Episode 8.
Meanwhile, a certain rumor began to spread through the Center. It was the rumor that Cha Do-un had gotten a Guide.
And not just any Guide, but one who supposedly exceeded a 60% matching rate with two out of three people.
“Crazy. Really? What’s his rank?”
“C-Rank. It’s a shame about the rank, but isn’t it insane? If he’d been just one grade higher, they’d have rolled out the red carpet for him, I swear.”
The Espers all chimed in. As if to say, it would take at least that much to Guide that hypersensitive bastard.
“Plus, I heard he’s cute?”
“Ooh?”
The rumor swelled and swelled until it had spread far and wide: a transcendent beauty of a Guide who got a 60% matching rate with every Esper.
The Espers began searching high and low for the Guide with a confirmed 60% matching rate. From asking where they could see him to saying they wanted to try receiving guiding from him too.
All sorts of talk went back and forth as they looked for the rumored Guide. But no one could be found who had seen him anywhere.
“Is he even at the Center?”
“He is registered, from what I heard.”
“Ah, but why can’t we see him? Then he must be somewhere around here.”
The fastest way would have been to ask Do-un, but no one possessed the courage to ask that temperamental, foul-mouthed bastard directly.
But there was exactly one. A single Esper who could strike up a conversation with Do-un.
“Hey, I heard you got a Guide?”
It was Ji Seong-hun, an A-Rank Esper second only to Do-un in both rank and skill.
Do-un’s rank was one step higher, but because he was physically incapable of receiving guiding, Seong-hun was effectively the Center’s true ace.
Perhaps because of that, or perhaps simply because he was good-natured, Seong-hun was always somehow able to talk to Do-un, who otherwise either ignored people or cursed them out.
“Where’d you hide him? Everyone’s going crazy wanting to see your Guide.”
“Hide him? What do you mean, hide him?”
Do-un snorted but didn’t turn his head. Hide him? As if he was so lacking that Do-un would need to hide him?
The reason Seo Yul couldn’t be seen around the Center was that he possessed an extremely narrow range of movement, just like Do-un.
If you had to name a difference between them, Do-un moved according to his mood, while Seo Yul always followed the same pattern.
He always woke at seven and had breakfast with Seonjeong until nine. Until noon, he watched the Center’s boring intermediate guiding video materials. After that, he ate lunch and always took a nap.
He slept exactly one hour, then woke up and guided Do-un from two to four. He exercised at the gym until six, then had dinner with Seonjeong again before going to bed.
His sphere of activity was limited to his quarters, the research lab, the cafeteria, and the gym. All those facilities were located in the research building and the Guide dormitory, which was why the Espers could hardly ever see him.
“You didn’t lock him away just to keep him to yourself, did you? Where is he? Huh? Let me see him too.”
Seong-hun rolled up his sleeves, making a commotion as though he would rush out to search that very instant. Since he babbled like this every time they met, Do-un had intended to give a perfunctory answer and brush him off, but things had somehow escalated to this point.
‘Haah. What a pain.’
If he didn’t give him what he wanted this time either, Seong-hun would obviously keep being a nuisance. But he couldn’t completely cast him aside either.
Because no matter how much of a loose-cannon Esper he was, Do-un still possessed a faint shred of conscience.
Seong-hun was the second strongest at the Center after Do-un, so he had been taking on dangerous assignments that came Do-un’s way. One could say they should just hand them over to the Guild to begin with, and no one could argue with that, but since Do-un’s constitution rendering him unable to receive guiding was top secret, most cases were unavoidable.
“When do you get guiding? Can’t I come watch?”
“If you’re going to run your mouth, get lost.”
“Ehhh. You trying to monopolize him already?”
Seong-hun shook his head, spouting nonsense about how this was too much, was this all their friendship meant, and if Do-un kept being this petty he had his own ways too.
He had no reason to hide Seo Yul, but seeing this attitude made him feel contrary.
‘If I let them meet, he’ll just be even more of a headache.’
Hadn’t Seonjeong been teased for a long time too? He was certain that Seong-hun, if anything, would be even worse, not better.
“Esper-nim!”
But what kind of bolt from the blue was this...?
In the distance, the Guide in question came running with light steps.
‘Why is he coming from over there?!’
This was the Esper building. There were guiding rooms in the Esper building too, but they had always conducted sessions in the Guide building until now, so he wondered what that squirrel was doing here. This wasn’t a place included in his range of activity!
Given his personality, someone had clearly put him up to it. And as far as he knew, only one person could do such a thing.
‘Haah...’
Whatever the reason, why now of all times? Do-un let out a small sigh.
“Ooh! Do-un’s Guide?”
Seong-hun instinctively became certain that Seo Yul was Do-un’s Guide and quickly jumped forward.
When a man as large as Do-un closed the distance without hesitation, Seo Yul habitually froze in his tracks.
‘Wha? Wh-what?’
He had just heard from Seonjeong today that there were guiding rooms in the Esper building as well. Feeling sorry for always making him come to the Guide building, he had been on his way there, saying he would come himself today.
But in the awkward moment when he hadn’t been able to tell Do-un this fact, he spotted him. He had run over happily, wondering at such a coincidence, but...
“You’re Do-un’s Guide?”
“Yes...?”
Wh-who is he?
Seo Yul was terrified by Seong-hun, who had arrived right in front of his nose in an instant. Still, he had to answer the question, so he nodded slightly instead of speaking.
“Wow!”
At that, Seong-hun exclaimed, his eyes going wide. He seemed a bit overhyped, but he was indeed as much of a beauty as the rumors.
His curly dark brown hair and large, wavering eyes full of anxiety were stirring an Esper’s protective instincts to the fullest.
Understanding why such rumors had spread, he acknowledged his rudeness and opened his mouth.
“Sorry. I just got too excited. I’m Do-un’s friend, you see. You don’t need to be so on guard.”
“A... friend?”
At a word that made his ears perk up, Seo Yul cautiously let down his guard and looked at him. Somehow, hearing that he was a friend made him feel a little better.
‘If he’s a... friend, it’ll be okay.’
Seo Yul reassured himself once more and worked up his courage.
“I’m... Seo Yul.”
“I’m Ji Seong-hun. An A-Rank Esper. Nice to meet you, Mr. Seo Yul.”
Wearing a friendly smile, Seong-hun unhesitatingly extended his right hand. It was obvious the person in front of him would be troubled if he didn’t shake it, but his hand wouldn’t easily come out.
“Stop being a pain and get lost.”
It was Do-un who rescued Seo Yul.
“Whoa. Already looking out for him? The great Cha Do-un? Wow! Did the sun rise in the west today or what?!”
“It’s not like that, so stop annoying me and go away.”
“Ehh. You’re so mean, darling.”
“Shit.”
At Do-un’s harsh cursing, Seo Yul jumped in surprise, his eyes widening. He had known Do-un was rough by nature, but hearing it like this again made his heart, which had thought they had grown closer, suddenly shrink.
But Seong-hun seemed completely unfazed by those words, continuing the conversation fawning at his side.
“Haah. When did you grow up so much? Father is proud. So proud.”
“Are you crazy? Who’s your father?”
“Ah, right. Your father is the Center Director, isn’t he? Then your mother?”
“...Please, get lost.”
Do-un’s face twisted viciously. But Seong-hun still grinned brightly, throwing out silly jokes like, “Ehh. If you don’t like that, I’ll be your big brother instead.”
‘They seem... close.’
If Do-un had heard that, he would have asked what kind of crazy talk that was, but to Seo Yul, they really looked close, which was amazing. To think there was another person who could talk to Do-un like that.
Seonjeong had seemed impressive too, but considering the age, this man seemed even more so.
“Ooh! Guide-nim. Do you finally realize I’m a harmless, upstanding person?”
Seong-hun broke off his bickering, turned his head, and flashed a grin. Seo Yul was slightly startled by the action, but sensing that he really wasn’t a bad person, he let down his guard.
“I’m sorry. I’m very shy with strangers...”
“No, I was too forward... Uwaack!!”
Just as they were conversing pleasantly, Seong-hun suddenly flew to the far end of the hallway. The culprit was Do-un, and Seo Yul was the one who was truly startled when a person went flying from just a slight pushing motion.
“What do you mean, friend. Don’t mind him.”
Despite those words, the hand that enveloped his own still felt warm and gentle. Only then did Seo Yul relax and turn his head.
In the distance, he saw Seong-hun spouting nonsense about how this was too much, and now that he had a Guide, he was throwing him away.
‘Is it an ability?’
What he had seen before was a spatial movement ability, so he wondered what kind of ability this was. Seo Yul considered asking him, but soon shook his head, deciding to look it up himself later.
“Why did you come without a word?”
“Ah... I’m sorry.”
That point had been weighing on Seo Yul as well, so he apologized quickly. But Do-un still seemed to be in a bad mood as he walked and continued speaking.
“Do you know how many weirdos roam around here? Why would you come here with no fear?”
Weirdos...?
Were there a lot of strange people at the Association?
Not knowing the circumstances, Seo Yul was terrified. So he held the large hand tightly and hesitated several times over whether to ask.
“What is it. If you have something to say, say it.”
At a tone that seemed caring yet indifferent, Seo Yul cautiously opened his mouth.
“If they’re weird people... th-then... are they as bad as the people from the organization?”
“....”
That was Seo Yul’s standard. All the strange and bad people he had seen so far had been members of the organization. If there were that many strange people around, he had quietly vowed never to come to the Esper building again.
But Do-un, who had been staring intently at such a Seo Yul, let out a low sigh and said.
“...They’re not that bad.”
“Really?”
“But if you’re going to come, tell me first. Got it?”
“Okay.”
Seo Yul answered with relief, but he didn’t understand why he had to tell him beforehand. If they weren’t as bad as the organization members, couldn’t he just come and go freely?
But seeing him go out of his way to stop him made him think there might be another reason, so he nodded and walked on.