After finishing his Guiding session, Kim Yong-ha headed toward the cafeteria, same as always—but the whispers echoing around him were getting under his skin.
“…Is that him?”
“…He’s S-Rank, so why a D-Rank…”
“Hwang Seol-bin… kidnapped…”
The gossip that had started in the hallway followed him all the way into the cafeteria, and with it came a barrage of sharp, almost painful stares.
He only caught bits and pieces of what they were saying, but one name and one word kept coming up—Hwang Seol-bin and “kidnapping.” It was obvious they were talking about the incident where Hwang Seol-bin had been abducted.
But what he couldn’t understand was why he was the one everyone was whispering about. As far as the official reports went, all anyone knew was that some Esper had kidnapped Hwang Seol-bin…
“How the hell… does he even have the nerve…”
“Kidnapped… Guide Hwang Seol-bin…”
Mixed in with the curiosity and murmuring was outright contempt—like they thought he was the one who’d orchestrated the whole thing.
What the hell is going on?
Suppressing his irritation, Kim Yong-ha silently glared at them.
Just then, a stir rippled through the cafeteria entrance. As the crowd turned to look, Kim Yong-ha instinctively followed their gaze.
Walking in together were Esper Kim Hyun-joong and Guide Yoon Yi-hyeon.
What the hell are those two doing together?
Yoon Yi-hyeon was someone he didn’t care for from the start, so it didn’t really matter. But Kim Hyun-joong hanging around with him? That was unexpected. Back when Kim Hyun-joong had been assigned to guard him, he’d constantly talked shit about Yoon Yi-hyeon behind his back. And ever since he was pulled from that assignment, Yong-ha hadn’t thought about him at all.
Yet here they were, walking side by side like best friends, chatting casually. It was such a mismatch that Yong-ha couldn’t help but let out a dry, scoffing laugh.
“Ha…”
At least now he understood where all the stares and whispers were coming from.
It had to be Kim Hyun-joong. After their clash during the previous incident, he must’ve been holding a grudge and started spreading rumors. And Yoon Yi-hyeon—who didn’t even bother to hide how much he disliked him—had clearly jumped on the opportunity to back him up.
As Yong-ha kept watching, Yoon Yi-hyeon met his gaze mid-conversation.
And then he smiled—just a slight lift of the lips, friendly enough on the surface to fool anyone else. But to Kim Yong-ha, it was nothing but a smug, condescending sneer.
He immediately looked away. He had zero interest in acknowledging them, and even less in talking to them. Getting involved would only make things worse. Let them gossip all they wanted—so long as Kang Hak-gwan kept the truth buried, the rumors would die out on their own. There was no point in stirring up trouble.
Besides, he didn’t have the time or mental energy to waste on them. His head was already spinning with how to approach Hwang Seol-bin from here on out.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha.”
A voice called out to him. Yoon Yi-hyeon.
When Yong-ha turned his head, Yoon Yi-hyeon was standing there, arms crossed, glaring at him like he was something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Beside him, Kim Hyun-joong looked about ready to pounce, his face burning red with rage.
What now? Why come all the way over here?
“Do you have something to say?”
“…Shouldn’t you be the one with something to say?”
Before Yoon Yi-hyeon could respond, Kim Hyun-joong snapped back, voice trembling with anger.
Yong-ha let out a sigh. Just hearing his voice was exhausting.
“What are you talking about? I have nothing to say.”
“Ha! You locked up Hwang Seol-bin, blamed the whole thing on me, and now you’re standing there pretending like you’ve got nothing to say? Seriously?!”
“…Locked him up? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Sounds like there’s been some huge misunderstanding.”
Kim Yong-ha looked around innocently as he replied, like he was truly clueless. He could feel the crowd’s attention shifting toward them—drawn in by Kim Hyun-joong’s outburst.
So that’s what this was. The rumors they’d been spreading weren’t getting enough traction. Now they were trying to provoke him directly, hoping he’d slip up and say something they could use against him.
Kim Hyun-joong wasn’t smart enough to come up with this kind of stunt. Which meant the mastermind had to be Yoon Yi-hyeon.
Yong-ha shot him a glance. Sure enough, there was that smug little smirk tugging at the corners of Yoon’s mouth.
When Kim Hyun-joong turned beet red and started fumbling for a retort, Yoon stepped in with a loud, incredulous voice—playing it up for the audience gathering around them.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha! Seriously… could you just stop lying for once?”
The crowd that had been hovering nearby started creeping closer, eyes sparkling with interest. Yoon’s little plan was working perfectly.
With so many ears around, it would be stupid to say anything unnecessary. So Kim Yong-ha shook his head and calmly played dumb, flipping the blame right back.
“I don’t really know the details. Esper Kim Hyun-joong just told me to call Seol-bin-sunbae over. That’s all.”
“YOU BASTARD! IT WAS ALL YOUR IDEA!”
The moment Kim Hyun-joong, seething with rage, shouted and lunged at Kim Yong-ha, the nearby bodyguards quickly stepped in to block him.
“That’s enough!”
Hyun-joong glared at them, eyebrows raised sharply.
“What the hell is this? Who the hell are you?”
“We’re Guide Kim Yong-ha’s security detail.”
Even though they were standing in front of him now, Yong-ha shot the bodyguards a bitter look. When he’d tried to approach Hwang Seol-bin, they’d jumped in to stop him immediately—but now that these two had been throwing a tantrum in his face, they waited until things nearly got physical before stepping in. The double standard made his stomach churn.
Hyun-joong scoffed and looked at the guards in disbelief, then muttered in a mocking tone.
“Ha… Do you guys even know what that bastard did to me?”
“…That’s none of our concern.”
“You should be concerned. Keep believing in that so-called S-Rank Guide, and you’ll end up just like me—stabbed in the back and tossed aside. That guy—!”
“…What’s going on here?”
A low, commanding voice cut clean through the commotion.
Its weight was undeniable, and the moment it rang through the cafeteria, every head turned toward its source. Kang Hak-gwan was walking over, calm and slow, exuding authority like a tidal wave. No one knew how long he’d been standing there, but he was definitely watching now.
Since when has he been here…?
Kim Yong-ha’s eyes widened. Had Kang Hak-gwan seen everything from the start?
The moment Kang Hak-gwan entered the scene, the atmosphere flipped. The chaotic noise died down like it had been doused with cold water. People scattered from the area in an instant, leaving only Yong-ha, Hyun-joong, and Yoon Yi-hyeon standing in Kang’s path. Even the bodyguards stepped back to give him space.
“Care to explain what’s going on here? Esper Kim Hyun-joong. Guide Yoon Yi-hyeon.”
“I-I… uh…”
Hyun-joong, who’d been shouting moments earlier, shrank back immediately, his shoulders hunched and voice faltering under Kang’s stare. Even Yoon Yi-hyeon’s expression had frozen over. Clearly, Kang Hak-gwan’s sudden appearance had caught both of them off guard.
Yong-ha wasn’t much different. He swallowed hard, instinctively trying to read Kang’s expression. Still, he figured he might be fine—he hadn’t started anything. He just got dragged into it.
“You two. Come with me. And you as well, Guide Kim Yong-ha.”
“Y-Yes…?”
“You’re coming too.”
“…Understood.”
With that, Kang Hak-gwan turned and walked out of the cafeteria. The three of them followed behind like kids being sent to the principal’s office, feet dragging.
***
The silence was suffocating.
Kim Yong-ha sat rigid in his chair, shoulders tight. Next to him, Kim Hyun-joong and Yoon Yi-hyeon looked just as tense, stealing glances toward Kang Hak-gwan with anxious expressions.
Seriously… Why’d they have to blow everything up like that? If they’d just shut up and stayed quiet, none of this would’ve happened.
Even so, he couldn’t shake the unease crawling under his skin. With Hwang Seol-bin’s re-evaluation coming up, the last thing they needed was a scene like this blowing up.
Finally, after a long, heavy silence, Kang Hak-gwan spoke. His gaze locked straight onto Kim Hyun-joong.
“Esper Kim Hyun-joong. I distinctly remember telling you to watch what you say.”
“…I swear I’m not lying! I just told the truth! Guide Kim Yong-ha is the one who caused all this—so why should I have to keep my mouth shut?!”
Hyun-joong shot up, venting his frustration like he’d been holding it in the entire time. But Kang Hak-gwan’s eyes narrowed as he cut him down with a quiet, cold voice.
“I told you to shut up and sit down. Was I unclear?”
“But I was only trying to tell the truth—!”
“Truth, huh… Tell me, Esper Kim Hyun-joong. Do I look like a fool to you?”
“No! Absolutely not, sir!”
Hyun-joong frantically waved his hands in denial, but Kang Hak-gwan’s eyes were already like daggers—glacial and razor-sharp. Even just watching from the side made Yong-ha break into a cold sweat.
Kang Hak-gwan stared Hyun-joong down in dead silence for a few long seconds before turning to the next target.
“Guide Yoon Yi-hyeon. You were involved as well.”
“That’s not true! I didn’t do anything—I only spread the rumors because Esper Kim Hyun-joong asked me to—!”
“What?! When the hell did I ever ask you?!”
“You did! You practically begged me! I only helped because you insisted—!”
“Bullshit!”
Yoon Yi-hyeon’s desperate deflection immediately got shouted down by Hyun-joong, and the two started going at it like school kids, blaming each other with rising voices.
Kang Hak-gwan just stared at them—expressionless, unmoving.
“Both of you will face consequences for this.”
“Huh?”
“W-What do you mean?”
“You’ll be reassigned. Somewhere else. Effective immediately.”
“Reassigned?!”
“Why me?! It’s all Kim Hyun-joong’s fault—!”
“The decision’s already made. You’re dismissed.”
It hit like a bomb. They both tried to protest, voices rising in panic, but it was no use. Within seconds, other Espers entered the room and hauled them out.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha.”
“…Yes.”
Kang Hak-gwan turned his gaze on him. Watching him deal so coldly with the other two, Yong-ha instinctively straightened his posture, lips sealed tight.
After a brief pause, Kang Hak-gwan finally spoke.
“I suggest you start acting with more discretion. I won’t be offering any more leniency.”
“…Yes, sir. I’ll be careful.”
And with that, the meeting was over. As he stepped out of Kang Kah-gwan’s office, Kim Yong-ha couldn’t help but let out a long, relieved sigh.
***
…Guide Yoon Yi-hyeon and Esper Kim Hyun-joong… got transferred to the provinces?
I’d only just come back to work after a proper break when the news blindsided me.
What the hell happened while I was gone?
