Episode 14.
“What are you doing here?”
“E-Esper-nim!”
Seoyul, who had been lost in thought, jumped in surprise, his shoulders trembling. He had just heard from Seonjeong that Doun was in the Center Chief’s office.
“W-well... I heard you were meeting the Center Chief... I wondered if something bad had happened...”
The center chief of the Seoul branch was a high-ranking official, after all. No matter how much of an S-rank Esper he was, Seoyul couldn’t believe Doun would meet with someone so high-ranking without a special reason.
“Well... it’s nothing much. He said to form a pair with you.”
“Huh? P-Pair?”
Seoyul was so shocked by the unexpected answer that he froze. And no wonder—Doun was S-rank, while he himself was C-rank.
The rank gap was a whopping three levels, yet a pair?
Of course, Seoyul transformed into an S-rank under certain conditions, but since it wasn’t perfect, he thought it was absurd.
“He’s been nagging me to form one quickly.”
“B-But I’m... a C-rank...”
“You’re not anymore, are you?”
“B-But still...”
For some reason, Doun seemed to be in a good mood. So, wondering if it was really okay with someone like him, Seoyul cautiously asked.
“So... what did you say...?”
“What do you mean, what did I say? I just said I got it.”
At the casually thrown-out words, Seoyul’s eyes widened. It sounded like Doun was saying it was fine to form a pair with him.
“Anyway, you’re the only one who can guide me, so it’s not like I have anything to lose. What about you?”
“M-Me?!”
Not having expected to be asked his opinion, he panicked and dithered. Seeing that, Doun tensed slightly, wondering if perhaps Seoyul wasn’t fond of the idea.
But soon, affirmative words poured out.
“I-If it’s with you, Esper-nim, I’m okay with it.”
The sight of him adding that he would work hard and clenching his fist tightly was cute. Doun suppressed the corners of his lips that tried to rise and took his hand.
“Good. Then let’s go right now.”
“Huh? R-Right now?”
“To form a pair, we need the matching test results. That’ll probably come out right away, so let’s go get it immediately.”
The matching test was one of the mandatory procedures for forming a pair. Although a rough result could be estimated from data, they had to undergo the actual examination and submit it.
Recalling what he had learned during guide classes, Seoyul nodded gravely.
*To think I would take a matching test with the Esper-nim.*
Depending on the two people’s condition, the test results could be higher or lower. So he felt slightly worried.
But Doun looked nonchalant.
*The matching test will be no problem.*
What was there to worry about? He knew because he had been receiving guiding all along.
His compatibility with Seoyul was the best.
*If it weren’t, there’s no way I’d be like this.*
Didn’t he always become dazed whenever he received guiding? His pride was wounded, but he knew that the better the compatibility with a guide, the more that happened.
So the test results went without saying.
But upon arriving at the laboratory, Doun faced a problem he hadn’t considered.
“What? We can’t form a pair?”
“To be precise, you can form one with Yul as a C-rank, but not with Yul as an S-rank. It means it’s temporary.”
Temporary...
Doun was dumbfounded, his mind going blank.
“He can’t even get his rank measured yet, so what pair are we talking about?”
“Ah...”
Only then did he understand what she meant. The same was true for Seoyul.
Not the guiding as a C-rank Guide, but the guiding as an S-rank hidden guide. That part had to be quantified in order to receive a proper rank and form a complete pair.
*Damn. Then that means we have to form the pair again?*
There were occasional cases where the matching rate changed when one’s rank changed. Therefore, when a rank changed, it was required to get re-measured and form it again.
In other words, the pair they would form now was temporary, just as she had said.
“Do the C-rank test first for now, and take the S-rank one slowly. You’re the priority anyway.”
She was right. When a rank changed, priority was given to the partner one was currently paired with. If that weren’t the case, it was recommended to form a pair first with whoever showed the highest matching rate.
The Center prioritized long-standing trust over efficiency, and that sentiment was reflected precisely in the pair priority.
Munjin must have known this too, which was clearly why he hadn’t mentioned it. If Seoyul recovered smoothly and they built up their relationship, forming the pair again would be no problem.
But...
*I don’t like it.*
At the thought that he couldn’t fully possess him right this moment, Doun’s insides twisted mercilessly.
What if other bastards targeted Seoyul in the meantime, what if the guide he had finally found was stolen away? All sorts of anxieties flooded over him.
“Hoo...”
Doun let out a deep sigh. He wasn’t this kind of person, so he couldn’t understand why he was becoming so emotional.
Perhaps sensing that troubled heart, Seoyul carefully tugged on his sleeve and called out to him.
“Um. Esper-nim.”
When he turned his head, that person who was much shorter than himself was watching his expression and opening his mouth.
“I... I’ll work hard. So that I can do S-rank guiding quickly... I’ll practice hard.”
—Flutter!
At those words, his heart grew soft and smoothly melted away. Doun couldn’t figure out how to define this wondrous experience.
*Right.*
There was no need to rush. No, Seoyul was excellent, so he might find the sensation again soon.
So for now...
“Get that done quickly, at least.”
At Doun’s words, Seonjeong smirked and prepared the matching test.
Beside them stood the still-sulky Doun and Seoyul, who fidgeted anxiously while watching for reactions.
*Now’s the time. Now’s the time.*
Seonjeong smirked and called out to the two.
* * *
The matching test results came out with a considerably high number.
87.8%
If the two grew a bit closer, they could likely surpass 90%. Of course, that was in his current state as a C-rank; if he did S-rank guiding, a different result value might come out.
Because data was so scarce, even Seonjeong couldn’t answer that with certainty.
Therefore, Doun grew impatient again. He wanted to get retested with Seoyul as an S-rank quickly.
Could that be why?
“......”
“......”
A long silence flowed between the two.
“I’m... sorry...”
Seoyul muttered with a sulky face. His face was filled with all kinds of negative emotions.
Only then did Doun come to his senses and hurriedly open his mouth.
“There are days when your condition is bad, that’s all. It’ll work again tomorrow, so don’t worry.”
That was it. The S-rank guiding that had been going well until now had stopped triggering. Had he pressured him too much? Or had Seoyul lost his appetite?
Countless hypotheses flashed through Doun’s mind, but the truth was unknown.
“...Will it?”
“Of course. How can a person’s condition always be good?”
Doun comforted the greatly disappointed Seoyul. But S-rank guiding did not happen the next day, or the day after.
“What... is the problem?”
He had thought that since they knew the activation conditions, they just needed to practice. But he hadn’t expected to be blocked like this...
“...Was eating not the right answer?”
That could have been the case. Or perhaps the activation conditions were simply too stringent. How could a person eat deliciously every single time?
That wasn’t something one could do just by wanting to. Because of that, the two of them grew increasingly worried.
Especially Seoyul, who was losing confidence as time went by. Seonjeong had told him not to feel pressured, but having done it once before and now being unable to, he was deeply disheartened.
*I have to do well...*
He had wanted to be helpful to Doun quickly; had it been too much to ask? Seoyul felt upset, thinking that this had happened because he had been greedy.
*Don’t think about it.*
He resolved thus and tried to compose his heart, but it didn’t go well. The more he did so, the more he felt himself sinking into a labyrinth.
*What do I do... I have no appetite...*
Seoyul wanted to cry.
He had to eat deliciously for the guiding to work again, but it simply wasn’t delicious. Even if he could eat deliciously, he wasn’t confident he could do so whenever he wanted.
“This won’t do.”
Seeing that, Doun spoke as if he had steeled his resolve.
“I think you’re too caught up in this right now.”
“Ca...ught up?”
“First off, you’re thinking too much.”
“Eep.”
When Doun lightly tapped Seoyul’s head, his body swayed and toppled over. Doun was startled and his heart sank. He wondered if a person could really fall over from something like this.
Thankfully, Seoyul didn’t seem very startled, so Doun let out a relieved breath and asked.
“Isn’t there anything you want to do?”
“Something... I want to do?”
Something he wanted to do...
Seoyul realized that he had never once thought about that. Until now, he had lived for things he had to do, not things he wanted to do. Just that alone had been so difficult and overwhelming that he had never even thought about it.
“We need to empty that head of yours first. If you do something, a solution will come out.”
Doun muttered so and grumbled, asking what there was to worry so much about. Then Seoyul, intimidated again, spoke quietly.
“I’m sorry. Because of me.”
“You’re also banned from saying sorry.”
Doun decided he had to do something about that negative way of speaking first. When things wouldn’t work despite saying they would, being that negative meant even possible things wouldn’t happen.
“Sorry. Ah...”
Seoyul hurriedly covered his own mouth and cautiously glanced at Doun. Doun let out a small sigh and asked again.
“So there’s nothing you want to do?”
When Doun pressed him, he felt like he had to say something. Because if he didn’t, Doun would be even more disappointed.
Seoyul rolled only his eyes, beginning to look for a hint. Just then, a certain scene was playing on the TV that had been left on by chance.
Seoyul shouted quickly.
“Am-amusement park!”
“Amusement park?”
Doun tilted his head at the random word. Just as he was about to look around, wondering if Seoyul had blurted it out randomly, the other urgently continued.
“I-I’ve never been... Ah, would it... not be okay?”
Never...
Doun had never been either, but he had never thought about wanting to go. However, Seoyul seemed to have wanted to go but couldn’t.
*Haa...*
Doun had heard about Seoyul’s past as well. Thinking of how he must have held back his desire to say he wanted to go, Doun couldn’t possibly refuse.
*Besides, I’m the one who asked.*
He hated crowded places, but he thought it might be okay just once.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“Really?”
Seoyul’s pupils widened in surprise. He had just thrown it out there and hadn’t thought he would really receive permission.
*I heard that Esper-nim hates crowded places...*
He had thought he would be rejected even after saying it. Yet to be permitted so readily...
*As expected, he’s kind.*
It meant he would go for Seoyul’s sake. He felt his heart grow lighter at that kindness.
*Right. Let’s have fun and try again.*
Thinking so, Seoyul wore a faint smile.