Stay in the Car

When Saheon was resting and received a dispatch, there were two ways it usually happened.

One was receiving a text and heading out by car.

The other was Jaehyo, who was practically his secretary, coming directly to the house and escorting him via teleportation.

Most of the time, it was the latter.

“Let me come with you.”

The trigger that day was Jaeyoung noticing the message from the Center first.

“I’ll just stay quietly in the car.”

Seeing Saheon hesitate, Jaeyoung hurried to add more.

“The car only stays in the safe zone anyway.”

Jaeyoung rolled his eyes around as he carefully watched Saheon’s expression.

“…Ah, really?”

Saheon let out a short, incredulous laugh at the cautious question.

“You said you didn’t want other people to notice you.”

“Changed your mind now?”

With a languid smile, Saheon brushed his fingers along the rim of Jaeyoung’s ear.

“I’m trying to get used to it, little by little.”

“Like you said, it’s work, but it feels like I’m getting paid without really doing my job…”

Embarrassed that he’d changed his stance in less than a few months, Jaeyoung tugged at the back of his hair.

Still, he had his reasons.

From Jaeyoung’s point of view, Saheon was being dispatched far too often, and he came back injured far too frequently.

Even if he couldn’t enter the dungeon itself, Jaeyoung wanted to stay close and keep an eye on things.

As Saheon listened in silence, his eyes narrowed with an unmistakable hint of dissatisfaction.

Jaeyoung wanted his identity kept hidden, but honestly—

Saheon wanted anyone who saw Jaeyoung to know he was Jin Saheon’s paired Guide.

At the same time, he also wanted no one to know Jaeyoung was a Guide at all.

It was a mess of conflicting thoughts.

If another Esper, anyone else, were to recognize Jaeyoung’s true value…

The image of that soft rice-cake-like presence exchanging kisses with someone else made Saheon’s vision burn red.

‘Possessiveness over a Guide.’

Over five years as an Esper, Saheon had seen plenty of Espers show possessiveness toward shared or free Guides.

He’d always found it pathetic.

Those weren’t lovers, just coworkers.

And yet now, what he was doing to Jaeyoung was exactly that.

Unaware of Saheon’s turmoil, Jaeyoung simply looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

Saheon stared back at him.

–We are approaching the destination.

Except for one direct experience, Jaeyoung had lived his life in relatively safe areas.

This was his first time coming this close to a dungeon outbreak zone.

Through the news, he’d seen how completely devastated such areas became.

So he’d expected ruins, or maybe nothing left at all.

But once the arrival alert sounded, the clanking noises didn’t stop.

Jaeyoung lifted his eyes from the booklet he’d been reading and looked out the window.

“What are those people doing over there?”

He pointed at workers standing atop thin steel beams.

“Never seen a building under construction?”

“I’ve never seen one this close to a dungeon.”

“Are they building something like an Esper rest stop?”

“An Esper rest stop?”

“That’s a new one.”

Saheon chuckled softly, amused, and slowed the car so Jaeyoung could look more comfortably.

Pressed up against the window, Jaeyoung spotted a sign that read “Apartment Complex Construction” and his eyes flew open.

“That’s an apartment complex!”

He turned to Saheon in disbelief, shouting as if he’d made an astonishing discovery.

Seeing Jaeyoung’s wonder, Saheon thought bringing him along had been the right choice.

“Why would they build apartments here?”

“Isn’t it scary?”

“Would anyone even want to live there?”

It wasn’t even far away.

The site was just outside the government’s control line.

Questions spilled out as Jaeyoung muttered in disbelief.

“The residents are probably already decided.”

Jaeyoung froze at Saheon’s words.

“Why?”

“Why would anyone live here?”

“There’s a rumor that areas near cleared dungeons are actually safer.”

“What?”

“Really?”

Jaeyoung’s eyes widened.

If that were true, wouldn’t it make sense for everyone to live near dungeons?

“Who knows.”

“We still don’t fully understand dungeons.”

Judging by his cynical response, Saheon clearly didn’t believe the rumor.

If anyone in Korea had seen the widest range of dungeons, it was him.

If even he wasn’t convinced, how could anyone else be?

“That’s incredible.”

“Clinging to something so uncertain.”

Jaeyoung clicked his tongue internally as he scanned the construction sites.

Then he lowered his gaze and returned to reading.

Dungeons were divided into one-time dungeons, which disappeared once all creatures inside were eliminated, and regenerative dungeons, which reset at fixed intervals.

The dungeon Saheon was being dispatched to today was a regenerative one.

And among them, it was S-rank.

An S-rank dungeon was so dangerous that even twenty A-rank Espers working together could struggle.

As the only S-rank Esper in South Korea, Saheon’s presence was non-negotiable.

Still, regenerative dungeons were less dangerous than the first encounter.

The number and types of creatures didn’t change.

The Center had compiled detailed data based on footage from memory-recording ability users and Saheon’s own exceptional recall.

Jaeyoung briefly looked up and spotted a familiar strip of blue tape.

“Oh, there’s the control line.”

Saheon’s SUV didn’t stop.

It passed straight through the control line.

“Hyung, that’s Jaehyo.”

Jaeyoung said brightly, looking toward the parking entrance.

Jaehyo was pacing nervously nearby.

The moment he spotted Saheon’s car entering the lot, relief spread across his face.

“We’re not late, are we?”

Jaeyoung asked, guilt written all over his face.

If they were late, it would be entirely his fault.

“There’s still an hour until the reset.”

Saheon replied casually.

Only then did Jaeyoung finally relax.

“Uh, there are slimes here?”

Jaeyoung asked worriedly as he flipped through the materials.

It was a copy Saheon had kept as a reference, which Jaeyoung had somehow found and brought along.

“Slimes regenerate infinitely even when torn apart.”

“That’s the worst match for your ability, hyung.”

“If blades don’t work, how do you even kill them?”

Jaeyoung looked as serious as someone about to be attacked by one.

Saheon, searching for a parking spot, laughed softly at his expression.

“Did you miss the other traits?”

Startled, Jaeyoung flipped back through the pages.

“Oh…”

“It says they’re weak to fire.”

“And fire-type ability users are the most common here.”

Jaeyoung mimed wiping sweat from his chest in relief.

Then he flipped the page and focused again, his face serious.

“You said you weren’t even going in.”

“Why are you studying so hard?”

Saheon parked the car and turned to Jaeyoung with a teasing look.

Even if Jaeyoung wanted to go in, Saheon had no intention of letting him anywhere near danger.

To meet Saheon’s gaze as he leaned against the steering wheel, Jaeyoung tilted his head too.

Whether it was the sunlight pouring down on him or just his imagination, Saheon’s dark eyes looked gentle.

Maybe it was the lazy smile at his lips.

“You don’t even study this hard for your major, huh?”

Still smiling, Saheon frowned slightly and reached out to knead Jaeyoung’s soft cheek.

Jaeyoung felt oddly constricted, like he’d eaten too fast.

He pressed at his solar plexus and straightened his head.

The pressure eased a little.

“Well, hyung…”

Jaeyoung wet his dry lips with his tongue and avoided Saheon’s gaze.

“I can sort of imagine where you are, what you’re fighting, and when it might end.”

It was nothing special, yet his cheeks burned.

Saheon stared at him with narrowed eyes, then let out a low sound.

“You like imagining things?”

The low voice made Jaeyoung’s face flare red.

It was a bad voice.

One that summoned all the wrong images.

The incident from a few nights ago surfaced in his mind.

Saheon seemed to be thinking of it too.

“N-No—!”

A flustered denial burst out of Jaeyoung—

Just then, a knock sounded behind him and he gasped.

“Why did you park here?”

“If you’d parked near the entrance—”

It was Jaehyo.

He’d knocked on the passenger window when Saheon didn’t get out.

Seeing Jaeyoung’s startled face, Jaehyo also trailed off.

“Hello, hyung.”

Jaeyoung quickly rolled the window down and greeted him.

He wanted to get out and bow properly, but even in a safe zone, that felt like something he needed Saheon’s permission for.

“What brings you here, Jaeyoung?”

“Oh—did you finally decide?”

Jaehyo asked brightly, clearly pleased to see him.

“No.”

“Kim Jaeyoung stays in the car.”

Saheon said coldly, as if there would be no further discussion, and got out.

It looked like he was about to leave—

Then he suddenly turned back and stared at Jaeyoung.

It was the look of someone thinking deeply.

“Ahn Jaehyo.”

“Call your Guide over here.”

Before Jaeyoung could speak, Saheon addressed Jaehyo.

“No, it’s okay!”

“I’ll be fine on my own!”

Jaeyoung waved his hands quickly.

He didn’t want to inconvenience someone else just because he’d chosen not to enter the dungeon.

“I’d rather—”

“He’ll be happy to come.”

“He hates waiting tents.”

Jaehyo said kindly, glancing between them.

When he disappeared and returned, he had a man of similar age with him.

“P-Prin— no, Jin Saheon, Esper?”

The man corrected himself quickly, but no one missed that he’d almost said “Princess.”

“Oh, do you need guiding again?”

He reached out and tried to grab Saheon’s hand.

But there was nothing there.

His unbalanced body was caught by Jaehyo beside him.

“What.”

“Should I just tell him to leave?”

Saheon said lightly.

Jaeyoung frowned at the spot where the man’s hand had been, then turned at Saheon’s words.

Saheon looked oddly pleased.

“What is this…”

“It feels like getting rejected without even confessing.”

The man muttered sadly, looking around in confusion.