Yoojin stood in front of Sung Hyunjae, their hands entwined, and surrounded by other espers and guides. He never felt more uncomfortable.
"Yoojin-ssi~" Sung Hyunjae's smiled and his golden eyes curved in happiness. "I've never received a kiss goodbye. I can't tell you how excited I am."
Yoojin's lips pursed into a thin line, and his entire face burned with embarrassment.
It was called the 'send off,' but espers always joked about it and called it a 'kiss goodbye.' Before espers left to fight monsters, their guides would boost them up one final time. Once a monster portal opened, espers didn't have time for a long guiding session, so the quickest guiding methods were necessary for the safety of the citizens.
All around them, the Jupiter guides held, hugged, and even kissed the espers goodbye. Even Soyoung had her arms wrapped around her guide while they said goodbyes. Yoojin looked away when he kissed her on the cheek, feeling inappropriate for staring.
Yoojin remembered giving his brother hugs before he used to go monster hunting. When did kissing become so normalized?
A large outbreak of monsters had surged in the East Valley, Jupiter's territory. The espers would have fun using their powers to the fullest and fighting monsters, then Jupiter would get first dibs on all monster byproducts. Then give the Association its share, and ("If" they would do anything illegal/which no one would admit to doing) they would sell the rest on the black market.
It was all in a day's work for espers. But why had Sung Hyunjae asked specifically for a kiss? He had said he was fully stabilized. Couldn't Yoojin just do a handhold goodbye?
One of the Jupiter floors had a retractable wall so espers didn't all have to travel to the lobby to leave. They could just jump off the thirtieth floor. And it seemed a lot of guides liked to watch the battle while they waited for their esper to return. The building was made from monster byproducts, so it was the safest place to be.
Yoojin looked up at Sung Hyunjae. His smiling face was radiant against the dark, stormy sky, and his tall frame blocked some of the icy rain.
Sung Hyunjae didn't need guiding, so why did he need a kiss? While everyone could see?
Yoojin's hands balled up in Sung Hyunjae's hands.
"Yoojin-ssi?"
"Can… can you lean down a little?"
Sung Hyunjae complied without a second thought. "Of course."
Some guides and espers were watching now. Yoojin's heart pounded. He closed his eyes and hurried through it.
He still had to lift up on his toes to reach Sung Hyunjae. It was mortifying for a man to stand on his toes to kiss someone. When their lips met, his guiding power flowed freely between them. The room didn't feel as cold. They were warm rays of the sun instead of chilly rain.
Yoojin was out of breath, and a blush warmed his cheeks. Sung Hyunjae pulled back from the soft kiss and stood to his full height. He looked far too happy for a guy who was about to fight dangerous monsters.
"I'll be back soon, Yoojin-ssi. Stay inside. Don't wonder off from your guards again."
Yoojin's eyebrow ticked with annoyance and lingering embarrassment. "I'm an adult, Mr. Sung."
Sung Hyunjae patted his head. "Of course. Yoojin-ssi is very capable. Be good while you wait for me."
Yoojin removed Sung Hyunjae's hand from his head. "You have to leave before I can wait for you to return. I didn't embarrass myself in front of everyone for nothing—"
Yoojin was stunned silent when Sung Hyunjae quickly leaned down and kissed Yoojin's cheek. His voice was so low it rumbled in Yoojin's ear. "I'll need much guiding when I get back, so I hope you rest well. I'll not let you out of my bed for any excuse."
Yoojin's swallowed. Sung Hyunjae stepped back and smiled deeply. Yoojin blinked while the esper disappeared into the dark rain, faster than he could track.
Kang Soyoung ran past Yoojin next. "Bye-bye, Yoojin-nim! See you soon~"
Yoojin waved at her. Sung Hyunjae's team of espers followed suit, and Yoojin was alone with the guides. He could feel their eyes on him, but it was the Head Guide who came up to him.
She took Yoojin's hand.
The touching didn't bother Yoojin as much as the way her guiding powers entered him without consent. He shuddered.
She could at least give a warning. Did espers really like this?
"Sung Hyunjae looked well stabilized. Are you okay, Guide Yoojin?"
Yoojin blinked at her. It was the first time anyone here had called him a guide, and it was the Head Guide herself.
"Yes, I'm fine," Yoojin answered her, the praise warming him against the icy wind.
Everything was fine, except he was still a little worn out from last night's… activities. The sex was incredible, but he was sore in places he never thought could be sore. His hips hurt, his throat ached, and he still had marks from Sung Hyunjae's chains all across his body.
Yoojin wore a long sleeve jacket and hope no one saw the marks over his arms.
Sung Hyunjae had shown an unhealthy amount of interest in the marks. As soon as Yoojin woke up this morning, Sung Hyunjae had wanted to lick them all over again. If it wasn't for the monster attack, Yoojin didn't know if he would have been able to escape from the S-Rank's bed.
Another guide came up to Yoojin. He was taller than both of them, with wide shoulders. "Are you really guiding Boss Hyunjae by yourself?"
"Yes. I tried to convince him to get another guide, but he's being really stubborn."
The guide smirked. "I'm Guide Kwang Woojun. I'm been trying to guide Boss Hyunjae for almost two years now and I've never got my shot. Now you're telling me he picked a dedicated guide no one's ever heard of?"
"Kwang? As in Deer?" Yoojin asked. Why was he asking Yoojin about this? If he really had any complaints, he should take them up with Sung Hyunjae. It was only a matter of time before Sung Hyunjae found another guide, anyway.
Yoojin sighed. How much longer until that happened? Maybe if they had a high sync rate…
Guide Kwang Woojun kept talking. "It takes a high rank guide to maintain an S-Rank, and Boss Hyunjae needs the highest. It's no wonder you want more guides to help you."
"Guide Kwang Woojun," the Head Guide said. "I'm not even going to say this politely, but shut the hell up and leave Guide Yoojin alone."
They both stared at her, and she patted Yoojin on the shoulder, sighing with regret. "I feel like a mother sacrificing my only child to the dragon so he doesn't destroy our village. I don't mean to sell you out like this, Guide Yoojin, but I have to think of the good of the syndicate first."
"Huh?" Kwang and Yoojin had a slightly worried look.
She raised a finger in both the boy's faces. "Before Boss Hyunjae stopped using guides, I was one of his exclusive guides. And trust me, be happy with the position you have. Don't keep blindly reaching for greater and greater positions. It will leave you in a deficit or worse."
She pointed at Kwang. "You. Be happy with the espers you have."
She turned to Yoojin. "And you, be careful. I don't want any dead guides on my watch and as long as we don't have a rampaging S-Rank esper, I'm happy."
"Wait. Has anyone died here?" Yoojin asked in shock. Kwang's eye widened like this was his first time hearing it too.
"What? No. No one said that. And there's no proof of that either. But be careful and watch your power levels. Don't get into a deficit, don't worry about helping in the guiding department, and don't get near rampaging espers again."
"Umm, yeah. I only guided Mr. Noah because it was an emergency."
She shook her head. "Let the other espers handle it. Save your energy for Boss Hyunjae."
Yoojin didn't like the idea of him waiting around on Sung Hyunjae. He had worked his whole life. Sitting around felt nerve-racking. He could at least be working to start paying off his debt.
The Head Guide's phone went off. She looked at the messages. "Ah! Shit! Three guiding alerts at a time like this? What kind of clueless espers would waste their powers while a group is out hunting monsters? Team One, we have an orange alert."
"What!?" several guides called out. "We'll be exhausted when the espers return."
"Make Team Two handle it," someone said.
"Or make the new guide help," someone said, and a few people laughed. "If he's great enough to guide Boss Hyunjae, he should be able to help."
Yoojin tried to find the person who said that, but they hid in the back of the crowd.
"I don't want to hear it!" The Head Guide shouted. "Team Two, continue the schedule. Team One, follow me."
"I can help," Yoojin said. "It's no big deal."
"No, Guide Yoojin." The Head Guide said. "I'm serious when I say guiding Boss Hyunjae is a full-time job."
She left, and a group of guides followed.
"I'm glad he's not coming with us." Yoojin heard someone whisper. "I don't want to deal with fixing negative guiding on top of an orange alert."
Yoojin's head shot around, but he couldn't see who said that. His stomach tightened. This wasn't nearly as bad as what they said at Yoohyun's syndicate, but it still hurt.
A tiny woman came up to Yoojin and smiled. "Don't listen to them. They're just jealous. Like Guide Kwang. He was never close to being one of Boss Hyunjae's guides. He can't even make it as an exclusive guide. He's still on Team Two even."
"Hey!" Kwang shouted. "I'm on Team Two because I don't want to be on call when Esper Riette is near a rampage." Kwang looked at Yoojin to justify himself. "Don't get involved with Riette. You'll be in a deficit for days."
The woman laughed. "She's no big deal for me, but I'm a high-ranking guide." She offered Yoojin a charming smile that was cute on her small face. "I've always wondered what kind of guide could catch Boss Hyunjae. Do you think you can handle him after he returns from monster hunting?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Yoojin said.
The small guide frowned. "I hope you don't think that, Yoojin. My friend in the guiding department said Sung Hyunjae has ordered inhibitors again. Apparently he's been feeling pains."
"He has?" The news shocked Yoojin.
She covered her face and gasped. "Oh no, Yoojin. You haven't noticed?"
"I… I didn't know."
She pouted her lips. "That's so bad you didn't notice, but it is a high ranked guiding skill, so no one is blaming you. And espers love going through their powers during monster attacks, so he will be drained when he comes back. If you can't satisfy him, he'll be in a very vulnerable position and that could put the whole syndicate at risk."
Sung Hyunjae had said he would need a lot of guiding when he came back. Was that because he wasn't as stabilized as he had said? Had he been taking inhibitors this whole time, and that's why guiding was easy? Yoojin's heart rapped against his chest. Did that mean Yoojin hadn't been guiding him well this whole time?
"Ha!" Kwang laughed loudly and distracted Yoojin from his thoughts. "Don't listen to her. She's just trying to scare you away because she was next up to be Boss Hyunjae's guide and you stole her role. You even stole her current esper, Noah."
She turned her nose up. "Excuse me for being the only one here wanting to help the new guy." She suddenly grabbed Yoojin's hand. "Guide Yoojin, aren't you feeling drained? Do you want me to help you when Boss Hyunjae comes back?"
Yoojin clenched his teeth as her guiding flooded him. It didn't feel the same as the Head Guide. Her powers plowed into Yoojin almost like being hit. He pulled his hand away. Were all guides this evasive?
Her expression hardened when Yoojin stepped back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Guide Takko, and yes, I was training to be Boss Hyunjae's next guide. I want to make sure nothing happens to espers because of bad guiding."
Her words struck Yoojin.
This time, when Guide Takko took his hands, he didn't pull back. She frowned. "Hmm, I'm having a really hard time feeling your guiding powers. Are you alright? You feel week, I can't believe the Head Guide would let you continue guiding in this condition."
"I guess I am kind of tired," Yoojin agreed.
"And didn't you just come out of a deficit a few days ago?" She asked. "No one else here is looking out for you except me."
Guide Kwang folded his arms and laughed. "He wouldn't be in a deficit if you had guided Noah correctly." Kwang nudged Yoojin's arm. "Isn't that ridiculous? She needed you to guide the esper she's in charge of, and now she's trying to take your esper away?"
Yoojin didn't think that was funny at all. Who would joke about Noah's rampage, and Sung Hyunjae relying on inhibitors? Kwang had a crappy personality.
"No. It's not funny," Takko said. Yoojin thought he heard her voice crack, but she smiled with every word. "I want to thank you for helping my esper in an emergency. We do this for the esper's well being, don't we?"
Yoojin was actually happy to meet a guide who cared about Noah so much… but the memory of Noah's uncomfortable expression and fear of being guided flashed in his head. He glanced at Takko, but she looked so cheerful and nice.
Guide Kwang laughed again. "Guide Yoojin is corning the market on all the high-ranking espers. Maybe guiding Esper Reitta won't be a problem for you after all. Want to give her a shot?"
"Um, no, I'm already guiding enough…" But was he? If Sung Hyunjae was taking inhibitors, could he even count that as guiding?
Kwang laughed, "You can come to the guiding department anytime and guide with me. But don't steal my espers, I do need a job after all."
"He can't," Takko snapped, her eyebrow twitching. "Yoojin's energy is too low. He needs to rest."
"Oh, is it really that bad?" Kwang asked Yoojin directly. Yoojin had thought he felt fine.
Takko patted Yoojin's cheek. "Just take some time to rest. When the espers come back, I will explain my concerns to Boss Hyunjae and guide him myself. You did say you were trying to convince him to use more guides, right? Why not start now?"
A tightness, almost pain, filled Yoojin's chest. He had said that, but he had just gotten used to waking up in Sung Hyunjae's bed. He liked the way the esper always looked at him and wanted to touch him. Even if it was just for guiding, Yoojin liked the time he spent with Sung Hyunjae.
Would he do all that with his new guide as well?
Kwang snorted. "Don't listen to her. She's two faced. How do you think she got to her position? She's trying to say this is all for your benefit, but she's trying to steal Boss Hyunjae."
"I'm not!" Takko covered her face. When she sniffled and wiped at her eyes, Yoojin and Kwang froze. "That's what everyone says about me, but I'm not like that. I'm kind and nice. But you wouldn't understand having a bad reputation as a guide…"
Yoojin's heart ached for the poor girl. Did she also have a similar experience as him?
She lifted her head and smiled brightly. "Yoojin, take a break. You don't want Sung Hyunjae to have to rely on inhibitors, do you? We can work together."
Yoojin smiled back at her, but it was tight and fake. He needed to think what was best for Sung Hyunjae.
"I will go rest," Yoojin said, his throat tightening. He felt like a manipulative guide, risking Sung Hyunjae's safety for his own greed. S-Ranks needed multiple guides. He couldn't keep him for himself forever.
Guide Takko grinned. "Don't look so grim. I'll take good care of him."
Guide Kwang snorted. "See how insidious she is? She'll make you feel bad for something that's not your fault. But if you are tired, why don't we get something to eat together? Oh! There's a cafeteria that serves great fried chicken."
Guide Takko cleared her throat. "Guide Kwang, I actually need your help with something."
"Huh? How can you tell Guide Yoojin you have it all settled, then turn around to drop work on me? You see what I mean about being two-faced?"
"Don't listen to him, Yoojin. You should go now," she said.
Yoojin said, "I can help if you—"
"No." She answered. She called for Guide Kwang as she walked away.
Guide Kwang huffed and followed her. Yoojin watched them disappear. It felt like something in his chest had shattered, and he needed to be alone.
Fear and Family, Shatter my Bones and Destroy the Security I Call Home
Yoojin headed back to Sung Hyunjae's room. He could play with Peace and call Yerim. That should keep him busy for a while.
"UGH!!"
Before Yoojin could turn around, one of his esper bodyguards flung into the wall. The entire building was made from monster material and didn't break like metals or steal, but it cracked under the esper's impact.
Yoojin whirled around and faced the attacker, but there was only the other guard. Yoojin hadn't gotten to know any of the security besides Kang Soyoung. And this guard was the newest. Yoojin didn't even know his name.
He grabbed Yoojin's throat.
"Hey—Ahhh!" Pain like fire coursed through him. Forced guiding. The earrings activated and cut the espers powers nearly in half. The esper's eyes widened, but Yoojin still grunted as pain struck through him. The stronger the esper the worse the suffering, and all his guards were at least A-Rank.
Powers crashed into Yoojin. His legs gave out. Yoojin had to fight back before he passed out. Yoojin could almost focus with the earring's help. He reached up to hit the esper.
The esper avoided the hit and threw Yoojin across the hall.
Yoojin rolled across the marble floor, hurting down to his bones. The esper charged toward him, and Yoojin couldn't do anything but cover his face.
The other guard leaped in front of Yoojin and blocked the esper's attack.
The air from their collision rushed past Yoojin's face. Yoojin pushed himself away from both of them, towards the portal to Sung Hyunjae's room. The bad esper saw and dove for Yoojin, but other guard blocked it.
The bad esper aimed for the good guard's side and hit him hard enough he coughed blood.
The good guard had a hard time getting up, and the bad esper kicked his face, knocking him out.
Yoojin ran toward the portal, but a hand dug into his shoulder and a wave of forced guiding hit him. It was getting harder and harder to fight it, and Yoojin screamed.
The bad esper shoved Yoojin down on the floor, knocking the air out of him and bruising his chest. The forced guiding hurt so much more. His skin was burning and his brain scrambled.
Suddenly, the bad esper let go of Yoojin.
The bad esper head was thrown back, and his mouth was open in a silent scream. He was also lifted a foot off the ground by the hand around his neck.
"What's going on?" Noah asked in an annoyed voice.
Sung Hyunjae had mentioned Noah had a poison skill. Thick, black molasses spilled from his hand and down the bad esper's chest.
"Mr—Mr. Noa—" Yoojin cleared his throat.
Noah dropped the bad esper and rushed to Yoojin. "Yoojin-nim, are you alright? Look at these injuries! We need to get you to a healer immediately."
Yoojin coughed and still had trouble speaking. Damn espers, do they not know how strong they were?
Noah lifted Yoojin in his arms.
"Hold on to me, I'll get you to the healers."
Yoojin nodded, but they both paused when a phone started ringing. It was coming from the bad esper's coat. When it continued to ring with no one to answer it, Yoojin's phone buzzed.
Noah bit his lip. "Don't answer that."
Yoojin pulled out his phone anyway and nearly dropped it when he saw the image on the screen.
A text quickly followed, and his stomach dropped.
Tell anyone and you won't see him again.
Yoo Myeongwoo's blurry image showed him tied up and hurt. Yoojin's hand shook and Noah slowly set him down and took the phone.
"Who's this?" Noah asked.
"It… its…" Yoojin had trouble breathing. "He's… he's…"
"It's okay. Breathe. Tell me slowly."
Another message came in and Yoojin reached for his phone, only for Noah to hold it out of Yoojin's reach.
"Give it back! I have to know what it says!"
"Yoojin, calm down."
Yoojin shook his head. The room was spinning. Why would someone do this to Yoo Myeongwoo? He was the sweetest man in the world. He worked harder than anyone Yoojin knew, and he was honest and caring. Why was this happening?
Messages flashed on his screen.
Be here in fifteen minutes, or your friend dies.
Tell anyone he dies.
Show up alone, or he dies.
Yoojin swallowed. Fifteen minutes. That wasn't enough time to do anything. He had to do what the kidnappers wanted.
Noah's hand cradled Yoojin against his chest until he stopped shaking. Noah said, "They waited until Kang Soyoung and Boss Hyunjae were gone. The fact he could get so close to you means they could have another inside man. If he had taken you, no one would have noticed until Sung Hyunjae came back."
The injuries on Yoojin's chest and neck were really hurting now. "He… he wouldn't have come for me. I agreed to let someone else guide him."
"Huh? Why would you agree to that?" Noah's eyes widened. "Did a guide tell you to go back to Boss Hyunjae's room by yourself?"
"A few guides told me to rest."
Noah sighed. "This is bad. I'll take you to the healers and try to figure out how deep this rat problem is."
"What? No! You can't take me to the healers. They won't let me go to Yoo Myeongwoo."
"I'm not letting you go, either. It's dangerous and I can't ignore these injuries."
"What about Yoo Myeongwoo?"
"I'll retrieve him."
Yoojin shook his head franticly. "No, what if Yoo Myeongwoo isn't at the location they told me to go to? What if he gets hurt?"
"I can't just let you walk into a trap like that. We will find another way."
Yoojin looked at him and realized Noah would not help him. He jumped to his feet and ran. If he could just get to the elevator, he could reach the ground floor before Noah.
"Yoojin-nim!"
"I'm sorry! Noah I—hey, wait!"
Noah grabbed Yoojin by the wrist. Yoojin struggled against the S-Rank.
"Please, Mr. Noah, he's my friend… I don't know what I'd do without him."
Noah didn't look sure. "This doesn't feel right. Why would they hurt your friend? Think rationally about this. Rushing to do everything they say will only make it worse."
Yoojin tried to think, but they only had twelve minutes left. His words rushed out, "Yoo Myeongwoo had debts. They sounded bad, but I don't know with who."
Noah shook his head. "No. They wouldn't threaten you because of that."
"Maybe they found out I've been guiding Sung Hyunjae and want a ransom."
"If that was the reason, they wouldn't have given you a time limit, and they would have asked for the money up front."
Eleven minutes left.
"This doesn't feel like it's about Yoo Myeongwoo. When I kidnap someone…" Noah cleared his throat. "When I'm… trying to… help someone in a hostage situation, I give a time limit. It causes panic and the people I'm after make mistakes. Look at the bigger picture. Who is after you, Yoojin?"
Realization struck Yoojin. "Choi Sukwon. He… he said if I didn't guide his organization, he would come after Yoo Myeongwoo."
"Boss Choi Sukwon? One of the top five gangsters is threatening you? We can't let you near him. We need to let Boss Hyunjae know."
"He's monster hunting right now, and we only have ten minutes left!" Yoojin shouted.
Yoojin fought to keep calm, but he couldn't breathe.
"Please," Yoojin begged, looking deeply into those gray eyes. "Help me."
'Cause' it Feels so Frightening, My Chest Starts Tightening
Noah had told Yoojin three things.
One: No one would let Yoojin walk out of Jupiter while Sung Hyunjae was gone. Not even with Noah escorting him. If they tried, they would stop Noah and detain Yoojin.
Two: Noah's invisibility skill could work on some S-Ranks. He could even use it on Yoojin, but it the rank dropped under A-Rank. So, he couldn't sneak him out.
Third: Because there was a monster so close, no one would be in the garden.
Noah took Yoojin to the roof and icy rain soaked through his clothes. The sky had turned dark, and the storm spread as far as Yoojin could see. A loud crackle of lightning and thunder made Yoojin pause, reminding him of Sung Hyunjae.
Seven minutes left.
Noah took Yoojin's hand and led him to the ledge of the garden. Yoojin didn't know there was a secret path on the roof. Noah stopped and looked over the ledge. Yoojin did the same, but frowned. There was no path down.
Noah took Yoojin by the shoulders and turned him to face away from the ledge. Then he lifted Yoojin into his arms.
"Noah?"
"Hold on to me."
"For wha-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHA!"
Thunder covered Yoojin's screams. Noah took one step back and fell backward over the ledge. Both their bodies plummeted to the ground from the tall building.
Noah landed on his feet with a slight "umph" and a bend of his knees.
"Are you alright? Yoojin-nim?"
Yoojin clutched to Noah's chest. Wide eyes, heart racing, and adrenaline blanking his head.
"Yoojin?"
"… guides… don't…" Yoojin muttered.
"I can't hear you." Noah placed a hand under Yoojin's chin and turned his head up.
"G-guides don't get additional skills…"
"Oh!" Noah blushed, his forehead crinkling. "I'm so sorry, Yoojin-nim. I thought telling you would scare you more. I'm S-Rank, so I wouldn't have let anything happen to you."
"… don't ever… do… something like that again."
"Yes, yes, of course." Noah's words flutter out as he stroked Yoojin's arms to calm him down.
Overpowered… espers…
Yoojin checked his time. Five minutes left. At least, that saved time, not having to deal with security.
It's Starting
Lightning shot through the sky as Sung Hyunjae walked down the street. The thunderous explosions shook the nearby buildings. Large monsters couldn't run away from before the seeker chains sliced through them, and smaller monsters would be handled by the other espers on his team.
Sung Hyunjae raised his face to the raining sky when a monster portal opened in front of him. An enormous monster, bigger than some of the seven story buildings, crawled out. Claws like fingers acted like feathers on wings. It screeched through a hook like beak, and its bulbous eyes set on Sung Hyunjae.
The chains shot through it, ripping it apart.
Few more monsters came through the portal. One by one, Sung Hyunjae stuck them down until only small monsters remained and moved on to the next portal.
Sung Hyunjae could use his powers much more freely than he had in ages, and he had moved far ahead of the rest of the hunters.
An arrow shot past his face, and he stepped back to avoid it. A hundred more flew at him, filling the sky. The lightning exploded and disintegrated them.
"Damn it! Reload!" someone shouted.
Sung Hyunjae smiled, sending down another bolt of lightning at the attackers. The fleeing espers were easy to track down with the seeker chains, but more surrounded him.
"Well, isn't this interesting," Sung Hyunjae said. "It's very untactful to attack someone during a monster raid."
"Sung Hyunjae!" A high ranking esper approached him. "The MLK syndicate sends their regards."