Survive With the Max Level Guide

Shim Tae-seong stood tall in the middle of the desolate garden. His fist, clenched for so long that blood no longer flowed through it, had turned a bruised shade of purple.

He repeated it to himself again and again—That he had no right to harbor murderous intent toward Cha Eun-hyuk.

When he saw the middle-aged man running over in a panic early that morning…And as soon as he heard that the man was the family’s exclusive physician, his heart sank with a heavy thud, fearing that something had happened to Cha Eun-soo.

Then, without a second thought, he used his ability to move inside—And the moment he appeared, a blade of ice stopped just short of his face.

‘……Get out.’

At Cha Eun-hyuk’s rigidly cold command, delivered after a long pause, Shim Tae-seong didn’t obey immediately.Instead, he deliberately turned his head to check on Cha Eun-soo.

That slight delay caused the tip of the blade to graze his cheek with a zzziik, slicing across his skin, but he didn’t flinch.

Cha Eun-soo, who was being examined by the pale-faced, terrified physician—

“It must be teleportation, huh.”

A cold, low voice rang out.

Unstartled, Tae-seong turned toward the source.Cha Eun-hyuk, approaching with heavy steps, came to a stop directly across from him.

He stared at Shim Tae-seong with piercing eyes.

“No—Deceiving others for your own gain, or revealing the truth only when it suits you to get what you want…If you call all of that a ‘power,’ then sure. Guess it’s a kind of ability too.”

“…”

Shim Tae-seong thought Cha Eun-hyuk’s sarcasm was unlike him. At the same time, he sensed something had changed.

He looked into the other man’s eyes—now darkened with a possessiveness he hadn’t seen before—and finally spoke.

“Did you really have to go that far, Team Leader?”

“…What?”

“He’s not someone you should be pushing to the point of collapse like that.”

The anger finally slipped through his restraint.

Cha Eun-hyuk let out a hollow laugh.

“This is between me and my younger brother. What gives you the right to butt in? Just because you got Guided once, you think you’re special?”

He took a threatening step forward toward Shim Tae-seong.

“Eun-soo’s the type to help even a starving Esper he’s never met. All you did was trigger his compassion.”

A deadly aura emanated from him—aimed squarely at the man who had shared his Guide.

But Shim Tae-seong wasn’t shaken.

“I won’t deny it. And I know, better than anyone, that Team Leader is probably the most important person to the Young Master.”

“…”

“But I’m not about to lose my savior.”

Two Espers, both saved by the same person, locked eyes. Their gazes clashed in silence.

“Should I consider you an enemy?”

“You know full well I meant the opposite by that.”

Shim Tae-seong knew Cha Eun-hyuk. Cha Eun-hyuk was rational—that was a quality indispensable for someone leading a group. And because of that, Tae-seong was convinced he would take his hand.

The crease that formed between Cha Eun-hyuk’s brows revealed he had caught on to Tae-seong’s thoughts.

Damn it—because Shim Tae-seong wasn’t wrong.

If he had been wrong, the tip of the blade wouldn’t have stopped so close to his face.

An ability that let you escape any crisis. The value of teleportation was high enough to suppress even a murderous urge toward someone who had deceived him for so long and taken a precious Guide before he could.

***

Drifting in and out of hazy consciousness, he wondered.

When… and how did this happen?

“Are you sure there’s nothing else wrong, Doctor?”

“……Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

Voices trickled in through the fog.

“It’s rare, but sometimes even a mild cold or flu can cause loss of consciousness. His fever’s gone down, so try not to worry. He’ll regain consciousness soon.”

“But still…”

“That’s enough. No one knows Eun-soo’s health better than Dr. Jung, Eun-se.”

A gentle hand touched his forehead.

“…Alright.”

The quiet conversation faded, and it seemed he drifted back into sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, silence had settled over the room.

“…Am I alive?”

“Young Master Eun-soo?”

The man with graying hair, who had been changing his IV drip, froze mid-motion. He was the long-serving family physician.

“I…”

He’d meant to ask for some water, but his voice was so shot he clamped his mouth shut.

Right. After screaming like that, it’d be weirder if I wasn’t messed up.

“I’ll help you sit up.”

The physician quickly picked up on what he needed. He helped Eun-soo into a sitting position, then poured some water into the cup on the bedside table.

“Drink slowly.”

Eun-soo’s strength had yet to return—his hands trembled violently as he accepted the cup. Following the doctor’s instruction, he took small sips to wet his parched throat. The physician’s gaze prickled against his throat as his Adam’s apple moved with each swallow.

Reflexively touching his neck, he felt the soft fabric of a slightly loose turtleneck.

“Where…”

The physician took the cup back from him and cautiously began to speak.

“Are you experiencing any discomfort?”

“As you can hear, ahem, my throat’s shot… I’m dizzy and nauseous, but other than that, I think I’m okay.”

Even as he answered, pain lanced through his throat, making him wince.

“How long have I been out?”

“We came rushing over when we heard you lost consciousness yesterday morning.”

Then…

The memory of seeing himself in the mirror—his body being pounded into as he was pinned beneath his hyung—flashed through his mind.

He must have blacked out partway through. Had his hyung called the physician right after that?

Well… going to a hospital would’ve been a problem. If they ran any kind of checkup, they’d surely conclude he’d been forcibly assaulted. It wouldn’t just be the medical staff—others would start talking too.

Better to keep it between people they could trust.

“Young Master Eun-soo.”

The physician’s voice called out seriously. His expression was stiff with tension.

“You’ve always been composed, ever since you were young.”

“Even with your frequent illnesses.”

There was a flicker of solemnity behind his wrinkled face.

“But wounds of the heart aren’t so easily healed.”

…Oh.

“If something unimaginable happened here… and if you’re in need of help—”

The physician gently took Eun-soo’s hand and held it tight.

“Then I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“…Doctor.”

So, he thinks I was raped by my brother. And he’s ready to report it or help me run if that’s what I want.

Suddenly, Eun-soo found himself wondering—what kind of expression had his brother worn when he called for the physician?

“I…”

He bit down on his lip, eyes trembling faintly.

“I’m okay.”

Truth is… I enjoyed it too.

“It’s not like my brother had a choice either.”

“…Excuse me?”

The look the physician gave him was one of sheer disbelief, as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

Deliberately, Eun-soo tightened his grip around the physician’s hand and feigned hesitation.

“He looked like he was on the verge of going berserk. If he didn’t get Guided right away… he probably wouldn’t have been able to hold it together.”

As if recalling the moment, he let out a slow, deep breath.

“So… I understand.”

The physician didn’t seem to grasp his words right away, his face vacant with shock.

Finally, he stammered, struggling to respond.

“Young Master Eun-soo… are you saying you manifested as a Guide? And that the Guiding was the reason…?”

That your Esper brother forced himself on you, And now you’re saying you understand that? His expression practically shouted: Did I really hear you correctly?

“…Yes.”

I gave a slight nod.

The physician was horrified.

“Good heavens, I can’t believe this…”

Everyone knows how vital a Guide is to an Esper—especially a high-ranking one. So it made sense, in a way, that my brother had done what he did… But even so, the unspoken question in his eyes was: How could he do that to his own younger brother?

And behind that, disbelief. Disbelief that I could still be defending him after going through something like that.

“Please, Doctor. I’m asking you to keep this to yourself.”

“Young Master Eun-soo…”

“Cha Eun-soo.”

A voice, tightly restrained and seething just beneath the surface, suddenly called my name. The physician and I both flinched and turned toward the door.

My brother stood there, arms crossed, striding into the room.

Sweat gathered in the physician’s palm where I had been holding his hand. His entire face went pale—his fear of my brother was plain to see.

My brother spoke in a weighty voice.

“It’d be best if you didn’t speak of this to anyone.”

“…”

“If word gets out that Eun-soo is a Guide…”

It was a warning: You’ll be the first suspect.

Is this how people feel when they see a cop who’s supposed to catch gangsters acting like a gangster himself? I frowned—it felt cruel to treat a man he’d known for so long like this.

“Hyung.”

His sharp gaze snapped to me. But when he saw my calm face staring back at him, the edge in his eyes slowly dulled.

“Thank you for coming, Doctor. Please go get some rest.”

When I gently nudged him, the physician backed away without resistance, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.

“Then… I’ll return later.”

With slightly rushed movements, he gathered up the used IV cartridge and tray, then left the room.

As I watched his retreating figure, I glanced briefly out the window.

Dusk had begun to fall.

“That was rude to the doctor, hyung.”

My voice rang through the quiet room. My brother, who had been watching me closely, froze for a moment.

Then he replied quietly.

“Silencing someone isn’t a matter of asking.”

…So that’s how my brother’s mind works.

“And we agreed to keep this a secret.”

“…People will get the wrong idea about you.”

Then I’d rather reveal what I am. At least it’s not strange for an Esper to desire a Guide.

I replied in a small voice, clutching the blanket tightly as if the memory of being violated had resurfaced.

As an added touch, I avoided meeting his gaze—like I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye anymore.