2 ~ Alone And Cornered

"Yes," Dr. Yoon nodded firmly. "The best match for you, Seojin. He understands your kind and knows everything there is to know about you. Even though he's new here, he's also an S-rank Guide. He has the power to take on any Esper. More importantly, he's one of you."

It wasn't clear to me why she needed to say all these things. In fact, it felt like a waste of time.

"I told you, I don't want a Guide! Fuck this! Not a male!" I yelled, pushing Dr. Yoon's hands away from mine. "No way am I letting some guy get close to me. No fucking way!"

But Dr. Yoon didn't budge.

"Minseok is waiting outside. Please let me introduce him to you. You won't regret this, I promise. His power is remarkable. I've never seen anyone with so many skills, strong pheromones, and techniques at his disposal before. This is your chance to live your life to the fullest. Why would you refuse him?"

"Because I'm not interested in becoming your pawn, Dr. Yoon," I snarled.

"Don't be silly," she replied. "A pawn is only useful until it's used up. I had tried pairing you with a female guide, but you refused several times. I thought it was a bit strange, so I thought I'd give you a male instead. That's when I found out Minseok existed and immediately decided to pair you two together. He's the perfect fit for you, Seojin."

She smiled gently. I hated her smile. It made me feel weak and pathetic. I hated feeling so helpless.

There were several things wrong with Dr. Yoon's argument, which she failed to notice. First, I had no intention whatsoever of being paired with anyone. Second, I didn't care if the Guide was a boy or a girl; I still wouldn't agree to it. Third, she knew nothing about me. She had no right to force me into a relationship with someone I didn't want.

I let out a heavy sigh, trying to quell my anger and frustration. Dr. Yoon looked at me expectantly.

"Let him in," I said.

The door swung open, revealing Minseok standing in front of us.

He stood a full head taller than I did, with fair skin and blonde hair. There was an air of calmness about him, like water flowing calmly over rocks; he was dressed in black from head to toe, his eyes fixed solely on me. The moment our gazes met, he walked inside, closing the door behind him. A hint of surprise flashed across his face the instant he took in the room.

Dr. Yoon turned around slowly.

She ruffled Minseok's blonde hair, looking pleased with herself for having brought him here.

"This is Seojin. Seojin, this is Minseok. He's going to be your Guide," she announced proudly.

I wanted to object. I didn't want to spend the rest of my days doing some kind of experiment. But the words were stuck in my throat. I couldn't find the strength to say anything.

Minseok finally broke the silence.

"Hello, Seojin. Nice to meet you." His voice was calm and quiet. Not exactly the reaction I was expecting.

"Likewise." My voice cracked.

"Nice to meet you again, Dr. Yoon. You're much prettier than the last time we met." Minseok smiled teasingly.

I swallowed hard.

His eyes flitted over me once more before he turned his attention back to Dr. Yoon.

"I might be feigning ignorance on several topics, but I'm not ignorant when it comes to the fact that Seojin doesn't seem pleased with this arrangement," he said smoothly. "Am I correct?"

He sounded completely nonchalant.

"You are," she answered, smiling politely. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."

"What makes you think I would have any, ma'am?" he asked coolly.

"Because you're here, aren't you? And because you're an S-rank Guide. You should know better than anyone else how important it is for an Esper to find a Guide. Don't you agree?"

Minseok narrowed his blue eyes slightly. "Why do you need an answer from me? Why don't you ask Seojin yourself? What I know is that you've already made up your mind. I'm merely here to make sure everything goes according to plan," he said, staring directly at me.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

"Seojin, what do you think? Do you trust Minseok?" Dr. Yoon asked quietly.

The question caught me off guard. There wasn't supposed to be any choice involved. This was all decided beforehand.

"Do you want my honesty? No, I don't trust him," I said, meeting Minseok's gaze evenly.

"No, I don't suppose you would," Minseok mused. "If you get to know me well enough, you'll realize that I really am quite harmless. I'm simply doing this for your benefit. It's nothing personal."

"That's a lie," I said, and I meant every word.

Then I looked toward Dr. Yoon and said, "I don't need a Guide, him being an S-rank or whatever he is doesn't change that. I wouldn't mind if he left, honestly."

Dr. Yoon stared back at me. She looked taken aback by my sudden change in tone.

Minseok's smile dropped. His face grew dark.

I knew he was shocked. I could see it in his face. But I didn't care.

I didn't want to be here in the first place. I never wanted to be here, and I certainly didn't want to be stuck with someone I couldn't stand.

And yet, here we were.

But I had a feeling things weren't going to go down as I hoped.

Dr. Yoon could sense the tension between us, but she smiled gently and said, "Seojin... I understand why you feel the way you do. Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion with me. I appreciate it very much. Now, Minseok, please understand that I will be leaving the room momentarily."

When she stood up from her chair, Minseok shot me a look full of amusement and disbelief. I didn't have time to react before Dr. Yoon had passed through the door and closed it behind her.

"S-rank or not, I refuse to hook up with some guy," I said, glaring at Minseok.

He smirked.

"You're so cute when you act all stubborn like that. Just admit it already. You've got a thing for me, don't you?"

His voice was light, almost cheerful.

I glared harder.

"Aww, come on now. If you keep acting all mean to me, I won't let you leave until you agree to our deal."

"Shut up!" I shouted, and the sound echoed around the small room, making the wooden floor reverberate.

My heart thudded against my ribcage.

We were alone, but I felt utterly trapped. My chest tightened painfully. How did he make me so nervous? So tense? No! Slightly turned on? Why was I so afraid of actually enjoying this?

I could feel the corrupting influence of my abilities flaring inside me, threatening to overwhelm me completely.

It would seem that I hadn't fully rested after a day of training.

What the hell was wrong with me?!

Minseok leaned closer to me to whisper, "Don't worry, I know you're..."