"Ahjussi!"
"Yerim! Be careful!" Yoojin couldn't deny he was nervous now that Yerim awakened as a S-rank. She had been stronger than him before the boost in rank, and she hadn't had much time to adjust to her new powers.
But her arms were just the right amount of pressure as she pulled him off his feet into a hug. She really gave the best hugs, or maybe he just missed her a lot.
"Yerim! You're not supposed to hold your elders like this!" Yoojin cried in embarrassment.
He glanced back, and it surprised him to find Sung Hyunjae smiling. Evelyne stood next to him. She looked professional and posed, but beneath her glasses, she looked tired.
As the day went on, Yoojin felt bad for her. Evelyne was supposed to give the tour to Yerim, but everyone had been preventing her from finishing her job. First, Yerim had wanted to see Yoojin, then Sung Hyunjae wanted to follow Yoojin, then Yerim argued with Sung Hyunjae, and now Sung Hyunjae was leading the tour. It was a mess.
This was Yoojin's first time in the esper section of Jupiter. The amenities surprised both Yerim and him. To be a high ranked hunter was amazing. Not as nice as Sung Hyunjae's house, but here Yerim would live well.
Not often, but occasionally, Yoojin saw other espers staring at him. At first, he thought they might have been curious about the youngest S-rank in the nation. But their eyes lingered on Yoojin too much for him to deny it any longer. Once again, he was between two S-ranks, and everyone watched him, confused but also seemingly jealous.
It wasn't easy to get close to S-ranks and everyone fanned over them so much. They must be upset Yoojin was stealing so much of their time.
"Ahjussi! We get to work together again! I'm so excited about getting started. I'll be the best monster hunter ever!"
Yoojin patted her head. "Focus on training first." Yerim had just finished the Association mandated three-day course for all espers. But that was nowhere near enough experience for an esper to become familiar with their new powers.
Why did espers have a short course when guides needed four weeks? He still thought it was a scam.
"And then you can be my guide?" Yerim asked.
"I am your guide."
Her gaze shifted to Sung Hyunjae. "Yeah, but he's still here."
Yoojin glanced at Sung Hyunjae and back to Yerim. "You really shouldn't start your first day picking a fight with the boss."
She hadn't let go of Yoojin's arm through the tour, so it was easy for her to tug him down to whisper in his ear. "I don't trust that ahjussi. Is it because of him you weren't able to see me when I was in the hospital?"
"I mean… I would've seen you if I could, but there were some things that came up. Things… have been lively."
Like kidnapping, someone hurting Yoo Myeongwoo and Noah, assault, forced guiding, illegal guiding, guiding deficit, being threatened by Choi Sukwon, and two murders…
"Ahjussi," Yerim's eyes hooded. "There's a hickey on your neck."
His hand shot up to cover it. The blush that spread over Yoojin's face was instantaneous. "Umm… that's… t-that's not what you think."
She said in a flat voice, "Haven't you told me it's better to wait till marriage?"
"Er… umm…" Yerim, please don't tease me. I get enough of that from Sung Hyunjae. What if Evelyne hears? I don't want to be known as someone who sleeps with the boss.
"A-anyway, Yerim, what do you think of Jupiter?"
Yerim wasn't happy about the change of subject, but she allowed it. "It's big, and I like it. Since I'm your bodyguard, will our rooms be near each other?"
Yoojin stopped. He didn't have a room. He had been staying at Sung Hyunjae's place and now all their belongings were mixed together. Had he really not noticed he was homeless for the past week? He didn't share that with her, but now he wondered if he should ask for a dorm room for himself.
Sung Hyunjae stepped closer. "The dorms for espers are on the upper west floors, but there are empty apartments adjacent to the penthouse. They were originally made for guides but have been empty for some time now. The little miss is welcomed to one of those rooms, but they are small."
"The smaller dorm is fine," Yerim answered.
"Hold on," Yoojin said. "Yerim, you don't have to take a smaller room."
Yerim's stern face set into a harsh line. Yoojin sighed and realized there was no point in arguing with a teenager.
"My guide is a magnet for the most interesting espers," Sung Hyunjae mused.
Yerim's eyes turned to him, and her scowl deepened. "Ahjussi is only working here because I am. Soon we'll have our own mega monster hunting syndicate, live in a mansion together, and he won't have to guide anyone else."
Yoojin looked at Sung Hyunjae nervously. He had shown a lot of jealousy when he guided others, and he didn't know how the mob boss would react.
He didn't expect Sung Hyunjae to look hurt. "Yoojin-ssi, are you really going to run off as soon as another S-Rank tries to snatch you away?"
"Can you both stop?" Yoojin asked, feeling exasperated.
"Ahjussi? Are you his guide or his boyfriend? You're awfully close, but you said you weren't dating—"
Yoojin felt the need to cover Yerim's mouth before she said something to rile up Sung Hyunjae. "It's not what you think, Yerim."
"Yoojin-ssi, I'm hurt. First you plan to run off with another esper, then you say we're not even dating."
The mirth in Sung Hyunjae's eyes irked him. Yoojin didn't want Yerim to think this was acceptable behavior between espers and guides, and he definitely didn't want her finding out about their relationship. He tried to push Sung Hyunjae away, but the impassive esper refused to budge from his side.
Yoojin turned to yell at Sung Hyunjae, but the kiss to his forehead immobilized him. His heart surged, but the rational side of his brain cursed.
Yerim gasped in amazement, and her eyes widened. "You are dating!"
"Yerim, no!"
"You don't consider us dating?" Sung Hyunjae asked. "When just two days ago, you were tearing up at our sync rate—"
"Can you both save your questions until after the tour?" Yoojin shouted. "I'm sure Ms. Evelyne has more business to do today besides follow us around!"
Evelyne stood off from them, probably because everyone was crowding Yoojin. Her smile never once flinched, but Yoojin sensed she would rather be anywhere else. Just like him.
Then there was a crash and a loud bang. Yoojin looked up, but Sung Hyunjae didn't react.
"What was that?" Yerim asked.
A set of double doors flew off the handles and crashed into the wall. Through a debris of smoke, a tall, muscular woman walked in. Her long, red hair flowed around her, the tailored suit showed off her muscular arms and wide shoulders, and heels made her even taller. Her eyes darted to them.
"Unnie?" Yerim asked.
"Boss Moon Hyuna," Evelyne greeted. "This is a surprise. There are no meetings with the Breaker Syndicate today."
Kang Soyoung sprinted into the room. "Moon Hyuna! No! AHHA—Boss Hyunjae!" She jumped back in shock. "I—I—I'm sorry! I couldn't keep up with her! She ran past all of us and destroyed a water feature."
Yoojin stilled when Moon Hyuna's eyes narrowed on him. He wanted to hide, but Song Hyunjae wrapped an arm around his waist, locking him in place. Yoojin wondered why they were allowing a hostile S-rank here. Why was no one else worried?
Moon Hyuna stormed into the room with Kang Soyoung close behind. She pointed at Sung Hyunjae and shouted, "What's your deal? I hire the most female espers in Korea and suddenly you sweep in and take the only other S-rank girl?"
Yoojin blinked. This was about Yerim?
"And you!" Moon Hyuna pointed at Yerim. "I offered to match the Jupiter contract. Why did you take his offer instead of mine?"
"Unnie," Yerim said in a friendly voice. "This ahjussi is my guide. We joined together. Now I'm his bodyguard."
Kang Soyoung gasped. "New bodyguard? Yoojin-nim, did I do something wrong? Boss Hyunjae, are you firing me?"
"She'll fill in when you are gone," Sung Hyunjae answered.
Kang Soyoung sighed in relief, and Moon Hyuna glanced from her to Yerim to Yoojin.
"Are you the unknown guide I've been hearing about? The one who showed up out of nowhere?"
Sung Hyunjae sighed. "Rumors are terrible means to gather information. Yoojin-ssi is my guide. There isn't a need for more of a reputation."
"And mine!" Yerim shouted at Sung Hyunjae.
Moon Hyuna faked vomited. "I didn't think I would ever see the boss of Jupiter reduced to sharing a guide. But I guess anything would be better than him actively avoiding them."
Her words struck Yoojin more than Sung Hyunjae. Yoojin had refused the dedicated guiding contract because he still wanted to take care of everyone. But he hadn't thought it would negatively affect Sung Hyunjae's reputation.
What if Moon Hyuna was going to use this information against him? It didn't seem to bother Sung Hyunjae, so why was it bothering Yoojin so much?
"I'm practically Sung Hyunjae's dedicated guide," Yoojin said, standing up for Sung Hyunjae. "But someone has to watch Yerim until she finds a trustworthy guide."
Moon Hyuna's brow arched. It was a very suspicious look. "And you're a trustworthy guide? I've never even heard of you, and I thought I knew all the high-ranked guides. Are you even licensed?"
"I'm starting classes soon," Yoojin answered defensively.
Moon Hyuna shook her head and crossed her arms. "I've heard of guides being ambitious about their positions, but this is crazy. Isn't guiding two S-Ranks dangerous? Is it even possible to guide one by yourself?"
Well… She was right about most of that. But it wouldn't be long before Yerim found a better guide. Then Yoojin could focus on finding more trustworthy guides for Sung Hyunjae and go back to his brother.
Yoojin had to look away for a moment. His insides stung at the thought, and he had to swallow thickly to push it down. It was hard to think about leaving, but it was for the best. His emotions were getting out of control and it would only hurt more the longer he stayed.
Moon Hyuna leaned into Yoojin's space. He would have backed up if it wasn't for the two espers holding onto him. She was a tall woman with beautiful features. He definitely like the red even though his preference was a more natural style.
"Hmmm, if it's Yerim you want to guide, why don't you both join Breaker? I'll let you be her dedicated guide while you both work for me."
Yoojin couldn't help but scowl at her. Why were espers so obsessed with dedicated guides?
"Boss Hyuna," Evelyne said. "Please don't break into Jupiter and try to recruit members for your organization. Very untactful, indeed."
Moon Hyuna shrugged. "Can you blame me? When you hear all the stories about the guides at the Association? I just came to make sure Yerim is being taken care of and has a respectable relationship with her guide."
Yerim looked up at Yoojin. "What other kind of relationship could we have?"
Yoojin cleared his throat, and his eyes darted away. "None."
Moon Hyuna grinned, laughing while she said, "See, you're not even being honest and she's brand new to all this. You see, Yerim, at a physical level—"
Yoojin covered Yerim's ears and yelled at Moon Hyuna. "Have some decency! What are you telling a fifteen-year-old? She has to at least graduate college before you say things like that to her."
"How can I trust a no-license, unknown guide to have her best interest in heart? It's better for her to know, so no one takes advantage of her."
Yoojin kind of agreed with her. He would've been furious if he found out Yerim was hanging around no-license guides. But Yerim was still in high school. Couldn't this wait a few more years?
Yoojin let go of Yerim's ears. She seemed agitated she was being left out of the conversation.
"Speaking of…" Moon Hyuna looked hard at Sung Hyunjae. "You haven't had a guide in almost a year. What gives?"
"I didn't realize my guiding habits had become a controversial topic at Breaker."
Moon Hyuna brushed her hair back and crossed her arms. "You surprised me with how long you survived. I was waiting for the call of your rampage, because I wanted to be the one to beat you unconscious."
"You don't need to wait if you want to test your strength."
She cracked her knuckles and smiled. "I don't want to be the one to start your rampage, either. Your guide probably needs a few months to work through your concentrated energy after your year hiatus. Besides, I would feel bad for beating up an old man like you."
Sung Hyunjae grinned. "My invitation remains open. Anytime you feel confident, don't worry about my schedule."
Yoojin grimaced. Why were espers so violent and inappropriate? He looked down at Yerim. She looked up with large blue eyes and smiled innocently. Well, not all of them.
Moon Hyuna huffed. "I still don't know why you finally agreed to have a guide, then only took a single one. One that's not even licensed." She turned to Yoojin. "No offense."
"It's starting to feel offensive."
She was still staring. "But what's so special about you?" Her lips pursed as she glanced between him and Sung Hyunjae. She looked at the way Sung Hyunjae had his arm wrapped around Yoojin's waist and how Yoojin leaned into his side. Finally, her eyes settled on Yoojin and a mischievous smirk spread over her lips.
Moon Hyuna held up a hand to block her lips from Yerim and mouthed the words, "Is the sex that good?"
Yoojin felt his entire face burn. Yerim looked between him and Moon Hyuna, trying to figure out what the adults were talking about, pulling at his shirt in frustration. She wasn't enjoying being left out and asked what Moon Hyuna said.
He couldn't even think of a denial. "N-nothing, Yerim. It's nothing."
Moon Hyuna laughed, and Yoojin desperately wanted this mad woman to leave before she corrupted Yerim.
"That's so sweet," Moon Hyuna said in a honey like voice. "Did Boss Hyunjae pick a guide out of love? No. You would've bonded if that was the case. Surely one guide can't be enough, even if you two are doing that."
Yerim looked at Yoojin. "So, you are dating."
"…Yerim." Yoojin answered through gritted teeth. He was never going to get over this embarrassment.
While Moon Hyuna and Sung Hyunjae took jabs at each other, Yerim asked. "Is that why you can't be my dedicated guide?"
"It's not that." Yoojin told her. "I want to guide everyone I care about. If I took a dedicating guiding contract, I could only guide one person."
"The guides at the hospital said…" her voice trailed off as she looked down.
"Hmm? What did they say?"
She refused to meet his eyes. Her jaw set.
"Yerim?"
He had to coax her into talking. "They said you won't want to guide me if you were working for the boss of Jupiter. That a single guide couldn't stabilize an S-rank, let alone two of them. They made it sound like you would push me off on someone else and that other guides were handsy."
Other guides said that to her? Yoojin fumed. But also… could he guide two S-Ranks? He hadn't really thought about it. What if he couldn't take care of both of them?
"Yerim, would you take my hand?"
She released his arm, and he took her hand. Yoojin began guiding.
Yerim felt different from how he remembered. Not harder, but definitely more defined. It was cool and refreshing. She felt like a winter day with a warm cup of hot chocolate, bundled in a warm blanket and a soft bed.
Once the surprise of her new power capacity passed, guiding her felt like muscle memory. Besides his brother, he had guided Yerim the most. It was always a quick hug or a brief pat on the back. It had been embarrassing, but it was worth it. He couldn't stand to see Yerim in pain.
"Oh." Yerim hugged Yoojin's hand to her chest and closed her eyes briefly. "I remember this feeling. You would always give me the warmest hugs. I never wanted to let go."
Yoojin didn't know if this amount of contact would be enough, but he didn't mind holding Yerim's hand. She was nearly fully stabilized, so it wouldn't take long if he continued at this pace.
"Yoojin-ssi," Sung Hyunjae said. "You should be careful guiding so many espers so soon."
It embarrassed him to see everyone staring. Even Evelyne had a curious look.
"I came out of the deficit a few days ago. It's not a bother."
Moon Hyuna looked closely at Yoojin, "You can really guide two S-ranks?" She held out her hand to Yoojin. "What do you say about becoming my guide instead? Guiding a woman is much better anyway."
She winked, and he lowered his brow to glare at her.
"Boss Hyuna, careful," Sung Hyunjae's expression changed only slightly, but the way he said her name sent chills over Yoojin's arms.
"Unnie!" Yerim shouted. "Are you trying to steal my guide?"
Moon Hyuna shrugged. "Well, if you work for me, it wouldn't be stealing."
What a shameless woman. Yoojin told Sung Hyunjae he would take Yerim and show her where he's staying so they could finish their talk. Kang Soyoung cheerfully tagged along.
Yerim stuck her tongue out while Yoojin led her away. He scolded her about being professional now that she worked here.
"Is Peace here? Can we see him too?"
"Of course," Yoojin quickly forgot he was supposed to reprimand her, and Yerim cheerfully held Yoojin's hand.
Bad Things Happen When Underestimating Guides
Sung Hyunjae walked into his newly refurbished office. The fire and water damage from Han Yoohyun's visit had been erased. Getting rid of Moon Hyuna took longer than Sung Hyunjae wanted. Evelyne had to escort her out and might not return for a few hours.
"Hello~ Boss Hyunjae."
Sung Hyunjae paused before he turned toward Han Yoojin. "The voice is right, but the words are not."
Yoojin stood in front of the desk and touched his lips in surprise.
"Oh no," Yoojin said. "Did I give it away already?"
Han Yoojin pouted and stomped his foot. The face, height, and body were all identical to Yoojin, so the cute gesture looked nice on the smaller man. Even if it wasn't something the real Yoojin would do. Still, it was amusing to see.
"I really tried," the fake Yoojin cried. "How was I discovered so quickly? I even read an article about how to act."
"You should study more the person you are trying to impersonate than methods of acting. For example, Han Yoojin doesn't call me 'Boss Hyunjae.'"
Fake Yoojin covered his mouth. "Oh my, how disrespectful. You're the top ranked boss in Korea."
Sung Hyunjae studied the fake. "It's good they sent a guide to impersonate Yoojin, but I gave him guide shield earrings to mask his powers. I can feel your powers too strongly. Did someone try to send a high rank guide to seduce me or to assassinate me?"
Fake Yoojin blinked. "You think I'm a high ranked guide?" The smile that spread across his face was charming. "Thank you. But my guiding is quite weak, actually."
That was a strange thing to lie about. Even now, he was aware of the fake Yoojin's powers drifting around the room. Stronger than some high ranks he's known.
"And I didn't come for you. They sent me to see Yoojin. I thought I could meet him like this."
Sung Hyunjae tilted his head. "Why would you come disguised as Yoojin to meet Yoojin? Someone would notice two of you walking around and report it."
"Well." the fake bit his nails. "My esper has a skill that can change appearances, but it's trickier to change the appearances of others. They need to look like me a little in stature, and Mr. Han Yoojin was the only person close to my height."
"You must be small."
"I'm actually tall for a girl, and I'm from Sweden."
"You must be an incredible guide for an esper to recruit you from so far away."
Once again, the fake looked confused. "I guess you might say I have a special skill. It's kind of rare but nothing that would help my esper. I'm considered low-ranked. I have to hold on to her all day to fully stabilize her."
"Your relationship sounds close, but I've never known a member of the Transcendent to have a low-ranked guide."
"EEP!" The fake covered their mouth. "Did I give it away? Oh, no! I'm in so much trouble!"
"It's alright that you revealed you work for Transcendent. We both send informants to each other's organizations."
The fake shook their head dramatically and stuck out their tongue. "Yuck! I don't want that! The last time I saw what happened to an exposed spy, I hurled! They broke his arms as a warning. You can't break my arms! I use them for guiding!"
Fake Yoojin paused for a few seconds, then pursed his lips. "Wait, if you knew I'm not Yoojin, why haven't you tried to stop me?"
"I wanted to hear what Transcendent had planned."
Fake Yoojin stomped his foot. "That's rude! You shouldn't play with people like that. I'm on a very important mission."
"And what do you plan to do when you meet Han Yoojin?"
Fake Yoojin turned his head away, pouting. "I can't tell you. I must complete my mission."
It had been easy gathering information about Transcendent from the fake, but it was time to end it. Even if she was just a guide, he wouldn't let her near Yoojin.
Her eyes widened when Sung Hyunjae advanced closer. "Stop!" She held up her hand. "D-don't make me stop you." She lifted her chin defensively, but the trembled swallow ruined the effect.
Sung Hyunjae paused, curiosity rising. There was a firm determination in her eyes, even if they were wide enough to show white all around the irises. Sung Hyunjae believed guides had ways to defend themselves and wondered if she could use negative guiding like Yoojin. He smiled. "Alright. I want to see you stop me."
The Fall of Jupiter
Yoojin's ears popped, like the pressure changed suddenly. It left his head ringing, and he tasted something metallic on the back of his tongue.
Yerim's energy levels spiked, then rolled over into a rampage. Yoojin tried to grab her before she fell, but the cold sensation rushed through him and bruised him to the bone. The once cool sensation of guiding quickly evolved into a blizzard and threatened to bury him in an icy grave. He shivered and his breath fogged. He took Yerim into his arms and hugged her as tight as he could, even if it hurt.
He pushed all he had into guiding her.
No, no, no! What happened? What went wrong? Did he mess up? She was fine a moment ago!
Yoojin looked around for help and saw some of the other guides running. Someone screamed, but he couldn't understand why. He called for help, but none of them stopped. He looked back at Kang Soyoung and gasped.
She had fallen to the ground. One hand wrapped around her stomach, the other clawing into the floor.
Yoojin reached out and grabbed her hand. She tried to jerk away, but he grasped her arm. He guided, but the concentrated energy was already tipping her into a rampage.
"…Ahjussi… it hurts…" Yerim's voice broke.
Yerim's pain laced voice tore at his heart. He couldn't guide the two espers any faster, but he wouldn't let go of either of them. What had happened?
The wall in front of them crashed, flinging debris and chunks of metal everywhere. An esper was on the other side of the destruction. Hunched over with unsteady, glowing red eyes. Those hateful eyes landed on Yoojin.
The rampaging esper's powers lashed out. Yerim raised her head and a shaking arm. An ice shield spread before her and blocked the attack. A few shards still hit Yoojin, but he ignored them. The rampaging esper punched through the ice shield and raised his fist at Yerim. Yoojin pulled her closer, but there was nothing he could do.
Kang Soyoung struck out with her staff and smacked him away. He crashed into another wall, destroying more of the building.
Yerim raised her head, eyes already bleak with a red hue. "Ahjussi? What is this? I feel…I feel pain."
"Yerim, these are signs of a rampage. Are you using your powers for anything? You need to focus on conserving them."
Suddenly, arms wrapped around Yoojin's waist. Kang Soyoung seemed to move without awareness as she lifted them both into her lap. She held Yoojin dangerously tight and buried her forehead into his back. The feverish weight of Kang Soyoung's power clashed with Yerim's frozen touch.
He suppressed a shout. It didn't feel good.
"…I don't… I don't understand," Kang Soyoung said. "My powers just spiked and I can't control it."
"Spiked—?" An explosion cut off his words, and the building shook. The lights flickered, and the furniture rattled. His stomach tightened and fear prickled at his spine. This building was made of monster materials and could withstand an A-rank attack. That meant something stronger than an A-rank monster was shaking the building.
Why did their powers spike? It sounded like a guiding bust, but how was it possible to affect so many people at once? None of this made sense.
Yoojin's stomach coiled, and he felt sick. The exertion from guiding came in too quickly. He lifted his eyes as more people screamed. The floor shook again, and he tightened his hold on Yerim. Just a little more.
His arms were shaking, and he swallowed. Just a little more, he told himself again. Just a little more and he could then hide.
"Guide Yoojin!" The other guides hid behind a wall down the hall. "What are you doing? Those two are about to rampage! There's nothing you can do. Let them go and evacuate."
"I can't let them go!" Yoojin shouted. His lips dried, and his voice trembled. "They're in danger."
"Are you crazy?" The guide shouted.
Another guide screamed the elevator wasn't working. They were on the forty-fifth floor.
Kang Soyoung tried to speak. Her arm around him tightened until he could barely breathe. "You should… run, Yoojin-nim… I… I don't want to hurt you."
Yoojin bit his lip. What was happening? Was this all Korea, or just this room?
The floor shook again, and everywhere around him was the sound of crashing and breaking walls. More guides ran by, screaming and trying to find cover.
"Kang Soyoung. Kang Soyoung!!" He shouted again when she didn't respond. "Are there any espers who are not in the building?"
"… there's… Esper Noah… he's still at the hospital…"
Yoojin didn't have his number. Yoojin pulled Yerim's arms around his neck so she was hugging him, and he could use his free hand to reach for Kan Soyoung's phone. It rang a few times.
"Mr. Noah! Please get here now!"
"Yoojin-nim? How'd you get Kang Soyoung's phone? Are you alright?"
"I—ouch! Not so tight, Yerim! Mr. Noah, the espers at Jupiter are rampaging and there are a lot of guides trapped—"
"I'll be right there!" Noah shouted before he hung up.
"Yoojin-nim, look out!" Kang Soyoung yelled.
Yoojin looked up in time to see another esper with burning red eyes charging at them. Kang Soyoung turned Yoojin away to put her between Yoojin and the rampaging esper, but Yerim raised her head and leaped up.
She slammed the esper back. She was too close to rampaging to be fighting, but it didn't look like they had a choice. He focused his energy on Kang Soyoung.
"Be careful Yerim! He's still a person! He can't control what he's doing!"
"But he was going to hurt you, Ahjussi. You're not strong enough to survive an esper attack."
Yoojin sweated, and a throbbing pain beat against his head. "Just… just give me a second to think."
Kang Soyoung sat up. Maybe it was because she was A-Rank and Yerim was newly S-Rank but they stabilized quickly.
He dialed his brother's number. "Yoohyun!"
"Hyung? What's that noise?"
"Call the—" Kang Soyoung yank Yoojin back as the ceiling crashed down right where they had been. Two fighting espers landed too close to them. Kang Soyoung dashed out of reach of their lashing powers.
"Call the Association!" Yoojin barely managed as Kang Soyoung jumped and pivoted. "The espers at Jupiter are rampaging and—"
An attack hit Kang Soyoung, and she collapsed to the ground. Yoojin tumbled out of her arms and banged his shoulder on the floor. The phone smashed. When he lifted his head, an unfamiliar esper stood over him.
"Ahjussi!"
"Yoojin-nim!"
Yoojin braced as a chilling power raised around him. It was dark and stung his lungs like poison.
RAWWR
Peace burst through a wall in a blaze of fire and change from his cute kitten form into a near lion sized monster before tackling the esper to the ground.
Yoojin could sigh in relief that rampages didn't affect monsters.
"Peace! Stop!" Yoojin shouted. He waited until his kid looked at him. Yoojin pointed at the guides huddled by the out-of-order elevator. "Protect those guides. But don't kill anyone. They're still people!"
Peace glanced at the guides, then back at Yoojin. The deep yowl made Yoojin's shoulders slump in relief. He understood!
"I know you want to protect me," he said and rubbed Peace's large face. "But no one is protecting them. Please be a good kid and don't scare them. And don't hurt the espers too badly either. They can't help it right now."
Peace lowered his head and nuzzled his shoulders. Clearly not wanting to leave Yoojin's side, but a guide screeched. Three espers were approaching the group. Peace growled and leaped at them.
"Be careful!" Yoojin shouted at his monster. He stood and raised his hand, but the sight stopped him cold. There was blood on his hand. Where did that come from?
"Ahjussi, look out!" Yerim raced to Yoojin's side to smack away another esper, and he crashed through the floor. Yoojin would have fallen through the spreading hole if Kang Soyoung didn't grab him.
"You two," Yoojin ordered. "Bring me the esper Yerim slammed through the wall. The one who hasn't gotten up yet."
They looked at him. "Yoojin-nim, we need to get you out of here!"
"There are too many guides on this floor to evacuate before the espers tear down this building! Bring him to me!" Yoojin shouted.
"You can't guide them all!" Kang Soyoung shook her head.
She was right. He was already sweating, and his head ached. Maybe two more mid rank espers, but the building would still be destroyed by then.
Movement behind Yoojin caught his attention and caused him to turn. It was the Head Guide. She threw off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves.
"Do what he says," the Head Guide said. "Hold down the esper so he doesn't hurt us. Then he can help restrain the other espers as well."
"But Head Guide—"
Her commanding gaze hushed Kang Soyoung. "Jupiter is the number one syndicate in the nation. Can you even imagine the casualties they can cause before the other mob bosses get here?"
"O-Okay!" Kang Soyoung and Yerim took off.
The Head Guide looked at Yoojin. "Are you alright? You just came out of a deficit."
Yoojin nodded. "I can do this."
Her lips thinned. "Thank you for protecting the other guides." She turned around. "If there is any other guide here who isn't afraid, now's the time to step up."
"Don't get too close to a rampaging esper." Yoojin called after her. "They're past the point of violence and can't control their powers!"
Kang Soyoung and Yerim dragged the esper toward Yoojin and the Head Guide, where they could begin guiding.
Yoojin staggard and tasted blood. The concentrated energy nearly swallowed him and felt like it was still growing by the second. He dug his fingers into the esper's skin to stop his arm from trembling. The esper was A ranked, but unfamiliar. Next to the Head Guide, Yoojin felt… useless. He didn't know how to guide this esper. He had never even seen him before. Yoojin used a heaping amount of raw power to make a dent in the concentrated energy. Nausea and dry heaves came next, but Yoojin bit his tongue to think about anything else besides his throbbing head.
"Yerim!" Kang Soyoung shouted. "To your right!"
"Ahhha!" Yerim let go and blocked another attack with her ice power. It was harder for Kang Soyoung to hold down the esper alone, but he became more pliant.
"… Head Guide…?" The esper asked when he came too.
"That's right, it'll be okay."
"Yerim! Left!" Kang Soyoung shouted.
"I'm busy!"
A large esper rushed them, and Yoojin and the head guide didn't have time to step back. But a blond slammed into him, sending the rampaging esper flying.
"Mr. Noah!" Yoojin shouted.
"Yoojin-nim, what's happening?" Noah turned to him. "Why's the building falling apart?"
"I don't know!" Yoojin shook his head. "Please help us restrain these espers so we can stop their rampage. Are your powers stabilized?"
Noah nodded. "Enough. I'll do what I can."
The esper Yoojin and the Head Guide were stabilizing fell forward. "This hurts… what's going on?"
Yoojin grabbed him and forced him to meet his eyes. "Help us restrain other espers!"
Two more guides came forward. "W-we... we can help too…" The Head Guide ordered them to take on the esper Yerim and Noah caught, and Yoojin moved to the tall woman Kang Soyoung tackled.
More guides rushed forward to help, but lightning stuck next to the building. It blackened the sky, rattled the window panels, and shattered the glass. The thunderous crash that followed rang in Yoojin's ears.
His heart dropped. This power… Sung Hyunjae.
Yoojin turned, but Kang Soyoung grabbed him. "H-hold on! You can't just rush to the boss! He's dangerous right now."
"I'm his guide. I have to help him."
"No, Yoojin-nim! If Boss Hyunjae is rampaging, no one in this building can stop him."
"But I can."
"Yoojin!" Kang Soyoung pleaded desperately. "If the espers here aren't safe near him, then neither are you. The other syndicates can…they can…" Her voice trailed off. She was thinking the same thing as Yoojin.
"Do you really think there is anyone who can stop him?"
Kang Soyoung's mouth dropped, and before she could think of anything to say, she looked away. But she didn't release him. "Yoojin… this… it's not safe. It would be better to wait for help."
He grabbed her hand, wishing guides had any strength so he could pull away. "How long will that take? None of us will be safe if he loses control."
She looked back at Yoojin and looked… scared. Shit. If an A-ranked was scared what hope did Yoojin have? But he didn't let it show on his face, otherwise she wouldn't let him go.
"Trust me. Please."
Reluctantly, she released her hold, looking almost lost.
He didn't look back as he ran.
Drowning
Thunder and lightning struck all around the Jupiter building. The constant assault on the crumbling walls knocked the lights out, darkening the halls. The doors to Sung Hyunjae's office flung opened, and he ran into a fleeing guide. He completely knocked Yoojin down on his back.
He groaned, feeling the ache in his skull like a drill.
The guide lifted his head—
Yoojin's eyes widened. "Wh—who are you?" Yoojin felt the blood drain from his face. Was he dizzy enough that he was seeing things, or was he looking at a long-lost twin?
The twin blinked at him. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he struggled to catch his breath. "Oh," he gasped. "You're Han Yoojin!"
"Excuse me?"
The twin rose to his knees and scooted up to Yoojin. He cringed, watching a duplicate of himself make such a cutesy face.
He took Yoojin's hands in his own. Through labored breaths he said, "I knew if I looked like you, I could meet you!"
"Who are you?"
"Mary—oh, I mean…" the duplicate raised a finger to his mouth and winked. Yoojin thought it was a creepy look on his face. "That's not for you to find out yet."
His twin's name was Mary?
Yoojin should've been directing Mary to safety or telling them to flee, but why did they look just like him? And were they coming out of Sung Hyunjae's office?
"What were you doing there?" Yoojin demanded.
"I wanted to meet you," Mary said, smiling too widely with Yoojin's face. Yoojin hadn't even noticed Mary had taken his hand. Her skin was covered in a cold sweat and shaking. Yoojin looked at his twin's expanded pupils and realized she was fighting a deficit. "Come with me!"
"Huh? Why?" Lightning crashed against the building again. Someone close by screamed. He thought he saw someone behind him, and his heart raced. They were just two exposed guides. If anyone attacked them now, there was nothing they could do.
This wasn't the first time Yoojin experienced something like this. When he was still in primary school, he realized how similar the alarm for monster attacks and rampages sounded. There was a moment when raging red eyes had met his and the fear from that memory still gave him chills as an adult.
"I can't wait for you to meet my esper," Mary said with glee. "She's curious about you."
Yoojin looked back at the guide. "I'm not going—"
An explosion rocked the doors to Sung Hyunjae's office. Smoke blew through the air ducks. Yoojin rose to his feet and rushed to the office.
Mary grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and he tripped.
"Hey!" Mary cried. "We need to get out of here! They're all rampaging."
Yoojin smacked her hands away and stood, grabbing Mary around his identical shoulders—was he really this scrawny? There was no way he was this thin. He turned Mary around and pointed them toward an emergency exit that wasn't destroyed.
"You'll have to take the stairs. This is a dangerous area. There's no one nearby who can help, so get out of here as fast as possible."
Mary looked back at Yoojin while he shoved her toward the stairwell.
"You're… helping me?"
"Just get somewhere safe. Everyone who could help is trying to contain the rampaging espers."
"But I'm—"
Yoojin didn't wait to hear. He rushed to Sung Hyunjae's office. The floor was shaking. Maybe the entire building was. He had little time left.
He shoved opened the doors and rushed in. The air was boiling, suffocating. Sung Hyunjae had fallen to his knees in the middle of the room, hand clutching his face.
"Sung H—" Another bolt of lightning destroyed the windows. Yoojin covered his face from the spraying glass. He fell, feeling something warm trickle down his neck.
It was harder to get back up, and his pounding head made walking a straight line difficult. He was dizzy, and the air seemed to move in waves.
"Sung Hyunjae." Yoojin reached for him, but Sung Hyunjae grabbed him first. His eyes blazed like molten lava, and all Yoojin could do was stare. The hand around Yoojin's wrist tightened, making him grunt. Sung Hyunjae tossed him across the room. Yoojin skirted across the floor and slammed into the furniture.
"Ngph!" Pain shot through his back and hands where he tried to stop himself. He was badly shaken and he couldn't push himself up without cutting himself on splinted wood.
Yoojin used the turned over chair to stand. He coughed. "Hyunjae! Can't you hear my voice? It's me! Yoojin-ssi!"
This time, a bolt of lightning formed in the small room. Deafening Yoojin and throwing him back down. His skin burned. When he opened his eyes, white blobs took up most of his vision and he wasn't sure if he could get up. A singular thought whispered in his head that being electrocuted was a horrible way to die.
Yoojin closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. He felt like he was breathing, but he couldn't get enough air in his lungs. Growing up, he had been able to calm his brother's near rampages by speaking gently with him. But if he couldn't get enough air, he couldn't reach Sung Hyunjae.
He rolled onto his stomach. He had to reach him. His legs almost gave out, but he managed—
Another bolt blasted beside the building and the wall behind Sung Hyunjae crumbled and long cracks spread through the floor. Yoojin lifted his face from the protection of his arms. Wind brushed his hair.
The floor slanted, and Yoojin slid toward the gaping hole in the building. His heart leaped into his throat. He reached for anything and everything he could grab. He pressed his heels down, but they slipped on the smooth marble. He grabbed ahold of the destroyed section of an end table, but it tumbled out of his grip and rolled off the side of the building. Tears fogged his eyes as he could see the road and cars driving by, hundreds of feet down. The blood rushed from his head.
The steel beams inside the building groaned as the building shifted again.
Overwhelmed, defeated, and terrified. No matter how much he tried, Yoojin wasn't strong enough to keep the building from falling part. He wasn't able to protect anyone.
He slapped his palms down and strained his muscles to hold him in place. His slow descent stopped. His heart rushed with adrenaline and he shook while he stared down at the long fall ahead of him.
He had to look away, but knew he didn't have time to pull himself together. He had to reach Sung Hyunjae. He lifted his arm an inch off the floor before slamming it back down. The terror that crossed through his gut hurt worse than the lightning burn.
"Damn it, you stupid esper," Yoojin croaked. "Don't you hear me? I'm going to hit you so many times when this is over. You're going to give me an item that I can use to hit you hard." He lifted his arm and turned to crawl, inching closer to Sung Hyunjae. He reached for his shoulder. "Su—"
The esper whirled around and slammed Yoojin down. For a moment, Yoojin felt nothing, like his body had gone into shock. More lightning flared across the room, destroying the ceiling.
He turned his head away from the sharp blast and grabbed Sung Hyunjae's hand and neck. This was his last chance!
The chaotic energy inside Sung Hyunjae plunged into Yoojin. His next breath made a strangled sound. He was already low on energy, and he hurt everywhere. He closed his eyes and focused all his powers into Sung Hyunjae. His head throbbed like a hundred needles stabbing him at once. He screamed but didn't stop.
When Yoojin opened his eyes, the room was dark and all he could see were the molten gold eyes.
They faded away, and he was alone.
Yoojin's breath fogged in front of him, and he looked around. A wave crashed into him, filling his mouth with salty ocean water. Another wave hit him and dragged him down. His lungs burned as he breathed in gritty water, and the cold locked up his muscles, threatening to drown him.
He fought against the current that dragged him down with the desperate need to reach the surface. His limbs still hurt and the cold made moving impossible. He fought for air.
He breached the surface and took a labored breath, choking on more water. The furious waves threw him until he didn't know which way was up. The dark sky lit up momentarily with a bright streak of lightning. He flinched at the booming thunder that followed. Before the light disappeared, he looked out hopelessly for something familiar. Something that made sense.
All he could see around him was an endless, dark sea.
Where was he? Wasn't he just in an office? Was he still guiding Sung Hyunjae? Was this… Sung Hyunjae?