SS 6(1) Part 5

“He’s right, Bomin-ah. We’re here with you.”

Kim Seohun, having calmed down, joined them, offering Bomin words of comfort.

Bomin smiled, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to be optimistic, but he was still anxious.

If he had met the original Bomin when he had first arrived, he probably would have disappeared without a second thought. 

He had been living a self-destructive life, his existence meaningless. But now… he wanted to live, to be happy. 

He had so much to lose.

“Yes. Everything will be fine.”

As if reciting a spell, Bomin uttered each word with deliberate force. Kang Yihan, whom he’d seen through his ability, had definitely seemed happy. For now, all he could do was hope that Kang Yihan, like himself, was content with his current life.

Even if he asked Bomin to return his body… he couldn’t. Not anymore. 

* * *

“Stop! Wait!”

“I said, leave me alone!”

Bomin, his breath coming in ragged gasps, didn’t slow down. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the fabric of the other man’s shirt.

He was so close. He could almost grab him. 

He pushed himself, his legs pumping, and then… his foot caught on something, and he stumbled.

“Ah…”

He had been running fast, and the impact sent him sprawling. He cried out, his hand flying to his throbbing wrist. 

Blood welled up in his scraped palms. His knees were probably bleeding too, but he didn’t have time to check.

He tried to get up. He had been chasing after Kang Yihan for the past ten minutes.

Kim Seohun and Shi Yu-hyeon had tried to follow, but the others had stopped them. 

He put his weight on his right foot, but a sharp pain shot up his leg, making him collapse. Tears welled up in his eyes. 

“…Hey.”

“Oh, you’re back.” 

He was wondering how he was going to get back to the hotel – his recovery potion was in his luggage – when he heard a voice.

Kang Yihan was standing a few feet away, looking down at him.

His brow furrowed as he saw the blood on Bomin’s hands and knees. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, his hand trembling slightly.

“Who are you?”

Had he been wrong? Was this… not the person he was looking for? 

He had asked the Swiss branch to keep his identity a secret. They only knew that an S-rank Guide was accompanying Shi Yu-hyeon.

He had expected Kang Yihan to demand his body back, to be angry. But Kang Yihan had panicked, his eyes wide with fear, then run away. 

Bomin had instinctively chased after him, still convinced that he was the original Bomin. 

But now… he wasn’t so sure.

“Are you… Kang Yihan?”

“…What?”

Kang Yihan? 

Bomin’s mind reeled. 

“I’m not giving this body back. …Go back to where you belong.”

Bomin’s jaw dropped as Kang Yihan glared at him. Maybe… this would be easier than he thought. 

“Lee Bomin.”

“…I’m Kang Yihan.”

It felt strange, calling himself by another name. Kang Yihan took a step back as Bomin called him “Lee Bomin.”

He clenched his fists. He was Kang Yihan, he insisted. 

“I know you’re not. You’re Lee Bomin.”

Kang Yihan’s eyes widened, his gaze darting around nervously. Then, he turned and ran.

Bomin, watching him go, let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. It hadn’t gone as planned, but… he had found him.

And he didn’t want his old life back.

“Thank goodness…” 

He felt a wave of relief wash over him. He didn’t want to leave this body, and the original Bomin… he wanted to stay in Kang Yihan’s body. It was a win-win situation. 

The problem was… he didn’t know that. He had been terrified, thinking Bomin was going to force him out. 

“Bomin-ah!”

“Are you alright, Bomin-ssi?”

Kim Seohun and Shi Yu-hyeon, who had been looking for him, rushed over. 

“You’re bleeding, Bomin-ah!”

Kim Seohun knelt beside him, his face creased with worry. The bleeding had stopped, mostly, but his hand was covered in blood.

Kim Seohun, seeing that his knees and ankles were scraped too, quickly took out a recovery potion.

“Let’s clean you up.”

“We should wash the dirt off first.”

He couldn’t just apply the potion; his hands and knees were covered in dirt. And he would have to remove his pants to properly treat the wound on his knee. 

“You must be in pain. Here, let me carry you.”

Bomin, his legs aching, let Shi Yu-hyeon lift him up. They entered a nearby building, Kim Seohun following close behind.

“There’s nowhere to sit…”

The men’s restroom on the first floor was small. Shi Yu-hyeon, after a moment of hesitation, closed and locked the door. 

“It would be best if you removed your pants… while I’m holding you.” 

Bomin’s pants were torn at the knee, the fabric stained with blood. Shi Yu-hyeon, his arm supporting Bomin’s waist, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. 

“You’re… undressing him… in the bathroom?”

Kim Seohun, flustered, fidgeted nervously. Bomin, however, seemed unfazed. 

“Seohun-ah, do you want to join us?”

“What?! No!” 

Kim Seohun’s face turned crimson at Bomin’s teasing. He waved his hands frantically. 

“Just kidding. Help me take these off.”

His anxiety about meeting the original Bomin had faded, replaced by his usual playfulness. Kim Seohun and Shi Yu-hyeon helped him remove his pants. 

“Ah… ow…” 

It had been a while since he had been injured. They all treated him like glass, careful not to hurt him. 

And they always stopped before he got hurt, so… it had been a while since he had felt this kind of pain, the kind that wasn’t caused by their c*cks.

His scraped knee was worse than he had thought, a small pebble embedded in his skin. 

“This might sting a bit.”

Kim Seohun, his face flushed, ran to the sink, wetting his shirt. He carefully dabbed at the wound, his touch gentle. 

“The potion will heal it right away.”

Bomin smiled as he watched Kim Seohun cleaning his hand and then applying the potion.

It was a small scrape, but Kim Seohun was fussing over him, his concern evident. He couldn’t help but find it endearing. 

“Bomin-ssi, it would be better to wrap your leg in something… instead of putting your pants back on.”

The wound closed quickly, the skin healing. Shi Yu-hyeon threw away Bomin’s torn pants, then, after carefully supporting Bomin while Kim Seohun stepped away momentarily, removed his jacket, wrapping it around Bomin’s legs before lifting him up.

“His legs are… completely exposed…” 

The jacket, though large, didn’t cover everything. Kim Seohun frowned, his gaze fixed on Bomin’s pale legs.

He didn’t want anyone else seeing them.

“I saw a clothing store on the way here. I was planning to stop there.”

Shi Yu-hyeon had no intention of letting others see Bomin’s bare legs either.

“Then hurry up, Esper Shi Yu-hyeon. I’ll follow.”

Kim Seohun practically pushed Shi Yu-hyeon out the door. He could easily keep up with Shi Yu-hyeon’s pace, but he didn’t want to make Bomin run. 

“No, let’s go together. We’re in a foreign country.”

Bomin, however, didn’t want to leave Kim Seohun alone. They weren’t in Korea; they were in Switzerland. It was a safe country, but… he couldn’t take any chances. Guide kidnappings weren’t unheard of in Europe.

And Kim Seohun, as an A-rank Guide, was a valuable target. 

“Then… I’ll do this.” 

Kim Seohun stepped in front of Bomin, his arms wrapping around his legs, shielding them. It looked ridiculous, but his expression was serious.

“…Let’s go.” 

They drew stares as they exited the building. Shi Yu-hyeon was half-Korean, but Bomin and Kim Seohun were clearly Asian. 

And their… unusual behavior was attracting attention. A few passersby even stopped to stare.

Bomin, embarrassed, whispered to Shi Yu-hyeon. 

“Close your eyes, Bomin-ssi. We’ll be there soon.”

Shi Yu-hyeon kissed his flushed cheek, Bomin’s face buried against his chest. Kim Seohun, ignoring the stares, continued to shield Bomin’s legs until they reached the clothing store.

* * *

“Hello.” 

“Ah, you must be the Guide from Korea. Your name is… Lee Bomin, correct?” 

“Yes.”

Bomin carefully observed the man as he smiled back. He was tall, with delicate features, but his broad shoulders and muscular build were evident beneath his Esper uniform.

“What are you doing here, Esper Yoo Min?”

The man was Yoo Min, an A-rank Esper from the Korean Association stationed in Switzerland. He was scheduled to enter into a Pairing Agreement with Kang Yihan. 

Pairing Agreements were more complicated than Exclusive Guide Contracts. 

Once an Esper and a Guide entered into a Pairing Agreement, they were bound to each other, their guiding limited to their partner.

It also required a high compatibility rate and a Binding Ceremony, so it wasn’t a popular choice.

Jeong Hotae and the others had wanted to enter into a Pairing Agreement with Bomin, but Bomin had refused to choose just one of them, settling for Exclusive Guide Contracts instead. 

“Ah, Yihan was waiting for you. We agreed to meet here. Did you… meet him yesterday?” 

“Yes.”

He had done more than just meet him. He had chased him through the streets of Switzerland. 

Bomin, after losing track of Kang Yihan, had been forced to return to the hotel. Shi Yu-hyeon and Kim Seohun, worried that he might have injured himself during his fall, had insisted he rest, even though the recovery potion had healed his wounds. 

He had decided to give Kang Yihan some time to think, to process everything.

(To be continued in Side Story Volume 2)