Yunho started his daily afternoon classes. He learned about battle strategy and weapons, about demons and their weak spots, and how to deal with various emergencies during a rift. Though his lessons were only on two hours a day, he didn't receive homework and still learned a lot.

Usually, an elderly guide taught them with a sweet and patient voice that spoke grim facts about how to kill demons. Yunho expected her as he sat down in the last row of the single classroom in the building among espers and guides of all ages and ranks.

But just before the clock struck 4, another person marched for the desk at the front of the room. Mingi wore a three-piece suit today, black and fitted to his lean body. Chains decorated his lapel and tie and his hair was brushed back to fall into his forehead only on one side. He wore glasses for the occasion and his gloved fingers tucked their book under his arm.

More than a guide or a CEO, he looked like a model at the front of a magazine cover.

Yunho was still baffled by his presence when the guy next to him elbowed the student beside him.

"Oh, boy. Here comes our smoke show," he hissed as Mingi placed the book on the table and looked up at the class. His eyes swiped over the students and Yunho's skin tingled as if reacting to their memory when Mingi recognised him. Calmly, Mingi shrugged off his jacket and placed it over his chair, standing in his fitted suit vest, a white shirt and his tie.

"I will substitute for Professor Lee in this class today. She caught a fever, but she will return next week. Please get out your materials," Mingi instructed with his calm and deep voice and the whispers around the room instantly fell silent. Everyone listened with rapt attention.

When Mingi turned to the laptop to pull up the presentation, the sun danced over his hair and made it look like molten gold. So he could take over the lecture effortlessly as well.

Once more, Yunho was deeply in awe of him.

Not his seatmates. They began whispering to each other right away.

"Fuck, two hours of the boss? I'm getting hard already," one of them complained and Yunho sent them a sharp look, but they were different ones than last time. Some low-ranking espers with big egos, again.

Mingi displayed the presentation and began where they had last left off. Since Yunho was there to learn, he adjusted his glasses to brush off his irritation and paid attention to take some notes. Listening to Mingi was meditative and his explanations were easy to follow. 

He was in the middle of illustrating some armour patterns similar to insects that had been discovered among the horde and turned to the blackboard to draw up a structure for the students to visualise some detail when the snickering started again.

"Imagine him bent over that table, plump ass jiggling with every thrust."

"Fuck, look at it in those pants. He's asking for it. I think I need the bathroom."

Yunho's brow twitched. He turned his head, politely containing his rage so he wouldn't disrupt Mingi's speech.

"Please be quiet, you two," he muttered at them with his bundled courage and earned incredulous looks. The two studied him, the nerdy glasses, the beige sweater, and snickered at the blush raging over his ears. 

"Why? You also want some fun? Boss has heavenly lips, man," one of them taunted him and Yunho snapped his eyes back front, forcing his fury down because he didn't want to get in trouble with them or Mingi for picking a fight. 

For a few minutes, it was okay, even when he noticed them sneaking pictures of Mingi at the front, while he was conducting a regular lesson without being tasteless in any way.

Then, the one right next to Yunho spread his legs and palmed right over the bulge in his crotch. Yunho dropped his pen.

"Shit, I might just do it here," the dude muttered, moving to push down his pants to jerk off to his boss and teacher, when Yunho smacked his arm away.

"Stop it, you animal!" He shrieked, louder than he should have because the class instantly fell quiet. Heads turned their way and Yunho sunk into a heap when he realised Mingi stopped mid-sentence.

"Mister Jeong," he called with that attractive voice, and Yunho winced in his seat. "Is something the matter?"

"N-No, sorry," he mumbled, bowing in shame to play it off.

But Mingi's attention lingered on him. The two troublemakers kept their mouths zipped shut and blended with the wall. 

"Then can you answer my question?"

"Uhh... Sorry, I didn't catch it." How embarrassing. Yunho should know better than to put up with pesky brats. But was he supposed to just sit there while they harassed Mingi?

The guide in question turned back to the board.

"Please pay attention to class."

Someone else answered to the question, and they continued without another disturbance. Yunho kept trembling in his seat from anxiety and shame, but the two next to him were too spooked to distract him again.

After class ended, Mingi called for Yunho to stay behind. Ready for his scolding, Yunho shifted his weight from foot to foot while everyone else left, ogling the pair unabashedly.

With his arms crossed, Mingi leaned against his desk. He studied Yunho and his fidgeting, but Yunho was too ashamed to admit what he heard. Though he wanted that behaviour punished, tattling would make him no friends here.

But Mingi didn't mean to call him out. Or perhaps he knew what the usual shenanigans were about.

"So, how are you settling in?" He asked, and Yunho dared lift his head to study Mingi's lax face. No anger on his sharp features; would he be fine?

"Uh, I met a lot of great people and received lots of help. I'm very happy in Tenebra," Yunho tried carefully. Surely, Mingi couldn't keep tabs on everyone he brought in, but Yunho made an effort to get to know his tutors and colleagues and he already learned much more than with Auresce. He gladly gave up that needless luxury for some proper training, and he felt homier here.

Mingi nodded, effortlessly elegant with his long legs and sun-touched hair.

"Good. Did you find a guide yet?"

Yunho winced. There it was. Yeosang definitely discussed it with him, or perhaps it was Jongho. 

If Yunho didn't fit into their system, Mingi picked up dead meat. Even if just to pay back what he owed for saving his life, Yunho had to work hard to be of use for Tenebra.

"N-No. But Yeosang told me to meet some people," he evaded the question by pretending it was a matter of time.

Mingi lifted a brow at him.

"He is right. You may think it's nothing to worry about, but your strain shows in your face. The less guiding you get, even when you don't go to battle, the worse you will feel. You can no longer expect a healthy default because madness is inevitable for all espers," he illustrated, and Yunho fidgeted with the strap of his backpack.

"I understand."

"We have many capable people here, so I'm sure you'll find someone." Mingi picked up his jacket and slipped into it, easily forgiving Yunho his tardiness when he could have long since found a guide to suit him. If he asked Wooyoung to search their databases, he would probably have an ideal match by the evening. 

"Yes, thank you..." Yunho ducked his head again, easy to give in since Mingi was his boss.

But when he picked up his book, Mingi's grin was already more understanding. Some perfume clung to his jacket, warm and spicy, with a sweet note of plum.

"Guiding always involves personal feelings. However, you can think of it as something vital to your work if you have issues letting loose otherwise. Don't let the pain consume you. There is no reason to make yourself suffer."

This time, Yunho could smile back. He nodded, enthusiastic to improve to make Mingi proud of his choice to pick up his half-dead body from that rooftop.

Bora put so much effort into keeping Yunho alive. He shouldn't disappoint everyone involved.

Mingi left and Yunho huddled outside behind him. For a few steps, they went in the same direction and Yunho felt terribly measly and incompetent next to Mingi's stride. They caught some looks before Mingi nodded at him next to the staircase.

"See you next time, Yunho," he wished, and Yunho bowed to him before he scrambled.

Wooyoung watched everything from his desk with a shit-eating grin. Drawn by his compassion, Yunho slinked over.

"How is Mingi's teaching?" Wooyoung asked when Yunho hung his head with disappointment in himself. A warm hand patted his hair. Not guiding without consent.

"He told me to get a guide, and I embarrassed myself."

"What did you do?" Wooyoung snickered, always down for some gossip and an excuse to ignore work for a few minutes.

Yunho peered at the staircase, but Mingi had already disappeared into his office.

"Some idiots next to me were making inappropriate remarks about him, and it was too disgusting to listen to. I may have yelled at them in the middle of class."

Yunho wanted to disappear into the ground at the mere mention of it. But Wooyoung clapped delighted hands.

"Serves them right. As honourable as you are about everything concerning guides, we have more than enough rascals who don't know when to stop. If it's of any help, Mingi is more than capable of taking care of himself. No need to play the big protector."

"I know..." Yunho mumbled to himself. He had seen it in Mingi's eyes how he wasn't amused. 

But those disgusting bastards would have continued otherwise.

"Either way, good on you for having some manners. San speaks highly of you."

Somehow, it was adorable to hear Wooyoung's thoughts about San all the time and San's thoughts about Wooyoung. The more he got to know them, the more Yunho rooted for their relationship to work out.

"We get along," Yunho affirmed and Wooyoung sunk back into his chair, happy with that result.

"Hey, what do you think of accompanying the team to a smaller rift soon? Usually we only step in for larger issues or rifts in our area, but Jongho asked me to see you in the field. Do you feel up for it?"

Yunho's heart jumped in his chest, but he reminded himself not to back down. This was who he promised to be for Mingi and for the people teaching him.

Perhaps this could be his chance to figure out how direly he needed guiding and if Yeosang wasn't enough help if he avoided any terrible injuries.

Though the trauma sat deep from being thrown right onto the field to die so recently, Yunho wanted to overcome it. He wouldn't be alone.

"Chances are he won't have you do anything anyway and just watch how you react and teach you where to be. We have no extensive forces like Auresce so we operate independently," Wooyoung soothed the fresh fear on Yunho's face while he clicked through his reports. 

When he looked back up, his expression was hopeful, but also ready to take no for his answer. 

But Yunho gathered himself. Sitting back and hiding wouldn't get him anywhere. He knew these people would take care of him and throwing his life away meant a waste of effort.

So he wanted to try.

"I want to do it," he breathed, squeaky like a balloon. When Wooyoung blinked at him to make sure he meant it, Yunho deflated.

"I mean it. Send me along."

"Alright then," Wooyoung chirped and typed something into his computer. "Only on some lower-ranking mission, though. There is no need to put our trainees in danger. I will send a message to your phone once it's time and Jongho will pick you up at the dorm. Just hurry to come downstairs."

Yunho nodded along. That much he was used to.

"What do I wear?" he asked and Wooyoung's face lit up.

"Ah, right! Mingi told me to order some clothes for you. We get a discount. No mission before you have something to wear. We dress dark and for utility. Stupid Auresce uniforms make their espers easy prey." Wooyoung shook his head as he merrily went to an online shop.

"Your size?"

"XL," Yunho replied and Wooyoung babbled along to his orders, getting him shoes and a bag to strap around his shoulders. 

Though Yunho's heart kept hammering in his throat, he was better prepared this time. He could show everyone saving him was worth it.