Guide Me If You Dare-Chapter 177: TENDER MOMENT

NOH YUNO fainted.

Ki Gayoon wasn’t surprised.

The amount of Mana that Noh Yuno released was enough to kill a normal Guide.

This punk really needs to be punished...!

That was Gayoon’s thought before catching Noh Yuno in his arms.

Although he loved embracing his boyfriend, that didn’t mean he liked it when his lover was unconscious or in pain.

"Noh Yuno, wake up," Gayoon said desperately. "Why are so fucking cold?"

As soon as he said that Noh Yuno’s body was cold, his temperature suddenly turned hot.

Like he was being feverish.

Dammit!

"That’s the same symptom as Guide Kim Jaeha’s condition earlier," Lee Woonhak said in a worried voice. "The madam probably absorbed the Esper Core in Guide Kim Jaeha’s heart."

"An Esper Core?" Gayoon asked, surprised. "There was an Esper Core in that kid’s heart when he’s a Guide?"

"That’s what the madam said, Gayoon-ah."

If that was Noh Yuno’s diagnosis, then it must be true.

"Guide Kim Jaeha looks fine now," Lee Woonhak said after glancing at the young Guide, and then he looked at Noh Yuno worriedly. "It seems like the unknown Esper Core is now in the madam’s heart."

Dammit.

Why does Yuno have to be so fucking selfless?

"Argh..."

Gayoon’s eyes widened a bit when Noh Yuno let out a groan. "Noh Yuno!"

And that did the trick.

Noh Yuno opened his eyes abruptly, and then he suddenly clutched his chest tight.

Gayoon was still worried even though his boyfriend had already regained consciousness.

After all, Noh Yuno was still as pale as a ghost. Moreover, his body wouldn’t stop shaking.

And I can’t do anything but hold him in my arms.

Gayoon also noticed something strange.

Noh Yuno’s gaze was fixed on something behind Lee Woonhak— something that no one else could see.

Is he hallucinating because of pain?

"Noh Yuno, what are you looking at?!" Gayoon asked. He didn’t mean to yell, but he was panicking. He thought he needed to be that loud so that Noh Yuno could hear him clearly. "You’re trembling, dammit!"

"A g-ghost," Noh Yuno said in a trembling voice, gulping before he pointed a shaking finger at the "ghost" behind Lee Woonhak. "But why does it look like Esper Matthew?"

What?

A ghost that looked like Matthew?

Gayoon wanted to ask Noh Yuno more about it, but Noh Yuno fainted again. He immediately looked up at Lee Woonhak. "Hyung...!"

"Follow me, Gayoon-ah," Lee Woonhak said while heading towards the door. "The madam needs an emergency Mana transfusion."

Gayoon secured Noh Yuno in his arms before following Lee Woonhak. "Hyung, what do you mean by Mana transfusion? Can’t I just stay with Noh Yuno and share my Mana with him? Moon Noa told me to help Noh Yuno replenish his Mana that way before."

"Yes, that would help. But the madam has already lost too much Mana— and his Mana keeps dropping," Lee Woonhak said while opening the room next door. "The Esper Core that Yuno-ssi absorbed is draining his Mana. So, I’m going to inject Mana in the madam— Mana that would temporarily seal the Esper Core."

Seal an Esper Core? freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"That’s one of your abilities, Hyung. You can temporarily freeze an Esper’s Core to stop them from using their power," Gayoon said, knitting his eyebrows. "Are you saying you’re going to inject your Mana in Noh Yuno’s body?"

"I know you hate the idea, Gayoon-ah. But that’s the best option we have at the moment."

"Hyung, I’m not a lunatic who’ll prioritize my jealousy over my lover’s safety."

"So, you’re still jealous even in this situation."

Gayoon just cleared his throat before carefully putting Noh Yuno on the bed. "Hyung, I’ll die if Noh Yuno dies."

"I know," Lee Woonhak said, sighing. "Calm down, Gayoon-ah— I won’t let the madam die."

***

YUNO realized that he fainted when he opened his eyes.

Fortunately, he woke up without feeling any pain this time.

"Yuno-ya, you’re awake?"

Oh.

Yuno braced himself for Ki Gayoon’s wrath.

He expected the Esper to scold him, and he wouldn’t even complain if he yelled at him this time.

However, that didn’t happen.

Ki Gayoon had a somber look on his face while sitting on the chair next to the bed, holding Yuno’s hand tightly.

Oh.

This is serious.

"Gayoon Hyung..."

"Yuno-ya, you’ve been out for almost a day."

Oh.

Then...

"How’s Kim Jaeha?" Yuno asked worriedly. "Is he okay now?"

"The kid is in a better condition now after you absorbed the Esper Core in his heart."

Hyung sounded bitter, and rightfully so.

"Let me explain first, Hyung," Yuno said nervously. "I didn’t absorb the Esper Core on purpose— it just forced its way to my heart, literally..."

He trailed off when he realized Ki Gayoon wasn’t listening.

But he wasn’t offended.

Because I know I scared the shit out of Hyung again.

"Yuno-ya."

"Yes, Hyung?"

"Can I take it back?" Ki Gayoon pleaded, his eyes and voice both expressing only one emotion: desperation. "I told you I didn’t want you to fall for me hard because I didn’t want you to risk your life for me— like how I would die for you in a heartbeat. But I changed my mind, so I’m taking back what I said then. I now want you to fall for me as hard as I fell for you, Yuno-ya."

"Hyung..."

"No, I need you to fall for me hard," Ki Gayoon whispered desperately, closing his eyes and he pressed his forehead against the back of Yuno’s hand. "I need you to fall for me hard enough that you’d be scared of dying and leaving me alone."

Ah.

Yuno could feel all of it.

Ki Gayoon’s desperation.

Ki Gayoon’s love.

Ki Gayoon’s fear.

Gayoon Hyung is desperate to keep me alive because he’s scared to lose me— all because he loves me very much.

Yuno had always known that Ki Gayoon was in love with him.

He had always known that he had Ki Gayoon wrapped around his finger.

He had always known that he had so much power over Ki Gayoon.

But this was the first time that he felt how much Ki Gayoon loved him.

"Yuno-ya, please love me enough that you’d want to live for me instead of dying for someone else."

Ah, Yuno felt a tug at his heart.

Ki Gayoon— arguably the strongest Esper in South Korea— didn’t hesitate to show his vulnerable side to Yuno.

And Hyung is begging me to love him enough that I’d live for him.

Of course, that boosted his pride.

But more than that, Yuno’s heart melted.

So, this is how it feels to be loved this much, huh?

It was surreal.

It was a bit scary.

But being loved by another person with all their heart was something Yuno didn’t know he wanted until Ki Gayoon gave it to him— generously and unconditionally.

I want to love this man as much as he loves me.

"Gayoon Hyung, you’re making me feel like I can break you without even trying."

"Why are you surprised? You know from the start that you have that much power over me," Ki Gayoon said softly. "Yuno-ya, I’m giving you the power to break me however you want, whenever you need to. Just promise me that you’ll live. That you won’t leave me. And that’s all I’ll ever ask of you."

Haah.

It wasn’t so hard, after all.

"Hyung, you’re making it easy for me to love you as much as you do."

"You can’t love me as much as I love you," Ki Gayoon said in a teasing voice, laughing softly. But his eyes said he was serious— that he was so sure that Yuno couldn’t love him as much as Ki Gayoon loved him. "And that’s okay. I just need you to love me enough for you to want to spend the rest of your life with me."

"Hyung, do you realize that you just said you love me?" Yuno asked teasingly. "I mean, I know that you do. But this is the first time that you said it directly."

"And I’ll say it again: I love you, Noh Yuno."

Aww.

Ki Gayoon confessed and said those words in the warmest, softest, most sincere way possible while looking at Yuno as if he were the most precious person in the world.

Hyung’s eyes say it all.

Yuno had no choice but to fall deeper in love with Ki Gayoon.

I will live and die for this man.

"Gayoon Hyung, you better not regret it once you realize you’re stuck with a permanent headache," Yuno said lightheartedly, but he meant every word. He couldn’t be as passionate as Ki Gayoon because of his blunt personality, but he’d try. Baby steps for now. "I’m not going anywhere, so you should prepare to spend the rest of your life with a punk like me."

"Is that a threat?" Ki Gayoon, who realized that Yuno had decided to treasure his life even more, laughed as if he was relieved. "Then let me give you a threat in return."

"What kind of threat?"

"If you die, I’ll go on a killing spree before I kill myself."

"Why would you do that to innocent people?"

"If I become miserable after losing you, then I plan to make it everyone else’s problem."

"You’re a menace, Hyung."

Ki Gayoon just shrugged, obviously unapologetic. "I’m not sure if there’s an Afterlife, or if reincarnation is really possible— but I’ll find a way to meet you again. So, you can’t use death as an excuse to run away from me."

"Now that’s scary."

"So, you better stay alive so we wouldn’t have to find each other in the next life or something."

Right.

This kind of conversation suits us better.

"What a heavy responsibility," Yuno complained lightly, smiling while shaking his head. "Now I have no choice but to live long for the sake of world peace."

"You better," Ki Gayoon asked, his eyes darkening suddenly. "Noh Yuno, can I kiss you now?"

"I thought you’d never ask, Hyung."

***

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