Espers... Guides... What are they? I'm not sure how much I should talk about this topic. My name is Han Seojin. It would probably be best if I didn't say anything at all. But here we go. Let me start from the beginning. Twenty years ago, back when I was still seven and living with my parents, I had a pretty rough time of it after an event that scarred my innocence. I don't want to go over details right now; safe to say, it made me lose trust in males and the world around me. This wasn't a problem unique to everyone; no one would ever want such an experience. The difference between me and most people is that I got help and love to overcome most of my trauma. And not just from my family but from the neighborhood as well. Everything had been a little rosy up until a gate opened somewhere in Seoul and a huge number of monsters poured out. It was all over the news, so it seemed weird to have gone unnoticed, but no one could explain where they'd come from or why they were
"Yes," Dr. Yoona 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. Yoona's hands away from mine. "No way am I letting some guy get close to me. No fucking way!" But Dr. Yoona 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. Yoona," I snarled. "Don't be silly," she replied. "A p
Minseok leaned closer to me to whisper, "Don't worry, I know you're not gay. I can smell it on you." "Please shut up! And stop looking at me with those creepy eyes of yours! It's freaking me out! Stop staring at me!" "Well, well. Are you getting angry now?" He teased. "Get away from me!" I tried to shove him, but he grabbed me, keeping me still. The room was too small for both of us, and I struggled against his hold. But for some reason his touch made my skin tingle, and I couldn't bring myself to push him away. "Stop touching me!" "Why are you getting so upset? We haven't done anything yet, right? Maybe you should calm down and listen to what I have to say..." He pulled my body closer, trapping me between his arms, and he looked at me with those gorgeous, blue eyes... and his lips curled up into a devilish smirk. "I'm telling you I am NOT interested in doing anything with you!" "Not interested? That's a shame. I thought we had some chemistry going on here." He wa
I woke up the following morning with a splitting headache. I groaned and lifted my head off the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a moment before I glanced across the bed and noticed I was alone. I realized that I had managed to walk back to my apartment before falling asleep. At least I'll be able to rest easy today. I slowly climbed out of bed and stretched, trying to move as little as possible. I slipped on a pair of boxers and a shirt before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. I threw some eggs into a pan and scrambled them while I went over my daily schedule in my mind. After finishing breakfast and taking a bath, I quickly grabbed my backpack from the closet. Today, I'd be returning to our facility, which is also known as humanity's last defense, Guild Headquarters. I opened the front door and walked outside. The sun was shining bright overhead, and I could smell the faint scent of flowers coming from somewhere nearby. I didn't know where, but it reminded me of h
"What does that mean?" I asked, confused.He smiled mischievously, his voice low and sensual. "It means I'm attracted to you," he whispered.My heart skipped several beats. I swallowed hard."Attracted to me?" I repeated stupidly, unable to process what he'd just said."Didn't think I would be, did you?" he said.I shook my head. "It's your guiding instincts that are talking; you can't be remotely attracted to someone who you just met and doesn't see the need for the arrangement he's forced into.""No, it's not." He grinned, and then his expression turned serious. "I'm not going to take advantage of you, Seojin. Not like you're thinking.""That was what I had heard the last time I was—" I paused, swallowing hard. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's not important."I caught sight of his eyes narrow in suspicion, and I averted his gaze."Are you sure? Because it sounded pretty important." His voice was soft, and he sounded amused.I glanced up at him. "Tell me the true reason why y
"Where do you think you're going?" His eyes glowed dangerously as he watched me. "You should stay here for the next few hours until your corruption subsides or I'll make it a lot faster and less painful for you by aiding you." I stared right into his face, trying to keep my composure. "I'm fine!" I replied immediately, trying to avoid eye contact with him. He continued staring at me, unshaken by my response. "There are things that we should talk about. Things that you need to know if you want to live your life to its fullest potential." I glanced at him cautiously. What did he mean by that? What sort of things? I knew that I had to listen to him; he was a rare rank just like I was and Guides were naturally adept at reading people. But I couldn't tell what he was thinking. His expression remained blank, and the only thing I could feel emanating from him was pure rage at my defiance, even with the state I was in. The last thing I wanted right now was to get angry back
To be honest, I hadn't planned on doing this. This was the first time I'd ever allowed myself to be guided. I wanted to try seeing things from another perspective. I needed to learn about the inner workings of this man and how I could see how far he could go to guide me.This time it wasn't an Esper that'll be controlled by a Guide. It would be me."I had lost control a little and I had to do something about it before I completely lost myself."Dr. Yoona walked to Minseok, giving him a hug from behind. "Thank you. You've helped me save Seojin's life!"Minseok smiled and replied, "You're welcome. I can tell you care a lot for him, so I'm glad I could return some of what you have given him.""That's not true!" Dr. Yoona said, wiping her face with the back of her hands. "I don't think I'll be able to thank you enough for finally breaking through his tough shell. Thank you, Minseok."He bowed his head slightly. "No, no, your gratitude is unnecessary. I was only trying to help Seojin.""I
Soo Min threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.Gasp! Gasp!"Can't breathe!!" As the air left my lungs, I yelled in pain."Oh, sorry! Sorry!" She apologized, releasing me from her grasp."Y-You're okay now, right?" She asked, looking concerned."Yeah, I'm fine. Just surprised!" I replied, forcing a smile."—and then when we heard there was an S-rank gate in Gangnam, we need you, Seojin Oppa." Na Ri chimed in, "Since we knew that Minseok Hyung would be accompanying us, we are going to nail this mission no matter what!" she announced proudly.It was no surprise that they would choose to wait on my decision, since I am the leader of our team. It was difficult to disagree with them, though. I mean, if they say so, then I have no choice but to agree. Even though I'd rather spend my days lazing around doing nothing, I couldn't deny that they were my team mates.I couldn't also sit back and watch so many lives being lost, knowing that if I just acted faster, things wouldn't turn out
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