# Chapter 70
The fingers tapping on the back of Dohyuk’s hand slowly rubbed the skin they touched. The more Junseo explored Dohyuk’s interior, the more perplexed he became. Espers, as ability users, have “paths” unlike ordinary people. These were channels through which energy circulated whenever they used their abilities. Along with tending to an Esper’s fragile mental state, repairing these paths was also a Guide’s duty.
A gap had formed in this vital channel. It had been completely fine before entering the jungle dungeon. It was as if the energy that should move along the path was now scattered haphazardly because of this sudden gap. There was severe energy waste. The gap wasn’t large yet, so Junseo could manage it through guiding, but the gap would widen the more Dohyuk used his abilities.
Dohyuk’s abilities had become noticeably unbalanced since losing consciousness in the dungeon. Without Junseo’s guiding, wouldn’t even his basic stamina have been depleted? The energy balance that became disrupted after just a short time, despite constant application and circulation of energy, emphasized that Dohyuk’s body had reached its limit.
Espers typically retire in their early to mid-30s. Although they possess physical bodies far superior to ordinary people, they are still human in the end. The enormous energy of abilities wasn’t something a human body could endure for a long time. But even so, Dohyuk’s body, still only in his late 20s, was in a condition far worse than average. As a Guide, Junseo could already see Dohyuk’s limits.
The bones on the back of Junseo’s hand, which held Dohyuk’s controller, protruded. His gaze at the choker-type device was cold. Although he knew wearing a controller was mandatory…
“This is upsetting…”
His neatly groomed fingertips traced Dohyuk’s forehead. He stroked his hair, which had grown longer since their first meeting. The hair, unkempt due to a busy daily life, was coarse. Thinking how it resembled the stubborn Dohyuk, Junseo smiled absently and lightly pressed his lips against the firm forehead.
His gaze traveled down past the prominent bridge of Dohyuk’s nose, following the moderately defined lines of his lips. Junseo liked that bare neck. Isn’t it true that taming a predator isn’t about collars? Suddenly, he recalled the controller Dohyuk had placed on his wrist.
There was no way he could be satisfied with just this. Junseo didn’t want abuse, brainwashing, or passive obedience caused by pain. He wanted to become an indispensable existence to Dohyuk. So that Dohyuk would willingly choose Junseo no matter when. He wished for Dohyuk to write down Junseo’s name on his own page by himself. Isn’t that far more certain and lovely than a crude collar? And not flimsy either.
His lips, which had barely grazed along the jawline, eventually reached Dohyuk’s neck. It was the spot where the sternocleidomastoid muscle became prominent whenever he turned his head. Junseo’s lips parted, and after playfully nibbling like a small puppy, he finally bared his teeth. It was a strong physique that required intense biting with the sharpest teeth to leave even such a faint mark. Junseo’s eyes lowered. He wanted what he held to be entirely his.
In the end, it’s just a different form. Anyone who sees that gap would want to fill it with something. The headquarters thought of it as a controller, and Junseo thought of it as…
“…”
His palm, clutching the controller, ached. It was from applying too much force. Junseo, not even trying to hide his irritated expression, finally placed the controller around Dohyuk’s neck with his own hands. The teeth marks that the controller couldn’t quite cover were exposed. It’s laughable how easily satisfied he felt with just this much.
Just as their closely pressed upper bodies were about to separate, a large hand gently stroked the back of Junseo’s head.
It was the usual warm temperature. The way he stroked blindly with his eyes closed gave the impression of dealing with a troublemaking puppy that climbed onto its owner to wake them up in the morning. Though the stroking was so messy it tangled his hair, Junseo didn’t understand why the complex feelings boiling inside him became docile instead.
Junseo, pressing his body back down instead of moving away as intended, opened his mouth.
“When…”
Noticing his voice sounded low even to his own ears, he quickly cleared his throat and pretended to be cute.
“When did you wake up?”
Only then did Dohyuk open his eyes. His gaze, dreamy enough to feel disconnected from his usually plain look, was directed at Junseo.
“Just now.”
As Dohyuk responded in a rough voice, having just awakened, Junseo smirked.
“Was it when I kissed you?”
“…”
Though Dohyuk closed his mouth, Junseo’s smile deepened.
“Or when I…”
“Stop it. Just, just now while receiving guiding… I woke up.”
So you were awake from when I kissed your forehead. As Junseo slightly smiled and moved his lips, Dohyuk hurriedly covered Junseo’s mouth and exhaled a low sigh. But Junseo wasn’t the type to stay quiet just because his mouth was covered.
When Junseo licked the palm covering his mouth, Dohyuk hurriedly raised his upper body and fell back against the wall the bed was touching. Having moved in such a rush, his uncontrolled fist hit the guiding room wall, making a sound so loud it was fortunate the wall wasn’t punched through.
“Now, no, what.”
Dohyuk gasped roughly, and Junseo tilted his head. He had such a docile face that anyone looking would think Dohyuk was the strange one getting excited all by himself. Feeling awkward getting worked up alone in front of such a face, Dohyuk just let out a heavy sigh.
Ignoring the reproach hidden in that sigh, Junseo half-sprawled on the bed and rested his cheek on Dohyuk’s thigh. With his vision still blurred and not showing any sign of returning to normal, and Junseo’s unbelievably natural response, Dohyuk was now confused about himself. He wondered if he was making a big deal out of nothing because of his foggy mind from just waking up.
“Do you remember we were supposed to eat together? I sent Seah away. Because it got late.”
“Huh? …Ah. Sorry, today the time seemed longer, the time… it took…”
Perhaps due to moving his body quickly, his head felt dizzy. Dohyuk rubbed his temple with a half-frown. It seemed the effect of the medication hadn’t completely worn off yet. His focus was slower than usual, and even his carefully delivered words lacked coherence.
Junseo, who had stood up, reached out again to stroke Dohyuk’s bangs.
“How do you feel, are you okay?”
“…Yeah.”
The hand stroking his forehead was lukewarm. Thinking it was the right temperature, Dohyuk unconsciously rubbed his head against it.
At this childish behavior he would never imagine doing normally, contradictory feelings sprouted jaggedly in Junseo’s heart. Though the drug-influenced eyes were irritating, some of his reactions were cute. Junseo barely managed to speak in a gentle voice, swallowing down the fierce desire to knead Dohyuk’s cheeks with both hands.
“I wonder. Right now, our hyung doesn’t seem to be feeling very good. You look tired.”
The eyes that were blinking more slowly than usual clung blindly to Junseo. Dohyuk responded with a puzzled expression. His slow speech pattern remained.
“No, I feel good now… seeing you.”
“Why?”
“Hmm…? Because you’re pretty.”
“Wow,” and Junseo finally swallowed the exclamation he almost involuntarily let out. It felt like all the unpleasant feelings that had piled up throughout the day to the tip of his chin were instantly drained. Because of those unrefined words, clearly uttered unconsciously due to the medication’s effect, with slurred pronunciation at the end.
Junseo’s solid body pressed even closer to Dohyuk’s chest. Although Junseo had half his weight on Dohyuk’s upper body like a large dog mistakenly thinking it was still a small puppy, Dohyuk felt no problem with Junseo’s weight, which felt only like a feather to him. Dohyuk just gently rubbed Junseo’s earlobe and asked.
“How about you, how do you feel?”
“Me?”
“Just asking.”
Junseo narrowed his eyes.
For some unknown reason, he seemed to like being asked about his feelings. He behaved like a dog placing its favorite toy on its owner’s lap. He had a bright-eyed look, believing without a shred of doubt that his owner would like it too.
“Now I feel better.”
“So you felt bad before?”
Dohyuk shook his head a couple of times, trying to clear his mind that was becoming foggy again from the medication. As he steadied his breathing, his muddled head somewhat cleared and his vision sharpened. He looked at the pretty face playing right in front of him.
“Yes. Having to put this back on with my own hands made me feel really bad.”
At the gaze openly glaring at his neck, Dohyuk finally smiled slightly. Just as he said, “It has to be worn because it’s dangerous,” his lips were pressed down by a thumb. A sulky response rose from nearby.
“My ideal type is someone dangerous and a bit beastly. Like an A-class Esper without a controller.”
“What are you saying…”
“It’s true though.”
At this obvious nonsense, Dohyuk removed Junseo’s hand and half-raised his upper body. Even while easily lifting the body sprawled on top of him.
After a while of rubbing his temple, tapping his head a few times to awaken his senses, Dohyuk soon looked over Junseo, who was sitting quietly, and asked.
He had meant to ask this as soon as they met, but it seems he really was out of his mind, drugged.
“Ah, right. Do you have an older brother? Or an uncle?”
