Onyul, who had barely managed to escape from Gu Baekyoung, examined his own body. Despite having lost consciousness, his physical condition was very good.
He stared intently down at the hand that had calmed Gu Baekyoung. Then the moment when they had clasped each other’s hands amidst the confusion came to mind.
That energy that had slowly flowed out and then explosively enveloped Gu Baekyoung…
‘It was an energy I was feeling for the first time.’
The desperate feelings that bloomed in the urgent situation had awakened a suspicious ability. The unfamiliar energy that leaked from his heart had completely calmed Gu Baekyoung.
Onyul could tell what that energy was without having to ask anyone.
‘Kang Ian, you really were a Guide.’
He too had lived as an Esper for nearly 10 years.
Even though the abilities of Espers and Guides were fundamentally very different, with his experience working as an Esper, he could realize the changes in his own body.
The strange thing was that besides the Guide ability, he could feel another ability as well.
It was a familiar energy he couldn’t forget even if he tried.
Faint but certain Therapy ability.
Onyul couldn’t help but be confused. Not only had he become a Guide, but he could even use his past life’s ability in this life.
Having awakened as a high-rank Guide and being the nation’s first ability user combining both Esper and Guide abilities. He was talent that the Management Bureau would drool over and covet.
As if that weren’t enough, he could receive attention from around the world beyond just Korea.
For Onyul, who wanted to live quietly, it was like a bolt from the blue. It was like the feeling of unexpectedly winning a lottery he never even wanted.
In the midst of it all, his Therapy ability hadn’t even properly awakened and wasn’t perfectly controlled either. Perhaps it was because Kang Ian’s original ability was as a Guide.
Ugh, my head hurts.
Onyul’s face, perched on the bed, became quite complicated.
“Why? Are you worried your identity will be discovered?”
Gu Baekyoung suddenly thrust his face forward. Instead of revealing his inner thoughts, Onyul continued the flow of conversation.
“…That’s right! How are you going to protect me?”
“I won’t tell you. Just trust me.”
“Aha, you can’t tell me without receiving anything? Trying to make another deal?”
“No more deals. Honey just needs to hold my hand.”
“…”
“That’s all. Just hold my hand by my side and receive my protection.”
“Um… Baekyoung.”
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t forgotten that us calling each other honey and darling is only for a month, right?”
Of course, because of the additional contract with Na Geonwoo, he’d have to see him for a year no matter what.
Despite discussing the separation that would come before long, Gu Baekyoung nodded without any particular additional words.
“Yeah.”
The smile that somehow seemed to have ulterior motives was a bonus.
You, do you know about the contract with Na Geonwoo?
At the moment when he was contemplating how to press him further about that smile whose true intentions he couldn’t read, Gu Baekyoung, who had seemed fine, suddenly clutched his chest.
“Ugh, honey… I think my heart hurts a bit right now…”
As soon as Gu Baekyoung’s handsome face contorted, Onyul’s body, which had been at the corner of the bed as if about to flee, jumped.
He approached Gu Baekyoung in one bound and looked at him worriedly.
“What? How much does it hurt? Should we go to the Guide Center?”
“Why would I go to the center when I have honey here?”
Gu Baekyoung, who slowly shook his head, held out his hand. It was a very natural movement.
“Hand… hold my hand.”
It was a desperation he couldn’t ignore.
By the time he realized it, he had already reached out and grasped his hand. Even though he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being drawn in, why couldn’t he leave this guy alone?
Their touching hands were only hot. As soon as he slowly exhaled, an energy like spring’s breath flowed from Onyul’s palm.
How much time had passed like that?
Even after his complexion had brightened, Gu Baekyoung, who had been fiddling with Onyul’s hand for quite a while, got off the bed first. It was because a growling sound came from Onyul’s stomach.
He quickly prepared a late breakfast before Onyul could ask anything else.
Onyul, who had suddenly been left alone, was clenching the hand that had received Gu Baekyoung’s body heat when he finally realized that he had been unconscious for a full day.
At that fact, he was first concerned about the convenience store.
‘Is the convenience store okay?’
Even if the world was going to end tomorrow, a convenience store had to be open.
To be called a Korean convenience store, the sign had to be twinkling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The work he had only thought of as bothersome had become quite sincere at some point without him knowing.
He wanted to jump to the convenience store right away, but the smell of food wafting from somewhere stimulated his appetite.
A feast that he didn’t know how it had been prepared in such a short time was laid out on the table.
No, what’s more, most of the prepared food was things Onyul liked.
“Wow, you’re even good at cooking?”
“If you want, I’ll prepare it for a lifetime.”
Gu Baekyoung shrugged his shoulders and quickly seated the admiring Onyul before he could come to his senses.
“I need to go check on the convenience store…”
“It won’t be late even if you go after eating. And from today, the other convenience store across the street is also open, so it’s fine.”
“Ah, they must have come back from vacation. Then shall I enjoy a moment of leisure?”
If the large convenience store, which had been the culprit loudly disturbing the tiny convenience store for a while, had reopened.
“I’ll eat well.”
Onyul finally picked up his chopsticks.
And Gu Baekyoung contentedly watched Onyul hastily filling his stomach.
The fact that he absolutely needed water when eating, the fact that he ate more side dishes than rice, the fact that he couldn’t even touch spicy things, the fact that he also disliked things that were too sweet, the fact that he most loved meat marinated in moderately sweet seasoning.
It was all too identical to the late Kang Onyul’s eating habits.
‘See, I knew it was definitely Onyul hyung.’
Gu Baekyoung thought there was almost no chance he wasn’t Onyul. Of course, he’d have to watch until he personally admitted his identity.
Gu Baekyoung intended to make him smoothly reveal his own identity by any means necessary.
The one month they contracted as lovers? Well, that wasn’t important. Even without that contract, he had thought of ways to keep Onyul by his side.
The Onyul before his eyes was concentrating only on eating, not even knowing he was being tested.
That appearance was so cute that a smile formed on Gu Baekyoung’s lips.
“I guess living virtuously was worth it.”
Not only did hyung return to my side, but he even stopped me from rampaging.
“What kind of nonsensical talk is that while eating?”
Onyul, still unaware of Gu Baekyoung’s inner thoughts, just looked at Gu Baekyoung strangely and only ate his rice.
“Honey is a fool.”
“Stop talking nonsense and eat. I need to hurry to the convenience store!”
“Yes, honey.”
***
Onyul looked blankly at Gu Baekyoung matching his walking pace. He had followed Onyul out under the pretext of escorting him.
The guy who was already willful felt like he was clinging even more after yesterday’s incident, so he had given up on stopping him early on.
Anyway, there was something he wanted to ask Gu Baekyoung.
Onyul still hadn’t heard what happened in that Gate or why Gu Baekyoung almost rampaged. Even the continuously flowing news and articles were all speculative.
Na Geonwoo, the leader of Alpha Team, had only spared his words while saying he would hold a press conference later.
“Wow, but you live in a really nice place.”
Onyul belatedly realized anew that Gu Baekyoung’s residence was nice.
The detached house with thorough security needless to say was large in size, and was perfectly isolated from the outside.
What’s more, in the parking lot he followed him down to, prestigious cars were parked.
“It’s just right for two people to live in, right?”
“No, I like cramped houses. A place where I can stick close to my lover!”
Can you, who’ve lived your whole life only in spacious houses, live in a cramped house?
Onyul giggled as if teasing Gu Baekyoung.
But an unexpected answer came back.
“Okay.”
The guy was quite serious.
If left alone, it felt like he would really move to a small house.
“Wha, what do you mean okay! No, absolutely don’t look for one. Okay?”
Gu Baekyoung didn’t answer and opened the passenger door of a car that was nearby.
“Get in.”
“The house thing was a joke.”
“I know, so hurry and get in.”
“…How long does it take to get to the convenience store?”
“We’ll be there soon.”
Gu Baekyoung, seated in the driver’s seat, smoothly turned the steering wheel.
He was good at cooking and driving was quite good too. Onyul looked at him anew.
The Gu Baekyoung in his past memories was close to a baby duckling that only followed behind him, but looking at him like this, he was a man who could do anything.
Just one thing, the fact that there was no Guide compatible with him would be his lacking point…
Guide.
“Hey, Baekyoung.”
“Yeah.”
“Yesterday… why did you almost rampage? Even if Guiding is lacking, you as an S-rank wouldn’t rampage unless it was something major.”
At Onyul’s cautious question, Gu Baekyoung’s lips, recalling that day, opened.
“It was the same Gate as usual. It wasn’t a level difficult for our team to resolve either.”
“Yeah.”
“The problem occurred at the point when the Gate clear ended. At that time…”
Just then, they hit a red light. Gu Baekyoung’s black gaze, which had been watching only ahead, reached Onyul.
The foolishly grinning appearance had disappeared somewhere, and he was now the S-rank Gu Baekyoung only seen in media.
An emotion close to anger was contained in his cold face. He seemed unable to control the rage boiling up as he recalled that incident.
“Someone artificially made the Gate rampage.”
