Don’t Forget

When he lifted his head, Saheon was standing there holding a cup of water.

Jaeyoung hadn’t even noticed him come into the room, too focused on his messages.

“It’s the society president, noona.”

“She was probably worried whether I got home safely last night.”

Jaeyoung gave an awkward smile as memories of his completely wasted self surfaced.

Saheon set the cup down on the bedside table and wrapped an arm around Jaeyoung’s waist.

Before Jaeyoung could even blink, he was seated between Saheon’s legs.

“An Esper?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Are you meeting other Espers besides me?”

Saheon pulled him in tight from behind and asked in a sharp voice.

The tone felt exactly like an interrogation from a suspicious lover.

‘Is this really how an Esper and a Guide are supposed to talk?’

Confused, Jaeyoung tilted his head.

But since he’d never dated before and this was his first time being a Guide, he couldn’t be sure.

“It’s just a nickname.”

“She’s really good at her job, that’s all.”

Jaeyoung pulled his back away from Saheon’s chest and turned to face him.

“And what do you mean, other Espers?”

“I’m assigned exclusively to you, hyung.”

When he stated it like an obvious fact, the sharp edge in Saheon’s gaze softened.

“Don’t forget that.”

Saheon said with a frighteningly serious face as he pulled the cup of water closer to Jaeyoung.

Jaeyoung grabbed Saheon’s wrist and tugged it toward himself.

“It’s honey water?”

He only touched his lips to the cup, tasted it, then looked up with a bright smile.

Saheon licked his lips, now slightly damp from the honey water Jaeyoung had tasted.

“It is honey water.”

Jaeyoung’s face instantly flushed red.

Still, as always, he didn’t get too flustered, assuming it was just part of guiding.

“I’ll drink it properly!”

Despite saying that, Jaeyoung didn’t take the cup.

Instead, he kept tapping away at his phone’s keypad.

Saheon raised a brow, wondering if it had just been politeness.

But even while messaging, Jaeyoung would occasionally pull Saheon’s wrist over and take another sip.

“You’re really playing me like a fiddle.”

Saheon clicked his tongue and tapped Jaeyoung’s head.

The messy hair sticking up everywhere settled neatly under his touch.

Despite his grumbling, Saheon’s free hand dutifully brought the cup back to Jaeyoung’s lips.

[Minju-noona: That guy seems suspicious…]

[Minju-noona: I’m serious. Be careful when you’re on campus.]

The conversation with Minju continued, all about “that senior.”

Jaeyoung nodded along as if Minju were right in front of him.

If it were Mintae, maybe not, but Minju was someone worth trusting.

Just as he was about to send a cute bunny emoji making an OK sign, another message popped up.

[Minju-noona: You probably won’t go anyway, but don’t even go near the library.]

He’d only met her once during orientation and had just had the freshman welcome party.

Yet Minju knew him frighteningly well.

‘Is she actually a mental-type Esper?’

The theory gained even more weight.

After that, Jaeyoung asked if everyone else had gotten home safely and ended the conversation.

His stomach, warmed by the honey water, was now demanding something solid.

“‘That guy’ is from the class of 2010?”

Saheon asked, idly toying with Jaeyoung’s ear.

The fine hairs inside made Jaeyoung shiver.

“You saw it?”

“The one I told you about yesterday…”

It hadn’t occurred to him that Saheon, holding him from behind the whole time, could see everything.

Even if it had, he probably wouldn’t have cared.

“A real piece of trash.”

“Right?”

Jaeyoung nodded brightly with a smile.

Hearing Saheon say what he himself couldn’t brought a sense of relief.

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Huh?”

“That trash.”

“You said you don’t even want to see him.”

Jaeyoung stared at Saheon with wide eyes.

“I can get rid of him for you.”

Saheon didn’t sound like he was joking at all.

A chill ran down Jaeyoung’s spine.

“We probably won’t even run into him again, though.”

Jaeyoung smiled widely, trying to show he wasn’t bothered.

“I’m hungry, hyung.”

He tilted his head back and looked up at Saheon as he said it.

Saheon stared at him for a moment, then let out a short laugh, incredulous.

“I made bean sprout soup.”

“Come out.”

Saheon got off the bed first.

He was holding the now-empty honey water cup.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“For the honey water, and for saying you’d handle that senior.”

Jaeyoung trailed after him closely.

“Didn’t I tell you not to do anything?”

“Still, you thought about how I felt.”

“That alone means a lot to me.”

While Saheon turned on the induction stove, Jaeyoung wiped down the table and set up for the meal.

“What is it that you’re always so grateful for?”

Saheon muttered quietly, leaning against the sink.

“What?”

Jaeyoung asked, having not heard clearly.

“What did you say?”

Saheon asked back, wearing an innocent expression.

Jaeyoung frowned suspiciously.

“Were you just talking trash about me?”

“If you behaved, I wouldn’t have anything to complain about.”

Which was basically the same thing.

Jaeyoung’s lips stuck out in a pout.

“What did I even do wrong this time…”

His expression looked like a child who’d just fallen over.

Saheon looked at him strangely, then set the soup bowls down and spoke.

“If some creep comes at you, don’t hesitate.”

“Just smash it.”

“Smash what?”

Saheon’s gaze dropped between Jaeyoung’s legs.

Jaeyoung yelped and covered his groin with both hands.

“How can you say something that brutal as a fellow man…”

“As a fellow man?”

“Me and that trash?”

Saheon’s usual confidence left Jaeyoung momentarily speechless.

No matter what, Saheon was always the hero standing at the front lines for public safety.

And his blunt remarks spared no age or gender, so it wasn’t even clearly sexism.

“I’ll take that back.”

After piecing things together in his head, Jaeyoung hurriedly apologized.

Comparing Saheon to that kind of trash was unfair.

“Anyway, that’s violence too.”

“If I get sued, I’d die from the injustice.”

The man would be at fault, but if Jaeyoung lost control in anger and became the perpetrator instead—

Just imagining it was devastating.

Society collapsing.

The nation collapsing.

The universe collapsing.

With a grim face, Jaeyoung picked up his spoon.

“I’ll take care of the aftermath.”

“You don’t need to hold back.”

It was incredibly reassuring.

And the bean sprout soup was unbelievably refreshing.

Jaeyoung picked up a strand of bean sprout and nodded as he ate it.

Crunch.

The texture was exactly his type.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

Smiling brightly, he lifted his rice bowl and mixed it straight into the soup.

But seeing that reaction, Saheon frowned slightly.

“Doesn’t it make you angry?”

“I don’t think I’ve done anything bad enough to deserve that.”

Worried Saheon might actually act on it, Jaeyoung waved his hands hurriedly.

As a fellow man, he could vaguely imagine the pain, and his face twisted.

“…Fine.”

Seeing Saheon seemingly drop it, Jaeyoung let out a breath of relief.

But he still didn’t know.

About the princess’s persistence.

“Why do you keep showing up at the fossilized business building these days?”

Mintae whined, exhaustion written all over his face.

“Don’t be like that.”

“What if you get discharged later and freshmen say there’s a smelly reserve soldier hanging around?”

Dongjun made a perfectly reasonable point and got hit for it.

It was the first time everyone had gathered since starting college.

That day, Jaeyoung, who’d been unusually quiet, finally smiled.

“Seo Mintae being smelly is accurate, though.”

“Hey, Kim Jaeyoung!”

“You can’t say that to me!”

Mintae shouted sharply, his lips jutting out.

The hurt and injustice were obvious, so Jaeyoung patted him gently.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I know, I know.”

“Seriously, that s— no, that senior is a total pervert.”

They were talking about Gil Seongpil from the welcome party.

Jaeyoung smiled contentedly.

One of Mintae’s cute points was fixing himself immediately when Dongjun pointed something out.

“Minju-noona said it’d be fine as long as I avoid the library area…”

Jaeyoung rubbed his cheek with a troubled expression.

Despite his nickname as the ghost who lived in the library, Gil Seongpil had been showing up frequently at the business building since the welcome party.

He’d sit on the central sofa, nitpick innocent students, and eventually ask for Jaeyoung.

“Kim Jaeyoung’s charm transcends age and gender.”

Dongjun joked as he relayed the situation through the group chat and slung an arm around Jaeyoung’s shoulder.

While Jaeyoung was protected thanks to other students, Mintae suffered more simply for being his best friend.

“If he keeps following you around, why not tell the princess?”

Dongjun suggested slyly.

It was obvious he just wanted to watch the spectacle.

“I already told hyung last time.”

“He said if anything happens, smash and run, then tattle.”

Jaeyoung relayed Saheon’s words while looking at Dongjun like he was pathetic.

“Smash?”

“What?”

Dongjun asked, clearly understanding but desperately wanting not to.

“No, more importantly, Jin Saheon told you to tattle?”

Haewoon cut into the group, aghast.

His trembling eyes held a hint of grievance.

“The guy who ignored it when you beat me up as a kid?”

“That’s because you kept bullying Bora.”

Compare things properly.

Jaeyoung shot Haewoon a sharp look and clicked his tongue.

“More importantly, did you tattle on me to your brother?”

And he was no less incredulous.

He’d been the one in the wrong, yet he’d gone crying to his brother.

“No, I thought you liked Bora…”

“I just wanted to embarrass you in front of her.”

“That’s intense, Choo Haewoon.”

“Our Haewoon acts all manly but he’s actually a total loser, huh?”

The teasing target shifted to Haewoon.

Mintae, who’d been booing and throwing popcorn at him, suddenly checked his phone and froze.

“I—I need to take a call.”

“What?”

“Who is it?”

The others asked, watching him suspiciously.

Anyone could tell he was scared of whoever was on the line.

Mintae stared at Jaeyoung for a moment.

It looked like he wanted to ask for help but couldn’t bring himself to.

“Y-Yes.”

As he hurried outside, Mintae even bowed deeply to the unseen caller.

‘He didn’t secretly screw something up, did he?’

Jaeyoung watched Mintae’s back with a serious expression.