“Hello?”
[Emergency deployment in Sanghyeon-dong. The Gate that’s been quiet for days suddenly started opening.]
“What? Why are we only hearing about this now?”
[They didn’t feel any fluctuations until just now, so the people on site panicked and called in a rush. Sorry for the last-minute notice, but most of our people are out on assignment in Chungcheong because of the Gate there, so we need you to…]
“Send me the address. I’m on my way.”
Rion ended the call as he hastily stripped off his clothes.
Two days left until official pair registration.
Thank god the Center Director had pulled his name from the Chungcheong Gate raid roster, saying he should take time to cool off and get mentally prepared.
[Snot-nosed brat]
“…I guess I have to drag him along too, huh?”
Fresh out of the shower, hair still dripping, Rion stared down at his phone.
Well, like it or not, they were about to be an official pair. And who knows, they might even finalize the registration inside the Gate. Might as well bring him along.
With a scowl, Rion hit the call button.
[…Hello.]
“Get up. A Gate just opened in Sanghyeon-dong. It’s an emergency. Most of the others are still stuck out in Chungcheong, so we’ve gotta handle this.”
From Yu-won’s half-asleep voice, it seemed he hadn’t gotten the call yet. Rion’s voice was urgent.
“If things go a certain way, our registration might get finalized inside the damn Gate. Get ready and meet me outside—I’ll text you the address.”
He’s a pain, but he does his job properly. He’ll be out quick. Thinking that, Rion opened the fridge.
“Seriously, what kind of disaster drops before sunrise?”
The fridge was stuffed with health drinks Kang-woo had been handing him lately.
Still, Rion figured he should eat something before heading out. He grabbed a few items and left the dorm.
Flying might be faster than a taxi. It’d use up more stamina, but with Yu-won nearby, he could recover from that.
“…Wait. If I get there first but Yu-won’s late, I can’t enter anyway.”
The thought hit him mid-step, and Rion slapped a hand to his forehead. Where does that bastard live again…
[I’m heading out now.]
That was all Yu-won said when he picked up. Typical. No manners.
“No, wait—where do you live?”
[Near the Center. XX Officetel… Why?]
“Ah, I know where that is. Stand in front. I’ll come pick you up.”
Every second counts—no time to wait around. Rion ended the call and flew straight to the XX Officetel.
Since he’d left from the Center, it didn’t take long to reach the location.
There, still bleary-eyed from sleep, was Yu-won—looking quite different from usual.
Long-sleeved T-shirt, track pants, messy bedhead. Seeing him like that, Rion couldn’t help but think, Damn, he really is a kid.
“Let’s go.”
“…We taking a taxi?”
Yu-won blinked, still not fully awake.
“Want me to grab my car?”
“You have a car?”
Yu-won gave a slow nod. Rion had known he came from money, but still…
Shaking off his reluctance, Rion stepped in front of him. This isn’t the time for this.
“Forget it. If we were taking a car, I wouldn’t have flown all the way here.”
“Then…”
“We’re flying. Grab on tight.”
Rion grabbed Yu-won’s arms and slung them over his shoulders.
Yu-won, still dazed, instinctively tightened his grip and leaned into Rion as they lifted into the air.
The position ended up looking like a full-on embrace, but Rion didn’t care.
“Yeah, hold tight like that. We’re going.”
“Wait, what—”
Yu-won didn’t get to finish. Rion took off at full speed, slicing through the early morning sky.
***
“You got here earlier than I expected.”
“I flew like hell.”
Having arrived in Sanghyeon-dong, Rion set Yu-won down and joined the other Espers for a briefing.
He was a little worn out from pouring out so much energy flying here, but thanks to the health supplements and his matched Guide being present, he figured he’d manage.
“Not sure how much you were told, so I’ll just go over everything. The Gate’s rated B-class. I mean, it’d be worse if another A-class popped up just days after the one in Chungcheong, so I guess we’re lucky?”
“What about the assigned squad?”
“Well, since the higher-ups wanted you to rest, they sent most of the A-ranks to Chungcheong. We need to leave at least a skeleton crew behind at the Center in case anything else happens, so… You’re the only S-rank here. The rest are B- and C-ranks.”
Rion looked around, troubled.
At least the Espers present had a good amount of experience for their rank. That was something.
“Not gonna be easy.”
A little dazed, Rion popped open a health drink and started sipping.
His senior, Gwang-hyeon, was used to the sight and continued talking without missing a beat.
“Yeah. Still, the team is combat-focused. The Guides were pulled last-minute from the night shift, but… lucky for us, your partner’s here.”
“He’s not my partner yet.”
“Well, tomorrow it’s official, right?”
“Deadline’s two days away at 6 PM. We’ve got over 50 hours left, thank you very much.”
Rion grumbled and slurped his drink a bit more aggressively.
Still, it had been smart to bring Yu-won.
“We were waiting for you to start, so let’s head in. Oh—if you flew here, don’t you need guiding?”
“99% S-rank guiding, remember? I’ll be fine in a minute.”
Rion shrugged and walked over to Yu-won.
Without a word, he held out his hand.
Yu-won stared at him for a moment.
“We’ve got to go in now. Gate’s open. Give me guiding, quick.”
Yu-won glanced at Rion’s lips, still sipping from the health drink, then finally took his hand.
His sluggish response irked Rion—this isn’t the time to move like a sloth—but the moment guiding started flowing through their hands, all his irritation melted away.
Well… it’s not guiding’s fault.
Rion stared at their clasped hands, dazed.
He’d been avoiding Yu-won’s guiding ever since that fight a few days ago—the one where Yu-won accused him of recklessly charging into enemy territory without a plan.
But as he said: work is work, personal life is personal.
Even if he couldn’t stand the guy’s face, guiding before entering a Gate was a must. No two ways about it.
Rion nodded to himself.
“This’ll do. Let’s go.”
With his energy replenished, Rion let go and turned toward the Gate.
The other Espers and Guides, who’d been waiting for Rion’s guiding to finish, grabbed their gear and gathered near the entrance.
This’ll probably be my last mission with Yu-won before we’re officially paired, Rion thought, stepping through the Gate.
“Ugh, it’s hot.”
The inside of the Gate was a scorching desert under a blazing sun.
Veteran senior Gwang-hyeon gathered the group’s attention.
“Watch your footing in the desert! You never know what kind of monsters could pop up from under the sand. Keep your eyes on the ground at all times. Rion, you see anything?”
From his vantage point in the air, Rion surveyed the Gate.
“The sandstorm’s too thick. I could see more if I went higher, but… then I might not be able to react fast enough in an emergency.”
“Have some faith in your seniors. Just map out the terrain first.”
Nodding, Rion flew a bit higher and started scanning the landscape.
But all he saw was endless desert.
He returned to the ground and reported to Gwang-hyeon.
“Nothing. I think you were right—this Gate’s probably the kind where something pops up from below.”
“Ugh, I hate these kinds of Gates…”
Gwang-hyeon scratched his head, scanning the party.
Still, with Yu-won being the only newbie, the team was solid enough.
“With you here, we should be able to handle a B-rank Gate, even if it takes time.”
“Finding the boss is going to be the real problem.”
“I’ve been in a similar Gate before. We took down a bunch of mobs, and then the sand split open and the boss came out. Maybe it’s that type again?”
The experienced Espers huddled up, forming a strategy based on what they knew.
“Of course this happens on my shift.”
“Tell me about it. I was ready to clock out and sleep all day…”
Meanwhile, the Guides were relatively relaxed, having little to do at the moment.
Yu-won also had no immediate task, so he quietly watched the others chat.
“Hey, I heard your pair registration’s about to be finalized?”
One of the Guides came up to him.
Apparently the news of him and Rion becoming an official pair had spread.
“Yes.”
Yu-won gave a small nod.
The Guide, clearly curious, smiled.
“They say you get all kinds of perks and support once you’re officially paired. Must be nice.”
He vaguely remembered hearing something like that, but Yu-won wasn’t particularly interested in perks.
“Sounds like you’ll finish registering once you’re out of this Gate. I’m jealous. Good luck!”
“Thanks.”
Yu-won replied with a faint smile.
Two more days and their adjustment period would end. Then the paperwork would go through.
Some people made a big fuss, saying the registration might happen inside the Gate—but come on. It’s a B-rank. What could possibly go wrong?
With that thought, Yu-won checked the time on his analog wristwatch—one unaffected by the Gate’s interference.
