STJ_24

The first emergency call he received was a notification requesting him to come to the command division control room on the 51st floor of the main building.  

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the atmosphere felt unusual. A strange tension flowed between the people busily moving through the hallway.  

After wandering around for a while, he finally arrived at the command division control room, which felt intimidating the moment he stepped inside.  

With a large round table, wall-mounted projectors, and giant screens placed in various spots, it felt as if he had walked onto a movie set.  

People passed by Doyoung, who was watching intently, and naturally took seats at the round table.  

He had a feeling that he wasn’t supposed to sit there. The badges on their arms and chests stood out prominently. It was clear that he did not belong among these high-ranking individuals.  

Consciously, Doyoung sat in the seat closest to the door, among the folding chairs arranged around the room. Yet, he still felt uneasy.  

Like a cat brought into a stranger’s home, he could only sit quietly, observing his surroundings. Minutes passed, and then, one by one, Espers in combat uniforms began to appear, accompanied by murmurs.  

Unlike the tense-looking soldiers, they appeared completely relaxed, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.  

Iijun, the last to enter, spotted Doyoung and lit up with excitement. Like a puppy finding its owner, he tried to approach, only to be pulled back by Guhyeong, forcing him to return to his seat.  

Even after sitting down, Iijun didn’t take his eyes off Doyoung.  

Despite this being a commander’s summons—signifying an urgent situation—his face showed not a hint of worry.  

Doyoung subtly shook his head at Iijun, who was beaming at him and shifting around like a child who had just spotted their mother after class had started. Iijun nodded enthusiastically in understanding, but the bright smile on his face showed no sign of fading.  

Doyoung pretended to cough into his hand, trying to suppress his laughter. There was something strangely contagious about Iijun’s smile, making it impossible not to grin—whether out of genuine amusement or sheer absurdity.  

At that moment, a petite woman approached Doyoung. With a warm smile on her face, she wore the same navy-blue Guide uniform as him.  

The Guide uniform resembled the Esper uniform but had a slightly more casual appearance. If not for the UEFC logo emblazoned on the chest and sleeves, it could easily be mistaken for formal attire.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoon Juhyun, an emergency Guide for Delta Team. You must be Guide Joo Doyoung, right? I've heard a lot about you."  

With a friendly demeanor, she greeted him and led Doyoung to the main table. It turned out that a seat had already been prepared for him at the table, which was occupied only by important figures.  

Finally, Jeon Haesu arrived and took the main seat, signaling the start of the meeting.  

A woman with the rank of captain began the presentation.  

"This is footage taken by our reconnaissance drone yesterday. The location is near Hwaseong City, Area 41, a restricted zone—specifically, the lake park."  

He had expected to see a blue lake, but the image displayed was entirely brownish-yellow. The water had dried up, devoid of life, and only the dense, eerie trees surrounding the lake remained.  

Someone asked,  

"What’s there?"  

"Here, do you see these tire tracks?"  

The woman operated a remote control and zoomed in on the screen. On the cracked ground, fresh tire marks were clearly visible, as if a vehicle had just passed through.  

The fact that these recent and distinct tire tracks were found in the middle of a restricted zone was highly suspicious.  

"Hmm… were these tracks left by our team during reconnaissance?"  

"There was heavy rain in Hwaseong City three days ago. Since the tracks were only noticed recently, they must be at most two days old. It’s even possible they appeared just yesterday."  

Doyoung was completely immersed in this internal UEFC discussion—something an ordinary person would never get to hear. It felt like he was watching a suspenseful movie.  

Colonel Gong Hyeongcheol from the Special Operations Command spoke in a serious tone.  

"In that case, there's a high probability that these tracks were left by the Loners."  

"That’s very likely. There’s a strong chance that their base is nearby."  

'Loners' was the term used for Espers who were unaffiliated with any country and acted independently.  

They often formed their own guilds and survived through illegal means, such as looting civilians. They were the scourge of the nation that had emerged after the Gate Incident.  

Only then did Doyoung realize the purpose of this emergency meeting.  

The Espers gathered here would soon be deployed to the location captured by the drone. Just until then, Doyoung couldn’t help but wonder, why was he—a Guide—here?  

Doyoung whispered to Juhyun, who was sitting beside him. Up until that moment, he didn’t feel any sense of crisis. Instead, he found the meeting situation interesting from an observer’s perspective—even feeling a little excited.  

"Are the Espers going on a reconnaissance mission?"  

"Yes, it seems so."  

"Then why were we called here?"  

"Ah, you don’t know yet? S-class Guides with high guiding efficiency or exclusive Guides usually take part in reconnaissance missions as a precaution in case something happens in the field."  

".....!"  

"There’s always a chance that combat might break out, requiring emergency guiding."  

That sounded like carrying a highly effective remedy to be used in dire situations.  

“Wait… So that means I…”  

"This will be your first outing as a Guide in the field."

With a bright smile, Juhyun's words made Doyoung's face turn pale.

Was it really appropriate to call this an outing in the usual sense? He felt the blood in his entire body turn cold.  

But he had no time to be afraid. As soon as the meeting ended, he was swept along by the procession of people heading somewhere.  

Before long, they arrived at a place resembling a warehouse filled with various equipment. There, with the help of an experienced soldier, Doyoung put on an earpiece connected from his waist and donned a bulletproof vest.  

Half-dazed, Doyoung was about to be sent for the first time into a restricted zone he had never set foot in his entire life. Beside him, Juhyun calmly put on his gear.  

"Don't be nervous. Nine times out of ten, nothing happens."  

"...Really?"  

Juhyun reassured Doyoung. He felt a bit relieved, hoping that his first time out wouldn’t be that one out of ten.  

As his mind settled, curiosity slowly crept in.  

"Juhyun-ssi, you said you're the emergency Guide for Delta Team, right?"  

"Yes."  

"So, have you ever guided Esper Sa Iijun?" 

Juhyun flashed a knowing smile, as if she understood the question running through Doyoung's mind.  

"Why? Does it bother you?"  

"No, it's just… I'm curious."  

"Esper Sa Iijun… Although the rumors about him are quite extreme, I've only ever guided him when he was on the verge of losing control."  

"Extreme rumors?"  

"Well, it's just gossip from people who like to talk. Things like… he once had an orgy with eight Guides, or that he damaged a Guide’s internal organs."  

"What? He hit them? The Guides?"  

Seeing Doyoung’s shocked expression as he asked again, Juhyun—who was usually calm—finally showed a slightly troubled expression for the first time.  

"Not from hitting them, but… when guiding through sexual contact, he… his size is just too big."  

".....!"  

Doyoung quickly covered his mouth. No further conversation followed. Only an awkward silence remained between them.

***

A large bus waited in front of the main headquarters gate. At a glance, it looked rather dull, its reinforced frame making it clear that it was an armored vehicle.  

Proving the popular saying that the main characters always arrive late, the Espers finally showed up. As soon as Iijun boarded the bus, he immediately sat next to Doyoung, following the assigned seating procedure.  

"Master!"  

Hearing the strange form of address, Juhyun—who was seated in the front row—smiled, glancing at Doyoung as if she found it amusing. Doyoung returned a sheepish smile, feeling slightly embarrassed.  

"Why do you look so pale? Where does it hurt?"  

Iijun made a dramatic fuss.  

A primal fear, an instinct to run away, sent blood rushing to Doyoung’s legs. He swallowed the words he wanted to say and instead moistened his dry throat with his own saliva.  

Meanwhile, Tae Guhyeong—whom Doyoung had seen several times in the cafeteria or hallways—nodded at him in greeting before taking a seat in the front row beside Juhyun.  

Finally, the bus slowly began to move. Iijun reached for Doyoung’s hand, which was resting on his thigh, as if it belonged to him. He took it with both hands, holding it tightly.  

"Wow… how can your hands be this small? They're so pale..."  

Doyoung’s hands weren’t small for his height, and his fingers were fairly long. It was just that Iijun’s hands were massive.  

Iijun placed their hands side by side, stacking them together with exaggerated enthusiasm.  

"Beautiful..."  

"......"  

What kind of nonsense was this? Just from holding another grown man’s hand, he was making a whole scene.  

Doyoung glanced at Iijun. Seeing his delighted expression, completely oblivious to how ridiculous he was being, made it difficult for Doyoung to pull his hand away.  

"You already saw them during the compatibility test."  

"I was too nervous back then, so I didn't get a good look."  

Letting out a sigh, Doyoung lowered his head slightly. From this angle, he could see Sa Iijun’s strong thighs pressed up against his own.  

Doyoung was about to tell Iijun to sit properly when the conversation he had with Juhyun earlier suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

"...when guiding through sexual contact, he… his size is just too big."

Doyoung’s eyes unintentionally drifted downward to his lap. For a brief moment, his gaze stopped midway.  

The inside of Iijun’s left thigh appeared unusually thick, as if something was tucked into his pocket. It reminded Doyoung of a gun barrel—one that was regularly oiled and cleaned.  

“.....!”  

It didn’t take long for him to realize that the thing hanging against Iijun’s left thigh wasn’t a weapon. It was his penis.  

A shock ran through Doyoung like he had just been struck in the leg with an axe. He immediately turned toward the window, fanning his burning face with his free hand in an attempt to cool down.  

"Master-nim! Why is your face suddenly red again? Are you sure you’re not sick?"  

“I-I’m fine.”  

"Really? Your face is so red… do you have a fever?"  

Iijun alternated between looking at Doyoung’s forehead and his own, tilting his head as if he didn’t understand.  

He looked so innocent. Feeling embarrassed for having such indecent thoughts alone, Doyoung simply stared out the window, determined to ignore everything.  

Meanwhile, Iijun grasped Doyoung’s hand and pressed soft kisses onto each joint, the sound of his lips faint but distinct. It was as if he were a child given a new toy. Resigned, Doyoung let him have his way, offering his free hand without a word, still fixated on the passing scenery outside.  

It felt foreign and uncomfortable. At least, it should have. But the sensation of being treated like someone precious… it wasn’t as bad as he expected. Not that he had low self-esteem.  

Even when he worked at a ruthless media company, he was constantly berated. Yet in front of Sa Iijun, he felt as though he had become a god.  

And that worried him. He feared he might grow too accustomed to being treated this way.  

Just then, the heavy reinforced concrete gates opened, and the bus began to leave the UEFC compound.

–

TL: Muji

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