"Why should I? I'll tell him later. I'm not going to hide the fact that I was guided by another Guide."
"Then call him now and tell him. He'll come back instantly."
"…All the more reason not to tell him right now. Of course he'll come if I ask him, but I don't want to drag him over needlessly when there are other guides present in the center."
That was when Hyeong Ki shifted again, clearly intending to move forward and leave the discussion behind entirely. But before he could take another step, Wi Hajoon moved. He placed a hand directly on the office door and stepped in between them, positioning himself firmly in the middle of the space, his back now facing Rim Young completely.
The sudden movement almost made Rim Young lose his balance from how abruptly the line of sight changed. He would have stumbled back except Hyeong Ki's grip on his hand didn't loosen even for a moment, steadying him just enough to keep him upright. Now Rim Young was half-hidden behind Wi Hajoon's back, standing in the narrow gap between two opposing presences, while Hyeong Ki remained in front of him with his hand still firmly holding onto his wrist even as Wi Hajoon blocked the path between them.
"Fuck, you don't know anything!"
Wi Hajoon's voice snapped through the hallway, sharp and unrestrained, the kind of anger that had clearly been building for a while finally breaking loose. Hyeong Ki didn't back down either. His expression hardened as he raised his voice in return, meeting the aggression head-on without hesitation.
"And what do you know?"
"More than you, you fucking piece of dense shit!"
Wi Hajoon shot back immediately, stepping forward as if he couldn't stand even the distance between them.
"The only thing you know how to do is get on people's nerves. I don't know why Su Iseul even puts up with someone as insufferable as you."
The air between them grew heavier with each exchange, voices rising further with every sentence thrown back and forth like blows that weren't physical but still landed just as hard. A few nearby employees had already stepped out of their offices to check what the commotion was about, only to immediately rethink their life choices and quietly retreat back inside, shaking their heads as they disappeared behind doors again. It was the kind of argument no one wanted to accidentally get involved in.
So Su Iseul choosing Hyeong Ki makes you angry, but Hyeong Ki not choosing Su Iseul also troubles you?
What kind of logic was that supposed to be…
Rim Young lowered his head slightly, half out of embarrassment at being caught in the middle of something that felt far too intense for his first day properly stepping into this role, and half because he was genuinely trying to steady his own emotions before they got swept up in the escalating argument in front of him. The voices around him kept rising, but for a moment, his attention narrowed inward instead.
It didn't make sense to him in a simple way.
Both of them were reacting as if Su Iseul being involved was unavoidable, yet neither of them seemed willing to actually say what they wanted clearly enough to resolve it. It was all friction, contradictions, and unspoken assumptions colliding at once.
Rim Young exhaled quietly, still standing there with his hand loosely held, feeling oddly out of place in the center of it all like he had accidentally walked into the middle of something far more personal than a workplace disagreement and now had no idea where he was supposed to stand without making it worse.
"Enough! Do you like him? Why is it bothering you?!"
Failing to just stand there, Rim Young also out of nowhere yelled at Wi Hajoon's back. A minute of silence fell in the corridor before he added more.
"If you like Hyeong Ki Sunbae that much, then find a way to guide him yourself!"
Rim Young only digested the words that came out of his own mouth a second later. Wi Hajoon slowly turned his head slightly, the shock in his expression visible even from the side. Hyeong Ki also went quiet for a moment, clearly not expecting the situation to shift in that direction. Rim Young's confidence collapsed almost instantly.
"No… no, Sunbae, I didn't mean it that way…"
He hurriedly spoke out, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"That's not what I meant at all…"
He mumbled out, disappointed by his own outburst. What is wrong with me?
"Do you like me? Is that what this is about?"
"....."
Too stunned to say anything, Wi Hajoon stood there with his mouth slightly open, staring at Hyeong Ki as if he had just heard something fundamentally impossible from the one person he probably disliked the most in the entire world.
"Not even in a billion trillion years! You crazy motherfucker!"
The words exploded out of him instantly like a reflex rather than a thought-out response.
"Haah… this is driving me crazy…"
Wi Hajoon brought his hand over his forehead as he muttered and then glared fiercely at Rim Young, who was trying to squirm his hand out. He was a little afraid for his life right now.
*
Though they were officially called private office rooms for S-Class Espers and Guides, the reality was much closer to a luxury suite than a normal workplace office.
The moment Hyeong Ki opened the door, the space inside unfolded into a spacious lounge area rather than rows of desks or filing cabinets. A sleek alcohol bar stood in the middle of the room as the center point of the layout, separating the space naturally while small leather couches and armchairs were arranged on both sides of it in a way that felt more suited for relaxing conversations than actual work. The lighting was warm and subdued, giving the entire place a calm atmosphere.
Beyond the lounge area, another door connected directly to a private bedroom, which itself had an attached bathroom as well. Everything about the arrangement reflected personal preference rather than company standard. This was the layout Hyeong Ki had personally chosen for himself. He knew the layouts of both the main character and the male lead but not Wi Hajoon's. He wished this had been Wi Hajoon's office but quickly shook those thoughts out.
No, I shouldn't... I am not here for that anyway...
Instead of letting him go, Hyeong Ki somehow won, and Rim Young had no choice but to follow him into the office. However, there was also someone else who stubbornly refused to leave. Coming inside the office as well, Wi Hajoon stood on the side to 'watch over,' as he said. Rim Young sat in the armchair close to the bar, trying to appear less nervous than he was.
"Do you want something to drink? I would like to be guided first, though."
Hyeong Ki asked casually while standing behind the bar area, one hand resting against the wall shelves lined with bottles of alcohol arranged neatly across them.
"I don't like to drink, Sunbae... let's start with the guiding."
The only one in the room who was normal about this was Hyeong Ki, who nodded once and walked over to his side, while Rim Young felt uneasy and Wi Hajoon was just pissed about everything that was happening without Su Iseul.
"Here, take it easy."
Hyeong Ki extended his hand towards him. Hardening his resolve, Rim Young wrapped his hand over Hyeong Ki's to initiate the point of contact. This could also be a moment to show Wi Hajoon that he was capable of guiding S-Class Espers, so Rim Young took it seriously. He was doing his best, believe it or not.
"...."
"Aren't you taking it too easy, Rim Young?"
"But..."
But nothing was happening!
"I have guided Wi Hajoon before. I know how to do it, but I can't seem to get any energy across to you..."
Rim Young explained with a furrowed brow. Now it just looked like he was doing it on purpose, which he wasn't.
"Ha! You found a new guide? He's so incompetent at his job that he couldn't even make a difference in my condition. Su Iseul guided me after that."
Wi Hajoon added, watching over them carefully.
"Let me try it on you again. I know I can do it."
"Fuck off."
Rim Young glanced at Wi Hajoon only to receive a middle finger from him.
"Don't tempt me to kick you out of here. Don't embarrass me with your childish behavior either."
"You can fuck off too."
Wi Hajoon replied to Hyeong Ki, but it was now more like a low mutter.
"Sorry, Sunbae… I don't know why I can't do it…"
Rim Young quietly withdrew his hand as he lowered his head, his voice filled with embarrassment and frustration at himself more than anything else. But unlike what Rim Young expected, Hyeong Ki didn't step away or end the attempt there. He remained standing close in front of him without showing any sign of irritation, his expression staying calm and thoughtful instead.
"How far can you go with guiding right now?"