Beep.
When he checked his watch along with the notification, the number 49 lit up.
The reading had finally dropped below 50.
Baek Uihyeon’s gaze touched Han Seoha’s wrist before falling away. Regret dripped from every slow movement as Baek Uihyeon raised his body.
“I’ll call Esper Jo Yonghwi.”
“Don’t, cough cough… don’t.”
Even as he coughed with his throat completely raw, Han Seoha barely managed to stop him, and Baek Uihyeon held the water bottle—less than half full—to his lips. His parched lips caught the water droplets before it all flowed into his mouth.
Had my throat been so dry that lukewarm water tastes sweet?
Can I really be this exhausted from just sucking and swallowing?
When he struggled to sit up with support, his body was damp everywhere. He desperately needed a shower as soon as possible.
“Then I’ll move you to the bathroom.”
“No, I’ll wash myself.”
It was an unusually firm refusal for Han Seoha. It was an instinct to distance himself from Baek Uihyeon’s persistence, but Han Seoha quickly put on a docile expression and softened his voice.
“I can’t trouble Baek Uihyeon-nim with something like this.”
“If you stand up alone, the floor will get dirty.”
Han Seoha’s face flushed at Baek Uihyeon’s gentle yet blunt tone.
And whose fault is all this?
At Han Seoha’s silence as he hung his bright red face low, Baek Uihyeon wrapped him in the sheet and easily lifted him up. This time, carrying Han Seoha who didn’t refuse, he headed to the bathroom—one of the various facilities in the isolation room.
If he had known he would be tormented for quite a while by Baek Uihyeon’s lingering touch even inside, he never would have gone in together, but it was already too late to realize.
* * *
Only after barely getting the persistently clinging Baek Uihyeon to leave for his dawn shift could Han Seoha put on clothes. He was fortunate to find a new uniform by rummaging through the things prepared for various situations that might occur in the isolation room. He quietly ground his teeth at his creaking body from the simple act of just putting on clothes.
Shouldn’t I be getting overtime pay for this?
Probably they would take care of it automatically even without Han Seoha applying separately, but it wasn’t at that level. His bones made cracking sounds with every step, making his gait completely off.
Anyone who sees will definitely misunderstand.
His body had stiffened from being trapped in Baek Uihyeon’s body all night doing guiding, so there wasn’t a spot that didn’t hurt. His muscles ached and every joint throbbed.
He was grateful there was no one around since it was near the isolation room and early in the morning.
As he walked down the quiet hallway dragging his stiff body, thinking of Baek Uihyeon who had been particularly persistent today made him barely suppress a laugh that naturally came out.
Even after getting completely excited from guiding, Baek Uihyeon ultimately showed patience whenever Han Seoha showed even a little anxiety. The change in Baek Uihyeon, who until now had been ready to devour him to the bone at the slightest opening, was welcome.
I did give him that much leeway.
Unlike before, when he approached Baek Uihyeon first, the other person learned to wait too. If possible, it would be beneficial in many ways to take his heart along with just his body.
Since I’ve pulled, now I should push.
He would push him away with the excuse that he wouldn’t let any more Espers into the quarters he shared with Jeong Iro. In exchange, if he came and went from Baek Uihyeon’s quarters, opportunities to access materials would naturally increase. Jeong Iro would also be sensitive to high-grade Espers coming and going every day, so it would be better to be separated anyway.
With calculations falling neatly into place, though his body was stiff, his mind was at ease.
Jeong Iro should be regaining consciousness soon, so he needed to stop by daily and make his presence known.
First, let’s get some sleep.
He had been tense all day caught by an overly excited Baek Uihyeon, plus he’d done guiding all night. He planned to legitimately collapse from exhaustion as soon as he got home.
Though it was temporary quarters located in the Association annex, perhaps because it was a place he’d personally touched here and there since moving in, his tension eased as he approached home.
Should he shower one more time? No, just dive straight into bed. It was a precious day when he could sleep completely undisturbed without Jeong Iro hiding in the bed.
The door lock that recognized Han Seoha’s watch unlocked, and just as he entered and took off his shoes, he sensed a presence. Even before hearing the voice, he recognized it from that scorched fragrance too familiar to Han Seoha, even if he didn’t want to remember.
“What were you doing all night that you’re coming home in the morning?”
What the hell is this?
That Ryu Jaegeon would be waiting was something even Han Seoha, who thought through various scenarios, hadn’t checked.
Like interrogating a cheating partner, like a scene from a trashy drama—Han Seoha closed his eyes to gather his disarmed mental state in this situation.
Han Seoha who pitied Espers.
Han Seoha who naturally accepted others’ jealousy.
Han Seoha who valued Espers so preciously he would throw away his own life.
The foolish Han Seoha who endlessly longed for someone even after being abandoned by the one he chose.
Ryu Jaegeon, who had been so desperate for that Han Seoha, was asking.
“Have you decided to go around spreading your legs now?”
This fucking bastard.
If only he could, he wanted to scramble that brain that only spouts bullshit. If by any chance he got his body back, even if Han Seoha cried, he wanted to absolutely cast off Ryu Jaegeon alone.
“Jaegeon-ah.”
But he knew what choice Han Seoha would make when he returned. In the end, he wouldn’t be able to erase Ryu Jaegeon from his heart. If he sought him out even like this, he would always try to guide him.
“Your wavelength is spiking. You should go to Guide Yu Haneul.”
“Seems like you can’t smell the cum today. How much did you roll around to come back like this?”
Toward Ryu Jaegeon who had decided to act blatantly vulgar, Han Seoha showed a faint smile, unable to completely hide his exhausted look.
“Stop coming now. You have an A-rank Guide as a pair, but if you keep coming to someone like me, you’ll get weird rumors.”
“You think I care about rumors?”
Before he knew it, Ryu Jaegeon had pulled Han Seoha’s waist close, standing pressed against him. His body was firm. Instead of asking why he showed this reaction he’d never shown throughout being Han Seoha’s partner, he looked at Ryu Jaegeon with concern.
“Is guiding insufficient?”
“Yeah, it’s insufficient.”
“Wait… ngh!”
Startled by Ryu Jaegeon’s sudden action of grabbing his buttocks, Han Seoha pushed him away. Of course he didn’t budge, but at Han Seoha’s sensitive reaction, Ryu Jaegeon’s expression twisted viciously.
“You let him? You did it, right? Otherwise how could a C-rank guide an S-rank on the verge of rampage?”
“Jaegeon-ah, please.”
“Why can’t you answer? You can’t lie to me. Is that why you can’t speak?”
“I didn’t sleep with him. So back off.”
“Ha… You stick with an S-rank and now you even lie. Disgusting.”
“Why would I lie?”
“Then tell me. Does Baek Uihyeon treat you that well? What did he promise you? You think an S-rank will really do everything for you?”
And you. What did you do for me?
You abandoned and ignored Han Seoha, and when he was floundering in pain, you never once sought him out.
Now Ryu Jaegeon was unnecessary for this plan. More precisely, about the level of a supporting role. Just appropriate bait to provoke Jeong Iro and Baek Uihyeon.
A person of merely that level was clawing at Han Seoha like this, and leaving it alone twisted his insides.
But if it were Han Seoha, he would ultimately apologize and accept it. Because that was Han Seoha.
Because he was the one I watched while my insides burned, the one who wanted to be loved.
Should I make even Ryu Jaegeon cling to Han Seoha instead?
It seemed possible if he just twisted the plan a little. Lost in thought, Han Seoha belatedly noticed he was trapped between Ryu Jaegeon and the wall being stripped, and when he sank down, Ryu Jaegeon followed and sat down too.
“Did he go at it so much you can’t even stand? Baek Uihyeon, that crazy bastard.”
While showing anger toward Baek Uihyeon, his eyes were fixed on Han Seoha. If he always looked at Han Seoha like this, would he be happy even after returning?
You need to look more desperately, Jaegeon-ah.
“Check, Jaegeon-ah.”
“…What?”
“As much as you want. You can check.”
Han Seoha smiled sadly as if he didn’t notice at all the lust spreading in those wavering eyes.
“So don’t be angry, Jaegeon-ah.”
“…I’m not angry.”
The amount of guiding flowing in naturally through the palm cupping Ryu Jaegeon’s cheek was pathetically small. Ryu Jaegeon’s face, which had been about to twist viciously again, smoothed out because of Han Seoha’s action of leaning against him. At Han Seoha’s natural reaction without even thinking of resistance, Ryu Jaegeon’s heart softened too and he lifted him up.
Just as the dangerous atmosphere was turning gentle, Han Seoha’s watch rang. The familiar notification from the watch that had been ringing busily all day was a sound related to his partner.
Han Seoha, who checked his watch, hurried toward the door.
“What, where are you going?”
“Iro woke up.”
“You can go during visiting hours.”
Ryu Jaegeon, who had been nonchalantly trying to pull Han Seoha back inside, turned around absurdly at the faint but resisting force. Seeing Han Seoha standing firm until his face turned bright red, the emotions he’d barely calmed down boiled up again.
“Han Seoha, you.”
“I need to go to Iro.”
“You think I’m a joke because I’m being nice.”
“You’re the one who should stop. Iro will be looking for me.”
Han Seoha shook his caught arm so desperately that it seemed like his wrist bone would pop out. Even though suspicious sounds came from his arm, Han Seoha only thought about running toward the door.
At this moment, Ryu Jaegeon was certain for the first time.
That to Han Seoha now, he wasn’t even first place, let alone second.
