were being mangled. Yijae pounded his fist against the deepest point, a place Jeha couldn’t even fathom, burying his arm even deeper.

“Aaah!”

Shin Jeha experienced firsthand just how terrifying the words “You can treat me however you want” could be, and the true meaning of Kwon Yijae’s threat to tear him apart. A pain like being shredded by sharp blades, coupled with an overwhelming pressure filling his insides, consumed his entire being. Each time Yijae’s fist pounded within him, Jeha felt as if his whole body was being violently shaken.

After repeatedly striking Jeha’s tightly clenched rectum, Yijae slowly withdrew his arm. Jeha shuddered as the fullness within him emptied, his apparent relief touching in its naiveté.

Yijae looked down at his arm. The lube-slicked portion was larger than the dry. He never postponed what he’d set his mind to. He decided he might as well fully penetrate Jeha’s rectum while he was at it. After all, Jeha had brought this upon himself.

Jeha needed to learn a lesson. That he shouldn’t injure himself without Yijae’s permission, and that he shouldn’t offer himself up so readily. Only when Jeha accepted and learned this would all of Yijae’s actions towards him become his right. Therefore, it had to be Jeha himself who put an end to this situation.

“Hngh, ah, agh!”

Yijae moved slowly, withdrawing his fist and then thrusting it back in quickly. Each thrust echoed with a violent sound. White bubbles frothed around the tightly clenched opening.

Every attempt to penetrate Jeha’s rectum caused it to spasm and flinch. The crimson hole desperately squeezed Yijae’s arm as if begging for mercy. But soon, even Jeha’s rectum could no longer resist, slowly beginning to open. Each time a gap appeared, Yijae mercilessly inserted his fingers and widened it.

“Aaah!”

Though Jeha was relatively tolerant of pain, this first experience of physical assault was unbearable. Each surge of pain seemed to cause his wavelengths to ripple reflexively, but they couldn’t affect Yijae.

“D-Di… Director, st-stop… Ah, ah, agh!”

The moment Jeha’s rectum fully opened, he lost consciousness. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed. An unbearable mix of pleasure and pain overwhelmed him. Yijae continued to probe and ravage his insides, indifferent to Jeha’s collapse.

The feeling of something opening that shouldn’t have opened caused Jeha to crumble, his mouth agape. His vision went white, his mind in turmoil. An incomprehensible pleasure washed over him like a tidal wave. His cock hardened instantly, trembling.

It was an inexplicable sensation. The pleasure mingled with pain was indistinguishable from agony. Unconsciously, Jeha pleaded. He pleaded because he felt like he was dying, because he couldn’t bear it. Or rather, he didn’t know if he was pleading or writhing on the bed.

Yijae leisurely stretched Jeha’s rectum with his fingers. As the lube that had filled him flowed deeper, Jeha gagged involuntarily.

“Ugh… ugh… D-Director…”

“Yes. What is it?”

Yijae raked his fingers inside.

“I-I’m… sorry…”

Jeha pleaded, unaware of what he was saying.

“I’m sorry… I was… ugh… agh! Truly… sorry…”

Ha, having finally extracted the right answer from Jeha, Yijae looked down at him with indifferent eyes. Then he reached out and grabbed Jeha’s cock. Despite the immense pain, Jeha was still hard.

And so was Yijae. From the moment Jeha started begging, Yijae felt a heat rise in him, a tightening in his groin.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I-I don’t… know… Tell… me… and I’ll learn… So, please…”

Jeha’s words were interspersed with cries, gags, and sobs. His pitiful pleas, focused solely on Yijae, made him exhale slowly. It was a sigh of satisfaction.

The hand inside him slowly retreated. Yijae’s lube-slicked arm slid out of the crimson hole, the raised tendons pressing against the torn flesh. It was a grotesque sight.

The black glove reappeared. The fist that had ravaged his insides unfurled as it emerged. The moment the hand was fully withdrawn, Jeha’s distended stomach deflated with a soft pop.

Yijae could clearly see the raw, red flesh inside the gaping hole, spasming with pain.

He pulled off the heavy, lube-soaked glove, stained with blood from the torn flesh and other fluids, and tossed it aside. A thud echoed in the room. Finally, it was over. Tears began to stream down Jeha’s face.

Yijae flipped Jeha over. He couldn’t bear to look at that tear-streaked face. Jeha’s chained hands were trapped beneath his waist. Yijae straddled Jeha’s thin body, pinning his arms and chest with his spread knees. He unbuckled his pants, pulled out his hard cock, and rubbed it against Jeha’s soft cheek.

“Hah…”

Through his tear-blurred vision, Jeha couldn’t see Yijae clearly. He wanted to wipe his tears, but his hands were bound. His stomach felt empty where Yijae’s arm had been, his chest tight and constricted beneath Yijae’s weight.

“I think… I can do this.”

Yijae chuckled lowly, sliding his wet cock over Jeha’s dry lips. He pinned Jeha’s legs with his own, preventing him from convulsing, holding his cock with one hand and gently squeezing Jeha’s throat with the other. Jeha’s head tilted back as his airway was constricted. Yijae positioned his cock against Jeha’s parted lips and warned him.

“You better endure the pain.”

It was a chilling warning. Yijae easily located Jeha’s wavelengths. The sharp points were jagged and dangerous, as if threatening to tear everything apart. He couldn’t see the entirety of them, but today, the surface was enough.

Yijae hoped Jeha wouldn’t run.

So, unlike with other espers, he would take it slow, just a little at a time, just one corner, only as much as Jeha could bear.

“Ah, ah, ah—Aaah!”

Jeha screamed as he felt something inside him shatter. His voice, fragmented like shards of glass, filled the room.

Yijae’s guiding, starting from his hand, was excruciating. Jeha’s body convulsed and thrashed. If his arms hadn’t been bound, he would have pushed Yijae away and struck him.

But it wasn’t just pain. A mind-numbing sensation assaulted him. It was a horrific pleasure, forced upon him.

No, perhaps it wasn’t pain from the start. But such a horrific sensation couldn’t be explained as anything other than agony.

“Hngh, ah, hngh… uh, hh…”

Coherent words failed him. Jeha whimpered like an animal. His cock, already wet and hard, twitched and spasmed. Unfortunately, Jeha had no immunity to this sensation. Thick, milky semen spurted out before he could even touch himself.

“Hngh, ah, haah!”

The veins in Jeha’s neck bulged. Yijae mercilessly continued to shatter his wavelengths bit by bit, starting from the edges. Each time a sharp edge broke and splintered, Jeha’s voice cracked and shattered with it. It felt like the world around him was breaking apart and reassembling. His hips bucked, his legs sprawled haphazardly.

No matter how roughly Yijae treated him, no matter how much pain he inflicted, Jeha could endure it. Because all that pain was something he’d imagined before. But this, this was something he’d never known.

If this was pain, then everything Jeha had experienced before hadn’t even hurt. The pressure on his throat lessened slightly. As he gasped for air, Jeha knew what he had to say.

“Director, hngh… Please, it hurts… it hurts… Aaah!”

The moment Jeha cried out in pain and pleaded with him, Yijae’s voice, low and laced with a gasp, escaped his lips.

“Does it only hurt?”

“Haah, uh, hngh… Ah, hngh!”

“Think carefully, Shin Jeha. Is this what pain feels like?”

Jeha couldn’t answer, only cry. His body trembled with the aftershocks of his orgasm, yet he seemed unable to distinguish whether this sensation was pleasure or pain. This was what experience meant. Yijae was rather looking forward to seeing how Jeha would remember his first guiding.

It was undoubtedly Yijae who inflicted the pain. But the moment he saw Jeha crying and pleading, yet still reaching for him, Yijae re-examined his desires. There was no need for censorship. He was this kind of person, and he’d made that clear. Despite that, Jeha had chosen to crawl to him of his own free will.

Yijae came without even touching himself, still pinning down Jeha, who writhed in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Hot semen, smelling faintly metallic, covered Jeha’s face, some of it trickling into his open mouth.

The moment Yijae came, the hand on Jeha’s throat disappeared, and the guiding ended. The sensations flooding Jeha ceased abruptly.

“Hngh, haah… hngh…”

Yijae slowly admired Jeha’s tear-streaked, contorted face. Jeha’s sobbing, his body shuddering in the aftermath of the vanished pain and pleasure, was quite a sight. Yijae wiped the semen on his face with a finger, smearing it across Jeha’s open lips. The crimson flush of Jeha’s skin became even more prominent where Yijae’s fingers touched.

“Director…”

The semen in his mouth slurred Jeha’s words.

“Yes, you endured well. You’re resilient for an esper.”

Yijae patted Jeha’s cheek as if praising him, then tilted his chin up, closing his lips. Jeha instinctively swallowed the metallic fluid in his mouth.

And then he fainted.

Yijae watched Jeha, unconscious and tear-soaked, a look of utter satisfaction on his face. Even until he fainted, Jeha probably hadn’t understood what he’d done wrong, but this guiding was a reward for finding the right answer, so he would probably sleep soundly tonight.

As Yijae sat up, he noticed the still-gaping hole. Melted lube continued to seep from the opening that refused to close. Yijae picked up a metal plug from the shelf, gauging its size.

Careful not to touch Jeha’s skin, Yijae inserted the plug, twisting it until it was fully lodged inside. Even unconscious, Jeha seemed to feel the pain, a muffled sound escaping his lips.

His whimpers were rather pretty.

He’d conducted one round of guiding, so now he had to wait and see. A little torn skin was hardly an injury for an esper. But since he’d gone to the trouble of tearing and stretching it open, it would be ideal if it never closed again. Yijae gazed at the unconscious Jeha for a long time.

🤎

Shin Jeha woke up in the same place. The soft bed, the thin silk sheets draped over him, the sun-warmed pillow. He was dressed in navy blue pajamas.

Was last night a dream?

No, it wasn’t. The foreign sensation in his lower body reminded him that what he’d experienced was real.

He carefully placed his palm on the silk sheets, using his ESP to examine his wavelengths. He couldn’t see clearly, but he could sense it. The very edge of his wavelengths, one corner, was completely shattered. It was only a small part, but Jeha realized it.

He’d been guided.

Kwon Yijae had done it.

Jeha had never known that wavelengths could be forcibly broken by a guide. He’d never heard of such a thing. Of course, it had involved excruciating pain, like his body being torn apart, and an unbearable, terrifying sensation, but still, it felt good. Even if Yijae claimed it wasn’t proper guiding, this was more than enough to make him feel grateful.

The time he’d spent without a guide… he didn’t have the energy or strength to dwell on it now, but he truly felt alive.

Jeha exhaled deeply and sat up. When had getting out of bed become so easy? It was ironic that he could feel so good after experiencing such intense pain, but for an esper with self-healing abilities, this injury was nothing.

“You’re awake?”

Jeha turned his head, a bright smile on his face, ready to greet Yijae.

“Good morning…”

Yijae stood inside the open glass doors, arms crossed. The moment their eyes met, Jeha almost stuttered. Seeing Yijae brought back the memories of last night.

Yesterday’s Kwon Yijae had been truly incomprehensible, terrifying, and violent.

“You seem to be in good spirits.”

Yijae approached the bed and lifted Jeha into his arms. Leather-gloved hands supported Jeha’s body. Unlike yesterday, Jeha’s body was slightly stiff.

“Are you very uncomfortable?”

Jeha mumbled in response to the blunt question.

“I-I think I’m okay…”

He could still feel a dull ache. It felt like it would hurt if he moved. Yijae said with a smile,

“Really? That’s a problem.”

“Huh?”

“You shouldn’t be okay after what happened.”

“Uh, well…”

“Am I wrong?”

Yijae asked sternly as he walked towards the dining area. Jeha couldn’t reply.

“Or perhaps you’re much more resilient than I thought, Mr. Shin.”

Jeha didn’t fully understand the kind of bond espers and guides shared. He only knew that espers were inherently drawn to their guides. Just one session of guiding had made him want to stay close to Yijae, despite the fear and terror he inspired.

How did Yijae feel when he looked at him? Was he still just annoyed?

Jeha lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on Yijae’s arm. Yijae had casually rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. Compared to Jeha’s thin arms, his were thick and strong. The sight of the prominent tendons brought back the memory of the horrific pain and the simultaneous pleasure he’d felt last night.

“Since you say you’re not uncomfortable, it must be fine.”

Instead of the dining table, Yijae sat Jeha on a large cushion next to his chair. It was an awkward position, kneeling with his hands on the floor. Yijae placed a hand on Jeha’s shoulder, pressing down gently.

“Hup…”

Perhaps due to the intensity of last night, it felt as though something was still lodged inside him. A sharp, foreign sensation pressed against his abdomen.

“Think about what you did wrong yesterday.”

Yijae spoke coldly and began to eat. From his position on the floor, Jeha could only see Yijae’s legs. He vaguely understood what he’d done wrong, but he couldn’t articulate it.

The kitchen was silent except for the clinking of Yijae’s cutlery. The sharp scraping of the knife against the plate grated on Jeha’s ears. He could only kneel and reflect.

Thanks to the guiding, even kneeling wasn’t that difficult. Still, every time his body swayed, he felt as if Yijae was looking down at him from above, reprimanding him. He couldn’t bring himself to look up.

He had brought this upon himself. He knew from the start that Yijae was violent. He’d chosen this, so he shouldn’t feel wronged. But tears welled up in his eyes.

Jeha couldn’t understand why he felt so miserable. Was an esper’s desire for guiding such an unbearable greed? He could endure physical pain…

Yijae, who was eating alone, checked the time. 12:30. He gestured, and a server, as if waiting for the cue, brought Jeha’s lunch and placed it in front of Yijae. Yijae stirred the porridge, checking its temperature.

“Open your mouth.”

Jeha obeyed, and Yijae fed him a spoonful of porridge. It was still steaming, but not too hot. Jeha swallowed, looking up at Yijae with docile eyes, but Yijae wasn’t looking at him. He was simply doing what he had to do.

Yijae fed Jeha calmly and mechanically. He didn’t make eye contact or speak during the entire process. Despite the blatant disregard, Jeha mustered his courage.

“Director, I… I can eat by myself… You should finish your meal…”

Even at his anxious words, Yijae didn’t respond. He simply held out the spoon filled with porridge. Jeha couldn’t make Yijae hold his arm up uncomfortably, so he opened his mouth.

Usually, various types of porridge were prepared for Jeha, who was a picky eater, but not today. Since Jeha seemed to dislike vegetables, Yijae made sure he finished an entire bowl of vegetable porridge. Jeha’s eyelids twitched slightly, but he ate obediently without complaint.

It was a strange sight. A guide sitting languidly in a chair, feeding his kneeling esper only what he wanted him to eat.

Only after Jeha had finished the porridge at his own pace did Yijae start his own meal. He ate quickly, seemingly unconcerned that his food had gone cold. Jeha waited blankly for Yijae to finish. He felt it would be rude to interrupt him.

When he heard the clinking of cutlery being put away, Jeha tensed. He would ask now. What should he answer?

But Yijae simply stood up. He didn’t ask anything, nor did he offer a single glance. Flustered, Jeha lurched forward, grabbing the hem of Yijae’s pants.

“Director!”

Yijae lightly stepped back, breaking contact.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry… Director. I don’t know what I did wrong. But… if you tell me, I’ll learn. I won’t make the same mistake again…”

Yijae was dumbfounded. Was this pathetic, or pathetically innocent?

He knew he wasn’t a good person. He had no reason to be. So, he felt nothing towards goodness. He simply thought that good people must have a hard time living in this world.

“You’ll fix it if I tell you?”

“Yes, I really will. I won’t make the same mistake again… I promise…”

Jeha, clinging to him, seemed like any other esper. Which meant he was frustrating and foolish. Yijae slowly lowered himself, kneeling on one knee like he had when Jeha first arrived, and lifted Jeha’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. Jeha saw the arrogance and dominance in Yijae’s gaze.

“Mr. Shin, me guiding you means I’m making your condition better. Naturally, that includes managing all your illnesses and symptoms, as well as taking care of your body.”

“Yes…”

“Yes? Did you just say yes?”

Yijae mimicked Jeha’s words and gave a short laugh.

“Knowing how much I care, you shouldn’t be so careless with your body. Saying it’s okay to be torn apart. Could you say such things after having my cock and fist shoved inside you and churned around?”

Jeha finally understood why Yijae was angry. But it was also incredibly contradictory. Yijae was someone who was aroused by violence and inflicting pain from the start. It was an essential part of his guiding.

Yijae’s violence wasn’t the goal, but the means. He wouldn’t have cared if Jeha had intentionally hurt himself. But he couldn’t tolerate Jeha saying such things first. That presumptuous attitude of permission. It was something that needed to be corrected, rectified. Yijae would decide how to use Jeha, how to handle him.

An unequal relationship, a perfect dynamic of dominance and submission, unilateral commands. For violence within this hierarchy to be meaningful, Yijae needed complete control over Jeha. Not just physical control. Jeha’s mind also had to be completely molded to Yijae’s desires.

Even if he had to teach him repeatedly.

“I’m sorry… I won’t… do it again…”

“Remember this. Your body isn’t yours, Mr. Shin. Understood?”

Yijae’s tone was sharp and cold, demanding confirmation.

“Yes.”

“By the same token, I absolutely hate it when you use your physical condition to threaten or protest against me. Exercise regularly, eat your meals on time, and get enough sleep. You’re not a ten-year-old. Take care of yourself.”

Those words finally broke Jeha’s composure. Tears streamed down his face. He couldn’t figure out if Yijae was a good person or a terrifying one. Jeha wiped his tears with the back of his hand and spoke resolutely.

“Yes. I won’t do it again. Never again…”

A brief silence fell.

“I’ll believe you.”

Finally, Yijae lifted Jeha back into his arms. Unlike before, he had Jeha wrap his legs around his waist. Jeha could see Yijae’s face, but he felt embarrassed and awkward to look at him now. He simply rested his forehead against Yijae’s shoulder. Yijae didn’t react. But being held by him felt like forgiveness.

“It’s almost time for your workout, so let’s get you washed up.”

“Okay…”

As Yijae carried Jeha to his room, his gaze lingered on a wall shelf. The chain that had bound Jeha’s wrists last night now lay on the previously empty shelf.

Just as Yijae predicted, more items would accumulate on that shelf. And each time Jeha saw them, he would remember what Yijae had done, the pain he’d inflicted, and the kind of person Kwon Yijae truly was.