“Anyway, whatever. The important thing is that you’re not fighting. I’m sure Yu-won’s being the bigger person, though.”
“Excuse me? I’m the one being super generous here.”
“Still, Yu-won’s kind of mature, isn’t he? And you’re just… like a kid.”
“What the hell? He’s way more childish than me.”
Rion snorted in disbelief, mocking the Center Director’s words. He’d never really thought of Yu-won as immature before—maybe just annoying—but lately, his opinion had changed.
“Yu-won? I mean, unless he’s fighting with you, isn’t he pretty mature for his age?”
“Ugh, he’s…”
Rion started to say something about what had happened with Yu-won, but abruptly shut his mouth. Strangely enough, he didn’t want to share that story—he felt like he wanted to keep it to himself.
“He’s what?”
“No, just… once you get to know him, he’s not that mature after all. Anyway, good luck with your new team. Just get me back into the Gate as soon as possible.”
“Right, well, we’ll make that decision after thorough discussions with your doctor, so stop worrying and just rest for now.”
“Ugh, that doctor’s way too dramatic, I’m telling you.”
“Sure, sure.”
And just like that, Rion was kicked out of the Center Director’s office, again without getting what he wanted. He appreciated the concern, sure, but it baffled him that everyone around him kept making such a fuss when he, the actual person involved, said he was fine.
“I’m really okay now…”
He tapped his thigh aimlessly and stuck out his lower lip. He was used to people worrying about him, but this time, the fuss was dragging on longer than usual.
“Everyone’s freaking out way too much…”
Rion muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway. Despite his grumbling tone, his steps didn’t look particularly annoyed.
***
“So? Nothing happened yesterday? I was this close to calling the Center the moment I heard that noise.”
“Oh, shut up. Nothing happened. We just… made up.”
“Seriously? You’re sure it wasn’t a physical reconciliation?”
Rion smacked Jin-ha on the back for teasing him. Jin-ha flailed dramatically, acting like it really hurt.
“Ow! That seriously hurt!”
“Yeah right. Drama queen.”
It wasn’t even hard enough to warrant a reaction, but just thinking about last night stirred something weird in Rion, so he took it out on Jin-ha.
And sure, Jin-ha was probably just joking, but the whole “physical reconciliation” comment… wasn’t entirely off the mark.
“We just made up like normal people, okay? Nothing happened physically, obviously.”
“You’re protesting a little too much, don’t you think?”
“That’s because you’re the one twisting it into something weird. Anyway, I asked to go back to work again, and of course they said no.”
“Not surprised. You were in really bad shape back then. I don’t know how you were before that, but this time, maybe chill a bit.”
“Okay, but this is too much. How long are they planning to keep me on leave?!”
“At least another month, I’d guess. It’s not like you’re completely out of work, though.”
“From my perspective, this is basically being on vacation.”
Rion replied flatly. Sure, what he was doing now was still helpful and meaningful in its own way, but it wasn’t like the place would fall apart without him.
“It makes me anxious. What if something goes wrong inside a Gate? I don’t worry much about B-rank Gates, but an A-rank one—that’s a whole different level.”
“You need to trust the others more. You’re not the only S-rank Esper in the Center.”
“But all the senior Espers are constantly busy. Meanwhile, I’m stuck with work that B-rank Espers could handle with their eyes closed.”
“Wow. Rude much?”
“Oh, come on. You know that’s not what I meant.”
He felt like he was being held back from doing more. Rion pouted and grumbled.
“It’ll probably take at least another month.”
“They said to wait until the Gate post-processing team gets more structured.”
“And that’ll take another month or two at least, right?”
“Said who?”
“Min-hyeon.”
Jin-ha shrugged. Min-hyeon didn’t usually enter Gates often, so he’d never been especially close with the other Espers or Guides. But ever since they got back from the last Gate, he seemed to be getting along well with both Jin-ha and Yu-won.
“Well, since he and that new A-rank healing type are the core of the new team, he’s probably right.”
“Exactly. So don’t get your hopes up about going back to the Gate anytime soon.”
“God, people are always screaming about Esper rights violations and whatnot, but our Center Director is basically a model citizen.”
“You wanting to be overworked is what’s weird here, not him.”
Jin-ha looked at him like he was crazy. Rion let out an awkward laugh.
“I mean, I was just saying…”
“Didn’t you tell me before? That the Center Director used to be active-duty, and he had such a rough time that now he wants to treat his juniors as well as possible?”
“Yeah, but coddling people too much isn’t good either. Sometimes tough love is necessary, too.”
“Maybe for others, but the Director’s methods are perfect for someone like you.”
“Wow. You’ve barely been here six months and you already sound just like the rest of them.”
It really felt like everyone at the Center was on the same side—except him. Rion scowled in irritation.
“A month or two, huh… Yu-won’s not going into Gates either during that time, right? What if we both go back in after all that time and start flailing around like rookies?”
“Was Yu-won like that when he was new?”
“…Actually, no. Now that I think about it, from day one he was just quietly doing his job.”
Maybe that’s why he’d never really felt like a newbie. Sure, he always said stuff that pissed Rion off, but never because he was bad at his job.
Right… that’s why he was so damn annoying. I forgot.
Rion nodded to himself as he recalled Yu-won’s early days. Jin-ha noticed and asked,
“What about you? What were you like when you first started?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Weren’t you always getting into trouble?”
“……”
Normally, Rion would’ve jumped up in protest—What do you take me for?!—but this time he just pressed his lips together. He couldn’t exactly deny it.
“Wow. What the hell did you do to make you go all quiet like that?”
“Don’t ask. Everyone has their rookie days, okay?”
“Yeah, but now I’m dying to know.”
“Then keep dying.”
Rion sealed his lips like he’d never tell, but in truth, his mind had already wandered back to those days.
***
At twenty years old, Rion—born in January—went to the nearest Center for an evaluation in the dead of winter. He didn’t have high hopes, so he figured it was best to just get it over with and forget about it.
He went in with zero expectations, but the moment the results came out, the staff’s expression froze. The mood shifted instantly.
Rion blinked, wondering if something had gone wrong, but the staff member looked at him with a serious face and said,
“Please wait here a moment. Could someone bring him something to drink?”
“Yes, I’ve checked the results. Yes, I think you should come take a look yourself.”
Watching the staff bustling around nervously, Rion had no idea what was happening. The atmosphere was so tense he couldn’t even fiddle with his phone—he just sat there and waited.
And when he finally heard his evaluation result, Rion couldn’t believe his ears.
“S-rank… You’re S-rank. I’ve never seen numbers like this before.”
“…Wait, I’m an Esper? Isn’t S-rank, like, the highest tier?”
“We ran a retest, and it came back the same. We’ll need final confirmation at the Central Center, but I doubt the result will change.”
The staff member looked even more excited than Rion.
S-rank Esper.
That alone was already rare, but his result was something else entirely.
It was the highest score ever recorded. The numbers were so overwhelming they made you question why the chart even needed to be that long. A staff member, finally calming down, thought to himself:
I never thought I’d get to see something like this in person. You really do live long enough, you see it all.
“There are usually only minor discrepancies, never a full reversal like this. It’s basically confirmed.”
Rion nodded, still in shock. It was something he’d never even imagined.
Not long after, a staff member from the Central Center arrived to give him a long explanation about Espers—and then, with a hopeful expression, said,
“You probably know that you have the right to refuse, but… S-rank Espers are incredibly rare. You’d be doing so much good, so we really hope you’ll consider—”
“I’ll do it.”
He still didn’t quite understand everything, but Rion nodded without hesitation. He didn’t know much, but if it was something only he could do—and if it meant saving people—then there was no reason to say no.
He’d never thought himself capable of something like this. He’d always dreamed of being a police officer. But when it came down to helping people, this path seemed even more fitting.
“Then can you come to the Central Center tomorrow? Just let us know the time—we’ll send someone to pick you up.”
The staff rushed to lock in the appointment before Rion could change his mind. It was a hasty decision, sure, but Rion had zero regrets. He agreed on the time and prepared to visit the Central Center the next day.
Only after returning home did Rion finally start looking up what being an Esper meant. It was already a done deal—he wasn’t going to back out. And the more he learned, the more his heart pounded with excitement.
This time, I get to be the one who helps others.
It felt like fate. Maybe this was the world’s way of giving him a mission, after all the help he’d received just to stay alive.
But perhaps it was because he entered the Center with such high hopes that his rookie days ended up being anything but smooth.
