The S-class Awakening

The warmth of Seojin's presence pressed against Jonghyun like an inescapable force, wrapping around him, pulling him in. Their breathing synchronized, each inhale drawing them deeper into a connection that felt dangerously irreversible. The guiding session had gone on longer than it should have, but Seojin refused to let go, fingers tightening against Jonghyun's wrist like a silent plea.

Jonghyun knew he had to stop. The weight of the bond sat heavy in his chest, his own senses alight from the exchange, but he wasn't willing to sink deeper. He had done his job. Seojin had stabilized. Yet, the man's grip didn't ease.

"That's enough," Jonghyun murmured, voice steadier than he felt.

Seojin's eyes flickered, a storm passing through them. He didn't move, didn't loosen his grip. His gaze burned into Jonghyun's, demanding something unspoken, something neither of them had voiced yet. A claim, perhaps.

"You think that's enough?" Seojin's voice was low, laced with something possessive, something unyielding. "I don't."

Jonghyun stiffened. He had expected reluctance, but not this—this slow, creeping intensity that threatened to unravel him. He pulled back, not enough to sever contact completely, but enough to assert his stance.

"You're stabilized," he said. "That's all that matters."

Seojin's fingers flexed before finally releasing him, though the reluctance was obvious. "You really think this is just about stabilizing me?"

Jonghyun held his ground, even as something inside him wavered. He refused to meet the weight of that gaze for too long, afraid of what he might find in it. "It should be."

The silence between them stretched, charged and unbroken. Seojin's frustration was palpable, an energy that crackled in the air between them. He had never been denied before—Jonghyun could see it in the way his jaw tightened, the way his body remained coiled, as if waiting for Jonghyun to reconsider.

But Jonghyun wouldn't.

He stepped away fully, creating a necessary distance. The loss of warmth was immediate, sending a strange pang through his chest, but he ignored it. This was the right thing to do. It had to be.

A slow exhale left Seojin's lips, but he didn't argue. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, studying Jonghyun with an intensity that made his skin prickle. "You're different," he murmured, almost to himself. "I don't like it."

Jonghyun swallowed, but he kept his expression even. "I don't exist to be liked by you."

For a moment, something unreadable flickered across Seojin's face—an emotion Jonghyun couldn't place, something far more dangerous than frustration. Then, just as quickly, it was gone.

The air between them remained heavy, even as Seojin finally shifted away. The session was over, but the tension lingered, unresolved and unrelenting. And Jonghyun had the sinking feeling that Seojin wasn't going to let this go so easily.

As he turned to leave, his heart still unsteady in his chest, he could feel Seojin's gaze on him—watching, waiting. Wanting.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

---

Just as Jonghyun thought the moment had stretched to its limit, the sharp ring of Seojin's phone broke the silence. Seojin's expression darkened as he glanced at the screen. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled the device out of his pocket and answered.

"What is it?" Seojin's voice was clipped, his usual commanding tone returning. A brief pause. Then, a scowl. "I'll be there soon."

He ended the call and exhaled sharply, casting one last glance at Jonghyun before stepping back. "Duty calls."

Jonghyun nodded, but he couldn't shake the tension that still clung to the air. As Seojin walked away, his presence finally retreating, Jonghyun let out a slow breath, pressing a hand against his chest.

Why did he feel like he had barely escaped something dangerous?

His fingers curled slightly, the memory of Seojin's grip still fresh against his skin. There was something about the way Seojin had looked at him—like he was something to be claimed, not just a guide, not just a stabilizing force.

Jonghyun shook his head, forcing himself to move. This was dangerous. Whatever this was, he couldn't let himself be pulled into it. Seojin was a high-level esper, an S-class powerhouse that shouldn't have any business with someone like him. And yet…

His heart pounded.

It wasn't just the guiding session that had unsettled him. It was the way Seojin had wanted more. The way he had resisted letting go.

Jonghyun exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He needed to clear his head. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

---

As he sat in the quiet of the room, Jonghyun let the tension in his shoulders slowly unwind. But even as he tried to distract himself, his body still thrummed with residual energy from the guiding. His mind kept circling back to the way Seojin had clung to him, how his presence had lingered even after he left.

He shouldn't be thinking about this. It wasn't supposed to feel this way. A guide stabilizing an esper—that was the purpose, the duty, nothing more. But guiding Seojin had been different. It had been… consuming.

Jonghyun leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He knew, deep down, that Seojin wasn't the type to simply accept this as a one-time thing. That thought alone unsettled him. He had seen the way Seojin looked at him, the way he refused to let go so easily. And worst of all, Jonghyun wasn't sure if he wanted him to.

Shaking his head, he pushed himself up from the chair. He needed to leave, to find some distance. The sooner he put space between himself and Seojin, the better.

But as he walked out of the room, he knew it was already too late.

Seojin wasn't the type to let go. And neither, it seemed, was Jonghyun.

The memory of Seojin's voice, the heat of his touch, lingered long after the moment had passed. And Jonghyun had no idea how to make it fade.

---

A knock on his door later that evening startled him from his thoughts. He wasn't expecting anyone. His heart leapt unreasonably, and he almost cursed himself for it.

When he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat.

Seojin stood there, the city lights casting shadows against his sharp features, his presence an undeniable force even in the dim hallway.

"You think you can just walk away from me?" Seojin's voice was low, but it carried weight. "We're not done."

Jonghyun's fingers tightened against the doorframe, his pulse roaring in his ears. He should close the door. He should say something definitive.

But he didn't move.

Seojin took a step forward. Close. Too close.

Jonghyun exhaled. He was in trouble.

Jonghyun hesitated, "What do you mean we're not done? We finished our guiding session."

Seojin didn't reply, but the look on his eyes was enough to make Jonghyun understand.

End of Chapter 13