“As I mentioned earlier, Part 1 of A Pair is Born: Season 2, titled Finding My Pair, was created to address the fundamental flaws of Season 1’s system, where randomly matched temporary Pairs were forced to hunt beasts together.”
With the cameras rolling and all six cast members gathered in the living room, the Production Director began explaining the details of the new program.
In Season 1, viewers voted to decide which Esper and Guide would temporarily team up. In the revamped Season 2, however, Espers and Guides would now choose their partners themselves, without outside interference.
Before Part 2, A Pair is Born, the show would run Part 1, Finding My Pair. Here, three Esper–Guide pairs would rotate partners, testing their compatibility in both missions and Guiding. At the end, each would point out the partner they matched with best. If both chose each other, they would move forward as a team.
For the first three weeks, the six cast members would rotate weekly, each time with a different partner. On the fourth week, they would take part in in-depth interviews and then make their final choices. Everyone except Hyun Tae-oh nodded in understanding as the director spoke.
“Since the purpose is to help you find the partner that suits you best, we’d appreciate it if you actively participate in the missions and games that come up during filming.”
The original A Pair is Born had none of that—it wasn’t structured like a variety show. It focused solely on the raw reality of Espers and Guides working together to fight beasts. The revamped version, however, leaned more toward entertainment while still maintaining that core.
Naturally, complaints were expected—from both the participants and the viewers. Many people had long argued that Espers and Guides shouldn’t be used as entertainment in the first place. Others resented having their work broadcast to the public. Once the new season aired, the backlash would no doubt flare up again.
But after years of debating whether to continue or cancel the show due to its flaws, the network and production team ultimately chose what they felt was the best option. That choice became Season 2.
Part 1 would loosen the stiff, documentary-like format, striking a balance between reality and lighthearted variety. Part 2, on the other hand, would double down on the serious, realistic aspects of the original.
It was overdue. The show had fallen into repetition—similar battles, similar Guiding, similar duties—week after week, with only the cast changing. The restructuring at the 100th-episode milestone was a necessary and natural step.
“The first partner selection process is simple. When you return to your rooms, you’ll find three colored balls on the table. Choose one. Whoever picks the same color becomes your partner. If more than two people pick the same color, only those people will reselect.”
At those words, Beom Do-il stole a glance at Lee Jun-hyung.
He already knew what Jun-hyung’s favorite color was. If it appeared among the three balls, their first partnership would be guaranteed.
Biting down on his lip, Do-il silently wished for a red ball. But he wasn’t the only one with that kind of thought.
Hyun Tae-oh also knew that Kang Chi-yu’s favorite color was yellow. If a yellow ball appeared, he would have no trouble securing Chi-yu as his first partner.
He especially wanted to avoid pairing with Min Yu-hyun. Not only was Yu-hyun an irritating type by nature, but there was already a messy scandal linking them. If they ended up as first partners, the public uproar would be worse than ever.
Normally, Tae-oh didn’t care what people said about him. But now that he had a reason to form an Imprint with Kang Chi-yu, he couldn’t afford unnecessary distractions.
It wasn’t just a feeling—there really was unease in being tied to Min Yu-hyun.
In fact, during contract negotiations, Tae-oh had argued fiercely with the production team over this very issue.
He had joined the program solely for Kang Chi-yu and stubbornly refused to partner with any other Guide. But the staff pushed back, saying that went against the entire premise of the show.
After hours of tense back-and-forth, they reached a compromise: Tae-oh would rotate through all three Guides, but he would only accept Guiding from the one he chose. Even so, the staff—well aware of his difficult personality—were already dreading how much usable footage they’d get from him.
“Now, please return to your rooms and pick your ball. Once your partners are set, you’ll begin your assigned tasks. All areas except the Gate will be covered by two cameras and one drone.”
At the director’s words, the six cast members headed to their rooms.
Because of the absurd rule forbidding Espers and Guides from talking before the first partner was chosen, Tae-oh couldn’t call out to Chi-yu. Instead, as he climbed the stairs, he glanced down at Chi-yu, who was heading up with Min Yu-hyun.
Thanks to Yu-hyun’s complaints, Tae-oh, Chi-yu, and Yu-hyun had all ended up on the second floor. In hindsight, it was a good thing.
Even if the Guides stayed on the first floor and the Espers on the second, movement between floors was unrestricted. That meant Yoon Do-jae could potentially approach Chi-yu while Tae-oh wasn’t around.
At least this way, with Chi-yu close by, there would be no chance of Do-jae sneaking up on him when Tae-oh wasn’t there.
Right now, Yoon Do-jae was the one he had to watch. He had to protect his naïve childhood friend from being taken advantage of.
That was the very reason he’d agreed to this program in the first place.
He didn’t understand why the “no talking before partner selection” rule even existed, but a rule was a rule. So without saying a word to Chi-yu, Tae-oh entered his room.
The first thing he saw was a yellow ball on the table. His lips curved into a long smile.
Among the red, blue, and yellow balls, he didn’t hesitate—he grabbed the yellow one and handed it to the staff.
He was certain Chi-yu would pick yellow as well. That meant their first partnership would go smoothly.
Settling onto the sofa, Tae-oh pulled out his phone, already planning to persuade Chi-yu to Imprint during their time together.
But his expectations were crushed.
Chi-yu chose blue. Because he knew Tae-oh would obviously pick yellow.
At that moment, Chi-yu thought he’d be fine with anyone as long as it wasn’t Hyun Tae-oh.
If it was Beom Do-il, the shoot would be easy. If it was Yoon Do-jae, that wouldn’t be too bad either.
He didn’t want to see Tae-oh filming with another Guide, but he didn’t want to be his first partner either.
It wasn’t rebellion exactly—more like a sulky, twisted reaction. Not quite defiance, but close.
It was also his own little counterattack against Hyun Tae-oh, who always kept him in the “childhood friend” role, stringing him along like he was part of a harem.
By showing he could get along perfectly well with other Espers, Chi-yu wanted to prove he wouldn’t always stay at Tae-oh’s side.
So, simply because he didn’t want to partner with him, Kang Chi-yu picked the blue ball.
And Lee Jun-hyung made a similar choice.
He knew Beom Do-il would definitely pick red—his favorite color. So Jun-hyung deliberately avoided it and picked yellow instead.
He wasn’t ready. He couldn’t bring himself to be Do-il’s partner yet. He had rejected him time and time again, not because he didn’t care, but because he couldn’t steady his own heart.
The wounds he carried were still too raw, and he doubted whether Beom Do-il—who had seen his struggles with relationships since academy days—could truly protect him for life.
Do-il’s straightforward devotion was something he cherished, but he didn’t yet have the courage to accept it.
So he dodged him by choosing yellow.
***
When the partner selections were revealed, each cast member entered the designated room to meet their chosen partner.
In the room where Hyun Tae-oh had been expecting Kang Chi-yu, Lee Jun-hyung walked in instead. Tae-oh’s expression hardened immediately. Jun-hyung, equally uncomfortable, let out a sigh.
“Well… here we are.”
It wasn’t that he hated having Hyun Tae-oh as his first partner. The storm would come eventually, so better to face it now than later.
He just figured that since Tae-oh was infamous for refusing to work with Guides, his own screen time this week would be nonexistent.
Still, given the situation, Jun-hyung thought he should at least get a proper introduction on camera. With an awkward smile, he said:
“So, we’re partners again, Esper Hyun Tae-oh.”
But Tae-oh had no interest in filming. Scowling openly, he asked bluntly:
“Where’s Chi-yu?”
“He picked blue.”
Tae-oh’s face stiffened instantly.
Chi-yu knew Tae-oh would choose yellow. He had chosen blue on purpose.
But why?
Tae-oh couldn’t make sense of it, and the frustration gnawed at him.
“Which Esper is he with?” he demanded, forcing down his anger.
“Esper Yoon Do-jae.”
At that, Hyun Tae-oh shot to his feet, spitting out a curse.
“Ah, fuck.”
