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
"You'll see!" Hye Jin giggled mischievously."Oh... kay? Sometimes I miss Soo Min's ability; we could be at our destination at the tip of her fingers." I sighed."Don't worry, there's something a lot more interesting than that." She winked playfully. "And besides, I have my own abilities too!""Right, fire manipulation." I replied, "What do you plan to do with that? Burn your way through the street? Or maybe you're planning to burn down the city?""That'd be bad, wouldn't it?" Her mouth twisted into a smile as she looked up at the sky."Well, thankfully, we still have this method of transportation." I waved my hand to call a cab.*****Looking above and at the signboard that read "H&G Restaurant" made me feel nervous. The restaurant was located right next to the train station, so it wasn't hard to find. All the tables were occupied and there were a few people standing in line waiting to order. It was already past six o'clock in the evening; most of the customers here were probably s
"You're spoiling the mood," I whispered, making him laugh.He let out a chuckle and then said, "Well, I don't know what to order, so I guess I'll just get the most expensive thing on the menu, hmmm... Let's see..." He narrowed his eyes and then said, "How about I go with this?" He pointed at a steak called 'Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Steak'?I looked at the price of the Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin Steak—1,800,000 won. I gulped and nodded."Yeah, that sounds good," I said, forcing a smile.His eyes widened, and he gave me a look that made me feel embarrassed. "Don't tell me the rich and lovable Seojin can't afford such a meal that costs more than the average person makes in a year." His tone was mocking."No, I can definitely afford it. You don't have to worry about that," I said, trying to sound confident.My money!!! Damn!Sigh!Not that I had what I spend money on anyway, so no worries."Soo, what would you like to get for yourself?" Minseok asked again, still smirking at me."Uh
We left our table and went over to the corner where there weren't many people. The place wasn't very big, and there were only two tables by the wall.As soon as we sat down, Minseok opened the wine bottle and poured a small amount into a glass."A toast, then?" he asked, raising his glass."Is there something I'm supposed to know? Like, why you didn't want me to drink?" I asked quietly."Well, one thing I'll say is that it reacts with an Esper's powers, so if you drink enough of it, you'll probably lose control of your reasoning. It won't kill you, but it will make you hyperactive and in some extreme cases, it might induce your arousal.""And that's why you wouldn't let me have more of it?""Right, because I'd prefer you not to get carried away. You can have as much as you want later tonight, but—""But you wanted me to enjoy myself, right?" I cut him off.There was a pause before he answered."Yes, I did.""How nice of you."I felt a smile stretching across my lips."If it were other
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
I could barely hear myself breathe over the chaos. The clash of weapons, the crackle of energy, the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground—it all blurred together in a cacophony of battle. Every strike I blocked sent vibrations up my arms. Every counter I made was met with resistance. Minseok was right. If we tried to run now, we’d be slaughtered. But if we stayed— I dodged a spear aimed for my gut, twisting to the side before driving my own blade into the enemy’s exposed flank. They barely reacted, as if pain was irrelevant to them. As if they were something beyond human. Which meant they were exactly what I feared. Corrupted. Not just the mindless ones, either. These were the intelligent kind, the ones who still held onto fragments of their former selves. The ones who could strategize. Who could anticipate. Who could corner us if we weren’t careful. I gritted my teeth. We needed to break through. “Soo Min!” I shouted over the chaos. “Do you have enough energy l
Sure! Here’s a 3500-word continuation that deepens the tension, develops Seojin’s plan with his strike team, and ends on a cliffhanger. ---I didn’t look back again. If I did, I’d start questioning things I wasn’t ready to face. The moment I acknowledged the weight of it all—the impossible truth standing right behind me—I’d falter. And right now, I couldn’t afford to falter. Our team moved in near silence, our exhaustion heavy in every step. The battlefield, once filled with roaring chaos, had been swallowed by eerie stillness. We had won, but it didn’t feel like victory. Not with him here. Not with the mission still incomplete. Minseok kept pace beside me, his gaze flicking toward me every so often. He was waiting for me to say something. I wasn’t ready yet. My thoughts were tangled, a mess of strategy, suspicion, and something uncomfortably close to dread. It wasn’t just about him—about how he was alive when he shouldn’t be. It was about what came next. Because this w
When I opened my eyes again, the battlefield had gone still. The corrupted node that had loomed over us like a grotesque heart had collapsed into itself, its pulsing veins of energy vanishing into nothingness. The air, once thick with the stench of decay, felt cleaner, lighter—though the aftermath of battle still weighed heavily around us. Pain throbbed through my limbs, sharp and relentless. My fingers curled against the cracked earth, my body protesting every small movement. A low groan escaped me as I forced myself up onto my elbows. My vision swam for a second before clearing. Minseok crouched beside me, his brows furrowed in that half-scolding, half-worried expression I’d grown used to. His dark eyes swept over me, assessing, before he huffed in exasperation. “You always have to be dramatic, don’t you?” His voice was rough with exhaustion, but there was something else beneath it—relief. I let out a weak chuckle. “If you wanted someone quiet and predictable, you picked
When I opened my eyes, the world around me swam in a hazy blur of light and shadow. My ears rang, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. The ground beneath me felt cold and unsteady, and my body ached with a deep, bone-level fatigue. "Seojin!" The voice cut through the fog in my head. I blinked, my vision slowly sharpening to see Minseok crouched over me, his face tight with worry. Behind him, the remnants of the battlefield stretched out, chaos unfolding in every direction. "Get up," Minseok urged, gripping my arm and pulling me upright. "We don’t have time." Memories of the fight came flooding back—the corrupted creature, the pulsing node, the explosion. I struggled to stand, leaning heavily on Minseok as the world tilted precariously. "What happened?" I managed to croak, my voice raw. "The node overloaded," he said, his gaze flicking toward the center of the clearing. "It’s unstable, and it’s not done yet." I followed his line of sight
The war room buzzed with muted voices and the occasional flicker of holograms projecting the mission details. My fingers hovered over the control panel, dragging the map closer to magnify our target zone. The room, dimly lit with a bluish glow, felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just me. Minseok stood across from me, leaning against the table, his arms crossed as he studied the map in silence. Around us, the strike team waited, their expressions varying between nervous and determined. "Alright," I started, my voice firm to mask the unease brewing inside me. "Here's the situation. The corruption hotspot in Sector 47 is still active, and the monsters patrolling it have escalated their attacks on nearby settlements. We’re going in to assess, eliminate, and, if possible, trace the source of the corruption." Jihoon, who was seated to my left, raised a hand. "Are we sure this isn’t a trap? That last report from the scouts mentioned the enemy patterns shifting unpredictably. It’s al
The rest of the session passed quickly. By the time the trainees were dismissed, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting the training grounds in hues of orange and gold. I stood by the edge of the barrier, watching the Espers file out, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Minseok joined me, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" "Training them? Yeah, it’s not so bad. They’ve got potential." I glanced at him, my tone softening. "And it helps that you’re here." He didn’t respond immediately, but his lips curved into a small smile. "You’ve changed, Seojin. You’re...happier. It’s good to see." I turned to face him fully, leaning casually against the barrier. "That’s your doing, you know. Ever since we bonded, everything’s been...different. Better." His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away. It was just us, standing there in the glow of the setting sun, the connection between us humming soft
The guild's training grounds were alive with activity. The air was filled with the clang of weapons, the crackle of elemental energy, and the rhythmic thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The grounds sprawled out behind the main Guild HQ, separated into sections based on the kind of training each Guide and Sentinel needed. It was both chaotic and perfectly organized, a testament to years of refining the guild's approach to honing its warriors. Today, Minseok had dragged me here before dawn. "You're slipping," he'd said with a grin that hadn't quite reached his eyes. "You need to get back into form." I knew what he really meant. He wanted me sharp, focused. He wanted me ready. "Fine," I’d grumbled, barely awake, "but don’t cry when I beat you into the dirt." The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "We’ll see." ---We started in the combat zone, a large circular arena surrounded by shimmering barriers designed to absorb excess energy. It was already buzzing with other guild me
The silence of the returning airship was deafening, broken only by the steady hum of the engines. Jihoon rested against my side, his breathing slow and even, exhaustion etched into his pale face. Minseok sat across from us, his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the distant horizon visible through the small porthole. None of us spoke; the weight of what had just happened clung to us like a suffocating fog. It wasn’t just the victory that felt hollow—it was the unknown. Jihoon had faced something far beyond what anyone could have prepared him for, and though we had come out of the battle alive, it didn’t feel like the end. When the Guild came into view, its towering spires glowing faintly against the approaching dawn, I felt a pang of relief. But that relief was quickly tempered by the knowledge that this reprieve was temporary. Minseok finally broke the silence as we disembarked, his voice low. “We need answers. That thing wasn’t just another corrupted entity—it was something el
The team mobilized quickly, engaging the intruders near the compound’s perimeter. The battle was chaotic, the corrupted Espers fighting with reckless abandon. I joined the fray, my energy flaring uncontrollably. “Seojin, focus!” Minseok’s voice rang out, anchoring me briefly. But the corruption was too strong. My attacks became wild, destructive, and I could see the fear in my teammates’ eyes. When the battle finally ended, the compound was in shambles. The corrupted Espers were defeated, but the damage was done. The team avoided my gaze, their unease palpable. --- That night, Minseok confronted me again. This time, I couldn’t hold back. “It’s the corruption,” I admitted, my voice shaking. “It’s inside me. And it’s getting worse.” Minseok’s face paled, but he didn’t flinch. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Because I didn’t want to put you in danger,” I said, my voice breaking. “The monsters know about you. About Dr. Yoona. They threatened you.” His jaw tightened, but his e