Chapter 13: The Line Between Workplace and Stalking

While helping Yeojun with the endless stream of injured espers, Lee Chae’s mind finally went quiet.

No matter how hard he tried to review earlier, Haejin had occupied every corner of his brain.

The moment he focused on work, the lunatic vanished like he’d never existed.

It was… peaceful.

Less than thirty minutes in, the pads started losing power.

Non-contact guides relied on them; Lee Chae’s were already dying.

“Hyung, I’m gonna grab new pads from the storage room. Mine are toast.”

“Want me to come? It’s dangerous with things popping out of nowhere…”

“Nah, I’ll be quick.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

Lee Chae jogged to the storage room.

Just as he reached for the handle—

“Don’t you hate guiding? Yet here you are, guiding.”

The voice crawled into his ears like ice.

Goosebumps.

He turned.

Haejin stood there, face dark with displeasure.

Lee Chae exhaled through his nose.

He didn’t answer.

Haejin kept talking anyway.

“You refused my money, but you’ll take theirs? Low-ranks don’t pay sh*t. Wouldn’t it be easier to just handle me? Why suffer like this, babe.”

Lee Chae froze with his hand on the doorknob.

Why the hell did this clingy bastard follow him all the way here?

Every rhythm he’d barely calmed—heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature—went haywire again.

At first he thought it was coincidence, a normal person reacting to a lunatic.

But the same symptoms, every single time?

He was starting to get pissed.

A hand suddenly snaked from behind, grabbed his opposite shoulder, and spun him around.

His body turned way too easily.

Lee Chae glared up.

“What?”

“Skipping the library was a smart move. When I realized you ditched me, I got so fcking hard. If chasing you is too easy, it’s boring. But when you pull unexpected sht like this? I lose my mind.”

Haejin lowered the corners of his eyes, trying to look pitiful.

It didn’t work.

His gaze was pure predator.

He had rolled up the sleeves of a soft sky-blue shirt twice, standing crooked like a delinquent, yet the pressure was suffocating—like one wrong move and he’d get punched through a wall.

Which part exactly turned you on, you freak?

The words left Lee Chae’s mouth before his brain caught up.

“Pervert bastard…”

“GASP! How did you know? You’re a genius, babe.”

Haejin beamed like a kid who’d just been praised.

His fierce face melted into a boyish grin.

“That wasn’t a compliment, it was an insult. And you’re happy?”

“Headquarters keeps nagging that Esper Cha Haejin has low libido and it’s a problem. If I don’t get proper guiding, my attack power drops.”

Another fresh batch of bullsh*t incoming.

Lee Chae stared warily.

“But when I see you, I turn full pervert—so no worries, right? As expected from a high-compatibility guide. You catch every little change in an esper’s body fast.”

Lee Chae just sighed, breathless.

Watching someone take zero damage from the word “pervert” and actually enjoy it—was that normal?

“Why the hell are you doing this to me? My life is hard enough without you. Just go your way, I’ll go mine. We’re different ranks anyway…”

He was sick of ignoring, so he let it all out.

The reply was even more incomprehensible.

“Wow, our babe just fired off a whole questionnaire at once. How did you hold all that curiosity in?”

“Please… just stop. I’m working. Get lost. Please.”

“Mm… you asked questions, so it’s only polite to answer. First: why am I doing this to you? Simple. I like you. Second: you said we should go our separate ways, but my way is you—so rank difference isn’t a problem. Okay?”

Lee Chae was speechless.

Every word got twisted the moment it entered Haejin’s ears.

Talking felt pointless.

Haejin stepped closer—close enough to hug if he leaned in.

Lee Chae shoved him hard.

Haejin stepped back obediently, grinning.

“Very passionate hands. If you wanted to touch me, you could’ve just said so. I’m all yours.”

The storage room filled with Lee Chae’s exhausted sigh.

He swapped the dead pads for new ones, peeked out to check the coast was clear, locked the door—

And Haejin’s voice came from nowhere again.

“Ahh… so you use pads for other espers. Very proper. I’d love to demand you only do contact with me, but you have a reputation to keep, so I’ll let it slide. I’m not that narrow-minded.”

Lee Chae slowly turned.

He said nothing, just stared.

Haejin’s sleazy grin slowly straightened.

Lee Chae kept the stone-faced stare.

Haejin’s expression turned serious.

Opportunity.

In the flattest voice possible:

“Cha Haejin… no, Haejin-hyung. Please. This is my workplace. I’m poor. I’m the only one who brings money home. If someone reports me because of you, I lose my job. So before anyone sees, please leave. Let me work.”

Haejin’s face hardened.

He looked like he’d seen a ghost—or like he was offended.

Did I say something wrong? I was as polite as possible…

“H-Hyung? You just called me hyung?”

Then the stiff face melted into a slow, blinding smile.

His eyes curved into crescents.

Lee Chae’s own face froze.

Whenever Haejin smiled with his eyes like that, Lee Chae couldn’t look away.

Damn it.

“Wow, I didn’t know our babe could say stuff like that. Fine. I won’t follow you anymore.”

Lee Chae doubted his own ears.

For real? He’s really stopping? Just because I called him hyung once?

Every esper he’d met until now had been trash; the only way to win was to ignore or, if they crossed the line, fight back and prove he wasn’t easy prey.

He never imagined the seemingly craziest one would respond to basic, decent reasoning.

Anyway—no more stalking. Relief.

Lee Chae bowed slightly.

“Thank you for understanding. I’ll get back to work.”

He walked away.

Haejin didn’t follow.

It was definitely good news, but something felt off.

He decided it was just his imagination.

Work ended later than usual.

The unidentified shadow victims had drained him completely.

He walked home faster than normal, eager to collapse.

But someone was matching his pace behind him.

No way… He said he wouldn’t follow. He has pride—he wouldn’t take back his own words… right?

Lee Chae stopped.

The footsteps stopped.

He started again.

They started again.

He whipped around.

Of course—Cha Haejin, corners of his mouth sky-high.

When his eyes smiled it was dangerous enough.

When his mouth joined in, Lee Chae’s gaze stuck even harder.

If he just kept his mouth shut he’d be so pretty—

He caught himself mid-thought.

What the hell am I thinking?

Haejin strolled over, trying to sling an arm around his shoulder like they were best friends.

Lee Chae dodged and slapped the arm away.

“You said you wouldn’t follow me.”

“Yep.”

“Then what is this?”

“This isn’t your workplace.”

“…What?”

“You said you didn’t want people seeing at your job, right? So I waited outside.”

Lee Chae sincerely wanted to crack Haejin’s skull open and study his brain.

He’d actually believed for one second that this guy was normal.

Looking at Haejin’s relaxed face, something competitive ignited inside Lee Chae.

Enduring pain? Finishing what he started no matter what?

No one was better at that than him.

From this moment on—even if Haejin stripped naked in the middle of the street screaming his name—Lee Chae would not react.

He lifted one corner of his mouth, eyes cold.

“I’ve been way too nice. If you think the me you’ve seen so far is the real me, you’re delusional. I’m pretty good at crazy too. So go ahead—do whatever you want.”