STJ_23

He couldn’t just leave things as they were.  

Sa Iijun reminded him of a stray puppy—one he had felt compelled to take in out of pity after finding it abandoned on the street. But then, after a long day at work, he would return home to find the place in complete disarray because of that very puppy.  

The frustration and anger would hit him all at once. And just as he was cleaning up the mess, the frightened puppy would slip out through the open door.  

Without even stopping to put on his shoes, he would rush outside, searching desperately. Just like now.  

Doyoung adjusted his bag and quickened his pace, nearly breaking into a run. While there was an indoor passage leading to the West Wing, he figured he’d only get lost inside the building. So instead, he decided to head outside and look there.  

As he stepped through the main entrance of the West Wing, his gaze landed on a pergola near the gleaming silver structure, bathed in the morning sunlight. It was entirely draped in wisteria, their mauve blossoms cascading down like clusters of grapes, entwined with lush green leaves and vines.  

Doyoung’s eyes followed the hanging flowers downward until they rested on a figure sitting on the ground. Despite the empty bench nearby, Sa Iijun had chosen to curl up there, his face buried in his arms.  

Even hunched over, his broad frame was impossible to miss—he looked like a bear crouching on the ground.  

Doyoung cautiously approached, as if nearing a wild animal that might lash out at any moment. Clearing his throat quietly to announce his presence, he waited. But Sa Iijun didn’t move.  

"Esper Sa Iijun."  

A response came after a pause, though he still didn’t lift his head.  

"Why did you come?"  

"......"  

"You think what happened to me was justified."  

"That’s not true."  

"Rules matter more to you than I do."  

Hearing the faint, vulnerable voice, Doyoung had a fleeting thought, 'This is why dealing with kids is frustrating'. But he didn’t let it show. Instead, he crouched down beside the dejected Sa Iijun.  

"I used to think being an exclusive Guide was nothing more than a title assigned to me by my superiors."  

"......"

"I also heard that Lieutenant Colonel Sa Kangjun has never been to the battlefield. Apparently, he doesn't like receiving guiding."

"......"

"How often am I supposed to be guiding someone like that?"

"......"

Doyoung kept watching Sa Iijun, who remained motionless. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he unzipped his backpack, reached inside, and fumbled through its contents. His fingers brushed against something soft and plush.

"Esper Sa Iijun, can you guess what I’m holding?"

Doyoung dangled a Yopy doll keychain from his index finger, playfully wiggling it in the air.

Sa Iijun, seemingly curious, slowly lifted his head and blinked a few times at the object in front of him.

"You left this in my hospital room when you visited me. I found it."

"......"

"I'm giving it back. Here."

Sa Iijun studied the Yopy keychain with a calm expression, as if lost in thought, before lowering his head once more. The negotiation had failed.

"Huh? No? Then I guess I’ll just keep it, okay?"

"......"

"Hmm, it is kind of cute. Alright, I’m keeping it."

Despite Doyoung’s teasing tone and drawn-out words, Sa Iijun remained silent. He seemed genuinely upset, perhaps because he hadn’t received a response after opening up and expressing his vulnerable feelings.

"Esper Sa Iijun."

A soft breeze carrying the scent of flowers drifted past them as they sat side by side. Sa Iijun's wavy brown hair, shimmering with a mysterious purple hue under the light, swayed gently in the wind.

Doyoung glanced around for a moment.

Sa Iijun’s hair looked so soft, he felt an urge to run his fingers through it.

Maybe it was the warmth of the spring sun, but something stirred in Doyoung’s heart. In a voice barely above a whisper, he asked,

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

Sa Iijun responded without hesitation. He lifted his head slightly, his eyes meeting Doyoung’s.

"Kiss me."

"...What?"

As expected, this man was completely unpredictable. Doyoung's flustered expression froze.

Sa Iijun stared at him for a moment, then, as if resigned, dropped his gaze and hid his face in his arms.

"See? I knew you wouldn't do it."

Doyoung, who had been quiet, let his gaze fall on the tattoo on Sa Iijun’s neck—an intricate design of entwined vines and snakes. Just below it, Sa Iijun’s broad shoulders were visible beneath his combat uniform, his muscles firm and unyielding, a stark contrast to Doyoung’s own frame.

This man, strong as steel and utterly unlike him, was sulking—because of him.

Strangely enough, Doyoung didn’t mind. Sa Iijun was like a complex math problem, difficult yet intriguing.

After a brief pause, Doyoung carefully spoke.

"Who said that? That I wouldn’t do it."

"......!"

Slowly, Sa Iijun lifted his head, his expression shifting to one of disbelief, as if he had misheard. A rare moment of confusion crossed his face.

Doyoung had lived an ordinary life, never once considering that he would react—let alone act—on such an absurd request from another man who saw him as a romantic interest.

But this wasn’t the first time his world had changed in an instant. He had gone from an ordinary civilian to a Guide overnight. Ever since meeting Sa Iijun, everything had shifted. His once-structured, disciplined life had unraveled into unpredictable chaos.

And yet, he didn’t resent it. Instead, a part of him welcomed the adventure, excited for what tomorrow might bring.

Doyoung reached out, gently cupping Sa Iijun’s cheek, just as he had in the office earlier. Sa Iijun’s long eyelashes trembled slightly.

Same-sex or opposite-sex—lips were just lips. Every human had them.

Lowering his gaze, Doyoung slowly leaned in.

The two figures sitting close together seemed to shrink within the moment. Doyoung softly captured Sa Iijun’s slightly parted lower lip between his own.

Sa Iijun’s lips were full and smooth, their softness surprising. There was no resistance.

Doyoung released his lower lip, moving up to his upper lip, gently capturing it between his own before sucking lightly. His lips naturally brushed over Sa Iijun’s, gliding effortlessly.

After softly tracing over both Sa Iijun’s upper and lower lips, Doyoung pulled back slightly, lingering just close enough that they could still feel each other’s breath.

Sa Iijun’s eyes were stretched wide in shock, reflected clearly in Doyoung’s downward gaze.

A breath escaped Doyoung, tickling Sa Iijun’s cheek. Then, he chuckled.

"Why do you look so surprised? Anyone would think this was your first kiss."

It wasn’t even a real kiss—not in the deep, tangled sense. No messy exchange of saliva, no intertwining tongues.

Then, breaking the tension, Doyoung abruptly stood up and spoke in a loud, casual tone.

"Let’s go. I’ll take you to the drill ground."

Sa Iijun’s eyes, wide as saucers, darted around aimlessly before finally landing on Doyoung’s outstretched hand. However, instead of taking it, he bit down hard on his lip, as if there was some unspoken reason preventing him from accepting the gesture, despite wanting to. He hesitated, then slowly shook his head.

"Esper Sa Iijun… are you still upset?"

"It’s not that…"

"It’s not?"

"I… can’t stand up."

"Haha, why? Legs tingling? That’s what happens when you sit on the ground instead of using the perfectly good bench right there—"

"It’s not that…"

Sa Iijun lowered his head, his face flushed as he avoided Doyoung’s gaze. His voice came out low and unsteady, thick with hesitation, as if admitting something utterly mortifying.

"I… got hard. My penis..."

"Akh!"

Instincts kicked in the moment shock overwhelmed him. Without thinking, Doyoung swung his bag at Sa Iijun’s body and immediately spun on his heels, marching away at full speed in the opposite direction.

A desperate cry rang out behind him.

"Master! Wait! Master!"

Master? Is there a dog standing horny in front of his master right now?

Doyoung pressed a hand to his burning face, willing himself to calm down, then shook his head vigorously.

***

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

After firing four consecutive shots, a sharp pain spread from his palm up to the junction of his shoulder and back.

The result was terrible. The one pulling the trigger felt like his whole body was aching, yet the moving target on the electric rail remained completely unscathed.

"Akh..."

Was the gun really this heavy? Each time Doyoung raised and lowered it, his body wobbled slightly. Chasing after the target left him gasping for air.

The lack of training was painfully obvious. As he searched for the next target, he gradually memorized where and how it would appear, but his body simply couldn’t keep up.

He aimed for the center of the target’s head and fired again. The bullet barely grazed the side of its round surface. If this had been a real enemy, maybe their earlobe would have been singed at most.

Frustrated, he dropped to the ground and fired once more. The shot missed again, just nicking the edge of the target’s head.

"Damn it!"

Leaving the target behind, Doyoung hurried into the cover lane, where he had to dodge enemy fire for ten seconds using the scattered obstacles around him.

His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst, but in a way, that only reassured him. Panting heavily, he slumped behind a barrel, trying to catch his breath.

Beep.

But there was no time to rest. A warning sound blared, signaling that he had been detected.

"Huh...? Why...?"

Glancing down, he spotted a red dot on his chest—the unmistakable mark of a laser sight.

A robotic voice echoed through the loudspeaker.

『Guide Joo Doyoung, failed.』

"No..."

For someone who had aced theory and firearm maintenance thanks to his intelligence and meticulousness, Doyoung found himself helpless in actual combat.

This shooting test, the final exam, could only be attempted a limited number of times per day. A failure meant undergoing mandatory retraining before being allowed to try again.

『Put the gun down and raise both hands.』

Doyoung placed the gun down and raised his hands. The shooting instructor, who had entered through the bulletproof door, picked up the gun and checked the magazine. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Doyoung hesitantly asked,

"Wasn’t that better than before?"

"3 minutes 31 seconds. You managed to get caught and fail in just 2 seconds. Do you call that progress?"

"...No."

At this rate, it seemed unlikely he would be getting his gun license anytime soon.

His gaze drifted to the polished barrel of the MI9 pistol. Like any other man, the sight of a sleek gun or a powerful car made his blood race.

Still sulking, Doyoung muttered,

"Is this even realistic? Can anyone pass this test without being some kind of supersonic Esper?"

The instructor didn’t bother answering. Instead, he picked up his laptop and played a video. Coincidentally, it was footage of Sa Iijun—the same person who had irritated him yesterday.

The length of the video stood out: 1 minute and 27 seconds. The passing time was 3 minutes.

On the screen, Sa Iijun effortlessly shattered the myth that large men are slow.

He sprinted toward the firing point at an astonishing speed, eliminating targets one after another. There were at least a hundred of them.

Doyoung watched as Sa Iijun’s shots landed with unnerving precision—first hitting the groin, then the center of the target’s head. He frowned, pausing the video to ask,

"Why aim for the groin first? Was there nothing else to target?"

"He likes to inflict maximum pain before finishing the enemy."

"......"

Yeah, that sounded exactly like something Sa Iijun would do.

Doyoung refocused on the video, analyzing Sa Iijun’s movements. Suddenly, his watch vibrated and emitted a loud, unfamiliar sound.

"What’s that...?"

"You should check it immediately."

The instructor said, his tone firm.

"This is an emergency signal activated by the commanding authority."

–

TL: Muji

Previous | TOC | Next