"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?
"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
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
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
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
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
"Yes. It seems that he's found himself a new partner. It would seem that you are quite slow on what's happening in the Guild. And why wouldn't you be? You've been so busy with work and your day off, haven't you?""...I see." My mind went blank at the mention of the name."Ah, don't worry," she said, sensing my discomfort. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. No one else knows about this yet, including the higher-ups.""Yet somehow someone who's not even connected to the Guild has heard about it," I shot back."Well, we can't blame them, though. It's what interests them most.""The men of the world will love him because he's handsome and charming. His reputation precedes him. He's well-loved all over. And I'll bet he'll become a favorite among the women too. Can't wait to see which kind of girl he chooses.""Don't get ahead of yourself. You know nothing about his preferences. If he truly prefers men, then—" I cut myself off."Surely you can't believe that a man like him, wh
"Hey, hey! How about we take a chill pill and forget any of this ever happened?" I said.For some reason, the two men were still standing there, glaring at me."Don't make me repeat myself. We're not taking any orders from you. If we fail to capture this monster, that's our problem, not yours."The monster looked at me with longing, whimpering softly.I wanted to take it back to my apartment right then and there.There was no way I could leave it alone here.But I had to think about this objectively. I spoke to it telepathically, hoping I didn't need to say a word while I waited for the monster to respond.The fluffy monster nodded its head several times.Good, good, good. Let's see... I said.The monster climbed onto my back like a parrot, clinging tightly to my neck.I was surprised that it actually trusted me enough to climb on my back without hesitation. I said.With that, I jumped and grabbed hold of a streetlight above us.Using it as leverage, I swung myself up to the second
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