“I plan to keep working until you retire, hyung.”
“Oh…?”
Everyone turned to look at Yu-won, their expressions tinged with surprise. The two of them were always at each other’s throats, and yet he came out with that? It was unexpected.
“…You?”
“Yes.”
The most shocked of them all was Rion. Adjusting his retirement plans for him? That kind of kindness didn’t suit Yu-won at all.
“It’s not like you’d quit just because I’m not around.”
“Of course not. Why would I quit just ‘cause you’re gone?”
“Then why would I quit when I don’t know what might happen to you inside a Gate?”
Rion’s cheeks flushed slightly at that. Completely out of nowhere, his mind jumped back to the memory of that day inside the Gate—when they kissed.
“You… by the time you do want to quit, there might be another Guide with a good matching rate. There’s still Jin-ha.”
“Maybe… but I doubt I can keep up with your level of passion.”
Rion, tripping over his words, finally managed a reply. Jin-ha had turned him down flat, and Yu-won, as usual, answered without a trace of emotion.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Then why aren’t you two paired? Your Guide’s clearly thoughtful and seems to care a lot about you.”
Tae-hwan, clueless as ever, sipped his drink like it was alcohol and threw the question out casually. Watching this, Hyeon-seo must’ve sensed Rion was on the verge of saying something sharp, because she quickly changed the subject.
“So, are you two starting training right away tomorrow?”
“Ah, yeah. That’s right. It’s been a while since we’ve gone into a Gate, so we’ve gotta warm up and get used to how you juniors fight. Looking forward to working with you.”
“The pleasure’s ours.”
Standing beside Tae-hwan and Hee-soo, Hyeon-seo kept the conversation flowing. Thanks to her, attention shifted away from Rion, giving him a moment to collect himself.
“He’s got a knack for saying things that make people’s hearts flutter.”
“Hmph. Watch, he’ll act like nothing happened and start being a brat again. Wouldn’t be the first time I got played.”
Grumbling, Rion continued eating. Jin-ha, clearly amused, let out a soft chuckle before turning to Yu-won.
“You must really like Rion a lot.”
“……”
Yu-won stared at him for a moment without replying, then turned his head away. See? This is exactly what I mean. Rion looked at him like he’d expected nothing less.
“Don’t bother talking to him. Acting like a jerk is his whole personality.”
“I don’t know… I don’t think he’s that bad.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re too nice. You’re probably the kind of person who’d get scammed without realizing it.”
Rion muttered, still annoyed. Jin-ha, however, simply kept watching the two of them with that same amused expression.
***
The next day, the full S-rank Gate raid team of Espers gathered for training.
It had been nearly ten years since Tae-hwan last trained, and he showed up at the facility looking a little nervous.
“I might be a senior, but at this point I’m basically starting from scratch. Just treat me like a rookie and teach me, please.”
“Got it. Then let’s just focus on getting a feel for compatibility and shaking off the rust today.”
Hyeon-seo waved toward Seo-ha as she spoke.
“Let’s start with you, Seo-ha.”
“Me? I’m first?”
“I mean, the seniors haven’t warmed up yet. We can’t start with S-ranks like me or Rion.”
“That kid’s an A-rank, right? Hmph. I hope that guy doesn’t overdo it…”
Watching from the side, Hee-soo murmured with concern.
There were fewer Guides than Espers at the Center, so the ones without official pairs had reported in to the Center today instead of joining the training. Among them was Yu-won, who, though not officially a pair, was still Rion’s clear match.
“He’ll be fine.”
“Even if he’s an S-rank, he’s a close-range type, and lately all he’s done is carry cargo. I just hope he doesn’t get hurt.”
Hee-soo rested her chin on her hand, looking worriedly toward the training ground. For all their constant bickering, she still cared.
“You haven’t taken your eyes off Rion this whole time. Are you that worried about him?”
Hee-soo asked Yu-won, noticing how fixated he was on Rion, who stood behind Seo-ha and Tae-hwan, watching the training.
“Yeah. I’m worried.”
“Even though he’s a headliner S-rank Esper?”
“Exactly. Because he doesn’t know how to protect himself.”
“Ahh. One of those types.”
Yu-won’s jaw was tight. It was just training—nothing too dangerous. And Min-hyeon was here, so even if someone got hurt, treatment would be immediate. But getting healed didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.
“Some people are like that. They don’t even realize when they’re hurting themselves because they’re too busy worrying about everyone else.”
Hee-soo nodded like she understood. Yu-won had a feeling she did. As thoughts swirled in his head, he narrowed his eyes and asked,
“…What did you feel?”
“Hmm?”
“When you saw someone like that… what went through your mind? I just… don’t know how to deal with it.”
Yu-won didn’t take his eyes off Rion. Every time Rion came back injured—every time he acted like it couldn’t be helped and would do it again—the pressure in Yu-won’s chest grew heavier.
Yu-won knew better than anyone how strong Rion was. But Rion was still human. If he ever got seriously hurt inside a Gate… he might never come out.
“When someone says it’s their life and they’ll do what they want, I want to say okay… but I can’t. I can’t just support them for being brave, either.”
How could anyone stay unaffected, watching Rion treat his own life like it was disposable?
Yu-won didn’t think he’d ever be able to do that.
“You’re really worried about him, huh. Well, people don’t get hurt just because they’re weak. A lot of the time, it’s the ones who think they can handle anything that end up getting hurt.”
Hee-soo recalled her own days as an active Guide.
Back then, in her early twenties, the Center had barely any infrastructure. No real systems. Everything was cobbled together, running on grit and desperation.
It was a brutal time. One where quitting early wasn’t just common—it was inevitable.
“…You know the woman who owns that restaurant we went to yesterday? She was the wife of one of my seniors. Not long after I started at the Center, I attended his funeral.”
“…I see.”
The word “funeral” weighed heavy in the air, and Yu-won’s expression darkened.
“Everyone was sad, of course. But strangely… they also spoke like they’d made up their minds. Like they, too, would give their lives if it came to that. Instead of being afraid, they looked fired up.”
“……”
“At first, I didn’t get it. We bleed and get hurt and die just like anyone else. How could they go back into a Gate after seeing something like that? I thought they were insane.”
Hee-soo’s voice dropped, thick with memory.
“It frustrated me. Made no sense. But… over time, I realized. They weren’t reckless. They had something they wanted to protect. That’s why they stepped forward. Because if they didn’t, someone they loved might get hurt instead.”
“…Is that so?”
“And people like that? They don’t change. Not even if it kills them. They’re stubborn as hell. But that’s also why… you end up liking them.”
She spoke as if looking back at someone very specific. Yu-won, quietly listening, nodded.
“It’s not easy to understand. Maybe it’s not something you can completely understand. But someday, you’ll get it. Just like I did.”
Yu-won didn’t reply. He simply stared down at the training ground below.
Will that moment really come for me? He wasn’t sure.
“Oh—look at that!”
Hee-soo cried out as Seo-ha’s attack sent Tae-hwan flying. She clucked her tongue like she’d seen it coming.
“Knew it. He’s probably going all out. We’ll need to add some guiding in there. I’m going down.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ugh. It’s elder abuse, I’m telling you.”
Grumbling about the abuse of old men, Hee-soo sprinted down the stairs. Yu-won watched her dash to Tae-hwan’s side to guide him and murmured under his breath,
“…Think we’ll ever be like that?”
Bickering constantly, but clearly not hating each other. Insulting each other nonstop, yet unmistakably close. The kind of relationship anyone could see at a glance.
Yu-won felt a twinge of envy watching them. But then, he shook his head.
Maybe he and Kang Rion would never truly understand each other. And maybe that was okay. It’s not like he was hoping for anything more than this.
Still… if enough time passed, maybe someday, they could at least become better than they were now.
As that idle thought drifted through his mind, Yu-won stepped back from the railing.
