“Work is work, and personal life is personal. If you can’t tell the difference, you don’t belong in the Center.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Back at the dorm, Rion replayed Yu-won’s words over and over in his head, each repetition stoking the fire of irritation. Eventually, he kicked at his innocent blanket in frustration.
He was ready to yell, “When did I ever say something like that?!” in protest—but a lingering doubt made him search his own name along with the phrase “separating work and personal life.”
Sure enough, there it was—an old interview where he had said exactly that.
Back when he was the poster boy of the Center, he’d gotten a flood of interview requests. But after a year on the job, he’d pretty much stopped accepting them. He’d completely forgotten he’d ever said something like that.
“Then what would you say is most important for Espers and Guides?”
“Hmm… I’d say being cool-headed? When you’re inside a Gate, the unexpected is the norm. In those moments, you have to stay rational more than anyone else… But to be honest, I’m still working on that.”
On screen, a slightly younger Rion gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.
He must’ve been twenty or twenty-one then—just a little younger, far more energetic than now.
If he said something like this in front of his seniors today, they’d scoff at the twenty-four-year-old kid waxing nostalgic already. But with his body worn down from working without proper guiding, every passing year felt more significant to Rion.
Now that the guiding issue had been resolved, he thought he’d finally be able to live in peace. So why was he even more irritated?
“Pairing… We’re officially registering as a pair next month. Can I really handle it with this mindset?”
Rion mumbled as he stared into space. I want to get along. Why’s he always got to be so prickly?
[Kang-woo hyung: You okay? You came out of the Gate and just left without getting guiding. What were you thinking?] 5:17 PM
[Kang-woo hyung: If you really don’t want to see that guy, I’m in Room 301. Come get guided here at least. You need emergency care, don’t you?] 5:18 PM
“Sigh…”
Staring down at his phone, Rion finally got up from the bed and threw on his outerwear. Kang-woo was right. He’d pushed himself expecting to get guided, but thanks to Yu-won being so damn unbearable, he’d left without it—and now his shoulders were heavy with strain.
Even with a matched Guide, nothing’s changed.
Rion replied with one hand.
[I’ll come now.] 5:20 PM
He couldn’t avoid him forever, but at least today, he didn’t want to face Yu-won again.
Leaving his dorm, Rion made his way to the Guide Center.
“Hey, you okay?”
“So I heard Rion finally got himself a partner?”
Word must’ve spread like wildfire in the Center. Everyone he passed either teased him or offered sympathy.
Rion brushed off their comments and quickly made his way to the guiding room.
“I’m here.”
“Yeah? Sit down.”
Rion dropped into the chair across from Kang-woo. He held out his hand, and Kang-woo took it, channeling guiding into him.
“…Haa.”
Rion let out a soft sigh. He knew sighing while receiving guiding was considered bad manners, but he couldn’t help it.
After all, once you’ve experienced what a 99% matching rate S-rank guiding feels like, how could you be satisfied with an A-rank at 34%?
“I guide you for an hour and it’s just emergency care at best, you know that, right? Make sure you go back and get proper guiding from him later.”
“I will. Just… not today.”
“Figured you’d say that—that’s why I called you over.”
Kang-woo handed him a bottle of health drink he’d prepped in advance. With Rion now officially paired, he thought he’d be off the hook from babysitting him, but it seemed like he’d still have to look after him until things smoothed out.
“That guy’s personality is no joke.”
“I really do want to get along with him. So why the hell—”
Kicking his blanket and digging through old interviews had helped cool his rage a bit, but he was still far from okay.
Taking a long swig of the drink with his free hand, Rion muttered,
“Well, we’ll go down in history in a whole different way. An officially registered pair who can’t stand each other? No one’s gonna believe it.”
“The Guides already know. During training or at the Center, no one ever guessed he was like that.”
“…What?”
Rion blinked in disbelief. So Yu-won wasn’t like this with everyone else?
“Tell me more. What was he like at the Center?”
“Well… He did seem a bit reserved, but he rarely talked, didn’t show much preference for anything. Everyone just thought he was a quiet kid.”
“So it is just me he’s like this with?”
The more he heard, the more it pissed him off. Rion tapped the table with one hand.
“Have you ever talked to him?”
“Not really talked, just exchanged greetings in passing. I’ve seen him chat with other Guides, though.”
“Who’s he close with?”
“Not anyone in particular… but he didn’t seem like the type to push people away either.”
So it’s not that he pushes people away because he finds them annoying. And he’s not rude to everyone.
Which means there’s only one conclusion. He just doesn’t like me.
Rion gave a bitter smile at the thought.
“Don’t let it get to you too much. The Center Director said he gave him a good talking-to. We’ll all say something too. You submitted your pair registration, didn’t you?”
“…”
“It’ll get better once you spend more time together. Some of the people who are closest to you now couldn’t stand you at first, remember? That’s just how you are. Once people get to know you, they can’t help but like you.”
Kang-woo gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. As a suddenly emerging genius Esper, it was only natural that Rion had drawn a lot of jealousy. But even those people acknowledged him now.
“That guy will come around too. Or if not—want me to scold him for you?”
“Scold him? Yeah right. That guy’s ripped. If you pick a fight, he’ll probably break your bones.”
“Hey, don’t exaggerate…”
Kang-woo tried to scold him, but it lightened the mood a little.
Yeah… not everyone’s going to like me.
It’s just… unfortunate that the one person who doesn’t is my matched Guide.
Still, like that bastard said—work is work, personal life is personal.
Refusing guiding just because he didn’t want to see the guy only hurt Rion in the end.
Maybe if he just kept things cool and distant, that pointless hostility would die down.
“I’ll handle it. I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.”
“And guiding—I think this is enough. I’ll let that amazing S-rank Guide finish the rest.”
His head still throbbed a little, but it wasn’t unbearable.
Rion let go of Kang-woo’s hand and stood up.
“I’ll get going.”
“Alright. Rest well.”
As Rion closed the door of Room 301 behind him, he let out a quiet sigh. No matter what, I’m not seeing his face today.
That was the plan—until he looked up and saw a familiar face stepping out from another room on the same hallway.
It was Yu-won.
Great. Talk to him now and they’ll just fight again. Pretending he didn’t see anything, Rion turned away and walked off.
“…”
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Yu-won watched Rion’s back as he turned the corner. In his hand, a small paper bag swung lightly with each step.
***
Almost a month had passed since Rion vowed to think positively, rationally, and calmly—and today, as always, he gritted his teeth through morning workouts, knowing he’d have to see Yu-won again.
“Smug bastard. Yeah, fine, you’re great. You’re just so perfect.”
In just two days, their adjustment period would be over, and they’d officially be registered as partners.
Rion had lost count of how many times he’d seriously considered just quitting.
Yesterday had been no different.
No matter how skilled he was as an Esper, Gates were unpredictable and unavoidable.
It was only natural to get injured—or come back half-exhausted.
But Yu-won… that guy never got tired of picking a fight.
“If you’re scared of getting hurt, maybe you’re just a civilian. Espers shouldn’t say crap like that.”
Four years younger. Four years his junior in the field.
Rion had tried to be the bigger person at first. But now? Seniority be damned.
“So you’re saying walking into danger, knowing you’re going to get hurt, is the best option?”
“Yeah. What else do you suggest?”
“You think Seo-ha sunbae and Joo-seop sunbae are just sitting on their hands? I’ve told you before—stop rushing in without looking back. That reckless habit of yours, you need to fix it.”
And god, that mouth.
Day by day, Yu-won’s sarcasm got sharper.
He didn’t even bother hiding it anymore.
“Just two more days… and I’ll be officially paired with that asshole…”
As if Rion wasn’t annoyed enough already, the idea of having to listen to Yu-won’s nagging after they were registered made him want to scream.
Bzzz—
Even if a year passed, becoming friends with that guy was probably impossible.
Just as Rion was thinking that while pushing through his workout, his phone suddenly buzzed.
“What the… Who the hell’s calling me at this hour?”
It was way too early for calls.
Frowning, he got off the machine and picked up the phone with a grumble.
