CRSV Ch 2

The Day of Awakening. That day was a rotten one from the very start. To begin with, the mandatory liberal arts class involved a team project, which was already a bad sign.

“Oh, I’m really sorry. But you guys have to understand. I’m super busy with job hunting. You’ll get it when you’re about to graduate, seriously. I’m sorry, but can you guys help out a bit? I’ll take full responsibility for the presentation.”

“What… Sunbae… No matter how busy you are, that’s a bit…”

Someone once said that team projects aren’t for fostering teamwork or communication skills but for giving you a sneak peek at the variety of trash you’ll encounter in society.

And the scene unfolding before Haewon’s eyes was exactly that. This was, without a doubt, a waste of time.

“What, did I say I’m not doing anything? I’m just saying I’m busy and can’t meet offline often. We can just make a group chat and work on it. Why are you making a big deal out of it?”

“Oh, come on, Sunbae. How many times have you gone radio silent in the group chat? I hate offline meetings too. We’re only doing this because of you.”

“Wow, what’s with you? Oh, come on. Just because everyone calls you pretty, you think you can act like you’ve got no manners, no respect for your Sunbaes?”

“Yeah, I don’t have any. Respect? For what? And how is what you’re doing any different from trying to freeload?”

“Hey, Kim Suyeon!”

“What!”

So, in a class with over a hundred students, the fact that these two business majors were bickering over a team project was, honestly, a waste of time, wasn’t it? Anyone could just do it.

“What a waste of time.”

Haewon’s casually tossed remark silenced the clamor.

“It looks like no one checked the syllabus… It says we need to submit individual papers for what we’ve researched.”

At Haewon’s words, the two fighting dogs quieted down. Seeing everyone stealthily pull out their phones to check the syllabus, it was clear this class was already doomed.

“Seriously, no one checked? I’m out. See you.”

Judging by their reactions, it seemed like this course would lose its spot as the top “easy A” class on the course review site by the end of the semester. Not that it mattered.

Finishing his words, Haewon pushed the chair back with a screech and stood up.

Haewon pressed tired eyes deeply with body warmth. Really, he was exhausted to death. He hadn’t been sleeping properly. A week straight of sleeping maybe three or four hours at most had left him irritable and drained.

He almost closed his eyes while moving and ended up banging his knee on a chair. That was surely a harbinger of bad luck.

Stepping outside, the summer heat had subsided, and a cool breeze was blowing. Instead of the smell of water, the air carried the scent of dry wind.

It felt so vividly clear.

That’s when he should’ve noticed.

“Hey, Seo Haewon!”

Or at least, he shouldn’t have responded to that call.

“I’m done with classes for today. I had a practical session later, but it got canceled.”

“So?”

Haewon was uninterested. What did he care?

“Hey. Should I just move abroad?”

What kind of nonsense was this now?

“Are you crazy?”

“No, listen seriously. I’m a Guide.”

“…Suddenly? Why?”

A brief silence followed. Why…? Haewon was genuinely curious. Why was he a Guide? At Haewon’s question, Yeyeon’s expression turned puzzled.

“…Why…? Why… Well…? Why is it there? It just happened…?”

Yeyeon, the one who brought it up, seemed just as confused. Haewon added clarification to the question that had slipped out without thinking.

“No, I mean, how did you find out?”

“Oh. During weigh-in.”

“…Wow, you have the worst luck.”

That was all Haewon could say. Who in the world gets designated as a Guide during a weigh-in for a match? Yeyeon was a taekwondo athlete.

“Yeah, I guess so…”

A chilly silence passed between them.

Haewon was the one to speak again.

“Well, congrats on getting a job.”

At Haewon’s words, Yeyeon’s eyes turned triangular.

“Are you joking? My medals, the national championships, all gone. I’m about to retire without ever wearing the national flag.”

Yeyeon shook his head irritably.

“Ugh, forget it. What’s the point of talking? Why bother explaining to a psychopath? You got any classes left?”

He must have nothing but muscles for brains. Just look at how he doesn’t even know what “psychopath” means.

Haewon smirked inwardly.

“No. Why?”

He answered anyway.

“I need to go to the Center. Come with me. I don’t want to go alone.”

He always repays kindness with betrayal.

“…”

Haewon turned around immediately. The Center? No way. Since regressing, Haewon hadn’t even slept facing that direction.

“Hey, Seo Haewon! Come on, let’s go together. You’ve never been to the Center, right? It’s worth checking out, I swear.”

“No.”

“Why? I’ll buy you dinner.”

“Nope. No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m going home to sleep.”

“Wow, see? You’ve got nothing to do.”

Yeyeon grumbled.

“Even if I don’t, I’m not going.”

Feeling annoyed, Haewon tried to shoo Yeyeon away. He didn’t want to go to the Center. And he couldn’t tell Yeyeon why he didn’t want to go.

“Ugh, Seo Haewon, seriously. After all the times I’ve covered for you and had your back! You’re gonna be like this?”

Haewon, who was about to leave coldly, paused. He hesitated for a moment. He did owe Yeyeon a lot. Hmm… No, still no.

“No. Go alone.”

But he couldn’t keep walking. It was because of what Yeyeon whispered in his ear.

“Haewon, is it okay if I tell your parents that there’s a slight problem with your body, and you can’t get it up like other normal guys?”

Because of those words Yeyeon deliberately enunciated into his ear. Oh, that lunatic… Using it like this?

“See? Think about it. You owe me a lot, don’t you? Time to pay up!”

Yeyeon shouted triumphantly.

Haewon stopped and thought for a moment.

Since regressing, he hadn’t awakened. In his previous life, he awakened at seventeen in the spring, but now it was already twenty, in the fall.

He’d been trembling with anxiety about possibly awakening since seventeen, but it hadn’t happened. Three and a half years—hadn’t that already passed the margin of error?

The Center… He didn’t want to go.

But turn on the TV, and all sorts of Awakened people popped up. Haewon had even seen an interview with Kim Junhwan.

He didn’t think he’d run into them just by going for a bit. Haewon started rationalizing. If it was just for a Guide inspection, the researchers… Ugh, he hated researchers too, but… What to do…?

Haewon briefly imagined Yeyeon spilling that secret to his family.

“Haewon… Our son…”

His mom would choke up, unable to continue. His dad… Hmm. He’d probably book a medical exam right away. His brother… His brother was the real problem. He might even try to “fix” it himself. The whole family would rally to comfort him, take him to the hospital…

‘The worst.’

Haewon concluded simply.

Even when he saw Kim Junhwan’s interview, he’d had a brief panic but recovered quickly. Besides, he wasn’t an Esper now, and he wasn’t tied up.

“Let’s go to the Center.”

Haewon declared resolutely. Yeyeon’s smug grin was really unbearable.

Still, it was better than his brother… Damn, seriously asking a hundred times with a straight face if it really doesn’t work and then charging in to “help.” That was far worse than playing along with Yeyeon’s nonsense.

That thought alone was so horrifying it gave him chills. Spending suffocating time at the Center seemed better by comparison.

He had no intention of telling Yeyeon about his regression or issues with the Center. If Yeyeon really became a Guide, he’d have to visit the Center at least once eventually.

Might as well get it over with.

Haewon opened the car door with determination.

“Hey, get in. Let’s go.”

So, that day was just insanely, outrageously unlucky from the start. The team project mess was followed immediately by Yeyeon’s blackmail. A day where even falling backward would break his nose!

“Okay, hope there’s someone famous there. I wanna see.”

A faint smirk crossed Haewon’s lips. How carefree must life be? Famous Awakened people even appeared in ads. Haewon found that utterly repulsive.

“Smirking? What, you think celebrities aren’t impressive, rich kid?”

“Not that. Who do you want to see?”

“Chae Jinheon.”

“Who’s that?”

Never heard of him. Was there such an Esper?

“There is. From Chungdae. Won a medal.”

While stopped at a light, Haewon set the GPS to the Center, and it felt strange. His only experience with the Center was being dragged there as a felon and locked in a lab. The thought of going voluntarily made him feel like vomiting.

“Got it.”

At Haewon’s half-hearted response, Yeyeon got worked up and raised his voice.

“Hey, Chae Jinheon is… the real deal. Super hot. But he disappeared. Turns out he was designated a Guide. Crazy… Hey! Is there some rule that athletes become Guides? Hmm… Maybe not, there are more who don’t?”

Do your own song and dance. Haewon inwardly scoffed and sharply turned the wheel. The car tilted abruptly. Yeyeon, unbothered, was lost in his own world.

“…He won a medal too. Really… He was something else. I went to see him.”

That made Haewon slightly curious. Yeyeon competed in most taekwondo matches, not watched them.

“Taekwondo?”

“No? Judo.”

“…? You don’t care about anything but taekwondo.”

Yeyeon was a die-hard taekwondo nut. Why judo?

“You don’t get it. Hey, Chae Jinheon is seriously good-looking.”

Seo Haewon was speechless. Oh, that kind of real deal. That kind of hot? A laugh escaped him. Eyes glued to the floor.

“Ugh, Seo Haewon, you’re smirking again. Hey, you doubting my taste? I’m serious.”

“Sure you are.”

Haewon snorted. Yeyeon’s type was always the same: gorilla-like. Tall, buff, rugged, and insanely athletic.

“You’ll be shocked when you see him. Seriously. I’m telling you!”

Yeyeon stomped his feet, indignant.

“Yeah, sure. I see my face in the mirror every morning, so I doubt anyone’s face will shock me. Hey, is that a checkpoint?”

Haewon pointed at the police standing in front of the Center. They’d actually arrived.

“Yeah. Gotta show ID to get in, I think?”

Yeyeon rummaged for his ID. As they approached the gate, Haewon’s vision blurred momentarily. His head throbbed, and his ears stung.

‘What was that?’

It passed quickly, but the pain was startlingly sharp. In a daze, he instinctively slammed the brakes, and the car behind blared its horn irritably. Haewon reflexively hit the gas.

“What’s wrong? You okay?”

“Yeah.”

‘What was that just now?’

The confusion lingered as they approached the checkpoint.

Looking back now, it was undeniably a sign of awakening. A warning to turn back. Ignoring it was why Haewon maxed out his bad luck combo that day.

Waiting at the checkpoint, Haewon stared at Yeyeon. Yeyeon, a Guide? Hard to believe. Yet, oddly, he felt nothing, which was surprising.

‘Is it because it’s Yeyeon?’

After regressing, Haewon had been on edge. Everything annoyed him, and seeing Espers or Guides on the news drove him up the wall. He’d had multiple panic attacks. Yeyeon had helped him separate reality from the past.

Yeyeon was, generously speaking, lively; less generously, a loudmouth. That day, during gym class, Yeyeon started showing off as usual. Attempting a spinning kick for a demonstration, he accidentally hit Haewon.

Amid the teacher scolding a flustered Yeyeon and classmates gathering noisily, Haewon, dazed, grasped reality. Everyone was alive. The teacher, Yeyeon, his classmates.

Yeyeon was already on the national team reserve then. It hurt like hell. So, in pain and shock, Haewon burst out laughing. Like a lunatic. It was his first laugh since regressing.

It finally sank in. The spring of seventeen had passed, and Yeyeon, who’d died in his past life, had just landed a spinning kick. That was Seo Haewon’s reality now. Being kidnapped to the Center after everyone was killed was no longer his reality.

“What are you staring at? Get your ID out.”

Since then, Yeyeon was like proof. Evidence that this life was different from the last.

“What brings you here?”

“Here for a detailed Guide inspection.”

Yeyeon handed over the medical certificate and reservation slip through the window.

“And the person accompanying you?”

“He’s my friend… I was a bit scared to come alone. Is that okay?”

The man glanced at Haewon and nodded indifferently.

“ID from the companion too, please. You can retrieve it when you leave.”

The man mechanically checked their IDs and let them pass the checkpoint.

“Looser than I thought,” Haewon muttered.

Yeyeon laughed, incredulous. “What did you expect?”

“At least full-on security…?”

The Center Haewon knew was like that. Surrounded by heavily armed soldiers, moved from room to room, or strapped into a restraint suit, drugged, covered with a sheet, and carted like a corpse between labs.

Even the researchers carried weapons. If Haewon’s brainwaves shifted slightly, they’d shoot tranquilizers or, if urgent, real bullets. Shoulder, thigh, wherever.

His arm suddenly felt cold and achy, so he gripped and released the steering wheel.

“Can we park here?”

“Just do it. There’s plenty of space.”

Haewon saw Yeyeon quickly get out and make a call. Seo Haewon knew everything about the Center’s layout and data but seeing it in person felt alien. All he knew were blueprints and computer files.

“Go to the main building. The inspection takes about two hours, they say. You’ll wait, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m buying dinner.”

Yeyeon grinned ambitiously. Probably just cold noodle soup. Not exactly exciting. Haewon nodded half-heartedly, looking around the Center.

It felt surprisingly okay.

“Pretty cool, huh? You shouldn’t have skipped that field trip. They explained a ton back then. You know, Hyun Sojung, the Esper from the foresight ads? They say he showed off his telekinesis and stuff.”

Yeyeon grumbled.

‘If you hadn’t blackmailed me, I wouldn’t be here now.’

He wasn’t curious about Esper telekinesis shows, then or now.

“They said take the elevator to the 11th floor. Hey, what’s with your face? You’re super pale.”

At that, Haewon touched his cheek. It felt slightly cold, but nothing seemed off.

“Pale?”

“Yeah. You were fine earlier… What’s up? You sick or something?”

“Dunno. Just go already. Let’s get this over with.”

It was more okay than expected, but he had no desire to linger. Get in, get out.

“Don’t stare.”

Yeyeon clicked his tongue at the sharp response.

“Ugh, always so prickly, even when people worry about you.”

“Didn’t ask you to worry.”

His face in the elevator mirror did look a bit unwell. But he didn’t feel anything particularly wrong. Arriving at the 11th floor, he turned. Glancing at the mirror, he saw Yeyeon’s annoyed expression.

“Oh, fine. Whatever. So high and mighty…”

“Oh, damn it.”

Haewon stared at the woman in front of him. As the elevator doors opened, his eyes met hers. A curse slipped out reflexively. It was loud enough that the woman’s eyes widened.

“Crazy, look at that attitude. Even when people worry, you’re a jerk. Why are you extra awful today?”

Yeyeon, thinking the curse was aimed at him, went off, making the woman shift her gaze suspiciously. Standing, she wasn’t very tall. She’d seemed bigger when Haewon was tied up, looking up at her.

“Get out. What are you doing?”

Yeyeon nudged his back. A sharp breath escaped. He must’ve been holding it without realizing.

“…You okay?”

Yeyeon, sensing something off, grabbed Haewon’s arm.

“I said your face was pale. Acting all tough and now this.”

Yeyeon touched his forehead.

“Are you alright?”

The woman waiting for the elevator, not even boarding, suddenly butted in. Haewon stared at her. He knew her. Jo Jiyeon.

‘Looks like a slight seizure? Can we up the dose?’

Her curious, chatty voice.

‘Junhwan, can’t we make the hypnosis stronger?’

In the past, in that corner room at the Center. One of the researchers in the room where Haewon endured all sorts of experiments until his brain was extracted.

If he’d known he’d see her, he wouldn’t have come. That thought hit him. Yet, he was surprised it wasn’t as bad as expected. He’d briefly forgotten how to breathe, but no full-on hyperventilation or panic attack.

“Mind your own business and go.”

But he couldn’t help snapping unnecessarily, voice strained.

“…You’re a Center visitor, right?”

Jo Jiyeon’s gaze flicked over the visitor badges on their chests.

“Yeah. I’m here for a Guide inspection. He just tagged along.”

Yeyeon, after a brief pause, jumped in to answer.

“There’s a medical office on the first floor. You should go. It’s not free for visitors, though.”

Haewon didn’t respond. He didn’t want to croak again or talk to Jo Jiyeon.

“Let’s go.”

Ignoring her, Haewon grabbed Yeyeon’s arm and pulled.

“Hey, hey…!”

Flustered, Yeyeon bowed repeatedly to Jo Jiyeon as he was dragged away. Jo Jiyeon’s expression turned demonic as they disappeared.

“What… What kind of crazy jerk is that?”

Her voice reached Haewon’s ears clearly, despite not being loud enough. In his shock and agitation from meeting Jo Jiyeon, Haewon didn’t register that fact—a critical mistake.

“Here.”

Yeyeon was finally released in front of the Guide inspection room.

“Seo Haewon, sorry. I dragged you here and got you pissed off, huh?”

Yeyeon hesitated, gauging his mood. Haewon’s vibe was that intense.

“No. Go get your inspection. I’m heading to the medical office.”

Sticking close to Yeyeon might’ve been smarter. Who knew what he’d run into on the way to the first floor? But Haewon desperately wanted to be alone. Please.

At that, Yeyeon brightened. The mention of the medical office was reassuring. Haewon’s pale face and the guilt of dragging him here had been weighing on him.

“Cool? Okay. Just stay there then. Or go home if you want.”

“I’ll see. Go. I’m heading down.”

“If you leave early, text me.”

“Yeah.”

Haewon gave a vague reply and moved toward the elevator. The shock of encountering a piece of his past didn’t fade easily.

‘Shouldn’t have come… No guarantee he’d actually tell my brother.’

Yeyeon might do it in a fit of anger, but he wasn’t that bad.

His lips felt dry and tight. Haewon wet them with his tongue and pressed his forehead against the cold marble wall.

He craved a cigarette. Inhaling that acrid smoke would make his mouth, lungs, hands—everything—feel real, untouched. Haewon bit his dry lips harder.

He jabbed the elevator button roughly, but it was stuck somewhere, not moving. The “under maintenance” sign was clear. The hallway was empty, no one to ask.

Scanning the corridor, Haewon’s eyes landed on the emergency exit sign. After hitting the elevator button a few more times irritably, he finally shoved open the emergency stairwell door.

The stairwell was silent. Good. Haewon sat on the steps, killing time. Slumped alone, head against the wall, he heard his heartbeat. The rapid pounding slowly calmed.

‘Fine, my ass…’

Once he settled, he realized how stressed he’d been since entering the Center. Staring blankly at the steps, Haewon stood. He’d go to the car, rest, or head home. His body suddenly felt heavy, like water-soaked cotton.

Haewon trudged down a few floors in a daze. But without floor markers, he couldn’t tell where he was.

‘Everything about this place is stupid…’

Muttering, Haewon pushed open a door to the hallway with a creak.

“This is a restricted area for visitors.”

A few steps in, a man grabbed his shoulder. Haewon reflexively shook it off and glared.

“What brings you here?”

Something about him seemed familiar. Just a common face? A plain, unattractive guy. Not recognizing him eased Haewon’s tension slightly, but he was still annoyed.

“My friend’s here for a detailed Guide inspection.”

The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“That’s on a different floor.”

“I know.”

Haewon’s curt reply made the man’s expression darken.

“What’s your business on this floor?”

“Just ended up here. There’s no floor number on that stairwell. Wanted to know what floor this is.”

The man’s gaze shifted to the emergency exit door Haewon vaguely pointed at.

“You could’ve taken the elevator.”

“It wasn’t working.”

Haewon spat, dripping with irritation. He was already exhausted—why pick a fight? Should’ve fixed the elevator in the first place.

“Oh.”

The man’s face shifted, as if something clicked, looking awkward.

“This way. I’ll guide you to the elevator.”

Haewon nodded roughly. Following the man, he noticed it was a researchers’ floor. Just his rotten luck. Glaring at the nameplates on each door, he froze.

“Researcher Park, don’t you know this is a no-outsiders zone?”

A new obstacle blocked Haewon’s path. He turned, annoyed. Getting to the first floor was a nightmare.

“They came from the emergency stairs, said they couldn’t find the floor. I was taking them to the elevator.”

“Why’s that stairwell door open?”

“It’s inspection day. That’s probably why the elevator was stopped briefly.”

The man’s voice shrank, then grew. What? Haewon, irritably staring at the floor, followed the man’s back to the front.

“Take them to the first floor. To the desk. Check their visitor badge properly.”

Two men stood in the way. The first one who spoke, and the one who started talking as Haewon looked up—Lee Jincheol.

God, what a cursed day. Damn it, did he come to the Center just to drown in this kind of bad luck? After barely calming down from Jo Jiyeon, his head couldn’t handle the stress and started spiraling. His past replayed at breakneck speed.

‘Ugh, so annoying. Up the meds.’

‘Tch, not listening again. Get Kim Junhwan.’

‘If their brainwaves spike, shoot immediately. Like this. Got it?’

Lee Jincheol was the chief of Seo Haewon’s research team.

‘That damn bastard… They say you meet your enemies on a narrow bridge, and here he is.’

Haewon thought this day was brutally exhausting.

Haewon was deeply furious. But anger and fear were as different as their names. The moment he heard Lee Jincheol’s voice, his fingertips began to tremble. His stomach churned, legs felt weak, and standing still was a struggle.

It was a reaction leagues beyond seeing Jo Jiyeon. Shaking alone, the first man he met in the hallway shoved Haewon irritably.

“Hey, you coming or not?”

He started walking at the man’s urging. His gaze couldn’t settle, darting chaotically around the floor. His vision shook so badly he felt like vomiting.

Even then, the sound of two sets of footsteps echoing down the hallway behind him was crystal clear. Saliva pooled under his tongue, tasting sour. He was really going to throw up…

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden? Hey.”

Noticing Haewon’s staggering, the man guiding him panicked.

“Gonna throw up…”

“Ugh, what! No bathrooms here. Didn’t you hear it’s restricted? Hurry up!”

The man grabbed Haewon’s arm and strode quickly. Dragged along at his pace, Haewon’s nausea worsened. Acid surged up his throat.

“Damn it, talk about bad luck… Why isn’t this thing here!”

The man pinned Haewon against the elevator door. The cold metal against his face seemed to help a little. It was cool. The sound of the man frantically pressing the button was irritating.

The man soon stopped mashing the button but began tapping his foot on the floor, grating on Haewon’s nerves.

“Ugh, how bad do you need to throw up? We’re on the eighth floor… You can hold it, right? Hold it. I’ll take you to the bathroom as soon as we reach the first floor.”

The man muttered anxiously.

“Oh, why isn’t it coming down?”

The man, annoyed, kept pushing Haewon toward the door, as if worried he might vomit on him. Saliva kept pooling in Haewon’s mouth. He was truly at his limit.

‘Oh, damn, this is insane…’

Haewon, desperate not to throw up, pursed his lips tightly and took shallow breaths.

The moment the elevator’s arrival chimed, the researcher shoved Haewon, and Haewon, leaning against the door, stumbled into the elevator like he was spilling forward.

His stomach churned violently, needless to say. Someone caught his falling body as he tumbled into the elevator. His shoulder was grabbed, making his body lurch again.

“Urp-!”

He vomited. Right onto the stomach of the man inside the elevator.

“Uh… Ugh…”

A speechless sound escaped the researcher who had pushed Haewon into the elevator. Despite his stomach still heaving uncontrollably, Haewon managed to twist his body. All that did was make him vomit next to the man’s left foot. Did that count as vomiting on his foot after his stomach…? He’d tried to avoid it, but still.

Beep- Beep- Beep-

The elevator emitted a warning sound to close the door. Honestly… He wanted to disappear from the world… His body stiffened like a log.

“Oh… Damn…”

A low curse came from above. Haewon, trembling, pulled back the hand that had touched the man’s right arm, flinching. Unable to lift his head, all he could see was the mess of vomit he’d made.

“Let’s just go down… You, back there, are you getting on?”

The companion of the man Haewon had vomited on tried to take control of the situation. The man who’d been hit stood frozen, silent since the curse.

“Ugh… No. I’m not getting on. Urgh…”

The researcher, irritated, let go of the elevator button. Feeling the door close behind him, Haewon cautiously raised his head. Compared to the state of the man he’d collided with, Haewon’s hands and shoes were a mess too. Not to mention his mouth.

The man, meeting Haewon’s eyes, pointedly stripped off his shirt and dropped it onto the vomit on the floor with a thud. Even though Haewon was half-bent over, the man was tall. And his exposed torso was astonishingly well-sculpted. Enough to catch the eye even in this situation.

“Let’s go down. Gotta clean up. Jinheon, you too. I’ll handle this here, so take him to the visitor’s bathroom.”

The man who’d suggested going down gave instructions in a relatively calm voice.

‘Oh, today… Damn, I’m screwed.’

The emotions that had spiked wildly upon seeing Lee Jincheol sank back down. It was as if they’d spilled out along with the vomit at his feet.

Embarrassment, awkwardness, and panic filled the space. The fact that the man he’d vomited on wasn’t saying anything also weighed on him.

‘An Esper, maybe.’

Given the man’s build, it seemed likely. But apart from the instinctive repulsion, the magnitude of what Haewon had done was so overwhelming that he kept quiet and gauged the situation.

If someone had vomited on his stomach while he was just standing there, he’d never forgive them, demand full compensation, and expect an apology letter too.

“Chae Jinheon. Didn’t you hear me?”

The man’s companion urged the shirtless man in a drill-sergeant tone.

“Ugh, I got it. What even is this? Hey, come with me. You… need to clean up too.”

Haewon, mind blank, followed the man in a daze. With each step, lines formed and faded on the man’s bare back and waist.

He stared blankly at that back, moving his feet mechanically. His mind was a complete tangle, a blank slate. Jo Jiyeon, Lee Jincheol, and now vomiting on a stranger’s stomach. His brain refused to process it.

The man, striding ahead, grabbed the bathroom door and nodded at Haewon. It seemed like a signal to go in. Haewon awkwardly squeezed through the door the man held open, muttering in a daze.

“Give me your account number. I’ll compensate you.”

The man, waiting for Haewon to enter, nodded, and a voice came from behind almost simultaneously.

“It’s just a training uniform anyway.”

Looking beyond the door, it was the guy who’d been in the elevator with them. The man, smiling warmly, seemed good-natured from his expression alone.

“Hey, you trying to get paid for something you got for free? Washed your hands? Gotta clean your sneakers too.”

The man busily ushered Haewon toward the sink.

“Hyung! I’d have to pay to replace it!”

Ignoring the grumbling from behind, the man pulled out a paper towel and handed it to Haewon. He was smiling broadly, as if something great had happened. He didn’t seem to care at all about his companion’s predicament.

“And I loved it, you vomiting on that guy’s stomach. He’s been a pain since morning, giving me a headache, and now I’m all better.”

The man grinned mischievously.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Hoonyoung, team leader of Guide Support Team 1. That’s the Guide, Chae Jinheon.”

Washing his face, hands, and rinsing his mouth with cold water brought Haewon slightly back to his senses. Then the name of the man he’d vomited on caught his attention.

‘Chae Jinheon.’

The name Yeyeon had been raving about.

‘Super hot! You’d be shocked if you saw him!’

Haewon glanced at the man wiping himself down with a disgruntled expression through the bathroom mirror.

‘…Definitely Yeyeon’s type…’

The height, probably over 190 cm, and muscles that looked like he’d been training since birth, were exactly Yeyeon’s taste.

“Give me your account.”

Haewon, roughly done cleaning up, tossed the words into the air awkwardly. Yeyeon’s type or not, he wanted to settle this and be alone. His gaze landed on Jinheon.

‘Yeyeon… He’s got eyes, alright.’

Haewon thought absently. Calling the man a gorilla was a bit unfair. Jinheon was roughly wiping his stomach with a wet paper towel. His slightly furrowed brow looked annoyed but not menacing.

“Don’t pay him. That guy doesn’t deserve it.”

Hoonyoung, who’d been nothing but kind to Haewon, cut in coldly.

“But you don’t look good… Your face is really pale.”

The pale face comment again. Glancing at the mirror, he did see a ghostly pale guy staring back. The bags under his eyes looked almost black.

“How about a quick stop at the medical office? It’s nearby. I’ll take you.”

Haewon’s head slowly nodded. It was his original destination anyway.

“Hey, where are you going? Don’t you see the state I’m in!?”

Chae Jinheon whined. Hoonyoung, glancing at him, stripped off his own jersey and tossed it over.

“Good enough?”

Jinheon, pouting, grumbled as he put on the jersey. It was a bit tight, which made his complaints louder. But Hoonyoung ignored him completely, as if used to it.

“…Write it down somewhere. Your account. I’ll send it.”

Annoyed by the commotion, Haewon pressed again. He didn’t want to exchange contact info. But he felt he should pay.

‘Would 100,000 won cover it…?’

He was calculating when Hoonyoung interrupted again.

“Aren’t you a student? You look young. That guy earns plenty, and that shirt was free anyway. Forget that and let’s go to the medical office. Take some meds and lie down.”

Haewon, feeling heavy fatigue, closed and opened his eyes slowly, letting out a small sigh. I probably have more money than him, he thought, but he didn’t want to argue.

At Haewon’s reaction, Hoonyoung frowned lightly.

“Chae Jinheon?”

At Hoonyoung’s call, Jinheon reluctantly spoke.

“They only give one free per season. Ugh… Forget the money.”

He changed his tune under Hoonyoung’s glare.

Their dynamic was weird. What even was this? Anyway, if they said it was fine, Haewon didn’t want to dwell on it. He’d done enough. He’d made it clear he was willing to compensate.

As he quietly followed them out of the bathroom, a dizzy sensation made him stumble briefly. His vision flashed black and returned. Jinheon reached out, steadying Haewon’s swaying body. The grip on his forearm sent a chill through him.

Haewon reflexively swung his arm wide, shoving Jinheon away. Then he froze, shocked at himself. He didn’t want a male Guide anywhere near him.

But for now, Haewon had caused this mess by vomiting on the guy’s stomach. He resolved to grit his teeth and act unbothered.

“…Sorry… Got startled…”

“Whoa, you okay? Need me to carry you?”

Haewon shook his head roughly at Hoonyoung’s exaggerated reaction and trudged forward awkwardly. Forget the medical office—he’d stick to his original plan and go to his car.

Maybe because of the vomiting fiasco or sheer exhaustion, the emotions that had been boiling inside seemed to have evaporated. He just wanted to lie down somewhere, anywhere. The crushing fatigue made him feel like he’d pass out the moment his head hit a surface.

“I’m just gonna go. My car’s in the parking lot.”

Haewon barely mustered his voice.

“Hmm…”

Haewon looked bad enough that Hoonyoung hesitated. But pushing a stranger too far felt wrong.

“Alright. I’ll walk you to your car. You really don’t look good.”

‘Don’t want you to.’

But after what he’d done, he couldn’t refuse. And he lacked the energy to argue. Haewon nodded vaguely.

‘Follow or don’t.’

Haewon staggered across the lobby.

“Hey, you troublemaker, come too. You’ve still got things to answer for.”

Hoonyoung’s voice and grumbling followed from behind. The sound of two sets of footsteps echoed rhythmically on the lobby’s marble floor.

After a few steps, Haewon felt a chill. Everything was too clear. The sound of heels hitting the marble, soles pressing down, toes pushing off…

In that moment, Haewon realized. Awakening.

His steps halted. Awakening. Like this, again? And at the Center, of all places. His heart pounded wildly. Haewon frantically scanned his surroundings. He needed a place to hide.

His gaze, darting aimlessly, briefly met Jinheon’s before sliding away. In that instant, Jinheon sharply sensed something off. It was instinct.

The honed instincts of Chae Jinheon, forged through years of victories and defeats. Jinheon moved without thinking, as his body had been trained to do for over a decade.

He grabbed Haewon’s arm and yanked him down, pinning him with his weight in a practiced move. His instincts screamed danger.

It felt like an attack was imminent.

Only after tackling Haewon did his mind catch up.

‘Feels like an awakening.’

Chae Jinheon reflexively pressed down on the back of Haewon’s neck. It was a position that allowed physical contact while keeping the other subdued.

He moved on instinct. He’d acted to neutralize a perceived attack and, sensing an awakening, chose a stance that allowed guiding too.

Seo Haewon, meanwhile, was panicking. He wanted to cry.

‘An awakening? So suddenly…’

The weight pinning him and the large hand on his neck pulled him out of his panic. And the guiding.

Haewon thrashed reflexively. No! Being pinned face-down amplified his anxiety. And it hurt. His whole body burned with pain. What was this?

He’d never experienced this in his previous awakening. In his panic, Haewon tightly gripped the phone in his hand.

Then he slammed it down toward Chae Jinheon’s knee with all his strength.

Jinheon instinctively clutched his knee. In that moment, Seo Haewon rolled free from his grip.

Panting, he eyed Jinheon warily. Jinheon stared back, incredulous.

‘I wasn’t attacking.’

He’d only meant to guide, thinking Haewon was awakening. Not receiving guidance during an awakening wasn’t inherently dangerous. But it could alleviate awakening fever and symptoms, so getting guided during one was considered lucky.

So Chae Jinheon thought it was a misunderstanding. Maybe Haewon thought he was being attacked. Seo Haewon, panting on the floor, looked like a puffed-up cat…

‘Kind of pitiful.’

“Sorry. I overreacted. But you’re awakening right now. Come here, I’ll help.”

Chae Jinheon spoke as gently as he could. Tamping down his temper. Like a proper Guide. As he’d been trained. Smiling awkwardly.

“No need, so get lost.”

That was until Seo Haewon snapped. His venomous tone froze Jinheon’s smile. Jinheon was stunned.

‘Wow, what’s with this guy?’

He’d thought Haewon, sweating and sprawled out, looked like a drenched cat. But the glint in his eyes and his venomous attitude were more like a feral beast.

“Hyung, what do we do?”

Jinheon glanced at Hoonyoung briefly but quickly returned his gaze to Haewon, whose menacing aura made him feel like an attack was imminent. His senses were on edge.

“Hmm…”

Hoonyoung was equally flustered and at a loss. Honestly, it felt like stumbling upon two growling animals. Trying to be kind had led to this mess.

“Maybe call for backup.”

Muttering irresponsibly, Hoonyoung pressed the pager. The recipient was Yeon Soyoon, deputy head of the Esper research team.

Meanwhile, Haewon felt the pain intensifying. This wasn’t like his last awakening. Back then, it was just a headache, but now his whole body felt like it was burning.

His arm, barely holding him up, collapsed. The pain was unbearable. His eyes, glaring at Chae Jinheon, fluttered shut and open repeatedly.

Watching him, Jinheon slowly straightened. He saw an opening.

And he was right. The moment Haewon’s arm gave out completely, Jinheon lunged forward, catching Haewon’s head before it hit the marble floor.

“Hyung, I think he’s out.”

Jinheon paused, holding Haewon’s face. Even unconscious, his intensity was palpable.

“And… I think he’s rampaging.”

Cold sweat ran down his back. Awakening and rampaging at the same time? Unheard of.

‘But if it’s not a rampage, his condition’s too bad to explain otherwise.’

Jinheon ripped off his jersey and hoisted Seo Haewon up. Unconscious, he was disgustingly heavy. But this wasn’t the time to complain.

He couldn’t let him rampage in the middle of the Center. Until guiding drugs arrived, physical guiding was the best option.

Stripping an unconscious person felt wrong, so he slipped his hand under Haewon’s shirt, grabbing his waist. Wrapping one arm around his waist, he lifted him like a koala.

Haewon’s limp head thudded onto Chae Jinheon’s bare shoulder.

Haewon wasn’t completely out. Severe tinnitus and delirium had robbed him of bodily control. External stimuli were fading. The overwhelming pain drowned out everything else.

But then, something soothing pushed through. Haewon chased it desperately. The burning pain in his body eased slightly. Was it because it was a late awakening? The pain was excruciating.

Seo Haewon was slowly breaking. The fragile psyche of the young Seo Haewon, built painstakingly while fighting anxiety post-regression, was crumbling. The time of the young Seo Haewon was too short compared to the years spent blaming himself for all misery and despair caused by his awakening.

Anxious and cynical but still somewhat twenty, Seo Haewon was shipwrecked in pain. The hope that he might not awaken faded.

On the cold marble floor of the Center he so fiercely hated and loathed, Haewon was shattering again in despair at awakening. Despair that he was ruining everything himself, again.

Despair that everything was being destroyed in the place that had slowly broken and killed him over time.

His body was burning. It felt like his muscles and bones were being torn apart. It was like he was on fire, yet freezing cold. His body and mind felt like they were being ripped to shreds.

It felt like punishment. Punishment for killing people.

Amid it all, Haewon kept clinging to the thing easing his pain.

‘Please save me…’

The young Haewon’s scream filled his body and spilled out. He craved the pain-reliever more and more. He had no capacity to think about what it was. It lessened the pain. It was warm, soft, a comforting embrace.

His tense muscles, as if submerged in water, slowly relaxed. Despair and anxiety diluted bit by bit. Like air leaking from a punctured balloon, little by little. Good… A satisfied sigh escaped Haewon.

“Damn, this is tough.”

Jinheon, on the other hand, was struggling. When Haewon told him to get lost, he hadn’t expected the unconscious Haewon to siphon his guiding so greedily.

“Let’s get him to the medical office. We don’t know where his car is. I called Soyoon. You okay?”

“No? What’s with this guy? He’s amplifying the guiding on his own. It’s like he’s sucking me dry.”

Grumbling, Jinheon headed to the medical office. Haewon kept slipping, forcing him to readjust every few steps, making movement difficult.

People passing through the lobby stared at Jinheon. The sidelong glances annoyed him.

‘Fine, my fault. Hope I didn’t hurt him when I tackled him.’

Jinheon hoisted Haewon up again.

“Ugh…”

A languid sigh-like sound came from Haewon. His breathing seemed to have steadied.

‘See? I was trying to help.’

Jinheon felt a bit proud. He figured Haewon’s irritability made sense, given he’d been sick enough to vomit.

His sharp expression had softened, making his face look gentle and cute. It was a fundamentally striking face. Even Chae Jinheon, who didn’t care much about guys’ looks, was momentarily impressed.

Though awakening, Haewon was a civilian until moments ago, and Jinheon felt guilty for tackling him with a technique. Maybe because he was pretty? He felt a bit responsible for making a sick person more agitated. He’d apologize when Haewon woke up and try to get along.

“But Hyung, he’s calming down, but his waves aren’t stabilizing…”

Slumping onto the medical office sofa with Haewon in his arms, Jinheon sighed.

“He’s soaking up this much guiding, and his waves still aren’t stabilizing?”

At Jinheon’s words, Hoonyoung peered over.

“Low matching rate?”

Jinheon muttered that he didn’t know, sinking his head into the sofa. The storm-like drain made him feel like he’d be a husk by the end.

“I’m here. What’s the emergency at the Center?”

“Soyoon, Soyoon. Deputy Yeon. Check this guy out. Seems like he’s awakening, and Jinheon thought he was rampaging, but even with guiding, his waves aren’t stabilizing.”

Soyoon approached with a serious expression.

“Rampaging? He’s being guided?”

“Yeah. But since he’s just passed out without doing anything, maybe it’s not a rampage. Earlier, it felt… like I was about to be attacked, so I thought rampage.”

“Really? Can you move him to a bed? Let me take a look.”

After examining Haewon, Soyoon tilted her head.

“His waves are unstable, sure. But it’s not a rampage, though it’s different from a typical awakening.”

“And this guy, when guided, it’s like he’s a vampire… He’s practically squeezing my energy out.”

Jinheon, rolling his stiff shoulder, grumbled about Haewon’s condition.

“Hmm. And it’s still not stabilizing?”

“No.”

“Low matching? We haven’t tested that. Anyway, it seems like a standard awakening, so he should wake up with time…”

Beep! Beep-beep-beep!

Before Soyoon could finish, the wave monitor blared an alarm. Haewon’s waves started spiking. Soyoon rushed to him in alarm. Jinheon quickly grabbed Haewon’s arm again.

But it didn’t calm easily.

“I’ll call another Guide. Find emergency guiding drugs, now.”

Hoonyoung began rummaging through the medical office for the drugs.

“Hurry!”

Soyoon shouted urgently.

At some point, Haewon was irritated that the pleasant sensation had vanished.

Where’d it go… Why’s it gone?

At the same time, his consciousness, sinking peacefully into the abyss, began resurfacing.

The tinnitus tormenting his ears persisted. And he was cold. He wanted to pull a blanket over himself, but his body wouldn’t move. A wave of sadness hit him.

He wanted to find that warmth again.

“Awakening, you say?”

A Guide, summoned by Soyoon, lifted Haewon’s hand.

“It’s chaos in here.”

Another Guide who arrived agreed, scanning the medical office.

“He was calming down earlier. How’s it now? Feel like the guiding’s working?”

Soyoon glanced at the joined hands with a grave expression. The machine’s readings showed no change. Another Guide tried guiding with a different hand, but the readings only worsened.

‘This isn’t it…’

Haewon muttered inwardly, annoyed. This wasn’t what he was looking for. Amid it, a familiar but unwelcome energy brushed against him.

Where was the thing he wanted? This was something else.

‘Is this guiding…?’

Soyoon, who’d forcibly injected emergency guiding drugs, bit her lip. Even for Soyoon, seasoned in the Esper research team, this was baffling.

‘It’s guiding.’

Regaining some clarity from the drugs, Haewon realized. Someone was forcing guiding on him. And it was… revolting. He had to stop it. That was the only thought in his mind.

“Guide Chae Jinheon, try again. You said it was working earlier, right?”

As Soyoon urged Jinheon to grab Haewon’s hand again, Seo Haewon’s waves flipped entirely. The graph tracking his waves plummeted off the screen.

“Ugh! This is insane. It’s a rejection reaction!”

Soyoon shouted. Rejection reaction. The term caught Haewon’s nearly conscious ears. Haewon, almost fully aware, smirked twistedly inside.

‘Told you not to mess with me…’

The guiding just attempted was truly horrific. It felt like being force-fed rotting food waste.

No, not like—it was exactly like food waste. He hadn’t eaten garbage, but still.

His eyes wouldn’t open, and the tinnitus wouldn’t stop, so he couldn’t tell who it was. But the visceral disgust and the fact that it was guiding were clear.

After wrestling it off a few times, the drugs coursing through his veins finally snapped him fully awake.

Smack-!

As soon as he came to, Haewon fiercely swatted away the hand touching his. His newly opened eyes caught Chae Jinheon, shirtless, clutching his hand and staring in shock.

Others were gathered around, but they barely registered.

It seemed the food waste was this guy. Seo Haewon’s eyes narrowed sharply.

That was the first guiding Seo Haewon experienced in this life. A nauseating guiding, like scavenging food waste.

Recalling that moment, Haewon’s lips curled into a smirk. After the chaos caused by the rejection reaction that day, he’d never tried guiding with Chae Jinheon again. Obviously.

‘If garbage thinks it’s garbage, how do you eat it again?’

Of course, he hadn’t exactly been eager to try guiding with other Guides either. If they were male, he kicked them out. He wasn’t curious about what their guiding felt like. He didn’t even want their hair touching him.

Snapping, blackmail, assault… He had plenty of ways to drive them off. And now, after all that, it circled back to food waste. Haewon’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Pervert, huh? Groping people the moment they pass out.”

It was meant to be heard. He muttered as if to himself, eyes downcast, but his voice was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly. It hit Jinheon’s ears perfectly.

“Watch your mouth…”

A gritted-teeth sound came from Jinheon. Jinheon was, in his own way, heating up. It was the same during Haewon’s first awakening. Feeling he’d been too harsh, Jinheon had tried his best to help.

But the moment Seo Haewon woke up, he was treated like a molester. Haewon had struck him without holding back, bruising the back of Jinheon’s hand. That was fine. He was probably startled.

But Seo Haewon didn’t stop there. He went off. Glaring coldly, treating him like utter trash…

Before Jinheon could explain, Haewon stormed off and slapped him with a lawsuit.

Claiming Jinheon, disregarding his sexual orientation, had stripped and groped him while unconscious, causing sexual humiliation—one count. And causing harm through a rejection reaction—another count. Two lawsuits total.

The shock of receiving a police summons was still vivid. Chae Jinheon, dumbfounded, had pedaled a bike until his thighs nearly burst that day.

His thighs were so overworked he nearly got proteinuria…

And yet. Despite all that. While refusing to hear Jinheon out. Even now, Seo Haewon seemed uninterested in listening.

“Hey. Your hyung’s the one who called me. Why’re you only mad at me?”

Jinheon’s voice dropped to a metallic growl.

‘He’s really pissed.’

Hoonyoung, reading the room, slowly backed away.

‘Hope he doesn’t lose it.’

Chae Jinheon was unpredictable… His mind was a infamous 4D realm even at the Center.

And his body, honed from childhood in judo and martial arts, enhanced by the Center’s special training, surpassed normal human limits.

If Chae Jinheon snapped and threw a punch here, no one but Seo Haewon, an Esper, could stop him.

As Hoonyoung pondered how to calm Jinheon, a soft voice cut in.

“Right. I requested it. With such a high matching rate, and you getting weaker without regaining consciousness, I couldn’t just do nothing.”

Seungwon gently stroked Haewon’s head, soothing him.

“And we’ve signed a pair contract with Guide Chae Jinheon.”

Seungwon’s endlessly gentle voice turned slightly stern.

“Guide Chae Jinheon will be your pair Guide.”

At that, Haewon felt his eyes roll back. Pair? Who decided that?

Guiding could be done through simple contact. But to form a pair, not just guide, required sexual intercourse. Absolutely not. Haewon’s expression twisted further.

‘Pair? With that food waste taste?’

Nope, I’d rather die.

“Who decided that? Not doing it. I’d rather die.”