Baek Yu-geon was staring at my face, his eyes wide with shock.
“It seems like I got stimulated by your scent.”
I whispered as quietly as possible, narrowing my eyes so only Yu-geon could see. The transformation into a creature had begun, my whites turning black and my pupils yellow.
Yu-geon’s expression grew even more horrified as he confirmed my appearance.
“If I just take one bite, it’ll calm down immediately. Just give me one finger.”
Unless I initiated the transformation myself, I needed to drink blood to revert to normal. I tried to put his finger back into my mouth, intending to just suck a little blood. But Yu-geon didn’t comply. Instead, he pulled me into a tight embrace and laid us both down.
“What… what are you doing?”
“And you managed to hide this for five years?”
Yu-geon scolded me with a smirk and lifted his T-shirt up to his chest. His white skin and firm, contoured muscles were clearly visible.
In the bright light, it was a somewhat provocative sight. But I was more focused on something else. His flesh looked so sweet, like it would burst with juice if I took a bite.
“You…”
“Biting my finger would leave a mark, so bite the inside flesh instead.”
Yu-geon willingly offered his body despite my outrageous request.
‘Couldn’t I hide it if I held his finger?’
It seemed Yu-geon didn’t trust me to just bite his finger. That’s why he told me to bite a place that could be easily covered by clothes.
Having witnessed the forced transformation caused by stimulation right in front of his eyes, it wasn’t unreasonable. Once I started tasting, I would lose control even more.
Even now, just looking at it made my mouth water. It was a moment more tempting than any other.
“Aren’t you going to?”
I struggled to suppress my excitement and half-covered Yu-geon’s T-shirt again. Yu-geon looked puzzled.
“Of course not.”
I had no intention of doing something stupid like overturning a well-prepared meal. It was just that excessive exposure made me uncomfortable. I grabbed Yu-geon’s waist and lowered my head.
“Just bear with it for a bit.”
My sharp fangs pierced his flesh.
“Ugh!”
I wanted to tear into it, but I resisted and sucked instead. The sweet and salty taste spread in my mouth.
As I drank more greedily, a strong, ecstatic sensation spread through my body like I had been struck by lightning. My heart pounded loudly, my blood flow quickening.
My entire body welcomed his blood.
Since I had already started, I bit down hard, widening the wound and moving my mouth more aggressively. With slurping sounds, I slowly quenched my thirst.
“…Gu Sa-weol.”
“Ah, sorry. But stay still for a bit.”
After one taste, I couldn’t control myself. It felt like the barely maintained reason I had was vanishing.
Yu-geon’s body had turned red from head to toe. The stimulated body emitted a damp wave around us, but I pushed it away with guiding and kept drinking deeply.
“…Please, gently. Haa…”
Yu-geon writhed every time I bit down. At some point, my memory started to fade. I was greedily licking Yu-geon’s blood like a dog, and Yu-geon alternated between stroking my head and gripping it tightly when the pain was too much.
“Ugh, Gu… I… ah.”
Later, Yu-geon said something, but I couldn’t remember what it was. His hand slid down my waist, gripping the edge of my blouse so tightly that his fingers turned white.
Warmth radiated from his body. Annoyed by the fabric slipping down, I pulled it up to his chest, feeling the intense beating of his heart.
As I adjusted my head to a different angle, his muscles twitched. It was a healthy and vibrant movement.
“This is driving me crazy….”
Yu-geon breathed heavily. I finally came to my senses when a voice from the speaker announced the completion of the matching rate test.
“Stage 2 completed. The matching rate test is now over.”
As I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and sat up, I saw Yu-geon covering his face with one arm. His clothes were a mess, with bite marks, bruises, and signs of blood congestion visible not only on his waist but also on his abdomen and ribs.
When I looked at my palm, my nails had returned to normal. Apparently, the creature transformation had already subsided, and I had merely been eating.
“Um… sorry.”
Yu-geon’s entire body was red. He lay there, not responding to my apology for a while. I felt terribly sorry for him, but I was also deeply shocked by the immense satisfaction and fullness I had never experienced before.
Instead of feeling remorseful, I found myself regretting not being able to drink more.
‘What should I do? It’s too delicious.’
—
The first guiding session with Yu-geon, which was also our matching rate test, was a complete disaster. It seemed to go smoothly at first, but eventually, things went wrong, and it was a miracle we finished at all.
“What did you do in there? Yu-geon was whining a lot.”
Ji-han, the matching manager who knew Sa-weol well, commented. Matching managers often had close interactions with awakened individuals.
“Maybe I was too heavy.”
“Did Sa-weol ride on top?”
“…”
“Wow. Kids these days are bold and healthy. I’m envious.”
Ji-han whistled, imagining things on his own. I didn’t want to lie, so I kept my mouth shut. Just then, Yu-geon came in after taking a shower.
“Why are you washing again?”
“Because of you….”
Yu-geon glared at me, looking wronged, but then quickly averted his gaze and sighed deeply.
“Guys, do you want to see the matching rate results? The graph is hilarious.”
Ji-han displayed our matching rate graph on a large screen. It was sorted in chronological order.
“You originally had 89% at the start, right? But during the first stage, it dropped to 79% in just one month. Have you two been getting along badly?”
“…”
“…”
Yu-geon and I both remained silent. It was hard to lie and say it was good when it clearly wasn’t. But dropping by 10% was surprising. Maybe he disliked me quite a bit too.
“Even though we usually do matching rate tests up to the second stage for accuracy, there’s usually not much difference from the first stage. But look at yours.”
The screen transitioned to the next slide. The graph, which started with a spark-like fluctuation, eventually showed a steep upward curve.
“During the second stage guiding, it increased by 5%. It’s not just the wave quantity but the matching rate. This is the first time I’ve seen this. You two must be seeing this for the first time too, right?”
Ji-han excitedly showed the results to us and the other researchers. I stared at the graph for a while.
Along with the curiosity, I felt a complex mix of emotions. Yu-geon, too, couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. His clenched lips and intense gaze gave off a sense of determination.
We received the matching rate records and moved to the Alpha Team office. Although I exchanged a few words with Yu-geon on the way, he looked at me warily, as if he might have a fit.
“Are you scared of me?”
“No? …Yes.”
Yu-geon initially denied it but soon admitted it. His response made me laugh.
“If you don’t want to pair up now, just say so. Don’t force yourself because of me. I managed well enough before you found out.”
“Yeah, right. Do you want to see the places you bit again?”
Yu-geon, looking incredulous, lifted his shirt to show his stomach. However, the scratches had already healed, likely due to my feeding.
“…”
“Impressive regeneration.”
Yu-geon was left speechless by my comment, his face showing his clear confusion.
“Should I bite somewhere else next time?”
“How did I get involved with something like this…”
Yu-geon mumbled to himself, still appearing dazed.
‘I can see why the team teases him.’
Yu-geon was someone who reacted in a way that made teasing fun. His reactions weren’t dramatic, but his honest expressions were amusing.
“Do you want to cancel the pair?”
Running away out of fear would be the best outcome for me.
“You were too delicious. I think I’ll crave it before bed.”
As I said these intentionally provocative words, Yu-geon’s face grew increasingly pale.
“No, no… We’ll stay paired.”
Despite my unsettling words, Yu-geon insisted on maintaining the pair. His slightly dazed face made it unclear what he was thinking, but he seemed to regret it a bit.
Yet, there was a determination in his eyes to stick with the pair.
‘Why is he so fixated on this pairing?’
Initially, I thought the guiding was mainly for Han-gyeol’s sake. If it was revealed that I was a Cremon, Han-gyeol would be significantly shocked.
But Yu-geon’s words during the matching rate test lingered in my mind.
“Isn’t it true? Espers are inevitably bound to be devoted to their guides. I didn’t fully understand it theoretically, but now I think I get it.”
If, as Yu-geon said, an Esper is naturally devoted to their guide, it might be that he’s just hiding my being a Cremon.
‘But now isn’t the same, right? His feelings towards me are bad enough to drop the matching rate.’
Upon reaching the Alpha Team office, Yu-geon directly received approval from Han-gyeol for the pair request form. When I asked if he wanted me to go with him to submit the request to administration, he declined, waving his hand dismissively and going alone.
“Yu-geon, do you like pairing with Sa-weol?”
“He’s actually doing it. The willpower of an Esper. Congratulations, Yu-geon.”
His teammates spoke to him with curious looks. Yu-geon, still pale, responded quietly.
“Yes… yes. I like it… I really like it.”
It sounded like he was trying to convince himself, knowing there was no turning back.
* * *
After pairing with Yu-geon, my daily routine completely changed. As he had mentioned earlier, he rejected all guiding requests that came my way.
I no longer had to guide multiple Espers, and I only needed to charge Yu-geon’s guiding crystal.
Although this meant I only had to take care of one Esper, which could be seen as beneficial to guides, pairing wasn’t always advantageous for guides.
I spent a few days following Yu-geon to understand his routine. When he wasn’t dealing with gates or missions, he focused on training at the training center or using capsules, aside from the recent guide attack mission. That part was fine, but I sighed deeply as I looked at the documents I requested from the diagnostic center.
“Baek Yu-geon, come here.”
“Why?”
Yu-geon poked his head around the partition. He used to sit far from me, but now he was right next to me, thanks to a teammate who had kindly arranged for the pair to sit together.
“Just come here.”
Yu-geon approached, looking curious.
“Look at this.”
I handed him the document.
His eyes widened as he read it.
“Is this…?”
“Yes. It’s your recent training and mission log. I need to understand your schedule better.”
Yu-geon looked at me, slightly annoyed.
“You don’t trust me to manage my own schedule?”
“It’s not about trust. I need to know so I can support you properly. If we’re going to be a successful pair, we need to understand each other’s routines and responsibilities.”
Yu-geon sighed but nodded.
“Alright, I get it. What do you need from me?”
“Just keep me updated on any changes to your schedule. And if you have any issues or need anything, let me know immediately.”
“Fine,” he said reluctantly.
“But don’t think this means you can boss me around.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied with a smirk.
Yu-geon rolled his eyes but didn’t argue further. We both knew that, despite the complications, we had to make this work.
