Kwon Ho-eun greeted the morning with sunken eyes, dark circles shadowing his face. A company-wide notice had been sent out stating that all PR Department staff were required to attend a meeting scheduled for that morning. The topic: Anti-Government Sweep operations.
It was 10 p.m. the night before, just as Ho-eun was preparing to go to bed, when he received a short message from Hosoo. It simply instructed him to upload a report for tomorrow’s meeting as a reference.
He was initially startled just to be contacted that late, and then doubly so when work was suddenly dropped on him. If Hosoo had just told him earlier that afternoon when they met in person, Ho-eun wouldn’t have had to stay up into the early hours of the morning to finish the report.
“In-ho, don’t bother cooking. Just sleep a bit more and let’s hit a café.”
Trying to cling to every second of sleep, Ho-eun responded to the rustling of bedsheets. Do In-ho, well aware of Ho-eun’s late night, had already pulled the curtains open to let the morning sunlight in, then crawled back under the covers.
“Did you finish that work report?”
“Mmm…”
Mumbling like a child with his face buried in In-ho’s chest, Ho-eun answered groggily. He had managed to fend off In-ho’s offer to help last night and ended up writing the 63 Square report himself. The company template made it seem like it should be easy enough, but once his fingers hit the keyboard, uncertainty crept in.
No one had ever taught him how to write a report. Was this how all companies worked?
Bracing himself for potential humiliation in the meeting room, Ho-eun clung to the warm cocoon of In-ho’s body under the blanket, dragging out the moment before he had to get up.
After stopping by a café for sandwiches and coffee, the two of them made it to the meeting room on time. Ho-eun had even remembered to print out the report in the office beforehand.
The meeting room was the same one they’d used last time, but with Team 2 now officially on parental leave, the empty seats stood out more than ever.
Ho-eun and Do In-ho took seats at the side and waited for the others to arrive.
“Good morning.”
The voice came from Nam Woon-soo, who walked in with a leaf stuck in the middle of his hair—God knows what he tripped over this time. Ho-eun half stood to greet him. Nam Woon-soo responded with a small nod and took a seat. Soon after, Bae Yeon-woo entered the room, swept his eyes over Ho-eun with visible irritation, and completely ignored his greeting.
From the moment they first met, Bae Yeon-woo had been openly hostile. As Ho-eun touched his own cheek absentmindedly, he wondered if maybe he just had a bad first impression. But he’d always been told that his eye-smile gave him a friendly, trustworthy vibe—especially by elders. He had no idea how to respond to this kind of cold animosity.
The air in the meeting room felt dry and scratchy against his throat. As Ho-eun sipped from a bottle of water—probably set out by Jinny—Hosoo walked in, dressed in a navy suit.
He was holding a stack of documents. Ho-eun was relieved he’d already placed his report on Hosoo’s desk.
“Looks kind of empty with just two people gone, doesn’t it?”
After glancing at the vacant chairs, Hosoo handed out the documents.
“Alright. We should’ve done this earlier, but better late than never. Let’s start with introductions. Since you’ll be working together from now on… I’m Hosoo, Assistant General Manager of the Guide Corporation. You two, go ahead.”
His gaze shifted to Nam Woon-soo and Bae Yeon-woo. The latter straightened his slouched posture.
“I’m Assistant Manager Bae Yeon-woo from the Guide Corporation. This is Nam Woon-soo, former Team Leader of the Esper Association’s Special Division.”
He gave his introduction without sparing so much as a glance at the others.
“I’m Esper Do In-ho.”
“I’m Kwon Ho-eun, new hire at the Guide Corporation.”
Ho-eun forced a friendly, open smile as he spoke. An invisible thread of tension seemed to stretch across the room, strung so tightly that one wrong move might set off an alarm. In the midst of the tension and cautious glances, only Hosoo appeared relaxed. He flipped a page and chuckled lightly.
“Assistant Manager Bae, take good care of the rookie.”
Feigning ignorance, Bae Yeon-woo focused on the documents, ignoring the remark.
“As you can see in the handouts, this meeting’s for reviewing the information collected by the former Special Division on anti-government figures, as well as going over recent updates.”
Five profile photos were attached to the documents. Some were wearing traditional Korean masks, others showed their bare faces.
“First, Wonsin. Exact age unknown, but suspected to be a minor. His ability is mental domination. Direct eye contact is the trigger.”
Ho-eun immediately recalled the scene at 63 Square. Wonsin—yes, that was him. A small figure, voice unbroken, somewhere between boy and girl. He remembered how the boy’s brown eyes glowed violet as he issued a command.
[Anti-Government Profile 1]
- Name: Wonsin
- Height: 158cm
- Age: Estimated minor (12–17 years)
- Ability: Mental Domination
“Since his ability isn’t offensive in nature, he rarely appears on the frontlines…”
As if he’d gotten a paper cut, Nam Woon-soo suddenly started bleeding from his fingertip while flipping the page. Bae Yeon-woo clicked his tongue in annoyance beside him.
[Anti-Government Profile 2, 3]
- Names: Choi Seon-yul, Seon Ak-yul
- Heights: 182cm, 179cm
- Ages: 27, 26
- Abilities: Light and Shadow
“Second are the Yul brothers, who always appear together on-site.”
“Yul brothers…”
Memories flashed through Ho-eun’s mind like a panorama. A mischievous voice rang in his ears. He could almost swear Seon-yul’s voice was whispering right next to him.
“They’re versatile. Depending on how their powers are used, they can be effective in both offense and defense. Together, they’re the trickiest ones to deal with…”
Nam Woon-soo continued, his voice flat and emotionless like he was reading a lullaby.
[Anti-Government Profile 4]
- Name: Ban Seol-ah
- Height: 172cm
- Age: Under investigation
- Ability: Ice Manipulation
“Third, Ban Seol-ah. She seems to be the closest to the anti-government leader. She once fought Esper Do In-ho. According to that report, she’s presumed to be S-Class—likely the highest among the anti-government members.”
Do In-ho had once been trapped inside an ice-formed box and hadn’t been able to break free right away. It wasn’t until he used an Esper Ability Enhancer that he managed to shatter it—Ho-eun remembered that clearly.
“She mainly provides defensive support from the rear. Her ability is top-tier, but so is her hatred toward the government…”
Now that he thought about it, unlike other anti-government members who had tried to capture the Guides alive, Ban Seol-ah had tried to kill him on sight. Even now, a phantom pain throbbed in his healed abdomen and the back of his head.
[Anti-Government Profile 5]
- Name: Unknown (Leader)
- Height: 188cm
- Age: Unknown
- Ability: Unknown
“Finally, the one referred to as the boss. Aside from height, everything about him is a mystery.”
Crack.
A loud snapping sound made everyone turn toward it. The pen in Do In-ho’s hand had snapped clean in two.
“…”
Their eyes met. Do In-ho simply gave a calm look and incinerated the pen with his ability, leaving not even ash behind. Ho-eun offered an awkward smile and looked away.
“He rarely appears in standard operations. During battle, he doesn’t use his own ability but instead relies on Ability Products, so we have no intel on what his actual power is.”
Only the sound of papers flipping echoed in the room. As Ho-eun read the last profile, his expression turned curious.
[Anti-Government Profile 6]
- Name: Wolrang
- Height: 167cm
- Age: Unknown
- Ability: Wind Manipulation
“The reason we called today’s meeting is this new profile.”
“We encountered her during support work for the Civil Complaints Division in Sangju. She called it her territory. We couldn’t find any previous records of her identity.”
This time, it was Do In-ho—not Nam Woon-soo—presenting the new information. Perhaps he had compiled the data himself. Ho-eun stared at Wolrang’s neatly organized profile for a long moment.
He had been present at that site too. But this was the first time he learned that he was expected to help create profiles and submit reports after field missions. He was a new hire—no one had told him. But how long could he use that excuse?
“There may be more beyond Wolrang. Lately, many suspected Espers have vanished after meeting with the HR Department. They might’ve defected to the anti-government side…”
“That recent anti-government appearance on the broadcast had a big impact. People are recognizing the rebels before they even understand the government Espers.”
“HR Department?”
It was the first time Ho-eun had even heard of such a department. And what did “suspected Espers” mean? Wasn’t an Esper just… an Esper? No one else seemed to be asking, so he stayed quiet.
“HR handles scouting Espers.”
“I’ll explain that part later.”
With a firm but polite voice, Bae Yeon-woo cut Hosoo off. His sharp glance toward Ho-eun was the kind you’d give something utterly pathetic. Ho-eun’s cheeks burned under the direct hit.
No one told me anything! I’m a rookie!
He wanted to defend himself, but even that felt like a pitiful excuse, so he bit his tongue.
“For now, it looks like the anti-government group is trying to expand. Meaning there are likely more members beyond Wolrang.”
A rhythmic tapping echoed from the table. Hosoo scanned the documents thoughtfully before raising his head.
“Looks like we’ll need to request cooperation from HR.”
“Khhck!”
Nam Woon-soo, mid-sip of water, choked and coughed repeatedly. Bae Yeon-woo, scowling, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over. The fluidity of the motion made Ho-eun curious about their relationship.
“I’ll take care of the HR coordination. Everyone else, standby and prep individually.”
With those words, Hosoo signaled the end of the meeting. He picked up the report Ho-eun had submitted—without ever opening it—and stood.
“Oh, Espers, come with me for a moment.”
The door opened and Nam Woon-soo and Do In-ho followed Hosoo out. Just as Ho-eun was about to stand, the door slammed shut.
The one who closed it was Bae Yeon-woo—who’d looked annoyed the entire meeting.
“Kids these days have no manners, huh?”
His aggressive tone made Ho-eun point to himself in confusion.
“Yeah, you. When you see your senior Guide, the polite thing to do is bow your damn head.”
Yeon-woo slowly approached the frozen Ho-eun. He raised a hand, grabbed the back of Ho-eun’s head, and slammed it down.
“This is how you greet someone, you little shit.”
Ho-eun hadn’t realized.
How coddled his company life had been until now.
The real corporate world was just beginning.
