“Seriously, he’s the best Guide.”
The best Guide, huh? Even to Rion, that sounded ridiculous.
But outwardly, Rion forced a smile.
The sound of camera shutters echoed loudly in front of the Gate.
“His matching rate is great, so the guiding process is fast too, and he’s such a mature guy that I learned a lot while training with him.”
I mean, I did get better at being patient and suppressing my irritation, so it’s not a total lie…
“I think we’ll be able to show good coordination in this Gate as well.”
Rion tried to wrap up the interview.
“Well then, I’ll be—”
“Oh, just a moment. I’d like to ask Guide Lee Yu-won one last question.”
Just as Rion thought things were wrapping up, a reporter pushed through the crowd and thrust a mic toward Yu-won. It was the kind of situation that could fluster anyone, but Yu-won just stared calmly down at the mic, his expression unchanging.
“Esper Kang Rion said that you two had great synergy and that he learned a lot from you. I’d like to ask what your experience has been like working together. Didn’t it feel overwhelming, partnering with someone often called the strongest Esper in history?”
Rion turned to Yu-won with a slightly alarmed expression. He himself had gotten used to interviews and could give standard answers easily, but Yu-won was still relatively new to this…
“If that guy who keeps getting into trouble is the strongest Esper, then I guess being the strongest isn’t all that impressive.”
Rion knew that Yu-won only acted rude toward him and was generally polite to others, but the perfect worst-case scenario popped into his head and made him visibly tremble.
This wasn’t even about someone else—he was the one who bickered with Yu-won all the time. How could he know what Yu-won would say out of nerves? No way. He had to stop him.
Just as Rion reached to take the mic—
“He’s someone who knows how to put others first, so I learned a lot. And since he always protected me so reliably from the front, I never felt overwhelmed.”
Yu-won spoke.
Rion blinked in surprise at the completely unexpected answer. Between Rion’s stunned expression, the reporter asked another question.
“You’ve only been a Guide for about six months, right? Could we hear a few words about how you’re feeling before heading into an S-rank Gate?”
“It’s a team with responsible and experienced seniors. As long as I don’t fall behind, I believe we’ll be able to clear the Gate without much trouble. I’ll do my best to hold my own and not bring shame to the team.”
The answer was so unexpectedly smooth—he even complimented Rion—that Rion looked up at Yu-won, wondering if he’d misheard.
The Center Director, who had been watching nearby, stepped forward and intervened.
“That’ll be all for interviews. Please understand that we need to let the team members rest and organize before the Gate opens.”
The reporters, having gotten most of the footage they needed, began to clear out far more calmly than when they’d first swarmed in.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks for your hard work.”
A few of the reporters even took the time to politely greet the Espers and Guides.
Seriously. These people really have no regard for their lives. Sure, freedom of the press and all that is important, but is it really more important than safety?
Back at the temporary lodgings, the Center Director let out a sigh of relief and turned to Rion with a scolding tone.
“Hey, what’s with that face in front of the reporters? Anyone could tell something was off.”
“No, it’s just… it was weird…”
Rion trailed off, unable to argue, though his face was full of indignation.
I mean, acting like I usually do in front of the cameras would be even weirder… Still, it felt strange.
Rion glanced sideways at Yu-won. Was he just good at acting? The words he said didn’t match how he usually behaved at all, yet he said them with such a straight, sincere face that it almost felt like he meant it.
They say if a person suddenly changes, they might be about to die…
Rion stared at Yu-won, overcome with concern. Yu-won, finally noticing the persistent gaze, turned and asked:
“…Do you have something to say?”
“No, just.”
See? He’s acting exactly like he always does. Hearing Yu-won’s usual blunt tone finally put Rion at ease. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Anyway, being a reporter must be an extreme job. Sitting around at the edge of a Gate just to write an article… Think they’ll still be there a week from now?”
“Probably.”
“Isn’t that basically risking their lives? I mean, it’s fine if the Gate closes properly, but if we’re even a little late…”
Seo-ha shivered at the thought, clearly horrified. Seeing her reaction, Hyeon-seo gently patted her back and said,
“That’s not going to happen. But even if we did run out of time and fail to close the Gate, Kang Rion would lose his mind and fly into action, right? Those reporters know who they’re dealing with. That’s why they’re willing to camp out like that.”
“It’s a bad habit to jump to conclusions about things that haven’t happened.”
“So… it won’t happen?”
When Hyeon-seo asked, Rion fell into thought.
If that kind of situation really did happen, he’d probably act on instinct and launch into action before thinking.
“If it comes to that… since I can move the fastest, I’d need to focus on rescuing civilians first. That’d be the most effective strategy…”
“See? That’s not jumping to conclusions—that’s logical deduction.”
Hyeon-seo gave him a light flick on the forehead. Rion grumbled under his breath.
“Still, it’s the right thing to do.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
With a grin, Hyeon-seo ruffled Rion’s hair and then walked off to check on the others.
“We just have to do our best to make sure it doesn’t happen. I’ll do my part to not be dead weight.”
“Dead weight? Come on. You’re a precious Guide.”
Jin-ha, looking slightly nervous, walked over to Rion’s side. He’d only just joined the Center, and now he was being sent into an S-rank Gate. Of course he was tense.
“Newbies always get help from their seniors. So don’t worry too much.”
“I guess I really am… the youngest, huh? But even though there are people younger than me, I’m still the least experienced.”
By age, the youngest in the team was Yu-won. Rion recalled the incident inside the last Gate where Yu-won had almost been seriously hurt, and he reminded himself to keep a closer eye on him.
“Yu-won’s young too, but he’s pretty amazing.”
“Huh?”
“During training, he moved so fast. He was really good.”
It was an Esper’s duty to protect their Guide inside the Gate, but there was no guarantee an Esper could watch over their Guide at all times.
That’s why Guides had to train continuously, at least to the level where they could defend themselves from low-tier monsters. That had always been the Center Director’s philosophy.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re doing great too. You’ve been here less than two months, and you’re already at that level.”
Jin-ha had adapted so quickly, it was hard to believe he was new. Even Rion, who had casually observed the Guide training during his breaks, had found himself impressed.
“Aw, come on. Still, compared to Yu-won, I’m a total rookie.”
“He… apparently used to love sports.”
Rion made a sour face. He remembered hearing that during their first Gate, and those toned muscles hidden under Yu-won’s clothes weren’t just for show. It wasn’t hard to guess he’d excel in training too.
“You know stuff like that? Wow, you act like he’s your mortal enemy, but you sure pay attention, huh?”
“Ugh, shut it. If you’ve got time to talk nonsense, use it to read the emergency protocol manual for the Gate.”
Annoyed, Rion pulled out a thick manual from his bag and threw it at Jin-ha.
Chuckling, Jin-ha caught the book and started reading.
“Rion. I know you already made up your mind, but… seriously, don’t fight this time. If something like last time happens again, it won’t just be a little incident. You know that, right?”
“I know. How many times are people going to say that to me…? It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Rion managed to get Jin-ha off his back, but now the Center Director came over, wearing a face full of concern, ready to nag.
It was clear he still hadn’t gotten over the incident from last time.
Still, if you’re going to keep repeating it, at least pretend to listen silently.
“That’s the fifth time I’ve said this.”
“You’re always the one who starts the fire.”
“……Yu-won always picks a fight fir—never mind. It won’t happen again. Don’t worry.”
Rion was already tense, and with the Center Director clinging to him too, he felt doubly uncomfortable.
It’s not that he wasn’t worried about the S-rank Gate. But at the same time, he knew full well that he was a core member of this team.
If he showed any sign of wavering, it would affect everyone.
So Rion made a point of playing it cool.
“I’ll come back safe. You know me—sure, I cause trouble sometimes, but I’m not someone who throws my life away.”
“Yeah. You always come back hurt, but you’ve avoided the fatal injuries.”
“Gotta stay alive if I want to keep doing this, right? I’ll be careful… as much as I can.”
“……‘As much as you can’?”
“Ugh, I’m tired. There’s still some time before the Gate’s expected to open, right? I should at least get a nap in.”
Rion turned and walked away, pretending not to notice the Center Director’s skeptical glare.
With a sigh that said what am I gonna do with this kid, the Center Director called after him.
“Take care of yourself. I’ve got to get back to the Center for some work.”
“See you in a week! Or sooner, hopefully.”
Rion turned to see him off.
Just like he’d said, he wasn’t planning to recklessly throw himself into danger—not with future missions ahead.
Of course, the body doesn’t always do what the mind intends.
“Let’s just sleep a few hours. Once I wake up, I won’t have any time to rest.”
Rion mumbled to himself as he lay down on the cot.
There were six hours left until the estimated Gate opening.
