I grabbed my hair and yanked.

What the hell was wrong with me yesterday? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of myself.

Thank god it was just a mild cold that got better in a day. I almost ended up passing it to Joo Seunghyuk.

It wasn’t simply the fact that we had sex while I was sick that made me feel so conflicted. If I’d agreed because I was scared of the obsessive maniac, it wouldn’t have shocked me this much.

But I had mixed bodies with him of my own will yesterday.

Why had I allowed it?

No matter how much of a lunatic Joo Seunghyuk was, if I’d really wanted to refuse, I could’ve. I was actually sick, for god’s sake.

And yet I’d ended up giving in, unable to resist the heat of the moment.

What had gotten into me?

Was I really that weak to pleasure? No. If that were the case, I would’ve caved every time I did Guiding.

No way... don’t tell me I manifested as an omega?

They say that if you manifest as an omega or alpha, you go through cycles—periodic bouts of sexual hypersensitivity.

The impulses during a cycle are incomparable to what you feel during Guiding, so most take suppressants during that time.

There were plenty of Guides who, during a cycle, ended up sleeping with Espers impulsively and regretted it later. And conversely, there were Espers who lost control of their sex drive and attacked their Guides.

If I really had manifested...

I hurriedly erased the thought from my mind.

In the original story, Lee Yeonsu wanted to manifest as an omega but never managed to until his death. So I’d probably be the same.

Sure, a lot had changed from the original storyline. But still, your fundamental nature shouldn’t be that easy to alter.

Yeah. Manifestation, my ass. I must’ve just lost my mind for a bit.

Spending too much time around Joo Seunghyuk must’ve infected me with his madness.

“Yandere seme,” huh? If that’s in the tag list, no one’s going to want to buy this thing...

While reminiscing about my days working at a publishing company in my past life, the lecture ended.

Another wasted class. I couldn’t focus at all today. I’d better pay attention starting next period.

I shoved the thick-as-an-encyclopedia textbook into my bag and zipped it closed. The thought of having to carry this thing made my vision go dark.

If my back broke today, it’d be 100% Joo Seunghyuk’s fault.

Sure, I agreed, but who the hell goes at it all night long? He’s a monster.

And it wasn’t like I didn’t ask him to stop—he just wouldn’t listen. He just kept going, like some broken-speedometer sports car.

I was messed up, but Joo Seunghyuk had clearly lost it too.

Fucking relentless seme. These days, I’m starting to think that tag is even more dangerous than “obsessive yandere seme.”

Still, I had to get to the next class. I let out a sigh and reached for my bag, when someone spoke to me.

“I’ll carry it.”

It was Kang Inho. I jumped—he was the last person I expected.

Kang Inho was a middle and high school classmate. Since we were the only two high-ranking Guides at school, we often ended up together, and even now in university, we’d run into each other fairly often. But we’d barely ever had a real conversation.

That was because Kang Inho kept his distance from everyone. He didn’t seem interested in getting close to anyone—neither Guides nor Espers.

If I became a social outcast by a combination of bad luck and my tragic “villainous bottom” fate, then Kang Inho was a voluntary loner.

Honestly, I’d always wanted to get closer to him. I even tried to reach out a few times, but gave up in the face of his fortress-like coldness.

And now he was initiating conversation.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Give it here. You’re not feeling well, are you?”

“...Huh?!”

How did he know I wasn’t feeling well? Was it that obvious?

“You don’t look great. You probably should’ve stayed in the hospital longer.”

Ah—he must still be worried because of the mock training incident.

“I’m okay.”

“Your next class is ‘Guiding Ethics,’ right? You can’t afford to be late.”

He was right. That was a core requirement where even being late wasn’t excused—and my back was at its limit.

“Then... I’ll trouble you for a bit.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

We walked down the hallway in silence.

Kang Inho, with his tall 180cm+ frame and intelligent aura, had always been popular since our school days. If I were a writer, I’d definitely cast him as one of the supporting tops. But in this story, he wasn’t even a background character, let alone part of the main cast.

“The weather’s gotten warmer, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Trying to break the silence, I brought up the most neutral topic possible. But all I got was a short reply.

“Inho, do you plan to join the Center after graduation?”

Kang Inho still hadn’t affiliated with a company or guild. For high-ranking talents like him, that usually meant they were aiming for the Center.

In fact, rumors had been floating around since high school that he was already set to join the Center.

“Not sure.”

Another short response. Maybe I’d asked something too personal? I thought I should just stay quiet, but then he shot a brief question back.

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“Are you going to the Center?”

“Ah... I haven’t decided yet.”

“I see.”

And then silence again.

“We’ve had a lot of overlapping classes. Feels like we’re seeing each other often.”

“We’re in the same year, and there aren’t many high-ranks.”

His voice was dry.

“R-Right...”

Well, he’s not wrong. Just... damn, he’s cold.

The conversation died again. At this point, I figured he didn’t want to talk. So I clamped my mouth shut.

Fortunately, we arrived at the lecture hall before the awkward tension killed me.

“Your bag...”

I reached out to take my bag back, but he just walked right up to the seat I always used and placed it down.

He... knew where I sat? I thought he didn’t care about me at all...

“Lee Yeonsu.”

“Yeah?”

“If something’s hard, say it.”

“Ah. Okay. Thanks.”

I quickly nodded. Kang Inho walked off, expressionless as ever, and took the seat closest to the door.

“Oh? You came with Kang Inho?”

Jihee noona, seated in the back of the lecture hall, asked as she glanced toward him.

“Yeah. He said my bag looked heavy and carried it for me.”

“Were you two always close?”

“Well, we went to school together, so...”

I trailed off. Truthfully, I had no idea why he helped me.

I actually thought he didn’t like me.

“Ah, I saw something interesting in the East Wing earlier.”

Jihee noona didn’t seem particularly interested in Kang Inho, because she immediately changed the subject.

“Something interesting?”

“Yeah. A bunch of A-rank Espers were huddled in a corner. I went to see what was going on, and they were dead serious, going, ‘Lee Yeonsu belongs to all of us! We can’t let Joo Seunghyuk take him!’”

“You’re kidding.”

I practically collapsed on the spot. That couldn’t be true.

“It’s true. They were about to throw down over you.”

“Noona, don’t tease me.”

“I’m not teasing. Yesterday, Joo Seunghyuk apparently refused to take the matching test. Even after three A-rank Guides came from the Center, and Professor Jeon practically screamed himself hoarse over the broadcast, he just ghosted everyone. That’s why the Espers are all on the brink of exploding right now.”

Originally, I was in charge of the high-rank Espers at the board.

But then I was suddenly reassigned as Joo Seunghyuk’s Guide.

The other Espers had accepted it at first.

I guess they were trying to be the bigger person until Seunghyuk’s rejection symptoms improved—or until they found another Guide with a high match rate.

But ever since I became his assigned Guide, Seunghyuk hadn’t taken a single matching test.

That was why Professor Jeon lost it on the broadcast yesterday. He’d been suppressing his rage as Seunghyuk kept dodging the test—but when even three A-rank Guides were ignored, he blew up.

And while all that was happening, Seunghyuk had been with me... all night.

Seems like that incident finally triggered the Espers’ collective meltdown.

“Seriously, Yeonsu. You’re a man of sin.”

“It’s just because I’m an S-class Guide.”

No matter how powerful an Esper was, they couldn’t use their abilities properly without proper Guiding. Of course they’d want a highly compatible Guide.

“Let’s be clear—it’s not just any S-class Guide. It’s Lee Yeonsu. That’s why everyone’s going crazy. You’ve got serious popularity. And don’t try to play humble—it’s annoying, you know?”

“Okay...”

“Not that you look like you believe me. Anyway, it’s really shaping up to be Joo Seunghyuk vs. the A-ranks.”

If what Jihee noona said was true, then things were looking bleak.

If the high-rank Espers fought, tons of mana would be consumed—and the Guides would have to get involved.

Even setting aside the fact that it was my name being thrown around... It made me anxious. If the Guides had to come in on their day off just to fix something caused by me, they’d be pissed. I’d be pissed too.

“Doesn’t it sound like a blast?”

“What?”

But Jihee noona’s eyes sparkled like a child watching a trailer for an action movie.

“Espers fighting to the death over a single Guide? Come on, that’s cinematic as hell.”

“Noona... are you serious?”

“Yup. Everyone’s looking forward to it. Who do you think would win—Joo Seunghyuk or all the A-ranks together?”

She looked genuinely thrilled.

According to her, even the other Guides were curious about the outcome of the bloodbath.

Even if they might have to step in and do emergency Guiding because of me, no one seemed especially annoyed. Human psychology was a strange thing.

***

As always, after class ended, Joo Seunghyuk showed up without fail. He was gradually seeping into my daily life like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He didn’t say much—just walked up and grabbed my bag.

“Thanks.”

“It’s pretty heavy.”

“Yeah. Two new philosophy textbooks got added out of nowhere.”

“You would’ve had a hard time carrying this on your own today.”

The moment he said that, a chill ran down my spine.

Was he worried that I might be sick? Or... was he fishing because he found out Kang Inho helped me?

That happened in the West Wing. No way he could’ve known—wait, no. This is Joo Seunghyuk we’re talking about. Of course he could’ve found out.

If I couldn’t read his intentions clearly, I had only one option.

“No, it’s fine. A classmate carried it for me.”

“A classmate?”

“Yeah. I guess he thought I was still weak from the hospital. And the next class was Guiding Ethics, so he helped me out. But he’s someone who usually prefers to be alone. Doesn’t talk much either.”

In the original novel, Joo Seunghyuk—being the obsessive yandere he was—completely wiped out everyone who got close to the main uke.

I couldn’t let any innocent bystanders get hurt, so I babbled on, explaining everything in meticulous detail.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

Joo Seunghyuk stared at me wordlessly. Was he trying to figure ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) out whether I was telling the truth or lying?