The ominous music echoed in the background as the scene shifted, revealing Cha In-ho sitting in a room. In front of him was...
"Oh...?"
Jet-black hair that slightly covered his eyes, long eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks, tightly pressed lips, broad shoulders, and fingers fidgeting nervously. A melancholic, handsome man with a cute red scarf.
Eun-a instinctively covered her mouth. The red eyes, which had been described as demonic, sparkled like jewels, and the awkward way he quickly averted his gaze was strangely endearing.
Seven years ago, she had abandoned her obsession with the oppas she was crazy about. But now, her heart was racing once more.
"Joo-hyun, are you nervous?" In-ho's voice, laced with a hint of laughter, made Joo-hyun's eyes twitch. Even his name was beautiful. Eun-a, leaning forward, focused intently on the screen.
"No, I'm not nervous."
"Just act as you usually do."
"I'm telling you, I'm not nervous."
Joo-hyun's voice was slightly deep but flowed smoothly, hitting all of Eun-a's preferences. Anyone could see he was nervous, yet his stubborn denial was charming in its own way.
The screen captured his slightly reddened cheeks. His shyly lowered eyelashes gave him an oddly youthful look.
"This is a bit different from what you expected, isn't it?"
"Yes, I thought he'd have a scarier presence." At the host's remarks, In-ho smiled meaningfully.
"Your hand is cold," he said softly, naturally taking the esper's hand.
Everyone knew that espers and guides had to make contact for guiding. It was often shown in the media. Still, to an outsider, it felt somewhat peculiar.
After observing Joo-hyun for a moment, In-ho narrowed his eyes and continued.
"Joo-hyun, you want to smoke a cigarette right now, don't you?"
Joo-hyun's eyes widened in surprise. His iridescent eyes reflected even more light, sparkling like stars.
The runaway esper, seemingly worried about saying such things on air, hesitated before shaking his head slowly. He looked like a child trying to gauge an adult's reaction, making Eun-a clench her fists and pummel the innocent cushion beside her.
"You can't fool my eyes. I know you too well," In-ho said with a tilt of his chin, smiling in a way that seemed slightly boastful to Eun-a.
"You know smoking is bad for you, right?"
"Yes, yes."
"How about cutting down a bit?"
"Yes, yes."
"Why not quit entirely this time?"
"...Yes."
Joo-hyun, who had been nodding obediently like a scolded child, suddenly raised his head. The glare he gave In-ho seemed almost audible.
"Hey. Don't tease me just because I seem a bit nervous."
"Oh, I was hoping to get you to promise that subtly. Guess it didn't work."
After glaring at In-ho for a moment longer, the esper rubbed his slightly flushed cheek and sighed, lowering his head.
"Good grief, he's asking not to be teased!" Eun-a stomped her feet, watching Joo-hyun fumble awkwardly in front of the camera. "They seem closer than I thought."
Most people thought it was risky to pair a runaway esper with anyone for the sake of publicity. Eun-a had thought so too, but what she saw on the screen was anything but a business relationship. In-ho wore the most relaxed and joyful smile she had ever seen on Wednesday Film.
Of course, Eun-a could only see the edited footage, but it was clear that In-ho had no reservations about holding hands with the runaway esper.
It was Joo-hyun who hesitated, seemingly gauging the situation. Despite his tall stature and broad shoulders, there was something about him that evoked a protective instinct.
"But is this really okay to show on TV? It's not fun... just scary."
"What's scary?" In-ho's voice was soothing as he held the esper's scarred, short-nailed, long fingers.
Even though contact guiding was a well-known fact, it felt strange to those unfamiliar with that world. The sight of Joo-hyun's eyes softening slightly reassured her.
"I'm a runaway esper... and the eyes are red."
"I like your eyes, Joo-hyun."
The softness in In-ho's voice was startling. Eun-a wondered if such words were appropriate for public broadcast. Although it had been seven years, the remnants of her past obsession with shipping oppas seemed to flare up.
Shaking her head, Eun-a refocused on the screen.
Joo-hyun seemed surprised by the unexpected compliment. His eyes, a mix of black and red, shifted shades depending on the light. It was too beautiful to simply call it scary.
Perhaps no one had ever said such things to him before. Joo-hyun bit his lip, unsure of how to respond, before tilting his head slightly and smiling. The corners of his mouth lifted, softening his sharp features.
"This is insane…" Eun-a whispered and covered her mouth with her fingertips. She couldn't believe how a man who perfectly matched her taste had appeared out of nowhere.
"No one else in the world would say that," said Joo-hyun.
In the living room, Eun-a's voice echoed softly as she muttered to herself.
Whether he thought it was a joke or not, the runaway esper let out a light laugh, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
As soon as Joo-hyun smiled, the atmosphere changed instantly. The sharp-eyed esper transformed, his curved eyes and upturned lips giving off a sweet aura.
Even if it wasn't something usually said about a grown man, that's how Eun-a felt.
"So, what should I do?"
"I told you, just act as you usually do."
In reality shows like Wednesday Film, participants usually didn't acknowledge the cameras. Even friends who were supposedly invited on a whim ignored the cameras scattered around.
However, the two, being a runaway esper and his guide, couldn't hide the fact that they were being filmed.
This was reassuring rather than annoying, as it indicated that proper safety measures were in place. While the show aimed to depict unfiltered daily life, the footage of the highly talked-about runaway esper seemed to be broadcast without much editing.
As the esper fidgeted with In-ho's grasped fingers, he mumbled with a slightly troubled expression.
"I didn't bring my book."
"That book you got a few days ago? What's the title again?"
"Pride and Prejudice. Have you already forgotten?"
In response to Joo-hyun's slightly snippy remark, In-ho smiled meaningfully.
Meanwhile, Eun-a struggled to process the overwhelming charm attack. Thinking of those scarred hands turning the pages of a classic romance novel made her clench her fists involuntarily.
"Pride and Prejudice is great. I got excited just watching the movie adaptation."
"Do you like romance novels?" The host asked.
"He likes all books, really. Even if he uses leaves as bookmarks."
In the studio, In-ho laughed joyfully, reminiscent of the way he smiled at stray cats during the day. It seemed clear that he found Joo-hyun, the runaway esper, incredibly endearing.
After seeing the way In-ho acted towards him for several months, it was hard to believe that Joo-hyun was truly dangerous.
Talking about Pride and Prejudice, the two men appeared both odd and visually pleasing. They used formal speech, but their conversation flowed naturally and comfortably, suggesting a close relationship.
"Will you come watch the movie when it premieres? I think it's good, even though it's my own work."
"Are you kidding?"
Eun-a giggled to herself, recognising a bit of film promotion. She flinched at the sharp retort.
"How could a runaway esper go to a cinema?"
That remark made Eun-a recall their inherent danger. It was natural that someone who could explode at any moment couldn't go to crowded places. Whether it was a cinema, a swimming pool, a library, or even a local market, such places were off-limits.
Realising his tone might have been harsh, Joo-hyun looked down, his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks.
"I've never been interested in such things... but thanks for the offer."
"Don't lie. You said you enjoyed the movie on TV a few days ago."
"When did I say that?"
"You told me on the phone four days ago."
"No, I didn't."
The genuine surprise in his raised voice made everyone laugh.
After that, the conversation shifted to light and pleasant topics, alternating between the two men and the studio host's reactions.
As the guiding session neared its end, In-ho suddenly produced a Polaroid camera, as if remembering something. Joo-hyun, having relaxed significantly, couldn't hide his curiosity, although he tried to appear indifferent. To Eun-a, he looked like a puppy perking up its ears.
In-ho, seemingly sharing the same thought, took a photo of Joo-hyun. The runaway esper's eyes widened at the sight of the appearing picture.