Chapter 76: The Lunatic Who Finally Said “Quit That Damn Job”

Sunlight poured through the unclosed curtains and woke Haejin up. Something in his arms kept squirming. He looked down—Lee Chae was trying to roll away in his sleep. Haejin turned him back and checked his face. Still asleep, lips pouting and unpouting like a baby.

“So pretty.”

The words slipped out. After last night’s intense guiding, Lee Chae’s skin glowed so much it hurt to look at. If he kept staring he’d end up touching again.

“Honey, time to wake up.”

“Mmm… ah. Mmph.”

Mumbling nonsense. The way his tiny lips opened and closed was fascinating. Dangerous. Haejin pulled his arm free, scooted away, and shook Lee Chae’s shoulder.

“Wake up. Don’t you have school? Or… you could stay here. I wouldn’t mind…”

“HIEEK!” Lee Chae shot upright like he’d been electrocuted. He’d been half-awake after all.

“W-what time is it?!”

“Only 7. Plenty of time.”

Lee Chae’s stiff face relaxed. Then he finally looked around, head tilted—how did I get here? written all over it.

That expression brought back every drunken thing he’d done last night. The anger Haejin had suppressed started bubbling again. Lee Chae sensed danger and sneaked a glance.

“Now—explanation time. From the moment you left the cleanup crew yesterday, tell me everything. No skipping.”

Lee Chae fidgeted, then started in a tiny voice.

“Nothing big happened… I texted you, right? New chief does one-on-one talks with everyone. And I… um… part-time…”

Jung Lee Chae stuttering and flustered? Haejin heard the rest, but the core was missing.

He was boiling over countless things, but the worst: Why was someone who barely drinks stumbling around wasted? Who got him that drunk?

“Are you even listening?”

“Yeah, but you left out the important part.”

“What important part? It was just the talk…”

Right then—Lee Chae’s clothes buzzed with a message. Haejin’s brows crashed together.

“I can check, right?”

Unease flashed across Lee Chae’s face, but he nodded reluctantly. Haejin fished the phone out, unlocked it easily (same simple pattern—still didn’t change it, seriously?), and opened the message.

[A-rank Guide Chief Lee Kang-wook] [Guide Jung, are you okay? You said you didn’t want a ride, but I’m worried. Still, I enjoyed yesterday. Call me when you wake up.]

“…”

Haejin went silent. Lee Chae sensed doom, leapt over, snatched the phone, and read it. His lips pressed into a thin line like a mute who’d eaten honey. Haejin waved the phone in front of his face.

“Still ‘just a work meeting’?”

Lee Chae scowled, grabbed the phone back, reread the message, then looked up.

“Pfft, I got nervous for nothing. Look—it says I refused the ride.”

“So? That changes what exactly?”

Lee Chae kept repeating “seriously…” like he couldn’t believe this. He’s guilty—that’s why he’s acting like this.

“You got scolded and then the same guy bought you expensive dinner and drinks?”

Lee Chae explained everything calmly.

“Too many espers came at once. My wrist hurt but I kept guiding. Broke rules. Got chewed out during closing report.”

Fine so far. But then the same guy who chewed him out suddenly treated him to dinner and alcohol? Suspicious as hell.

Haejin listened to the whole story and sighed deeply.

“You’re a fortress to espers but a paper wall to everyone else. Why?”

Lee Chae’s eyes shot up—yesterday’s softness gone, alcohol miracle over.

“Who’s a paper wall? And like you said, he’s a guide, not an esper…”

He trailed off, eyes flicking upward like something just hit him. Face full of oh shit. Then in a deflated voice:

“Because he’s a guide… guides don’t do that to each other… You’re overreacting, hyung. I only got drunk after leaving the restaurant. So don’t be mad.”

He rubbed his forehead against Haejin’s arm like a cat. Haejin froze—polite speech plus skinship initiative? Fishy.

In his head, scenes of Lee Chae and Kang-wook clinking glasses and smiling played on loop. He ruffled his own hair and stared at Lee Chae.

“You said guiding with a hurt wrist is against rules, right?”

Lee Chae nodded.

“Then you can’t go to work until your wrist heals?”

Lee Chae shook his head in panic.

“He… told me to do paperwork until it’s better…”

Scolded him, then suddenly nice, ply him with drinks, give a D-rank special treatment to keep him around?

Haejin couldn’t understand why Lee Chae didn’t find this creepy. If any esper pulled this, Lee Chae would’ve built a fortress regardless of the job.

Unless… he actually likes the guy?

The thought made Haejin shake his head. No way. Not my Lee Chae.

He took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as possible.

“Chae-ya. Remember Yeo-jun?”

“Why bring that bastard up? This is different—”

“Same vibe. Sudden battle, we got separated, accident happened. Same thing yesterday.”

Lee Chae’s bored face turned serious. He knew Quiklops, the mastermind, was still out there.

“How? Did something happen when you came to pick me up?”

“Headquarters called an urgent meeting out of nowhere. I thought it was for evaluation, so I went. Turned out to be nothing—just like when they lured me away from you last time.”

Lee Chae’s eyes widened—he caught on fast when sober.

“So the chief… is a spy planted by headquarters?”

Haejin nodded.

“Been there before. Right after Jae-hyung joined, they sent a guide who looked just like Yong-yong now—attached her to Jae-hyung.”

“No way…”

“They wanted dirt to disband Legion.”

“But we survived? Jae-hyung’s type, right? How didn’t he fall for it?”

“Didn’t suspect at first—he liked her enough to consider exclusive. Brought her to Legion a few times. Caught her stealing files from the office.”

Lee Chae shook his head in disbelief, muttering “no way…” Haejin got annoyed—he’d just given two perfect examples and Lee Chae still said “no way”?

After a moment, Lee Chae met his eyes.

“No way… why would they go that far for me?”

“You’re my exclusive guide. That alone is reason enough for headquarters to plant someone on you.”

So don’t go to the cleanup crew anymore. The words reached Haejin’s throat but stopped. He’d promised never to interfere with work or school. So he waited for Lee Chae to say it first.

After a long pause, Lee Chae’s lips moved.

“Then… what should I do?”

Chance.

“Can I be honest?”

“Yeah.”

“I want you to work as an S-rank’s exclusive guide and get paid properly.”

“…Quit?”

“Yeah. I’d really like that.”

His voice sounded like he hadn’t expected those words. Face confused, overwhelmed. Lips twitched, brows furrowed—he looked lost. Haejin couldn’t take his eyes off the changing expressions. Lee Chae finally dropped his head and rubbed his cheek.

“It’s just… I don’t want to hear people say I’m only with you for your background. I still want to earn my own money for now.”

Haejin had expected that answer. That’s why he’d held back from telling him to quit the cleanup crew a hundred times. He knew how much pride Lee Chae had fought for as a D-rank, how hard he’d worked to overcome inferiority.

But…

Every imprinted guide in the world got paid for guiding their esper. Only Lee Chae treated it like some shameful privilege.

Haejin softened his voice.

“Chae-ya. If I get hurt in battle tomorrow and can’t work, will you keep working at the cleanup crew to feed me?”

“Of course.”

The answer came instantly. Haejin’s heart squeezed.

“Then why is it different when it’s you?” He cupped Lee Chae’s cheeks.

“We’re a pair now. My money is your money. Your time is my time. Stop drawing lines where there aren’t any.”

Lee Chae’s eyes shook again. He bit his lip, then finally whispered,

“…Okay. I’ll quit today.”

Haejin’s face broke into the biggest, stupidest grin.

“That’s my hamster.”

He pulled Lee Chae into his arms— and this time Lee Chae didn’t resist at all.