The owner had plopped herself down inside their private room, using the excuse that she’d personally grill the meat for them.
It was her own restaurant, after all, so no one could complain—and she and Rion were familiar enough that her presence didn’t make things awkward.
In fact, the atmosphere during the meal was turning out to be quite pleasant.
“So, you’re twenty? Oh dear. Still a baby, just a baby.”
“I’m not that young…”
“My son’s twenty-three, you know. You’re basically my son’s age. Practically my boy.”
The restaurant owner clearly took a liking to Yu-won. He was handsome, and more importantly, he was Rion’s matching Guide after all that trouble.
“This is a real secret, but… we’re seriously worried about Rion. Forget a matching Guide—even finding one with a decent compatibility rate has been tough.”
The Center Director—her late husband’s close junior and colleague—had often spilled his thoughts about work during drunken rants.
She wasn’t someone who missed those kinds of things. She just pretended to forget, never showing it.
Still, she couldn’t help but quietly worry about Rion.
“Here, eat up.”
“Thank you.”
The owner placed a perfectly grilled piece of meat on Yu-won’s plate.
Yu-won thanked her and took a bite before speaking.
“It’s delicious. Really tender, and grilled just right.”
“Of course! I’ve been grilling meat for years, you know. This level’s easy.”
Rion felt a twinge of disappointment that the owner, who usually only talked to him when he came with the Center Director, was now pouring all her attention on Yu-won.
Still, the good atmosphere made up for it.
“Anyway, we have a high matching rate, so we go into Gates together pretty regularly.”
“Really? Then you’ve seen Rion in action inside Gates, huh? I bet he looks amazing.”
The owner exclaimed, eyes shining. She always loved hearing about Espers in action.
“My husband was an incredible Esper too, you know.”
“He was a truly admirable man.”
Given who her husband was, it wasn’t strange at all.
Because of that connection, Espers from the Center always humored her—perhaps a little too often—with tales of their work.
“So tell me more! What’s Rion like inside a Gate?
If he’s an S-rank with a matched Guide, I’m sure he’s gone in more than a few times.”
“…Gates are dangerous places.”
Yu-won, who’d been silent for a moment, finally spoke slowly.
“The senior Espers always give their all to clear Gates within a week. Among them, Rion-hyung’s the most driven.”
“Right? You don’t get famous at his age for nothing.”
The owner nodded, listening as if she were hearing it all for the first time—though she clearly wasn’t.
“His abilities are really versatile, and they work well in tandem with others, so he’s usually the one checking out the terrain and deciding how we’re going to attack.”
“Oh my, how cool. I saw him flying once—does he fly inside the Gate too?”
“Yes. His power’s strong enough to lift pretty much anyone going in, so it really helps with tough terrain or inaccessible spots.”
Yu-won recalled the sensation of floating gently through the air thanks to Rion’s powers.
There was even that one time Rion had practically carried him in his arms to the rally point…
“His ability is telekinesis, right? Sigh, if I had that, lifting these heavy stone plates would be a breeze.”
“Want me to help carry them out before we leave?”
“Oh come on, don’t take it so seriously! I’ve got arms trained from decades of work—I’m fine. And what kind of host would I be if I made a guest do that?”
The owner waved him off dramatically.
She always said things like that, but if anyone tried to help, she’d get flustered and scold them for trying to do her job.
“Really felt like you meant it that time, though. Guess I imagined it.”
“You did. Ah—oh no, the meat’s gonna burn!”
The owner quickly scooped the nicely grilled meat onto their plates.
The meat was high-quality, and she clearly knew what she was doing, but everyone had been so wrapped up in conversation that the food had taken a backseat.
“So, tell me more about what else he does with his ability.”
“He always leads when we have to pass through dangerous areas. Even if something jumps out suddenly, he reacts instinctively with his powers—he says that’s why he should be the one up front. And… he always ends up going first.”
There was weight behind Yu-won’s voice. Understandable.
This was one of the things he hated most about Rion.
“Do you think you’re invincible or something? You almost lost an arm last time! Why the hell are you doing it again?”
“It’s because it was me that I only lost an arm. If it had been someone else, it wouldn’t be an arm—it’d be their damn neck. Is that what you want?”
They fought about this every time they went into a Gate.
And now he was saying it like it was a good thing.
Rion sensed the mood shift and glanced at Yu-won, uneasy.
“Oh my, how heroic. It’s thanks to Espers like him that we get to live peacefully. Rion, eat up. You have put on a little weight since last time, but you’re still too skinny.”
“Skinny? I have a perfectly healthy build, thank you very much.”
“Really? You still look underweight to me…”
The owner gave Rion a once-over.
And while he was in excellent shape from strict training and diet, it clearly didn’t meet her standards.
“You’ve got to be even healthier to power through Gates. Eat up. Eat, eat.”
She sounded like a doting grandma from the countryside.
Every time she saw him, she commented on how skinny he was.
“I’m fine. I’ve been getting regular guiding and I’m perfectly healthy.”
He had no intention of bringing up the time he collapsed in a Gate.
Rion raised his arm to show he was doing fine.
“See? Muscles. I’m in great shape.”
“Oh my, you’re right. Kids these days really do take fitness seriously, huh?”
The owner finally looked somewhat reassured.
“My husband was never like that. Back then, Gates had only just started showing up… He didn’t know how to take care of himself. Just charged in headfirst wherever they needed him.”
She rested her chin in her hand and gazed off, lost in thought.
You could say the first and second generations of Espers had it the hardest.
There were no Centers, no Associations. They just went wherever they were called.
“Still, if it weren’t for guys like him, things wouldn’t be as stable as they are now.”
“I’m always grateful. And if something happened in a Gate… I think I’d probably act like he did too.”
“…Did something happen to your husband?”
Yu-won, who’d been listening quietly, spoke up.
Everyone who worked at the Center and had visited this restaurant knew about the owner’s husband.
He’d been a colleague of the Center Director—and his story was well known.
Not because it was scandalous, but because his wife talked about him with such open pride.
Still, it wasn’t Yu-won’s place to bring it up, so Rion glanced over to check the owner’s reaction.
“Oh, right. Yu-won, this is your first time here, huh?”
“Yes. I knew her husband was an Esper, but… did something happen in a Gate?”
Yu-won’s expression was tense.
She looked momentarily wistful but then smiled brightly.
“My husband… he couldn’t make it back out of a Gate. Ah, but don’t take it too seriously. It’s all in the past, and I don’t blame anyone.”
“…Then, in the Gate…”
“He saved lives. That’s what he did. It’s not like we never considered the worst-case scenario. That’s why I love hearing about Espers now. It makes me feel like the world he protected meant something—that it was all worth it.”
Yu-won’s expression shifted at her words.
Rion, who’d seen him get angry and frustrated countless times over the past few months, recognized it instantly.
Yu-won was doing everything he could to hold back what he wanted to say.
“He’s still someone all Espers look up to. We’ll always be grateful.”
“Yes, it’s nice to hear things like that. But really, the best outcome is for no one to get hurt—so take care of yourselves, eat well, and live long. You gotta keep coming back and helping my business, you know.”
“As long as the Center Director’s around, there’s nothing to worry about. You stay healthy too. That way we can keep eating good meat and powering up here, right?”
“…Yeah. Thanks for the meal.”
Yu-won forced a smile as he replied.
If Rion hadn’t been sitting right there, he probably would’ve scowled and asked what the hell kind of nonsense that was.
After that, Rion and the owner continued chatting for quite some time while they ate.
But Yu-won barely touched his food, even less than Rion, who was talking throughout the meal.
And the moment they left the restaurant and got in the car, the brief peace between them shattered—just like that.
