WTSG 18

Let’s Go See the Sea (7)

Stepping outside, Tae Ijae walked along the beach, reflecting on the tangled mess of emotions swirling within him. He’d stormed out after bitterly snapping that physical pain was better than a heartache, but truthfully, it wasn’t because Kang Junwoo had hurt him by bringing up guiding as a threat.

It was a story he never intended to share with anyone, yet for some reason, they’d slipped out so easily with Kang Junwoo. It felt awkward in hindsight, but he didn’t regret it.Even if he could turn back time and face the same situation again, he’d still bare his vulnerabilities to Kang Junwoo. Stories he’d never tell another soul—about his older sister, who’d taken her own life because guiding his younger sibling was unbearable; about being an SS-class Esper unable to fully harness his powers due to a lack of proper guiding. They were his shameful secrets, useless to broadcast, yet he didn’t mind Kang Junwoo knowing them at all.
So no, he wasn’t upset that Kang Junwoo, fully aware of why he couldn’t be guided, had used that as a shield to stop the kiss. If anything, he was relieved Kang Junwoo had intervened with a sensible excuse—it snapped him back to his senses. Had Kang Junwoo not mentioned the risk of guiding, they might’ve gone beyond just kissing.
He’d been that lost in the moment.
The realization that he could fall so hard for someone—especially a Guide—threw him off balance. He’d never been in a relationship, never even felt love, so he couldn’t tell if this was that emotion or something else entirely. But the moment their lips met, an electric jolt shot through him, igniting a possessive urge to claim every inch of Kang Junwoo. Like a snake sinking its fangs into prey, he’d imagined devouring him—chewing him up from head to toe and swallowing him whole.
For Tae Ijae, who’d never entertained such thoughts before, this chaotic, overwhelming feeling was uncharted territory. He had no idea how to handle it. He could suppress desires he didn’t understand, but now that he’d tasted this craving, he didn’t know how to quench it. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he fought the impulse to rush back and ravage Kang Junwoo’s mouth, binding him tight.
Lost in thought as he wandered the beach, Tae Ijae stopped when his pocket buzzed. Pulling out his phone, he froze as his eyes widened at a text from Kang Junwoo.
[I’m sorry. Please give me a chance to explain.]
It seemed Kang Junwoo was still hung up on Tae Ijae’s parting shot about a heartache. Worried that Kang Junwoo—with his injured ankle—might come looking for him, Tae Ijae teleported back to the hotel room instantly.

Kang Junwoo sat on the sofa, his face stiff with tension.
“What’s this explanation?”
“Oh, please sit down,” Kang Junwoo replied, visibly startled that Tae Ijae had come so quickly in response to his message. He gestured to the sofa opposite him.
“Want something to drink?”
“No need. Just explain yourself.”
Tae Ijae plopped onto the sofa, deliberately sounding sulky. He wasn’t truly mad, but since Kang Junwoo had rejected his kiss, he felt like sulking a little. It was a mix of gratitude for the timely interruption and a twisted pang of frustration.
“Please… don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean it that way,” Kang Junwoo said.
“……”
“Second and third-level guiding can be difficult to control depending on the personal guide’s level of excitement,” Kang Junwoo continued, fidgeting with his hands clasped together. “As you might have heard, I’m a guide who only performs first-level guiding.”
“……”
“So I brought it up because I worried that kissing—a second-level guiding act—might trigger old habits, and I’d end up guiding you without meaning to.” he explained.
“……”
“I didn’t intend to poke at your vulnerabilities or use your pain against you, Esper Tae Ijae. Please believe me.”
Tae Ijae stared intently at Kang Junwoo, who couldn’t meet his eyes and was only fidgeting with his hands while speaking softly. Those downcast eyes were more provocative than anything Tae Ijae had ever seen. His scent, too, was maddeningly intoxicating. Realizing his perception was already hopelessly biased, Tae Ijae let out an involuntary sigh.
Misunderstanding the sigh, Kang Junwoo mumbled another apology in a small, timid voice. “I’m really sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, drop the formalities.” Kang Junwoo’s head snapped up at Tae Ijae’s abrupt words. Their eyes locked, and Tae Ijae’s stomach tightened—an echo of the same tension Kang Junwoo seemed to feel.

“Let’s speak casually, you and me.”
“……”
“I wanna get closer to you, Hyung.”
“…..Speaking casually isn’t the benchmark for closeness.”
“Why are you contradicting yourself? You said you only use formal speech with people you’re not close to.”
“……Why do you want to get so close to me? Is it because of the exclusive guidance?”
“……”
“But what if we get close and I still don’t offer exclusive guidance?”
“……Well, I was just thinking about getting closer for now. We can think about the rest later, can’t we?” Tae Ijae shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
Kang Junwoo shook his head a couple of times, looking genuinely puzzled by Tae Ijae. “Anyway, I’ll think about dropping the formalities later. I’ve never spoken casually with a colleague before.”
“…Fine, whatever. Let’s take that step by step too.”
Tae Ijae spoke as if he had no choice.
“Uh, anyway, I didn’t mean it that way, but it felt like I hurt you, Tae Ijae Esper —no, Tae Ijae-ssi—so I’m genuinely sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t really hurt.”
Not hurt? Kang Junwoo’s eyebrows shot up.
“……You said it’s better to have physical pain than heartache and then stormed out.”
“Oh, that.”
“……Oh, that?”
“Well, the latter is better, isn’t it?” Tae Ijae shrugged, and Kang Junwoo looked at him as if wondering what kind of person he was.
“But let’s not use guiding as a threat in the future. That really does hurt me.”
“I don’t do things like threats. And I swear on my heart, it wasn’t a threat.”
“Okay.”
Tae Ijae smiled brightly. His expression was so innocent that Kang Junwoo’s eyes widened involuntarily. Seeing his radiant smile for the first time, Kang Junwoo’s heart began to race uncontrollably.

***

Lately, Tae Ijae found himself grappling with a dilemma. Every time he saw Kang Junwoo, his gaze drifted to his lips against his will. Startled, he’d look away—only to find his eyes drawn back to those red lips moments later, despite his best efforts.
“Code F has appeared,” Kang Junwoo said, looking up at Tae Ijae after checking the notification for a new assignment. A Code F assignment involved monsters that inhabited regular areas, not those emerging from gates.
“It’s my first time with Code F. Is it dangerous?” Kang Junwoo asked as Tae Ijae put on his jacket, chuckling softly.
“It’s dangerous. In a different way.”
“…In a different way?”
“Haven’t you seen the monsters in regular areas? You had exclusive guidance, didn’t you?”
“…I’ve never encountered Code F before.”
“Is that so?”
Tae Ijae muttered indifferently. Now fully dressed in crisp combat gear, he fitted an earpiece and said, “Let’s go.”
Exuding his characteristic aura, he extended his hand to Kang Junwoo, who took it with a worried expression and asked, “Should I pull out my dagger?”
Tae Ijae wrapped an arm around his waist and gave a sly smile.
“No, just stay sharp.” With that, Tae Ijae used teleportation.

***Esther’s Funds***

Kang Junwoo couldn’t close his mouth at the sight before him. The civilian zone H290-22, where the Code F request originated, was a sprawling farm producing all sorts of fruits. Wreaking havoc across the vast fields were adorable, fluffy creatures—classified as C-class general-type monsters—munching on multicolored fruits.

Resembling baby bears, puppies, or raccoons, the furry critters hopped on two legs, stretching out their arms to pluck fruit while making bizarre noises. They’d already trashed over half the farm.
“I thought Code F was a special request and might be dangerous,” Kang Junwoo remarked.
“It is dangerous,” Tae Ijae murmured. “You can’t kill them.”
Stretching his arms out, he began gathering light in his palms. Some of the monsters up front bolted at the sight, while others kept hopping, plucking fruit or toppling trees to get at it.
“And the humans who request Code F assignments want their property to remain completely unharmed during monster handling,” Tae Ijae said as he threw the gathered light at the monsters.
With that, Tae Ijae hurled the gathered light at the creatures. It split into countless needle-like rays, landing precisely in front of each monster’s feet. Startled, they screeched and fled, leaving the farm empty in moments.
Pressing his earpiece, Tae Ijae reported the monsters dealt with and advised the farm owner to set up a threat barrier.
– “Ah, that farm owner is extremely stingy, so they probably won’t set it up because it costs money. They also put in the lowest possible reward for the assignment.”
“They’re C-class Habiroms. Looks like they’ve made a habitat nearby. Tell him if he doesn’t set up a barrier, his farm’s gonna keep getting wrecked—let him figure out which option’s cheaper with that brain of his.”
Finishing his piece, Tae Ijae released the earpiece and turned to Kang Junwoo.
“Any more requests come up?”
Kang Junwoo pulled out his tablet and shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Then let’s kill some time here.”
Tae Ijae turned and started walking off somewhere, leaving Kang Junwoo to follow.