Pretending to Be the Lover of an Esper C1

Chapter 1

I received the news that Lee Taeon had awakened. It had been a week.

The moment he opened his eyes, Taeon was transferred to a general ward. True to his S-rank esper status, his remarkable recovery, combined with the guiding energy I had poured into him over the past week, seemed to have played a significant role.

I received a message with the new room number as I crossed the street in front of the hospital.

Inside the elevator, pressing a different floor instead of the familiar number felt extremely strange. I was so tense that I could hardly keep my hands still.

Second floor, third floor…

Watching the numbers climb rapidly, I clasped my hands together, then squeezed them, then rubbed the sweat from my palms on my thighs.

Twelfth floor.

By the time I finally reached my destination, my hands were trembling entirely.

I gave brief nods to the nurses pacing the wide corridor and hurried toward the end, where his single room was located. The door, with its wood grain and frosted window, was something I had seen countless times over the past week, yet today it seemed unusually imposing.

I had to take three deep breaths before knocking.

〈Yunseong, don’t be too surprised when you go in. Taeon suffered a head injury, and there are some complications…〉

The voice of the colleague who had contacted me came to mind automatically. If their words were true, then the ‘Lee Taeon’ behind this door was probably…

“Come in.”

The voice that immediately followed my cautious knock was maddeningly smooth and refined. It was hard to believe he had been bedridden for a week.

I maintained a cautious and reserved demeanor until I sat down on the chair beside his bed.

“Hello, Lee Taeon.”

“Ah.”

He looked at me with a brief note of astonishment. Even facing my gaze, he neither frowned nor showed any trace of irritability—just a bewildered expression. He seemed thoroughly confused, even managing an awkward smile. A strange sensation pressed against my stomach.

Taeon had never, in any circumstance, smiled at me in anything other than derision. Never.

At that precise moment, my colleague’s words proved true.

Lee Taeon did not remember me, Ji Yunseong.

“I… I received the news that you had awakened. I wanted to see if you were feeling alright. There’s something I need to inform you about… do you know who I am?”

“…No, this is the first time we’ve met.”

“My name is Ji Yunseong. Does it not ring a single bell?”

“Ji Yunseong… That name is unfamiliar. I apologize, but my memory isn’t intact. They say I lost roughly three years of memories. If I met you during that time…”

Taeon trailed off awkwardly. I said nothing. Since I did not respond, he fell silent as well. We remained in a tense quiet, immersed in the awkward stillness.

One minute, maybe two. After that brief stretch, I took two ID cards from my pocket and held them out to him.

One was mine, the other his. With a face full of curiosity, he reluctantly accepted the cards placed before him.

“Check for yourself. You’ll see they aren’t forged.”

His gaze slowly traveled down to the clearly printed photo and the department and title written above it.

Field Response Team 1 Partner Guide Ji Yunseong.
Pair Partner Lee Taeon.

His expression changed only after reading his own name and, further below, the partner’s name.

Field Response Team 1 Partner Esper Lee Taeon.
Pair Partner Ji Yunseong.

Taeon alternated between looking at his own ID and mine, clearly startled by the unfamiliar phrasing.

“Partner…? When… that can’t be possible.”

“We were paired five months ago. It was a command from above. I also know that you insisted on being solo before that. I’m your first partner… Taeon, really, do you not remember anything at all?”

Can it be? Such a stupid face, truly. Are you pretending to be innocent just because you fell for this prank? I watched him intently, anticipating his reaction. Yet, Taeon merely shook his head slowly, thinking deeply, unable to recall.

“No matter how I think, nothing comes to mind. I apologize.”

He sealed it once again. My heart sank, or perhaps it leapt—it was hard to tell. Taeon, having lost three years of memories, did not remember me. He had no recollection of what I had done to his older cousin, Taeyoung.

Nor did he know of…

〈Ji Yunseong. Despite lacking ability, you recklessly cause trouble everywhere. Why don’t you focus properly on guiding instead of inconveniencing others?〉

He did not remember my disdain…

At that moment, a sudden, impulsive desire flared within me. What began as a small curiosity, a mischievous thought, was underlined by selfish longing.

Though I knew I shouldn’t, I instinctively spoke. My voice trembled like a newborn goat, flushed with excitement. I hoped it would sound pitiful and desperate to him.

“Lee Taeon, really? You’re not teasing me, you truly… really don’t remember me?”

“It’s truly an unfamiliar name. I apologize…”

“L-Lee Taeon, we were… seeing each other!”

The last words nearly erupted as a scream. Taeon’s face, confused by my repeated insistence, instantly turned to deep astonishment. The innocent expression before me sent a damp wave of satisfaction surging inside.

“Se-seeing each other?”

“Yes. Seeing each other.”

“So you mean I was with…?”

“I’m saying Ji Yunseong.”

“Ah, my apologies, Ji Yunseong. So, um…”

After my bombshell, Taeon couldn’t look at me directly, his gaze darting about in apparent discomfort. Ironically, the more flustered he appeared, the more my courage swelled. Seeing the word ‘seeing each other’ on my lips? Ridiculous.

I decided to continue this lie a little longer, feigning calm as I studied his face.

Though he had just awakened, his face was not haggard, but striking.

The long lashes casting shadows over his cheeks were still lush, and the sharp angles of his jaw and cheek had gained a more delicate impression after a week of recovery.

Unlike before, when he exuded an austere aura, the slightly darkened under-eyes now lent him a languid, decadent charm.

With a slightly dangerous air and a hesitant tone, he was more endearing than frustrating. After all, if his face weren’t like this, I wouldn’t still harbor such presumptuous feelings.

I quietly exhaled without him noticing and stole a glance at him. Seeing Taeon, the formidable Taeon, blink nervously and avert his gaze at my mere words filled me with exhilaration and thrill.

I forced my lips to remain steady and cleared my throat twice to attract his attention. As expected, his confused eyes turned toward me.

“I understand that you’re flustered and uncomfortable, Taeon….”

“Uncomfortable? No, it’s not that.”

The words were deliberately chosen, yet he didn’t seem to notice. Rather, he worried that I might be hurt by things I hadn’t even said.

A pang of sorrow welled up. It reminded me of our first encounter, when he had treated me harshly.

You really hated me…

Seeing him now, my earlier intention to tease lightly began to waver. As I stepped back slightly, a flicker of hope crept in.

“Still, we worked quite well together. The response rate was high, and also this…”

Before finishing, I directed my guiding energy toward Taeon.

The slowly rising wave spread like a gentle pool, enveloping Taeon’s body without resistance. He flinched slightly, but the energy soothed him quickly. My energy, familiar to him, seeped in and intertwined with his wavelength, embracing him perfectly.

Glancing at him, I saw the man who had moments ago displayed complex emotions now relaxed completely, his expression languid and serene.

Instinctively, I placed my palm on the back of his hand. Taeon flinched slightly and muttered with some admiration:

“Shared sensation…”

His gaze lingered on his hand and mine atop it.

“…Do you believe me now?”

After waiting until he fully accepted the situation, I withdrew my guiding energy along with my hand. Like a fledgling bird following its mother, his head slowly turned.

“Well, it’s alright. They say the thrill before a romance is the best part, right? You don’t need to remember, Taeon. I remember everything. I’ll make it twice as ticklish for you, for both of us.”

A hint of self-mockery accompanied my bright smile. I elongated my eyes in a playful arc, feigning cheerfulness as I shook off sadness.

Taeon, still dazed, suddenly asked:

“Did I fall for you first?”

“Pardon?”

The question struck unexpectedly. His innocent gaze seeking an answer made my heart race. Was it from surprise, or excitement? Hard to tell.

“We… were seeing each other! There’s no need to figure out who liked whom first. Feelings naturally grew, and no order matters…”

Taeon suddenly lifted the corner of his lips. He seemed quite pleased with my flustered reaction. Even without memories, his composed demeanor made my chest tighten.

I wanted to see that face flustered again. Panicked, shy, unsure—it would be amusing.

“Even so… Taeon, you did go first.”

“Eh?”

“We weren’t just… seeing each other casually.”

With my voice now serious, Taeon’s expression stiffened as well. I straightened my posture, lifted my chin slightly, and assumed an air of triumph. The next impulsive lie I was about to tell would be something Taeon could never anticipate.

“Taeon confessed to me. First.”

The day before the accident.