TL Note:

Guys, I’ve had an embarrassing mishap! I accidentally deleted the cheat sheet with the name transliterations... It’s hard for me to restore it right away. I’m asking for your help: if you notice that any name is written incorrectly, please let me know in the comments 🙏

The red light continued for nearly a full minute before it gradually faded.

Not only was the color unusual, but the duration was much longer than before. Thinking back on past experiences with Jinhwan, the light had always appeared only briefly before disappearing. It had never lasted this long.

“...T-the test is complete. Please remove your hand.”

The staff member spoke a beat late, as if taken aback. She seemed to have never seen something like this either.

So there really was a problem with Jinhwan?

“Please wait a moment.”

She spoke quickly, then stepped into the computer room and began speaking with a bespectacled colleague. The door was shut, so I couldn’t hear their words, but their expressions didn’t look good.

A short while later, the staff member came back out.

“I’m sorry. It seems the analysis of the test results will take some time.”

“Is there something wrong with Jinhwan?”

“For now, please step outside.”

Avoiding a direct answer, she guided us to the waiting room on the first floor.

“Please wait here until the results are ready.”

She spoke politely and left, and the wide waiting room was left with only me and Joo Seunghyuk.

“What’s going on? Could there really be something wrong with Jinhwan?”

“It’s probably nothing. Don’t worry.”

Seunghyuk brushed his fingers through my hair.

“You don’t think there’s something wrong with our matching rate, do you?”

Truthfully, that worried me more than Jinhwan. What if a problem with our matching rate was causing abnormal readings? Or what if Seunghyuk’s guide-rejection symptoms had worsened?

I took his hand and checked his mana. Thankfully, the flow was stable.

“Seunghyuk, can I guide you?”

“Of course. You can, anytime.”

“If you feel anything off, tell me.”

“Yes.”

I focused my mind and began sending mana. If any rejection symptoms appeared, I planned to stop immediately. But my worry proved unfounded—his body accepted my mana smoothly.

Just as I felt relieved, his brows furrowed.

“Hyung...”

“Seunghyuk, what is it? Are you hurt?”

I started to pull my hand away, ending the guiding immediately, but Seunghyuk gripped me harder.

“I’m aroused.”

“......” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I pulled my hand back entirely. He smirked and tugged me toward him by the waist.

“You made me like this—take responsibility.”

His eyes were filled with raw desire. I couldn’t feel it as a Beta, but I was certain he was releasing an intense amount of Alpha pheromones right now.

If it was Seunghyuk, he really might take me here. I must have lost my mind—to start guiding in a place like this. I’d momentarily forgotten that Seunghyuk was a man with no brakes.

“Hold it in.”

“Hold it in?”

“Yeah. You’re good at that.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You haven’t done it once since the rut. So hold on a little longer.”

“Hyung, that’s exactly why I can’t.”

His lips pressed against mine.

This wasn’t the place, this wasn’t the time—I knew that. But {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} even as I thought it, I accepted his kiss.

Seunghyuk wanted me. His desire felt pleasing, and the sense of our heat and everything mingling was intoxicating.

I wanted to surrender to it completely, but the thin thread of my reason held fast.

I slowly pulled back, and Seunghyuk respected my choice.

“Was the guiding okay?”

“Yes. It was good.”

“Compared to before?”

I worried our matching rate had dropped since last time. I didn’t feel a difference, but maybe Seunghyuk did.

“It’s getting better and better. It’s almost strange how it can still improve.”

He looked straight into my eyes. He was only talking about guiding, but something about it made my chest tingle.

“That’s a relief.”

“Don’t worry. And no matter what our matching rate is, I truly don’t care. My only Guide is Lee Yeonsu. I don’t need anyone else.”

What had always felt like an overwhelming burden now came across as sweet.

“Seunghyuk, I...”

I wanted to tell him I loved him. I didn’t want to wait until the test results came back or until we left here.

I wanted to pour my feelings out to him right now.

Bang!

The door suddenly burst open, and a group of men in black suits rushed in.

I could feel strong mana from all of them. Most of them were high-rank Espers.

“Esper Joo Seunghyuk.”

The man at the front addressed Seunghyuk.

It was Park Changseop, Deputy Chief of the Inspection Division, an S-rank Esper. He was especially known for resolving serious crimes committed by high-rank Espers.

Why was the ace of the Inspection Division, who only handled major Esper criminal cases, here for Seunghyuk?

Could it be that he had tried to steal Jinhwan? No—that made no sense. Seunghyuk had no reason to target Jinhwan.

While I was tense, Seunghyuk looked down at Park Changseop with a relaxed expression.

“You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Esper Park Geonwoo.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Seunghyuk tried to kill Park Geonwoo? Did they mean he orchestrated the traffic accident before the break?

I looked at Seunghyuk in shock, but he only gave a crooked smile.

“You almost sound like an actual law enforcement agency.”

The moment he jabbed at their greatest weakness, Park Changseop and the Inspection Division members flinched.

The Inspection Division wasn’t an official investigative body. The prosecution already had a department dedicated to Esper crimes, and there had long been criticism that the Center’s Inspection Division was overstepping its authority.

The police and prosecution were displeased as well, but the reality was that investigating Espers had limits. The Inspection Division’s influence had grown, and they couldn’t stop it.

“You have the right to remain silent...”

Park Changseop’s face smoothed over as he began reciting the Miranda rights. But Seunghyuk interrupted with disinterest.

“Can I eat first?”

“Joo Seunghyuk, do you think this is a joke?”

The Deputy Chief’s patience seemed to reach its limit as his voice rose. But even the ace of the Inspection Division shouting didn’t make Seunghyuk blink. If anything, it was me who got scared.

“I already have plans.”

“What?!”

“Seunghyuk...”

I tried to calm him.

He was facing an attempted murder charge. Provoking the Deputy Chief would do no good.

“Sir, there must be some misunderstanding. Seunghyuk wouldn’t hurt Geonwoo hyung—”

“This is not something for Guide Lee Yeonsu to interfere in.”

Park Changseop cut me off, signaling to one of his subordinates. The staff member next to me shoved my shoulder. But before he could push further, Seunghyuk stopped him, twisting his arm.

“Argh!”

“Seunghyuk!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah...”

I was fine, but the situation was spiraling into the worst case. Heavy mana instantly filled the waiting room. The Inspection Division agents had all released their mana, entering combat mode.

“Esper Joo Seunghyuk, if you resist arrest, we will be forced to use physical force.”

“You’re saying you’ll drag me away by force?”

A blatant smirk curved Seunghyuk’s lips. But while he seemed calm, I was worried.

They were all high-rank Espers, with S-ranks among them. No matter how strong Seunghyuk was, this was a dangerous fight.

And this wasn’t a battle about who was stronger.

If a fight broke out and any Inspection Division agents were injured—or even if it just started—Seunghyuk would face additional charges for obstructing official duties.

When an Esper used their abilities to attack investigators, the penalties were harsher than for ordinary criminals. Regardless of whether the Inspection Division counted as an official investigative body, resisting and attacking its agents during an arrest was a serious crime.

Even if Seunghyuk was stronger than all of them combined, he couldn’t win this. The more damage the Inspection Division took, the worse it would be for him.

“Seunghyuk, I’m really fine. Let him go.”

At my words, Seunghyuk let go of the agent’s arm, tossing it aside.

“Ugh!”

The man stumbled back in a ridiculous manner, and some agents rushed to check on him. But most of the Inspection Division remained on guard.

Not all of them were high-rank, but they’d clearly gathered an elite team to apprehend Seunghyuk. Even so, he showed no sign of tension.

“Hyung, your hands are cold.”

He clasped my hand tightly.

He was right—my fingertips had gone cold. I was terrified that Seunghyuk might be falsely accused or harmed. I feared a fight would break out and he would be injured or face heavier punishment.

“Don’t worry. I won’t fight.”

He slowly stroked my cheek, then looked back at Park Changseop.

“I will comply with the arrest. But you must guarantee Guide Lee Yeonsu’s safety.”

“That goes without saying. Guide Lee Yeonsu is a valuable asset to the Republic of Korea. Of course we will protect him.”

“If even a hair on his head is harmed, you’ll regret it.”

“We are already doing our utmost to protect Guide Lee Yeonsu. You needn’t worry.”

Their words were sharp, but Seunghyuk shifted his gaze to me.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. Looks like you’ll be eating alone today.”

The chill in his tone vanished, replaced with regret and reluctance.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about me.”

“Wait at home. I’ll be back soon.”

He squeezed my hand and gave me a gentle smile.

“Okay.”

Surrounded by Inspection Division agents, Seunghyuk left the waiting room.

The moment the door closed behind him and he was gone, my legs gave out.