Chapter 29

Kang Yu-han wasn’t being curt on purpose.

He was simply stating the truth—he genuinely had no answer to give.

But even his short, flat responses didn’t dampen Kim Si-on’s enthusiasm.

After a brief pause, as if considering his next move, he found a new topic.

“Hmm… then, what about this? Do you have a favorite quote?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Wow…”

“Boring, right?”

“Yeah, even more boring than I expected.”

Kim Si-on let out a sudden burst of laughter.

Then, without missing a beat, he continued.

“Aren’t you curious about me?”

“…Do you have a favorite quote?”

“I do. ‘The world’s already screwed, so might as well live carelessly.’”

“…That’s where we differ.”

Despite his playful, soft features, Kim Si-on had a surprisingly cynical side.

But Kang Yu-han wasn’t like that.

He did have a wish.

A tiny shred of hope.

If the Variant crisis ever ended and the world returned to normal—

He wanted to visit an amusement park.

The reason was simple.

He had never been to one before.

And if he could, he wanted to go with Seo Ji-hyuk.

Not that he believed that would ever happen.

And honestly, he wasn’t even sure if he would survive long enough for it to matter.

Meanwhile, Kim Si-on was quietly observing him.

Sharp, well-defined features. Pale skin.

Tall, yet lean and wiry.

At a glance, he looked younger than his actual age.

But not in a cute way—there was a shadow behind his eyes that made it impossible.

If anything, he leaned more toward beautiful than conventionally handsome.

Watching him eat, Kim Si-on scowled slightly.

His eyelashes caught his attention.

Even longer and darker than his own.

For some reason, it pissed him off.

His face was annoyingly perfect—like a finely sculpted doll.

The kind of face that would stand out anywhere.

Everything about him was different from Kim Si-on, whose features were cute at best but overall unremarkable.

And that difference burned.

Still, in a way, maybe he was incredibly lucky.

At least, that’s what Kim Si-on told himself.

If Kang Yu-han had been ugly, that would have been unbearable in its own way.

Having to force himself into physical contact with someone repulsive? That thought alone made his stomach turn.

There was one thing Kang Yu-han was completely mistaken about.

Kim Si-on didn’t actually like him.

If anything, he was closer to disliking him.

But with that delicate face of his—and absolutely zero sense for reading people—Kang Yu-han had no idea.

Kim Si-on took pride in his ability to act.

It hadn’t been about him from the start.

In fact, whether it was Seo Ji-hyuk or Kang Yu-han, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Kim Si-on had the rare chance to match with two of the most elite Espers—not just in Seoul, but in the entire country.

He could still remember the thrill that had surged through him when he first got the results.

That moment of pure, intoxicating satisfaction.

Kim Si-on had never held grand dreams for the future.

He had no delusions about climbing the social ladder.

With his average looks and mediocre guiding abilities, he had assumed he would drift through a series of unremarkable assignments until he died.

And yet.

One day, the test results had declared that he was compatible—with Seo Ji-hyuk and Kang Yu-han.

Overnight, people had started whispering about him.

Jealousy. Envy. Admiration.

The memory of those stares still sent an electric shiver down his spine.

From there, everything had fallen into place.

He made an official request to transfer to Seoul.

And then, he set his sights on whichever one he could get.

By sheer ability alone, Seo Ji-hyuk was the better Esper.

But his personality was absolute trash.

Kang Yu-han, on the other hand, was disciplined, competent, and guaranteed to climb the ranks.

As long as nothing went wrong, he would eventually secure a high position.

That was why Kim Si-on had made his choice.

Before someone else could swoop in, he had to lock Kang Yu-han down.

But despite being officially designated as his match—

Kang Yu-han had done absolutely nothing about it.

No follow-ups. No attempts at bonding.

He had practically ignored him.

And that pissed Kim Si-on off.

The faster he completed the imprinting process, the sooner he would officially be Kang Yu-han’s partner.

But Kang Yu-han wasn’t even acknowledging his existence.

He had temporarily retreated back to his home Center, but he had been waiting for an opportunity to return.

Then, another mission in Seoul had come up.

He had persuaded—no, manipulated—his Center Chief into approving a much longer stay this time.

The process hadn’t been pleasant, but it didn’t matter.

None of that mattered.

As long as he got what he wanted.

And if he did secure Kang Yu-han—

If he guided him properly, ensuring he climbed to the highest possible rank—

Then the pathetic Center Chief he had dealt with?

He could have him exiled to some far-off island, never to be seen again.

So Kim Si-on gave it his all.

Nothing was out of reach if he tried hard enough.

If necessary, he was even willing to use drugs or alcohol to speed things up.

Someone as rigid as Kang Yu-han would never abandon a Guide after the imprinting was complete.

With that thought, he smiled sweetly at Kang Yu-han.

The man’s expression remained as cold and unreadable as ever.

But that didn’t matter.

As long as he could keep Seo Ji-hyuk away,

The rest was only a matter of time.

* * *

Kang Yu-han had no idea.

He actually pitied Kim Si-on, assuming—naively—that he was capable of liking someone genuinely.

He believed Kim Si-on’s feelings were real.

And because he knew how devastating unrequited emotions could be, he couldn’t help but sympathize.

But at the same time, an anxious thought gnawed at him—

What if Seo Ji-hyuk chose Kim Si-on?

Seo Ji-hyuk was unpredictable.

For now, he was keeping his distance, likely because Kang Yu-han had already claimed Kim Si-on as his Guide.

But that could change at any moment.

Hadn’t he already shown physical reactions to Kim Si-on’s guiding once before?

What was stopping him from taking him again—

Either behind his back or even right in front of him?

If that happened, Kang Yu-han would have nowhere left to stand.

Nowhere at all.

Maybe he should just imprint with Kim Si-on.

A dark thought surfaced in his mind.

If he imprinted first, then Seo Ji-hyuk couldn’t.

It wasn’t like compatible Guides for Seo Ji-hyuk were easy to come by.

Even Kim Si-on—despite his lower compatibility rate—was the first match to appear in years.

He felt guilty for thinking it.

But more than guilt, what he really wanted was peace of mind.

He didn’t want to imagine Seo Ji-hyuk with another Guide.

Didn’t want to picture him touching someone else.

Didn’t want to feel like he was being torn apart from the inside out.

“What are you thinking about now?”

“Just wondering where we should go next.”

“Oh! I was thinking the same thing. Maybe we’re really compatible?”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes! Isn’t it kind of amazing? Thinking the same thing at the same time?”

Kang Yu-han didn’t answer.

If Kim Si-on knew what was really on his mind right now—

He would despise him.

* * *

That night, Kang Yu-han returned to the dorm late.

As he passed through the entry gate, he glanced at the clock on the wall—midnight was approaching.

By the time he reached the deeper section of the dorms, the date had already changed.

He carefully opened the door.

He had expected the lights to be off.

But instead, the bedroom was still illuminated.

Seo Ji-hyuk was awake.

“Why are you so late?”

Kang Yu-han silently removed his uniform jacket.

He didn’t know how to answer.

And more importantly—

He didn’t understand why Seo Ji-hyuk was even asking.

Seo Ji-hyuk had never cared what he did before.

Never once questioned where he went or who he met.

But now, of all days—

The day he met with Kim Si-on—Seo Ji-hyuk was suddenly acting like this.

It was jealousy.

It had to be.

As soon as Kang Yu-han realized it, a bitter taste filled his mouth.

“What were you doing?”

“…Nothing much.”

Kang Yu-han grabbed a change of clothes.

Spending time with Kim Si-on had already been exhausting enough.

Now Seo Ji-hyuk was interrogating him?

The exhaustion weighed down on him even more.

*”Nothing much,” but you’re coming back at this hour?”

“It’s my day off tomorrow.”

“And what does that have to do with anything?”

“Why does it matter when I come back? Why do you care?”

“Did you fuck him?”

Kang Yu-han froze.

Seo Ji-hyuk had said it so bluntly.

No hesitation.

No shame.

Just the crude, unfiltered word—

Sex.

“…Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then what else could you have been doing this late?”