Chapter 10

The inevitable moment had arrived. Both Baek Eu-jin and Ki Seok-woo swallowed hard. Seok-woo quickly wiped his lips with his sleeve, while Eu-jin, equally tense, clenched and unclenched his fists as if bracing himself.

“Damn it. Fine, let’s just get this over with,” Eu-jin muttered.

“Yes, sir!”

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Seok-woo replied with an exaggeratedly serious tone.

They locked eyes, and Eu-jin reached out, grabbing Seok-woo’s nape like he was about to shake him by the collar. The warm skin and prickly short hair fit snugly in his hand.

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Eu-jin carefully brought his lips to Seok-woo’s. So far, so good. It was bearable. But the outer lips weren’t technically mucosal contact yet. After hesitating for a moment, Eu-jin finally parted his lips and gently bit down on Seok-woo’s.

This guy’s lips are ridiculously thick, Eu-jin thought, irritated. And why does he have so much saliva? His mouth felt uncomfortably wet.

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Though this wasn’t his first kiss, Eu-jin froze like someone who had completely forgotten how to kiss. The soft, slimy sensation made him grimace slightly in disgust.

Meanwhile, Seok-woo was practically losing his mind. His half-lidded eyes rolled back as he gasped through his nose, overwhelmed by the powerful guiding energy coursing through him. He shifted closer, his knees brushing Eu-jin’s.

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Seok-woo’s nose pressed against Eu-jin’s cheek, and instead of easing off, he only applied more pressure. When the contact escalated and Seok-woo’s tongue began invading his mouth, Eu-jin couldn’t take it anymore.

“Seok-woo, you—!”

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Before he could finish his sentence, Seok-woo’s tongue fully entered his mouth. Eu-jin recoiled in horror, smacking Seok-woo’s firm shoulder.

What the hell is this rock of a man made of?! He won’t budge!

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Instead of pulling back, Seok-woo grabbed Eu-jin’s cheeks, holding him in place as their lips pressed deeper together. Slurping noises accompanied the exchange as Seok-woo greedily sucked in his breath.

“Seok-woo! Ngh—stop—”

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“Hah… Hyung, this feels so good,” Seok-woo mumbled, his voice thick with pleasure.

“You little bastard! Snap out of it!”

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Unable to take it any longer, Eu-jin broke free and punched Seok-woo squarely in the crotch.

“Argh!”

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Caught off guard, Seok-woo doubled over and toppled backward in his chair, crashing to the ground. The flimsy partition of the booth wobbled precariously.

With the curtain rendered useless, the scene was fully exposed: the Esper sprawled on the floor and Eu-jin furiously stomping on him in a fit of rage.

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Startled administrators rushed in to pull them apart, but Eu-jin didn’t stop venting his frustration until they forcibly separated him.

“Well, this makes for an excellent example.”

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The supervising instructor said, gesturing toward the wrecked booth.

“Trainees, under no circumstances should you resort to violence. If something goes wrong, press the emergency button in the guiding booth instead.”

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The trainees stared in stunned silence, their faces pale as they took in the chaos.

* * *

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After completing his training program without incident, Baek Eu-jin transferred from Zone 4 to Zone 1. Director Nam had fiercely opposed the move, but this was one thing Eu-jin was unwilling to compromise on.

The incident during the guiding practice had left a strong impression on him. No matter what, he couldn’t bear to continue working alongside familiar faces in such intimate circumstances.

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Eventually, the directors negotiated a trade: Eu-jin would move to Zone 1, and their A-rank guide would transfer to Zone 4. With that, Eu-jin began his new career as a guide in a place where no one knew him.

“Guide Baek Eu-jin, please submit next week’s work schedule.”

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“Sure.”

Eu-jin replied casually as he returned to his desk and pulled out his office chair. He tapped on his laptop to wake it up and clicked the mouse to open the scheduling program.

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After entering his employee number and password, the schedule grid for the week appeared, filled with tightly packed blocks of 24-hour shifts. The interface, which he had grown familiar with, was a work-only program used by the Guide Center.

After some consideration, Eu-jin dragged his mouse to select his shifts: 9 AM to 6 PM for four days a week, plus one overnight duty. Assigning shifts was one of the tasks required every Monday morning.

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Two weeks had passed since he started working in Zone 1, and Eu-jin was slowly adjusting to the changes in his daily life.

Reflecting on his experience so far, he realized how different the working environments were for Espers and guides.

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Espers operated under strict hierarchies, with irregular working hours. In contrast, guides had no formal ranks and worked fixed schedules, much like employees in a regular office.

Eu-jin lifted his head and glanced around the spacious office.

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The desks, divided by light-blue partitions, the young workers sitting in chairs staring at computer screens—all of it was a quintessential office scene.

Even Eu-jin himself looked the part, wearing a neatly pressed shirt, tie, and polished shoes. He glanced at the ID badge hanging around his neck.

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[Guide Team 3. Baek Eu-jin. A Level.]

No matter how many times he saw the word “Guide,” it still felt strange. Even though he worked directly with Espers and performed guiding, it didn’t seem real yet. He figured he’d need more time to adjust and let the badge drop back against his chest.

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As the clock approached 9 AM, the guides in the office began rising from their seats one by one. Eu-jin closed his laptop, gathered his belongings, and prepared for the day.

The Guide Center was housed in a towering 20-story building. The lower floors were mainly offices, while floors 7 through 20 were dedicated guiding rooms. The guides moved en masse to the elevators to head upstairs.

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“Got a lot of appointments today?”

“Three in the morning.”

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“Wow, people are fast. How do they even know there’s a new A-rank guide?”

“Anytime a new guide joins, it’s chaos for a while. They think it’s a good chance to butter someone up. But not Baek Eu-jin—he’s already got a reputation for being unapproachable.”

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Eu-jin overheard snippets of conversation as they waited for the elevator. He smirked slightly but didn’t comment, letting his colleagues’ chatter wash over him.

As the group waited for the elevator, the senior guides threw playful jabs at Baek Eu-jin, who scratched his nose and chuckled awkwardly.

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Though their teasing was lighthearted, there was some truth to it. Eu-jin’s schedule was perpetually full, with even waiting lists piling up. Espers flocked to the strikingly handsome A-rank guide like moths to a flame.

However, his reputation for being impossible to charm preceded him. No matter how much effort the Espers put into courting him, the new guide never allowed so much as a kiss.

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The elevator finally arrived, and five guides squeezed into the cramped space. Standing near the floor buttons, Eu-jin politely pressed the floors for the others, his considerate gesture earning a smile from Kang Sunhwa, a guide with five years of experience.

“Ah, we really lucked out with our new rookie,” she said, grinning.

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“Should we all have lunch together later?”

“Outside?”

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“Let’s just eat in the cafeteria. I heard they’re serving a special menu today.”

“Sounds good! Let’s meet at noon in front of the basement cafeteria.”

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As they settled their lunch plans, the elevator stopped. Two guides exited on the 10th floor, and another got off on the 12th. Now, only Baek Eu-jin and Pyoh Jaehoon, an 8-year veteran guide, remained.

Pyoh Jaehoon was the only person in Zone 1, apart from upper management, who knew about Eu-jin’s past as an Esper.

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The two men silently watched the floor indicator tick upward. Eventually, Jaehoon broke the quiet.

“Is it manageable?”

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“Yes, I’m doing fine,” Eu-jin replied.

“…Starting over as the rookie must be tough,” Jaehoon said, glancing at him thoughtfully.

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Though Jaehoon was a long-time fixture at the Guide Center, even his years didn’t compare to Baek Eu-jin’s 11 years as an Esper. Seeing someone of Eu-jin’s caliber working as a junior guide felt oddly humbling.

“No one’s recognized you yet?”

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“Not so far. Most people assume I ran away because I didn’t want to be a guide,” Eu-jin said lightly.

The Rift Management Bureau and Guide Centers operated in relatively isolated systems, with little interaction between zones. Though some might recognize Eu-jin’s face from past wanted posters, few knew about his previous position as an Esper. For Eu-jin, this was a stroke of luck.

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“If you ever need help, just let me know.”

“Thank you.”

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“And don’t go beating up any Espers just because you’re annoyed. If someone’s giving you trouble, just ignore them—or note their name and tell me later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Eu-jin said with a grin.

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The elevator stopped on the 15th floor. It was Eu-jin’s turn to step off.

“Take care.”

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“You too,” Jaehoon replied with a wave as the doors closed.

Turning toward the corridor, Eu-jin faced a row of guiding rooms stretching before him. The floor was quiet now, but soon it would be bustling with Espers, marking the start of a busy workday.

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Taking a short, steadying breath, Eu-jin strode confidently down the hall. He stopped in front of Room 1514, the farthest one on the floor, and held his ID badge to the scanner.

A soft beep sounded as the RF chip was read, and the door unlocked with a quiet click.

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Eu-jin stepped into the familiar space. The door shut behind him, and the number 1514 outside lit up in white, signaling the start of his shift.

It was time to work.

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* * *

The guiding room wasn’t particularly extravagant.

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Cozy and comfortable, it resembled a deluxe hotel room at first glance. The main living area featured two single sofas and a low coffee table, along with a small mini-fridge, a waist-high side table, and a tree-like coat stand. A wall-mounted TV was added to the room’s amenities.

There were two firmly closed doors—one led to a bathroom complete with a powder room and bathtub, and the other to a bedroom. Of course, Baek Eu-jin never even touched the bedroom door.

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He opened the windows to air out the room, then habitually filled the electric kettle with water. As the kettle began to bubble, he prepared instant coffee in a mug.

With a steaming cup in hand, Eu-jin settled onto one of the sofas. He still had about 30 minutes before the first guiding session of the morning.

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He opened the tablet he’d brought, which contained files on the Espers assigned to Zone 1. Familiarizing himself with their profiles was one of his responsibilities.

As he flipped through the profiles, he found himself intrigued by the abilities listed. Perhaps it was his background as an Esper that made him naturally curious about others’ powers.

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“Team Leader Ahn Itaeh… Time manipulation? That’s insane.”

His fingers paused on the screen as he marveled at the unique ability.

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“Special note: Leader of the Delta Team. Hmm…”

So this is the famous Delta Team leader.

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Although he hadn’t been in Zone 1 long, Eu-jin had already heard plenty about the Delta Team. Comprised entirely of A-rank Espers, they were reputedly the top combat team in the country.

Judging by their reputation, he had expected them to be wild and intense, but Ahn Itaeh’s photo depicted a man with a gentle, mild-mannered face. Even from the picture, his calm nature was evident.

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“If he’s that easygoing, the team members must be pretty unruly. That’s gotta be tough.”

Eu-jin muttered, feeling a pang of sympathy as it reminded him of his own past struggles.

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He flipped to the next page, which contained the profiles of the Delta Team members, but before he could read further, a knock interrupted his focus.

Setting the tablet aside, Eu-jin stood and walked to the door. He hadn’t even gotten to the profile labeled Kwon Su-ho before the screen locked.

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When he opened the door, an Esper greeted him with a broad smile.

“Good morning, Guide! I’m a bit early—hope that’s okay?”

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Eu-jin checked the watch on his wrist. There were still ten minutes until the appointment, but sending the Esper away felt unnecessary.

“It’s fine. Come in.”

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Eu-jin stepped aside with a practiced, professional smile.

“Guide, your eyes are so beautiful.”

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“……”

“They’re so mesmerizing like I could get lost in them… Oh, you must hear this all the time. You’re probably sick of it, right?”

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“Esper Kang Woo-jin.”

Eu-jin said flatly, cutting him off.

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“Let’s skip the nonsense and focus on the guiding. You’ve got five minutes left.”

Sitting across from Eu-jin, Woo-jin swallowed hard as he glanced at the timer on the table. The guide’s composed demeanor left no room for mischief, and Woo-jin’s growing nerves were evident.

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“I really fell for you at first sight. Can we meet up sometime—just once?”

“Sorry, Kang Woo-jin, but you’re not my type.”

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“What’s your type, then?”

Eu-jin, who had been avoiding eye contact, raised his piercing blue eyes at the bold question. The direct gaze made Woo-jin shiver, a tingling sensation running down his spine.

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“Tall, lean, and sexy.”

Eu-jin’s reply was the exact opposite of the man sitting in front of him. He’d only said it to deflect further advances, but it seemed to work—Woo-jin’s expression fell, and he muttered sulkily.

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“So… you like Kwon Su-ho, too, huh?”

Kwon Su-ho?

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Eu-jin frowned in confusion, the unfamiliar name making his brow furrow.

 

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