By Choice

Jaeyoung flinched for a moment and couldn’t answer right away.

To be honest, it wasn’t entirely wrong to say he’d felt vaguely threatened by Saheon before.

“That’s absolutely not it.”

“I just did it because I wanted to.”

In the end, it was his own choice.

Signing the Esper–Guide contract with Saheon.

Following him all the way to the field, fully aware his identity could be exposed.

If anything, Jaeyoung felt bad now.

By trying to hide the fact that he was a Guide, he’d probably caused Saheon more trouble than necessary.

“O-Oh. I see. Well… I mean, that makes sense.”

“If he’s your childhood friend’s hyung, you must’ve seen a lot of him anyway…”

Yoonseo nodded, still looking like he didn’t quite get it.

But judging by Jaeyoung’s tone as he defended Saheon, it was clear the contract had been his own decision.

“If you’re going to be a Guide anyway, it’s better to work with someone you’re comfortable with.”

“That’s why I want to be Ahn Jaehyo’s exclusive Guide too.”

When Yoonseo finally sounded like he understood, the tension drained from Jaeyoung’s face.

Now felt like the right time to ask about Yoonseo.

Jaeyoung’s eyes lit up.

“Hyung, you’re affiliated with the Center, right?”

There were things he wanted to ask from another Guide’s perspective, not an Esper’s.

For a moment, he even wondered if Saheon had deliberately had Yoonseo brought along for this reason.

After all, Saheon was thoughtful enough to set up an entire room with four computers just so Jaeyoung could hang out with his friends.

“Yeah.”

“There are a lot of benefits for Guides affiliated with the state.”

“They even take care of you in old age.”

As Yoonseo nodded and answered, Jaeyoung shifted and pressed his back firmly against the seat.

“Then being Center-affiliated is better?”

At Jaeyoung’s question, Yoonseo let out a small exclamation, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Wait, then you only have a private contract?”

“There’s no way the Center wouldn’t know a Guide like you.”

“Sounds like almost no one even knows you’re a Guide.”

Jaeyoung quickly nodded.

Since Yoonseo was someone Saheon had personally brought in, he wasn’t likely to spread things around.

And since he’d already revealed himself, it seemed smarter to be honest and gather information.

“Hmm… the benefits you get through the Center are…”

“Tax reductions, education, safety guarantees, and a salary, I guess?”

Yoonseo counted them off on his fingers.

“A salary?”

“I get a base pay plus extra every time I guide.”

“Does the Center work the same way?”

In the end, money mattered most.

When Jaeyoung had first seen the number written in the contract, he’d nearly lost his mind.

Saheon had even said it wasn’t enough for Jaeyoung’s ability, which was how he’d ended up signing in a panic.

At least there was a clause allowing renegotiation later.

Saheon, who had essentially lived without guiding before Jaeyoung manifested, now craved that warmth daily.

Thinking about how often he was dispatched, it made sense.

The incentives from those missions were steadily piling up in the new bank account made under Jaeyoung’s name.

“Extra pay only applies to weekends, holidays, or night shifts.”

Yoonseo shook his head with a regretful expression.

“That’s the downside of the Center.”

His lowered voice sounded genuinely gloomy.

Empathetic as he was, Jaeyoung’s eyes drooped along with him.

“Once you’re affiliated with a state-run Center, you’re basically a civil servant.”

Yoonseo added that regardless of whether you were an Esper or a Guide, salary was determined by years of service, not rank.

Jaeyoung frowned.

He’d assumed Guides working for the Center would be treated better.

“Isn’t that kind of unfair?”

“Higher ranks use more power and manage more people, don’t they?”

These days, Jaeyoung could even guide without physical contact.

He also knew that an A-rank Guide like Yoonseo could guide multiple people at once.

So it made sense that higher-ranked Guides might feel dissatisfied.

“Do higher ranks at least get promoted faster?”

“That’s also based on seniority.”

When the answer came back negative, dissatisfaction deepened on Jaeyoung’s face.

“I’m not sure being Center-affiliated is actually that great.”

“That’s why people with decent ranks build some experience and then leave.”

“Like me.”

Yoonseo said it jokingly, grinning at Jaeyoung’s grumbling.

“If I can get an exclusive contract this time, I’m leaving right away.”

“This just sped things up.”

He lightly tapped Jaeyoung’s shoulder.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his voice.

Jaeyoung’s eyes widened.

“Is that really okay?”

“Honestly, guiding is mostly instinct.”

“Once you’ve worked a bit, you don’t really need formal training…”

Jaeyoung nodded fiercely.

After practicing a few times under Saheon’s instruction, he’d quickly figured out what proper guiding felt like.

And Yoonseo had firsthand experience with the Center’s training, which made his words even more convincing.

“And becoming an A-rank Esper’s exclusive Guide means you get a powerful, close-proximity bodyguard.”

“So safety’s covered too.”

After crossing things off one by one, the only real benefit the Center still had left was tax reduction.

For an A-rank Guide, even that wasn’t essential.

Jaeyoung, who’d been looking worried, shrugged once he realized it wasn’t his problem anyway.

“Then I must’ve been insanely lucky to end up contracted with Saheon-hyung from the start!”

He said brightly, eyes sparkling.

Yoonseo’s expression twisted into something complicated.

“Well… if you’re happy, then… I guess it’s good.”

Yoonseo replied awkwardly.

Back when Saheon first joined the Center, there had been plenty of Guides who considered being near him a stroke of luck.

The only S-rank Esper in South Korea.

A face dazzling enough to take your breath away.

A family that dominated the business world.

Jin Saheon was a perfectly ripe fruit, oozing sweetness.

But now, most people avoided getting involved with him.

They were afraid his sharp tongue would turn on them too.

They’d realized the beautiful skin hid sour grapes.

That was why Yoonseo found Jaeyoung’s genuine happiness so strange.

‘If he’s the friend of Saheon’s younger brother, he wouldn’t have only seen a polished version…’

Saheon wasn’t the type to wear a mask.

Which meant Jaeyoung knew exactly what he was like and still felt that way.

“Why?”

Jaeyoung tilted his head at Yoonseo’s oddly twisted expression.

“No reason.”

“I was just thinking you’re not ordinary either.”

At Yoonseo’s gaze, full of curiosity, Jaeyoung blinked.

It didn’t feel negative, so he smiled easily.

“On the flip side, it’s a good deal for lower-ranked Guides.”

“Financially and physically, you’re protected.”

Jaeyoung nodded.

That part made sense.

Still, if things kept going that way, wouldn’t only low-ranked Guides remain at the Center?

Would that really be okay?

“See this?”

It was a small piercing, nothing that stood out at first glance.

Jaeyoung only noticed it when Yoonseo tapped it lightly.

He nodded, eyes wide.

“This is it.”

“A tracker.”

Jaeyoung’s eyes widened even more.

“Isn’t that a violation of privacy?”

“The Center says it’s for our sake.”

“How does that make sense?”

Jaeyoung tilted his head.

Still, Saheon had once attached something similar to his own body.

It had saved him in a crisis.

If forced to choose, safety probably mattered more than privacy.

“If I even try to go a little far, I get a call.”

“Since joining the Center, I haven’t even left Gaonsi.”

“Forget overseas travel.”

Yoonseo shook his head, exhausted.

“Why does it even come to this?”

Guides were supposed to help Espers.

Why were those same Espers threatening them?

Jaeyoung frowned, unable to understand.

Yoonseo smiled bitterly.

“The biggest reason is that there just aren’t enough Guides.”

Because of that, the Center made one Guide handle many Espers.

“If even the national Center is like this, imagine guilds or freelancers.”

“They pick up people with criminal records who can’t contract with the state, or low-ranks.”

“Unless they’re extremely lucky and get found before the government does.”

Yoonseo let out a deep sigh.

“And that’s only for rich guilds…”

His voice trailed off.

Jaeyoung was reminded of a recent news story.

“Oh. I saw that on the news.”

“The boyfriend who disappeared three years ago was found as a ruined corpse.”

“People who kidnap Guides prefer men over women.”

Men were generally sturdier.

Espers were fundamentally different from normal humans.

Guides, on the other hand, were hard to distinguish unless they were actively guiding.

So they preferred male bodies that wouldn’t break easily, no matter how hard they were used.

“If you get caught by people like that, you’re tied up and used like a charger until your life’s over.”

Yoonseo’s face twisted in pain.

He looked like someone who’d heard real cases, even if only indirectly.

“That’s why they attach this.”

He tapped the piercing again, expression stiff.

From one angle, just like the Center claimed, it really was a device meant to protect Guides.

Even so, the feeling of being monitored was hard to shake.

A heavy silence fell between them.

As Yoonseo sat thinking, his brow suddenly furrowed.

“Then why is Jin Saheon state-affiliated?”

“He could’ve made way more money as a freelancer.”

More than anything, Saheon didn’t seem like someone who suited orders or obedience.

He’d already ignored commands from ‘superiors’ more than once.

“He doesn’t really need money.”

Jaeyoung replied casually.

He’d heard that Saheon’s wealthy grandfather had adored his grandson and handed over a massive inheritance early.

It wasn’t like Saheon did Esper work out of altruism or self-sacrifice.

Jaeyoung had once asked him the same thing, so the answer came easily.

“He said the state was just the first to make an offer.”

“…That’s it?”

Yoonseo let out a stunned sigh, finally getting the answer he’d wondered about for years.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter where he is.”

Yoonseo nodded, smiling wryly.

For someone like the “Princess,” it wouldn’t have mattered whether it was the Center or a guild.

He’d do what he wanted, say what he wanted, wherever he went.

The conversation continued without pause.

Most of it was Jaeyoung asking about the Center’s training.

Yoonseo answered kindly, without a hint of annoyance.