“Uh… hey.”
The surge of fury that had overtaken Rion just moments ago vanished the instant he saw Yu-won.
“Uh… is that your Guide? Huh… yeah, he’s good-looking. Damn, he could be a model for the Center or something.”
“See? I told you a bunch of times to cool that temper of yours…”
Even the people who had been casually chatting with Rion started to fumble over their words in confusion. Some were already sneaking away from the scene.
“Look, I…”
Of all times, he had to get caught by the guy himself. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Rion’s mind went blank. Should he brazenly double down—Yeah, you were the one out of line!—or should he just admit he was wrong and back down?
While he was hesitating, Yu-won’s cold voice dropped on him like judgment from above.
“Personal is personal. Work is work. People who can’t separate the two have no business being in the Center.”
“…What?”
“It’s something you said once. During an old interview. Don’t you remember?”
So much for worrying whether he’d hurt Yu-won’s feelings—Yu-won looked completely unbothered, to an almost offensive degree.
Did I… actually say something like that in an interview? Or is this little shit just making stuff up to throw it in my face?
Pushing through the confusion, Rion replied with forced nonchalance.
“Dunno… doesn’t ring a bell. But even if I did say it, so what?”
“I’m someone who can separate work and personal stuff. So whatever you say or do outside of missions doesn’t matter to me.”
The iciness in his reply left the entire lobby dead silent. All eyes were on Rion and Yu-won.
“…Thought he was rude by Rion’s standards, but damn…”
Someone muttered under their breath, and a few others nodded. At that level of attitude, anyone would be irritated—not just Kang Rion.
“You can talk shit about me, insult me to my face—”
“Hey, you—no, fine. I’ll admit it. Bad-mouthing you out here was my fault. But seriously, why don’t you just get mad for real instead of that passive-aggressive crap? Is poking at people until they snap fun for you?”
“I didn’t say it for fun.”
“Hey!”
Rion’s shout echoed through the lobby. When he’d mimicked Yu-won earlier, it was at least half in jest. But now, his anger was raw and genuine.
“…I think you’ve misunderstood. I don’t dislike you.”
“Then why the hell are you acting like this?”
“That’s…”
Yu-won started to reply—but clamped his mouth shut again. Seeing that, Rion let out a long sigh.
Only the sound of Yu-won’s footsteps climbing the stairs toward him echoed in the quiet lobby. Yu-won had walked all the way up to him before finally extending his hand.
“What the hell is this?”
“You didn’t get guided earlier. I thought I’d offer now.”
“Oh, how thoughtful. Came straight to me out of the kindness of your heart?”
Rion stared at Yu-won’s hand.
If he took that hand, the guiding would flood through his nerves like honeyed elixir. All his irritation, all the fatigue would melt away in an instant.
Tap—
But Rion slapped the hand away without hesitation.
“Are you a fucking psychopath?”
“…I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“Hah… yeah. You’re my matching Guide, and I already submitted the pair request, so come next month, we’ll officially be stuck with each other whether I like it or not. But that doesn’t mean I have to like you.”
There weren’t many formal pairs, but among those who were matched, it was common for them to grow close—often even becoming couples.
But Rion, who’d always had abysmal matching rates with Guides, seemed destined to remain the outlier.
“I fucking hate your guts right now. And honestly? I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
“…Didn’t I already say? Personal and professional—I keep them separate. That stuff doesn’t matter to me.”
Maybe his expression tightened slightly, but for someone who’d just been told to his face he was fucking hated, Yu-won barely reacted.
Wow. Unreal.
Rion sneered internally.
“Must be nice, being so damn rational. But I’m not some perfectly composed machine like you.”
“What the hell is going on here!”
At that moment, the Center Director burst into the lobby, having just been briefed on the situation. He was too late to intervene meaningfully, but he rushed over to Yu-won without hesitation.
“You. With me. Now.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Yu-won obediently followed the Director upstairs, and only then did the murmurs begin to fill the lobby again.
“…Holy shit. That was intense.”
“I’ve been here seven years and I’ve never seen someone like that before.”
“Rion, are you okay?”
In the growing chatter, Kang-woo gently tried to comfort Rion. What the hell was that rookie Guide’s problem? Why was he going out of his way to antagonize Rion?
As he stared after the retreating figures of Yu-won and the Director, Kang-woo couldn’t shake the strangeness of it all.
***
“I’ve heard the gist of what happened in the Gate. And from what I just saw… Rion wasn’t lying.”
The Director let out a long sigh. It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since he thought he needed to keep a closer eye on Yu-won, and the guy had already caused a massive incident.
“They said you had no problems during training. Did Rion do something to upset you?”
“No.”
“Were you disappointed because the real Kang Rion wasn’t what you expected?”
“No.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“…”
Yu-won had been answering politely, but now he clammed up.
Just like Rion, the Director thought, pressing his temples in frustration.
“I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re going to be working together. Wouldn’t it be better to get along? Why keep stirring the pot?”
“I…”
“They say you told him, ‘Strongest Esper or not, it’s nothing special.’ What the hell made you say that?”
He hadn’t struck the Director as someone with such bad manners, but he threw a sideways glance at Yu-won, waiting for an answer.
After a long silence, Yu-won finally spoke.
“His… face was injured.”
“…What?”
The Director remembered how Rion had practically sprinted to his office straight from the Gate, blood streaming down one cheek.
“So?”
“….”
Yu-won went quiet again. But the Director didn’t press, simply waited, silently daring him to keep quiet all the way to the end.
After what felt like forever, Yu-won finally mumbled,
“He was injured, and… all he wanted was to brag about finishing quickly…”
“You mean it pissed you off that Rion was showing off after coming back all banged up?”
No answer this time either—but silence was confirmation enough. It wasn’t hard to imagine. Rion had probably rushed to finish the mission and tried to impress the rookie, grinning even with his face bleeding.
“That’s just how he is. He may seem immature, but all he wanted was to look cool in front of you. You could’ve just humored him, said he looked awesome or something.”
“…That’s not how it came across to me.”
There was no subject in his sentence, but the Director figured Yu-won meant it didn’t feel like he was trying to look cool.
“He’s a hothead, reckless as hell, throws himself around without thinking—but he’s a good guy. You don’t think he’s a bad person, do you?”
“No.”
“Then let it go. Why take everything so seriously? You go apologize to Rion, properly. I usually side with rookies, but this one’s entirely on you.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Satisfied with the response, the Director sighed and shook his head.
“He’s got a short fuse, sure—but he cools off fast too. Bring him something he likes. Not today, maybe tomorrow or the day after? He’s simple. He’ll forget by then.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You keep saying yes—do you even know what he likes?”
“Yes.”
The Director looked at Yu-won with open suspicion.
“He hates most sweet stuff, but anything with strawberries? He’ll eat it even if it’s sugary. He’s got an old man’s taste, so tea’s good, too. He’s a health nut, so anything healthy, he’ll go nuts for.”
Just spoil him with food for a few days, and he’ll probably forgive you. The Director kindly laid out a whole guide to Rion’s preferences.
“So, are you settling into the Guiding Center okay?”
“It’s still a bit confusing, but the seniors have been really helpful, so I think I’ll adjust quickly.”
Unlike Espers, who could spend their free time however they wanted when not on duty, Guides had to stay on standby at the Guiding Center and offer support whenever needed.
Technically, Yu-won could’ve taken some time off after the Gate, but he’d declined the suggestion and returned straight to work.
In that sense, he was a diligent rookie—so why was he like this only with Rion?
“Alright. Don’t push yourself. If it gets too hard, just say so and clock out. You’re entitled to as many days off as you’ve spent in a Gate.”
“Got it. I’ll rest if it becomes too much.”
Is this even the same guy who was clashing with Rion in the lobby earlier? the Director thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
What a strange kid.
