STJ_22

Doyoung sat back down in front of the form, hesitating for a moment before entering a contact number. Instead of listing his mother, he wrote down Seungjae’s number in the emergency contact field.  

"Alright, you’re now officially registered in the system as a UEFC Guide. Congratulations."  

"I'm not sure if this is something to celebrate. But who exactly am I a Guide for?"  

As expected, the man wasted no time providing a detailed explanation.  

He explained that when an Esper and a Guide had a compatibility rate exceeding 90%, they were recommended to undergo the imprinting process. This procedure was meant to enhance guiding efficiency and provide psychological stability for the Esper.  

However, Doyoung couldn’t proceed with this step—because there were two Espers with a compatibility rate of over 96% with him.  

The difference between their match rates was a mere 0.3%, a gap considered insignificant.  

As a result, Doyoung was assigned as the Guide for both Espers—Sa Kangjun and Sa Iijun.  

"Do the Espers know about this yet?"  

"I'm not sure about the details, but they’ll probably find out soon."  

Before the man even finished speaking, a sudden explosion erupted outside, followed by the sound of destruction.  

The soldier, as if he could already picture what was happening beyond the closed door, let out a wry smile and remarked,  

"Looks like Second Lieutenant Sa Iijun got the message loud and clear."  

Doyoung’s eyes flickered toward the door before shifting back to the man’s face.  

"Should I go to him?"  

"It would probably be best to calm things down."  

Letting out a deep sigh, the kind that came from someone drowning in too much paperwork, Doyoung rose from his seat.  

The moment he stepped outside, he was met with chaos—UEFC’s infamous mass-destruction weapon was in full rampage mode.  

"What? How come?!"

Six soldiers struggled to hold Sa Iijun back as he attempted to storm into the HR Guide Department office. Despite their combined efforts, the sheer force of his push caused their boots to skid across the floor.  

"To hell with this match ratio! Can't you see my score is higher? Can't you?!"  

His furious voice rang through the room.  

"We’ve told you multiple times—the difference is only 0.3%! According to regulations, your result is considered equal to Lieutenant Colonel Sa Kangjun’s!"  

"Equal? What a joke!"  

With his eyes blazing red, Sa Iijun shouted, but then—his gaze suddenly locked onto Doyoung’s.  

His body froze.  

In that instant, it felt as if time itself had stopped. Even the specks of dust caught in the window’s light seemed to hang motionless in the air.  

The only thing that moved was Iijun’s eyes—blinking, filled with a storm of emotions.  

"Why… after all this time, after finally finding…"  

The voice that had moments ago roared in anger now trembled, barely more than a whisper. It was desperate, pleading—on the verge of breaking.  

Iijun’s head lowered as he slumped against the soldiers restraining him.  

"I'm so desperate…"  

Doyoung gave a slow nod to the soldiers, silently signaling that it was all right. After exchanging glances with him and Iijun, they cautiously loosened their grip and stepped back.  

With a calm, steady voice, Doyoung addressed him.  

"Esper Sa Iijun…"  

"……"  

"You're not a child. You're a soldier. And a soldier..."  

"Because I'm a soldier… I did everything."  

Iijun cut him off.  

"I did everything they asked. Blood, bone marrow, spinal fluid, no matter how many times they took it, I gave it. Tests, experiments, whatever they demanded, I endured it all."  

Doyoung’s expression tightened as he absorbed the weight of those words. He shut his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them.  

"They said if I went through the tests, maybe… maybe I'd find a Guide meant just for me. That maybe… I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore."

Iijun hadn’t just sat in an experimental chair—he had been harvested. Pieces of him, taken like raw materials, stored in test tubes, and studied under microscopes time and time again.  

Espers didn’t react well to anesthesia; their bodies treated it like a toxin.  

The only reason Iijun had endured the agony of the lumbar puncture test—where cerebrospinal fluid was extracted directly from his spine—was a single, fragile hope. Even as he clenched down on a mouthguard to keep his teeth from shattering, that hope had kept him breathing.  

'If we can figure out why this guiding failed, we might find a Guide for you faster.'

Just the possibility of finding a Guide meant solely for him…  

And now, that hope stood before him.  

Iijun lifted his head once more, his eyes rimmed with red.  

"But why did I only get half? After waiting my entire life, how could…"  

Doyoung felt a tremor in his fingers and curled them into fists. He wanted to hold the man before him—the man who towered over him yet looked so small in his despair—and pat his back like a child in need of comfort.  

"How can I bear to see you holding someone else’s hand… standing in someone else’s arms…"  

"……"  

A painful tightness squeezed Doyoung’s chest. But this wasn’t a moment for sympathy, nor was he in a position to offer it. He had only just become a Guide.  

Swallowing his emotions, he forced himself to respond with restraint.  

"But those… are the rules."  

The moment the words left his lips, he regretted them. They felt cold—too cold.  

"...Rules?"  

Iijun echoed the word with disbelief, staring at Doyoung as if he had just been betrayed.  

"You only like that bastard Sa Kangjun, don’t you?"  

"What?"  

The sudden accusation blindsided Doyoung, throwing his thoughts into disarray.  

"What are you even talking about?"  

Iijun’s eyes burned with frustration, fear, and a desperate kind of uncertainty.  

"I don’t want this."

Iijun moved forward slowly, as if entranced.  

"How can I let go of the Guide I’ve finally found..."  

People often find themselves captivated—by breathtaking landscapes, magnificent architecture, or masterpieces of art.  

At that moment, Doyoung felt himself being swept away—not by beauty, but by the raw sincerity in Iijun’s voice.  

Like a lone observer watching an unstoppable tsunami, Doyoung could do nothing as Iijun closed the distance between them. The sheer force of Iijun’s emotions surged around him, pulling him under like an unforgiving tide.  

A large, warm hand gently cupped the side of Doyoung’s face.  

"You are my Guide..."  

Iijun’s hand was so big it covered his cheek and ear, his fingertips sinking into Doyoung’s hair. His touch burned with heat.  

"Please… tell me you'll only look at me. Please."  

He took another half step forward until their toes nearly touched.  

Desperate for an answer, Iijun slowly leaned in, silently asking for permission. If Doyoung allowed this kiss, he would take it as an affirmation—an unspoken promise.  

Doyoung felt the warmth of Iijun’s breath against his skin. Their noses brushed as Iijun tilted his head, the space between them vanishing. Just as their lips were about to meet—  

"I'm sorry."  

Doyoung turned his face away.  

For someone who had never once considered another man in a romantic light—who had never even entertained the thought—Iijun’s presence was overwhelming.  

By all logic, he should have recoiled in rejection, pushed Iijun away in disgust. That would have been the easiest, most natural reaction.  

But when he looked at Iijun, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.  

At the same time, he knew he couldn’t give in. He could see it clearly—if he showed even the slightest hesitation, Iijun, sharp and instinctive like a wild animal, would take it as an opening and consume him completely.  

And in the end, Doyoung would lose himself.  

So he made his choice.  

He would distance himself. Run from the chaos Iijun threatened to bring into his carefully structured life.  

A heavy, suffocating silence settled between them.

Iijun’s hand, which had been gently resting against Doyoung’s cheek, slowly fell away, drained of all strength. A dazed expression crossed his face as he took an unsteady step backward.  

The sound of boots scraping against the floor echoed through the room. Iijun left with slow, heavy steps, as if wandering aimlessly through a world that no longer made sense.  

Doyoung finally turned his head back, his gaze lingering on the door through which Iijun had just disappeared.  

As if sensing the weight of his emotions, the soldiers in the office averted their eyes, suddenly preoccupied with whatever task was in front of them, pretending not to have witnessed the exchange.  

"Did… Did I do the right thing…?"  

Doyoung asked the soldier standing a few steps behind him—the same one who had helped him fill out the registration form earlier.  

The soldier, caught off guard, blinked in surprise before hastily replying,  

"Y-yes, that was for the best."  

"……"  

Doyoung studied the man's face. Despite his words, his expression wavered, uncertain.  

The best… 

Was it really?  

Doyoung found himself grasping for reassurance, seeking validation from someone else. And in that realization, the truth became clear.  

If he truly believed it was the best choice, he wouldn’t need to ask.  

He shouldn’t have let Iijun leave with that expression.  

"This… isn’t how it should end."  

Muttering under his breath, Doyoung reached for his coat and bag from the waiting chair. Just as he was about to head out, the soldier unexpectedly spoke up.  

"If you walk a little past the main entrance of the west wing, there’s a bench made from grapevines."  

"Huh?"  

"Second Lieutenant Sa Iijun goes there often."  

Doyoung, momentarily caught off guard, paused in his movements. Then, a small, grateful smile crossed his lips.  

"Thank you."  

The soldier’s face flushed red as he awkwardly scratched at his freshly shaven neck.  

If Sa Iijun saw him right now, he’d probably get a fireball thrown his way.

–

TL: Muji

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