The monster looked up at me with frightened eyes, its mouth open wide.And I wasn't surprised by how much it resembled the monsters who attacked me during my first year of training. They had a similar look to them."I need answers."I stepped forward, slowly approaching the monster."Why did you attack us? Why was this place a target? Why did you set your sights on us?"I looked above, realizing that the drone had been destroyed by the monster.This was even better than I had hoped. I had never seen a monster so afraid of a human being before."You will be the main course today," I told it in a low voice. "I'm sure you've never spoken to a human like this before, haven't you? You probably don't know what to do or say now that we're talking."The monster shook its head."First of all, you should apologize for attacking me. This is the least you can do."The monster whimpered quietly, looking down at the ground."Next, you need to start thinking about why you are attacking humans. Why d
"Haah, haaah..." My exhausted body trembled from the pain.Heaviness filled my head like a lead ball, and I shook my head as hard as I could to dispel it.It's over..."Now who said that your examination is over?" Miss Hae-won glared at me. "Do you know how much work you've caused us?""Sorry!"I quickly knelt, trying to placate her. She held up her hand, shaking her head."No, you should thank me. You would be lying here dead if I hadn't come to check on you," she said gently before standing up.Her beautiful face looked pained, probably because of the headache she got from using her tablet computer too much.She adjusted the rim of her glasses, her brown eyes focused on my every move."Miss Hae-won, I said I was fine! I don't need all these checkups!"The last few days had been really rough.Since the attack on Headquarters, everyone has been on high alert. We were forced to stay at the dorms around the clock, which meant no training and little exercising. The only exception was dur
My eyes shifted upward slightly to find a petite form with long dyed blue hair. Her expression was gentle, but it was hard to tell because her lips were curved in a wicked grin. She wore a black dress that barely covered her thighs, and her skin was pale enough to look white despite the darkness of the night."Who are you?" I asked."Mmm...you really don't remember me, do you? My name is Luna. We met several years ago when you just joined.""No, I mean, who the hell are you?!"Her gaze narrowed slightly. "Oh, did I scare you? Well, it looks like I've caught you at a terrible time. Why don't we get to know each other better?"She pulled me closer by the arm and was about to kiss me.I slid right out of bed. The abrupt movement made me lose balance and fall to the floor."Ow!""Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was hurting your feelings by kissing you," said Luna as she brushed off the dust on her dress."You're the last person I want to see right now," I replied, sitting up.Luna blink
"I'm not in the mood for games.""You're not playing. We both know that. However, you need to understand that you will never receive the answers you seek unless you give yourself up to the process.""I don't care. Go away!""You're not being honest with me. I know you've been through some rough times because of him, but you still haven't accepted the fact about your sexuality. But the moment you start accepting it, you will become aware of how wonderful this feeling is.""Who cares about that?!""Everything is connected to everything else. Everything you feel today is influenced by the past events that shaped your feelings. Therefore, we should try to resolve these things first before moving on to the other matters.""I don't need your help! Kindly leave my dormitory if you value your life!""If I leave, you won't move forward. Only when you overcome this hurdle will you be able to progress to the next step.""Are you out of your mind?! I am NOT going to do this shit!" I shouted, glar
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he sighed and looked at the floor. This was the first time I'd seen him doing that. Usually, he was the type to never show weakness and to always be mischievous. I guess he couldn't hide it from me."Well, it's been bothering me for a while now..." he finally said."And what's that?" I asked.Minseok walked over to the window and gazed outside."So you know... I am not like most people," he started. "I'm not a full-blooded Korean—""Pfft, tell me about it." I cut him off. "Your looks are a walking stereotype of 'I'm not just a Korean', not to mention your accent.""Yes, well... that's because I'm half Russian." He looked back at me. "My mother is Russian, and my father is Korean. They met while my father was working in Russia, fell in love, and decided to get married.""Ohh..." I nodded. "That makes sense.""I had lived in Russia for the majority of my childhood until I became a Guide," Minseok went on. "Then suddenly, everything changed. One day,
"Alright everyone, it's a brand new day." Commander Moon, the man who led our squadron, stood on top of a small hill overlooking the camp. Everyone else gave him their undivided attention while packing up the tents or preparing breakfast. It wasn't until he made eye contact with me that I realized he'd called me up there too."Seojin, I wanted to talk to you about something that happened last night."Damnit!Did that Luna chick say anything bad about me?I mean, she did call me names when she got mad at me, but I could still remember some of her words. I couldn't believe she might actually paint me as a pervert..."I was told that Mr. Lee might pose a danger to you."Hmmm?I turned my eyes up to the commander and waited for him to continue."A lady said you two shared a special moment yesterday, and she said that you two were close friends since you joined the Guild. She also mentioned how she didn't want to see you go through any unnecessary pain."I knew it! A twist to the story. We
It's a tough decision, but I guess the best choice would be to accept his challenge..."Be careful next time, won't you?" I said, grinning at him."What...?!" He shrieked, completely taken aback."You're the ones who came here to cause trouble, aren't you? I just wanted to make sure we understood each other," I announced, turning away from him before continuing. "Anyway, what are the rules of this duel?" I asked, turning back to Dohyun."We can't use our ability, obviously. We're fighting with our hands and feet; no weapons either," he answered immediately.So that means I need to take advantage of my stats and skills to win, huh? I think I'll have to focus on my stat growth for a while after this."Alrighty, shall we get this party started?" I said, cracking my knuckles and getting ready to fight."I agree. Let's start off easy, and if this doesn't work out, we can always increase the difficulty from there." He agreed with a nod, his expression changing to one of determination."Hm,
Dohyun stretched out a hand towards me, his fingers curled slightly. I had no intention of letting him win this match. I was fast enough to dodge his attack, but I wanted to see if he could run faster than me."Come on, hurry up and make your move," he said arrogantly.I don't need to rush. I haven't lost yet. Wait until I'm ready before you try something stupid."Hahaha, you're just scared that I'll beat you, aren't you? If you want to lose, then go ahead and come at me. I won't hold back."So he was trying to bait me into attacking. Well, I wouldn't fall for such cheap tricks."As you wish. You're not going to be able to escape my grasp, anyway.""And why not?""Because you're slow. So unless you have some sort of secret technique to help you run faster... Then you're dead meat.""Good luck finding it, then."We both formed fists and exchanged smiles. I knew he was bluffing, but the way he'd said those words made me feel like he really meant it.I jumped forward and pushed with all
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. My voice sounded almost mocking, and I realized that Yeon-seo's anger was directed at me not because I'd done something wrong, but because she believed I was better than she was."That's not true. No one is better than anyone else. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and everyone deserves respect.""I never disputed that, but I also need you to know that I am very sorry that Beom went through such pain and suffering. I didn't intend to lead him to his death, but I understand how terrible the situation must have felt to him. Even if I can't make it up to him, I will do whatever I possibly can to make his death mean something.""Please don't apologize to me," Yeon-seo said, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't apologize to me for being weak. Just tell me—what does it feel like to be responsible for someone's death? Is it as horrible as they say? Can you really live with that guilt? Does it hurt?"I nodded. "Yes, it hurts. I've
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the floor. My head still ached, and my mouth was dry.Where am I...? Where's the children... Huh?I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move my body. I realized that I was chained, tightly bound by glowing metal chains that were wrapped around my arms and legs."Mr. Han!" came a voice from above.My eyes focused on the ceiling, which was illuminated by bright lights. I looked over and saw a lady standing on top of a chair, staring down at me."It's me," she said in a soft, gentle tone. She seemed like she was in her mid-twenties, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was fair and smooth; she looked like the kind of lady who'd be popular among men. But the way she stared at me made her seem somehow intimidating."Yeon-seo? What are you doing here?" I asked.Yeon-seo was an Esper and ex member of the Korean Guild gone rogue. I didn't really think much of her—she was a bit of a flake. I guess she got herself involved with the wr
I nodded and tried to smile.The kid came closer and gave me a hug. I patted his head awkwardly and let out a small sigh."Thank you," said the kid.I wanted to say, 'No worries' or something similar, but I couldn't find the words."Thanks for coming," said a little girl standing next to the boy. She was about five years old and wore a yellow dress with a red cardigan.She smiled at me too, and I felt a bit better."Are you the superhero we saw on the TV two days ago?" asked the boy.On the TV...I was struggling to remember what the broadcast was about. Was it the news? Or maybe a program?"Some big, BIG monsters attacked that big building that's full of superheroes and stuff, and the heroes saved the day!"I remembered now. That had happened a few days ago, actually. The day I found out I could communicate with some of these monstrous beings.I was tempted to lie, but I decided to tell the truth instead."Yes, I am.""Are you really?""Yeah, I'm a superhero.""There are lots of supe
The next day, I went to the shop where I usually bought coffee from when I had some time to kill. The shopkeeper, who we all refer to as 'Ajumma', was a middle-aged woman with pretty brown hair, and while I appreciated her service, I never really talked to her much.She was standing behind the counter, which made it hard to tell how old she actually was, but I guessed she was somewhere between thirty and forty years old. She wore glasses over her long lashes, and her smile looked kind.Today, though, it seemed she recognized me—and I couldn't help wondering why."Excuse me, sir!" She called out as I stepped inside, forcing me to stop and look at her. "Sorry for bothering you so early, but I just wanted to know if there's something that's weighing on your mind."Her voice sounded warm and friendly, and I could feel the concern in her eyes.There were some things I needed to say but didn't know how to explain them, so I just shook my head awkwardly."Oh, okay. Well then, I'll let you ge
"Wha—"He leaned forward, kissing me again.Ew!Instead of sucking on my cock, he kissed me. And this time, I wasn't expecting such a move, so my reaction was delayed.It felt as though I was the one who sucked my cock, not him. The sensation of him slithering along my skin made me shiver.Of course, I couldn't tell him I didn't like it...His fingers ran through my hair. His kisses were soft and gentle. My eyes closed, and I surrendered myself to his lips.I liked how Minseok seemed to be enjoying himself, smiling happily when he saw the look on my face.Yet, deep down, I was afraid to let go—terrified of losing control of myself. I knew I could become addicted to this—to being dominated by another man.The reason I hadn't done this before was simple: I feared that it would remind me of my past. That I wouldn't be able to distinguish between right and wrong anymore.Then I felt a finger intrude on my tight hole, and I snapped out of my reverie.I instinctively kicked at his face.Wha
"No, um... That was just—""A coincidence, huh? You were just saying it because you happened to get caught off guard, right?""N-No, uh... that's not what I meant...""It sounded like you did.""It's not like that! Agh, why am I even trying to explain this?!"I didn't have the strength left to argue. My chest was heaving, and I was gasping for breath."Just admit it already. You've been wanting this since the moment we came here, haven't you? Admit it.""Fine, okay! Yes, of course! I think you're gradually growing on me; I'm attracted to you, and I want you to touch me!"He chuckled quietly.I closed my eyes, embarrassed by my own words."Shut up, stop laughing," I growled. "Why do you have to make this so hard?! Why are you taking all the fun out of confessing?""I'm just teasing you. Are you upset?""Yes, of course I am!" I snapped, turning to glare at Minseok. He smiled softly at me, gently stroking the back of my hand."Oh, come on, no need to act so high strung. Just relax, okay?
I knew he could sense my nervousness, but Minseok didn't show it. He stood right in front of me, looking down at me with those beautiful blue eyes. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, and I found myself longing for him to touch me again."You know," he began, "you don't have to pretend to like me. You're making this harder than it needs to be."His words hit home. It wasn't true that I hated Minseok. What I felt was something entirely else. I pulled him close, wrapping my arms around him, holding him tight."I want to be with you, all right?" I said.Minseok's hands reached into my hair and cupped my head, pulling me closer. My heart pounded in my chest; every fiber of my being screamed in pain.Yet again, we are kissing.Minseok pulled off his jacket, throwing it onto the floor. The shirt he wore underneath it quickly followed suit, leaving him clad only in his undershirt and black pants.Minseok seemed to take liking to my living room, and he took advantage of his presence
Tears? No.It can't be tears.Why am I crying? Am I crying because I'm happy or sad? What does happiness feel like when you've lost everything you loved?"Did I say something wrong, Seojin?" Minseok asked hesitantly after a moment of silence.I shook my head, wiping the wetness off my cheeks with my sleeve. I'll pretend nothing happened, I told myself."No, it's fine." I smiled weakly. "I was just thinking of my family, that's all. Thank you."For making me remember them."Let's go, then!" Minseok declared, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.Just like how he grabbed me by the heart.*****When we reached the parking lot, I saw Minseok's silver BMW parked in the very front row. A big signboard stood at the entrance of the parking area, saying "No Parking," but we ignored it without hesitation. We both got inside the car, and I took one last look at the parking lot before locking the doors.The first thing I noticed was the smell. The scent of lavender mixed with the smell of oil di
Minseok smiled, moving his hand to the back of my head before pressing his lips against mine.The feeling of his soft, sweet lips was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before.My senses were overwhelmed by the sensations of our bodies coming together, and I couldn't help myself from letting out a small moan.Minseok's lips moved against mine while his tongue sought permission to enter.Our tongues danced with each other, tasting each other's saliva."Mn..."He pulled away and chuckled. "We're still at the restaurant, you know. Who knows, someone might be able to recognize us. It can wait until after we finish our meal," Minseok responded, firmly grabbing my wrist and interlocking our fingers."Okay, whatever."While it wasn't exactly true that the two of us hadn't done anything yet, we weren't really doing anything either. The kiss had been so short that it barely qualified as something more than a peck.Still, just knowing how Minseok felt about me made my entire body feel like i