TG Ch 4 Part 1

Something was different about Jeong Taeyul. 

This thought had been circling in Ham Geonwu’s mind lately.

He glanced at his side. Jeong Taeyul, sitting on the bench, held the sleeping Sijin gently in his arms, his gaze fixed on the peacefully slumbering man with an almost reverent tenderness. 

Ham Geonwu felt like he shouldn’t interrupt. He took a sip of his coffee, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. He tried to pinpoint when the usually abrasive and indifferent Jeong Taeyul had undergone such a change.

He couldn’t be sure, but his intuition, usually spot-on, pointed to a particular point in time:

Around the time Doctor Baek had started working at the F12 Center.

***

Bam.

Early in the morning, Jeong Taeyul barged into his room through the guiding door. Ham Geonwu, startled awake, lifted his head from where it had been resting on his desk, glaring at the intruder, who hadn’t even bothered to knock properly. 

“What the hell…?”

“I’m borrowing your cologne.”

“What’s going on?”

Jeong Taeyul ignored his grumpy question, rummaging through a drawer for cologne. 

“…..?”

Ham Geonwu’s annoyance faded, replaced by suspicion.

Jeong Taeyul was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair neatly styled, which he never even bothered to do for monster countermeasure briefings. To top it off, the bastard, with his perfect 20/20 vision, was wearing a pair of glasses which was unnecessary. And damn, he looked good, which just pissed Ham Geonwu off even more.

“Why are you all dressed up…? Going on a date with an S-rank Esper?” 

“Which one smells better?”

Jeong Taeyul, still ignoring his questions, continued to act like a jerk. Annoyed, Ham Geonwu flung a chair at him telekinetically, but Jeong Taeyul caught it without even looking, his Guide senses allowing him to anticipate Ham Geonwu’s attack. 

Ham Geonwu, defeated, approached him, running a hand through his messy hair as he looked at the colognes. Both were brand new, still in their packaging. Ham Geonwu had bought them on a whim a few days ago. He had a habit of buying anything that caught his eye, unlike the meticulous Jeong Taeyul. 

There were only two bottles in his dorm because he never saw the point of wearing cologne when going out to fight monsters. He pointed at each bottle, describing them. 

“This one’s a strong, woody scent. Uhm… and this one’s a soft, soapy scent.” 

Jeong Taeyul studied the bottles, deliberating for a moment before selecting the soapy one. “You can use the other one.” 

“This jerk. Ten years, and his personality hasn’t improved one bit…”

Ignoring his comment, Jeong Taeyul sprayed the cologne on his neck. Ham Geonwu watched him, his expression disgusted, as if he were witnessing something monstrous. It was understandable. Jeong Taeyul was acting like a teenager on his first date.

Jeong Taeyul then stood in front of the mirror, cracking his neck. With his long legs and impressive physique, he looked more like a model in a watch advertisement than an agent. The way the contours of his well-defined muscles rippled beneath his shirt only added to the illusion. Ham Geonwu frowned, his bewilderment growing.

Then, as Jeong Taeyul adjusted his cufflinks, he said, “Hey, Ham.”

“Yeah.”

“Check me out. Don’t I look good?”

“Haa…”

Ham Geonwu sighed dramatically, turning away in exasperation. He was speechless.

Seemingly satisfied with his nonverbal response, Jeong Taeyul chuckled and headed towards the door. “You’re on standby duty this afternoon. I’ll take the night patrol. Don’t forget about the briefing tomorrow. Alright, I’m off.”

“Yes, Captain. …Damn it. I should have just formed my own team.”

“Since when did you care about something as bothersome as paperwork?” 

Jeong Taeyul scoffed before leaving the room. Ham Geonwu, still annoyed, tossed his clothes aside. 

He stared at the cologne bottle that Jeong Taeyul had used, his confusion growing. What had gotten into him? It was disturbing.

***

That afternoon, Jeong Taeyul was seen escorting a pale, skinny nerd around the Center.

Jeong Taeyul was smiling, acting all friendly and charming, putting on a show of such blatant fake niceness that Ham Geonwu felt physically ill. He was practically flirting with the guy. No, that wasn’t right. Jeong Taeyul had barely shown any interest when they’d met the S-rank Esper, opting for polite indifference instead (although the Esper was in his 40s), so this had to be some kind of elaborate act, a mission of sorts.

‘That Jeong Tae bastard. He really was working, huh.’

The struggle was real, apparently. Ham Geonwu finally understood the reason behind Jeong Taeyul’s unusual behavior that morning. When it came to work, Jeong Taeyul was ruthless. 

However, Jeong Taeyul’s demeanor changed when the pale, skinny nerd glanced towards the training grounds where Ham Geonwu was stationed. Ham Geonwu pretended not to notice. He wouldn’t dare interfere with Jeong Taeyul’s mission.

Later, when he had the chance, Ham Geonwu observed Jeong Taeyul’s expression. The previously charming demeanor had vanished, replaced by a cold, almost predatory intensity.

And then, after a brief conversation, Jeong Taeyul knocked the guy unconscious!

‘Poor guy. He messed with the wrong Shark.’ 

Ham Geonwu felt a pang of sympathy. The nerd had either revealed something incriminating to Jeong Taeyul or made a grave mistake. He probably wouldn’t be seeing him again. As he watched Jeong Taeyul carry the unconscious man away, he offered a silent prayer.

“Esper Ham Geonwu?” 

“…Yeah?” 

To his surprise, the nerd reappeared the next day, standing right before him, perfectly fine. 

Ham Geonwu was both surprised and intrigued. He had survived an encounter with Jeong Taeyul. He would have usually ignored him, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he stood up.

Up close, the man was actually quite handsome, with a gentle, kind face. His skin was clear, his features delicate, and there was something charming about his shy, yet genuine smile. His gestures, his demeanor, even the curve of his lips when he smiled—everything about him seemed soft and refined.

“Why do you look so scared? Are you lost?” Ham Geonwu asked playfully. The man before him was like a nervous little puppy. After a brief conversation, Ham Geonwu, in his own way, tried to put him at ease.

“…Are you… restraining me?” 

“Huh? Oh, it’s just standard procedure. Don’t worry.” 

Ham Geonwu added, looking him straight in the eye, “As long as you behave, I won’t kill you.”

He hadn’t actually meant it as a threat. He’d even smiled. 

However, the man’s face, already pale, turned even paler. He lowered his head, staring at his bound wrists with a pitiful expression. Ham Geonwu felt like he had just kicked a harmless fawn. He stifled a laugh, trying to reassure him.

“Eyy~ There’s no need to be scared.” 

“I’m not… scared.”

His words contradicted the tremor in his kind voice.

Ham Geonwu felt like he had done something terribly wrong, despite having done practically nothing. Now he was really intrigued.

“My name is Baek Sijin, and I’m the new Diagnostic Examiner.” 

When the man introduced himself as the new examiner, Ham Geonwu almost considered knocking him unconscious again. He wanted to confront Jeong Taeyul immediately and demand an explanation.

But the person he needed to talk to was currently observing them from the third floor. Ham Geonwu looked up at Jeong Taeyul, his gaze hardening.

Jeong Taeyul responded with a hand signal: 

[DO NOT ENGAGE]

Ham Geonwu registered the signal in a split second. He tried to act nonchalant, but he couldn’t prevent his brow from furrowing.

He usually felt nothing but resentment towards examiners, no matter how kind or gentle they appeared. Their kindness had always felt fake, their only goal to inflict pain.

“I’m here to help you manage your health. As long as your examinations show that you’re stable, I won’t do anything to you.” 

However, as he listened to the man’s calm explanation, his opinion began to shift. Previous examiners had always been afraid of him, always keeping a taser or a syringe hidden behind their backs. 

But this examiner, although clearly nervous, had come unarmed. 

“So… If I refuse to get examined… it’ll be like the past, right?” 

He had approached him without any threats or drugs.

His sincerity intrigued Ham Geonwu. He wanted to know more about this man, this examiner who had somehow managed to survive Jeong Taeyul’s scrutiny. His unconventional approach to examinations and his calm, soothing voice appealed to him. As always, Ham Geonwu followed his instincts. 

“Fine. I’ll get examined.”

“Really? Are you sure? Then… Can I schedule a full examination for you?” 

“Wow, you’re actually asking for my permission? Are you sure you’re an examiner?”

Ham Geonwu looked at him, amused. He shouldn’t be relinquishing control so easily. Ham Geonwu couldn’t help but worry. If this seemingly fragile man ended up getting hurt because of him, Ham Geonwu would probably feel incredibly guilty.

Despite his concerns, he had made his decision. He stood next to Sijin, observing him. Sijin wasn’t that short. He was probably average height for a man. However, he was thin and pale, lacking muscle definition. Ham Geonwu wondered if he was even eating properly.

“….?”

When Ham Geonwu smiled at him, Sijin smiled back, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses. Ham Geonwu, having been forced to learn a bit of espionage, knew exactly what that meant. 

This man was attracted to him. 

Why would he be attracted to him, especially on their first meeting? Was it his appearance? Sijin seemed flustered whenever their eyes met. 

He reminded Ham Geonwu of a dog he’d seen in the countryside. The dog would wag its tail excitedly whenever Ham Geonwu walked by, but as soon as he approached, it would scamper away, keeping a safe distance.

Ham Geonwu found himself wanting to see that smile again. And, he had to admit, he was also curious to see how Sijin would react when he was surprised, or angry, or even crying. 

“Baek Sijin…”

Ham Geonwu’s eyes gleamed with a newfound interest as he spoke the man’s name. 

From that day forward, Ham Geonwu made a point of remembering everything about Baek Sijin.

***