Kang Yun-jae. One of the agency’s key figures mentioned as the next research director. But before becoming a promising talent, he was an eccentric who experimented on himself when there were no test subjects, resulting in his hair turning light-colored as a side effect.

There was no special occasion that made them close. Their employment periods overlapped, and they became acquainted while sharing a room during basic training, naturally becoming friends.

Myung-hwon, who frequently visited Ju-eon’s room, also became somewhat close with Yun-jae, and the three often hung out together.

Ju-eon stared at Yun-jae’s back as he walked silently, ignoring everyone else.

He wanted to pretend nothing was wrong if possible. He hated gloomy atmospheres. But the mood wasn’t one he could brush off or run away from. Yun-jae’s face was so severe that Ju-eon kept his mouth shut and quietly followed him to his private office.

He left the door slightly open just in case. If the door was open, at least they wouldn’t raise their voices and would watch what they said.

It was a shallow tactic.

“Woo Ju-eon.”

His name was called, and soon a large shadow loomed over Ju-eon. Though not packed with dense muscles like Myung-hwon from being office-bound, he was much bigger than the average man. Enough to easily tower over Ju-eon, who was of average male height.

“…Huh?”

Ju-eon blinked. The distance between them suddenly closed. Yun-jae’s eyes gleamed as he looked down. Feeling suffocated, Ju-eon held his breath. Why are you making that expression?

“Door.”

Click.

After those words, Yun-jae stepped back from Ju-eon. Finally freed from the inexplicable pressure, Ju-eon smiled awkwardly.

“Yun-jae.”

He wanted to make excuses first.

“Why are you being so stupid?”

But despite Ju-eon’s efforts, Yun-jae’s expression didn’t easily soften.

“…What?”

“What do you mean what? What are you trying to do?”

Yun-jae rubbed his forehead and perched on the edge of his desk.

“I asked the hospital to wait 3 months… Looks like they already passed on the information.”

“When were you planning to tell anyone?”

“I know my condition best. I’m still fine.”

“Someone who claims to know better goes to an A-class dungeon? Are you sane? The very act of guiding is poison to you.”

Yun-jae couldn’t easily calm his agitation and raised his voice.

“Regardless of you being a guide, being near espers is nothing but poison to you.”

Espers possess excessive power worthy of being treated as supernatural beings, and sometimes they can’t handle their own power, requiring guides. But there are people who are affected just by the waves espers emit.

Weathering syndrome. A phenomenon where the body’s interior gradually breaks down due to the effects of espers’ waves.

For ordinary people, weathering syndrome wasn’t common but wasn’t rare either. However, it was extremely rare for guides, who had to live beside espers, to contract weathering syndrome.

“I know. I know but…”

His confused voice gradually became tearful.

Ju-eon knew too. But he couldn’t figure out what to do. He could barely accept the fact that he was sick. It was too painful to bear alone. He wanted to confide in Myung-hwon, cry his heart out, and be comforted. If it had been any other illness, he might have. But because it was weathering syndrome. Because if he told him, Myung-hwon would inevitably associate himself with it. So he swallowed it. Even knowing that hiding it wouldn’t solve anything.

“What does Yeo Myung-hwon say?”

“……”

The conversation he wanted to avoid most came up. Though he didn’t want Myung-hwon to know, it wasn’t something he could hide forever.

“No. He might not even know. Does Yeo Myung-hwon know? That you’re in this state?”

The silence was affirmative. Yun-jae sighed as if he’d expected this. Kang Yun-jae couldn’t understand why Ju-eon was so self-sacrificing for Myung-hwon.

‘If I had known it would come to this…’

Yun-jae rarely looked back on unchangeable past events with regret. What must he have felt when he received the hospital test results? How could he talk to him on the phone so normally after receiving a death sentence alone?

Just thinking about it made his blood boil. Looking at his complexion again, he had grown thinner since the last time he saw him.

Thud.

“Please don’t tell him.”

“Ju-eon.”

What came after the silence wasn’t an answer. Yun-jae’s eyes widened.

Ju-eon had fallen to his knees. Woo Ju-eon, who was hurting himself because he couldn’t bear to hurt Yeo Myung-hwon, knelt down for Myung-hwon’s sake.

Ju-eon clenched his hands resting on his thighs. His voice came out trembling terribly.

“I, I can’t tell Myung-hwon. I know. I’m being foolish.”

Ju-eon’s eyes turned bright red. If he didn’t go this far, Yun-jae would tell Myung-hwon. He didn’t want to hurt him.

Myung-hwon was his sun. How could he extinguish his only sun?

Yun-jae strode over and forcefully pulled up Ju-eon’s arm. Ju-eon, whose body was forcibly raised, lowered his head, and Yun-jae grabbed both his arms and shook him.

“And what about me, letting you go to work knowing you get worse the closer you are to espers?”

Though not as much as Myung-hwon, he too had stayed by Ju-eon’s side since getting to know him. He remained just a friend only because Ju-eon was already dating Myung-hwon, because there was absolutely no opening.

“Please.”

“Woo Ju-eon!”

“I’ll tell him later. Just a little more… I’m transferring teams anyway, so I’ll tell him after that.”

While Ju-eon usually went along with others’ opinions in most situations, once he made up his mind about something, he wouldn’t back down.

“You’ve dated Yeo Myung-hwon for so long, why can’t you be honest? This isn’t the only thing you’re hiding. What are you going to do about that?”

“Yun-jae.”

“…Only until you transfer teams.”

Yun-jae ruffled his own hair and surrendered. Until then, he planned to look for what he could do on his own. Though he didn’t answer, it was no coincidence that Yun-jae had learned about Ju-eon’s illness.

“I’ve been here too long during work hours. I’ll go back.”

Ju-eon forced a smile while wiping away tears that wouldn’t stop.

Though he’d bought some time, it wouldn’t be much.

‘Probably a month.’

After that, even without saying anything, they would notice something was wrong, so that was realistically how much time he had left.

“Call me.”

“Yun-jae, thank you.”

After expressing his gratitude, saying this was enough, Ju-eon left Yun-jae’s private office.

When the door closed, Yun-jae began rifling through piles of documents. As soon as he saw the documents, he couldn’t think rationally and had rushed to find Ju-eon. But now that he’d regained his reason, the outline of what needed to be done was vaguely emerging.

Yun-jae hadn’t given Ju-eon time without any thoughts of his own.

“When that bastard is helpless and can’t do anything, I’ll be the one to save you.”

The paper in his fingertips crumpled miserably.

**

When he returned to the office, his teammates were preparing for tomorrow. Ju-eon made his way back to his seat through the bustling people and asked Yun-jin sitting next to him.

Fortunately, Myung-hwon wasn’t in the office. If he had run into him right after returning, it would have been difficult to maintain his expression.

“Don’t we have nothing scheduled tomorrow?”

“You’re back? Tomorrow Ho-yun said he wanted to practice coordination, so we’re going to a B-class dungeon that Attack Team 2 was planning to tackle. So…”

“Meaning I don’t need to go, right?”

“I’m not going either, so let’s stay in the office together. And I heard they’re having a welcome party in about a week.”

Not long after, Myung-hwon and Ho-yun entered the office, seemingly having stopped by the supply room as they were holding several items. Ju-eon unconsciously avoided their gaze. Then he started gathering his things.

“Okay. Then I’ll head home first for today. I’ll finish today’s unfinished work tomorrow.”

“Alright. Take care.”

Ju-eon hurriedly got up from his seat and left the office. He didn’t want to remember the moment when Lee Ho-yun had guided Myung-hwon.

He walked the night streets. He looked up at the sky where only the moon hung. Not wanting to go straight home, he purposely took a long detour. He walked, and walked some more. When he came to his senses, it was already well past 10 o’clock.

Throughout the walk, he’d thought about clearing his mind before going in, but all he could think about was you. He laughed dejectedly.

Though he couldn’t always make him happy, he didn’t want to make him sad. He’d thought it was a modest wish, but now it had become too great a desire. A desire too big to achieve.

Beep beep beep-

It was when he opened the front door and went inside. In the dark living room with the lights off, Myung-hwon was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the darkness.

“Woo Ju-eon.”

“Myung-hwon.”

Not expecting him to be there, Ju-eon stopped in his tracks, eyes widening in surprise.

“Where have you been?”

“…You got off work early today.”

Before Ju-eon could move to turn on the lights, Myung-hwon got up first and strode toward him.

“What did you talk about with Kang Yun-jae?”

“We didn’t talk about anything special…”

“Then why did Kang Yun-jae get so angry?”

Myung-hwon seemed unable to understand. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness with each blink, Myung-hwon’s silhouette began to become clearly visible.

Without realizing it, Ju-eon reached out and caressed Myung-hwon’s cheek.

“It’s nothing.”

Come to think of it, when was the last time they kissed just to kiss, not for guiding? He tried to remember, but there hadn’t been any such occasions recently.

His heart began to pound heavily, making its presence known at the feeling of warm skin.