“Ah, seriously.”“Hahaha!”Raon burst out laughing at Siwoo’s look of horror. Siwoo whipped his head around and turned completely away.“Sorry, sorry. You mad?”“Stop teasing me.”“Your reactions are just too funny.”He said it without thinking, pure honesty slipping out before he could redirect the conversation. Siwoo froze, his face going stiff.“Then what does that make you—doing those things with a kid?”“Uh, that’s…”Raon fell silent. Siwoo had lashed out on impulse, touching the one thought Raon had been trying not to acknowledge.It’s just work. It’s guiding, that’s all.But he couldn’t say that—not when he knew it would only hurt Siwoo. Raon shook his head once, then met Siwoo’s eyes again.“I said I’m sorry, okay? Come on, don’t be mad.”“Forget it.”Siwoo didn’t even look at him, shoveling food into his mouth with visible irritation. Raon, who had only taken half the amount Siwoo had, was nearly finished and simply watched him eat in silence.“I really won’t tease you again.”Still, no answer. Siwoo just kept eating, mechanical and wordless. Raon tapped his fingers on the table, growing uneasy, then muttered in a deliberately offhand tone,“Though, honestly, I couldn’t do those things with a kid, right?”“……”That made him stop. The clatter of metal against tray halted mid-motion.Raon’s fingertips, still resting on the table, brushed lightly against the back of Siwoo’s hand. The subtle touch made Siwoo’s dark eyes drop lower, deepening like storm clouds.“You’re coming for guiding, right?”“Ha, unbelievable.”Raon smiled faintly as he asked. Siwoo sighed and shook his head in defeat.***Clack.“Ah—!”The moment the door opened, Raon was shoved hard against the wall, a soft grunt escaping him. He was used to those arms wrapping around his back by now.Siwoo’s face drew close. Raon’s eyes fluttered shut as warmth brushed his open lips.Tonight, too, the guiding rooms were closed, so he’d brought Siwoo back to the quarters. By now, it felt almost like part of their daily routine.“Mm.”The hot tongue pressing into his mouth traced along his teeth, deliberate and patient, as if savoring an appetizer. Raon winced slightly at the intensity.Whether Siwoo’s focus during a kiss came from simple thoroughness or some deeper intent, Raon couldn’t tell. Probably the former—but every time their lips met like this, something twisted inside his chest. It felt a little too intimate.“Ha…”He sighed and glanced at his wrist device. At this point, checking it whenever he got flustered had become an unconscious habit.Sixty-two percent?Raon’s eyes widened at the readout.After their last insertion guiding, Siwoo’s contamination level had reached fifty-five percent. Yet only a few days later, it had already passed sixty—without another insertion session.For someone who had long suffered from chronic guiding deficiency, that rate of increase was abnormal. Usually, no matter how much guiding he received, his level rose slower than Espers who’d been stabilized consistently.But with the team restructured and no minor missions keeping him active, even mucosal guiding alone was starting to raise the numbers.Raon’s lips curved in satisfaction at the thought—only for Siwoo to bite down on them suddenly.“Ow! That hurts!”“Why are you looking at your watch again?”“I have to check the numbers, obviously!”Raon snapped, clutching his sore lip, but Siwoo’s expression stayed stormy.“You’re always staring at that thing. Even while we’re kissing.”“It’s not kissing, it’s guiding. And I don’t always look.”Flustered, Raon coughed to cover his embarrassment. He’d developed the habit of checking whenever things got too intense, afraid Siwoo might notice his heart racing for entirely different reasons.“Fine. Then focus, will you?”“Yeah, yeah.”When he nodded, Siwoo leaned in again. Raon’s gaze caught briefly on his long, even lashes before he closed his eyes.“Ah… ngh.”Siwoo’s tongue pushed deep, and Raon couldn’t hold back the sound that escaped him. He tightened his arms around Siwoo’s neck; the arm around his waist tensed in response.This is getting dangerous.Raon’s body felt unsteady, heat spreading low through his stomach.Last time, they’d stopped midway because he’d been too hungry to continue, but that wasn’t an issue tonight. The kiss deepened, growing more urgent, and Raon’s thoughts spun.Do we even have an insertion kit in the quarters? If not, lotion could work… not like we use condoms anyway.Wait—shouldn’t insertion guiding be reported to the Director?His head swam, logic flickering in and out beneath the rush.“Ha… Siwoo.”“Mm, Raon.”When Raon’s breath hitched and he pushed lightly at Siwoo’s chest, Siwoo backed off, panting. A thin strand of saliva hung between their parted lips.Raon stared at it, flustered, then glanced toward Siwoo’s trembling shoulders. The tension in his body was obvious.Looks like we’ll have to finish this at the quarters again.He carefully avoided letting his gaze drop toward the front of Siwoo’s pants as he began,“Hey—”“I’m heading back.”“What?”Raon blinked, startled. Before he could say anything else, Siwoo opened the door and walked out. The door slammed shut with a sharp bang.Raon stared after him, dumbfounded, air leaking from his lips.“...Huh.”He’d never seen an Esper bolt in the middle of guiding before.Letting out a slow breath, he stared at the closed metal door, fighting down the frustration bubbling in his chest.***“Uaaaagh!”The scream, now familiar, barely registered anymore. Raon ran the track with his team, one ear tuned to the noise.Starting today, they weren’t just running laps—they’d added strength and agility drills. Once Yeojoon got over his fear of heights, joint training with the Espers would finally begin.He tried to organize the schedule in his mind, but couldn’t quite shake the dull heaviness that had been with him since morning.“Team Leader, is something wrong?”“Ah.”During their break, Hamin approached and handed him a cold bottle of water. Raon accepted it with a small nod and a sheepish smile.“You don’t have to call me Team Leader when it’s just us.”“No, I should. It’s proper.”Until recently, Hamin had never changed how he addressed him—but now, for some reason, he sounded meticulously polite, as if someone had corrected him. Raon gave him a long look, then opened the bottle and took a sip.“Phew.”“You seem a little out of it today.”“…That obvious?”Raon rubbed his cheek, feeling how rough his skin had gotten, and Hamin nodded vigorously.“Of course. I can always tell.”“Hmm.”Since when were you this perceptive?Suspicion flickered, but Raon decided to let it go.“It’s nothing. Won’t affect training.”“Oh, that’s not what I—”“Hm?”Startled, Hamin waved his hands quickly in denial, about to add something when—“There you are.”“...!”The voice was cool, low, cutting across the field. Raon froze, turning toward it.“What is it?”His tone stiffened instinctively. Dojin stood there, eyes sharp as blades fixed on him.After what had happened before, Raon couldn’t help being wary. His whole body went taut, bristling like a hedgehog. Dojin regarded him briefly, then spoke.“There’s a senior officers’ meeting today. Didn’t you get the notice?”“A meeting?”Seokhyeon had mentioned it might happen soon, but no concrete schedule.Raon fumbled for the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) personal comm device issued by the Center. The wrist device was for alerts; important notices came through the terminal.“Ah… looks like it’s today.”He blinked at the screen, awkwardly nodding. The message was recent—apparently a last-minute scheduling. Still, missing it was his oversight.“My apologies. I’ll head there right away.”“Good.”Dojin turned smoothly to leave. Raon looked back at Hamin before following.“Hamin, I’ve got to attend a meeting, so tell the others— Hamin?”“Ah.”Hamin, who had been trembling, flinched at the sound of his name and snapped to attention. Raon gave him a puzzled look.

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