# Chapter 101
In that moment, only the sound of their racing hearts filled the air.
Jiwon absentmindedly caressed Suhyun’s hair.
“…Why are you so beautiful?”
At those words that slipped out unconsciously, Suhyun lifted the corners of his lips in a smile.
“You think I’m beautiful?”
Hearing his questioning voice that sounded almost like a song, Jiwon lifted his body slightly and placed a small kiss on the corner of Suhyun’s lips.
“Don’t you look in the mirror?”
How could he not know how beautiful he was? Just his smile was enough to make Jiwon desperate to kiss him.
“……”
Suhyun slowly nodded and pulled Jiwon closer, embracing his waist. His grip was somewhat firm, as if he couldn’t bear to let go even a little, making Jiwon’s body tremble slightly.
“…I don’t know.”
Though Jiwon thought it was something impossible not to know, he couldn’t respond, distracted by Suhyun’s hands firmly wrapped around him and their bodies pressed together.
His chest felt ticklish, unbearably so. Just Suhyun’s breathing was enough to make his heart race wildly, like he’d reverted to his adolescent years.
“I’m supposed to be the adult here…”
Jiwon muttered, lowering his gaze. It was more surprising that he had ever thought of Suhyun as a child.
“I’m four years older than you, Esper-nim.”
Even to his own ears, his disgruntled voice sounded like whining.
“I know.”
Suhyun calmly responded, lowering his gaze along with Jiwon. Then he gently stroked Jiwon’s waist.
“…But that’s not how it feels right now. The roles have completely reversed, haven’t they?”
Even from such a simple caress, Jiwon’s jaw clenched tightly.
Suhyun, too, looked at Jiwon with his lips pressed firmly together. The slight twist in his expression made it seem like he was holding back a smile.
Feeling somewhat wronged, Jiwon firmly grabbed the hand on his waist and narrowed his eyes.
“Hmm? It wasn’t that long ago when you were childishly avoiding me because you disliked me.”
It was Suhyun who had refused Guiding, something directly linked to an Esper’s life, saying he didn’t want to face Jiwon because he disliked him.
“…No. I told you I never disliked you.”
After blurting that out because he didn’t want to lose the argument, Jiwon recalled what Suhyun had told him during his confession.
Suhyun had said he never disliked Jiwon. But why did he say that back then? The unanswered question finally surfaced.
“What was it then? Did you like me even back then? Were you tormenting me because you liked me, like some child?”
Since things had turned out well, it wasn’t something he needed to dwell on. In truth, Jiwon wouldn’t have cared even if Suhyun had genuinely disliked him.
Because now, without a doubt, Suhyun’s heart was turned toward him.
So what he was saying now was merely an attempt to change the atmosphere, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how easily he succumbed to Suhyun’s touch.
“Yes.”
But when Suhyun answered, Jiwon couldn’t help but freeze. It was an unexpected response.
“…What?”
“That’s right, I did it because I liked you.”
“You did it because you liked me? But that was so long ago…”
Suhyun had started avoiding him a full two years ago. And to say it was because he liked him…
“From then… I’ve liked you all along.”
Suhyun spoke calmly but sincerely to Jiwon, who looked disbelieving.
“I thought it was a feeling I shouldn’t have, so I wanted to distance myself.”
“……”
“I thought if I acted badly, you would come to dislike me. And if that happened, even the hope that you might like me would disappear…”
“So that’s why you refused Guiding?”
“…Yes.”
“No, why would your thoughts go in that direction?”
Jiwon couldn’t hide his bewilderment. He felt both sympathy and frustration for Suhyun, who had endured physical pain just to avoid harboring even the slightest hope.
“I wanted you to be less kind to me, Guide-nim.”
“…Well, you got your wish there.”
And to think he hadn’t even known. He’d been irritated, pretended not to notice, and had been desperate to torment Suhyun. He normally wouldn’t care if someone disliked him, but Suhyun’s dislike had always bothered him.
When Suhyun said he disliked him despite Jiwon never giving him reason to, Jiwon had even thought about giving him a real reason.
“No.”
As Jiwon was about to heave a deep sigh over all his wasted efforts, Suhyun shook his head firmly.
“You were still kind to me throughout.”
As Suhyun pulled him closer while murmuring, Jiwon buried his face in Suhyun’s chest.
“I thought it was natural to be hated if I didn’t act according to what was expected, according to what I was told. So I believed I had to do only what others wanted to be loved.”
“……”
“So I tried hard to do the opposite, but…”
“……”
“You’re still here.”
The voice above his head somehow sounded both sad and happy. It was a strange feeling.
Jiwon raised his head and stroked Suhyun’s cheek, then his hair. The soft black hair scattered between his fingers.
“…What do we do, then?”
Jiwon’s whispering voice trembled slightly.
“I thought I hated you, Esper-nim…”
“……”
“But the truth is, I didn’t hate you at all.”
“……”
“Far from hating you, I was only worried about you.”
He had been angry at Suhyun’s stubbornness in refusing proper Guiding, and frustrated that he rejected Jiwon, the only one who could Guide him. Sometimes he’d even felt hurt when Suhyun pretended not to see him.
The reason he grumbled, got irritated, sighed, and became angry was ultimately because he was worried about Suhyun.
“Still, I’m glad.”
Jiwon smiled softly. At that smile, Suhyun looked down at him.
“That I’m finally here.”
Though the beginning hadn’t been great, ultimately, Jiwon was by Suhyun’s side.
Nothing had been resolved yet. Still, he was grateful that he could face Suhyun and smile.
A strange confidence blossomed within him—a feeling that as long as they could be together like this, they could overcome anything.
“From now on… don’t ever do that again.”
Suhyun didn’t answer. But far from feeling anxious, Jiwon’s heart only pounded more heavily.
It felt like he would be drawn into Suhyun’s eyes at any moment, and his lips, which had been opening just fine until now, trembled as if they were malfunctioning.
“Ah…”
Suhyun moved closer to Jiwon. His lips slowly met Jiwon’s, gently sucking on them. Heat rapidly rose throughout Jiwon’s body, making it hard to stay still.
With his eyes closed, Jiwon placed his hand on Suhyun’s chest as Suhyun savored his lower lip.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Suhyun’s strong heartbeat was clearly felt under Jiwon’s fingertips. Jiwon’s Adam’s apple moved significantly.
Simultaneously, Suhyun, who had been savoring only his lips, slowly pulled away.
“…Um…”
The tension was so overwhelming that it was difficult to look straight into each other’s eyes. Jiwon, who had briefly lowered his gaze, struggled to look at Suhyun. He was staring directly at Jiwon, as if unwilling to miss even a single moment.
“…Right now, it’s a bit, dangerous…”
His body, which could hardly stay still, stirred. Jiwon’s hand remained on Suhyun’s chest.
“Uh…”
At that moment, Suhyun sat up and positioned himself above Jiwon. Caught between Suhyun’s arms, a startled Jiwon rolled his eyes and moistened his lips.
“…Which side is dangerous?”
The question, asked in a deeply hoarse voice, made Jiwon’s nerves taut. Jiwon answered, lifting the corners of his trembling lips.
“Both of us.”
Jiwon pulled at Suhyun’s collar. Suhyun chuckled. It was unfair for him to laugh like that here.
Fire sparked in their exchanged glances.
“…Are you okay with this?”
Jiwon asked first. Though the question lacked context, Suhyun seemed to understand immediately, his brows furrowing slightly.
“As long as Guide-nim is okay…”
“No, I’m asking about you, Esper-nim.”
Jiwon, sharply cutting off the unnecessary consideration in the current situation, asked again, enunciating each word clearly.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want this.”
“……”
“And I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t okay with it.”
There was no time to worry about the voice that showed not the slightest trace of composure.
Jiwon looked at Suhyun with an impatient expression. He wanted to hear a clear answer from him.
“…I like you.”
The wait wasn’t long.
It was a completely different answer from what Jiwon had asked, but that didn’t matter at all.
“Mmm…”
Suhyun, having poured out his heart, leaned forward as if he couldn’t wait a moment longer and fiercely bit Jiwon’s lips.
Unlike before, Jiwon moaned at the urgent kiss.
As if that were a catalyst, Suhyun pushed his hot tongue into Jiwon’s mouth while moving his hands. Jiwon gladly reciprocated, acting just as urgently as Suhyun.
Along with the wet sounds of mingling saliva, clothes pushed off the bed could be heard falling to the floor with a thud.
