It was a normal day in my parents house, and I, as a 26 years old useless and mateless omega, was stuck tending to the household chores, and as I was already done cleaning inside, I figured to clean up our lawn too.
I was busy removing the weeds until something shiny caught my eye. It was hidden at the bush nearby and I, as the curious cat I am, reached for it.
At first glance it was just an old timer, the one with a lid on it, but when I held it in my hand, it was quite heavy and had ancient scriptures in both the lid and its body.
I was dead curious on what exactly I had found but I was never a procastrinating type so it has to wait that I am done with my task of hand before I could focus on it, so with a shrug, I shove it in my pocket, and in an instant, I was in a place I never been, nor knew about.
I swallowed hard at the sight, as it was eerily quiet and the surroundings were nothing but ruins.
"Oh god, where am I?" I asked myself, before turning around to see more, but when I did, what I saw was even more terrifying, as I realized I was literally standing before an open portal.
"You there! Are you trying to get yourself killed! Back off, now!" A voice yelled from a distance, so I carefully did.
"That's it, keep backing slowly and turn right." Another voice said, its voice calmer and encouraging than the first guy.
Nodding and biting my lip, I then do what I am told, until I am finally able to turn right in the nearest alley.
Seeing masked figures before me, I suddenly felt distrust and took a step back, until one of them undoes its mask, and to my surprise it was my bias! It was Yoon Jeonghan! From the Kpop group I had been stanning for years!
"Are you okay?" It asked, carefully reaching out for me.
But seeing it, the other guy clicks its tongue, gruffly removing its mask, and there, I saw my bias wrecker, Choi Seungcheol, pouting at Jeonghan, scolding. "No touching, Yoon Jeonghan! We don't even know if he's safe!"
Jeonghan then stopped on his tracks before nodding at Seungcheol. "No touching, but we can't leave him here too." It replied, eyeing me before holding out its gloved hand.
I swallowed hard at the offer to hold hands, god knows how much I wanted it, but Seungcheol was literally glaring at me so I politely declined.
"I-it's okay, hyung. I am okay, I'll just follow you guys." I muttered.
Then, Seungcheol grabs Jeonghan's hand, casually intertwining their hands, as they walk, and despite the fact that I was literally third wheeling, I couldn't care less, all I know is I am happy to see my ship sailing.
"What is your name?" Seungcheol suddenly asked.
"Haneol, my name is Choi, Haneol." I murmured.
Jeonghan then looked back at me and smiled. "You called me hyung earlier, didn't you? So I assume that you are younger than us, how old are you, Haneol?" It asked, still walking and holding on to Seungcheol's hand.
"I'm 26, hyung, and yes you are a bit older than me." I mumbled shyly, still couldn't believe I was talking to my idol.
"26? Oh so you're the same age with our youngest! Dino-ya!" Jeonghan said excitedly, looking at Seungcheol with a wide smile on his face. "What do you say ddadu-ya, if he happens to be an esper, would you let Dino be his guide?" It asked him.
Seungcheol then glanced at me before turning back to look at Jeonghan, its eyes immediately softening. "You know how this gate thing changed everything, Jeonghan-ah, I may be the little of our group before, but it was all in the past now, we are all no one, but espers and guides, and it would all up to Dino if he was to guide for him" It told Jeonghan, with a heavy sigh.
Jeonghan then stopped walking, making me and Seungcheol go in an abrupt stop too. "A-are you having a strain?" Jeonghan asked worriedly, its eyes boring into Seungcheol's face.
Seungcheol, who was caught off-guard by Jeonghan's question, then shook his head almost too eagerly, making it look like he was being defensive. "W-what? N-no! I am not having a strain! My head is all fine!" It said, too enthusiastic too, making Jeonghan look at me.
"Sorry to bother you, Haneol, but could you please give me and Seungcheol a moment, my esper needs some guidance." It told me, and even though I don't have any idea what he is talking about, I looked at a nearby place to settle down.
And as I sat there, my head reeled, my hands roaming, until it felt the ancient watch I had in my pocket, remembering how I shove it in and just end up being here.
I still have no idea how it works, so I pulled it out of my pocket, and in an instant, I was back into my real world, right in the same position where I left.
Thinking, I know now how it works, I figured to open up the lid, just hoping to see the inside, but as I did so, I was then pulled into another place, so I closed the lid back, then looked around, making sure I was still on the lawn at my parents house.
Confirming it, I then ran back into our house, immediately locking myself into my room, opening my laptop, and searched for espers and guides and my jaw dropped at the information I had to take in.
Espers are combat-able individuals, gifted with both physical and mental abilities to fight among monsters, while guides are special people who can offer relief for an esper's strain, through an intimate act to stabilize them.
I gulped hard, remembering Jeonghan's exact words before it asked for a 'moment of guidance' and somehow, I felt that I did the right thing by going back in here to know more, than staying in there, waiting for them to finish that guiding.
Since I was here already, I then started looking up about the watch I am holding, trying to know more of how it was able to make me jump into worlds, and if there is something I should watch out for in doing so, but it said nothing, so I shrug, and closed my laptop, once again shoving the watch on my pocket.
Once back, I noticed that it wasn't the same when I got back to my real world, because time actually passes in here, while time freezes in my real world, but once again, I couldn't care less.
"I could just stay here forever with my idols!" I told myself before getting up, to check on Jeonghan and Seungcheol.
I was about to peek at them, when I heard Seungcheol growl while Jeonghan shrieked, making me freeze at my place, sweating hard, couldn't help my mind but to reel at the possibilities.
"Come out, we're done." Seungcheol calls out all so casually, as if knowing I was just standing nearby.
Obliging, I then popped out from my hiding place and there, I saw Seungcheol carrying the spent Jeonghan in his arms.
"Follow close if you don't want to get lost." It said, already walking, its voice now a lot calmer than earlier.
Nodding, I then did so, and after a few more turns, we reached a run down building, and as we approached the door. "Knock three, one, two." He said.
Not that slow, I got the assignment, knocking three times, pause, one time, pause, then two, and the glass door opened.
And right off the bat, I was greeted by the sight of Kim Mingyu and Jeon Wonwoo, who apparently was guiding the door.
"W-who?" Mingyu asked Seungcheol, mouthing me.
Seungcheol groans. "I'll explain after I get Jeonghan into our room." It said, passing through them.
Wonwoo then gestured for me to come in, leading me into a nearby couch, while Mingyu kept guard at the door.
"We got a guest, can we offer him something?" Wonwoo asked, his voice calm but deep.
Then Boo Seungkwan, Kwon Soonyoung and Lee Seokmin appeared at the mention of a guest.
"Ah! Hello there! What's your name?" Seungkwan asked, all bubbly.
"How old are you?" Soonyoung added, with an excited voice.
Then there was Seokmin, sitting beside me. "Are you an esper? or a guide?"
With their consecutive questions, I don't even know who to answer first, then Dino comes in too, setting a snack and drink on the coffee table.
"It's not that much, but I hope you enjoy it." It said, and I, who was suddenly shy, just gratefully nodded to him
Then after some time, the living room was filled with the rest of the members, their eyes all on me, making me feel embarrassed that I look like I am being introspected by their gaze.
"Get seated! We're gonna talk about something." Seungcheol suddenly ordered going down from the stairs.