“I have something to tell you too.”

But Myung-hwon finally stopped Ju-eon. He had a gut feeling that this couldn’t be avoided even if he wanted to.

“What is it?”

Ju-eon stopped walking, feeling distant. He slowly turned around to meet Myung-hwon’s gaze again. Though he thought he knew Myung-hwon well, he couldn’t understand what he was thinking at all. Myung-hwon let out a shallow sigh. The momentary silence felt like a thousand years.

“Ju-eon.”

“…Do we really have to have this conversation now? I’ll talk later too…”

“Let’s.”

“……”

Ju-eon’s lips quivered. He needed to say something else but his mouth was too dry to speak. Contrary to Ju-eon’s desperate wishes, once Myung-hwon opened his mouth, he finally spoke his next words.

“…remain in a professional relationship.”

Why do bad feelings always turn out to be right?

“What does that mean?”

Myung-hwon ran his hand through his hair, looking very tired. Ridiculously, even at a time like this, Ju-eon’s heart still fluttered at the sight of Myung-hwon furrowing his brow in exhaustion and running his hand back through his hair.

“It means exactly what it sounds like.”

Ju-eon was now out of Attack Team 1. But if they remained in a professional relationship. What would be left between them?

“Are you saying we should break up?”

“……”

Though Ju-eon asked with a stiff face, Myung-hwon didn’t respond.

“That’s a cruel joke.”

The words came out hoping it was just a tasteless joke. Ju-eon laughed awkwardly at his own words, but even that laughter froze.

Ah. He’s serious.

The moment he realized this, Ju-eon couldn’t help but avoid his gaze. He didn’t want to know what expression Myung-hwon was making.

“I’ll shower first.”

He heard the bedroom door opening. He felt he shouldn’t let him go here.

But he couldn’t hold onto him. Though he hated the idea of becoming less than strangers to each other, of breaking up, more than death itself. He loved him too much to cling onto him when he said to break up.

Before the door fully closed, Myung-hwon whispered in a low voice.

“You’ll be okay soon.”

What would be okay? He was curious but couldn’t ask. In case he might say that Ju-eon would be okay without him. Because he didn’t want to hear those words most of all.

Since when did he start holding back questions he wanted to ask, for fear of hearing unwanted answers from him?

“Okay.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. What went wrong, where did it start going wrong? Just where did they take the wrong step to end up here? The thoughts kept coming endlessly. Everything felt like his fault.

Going back in time, he remembered things from long ago. If he had made different choices then, what would their relationship be like now?

Ju-eon recalled the time when he was about to graduate from the training center.

**

You couldn’t go straight into the field the moment you joined the agency; you had to receive at least 2 years of training before being assigned to a team that matched your characteristics.

That was no exception even for the S-class. Ju-eon and Myung-hwon were now in their 21st month as trainees, approaching graduation.

‘What did they say?’

Myung-hwon had returned after being called by the training center officer. Ju-eon, who had been waiting on Myung-hwon’s bed, jumped up like a shot.

‘They made me an offer. I haven’t accepted yet though.’

‘Why? What did they say?’

He said they offered a base salary of 10 billion won plus additional incentives for each dungeon entry, and a 30% share of items found in dungeons. Though Ju-eon stomped his feet at hearing such an unprecedented amount, Myung-hwon’s expression showed little change.

‘Why didn’t you accept right away?’

‘There were conditions attached.’

Though the government only allows espers affiliated with the agency to use their abilities, there are always exceptions.

First, the existence of guilds using subcontractor names, as it’s difficult to manage nationwide. This was the path mainly taken by those who disliked agency restrictions but wanted to use esper abilities.

Second, from A-class up, offers for naturalization pour in from other countries. In fact, when the Korean agency had just been established, quite a few S-class espers from Korea naturalized to the US or China. Most chose the latter option for financial reasons.

Private companies being allowed in other countries meant they could earn astronomical amounts incomparable to Korea.

Third was becoming a criminal.

The agency specially manages high-ranked espers to prevent cases where they turn against them. As an S-class esper, Myung-hwon was naturally placed under special management.

The agency making the first offer was to check other places from making offers first. Usually once someone chose their affiliation, it didn’t change. But the agency put forward the condition of residing in the capital region for 10 years as an agency member.

‘Isn’t that not a big deal?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You’re amazing anyway.’

‘What is?’

‘I haven’t gotten any offers yet.’

At Ju-eon’s gloomy attitude, Myung-hwon lifted him up and sat him on his lap.

‘Usually negotiations happen after graduation.’

‘You have other concerns too, right?’

‘…Yeah.’

‘What are they?’

After naturally leaning against Myung-hwon’s chest, Ju-eon slightly lifted his head to look at him with sparkling eyes.

‘Actually, I got an offer to naturalize from the US too.’

‘What? This is the first I’m hearing of this.’

‘I just got the offer recently.’

‘I see.’

‘They said if I have a partner, I can bring them too.’

‘Partner?’

Though he didn’t know the details, he had guessed that Myung-hwon might want to leave.

‘Should we imprint and naturalize together?’

But he hadn’t expected him to be thinking about naturalization. Myung-hwon suggested in a serious voice while hugging Ju-eon’s waist.

‘…Imprint?’

‘Why are you surprised?’

While guides can imprint with multiple espers, an esper can only imprint with one guide. Given Myung-hwon’s careful personality, Ju-eon was startled thinking this talk of the future came too soon.

‘It’s just sudden. That’s not something you say easily.’

‘I’m not saying it easily though.’

‘We’re still young too.’

‘So you planned to have fun with me while you’re young and then meet someone else later?’

Myung-hwon’s eyes grew fierce as he tightened his arms around Ju-eon.

‘What if I turn out to be a bad guy and imprint with someone else besides you, since you’re talking about it so easily.’

Myung-hwon didn’t laugh at Ju-eon’s joke. He just buried his face in Ju-eon’s shoulder.

‘It’s still okay.’

‘It’s okay?’

‘It’s okay because it’s you. I think it’s okay to get hurt by you.’

Ju-eon found such a Myung-hwon lovable and stroked the back of his head. He smiled broadly, feeling like he had tamed a beast. Not even guessing what Myung-hwon’s true feelings were as he said these words.

They were just twenty-one. Ju-eon was too unstable to give up everything just trusting in Myung-hwon. Following Myung-hwon without having established anything felt too scary.

‘I still think it’s better to stay in Korea.’

His family’s columbarium was here. He was the only one left to take care of it. Only reasons not to go came to mind at Myung-hwon’s suggestion.

‘Really?’

Myung-hwon never asked Ju-eon about going to America again. He just bound Ju-eon closer.

Training was soon coming to an end and they were quite busy in their own ways. Ju-eon still didn’t know which team he would be assigned to after training, and all he could do was work hard to go somewhere not too different from Myung-hwon.

Ju-eon’s body was burning with anxiety. He didn’t want to rely on Myung-hwon. It was about maintaining his pride. He wanted to live together, not just live off of Myung-hwon.

But when he fell into self-loathing realizing their gap couldn’t be easily bridged, Myung-hwon had already made up his mind about where to go.

When Ju-eon came out after showering while his roommate was away, Myung-hwon was sitting waiting on Ju-eon’s bed. Myung-hwon was startled seeing water drops fall from Ju-eon’s wet hair after his shower and run down his neck.

‘When did you come in?’

‘Just now.’

‘I could have gone to your room.’

Ju-eon hurriedly moved toward the wardrobe.

‘Do you always come out like this after showering?’

‘No… I just rushed out quickly today.’

‘I told you to just be my roommate.’

Ju-eon’s face turned bright red at Myung-hwon’s words accompanied by a click of his tongue. He couldn’t say it was because he would think only of you, unable to focus on training, because he liked you that much.

Myung-hwon grabbed Ju-eon’s wrist and sat him on his lap.

‘I decided to join the agency with the condition that they let you join too.’

‘What?’

Ju-eon, who had been trying to get up conscious of not even wearing underwear yet, froze.

‘Attack Team 1. It might be burdensome for you…’

‘There are other A-class guides too. Myung-hwon. Me going without any ability would be…’

‘No, I can’t do without your guiding.’

Those words made Ju-eon happy. When he lacked confidence, being told his ability was essential was too sweet. So he couldn’t refuse. Wasn’t Attack Team 1 the elite small team that most trainees wanted to join?

‘…Myung-hwon.’

‘And there are separate conditions for you and me.’

Myung-hwon’s brow furrowed.

‘And the conditions increased, for 10 years imprinting is…’

Ju-eon immediately realized what the agency was demanding.

‘Since you’re one of their maximum forces, it can’t be helped.’

Imprinting wasn’t something very welcomed within the agency. Since an esper could only receive guiding from one guide, it reduced efficiency.

Ju-eon didn’t really think Myung-hwon’s words had been serious either. He thought it was something said impulsively. In about 10 years they would be established, and by then imprinting would probably be fine.