[Do whatever you want. If you don’t like it, just quit. Sure, SS-ranks are scary, but this might be a good chance to see how strong you really are. Bring it.]
“So carefree.”
[You really think he’d hurt his Guide’s little brother? Your match rate is 98%, right? I know it doesn’t hit the same for you because you’re a Guide, but with that kind of match rate, the Esper would basically be licking your boots. He’d see you as divine.]
“Do Espers get trained to talk like this? You and Tearot both…”
[Try living in some remote mountain village, hunting monsters every day. See if you still talk all polite and pretty. Ah, how’s Tero-hyung doing?]
They’d grown up together, so even his younger brother called Tearot by a nickname. At the mention of Tearot, Banteon paused in thought. The match rate had shown up, and the Center had gone into a frenzy. He’d tried contacting Tearot afterward, but there was still no response from his terminal.
“He was fine as of yesterday.”
[Was he, now…? I wonder if he’ll stay that way after hearing about your match.]
“What difference does it make? For all I know, he might be glad to have one less burden to deal with.”
[You know, you seem smart, but you’re actually kind of clueless.]
“Even if I am, I can at least tell when I’m being insulted.”
[Hahaha. Anyway, I’ve got another mission to get to. I’m hanging up now. Make sure to call if anything comes up.]
“Try answering your damn phone once in a while.”
[I’ll try my best!]
What a joke—how’s he supposed to “try” when he leaves his terminal behind on missions? Still, the sound of his brother’s carefree laughter brought a rare, genuine smile to Banteon’s lips.
He pushed himself up from the chair where he’d been resting. Even on break with no classes, there were still scheduled appointments to keep. With an expression full of reluctance, Banteon opened the message on his terminal.
2:00 p.m. Matching Training Room.
A formal notice, politely requesting his presence at a required session for newly contracted pairs. Since the session was for both partners, he’d be seeing Delroz again.
Banteon’s steps were heavy as he headed out.
***
The training room… He’d graduated from this place before even turning twenty, and now he was coming back—not as an instructor, but a student. He moved with clear reluctance.
Standing quietly in front of the garden leading to the training room was Delroz. He’d shed his Subjugation Squad uniform and was dressed in casual clothes. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest, the sleeves tied off lazily.
He looked completely unbothered by the idea of formality. And this was the person Banteon had to partner with? He gave a small shake of his head.
As he got closer, Delroz came into clearer view. A breeze stirred his bangs, revealing golden eyes beneath. Banteon was well within range for the man to notice—but of course Delroz already had. He waited silently until Banteon arrived, then naturally fell into step beside him.
No greeting. No conversation. Just silence. Banteon glanced at him sideways. The man walked slowly, with a languid expression, as if half-asleep. His brother’s voice popped into Banteon’s head: Feel like a god, huh? This guy clearly saw people as nothing more than human chargers.
They stopped in front of the training room door, the number above confirming it was the right place. Banteon stepped inside.
A teacher was already seated inside, waiting.
“Oh! You both came together.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Banteon Esrante.”
“I’m Yormin Asel. I look forward to working with you today.”
She was a female Guide with platinum-blonde hair cascading down to her chest. With striking beauty and an elegant tone, she stood out at a glance. The sight made Banteon laugh inwardly.
The raccoon-like Center Director had worked fast. The moment he realized there was still an opportunity to test matching with Delroz, he’d gone with this strategy. Normally, Banteon would’ve found it annoying—but this time, he appreciated it.
Teacher Yormin moved with careful attentiveness, clearly reading the awkward tension between Banteon and Delroz.
“We’re technically students today, so feel free to speak comfortably.”
“You’re very polite.”
Even her slight smile and bashful gestures were charming to a fault.
“I don’t treat just anyone this way.”
He gave a practiced social smile and delivered the compliment with ease, making Yormin’s cheeks turn faintly pink.
Banteon quickly glanced at Delroz. ‘Come on, react already. Say something to this beautiful woman.’ He silently willed him to respond.
Delroz finally turned toward her—his eyes like cold glass as they traveled down her figure, scanning her from head to toe. Banteon bit back the urge to call him out on the spot. Staring at a woman like that was flat-out rude. But then again, the man clearly had no manners to begin with.
Yormin didn’t seem bothered, though. She only smiled.
“You two seem close. Coming to your first class together like this.”
“We just happened to meet out front.”
“A coincidence? Still, from what I see—”
“How many classes are there?”
A blunt voice cut her off. Of all things, his first words were about the class schedule. Not a clue how to charm a woman. Not that he needed to, having coasted through life with people fawning over him whether he did anything or not.
“Ah, it’s usually three sessions, but in your case, we’ll wrap up in two. These classes are mainly designed for first-time contractors, so they’re tailored to a younger crowd.”
Yormin opened the course materials and began outlining the overall curriculum: a light explanation of the contract’s meaning, key rules to follow, how to determine the number of guiding sessions, and so on. It was all basic, common-sense content—nothing that required close attention. The tension drained from Banteon’s shoulders. This seemed like something he just needed to sit through and check off.
She opened the textbook and began the lecture. Here and there, the content was adjusted to fit the specific situation of the two participants. Though it was a fairly long class and the flow got interrupted at times, overall, the session ran smoothly. Yormin was wise and deeply considerate—far too good for a beast like him.
Still, with Delroz’s background and abilities being top-tier, if they truly became partners, they might not be such a bad match after all.
And yet, where had that earlier apathy gone? Delroz now stared at Yormin with a gaze so intense it looked like he was glaring at an enemy. Of course. They all start off pretending to behave, but when faced with someone worth the effort, the mask comes off. Banteon nodded to himself, satisfied that his prediction had come true.
The class continued without issue. Only once did a small dispute arise—when they had to decide how often they would meet.
In the end, they settled on meeting twice a week, the frequency most others chose as well. It was a compromise between Banteon, who insisted once a week was enough, and Delroz, who argued for three times. Neither one backed down until they agreed it could be adjusted later if both parties wanted.
“Good work today. It’s quite a bit to take in, right?”
“We only had to listen. You’re the one who worked hard.”
“……”
Delroz stayed silent to the end. After staring so intently at Yormin, he couldn’t even offer a polite word in farewell? Just acting stoic won’t solve everything. Banteon could only press his hand to his chest in frustration.
“Our next class is in three days?”
“Yes. It’s scheduled to line up with your next guiding session. I’ll send the time to your terminals. Oh, and there’s homework.”
From a support bag on the floor, Yormin pulled out a thick envelope sealed with a sticker. Thinking back to the day’s lesson, nothing had been particularly challenging. It was unclear what kind of material would warrant being assigned as homework.
With a bright smile, Yormin handed one envelope to each of them and offered a word of caution.
“Most students review this in the individual A/V rooms, but since both of you have private spaces, please go over it there. Make sure you’re alone when you open it.”
“…Understood.”
Banteon accepted the mysterious envelope with a faint sense of unease. Delroz, for his part, took his with clear disinterest, then stood up. Once Yormin left and the two of them were alone in the room, Delroz turned to Banteon.
His eyes were heavy with something unsaid, as though he had something to bring up but couldn’t quite get it out.
Eventually, tired of waiting, Banteon spoke first.
“You’ve got something to say?”
“…Do you like women too?”
The question came out of nowhere. He’d been quiet the entire class—what the hell had he been thinking about this whole time?
Truthfully, Banteon didn’t particularly care about gender. He simply found it easier to seduce impulsive male Espers who were more susceptible to temptation. It had never been about gender itself.
“Doesn’t really matter to me.”
“…I see.”
The reply came a beat later, followed by silence once more. Who knew what was going on in his head?
“You look better now that you’re at the Center.”
“Well, it’s familiar territory.”
Of course he’d look better compared to when he’d been drifting through unfamiliar places. With such empty, pointless conversation, Banteon cut it off and stood up. Leaving Delroz behind, tapping lightly on the desk with a thoughtful finger, he gathered his things and got ready to go.
Before leaving, he gave Delroz a final word of warning.
“I’d rather not have our lessons get disrupted because of one person. Be on time next time.”
“Got it.”
“And go through the homework properly. Don’t just skim it.”
When Delroz answered half-heartedly, Banteon reminded him once more.
