The S-class Awakening

---

Jonghyun barely steps into the office before his colleagues descend on him.

"Han Jonghyun!" Kim Taewoo calls out, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What the hell happened? How did you end up in the middle of a dungeon break?!"

Jonghyun sighs. Of course, this was going to be the first thing they brought up.

"I just… happened to be there," he mutters, walking to his desk.

"'Happened to be there'?" another colleague echoes in disbelief. "You were standing in the middle of a battlefield with monsters crawling out of the rift! How does that just 'happen'?"

"Yeah," someone else chimes in. "I saw the footage. It was a disaster. You're lucky you made it out alive."

Jonghyun doesn't argue. He is lucky. If things had gone differently, he wouldn't be standing here right now.

Then, the inevitable question comes.

"But seriously," Taewoo lowers his voice, leaning in. "Kim Seojin saved you?"

Jonghyun stiffens, but his colleagues don't notice.

"That's insane. Kim Seojin never interferes unless it's necessary," one of them says.

"Yeah, and he usually doesn't care about low-level guides."

"You must've been in a really bad spot for him to step in."

Jonghyun clenches his fists under the desk. He doesn't like how they talk about it like it was nothing—like he was nothing.

"So, what happened?" Taewoo asks. "Did he just swoop in and take care of everything?"

Jonghyun hesitates. He remembers the way Seojin stood between him and the monsters, how his power distorted space itself, how he turned his head—looked at Jonghyun.

"It wasn't like that," Jonghyun says quietly. "I… guided him."

Silence. Then—

"No way."

"You guided him?"

"Wait, are you serious?"

Guiding was an intimate process, a direct link between an Esper and a Guide. And Kim Seojin, the cold, untouchable Kim Seojin, letting a low-level guide like Jonghyun stabilize him? That was unheard of.

The conversation is cut short as the office door swings open with a sharp click.

Silence. The temperature seems to drop.

And then, Kim Seojin steps inside.

He's dressed in an impeccable black suit, his presence overwhelming, his sharp gaze scanning the room like a predator assessing its prey.

Whispers ripple through the office.

"Holy shit. That's Kim Seojin."

"Why is he here?"

"Don't tell me he's looking for—"

Seojin's eyes land on Jonghyun, and the weight of his stare is suffocating.

Without hesitation, he speaks.

"Han Jonghyun." His voice is deep, commanding. "Come with me."

Jonghyun's stomach twists.

His colleagues gape at him. Some look confused. Others? Jealous.

"Wait, wait," Taewoo stammers, stepping in. "Why is an S-Class Esper looking for Jonghyun?"

Seojin doesn't even spare him a glance. His gaze remains fixed on Jonghyun.

"That's none of your concern."

Jonghyun feels his pulse in his throat. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Well?" Seojin's voice drops lower. Dangerous. "Are you coming, or do I have to take you myself?"

Jonghyun swallows hard. He doesn't have a choice.

With no other option, he stands and follows Seojin out of the office, the sound of his colleagues murmuring behind him. His mind races as they step into the elevator. Was this really happening? Was Seojin, the untouchable, cold S-Class Esper, really here for him?

The elevator doors close, sealing them inside. The quiet hum of the lift seems to amplify the tension in the air between them.

Jonghyun tries to steal a glance at Seojin, but the man's expression is as unreadable as ever, his posture relaxed but sharp, every movement exuding confidence. He doesn't seem to care about the silent questions running through Jonghyun's mind.

When the elevator stops, Seojin leads him outside, where a sleek, black car waits. The driver stands by the door, his expression blank.

Jonghyun hesitates. He's never been in a car like this before, not with someone like Seojin. The door shuts with a heavy finality once he slides into the passenger seat. The scent of expensive leather and something distinctly Seojin—clean, sharp, with a lingering trace of heat—fills the space.

The silence between them is thick, charged. Jonghyun doesn't know where they're going, doesn't know why Seojin has dragged him into his car in front of everyone.

He turns to ask, but Seojin beats him to it.

"Guide me."

Jonghyun freezes. "What?"

Seojin rests one arm on the steering wheel, the other turning toward Jonghyun, his sharp gaze locking onto him like a predator watching prey.

"Guide me," Seojin repeats, his tone softer this time—but no less commanding. "Right now."

Jonghyun's breath catches. His fingers twitch in his lap, but he doesn't move.

"Why?" His voice comes out quieter than he intended.

"Because I said so."

Jonghyun bites his lip. That's not an answer. Not a real one. But the way Seojin says it—like it's his right to demand this from him—sends a strange shiver down his spine.

"I thought you didn't like guides," Jonghyun says, watching him carefully.

Seojin exhales through his nose, his fingers tapping against the wheel. His posture is relaxed, but there's an undeniable tension in his frame, like he's holding something back.

"I don't," Seojin finally says. "But you're different."

Jonghyun's pulse stutters.

"How am I different?"

"You stabilized me," Seojin answers simply. "Back in the dungeon."

Jonghyun swallows. "That doesn't mean I should do it again."

Seojin's eyes darken. "You felt it, didn't you?"

Jonghyun grips his knees. He had felt it. The moment their connection had formed, it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. A rush of something electric, something binding—a force pulling him toward Seojin like gravity itself.

"You're hesitating," Seojin observes, watching him closely. "Why?"

Jonghyun doesn't answer. He can't answer.

Seojin lets out a quiet sigh, his fingers flexing against the wheel before he does something unexpected.

He reaches over and takes Jonghyun's wrist.

Jonghyun tenses. His skin burns where Seojin's fingertips press against his pulse point. The touch is possessive, deliberate.

"Guide me," Seojin murmurs, lower this time, closer. "Now."

Jonghyun exhales shakily. He shouldn't do this. He shouldn't.

But before he can think better of it—before he can remind himself that this is Kim Seojin, a man who doesn't need him—his abilities respond.

His energy reaches out, brushing against Seojin's, and the world shifts.

It's instant. The tension in Seojin's body loosens. His breathing slows. The sharp edge in his presence dims, if only slightly.

Jonghyun barely notices the way his own breathing syncs with Seojin's—how their energies seem to meld together as though it's something natural, something inevitable.

Seojin exhales, his grip on Jonghyun's wrist tightening for a fleeting moment before he lets go.

For a long time, neither of them speaks.

Then—

"You did well," Seojin says. His voice is quieter now, less sharp, but no less intense. "Better than expected."

Jonghyun doesn't know if that's a compliment or not, but before he can respond, Seojin turns back to the road.

"Put your seatbelt on," he orders, starting the car. "We're going somewhere."

Jonghyun barely hears him over the sound of his own heartbeat.

Because he knows, whatever this is—it's only just begun.

End of Chapter 7

---