Sung Hyunjae had hijacked the tour. The guiding representative led the way while Sung Hyunjae explained the different rooms and equipment Yoojin would be using for his classes to get his license. The Association's Guiding Department was magnificent. Yoojin had never thought he would be able to stand here. After so many failures at being a guide, he had assumed this section of his life was over. It was actually making him excited.
Yoojin held on to Sung Hyunjae's arm. His legs were still shaking, and as much as he didn't want to engage in public affection, he still needed Sung Hyunjae for support. The tingling in his fingers hadn't gone away either.
Sung Hyunjae stopped to explain one room, and in Yoojin's peripheral vision, he noticed the guiding representative almost walked off. She begrudgingly turned around and stood near them. She had trouble looking Yoojin or Sung Hyunjae in the eyes and kept her head down.
Yoojin listened to Sung Hyunjae but couldn't stop focusing on her. Was she always that pale? And she looked uncomfortable compared to before. When Sung Hyunjae spoke to her directly and asked her about the state of certain equipment, her words stammered. She also seemed distracted and repeated the same statement several times or forgot what she was saying mid-sentence.
Yoojin looked at Sung Hyunjae to see if he had noticed the difference, but the esper didn't even look at her when he spoke. Maybe Yoojin was imagining it.
They finally arrived at a section of the building Sung Hyunjae was unfamiliar with and the guiding representative had to speak.
"M-M-Mr. Han will… he will..." She cleared her throat. "All guides have to take a four-week course here before… before…" She stared at Yoojin's neck. When her and Yoojin's eyes met, she looked away and cleared her throat again.
"T-the four-week course for all new guides will be held," She rushed through the presentation. "The Association has all guides go through the course before they can receive their license. Will Mr. Han be signing a contract with the Association or…. with… with…. Jupiter…?"
"Huh? Why do I need to sign a contract?"
"Umm… um…"
Sung Hyunjae stepped in. "The classes and license registration fees are expensive. For new guides to afford it, they sign with someone who can cover their cost."
"That doesn't seem fair," Yoojin said. "Not allowing guides to use their skills to make money unless they pay the Association a large sum of money. Seems like a scam."
"That's why I'll be paying for your license."
"Huh?"
"Hah!"
Both Yoojin and Sung Hyunjae looked at the guiding representative when she made a strange sound. Her head turned away. "E-excuse me. I will bring some refreshments while you two finish your discussion!"
She was quick to disappear, leaving Yoojin confused at her sudden change.
"Does she seem different?" Yoojin stared at Sung Hyunjae, but he said nothing. Finally, Yoojin sighed. "How much does the license cost? I have money saved."
Sung Hyunjae smiled. "I'm afraid not enough for this. And I'm not willing to share you with the Association. Their contracts are difficult to work around, and if they find out how amazing of a guide you are, they won't ever let me see you."
"How do you know how much money I have? Are you watching my bank accounts as well? Just tell me already."
Sung Hyunjae pursed his lips and leaned down to whisper into Yoojin's ear.
Yoojin never thought hearing the cost of anything would send his soul to the afterlife. That number…! How was that legal? Yoojin swallowed and had trouble speaking.
Scam! Scam! This was a scam!
"Th-that… I… t-that… what…?"
Sung Hyunjae stood straight and stroked Yoojin's head. "That's why I'll be paying."
Yoojin reached up and removed Sung Hyunjae's hand. "How do you know the cost? You're not a guide. Why would you care?"
"Jupiter hires the third highest amount of guides behind the Association and the Transcendent syndicate. I've bought many guides from their contracts as well as paid for their training so they could sign straight away with Jupiter."
Yoojin stared at him until the taller man sighed and closed his eyes. "That doesn't mean I want to use the guides I hired. There are a lot of espers in Jupiter. There is a high demand for guides."
Yoojin raised a brow. "With all those guides, it's hard to imagine a reason the boss of Jupiter would have his powers so unstable."
Sung Hyunjae smiled and pinched Yoojin's backside.
"Hey—! Ugh!" Yoojin had been trying to hold it in, but he felt the slow drip of Sung Hyunjae's cum trickle down his thigh.
Yoojin heard a woman's gasp, followed by the crash of glass cups. The guiding representative stood with a stunned expression and her hands clasp over her mouth.
"Ah! I'm sorry! For ummm… the mess! Sorry for the mess. I'll get something to clean this up. I'm sorry, Boss Hyunjae!" She pivoted and ran.
Yoojin smacked Sung Hyunjae's hand away, but hurt his own hand. Espers really had tough skin.
"Stop it! We're in public." Yoojin looked hard at Sung Hyunjae. "Be honest, what are you doing to make her act so strangely? Before she was giving me the death glare, now she can't look at me."
Yoojin wanted to get this tour over with and go back so he could wash up. He was worried someone would notice. It felt too weird to ignore, and he knew his face was red.
"I suppose it is my fault."
"Ha! I knew it was you! Stop messing with her. She's just a guide."
Sung Hyunjae frowned. "Guides with grudges against you, espers who rampage and hurt you. Is there anything else you cherish more than me?"
"Cut the crap. What are…"
Yoojin's words trailed off when Sung Hyunjae turned him towards a mirror on the wall. Yoojin's mouth fell open. Why didn't Sung Hyunjae tell him he looked like a mess?!?
His hair became untidy and his clothes looked like he just threw them down a hill. And all over the side of his neck, around his choker and above the line of his shirt collar were kiss marks, bite marks, and hickeys. Even his lips were slightly swollen.
It didn't matter if the walls had been sound proof. The evidence was all over Yoojin.
The guiding representative came back with towels to clean up the mess and Yoojin hid behind Sung Hyunjae. Now Yoojin couldn't look her in the eye, either. He zipped up his jacket and raised the collar. Yoojin was getting good at hiding his neck with his clothes, but the representative had already seen.
Sung Hyunjae… that bastard… He was always doing what he wanted, and it pissed Yoojin off.
Yoojin would get him back if it was the last thing he ever did. The guiding representative continued the tour. Yoojin grabbed Sung Hyunjae by the coat and lowered his voice.
"You're paying for my license because of the humiliation you put me through today."
"If you insist."
"And I will not be signing a contract with you."
Sung Hyunjae frowned. "That's a little harsh."
"You know what you did."
Sung Hyunjae sighed. "I suppose you leave me no choice."
The Day Someone Seduce Sung Hyunjae: A Story of Kang Gyoon
Kang Gyoon combed back his hair and checked his reflection in the mirror before coming out of the breakroom.
He was a high-ranking guide, and his contract with the Association was almost over. He had offers from multiple syndicates. Even two of the big five syndicates had scouted him. But those positions hadn't been the pinnacle of power he craved.
Right now, inside the Association's Guiding department, was Boss Sung Hyunjae. Kang Gyoon gleamed at the thought of being the right-hand man to the most powerful syndicate in Korea. And it didn't hurt he was one of the most handsome men in the nation.
Kang Gyoon was the top guide at the Association, but no one truly understood how powerful he was. Because the Director wasn't an esper, Gyoon could never show off his skills.
One day Gyoon was going to be the guide to the top syndicate in the world and rake in the riches. Not only did he have multiple high rank skills, he could drain the condensed energy of an S-Rank or two A-Ranks in a single day.
Gyoon walked into the main lobby so he could 'accidentally' meet Sung Hyunjae. Boss Hyunjae and the unknown guide stood at the check-out desk, filling out the last of their paperwork.
The guiding representative saw Gyoon, and she shook her head and tried to wave Gyoon away. Damn it. Was she trying to steal Boss Hyunjae for herself?
Well, Gyoon would not let her get away with that.
Gyoon walked up to the no name guide and offered his hand. "You must be the new guide! Welcome! I'm Kang Gyoon. I'll be your Sunbae."
The small guide shook his hand. His hand slightly trembled, and Gyoon's smile widened. Already feeling the pressure? I'm what a proper guide looks like.
The no name guide was short, and looked a little disheveled, with ruffled hair and wrinkled clothes. Couldn't he have at least tried to look decent while standing next to someone as great and powerful as Boss Hyunjae? Gyoon would have no problem getting rid of him.
Rumors had it Boss Hyunjae hadn't had a guide in almost a year. If he was impressed with this no name guide, wait until Gyoon showed him what he could do.
"Umm, Hello, Kang Gyoon-nim. I'm Han Yo—"
Kang Gyoon cut him off with a surprised expression. "Wow, you have a weak guiding aura."
"Guiding aura? I do?"
"Yes, but don't worry, we can teach you here how to strengthen it. Can you feel mine?"
The small guide had a hard look of concentration on his face. "I'm not sure."
Of course, you can't. It's a high skill for guides.
Gyoon looked at the guiding representative to catch his inside joke but she was wide eye and pale. She cleared her throat and said she had to step out and asked Gyoon to come with her.
What was her problem? Was she still trying to get rid of him? They weren't friends. She was a weaker guided with a lesser reputation, so she should think twice before screwing him over.
She left without Gyoon. He didn't need her help, anyway. He glanced at the tall, high-ranking esper, and he had to admit, the esper was handsome with gorgeous eyes, a straight nose, and a stunning smile.
"It's okay if you can't handle higher skilled guiding techniques. We have items that help weak guides. Would you like to see our item vault?"
"Umm," the unnamed guide looked unsure and uncomfortable. Gyoon didn't think he was being too harsh on him, but it looked like the unnamed guide was more frail than he thought. "We actually finished up the tour, and were leaving."
Gyoon patted him on the back, and the guide shivered. What a weakling.
"Nonsense, I have a very high clearance so I can show you that kind of stuff. Guiding items will be your friends, weaker guides use them all the time."
"Umm… Thank you, but I can look later."
Gyoon ignored him. He led them to the vault around the corner. Boss Hyunjae followed close behind. Maybe, he had finally noticed Gyoon. When they arrived, Gyoon watched the skittish guide's eyes sparkle at the sight of all the guiding items through the small door window.
"Wow, there are so many of them."
It surprised Gyoon when Sung Hyunjae answered. His attention seemed to stick to the no name guide, and that bothered Gyoon. Gyoon was taller, more athletic, and wore designer clothes. Shouldn't Sung Hyunjae be looking at him now?
"Guiding items and esper's inhibiters are made from the byproducts of monsters," Sung Hyunjae said. "That's why the Association is stocked with them. They give syndicates the approval for hunting monsters in exchange for a portion of the material."
"Is this where you got the earrings?" The no name guide asked.
"Those were a special order. The Association doesn't keep anything of that quality here."
Ha, so he was using items to guide the mob boss. The Jupiter boss is going to be so impressed when I show him my powers.
Gyoon smirked. If Sung Hyunjae gave something that quality to a no named guide, he couldn't imagine the gifts he would give Gyoon.
"Here, look around." Gyoon unlocked the door with his key code and let the unnamed guide inside. He took the bait, and Gyoon turned to Sung Hyunjae with a teasing smile. He was going to make the biggest business deal of his life.
Gyoon's smile shattered, and he stepped back. Sung Hyunjae's molten gold eyes were all he could see for a second before the room darkened and a pressure shoved down on him.
"Uh…umm… I-I…"
He saw something he didn't have words for. The power he used for guiding shivered around him and retreated. Even though he knew he was in the brightly lit guiding agency, his breath fogged up and everything changed.
He stood in the middle of the ocean during a storm. Streaks of lightning colored the blackened sky. The water pulled him under, and he tried to fight the strong icy waves. The cold pierced his skin. Water filled his lungs, and he actually felt like he was drowning.
He was scared to look away from those dangerous eyes and took another step back.… What… what is this?
"Mr. Sung!" The guide stuck his head out of the room. "What are guiding 8s? Do I need them?"
The illusion broke, and the room brightened once again. Sung Hyunjae suddenly smiled, walking past Gyoon.
"Guiding 8s are the same as vitality potions for espers. Though I've been told caffeine works better on guides," Sung Hyunjae answered.
"Should I try it, anyway?"
"Hmm, the taste is rather strong. I would rather buy you a coffee you like. Shall we stop somewhere and pick one up?"
"No. I want to get out of here and clean up."
Gyoon fell against the wall and clutched his racing heart. Those golden eyes had burrowed into him and left him shaking. Gyoon didn't understand, he was used to guiding multiple A-Rank every day and had even guided Song Taewon. He should have been able to handle Sung Hyunjae.
How did… how did that guide stand guiding someone that full of power? It was so easy to drown in all of it. He should warn him…
But fear had filled him. Unsteadily, Gyoon hurried to leave before they came out.
Tea for Two and a Friendly Lunch
Later that afternoon, after cleaning up and changing into a turtleneck sweater, Han Yoojin sat in one of the Jupiter cafeterias with Yoo Myeongwoo. Even though it was called a cafeteria, it was closer to a reservation only restaurant. Something Yoojin could never afford to go to on his own. Damn gangsters with all their money… but at least because of Sung Hyunjae, Yoojin could treat Yoo Myeongwoo to a pleasant lunch.
Yoojin told Sung Hyunjae that he still wanted to guide Yoo Myeongwoo and Yerim until they found their own guides. Then, to Yoojin's disbelief, Sung Hyunjae had surprised Yoojin by having brought Yoo Myeongwoo to Jupiter for him.
Then Yoo Myeongwoo told him about the security team Sung Hyunjae had placed on him and Yerim because of Boss Choi Sukwon's threats. Sung Hyunjae hadn't even told Yoojin he did that.
Yoojin held Yoo Myeongwoo's hand over the table and guided him.
It was definitely easier to guide an unawakened. Maybe, after Yoojin got his license, he could open an unawakened guiding agency for those who couldn't afford the Association's guides.
Yoo Myeongwoo looked around in awe. "This place… wow."
Yoojin smiled. "It's a lot nicer than my place, right?"
Yoo Myeongwoo gasped. "No! That's not what—!"
"It's okay if it's true. I can't really compete with the mob with my little restaurant in Downtown."
Yoo Myeongwoo glanced at Kang Soyoung, who stood on guard near the entrance. The place was off limits while Yoojin was here. Yoojin felt guilty occupying a whole restaurant to himself, but then Kang Soyoung told him there were three more cafeterias, two actual restaurants, and two personal chefs.
"Yoojin… are they keeping you here against your will?"
"… Yes? But it's not like I would leave if I could."
Yoo Myeongwoo looked worried. "Yoojin…"
Yoojin held up his free hand, which was his broken hand. "It's nothing bad."
Yoojin didn't mention Choi Sukwon. Or how he could not think of a way to pay Sung Hyunjae back now that he wasn't accepting money. Or how the longer he stayed around Sung Hyunjae, the more his debt increased.
"But, Yoo Myeongwoo, I'm not sure how long I'll be here. I'll continue to pay your salary, but I won't be mad if you find employment elsewhere as well. This is my fault. However, you're about to awaken and you will be high-ranked. It might be wise to consider a place to work as an esper. Mr. Sung will hire Yerim and covered her bills and said he would do the same for you."
Yoo Myeongwoo looked down at their intertwined hands.
"I'm going to be an esper, I still can't believe it. I can kind of tell your guiding me now. It feels good, like a warm hug."
Yoojin was ecstatic that his guiding was efficient and didn't have any weird side effects like with Sung Hyunjae.
"I'm sorry for never telling you… and this is technically illegal, so please don't say anything."
Yoo Myeongwoo squeezed Yoojin's hand. "You are the best boss I've ever had. Thank you for looking out for me."
Yoojin smiled. He enjoyed helping his friends and was glad to set Yoo Myeongwoo up with a better life. Yoo Myeongwoo deserved it.
"What have you been doing sense I've been away?"
"I've been looking into espers and guides. There are a lot of opportunities for awakened espers, but I wish I could have become a guide."
"Huh? Is it for the money? I don't actually know any guides that make as much as espers."
"Oh no, it's just as an esper I will need a guide. I can't imagine using anyone else. They say unfamiliar guides and espers need more contact to be efficient and I don't think I can do that."
Yoojin smiled to hide his embarrassment. Yoojin had become far too aware of how close a guide and esper could be. "It's all depends on finding the right guide. A strong guide with a high sync rate is important. Look at us, I'm guiding you just find with only holding your hand."
"Then I'll work really hard, so Yoojin can be my guide."
"Me? You haven't even seen other guides. They're expensive for you right now, but there are better guides out there."
But Yoojin thought it wouldn't be so bad to be Yoo Myeongwoo's guide once he got set up. It would be a pleasant idea after Sung Hyunjae left...
Yoojin's smile faded, but luckily, someone brought out the meals. Seeing Yoo Myeongwoo so impressed with the dishes returned the smile to Yoojin's face.
Yeah, it would be okay.
Inappropriate Talk for the Work Place
The additional set of guards waited in the hallway some ways off from Esper Kang Soyoung. Yusuf Rouga stood next to a wall when the other guard leaned closer to him and whispered.
"Have you gotten a look at Boss Hyunjae's guide? He's tiny and kind of cute."
Yusuf shrugged. He hadn't really noticed any of the guides since Guide Yara started working here. She was a mid-tier guide who was as cheerful and refreshing as a sunrise. Yusuf was A-Rank and had been trying to conserve his powers to not overwhelm Yara during their next session together, but he was excited to see her again.
It was the first time his palm had ever sweated while holding hands with a guide. She had giggled and said that he was cute when he was nervous. And the last time he met with her, his powers had been badly concentrated after a monster attack, and she had offered to kiss him to stabilize him.
His memories were interrupted when the other guard elbowed him and laughed.
"I know you see it. Don't lie. You would do him too, wouldn't you? I mean, he's able to attract Boss Hyunjae after he nearly went a year without a guide. Don't you think he must know some 'guiding' tricks?"
Yusuf turned away. No longer interested in the gossip about guides. But it felt like his heart was in a vise. Did other espers talk about Guide Yara like that?
The other guard laughed. "Come on, it can't just be me. I feel like I just want to mess up his composure. If I could get my hands on his skinny waist, I would—"
A hand reached out and slammed the other guard into the floor hard enough to crack the hallway floor and walls. The lights flickered, and the floor shook. Yusuf didn't even see it coming.
Yusuf turned, hand reaching for his club, but he met the furious eyes of Boss Jupiter. Yusuf was stunned silent. The other guard's muffled cries were hard to hear over the sound of his cracking bones.
Boss Jupiter lifted his bloody hand and stood to his full height, never looking away from Yusuf.
"Find another guard," was all he said before he continued down the hall.
Esper Kang Soyoung peeked her head out of the cafeteria. "Oh, Boss Hyunjae, is there a problem?"
"Nothing at all. How is Yoojin-ssi?"
"He looks like he's having a wonderful time with his friend~"
"Good. Keep him away from my office for a while. I'm having a rather unruly guest over who might not be good for him."
"Yes, sir."
Yusuf stepped back until he hit the wall. His hands shaking as he couldn't take his eyes off the injured guard. The only reason he knew he was alive was the weak, gasping breaths coming from the pit in the middle of the hall.
Bad Intentions, A Warning for the Future
Outside the Jupiter building in an unmarked car, three men watched the comings and goings of the large syndicate. The security was tight and the entrances were always well staffed.
The driver turned to the passengers. "You sure, you're inside man can do this? There's no way we're getting in. This is too much trouble for one guide."
The passenger crossed his arms. "Trust me. He's already in and just needs some time."
"Some time?" The man in the back seat said. "This isn't some start up organization, it's Jupiter. There are four S-Ranks here. Even if he does grab the guide, there's no way he can just walk out with him!"
"You're being paid well for this. So shut up, before I tell Boss Choi Sukwon." The passenger's eyes darted back to Jupiter. "Hey, I recognize that guy."
The other men watched Yoo Myeongwoo walk out of Jupiter with two esper bodyguards.
"Is that Han Yoojin?" One of them asked.
"No. That's the chef who works at the same restaurant. Son of a bitch! Because of him, that asshole Han Yoohyun almost cut my head off!"
The backseat guy laughed. "Oh, yeah. The time you pissed yourself in front of a kid because he threatened you with a sword?"
"He was an S-Rank and I thought he was going to kill me! If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll show him!"
"Good luck with that! Not even Boss Yoon Kyeongsoo could win in a fight."
"You want me to tell Boss Yoon Kyeongsoo you said that?!"
The driver smirked and pulled out his phone. "Both of you shut up. I'm calling Boss Choi Sukwon and Boss Yoon Kyeongsoo. I think I have an idea how to get Han Yoojin."
When Fire Met Lightning
Sung Hyunjae's desk burst into flames, and he looked over the furious black fire into the enraged eyes of Han Yoohyun. The young master already had his sword out. The sprinklers went off, but those did little against the powers of an S-Rank esper.
"I said no guiding," Han Yoohyun said.
"And I said I would not ask nor force him."
"Then why did my brother spend the night in the hospital for being in a guiding deficit?"
Sung Hyunjae leaned back in his chair while water rained down on both of them, the flames spreading to the other furniture. "Did you know I was the one who bought Yoojin's debt from the Lauchtas syndicate? The failure branch of the Transcendent family might not have given up Yoojin if he hadn't manage his affairs so poorly. He seemed rather attached to your brother."
The news nearly knocked Yoohyun off his feet. Yoohyun had known about how obsessed Diarma was with Yoojin. It was creepy how much attention he had shown Yoojin. "You? I was told that debt was paid off… not transferred."
Sung Hyunjae nodded. "I did it that way. The debt is paid off. Yoojin owes nothing on paper anymore."
"I'll repay you. I don't want Yoojin owing anything to you."
Sung Hyunjae shook his head. "You are the second esper in two days to try to buy Yoojin's debt from me."
Yoohyun raised his sword. "Are you blackmailing him or telling other espers about him?"
Sung Hyunjae held his hands up. "He's very special to me. I would never do either of those things. I'll make sure no other gangster interferes with him. But it seems like espers who lie about his reputation are still melding in his life. Even after declaring they never want to see him again."
Yoohyun gave him a warning look. "You don't know. You weren't there. I did that to protect my hyung."
"Have you seen the effects of your 'protection'?"
Yoohyun's eyes narrowed and the sword in his hand shook. Finally, he lowered it and his eyes fell to the ground. "I tried everything…"
Sung Hyunjae tilted his head and waited for a better explanation, but it seemed like that was all he would get. "Yoojin isn't a careless guide, but it's worrisome how powerful he may be."
Yoohyun nodded, the water trickling down his face. "Esper seem to be drawn to him whether they know if he's a guide or not."
Sung Hyunjae's lips thinned. "That can be fixed with items, and no one will approach him while he's with me."
"Not even a reputation as a guide who uses negative guiding seems to keep espers away anymore." Yoohyun gave Sung Hyunjae an accusatory look.
"I'm in a position to keep them away."
"Then why was he sent to the hospital? He's no better here than he would be with me."
Sung Hyunjae thought about telling Yoohyun about Noah. Since Yoojin had not allowed Sung Hyunjae to punish him, it would be interesting to see the young master handle that for him. Then Yoojin wouldn't be mad at Sung Hyunjae.
He still remembered how tightly Yoojin had held onto Noah's hands, thinking he could really protect him from Sung Hyunjae. An esper hiding behind a guide was a new sight for Sung Hyunjae. A guide protecting an esper seemed laughable but when Yoojin had faced Sung Hyunjae, he had won and Noah had gotten off scot-free.
His guide was strong-willed and stubborn.
"Three." Sung Hyunjae cut in.
"What?"
"Your brother's current limit is for guiding is three S-Rank espers near rampage. He could completely drain all of us of our unstable powers on his own with just one guiding item."
Yoohyun's mouth parted in shock. It seemed even he didn't know the reach of his brother's power.
"I'm curious to know if he has always had this limit or if his abilities have increased. When he was your guide, did he ever guide others?"
"He only ever guided…" Yoohyun hesitated. "There was an esper who tried to get Yoojin to guide him with forced guiding, but that was it."
Sung Hyunjae's eyes narrowed. From the look on Yoohyun's face, he could tell the esper was no longer alive. Shame. Sung Hyunjae still felt the unresolved rage for killing the last group of gangsters who use forced guiding on Yoojin. He had wanted to kill them slowly, and regretted letting them died that easily. He would gladly take this murderous intent out on someone else who was foolish enough to hurt his guide.
"Can you really say you can protect him?" Sung Hyunjae asked.
Yoohyun raised his sword again. "I've worked my whole life to build a syndicate so I can protect my brother. Soon we won't need you anymore, and you will leave our lives."
Sung Hyunjae didn't react to the young master's words. "It is not a decision either of us can make."
"What?"
Sung Hyunjae smiled. "Your brother has fallen for me. He won't be any more willing to leave than I am to give him up."
"…"