The S-class Awakening

Junghyun's body felt heavy, like he was submerged in deep water. His mind hovered between sleep and wakefulness, a sluggish drift where his senses barely responded. A sharp knock at his door sent a ripple through the haze, followed by a voice that carried an undeniable weight.

"Wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, vision blurred in the dim light. The room was still unfamiliar, though he had spent the night there. As his senses caught up, the presence standing near the door solidified. Kim Seojin. Dressed sharply, his hair still damp from a recent shower, he looked like he belonged anywhere but in Junghyun's space.

"Come with me." Seojin's voice was clipped, brooking no argument.

Junghyun sat up slowly, his pulse quickening. "Where?"

Seojin didn't answer immediately. He crossed the room with an easy grace, his gaze sharp as it landed on Junghyun. "I'm heading to a dungeon. You're waiting for me at the exit."

Junghyun frowned, still sluggish from sleep. "Why—?"

"Because I need you to be there to guide me when I come out." There was something in his tone, something possessive, as if this decision was absolute.

Junghyun swallowed, he stared at the ground, heart pounding. I thought you disliked guiding ,he thought.

But he had to follow him because It wasn't a request. It was an order.

---

The ride to the dungeon was suffocatingly silent. Seojin drove with practiced efficiency, his expression unreadable. Junghyun, in contrast, felt a mounting unease settle in his chest. He wasn't used to this—being escorted like an asset, like he was something necessary in Seojin's orbit.

By the time they arrived, Junghyun could already feel the shift in atmosphere. The moment he stepped out of the car, several eyes landed on him. He wasn't wearing combat gear or anything remotely suited for dungeon work. Compared to the hardened Espers and their accompanying guides, he stuck out like an anomaly.

A voice broke through the murmurs.

"Who's that?" One of the lower-ranked guides whispered, but the words carried across the clearing.

"Why's he here with Seojin?"

"He doesn't look like a high-level guide…"

The scrutiny made Junghyun tense. He kept his gaze on the ground, trying not to react, but the weight of their stares pressed down on him. He didn't belong here. It was obvious to everyone, and it made his skin prickle uncomfortably.

Then, another voice spoke, deeper and laced with authority.

"That's Han Junghyun. He's with me."

Seojin's words sliced through the whispers. The sheer finality in his tone made people hesitate. A few exchanged glances but didn't press further. Even the ranking officers present, those usually strict about protocol, simply nodded.

Junghyun clenched his jaw. Just like that, the questions stopped—because Seojin had claimed him.

---

The waiting was the hardest part. Junghyun stood at the designated exit point, his arms crossed tightly as he tried to ignore the constant, low hum of mana from the dungeon's entrance. Every so often, a pulse of energy rippled outward, as if the space itself was alive. It was suffocating, and he felt out of place in a way he couldn't shake.

The priest stationed nearby regarded him curiously. Dressed in the traditional robes of the Association's clerics, the man was clearly accustomed to dealing with high-ranking Espers. His gaze flickered over Junghyun before he finally spoke.

"Are you a new guide for the S-Class?" His tone was mild, but Junghyun still tensed.

Junghyun turned to see the voice source and recognized the robe immediately. "A priest" he thought.

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

Junghyun hesitated, unsure how to answer that.

Because Seojin told me to be. Because he said he needed me here. Because despite every part of me screaming that this isn't where I belong, I'm still standing here, waiting for him.

Instead, he settled for a simple, "I don't know."

The priest smiled faintly, as if he saw right through him. "Then, perhaps you will soon."

Junghyun didn't respond. He turned his gaze back to the dungeon's entrance, where another wave of mana rippled outward. The sensation made his stomach turn. He'd been around dungeons before, but never this close, never in a way that made him feel like he was standing on the edge of something vast and unknowable.

Minutes dragged into an hour. Then—

The air shifted violently. A crack of energy, a sharp spike in pressure, and then the entrance flared with light as the first figures emerged.

A handful of Espers stepped out, weary but intact. Then, moments later, Kim Seojin followed.

He moved with the same lethal grace as always, barely winded despite the battle he had just faced. His gaze swept the area, sharp and searching. The moment his eyes landed on Junghyun, something in his expression flickered.

Seojin crossed the distance in a few strides.

"You waited." His voice was lower now, almost pleased.

Junghyun swallowed. "You told me to."

Seojin's lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but something close. "Good."

Junghyun barely had time to process that before Seojin reached out, gripping his wrist. Not harshly, but firm. A silent claim.

The murmurs started up again.

"Oh my god Esper Seojin is getting guided?"

"Is he seriously guiding Seojin?"

"Who's that guide? Didn't Esper Kim Seojin hate guiding?"

"Why would an S-Class Esper need someone like him?"

Seojin ignored them all. "Let's go" without another word, he turned and began walking, pulling Junghyun along with him. Junghyun's pulse jumped, his mind reeling as the whispers grew behind them.

This wasn't just an order anymore. This wasn't just Seojin making him wait at an exit.

This was something else entirely.

And Junghyun wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

The car door shut with a solid click. Junghyun barely had time to catch his breath before Seojin was on him. A hand gripped his chin, tilting his face up.

"Guide me," Seojin murmured, voice rough with something raw and unrestrained.

Junghyun's breath hitched. The space inside the car felt too small, too hot, the air between them crackling with pent-up energy. He barely had time to think before Seojin's lips were on his, claiming, demanding.

The kiss wasn't gentle. It was a collision, all-consuming. Seojin's tongue pushed past his lips, deepening it, stealing the breath from his lungs. Junghyun's fingers curled into the fabric of Seojin's jacket, overwhelmed by the intensity, by the hunger laced in every movement.

Guiding had never felt like this before.

Seojin pulled back just enough to whisper against his lips. "Again."

Junghyun trembled but didn't pull away. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to.

Seojin's hands moved under Junghyun's shirt, fingertips grazing over warm skin. A shiver ran down Junghyun's spine as Seojin's touch wandered, exploring. His palm flattened against Junghyun's chest, teasing the sensitive skin beneath his fingertips, drawing a sharp inhale from him.

End of Chapter 12