“What kind of disrespectful bastard says something like that? What? ‘There’s nothing special about the strongest Esper’?”
“Calm down, just calm down.”
Rion was fuming, practically seething with rage.
After that, the group had successfully escaped the dungeon and closed the Gate, but not a single word had passed between Yu-won and Rion during that time.
“Do I look like I can calm down right now?”
“No, but still, you’re the senior…”
“I tried telling myself that, over and over again!”
Rion was pacing furiously in front of the Center Director, livid beyond reason.
He just couldn’t wrap his head around it.
He couldn’t think of a single reason why Yu-won would hate him. He’d never said anything that could be taken as offensive. In fact, he’d covered for Yu-won several times when the guy soured the mood—pretended not to notice, acted like it was fine. He’d done his best to be understanding. And this was what he got in return?
If he hadn’t come straight to the Director to vent, he might’ve ended up grabbing Yu-won by the collar.
“Ask the others when they come in. I really held back this time.”
“You’re sure there’s nothing that could’ve set him off? I mean, there’s gotta be some reason he acted like that.”
“I’d like to know that myself.”
Rion grumbled as he slouched back in the chair. He had even submitted a formal pair request for Yu-won to be his matching Guide. Of course he wanted things to go well. He still wanted that. But with Yu-won acting like this, there was no way he could keep being the bigger person.
“When I first received guiding from him… that feeling. That alone makes it impossible for me to treat him poorly, even if I want to.”
“Yeah, I get that. I mean, he is your matching Guide, after all.”
Rion stared down at his hands as he spoke.
Come to think of it, after the fight, he’d gotten so annoyed he had ignored Yu-won’s offer to guide him and just walked out of the Gate.
“…Of course I want things to work out.”
But the one who had offered him guiding as sweet as life-giving water had ended up leaving him with nothing but bitterness. God might be fair, but this was taking it too far.
“Until now, my problem was not having a Guide. And now, I’ve got an S-rank Guide with a record-breaking matching rate, and this is how it’s going? What a joke.”
“I seriously don’t get what his problem is. I assigned an S-rank Guide, one A-rank, and two B-rank Espers to a pretty tame Gate just so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed, and he pulls this crap?”
“Exactly!”
Rion leapt up from his seat in exasperation.
Sure, Yu-won seemed like he’d been raised with a silver spoon, so maybe the dungeon had been rough on him. But this party lineup had clearly been hand-picked by the Director himself.
An S-rank Esper, two A-ranks, and one of the most easygoing and well-liked B-rank Guides in the Center—Ji-soo.
Even the two B-rank Guides assigned to rear support weren’t newbies. Any Guide who knew the Center well would’ve been shocked at how generous the team setup was.
“It wasn’t even that hard of a run. He just… must hate me.”
“Hey, hey. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
The Director patted Rion’s slumped shoulder and quietly recalled Yu-won’s face. The guy had seemed calm and polite, but now he was hearing Yu-won had said there’s nothing special about the strongest Esper? It sounded unbelievable.
But Rion wouldn’t lie. If he needed the full picture, he could just ask the others who’d gone into the Gate with them—Seo-ha or Joo-seop.
“I’ll call him in and talk to him. Don’t stress about it too much. Oh, and you—did you even get any guiding?”
“…No.”
“Look, like it or not, you submitted the pair request. That basically makes you two a package deal now. You’re not planning to cancel it, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
Like it or not, Yu-won was his matching Guide. Rion lowered his head, remembering the pair request form he’d signed and submitted just a few days ago.
“Go cool your head and get some rest. And make sure you get that face looked at.”
“This? It’s not even worth treating.”
“It’s that kind of attitude that leads to real trouble later, you brat. You’ve been doing this for four years and still haven’t learned that?”
“Okay, okay. I’ll get it checked out.”
Rion waved off the Director’s nagging with an exaggerated shake of his head.
Only after Rion promised to get treatment did the Director finally let him go. Then he pulled up a tablet to check the current location of all the Espers affiliated with the Center.
“Oh, Joo-seop’s already back?”
[S-rank guiding really is something else. I was totally recharged and came straight back. Had stuff to do, and Han Seo-ha kept nagging me to earn my paycheck… What? It’s true!]
He could hear Seo-ha grumbling beside him, but the Director pretended not to notice.
“I’ve got some questions. Come up to my office.”
[Yes, sir.]
A few minutes later, the Director began questioning Joo-seop about what had happened inside the Gate.
“…He really said that?”
“Yeah. We were all shocked. But honestly, something felt off from the start. When Rion-sunbae barely brushed against his arm, he recoiled like he’d been touched by fire. And he kept talking super curtly, too…”
Joo-seop, who had already taken a disliking to Yu-won, muttered with growing irritation.
“From what I saw, Rion-sunbae really held back. Anyone could tell the guy didn’t like him, but Rion still kept it together. For him, that’s saying a lot. But then that rookie just went and blew everything up.”
It was hard to believe even hearing it firsthand. The Director stared, speechless, while Joo-seop eagerly went on.
“He had this stone-cold expression and wouldn’t even look at Rion-sunbae. And then he goes, ‘Strongest Esper or not, it’s nothing special.’ Just like that!”
“…Huh.”
Watching Joo-seop mimic Yu-won’s deadpan face, the Director let out a long sigh.
Well, they say weirdos attract weirdos. But come on—this was too much. What kind of god dumped two timebombs into his lap?
“So where is Yu-won now?”
“He said he was gonna shower, change clothes, and head back to the Center, so he went home. We’ve got showers and spare clothes here, but whatever. Guy’s a pain.”
“Hey, watch your mouth. He’s only been here for a week.”
“If you saw the way he treats Rion-sunbae, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
The Director smiled slightly at Joo-seop’s passionate defense, almost as if he were Rion’s number one fan.
Then again, it wasn’t just the Center—practically the whole nation adored Rion. A new recruit who didn’t like him? Who would’ve imagined such a thing?
“All right, I get it. Go back to your work. And remember, he’s still a rookie. Don’t bully him, don’t judge him, and treat him fairly.”
“I know that. Still…”
“No ‘still.’ You’ve been guided by him, right? You know how valuable he is to the Center.”
At the Director’s words, Joo-seop reluctantly nodded. Honestly, most of the Espers at the Center who liked Rion were such softies they’d never bully anyone anyway.
“Got it. I’ll head out, then.”
It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with a rookie this often. With that thought, the Director began planning a meeting with Yu-won.
***
Meanwhile, Rion had just left the Director’s office and was venting to his closest colleagues about everything that had happened.
“…He really said that?”
“What, you think I’m lying now?”
“No, not that. But maybe you’re remembering it a bit dramatically? You are kind of a hothead, you know.”
At Jae-hak’s comment, everyone around them laughed in agreement.
“He’s basically your savior, man. Cut him some slack.”
Even Kang-woo was taking Yu-won’s side now, which only made Rion angrier. He grabbed Ji-soo, who happened to be walking by.
“Ji-soo, you were there too! Back me up here.”
“Oh right, you were on the team. Did he really say that?”
Now caught between bored coworkers, Ji-soo looked visibly uncomfortable as she glanced at Rion. But Rion’s eyes were practically burning with Say something!
“Um… He did speak a bit harshly, yeah. But I don’t think he meant it maliciously. It was his first Gate, after all. He was probably really nervous…”
“See? Even Ji-soo’s siding with the rookie.”
“No! That’s not what I’m doing. I’m just saying Yu-won did say something that could upset Rion-sunbae, but I don’t think it came from a bad place.”
Sweet, soft-hearted Ji-soo was clearly trying not to speak ill of Yu-won. But Rion, whose anger had long since boiled over, had zero interest in seeing things from Yu-won’s side.
“What the hell did he say that got you this riled up, anyway? Rion might be a little hotheaded, but he doesn’t usually lose it like this.”
Prompted by his senior, Rion recalled the moment. That unforgettable scene burned into his mind. He stood up abruptly, unable to hold it in.
“He said—no, he didn’t even look at me—he just goes, ‘Strongest Esper or not, it’s nothing special.’ Can you believe that?!”
“S-Sunbae…”
“Yeah, and he had this smug little—”
Ji-soo let out a sudden gasp, cutting him off, and Rion turned instinctively toward her gaze—only to freeze.
Gasp! Cough, cough—!
“A-Are you okay?”
Ji-soo patted his back as he choked from the shock, but his eyes stayed locked in one place.
There, descending the stairs in the center of the lobby, now perfectly groomed and spotless was Yu-won, looking down at him.
