Chapter 49: The Lunatic Who Sold His Soul for a Kiss and Became a Honor Student

“Fine, 4.0 GPA I can maybe do, but 9 points from headquarters? Impossible. Those old farts hate me the most—how could that ever happen?”

“What? Even the great Esper Cha Haejin has things he can’t do?”

“It’s not that I can’t—it’s that I don’t make promises I can’t keep. And changing people’s opinions doesn’t have to come from evaluation scores, right?”

Lee Chae sighed. A shadow suddenly fell over his face, and Haejin instantly regretted opening his big mouth.

“It’s just… this is the only thing I can give you. If I were an A-rank guide, guiding alone would’ve helped a lot. But I’m D-rank.”

Haejin stared blankly at the bitter smile. Why was he suddenly bringing up rank when Haejin had already said yes?

Confirming Haejin’s expression, Lee Chae continued.

“I mean I’m better at managing grades and motivation than guiding. You’re already a hero in battle. I want to help you too, but this is the only thing I’m better at than you.”

Haejin’s grip on Lee Chae’s shoulders tightened.

“So in short, you’re dangling Jung Lee Chae as bait to rehabilitate Cha Haejin?”

“Yeah. But it’s not forced. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

Lee Chae turned to go inside. Haejin had a gut feeling: let him walk away now and the next chance would never come. He quickly grabbed Lee Chae’s arm.

“Who said I don’t want to?”

“Then you’ll do it?”

“If the bait is Jung Lee Chae, of course I’ll bite. I said I’d do anything except break up—think I’d cowardly take that back?”

Lee Chae’s lips curved into that blinding smile again, cheekbones glowing.

They grinned at each other for a long while until Haejin suddenly called,

“Jung Lee Chae.”

“Yeah?”

Haejin just stared, unable to speak. When you have too much to say, your mouth shuts—that was exactly how he felt.

“You’re really cool. Actually planning to rehabilitate me.”

Instead of digging a hole over the rank gap, Lee Chae acknowledged his insecurities and decided to change his partner with what he could do.

Haejin could see how long this careful, delicate person had agonized to reach that conclusion. So he decided to respect Lee Chae’s inferiority complex.

“It’s not rehabilitation—I just want to do what I’m good at for you.”

Lee Chae rubbed his flushed cheeks, embarrassed.

Damn… even his inferiority complex is pretty and sexy. I’m the real lunatic.

To keep Lee Chae from feeling awkward about his “gift,” Haejin sent scorching eyes while thinking filthy thoughts.

“I’m very interested in being managed by my guide. Day management, night management…”

His voice was too loud—Lee Chae glanced inside the glass door and slapped a hand over Haejin’s mouth. Haejin gently pulled the hand down.

“And saying ‘bait’ is weird.”

“Should I call it a reward then?”

“That’s weird too. You’re not a puppy.”

Lee Chae tilted his head, dissatisfied.

“Whatever. Anyway, if you get the grades and evaluation…”

“If I do?”

“L-let’s… move forward.”

Haejin leaned in, whispering slyly,

“How far? All the way?”

Of course he didn’t mean all the way. Well, he did, but anything short of “never come near me” was fine right now.

Lee Chae blinked in surprise, then slowly scanned Haejin’s face. His gaze slid from nose to cheek, ear, down the neck. Color filled his eyes.

Haejin clearly saw Lee Chae lick his own lips while staring at Haejin’s.

“That look… is that a yes?”

Lee Chae’s gaze turned even more seductive. He’d rejected skinship earlier, yet kept seducing like this—it was torture. Fortunately, he lowered his eyes instead of staring forever.

“As long as it’s not imprinting… up to a certain point is okay.”

The slow, small voice, dilated pupils, stiff face pretending not to care— It was the perfect image of a man offering a night to someone he likes. So cute Haejin wanted to tease him forever.

“So you want to sleep with me?”

“If you keep the promise, that level is possible.”

Haejin’s mind went completely blank. He pinched his thigh hard—was this a dream? It hurt like hell, so definitely not a dream…

He leaned on the railing. Lee Chae looked up—his shy smile sparkled. Those glossy lips seemed to say, Stop talking and kiss me already.

“Chae-ya.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I cross the line?”

“…”

Lee Chae’s face turned bright red. Definitely not from heat.

“Why’s your face red? What were you thinking?”

He lowered his head until their lips nearly brushed Lee Chae’s cheek. Seeing that panicked expression made holding back impossible.

“Tell me what you were thinking.”

Lee Chae stayed silent. Was this a gift from the heavens? Asking “Can I kiss you?” would ruin the mood, right? Would he get mad?

A thousand thoughts flashed by in an instant.

Finally, Haejin bravely cupped the back of Lee Chae’s neck and lightly pressed lips to the corner of his mouth, then pulled away. Luckily, Lee Chae only turned his head slightly—no rejection, no push.

“Don’t get mad.”

His voice came out huskier than usual, throat dry. He’d planned to play it cool, but in front of Lee Chae his body never listened.

“I’m going to kiss you. If it’s okay, stay still. If not, write my name with your ass and shout three times, ‘I’m Cha Haejin’s exclusive esper.’ You’ve got 30 seconds.”

Lee Chae squinted and laughed—whether from absurdity or genuine amusement, he didn’t dodge, so half success.

28… 29… 30…

Time marched on.

“Don’t laugh…”

Lee Chae stopped laughing. His lips trembled. The breath between them grew hotter.

The moment Lee Chae’s eyes sharpened, the gaze Haejin had been watching all night changed.

30 seconds had long passed…

Haejin was overwhelmed by those eyes and couldn’t move. Mouth slightly open in a daze, Lee Chae suddenly grabbed his shoulders—hard, like a command to stay still.

Haejin closed his eyes.

Lee Chae’s lips met his.

The line they’d been tiptoeing snapped.

Haejin tilted his head and devoured those lips. Lee Chae’s grip on his shoulders loosened, sliding down; Haejin pulled him closer, arms tight.

“Haa…”

Hot breaths mingled—whose, it didn’t matter.

A kiss that wasn’t guiding… His whole body burned.

Lee Chae’s lips rolled over his like morning dew on grass—goosebump-cold one moment, scorching the next.

Haejin crashed their lips together, pulled apart panting, then dove back in. He grabbed cheeks, clutched necks, stroked backs—kissing with his entire body while Lee Chae’s hands frantically roamed every inch of him.

Mid-kiss, something soft and squishy rubbed Haejin’s calf.

He glanced down—a certain pink baby dragon glaring up murderously.

If Lee Chae sees the dragon right now the mood will die instantly.

Haejin hugged Lee Chae tighter and shuffled them to the far end of the balcony, kicking threateningly at the pursuing dragon while mentally screaming every curse known to man at Jae-hyung.

Jae-hyung came running, scooped up the dragon, and vanished.

Until then, Lee Chae was still breathless, mind blissfully blank.

Haejin carefully separated their lips.

Lee Chae leaned against the wall, catching his breath. Haejin pressed foreheads together, then pulled back with a smile.

He wanted to say something cool, but cheesy was worse than silence. His choice was right—Lee Chae laughed too, covering his face with both hands.

Ever since their first purely romantic kiss (no guiding involved), Lee Chae slowly transformed into a homeroom teacher from hell.

Haejin had sold his soul for one kiss and didn’t regret a single bit.

“Give me your class schedule first.”

“Here…”

“That’s all your classes?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re totally slacking…”

“It’s not like that…”

“Combat and training schedule?”

“Headquarters training? I don’t go to those…”

“Don’t want to show me?”

“Fine, fine.”

Haejin handed over his entire life schedule without a single complaint.

Lee Chae’s plan was a complete success.

From the moment Haejin came to rescue him—no, maybe from the moment he answered that random internet survey—he might have wished for this all along.

Lee Chae could no longer stand hearing people call Haejin a hero with trash personality, or a spoiled brat rebelling against the government because his parents were rich.

The Cha Haejin he saw up close was, yes, a lunatic, but reasonably just, kept certain lines, came to save him when he was kidnapped, and ran off to rescue a dragon he’d never met just because Lee Chae asked.

Even if managing Haejin’s grades and reputation widened the gap between them, it was fine.

To Lee Chae—who judged that his D-rank guiding alone wasn’t enough for the already perfect Haejin—helping with what he was best at (scheduling and life management) was his way of returning even a fraction of what he’d received.

That was Jung Lee Chae’s own unique love language.