“Already getting tested? Hey, think this through. If your scores come out high, it’ll end up tying you down, you know?”
“You’re getting tested too.”
“Well, yeah… but I bombed the college entrance exam. You, on the other hand, already got your acceptance letter.”
The day he went in for his aptitude test, a few of Yu-won’s friends tried to talk him out of it. It wasn’t mandatory, but if his scores turned out unusually high, he could get dragged into something he didn’t want.
Maybe that kind of risk wouldn’t matter to someone drifting aimlessly through life. But for Yu-won—who’d ranked first in his class for three straight years and earned a spot at the top university in the country—it was clear he had more promising things to do than become an Esper or Guide.
“I hope I get good scores. Whether it’s as an Esper or a Guide, they’re still technically civil servants, right? The higher your rank, the better the pay… and you get a job right away.”
“If we’re going to take the test eventually, might as well get it over with now.”
“Yeah, but… you’re still a weirdo.”
They were twenty, fresh out of high school. Yu-won hadn’t gone in expecting much.
Not like it’ll happen, but if I do turn out to be an Esper or a Guide… maybe I’ll get a chance to see him up close, just once.
That was all Yu-won had been hoping for when he went to the Center. But that visit ended up changing his entire life.
“Yoo Cheol-hyun… Your Esper aptitude is D-rank, Guide aptitude F-rank.”
“D-rank, huh…”
“Well, you might be able to manifest minor abilities in a life-threatening situation. That’s about the extent of it. Center entry starts at C-rank, so you’re free to head home now.”
At the Center, they tested both Esper and Guide aptitudes simultaneously and gave the results immediately after. For how long they’d waited, the exam ended almost anticlimactically fast. Cheol-hyun, Yu-won’s friend, looked a little disappointed.
“Man, I was hoping for something more.”
“You heading out first?”
“No, we came together. I’ll wait. You won’t take long anyway—let’s grab food after.”
“Lee Yu-won. Please step inside.”
“Go on, I’ll wait.”
Cheol-hyun patted Yu-won on the shoulder before taking a seat. Passing by him, Yu-won stood up and walked into the testing room.
“Please place your hand on the orb and remain still for twenty seconds.”
The test was much simpler and shorter than he’d imagined. As soon as Yu-won placed his hand on the orb, it lit up twice.
“…?”
The measurement didn’t take long, and yet unlike with Cheol-hyun, the staff member who’d guided Yu-won inside didn’t return right away with the results.
Did something go wrong?
Just as he started to grow anxious, the door opened, and a man he’d never seen before entered the room.
“Ah, Director.”
Director?
“Hello, Lee Yu-won. I’m Kang Tae-soo, Head of Evaluations at the Central Center.”
“Hello. Is there a problem?”
“It looks like we’ll need to run a more detailed measurement.”
That was when Yu-won started to sense that things weren’t going to be ordinary. After the second evaluation was complete, Yu-won and Cheol-hyun were taken to a separate room to speak with the director.
“You are an S-rank Guide, Lee Yu-won.”
“What?”
It wasn’t Yu-won who answered—but Cheol-hyun, who’d followed him into the room. Yu-won stared at the director in shock.
“You said you’re twenty, right? Have you already decided on a college…?”
“He got into H University’s law department as the top admit.”
“Ah… then it might be a bit difficult for you to join the Center right away.”
The director spoke with a hint of disappointment. Yu-won asked calmly.
“I can choose my admission date, right? I can also decline, if I want to.”
“Yes, you can. And if it’s for academic reasons, you can postpone as well… but…”
He trailed off, glancing awkwardly at Cheol-hyun as if there was more he wanted to say but couldn’t with a third party in the room.
Cheol-hyun, oblivious to the subtext, jabbed Yu-won in the thigh, trying to dissuade him from making a hasty decision.
“Hmm… Would your friend mind stepping out for a moment?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ll wait on the first floor.”
As soon as the director spoke, Cheol-hyun grabbed his things and left. The director, looking a little conflicted, continued.
“There’s an Esper we’ve been struggling with for years due to matching rate issues. He’s also S-rank, but his constitution makes it almost impossible to pair him with Guides. The thing is… even if the matching rate is low, if the Guide is S-rank, the guiding burden is lighter. So right now, an S-rank Guide is absolutely necessary. That’s why I really hope you’ll consider joining the Center. That’s why we brought you here.”
At those words, Yu-won immediately thought of Rion.
Since that day, Yu-won had regularly watched interviews and videos featuring Rion. Sometimes, he thought Rion didn’t look well in them.
Espers were always in short supply, and Rion was the most capable among them. Maybe he was simply overworked.
Yu-won had believed the Center wouldn’t be negligent with someone as important as Rion, but still—if he became a Guide, an S-rank Guide, maybe he could help him, even just a little.
And with that thought, Yu-won nodded without hesitation. If he joined the Center as an S-rank Guide, then one day he might get the chance to guide Rion. He could truly, tangibly help him.
“I’ll do it.”
***
“So I’ve decided to join the Center. They said I should talk it over with my parents first and get back to them in a few days… but honestly, it’s not like my parents’ opinion really matters.”
“Are you out of your mind? What about college? You said you were going to look at your apartment tomorrow!”
Later, when Cheol-hyun heard Yu-won’s decision, he grabbed his shoulders and shook him like crazy, shouting in disbelief like he was Yu-won’s parent.
“Dude, think carefully. Even if you’re an S-rank Guide, it’s a life-risking job. You’re throwing away everything you studied for!”
“It’s fine.”
“Fine? What part of this is fine? Ugh, forget it. Your parents will talk some sense into you.”
On the way home, Cheol-hyun kept nagging him to reconsider, but Yu-won didn’t hear a single word of it. Only one thought filled his mind.
“…So, that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Yu-won… I understand that you’re grateful to him. I’m grateful too. I know he’s an incredible person. But still…”
“Whatever you say, I’m doing it. Even if you don’t give me your blessing, I’m telling you because I have to say it.”
Yu-won cut off his mother’s attempts to persuade him, voice resolute. His father, watching silently, shook his head with a wry smile.
“Honey, let it go. He’s not the kind of kid who’ll change his mind just because we say no. If we oppose him, he’ll probably cancel his college admission and leave anyway.”
“I already submitted my cancellation.”
“See? Told you—he always does what he says.”
His parents, knowing their son better than anyone, didn’t try to stop him. They also knew that Espers and Guides were considered national assets, and the higher their rank, the more they were paid—cutting off support wouldn’t work as a threat.
And just like that, Yu-won became a Guide.
After a month of rookie training, he’d be working at the same Center as Rion—possibly becoming a Guide who could truly support him.
I shouldn’t make it too obvious I’m a fan. It’s not like he’ll recognize me anyway.
There was a huge difference between the Yu-won in middle school and the Yu-won now at twenty. He’d grown nearly 20 centimeters, and his once-small frame had filled out from consistent training.
Besides, they’d only met once. It wasn’t like he could’ve left a deep impression.
Actually, it’s better if he doesn’t remember. I don’t want to be remembered as some clueless kid who didn’t know how dangerous things were.
That thought made Yu-won’s expression harden. In just a month, he’d see Rion again—and he couldn’t go into that meeting unprepared.
“You seem like a kid trying too hard to act mature.”
“You throw me off sometimes. Makes me wonder if I can trust you. It’s because all you’ve done is study. What good is theory if you can’t apply it?”
That first meeting had gone badly—and even if Rion didn’t remember it, Yu-won couldn’t show up as an immature rookie.
[Work is work, and personal matters are personal. Anyone who can’t separate the two doesn’t belong in the Center.]
[Then what do you think is the most important quality for an Esper or a Guide?]
[Hmm… Composure? When you’re inside a Gate, anything can happen—things you’d never expect. In those situations, you need to be more rational than anyone… but to be honest, I still find it hard sometimes.]
Yu-won remembered an interview he’d seen with Rion. Cold, composed, strict about separating personal and professional life. Yu-won vowed to become that kind of person and started digging up all of Rion’s interviews again.
[If you had to choose between a kind but incompetent teammate and a skilled one with a terrible personality, which rookie would you prefer?]
[The one who’s good at their job. Inside a Gate, ability matters more than personality. And, well… even if someone’s a jerk, after going through all kinds of missions together, I figure you’d end up friends eventually.]
Rion had smiled as he said that—so full of confidence. Yu-won wanted nothing more than to become someone who could truly support him.
Mature. Clear boundaries between personal and professional. Even if I come off a bit cold… at least I won’t look like a kid. And someday, we’ll be close.
There were so many rules now, but that was okay. If it meant seeing Rion up close—and helping him—then none of that mattered.
That was how Yu-won became an S-rank Guide at the Central Center.
