“This is a pretty unfamiliar combination.”
“Yeah. I never thought I’d end up entering a Gate with you.”
The next day. It was officially announced that the year’s second S-rank Gate was expected to form, and not long after—almost as if it had been waiting for the notice—the Gate appeared.
Last time, they’d managed to detect the signs of a Gate forming relatively early, which had given them at least a bit of time to prepare. This time, they hadn’t been so lucky, which was a little disappointing.
“It couldn’t be helped. And even if we’d known in advance, Gates were popping up one after another anyway, so we wouldn’t have been able to make a better choice than this.”
News that even the Center Director would be entering the Gate spread quickly, leaving the Center buzzing with unrest. People were even joking that this year was so cursed they should be performing a shamanistic ritual or something.
But for those who had to enter the Gate immediately, there wasn’t even room for such talk. Hyobin, who’d rushed straight back to the Center without any rest after coming out of a Gate that had ended earlier than expected, spoke with a tired expression.
“I figured that if I stayed active long enough, I’d probably enter an S-rank Gate at least once someday…… but I didn’t think it’d happen this suddenly.”
“There are people who go in even after retiring, so what are you complaining about?”
“You’re right. Guess I shouldn’t be showing off.”
Hyobin spoke while pretending to cover his mouth at the Center Director’s remark. After that brief bit of banter, the meeting to plan the Gate quickly began.
“Compared to the last S-rank Gate, the overall Gate values came out slightly lower. It’s on the lower end among S-rank Gates, but it’s still not something we can relax about.”
The Center Director briefed them on the findings from the Gate investigation. Fortunately, for an S-rank Gate, the numbers weren’t especially high.
Compatibility mattered more than raw numbers, and that was something they wouldn’t know until they actually went in. Still, by assigning Espers with a variety of attributes, they’d prepared to handle any situation that might arise.
The assault team—composed of two S-rank Espers and four A-rank Espers—was an extremely unusual lineup. The fact that there were two S-rank Espers alone was noteworthy, but pairing the Center Director with a rookie who’d just finished training was a combination that was hard to picture no matter how hard one tried.
“Uh, s-so, what exactly am I supposed to do?”
An A-rank healing-type Esper. Jeong-hyeon, who had only just gotten his name onto the Central Center’s roster, stood among his seniors, nervously glancing around as he fidgeted.
Didn’t they say he’s the same age as Min-hyeon? Min-hyeon was exactly like that when he first joined the Center too.
Because of the nature of healing-type abilities, he was bound to have more work than other Espers. Still, for a rookie who’d just entered the Center, having his very first Gate be an S-rank Gate was undeniably harsh.
Watching his hands tremble as he looked around anxiously was almost pitiful.
“The Gate’s already formed, so we won’t have time for extended preparation training. But I absolutely will not tolerate anyone going in there and flailing around like an idiot.”
“Th-then…….”
“I’ll be personally overseeing the training, so don’t expect this to be easy.”
“Haah, I got out of a Gate less than three hours ago…….”
“It’s only been one day for me.”
Espers who hadn’t been out of a Gate for long grumbled quietly. But knowing full well this wasn’t a situation where they could complain, they soon focused on the Center Director’s words.
“We’re heading down to Busan on Tuesday, and Monday will be the last day we can rest. That gives us four days total, including today. For just four days, train like you’re already dead.”
The Center Director spoke in a firm voice. Because he usually joked around with the Espers, they answered, assuming the training would be no different from usual even once it started.
“Yes.”
“Got it.”
He’ll probably take it easy on us while checking our condition. With that thought, the Espers nodded and headed for the training room. A few hours later, trapped inside that same room, they deeply regretted their earlier optimism and wished they’d just pass out instead.
***
“Was it really that rough?”
“Yeah. I managed okay, but the others were losing it. Have you met the new healing-type Esper yet?”
“I’ve met Jeong-hyeon a few times.”
“He looked like he was about to cry. Talk about suffering the moment you enter the Center.”
After the hellish training session ended, Rion went to Yu-won’s guiding room to receive guiding. Holding Yu-won’s hand, he chatted away. He’d never talked this much while receiving guiding before, but though it felt unfamiliar, it was surprisingly comfortable.
Rion pushed his complicated thoughts aside, telling himself he’d deal with them after getting through this Gate. Still, the ease with which a smile came to his face couldn’t be helped.
“They even dragged all the Guides out to train, saying we have to be prepared for extreme situations. How’s a kid who just joined supposed to hold up? Still, it was impressive how hard he was trying to push through.”
“Sounds like you took a liking to him.”
“Who doesn’t like someone who works hard? And he’s a rookie. We should look out for him.”
Feeling good from the guiding, Rion spoke in a languid tone. The guiding itself, and this peaceful routine of talking about trivial things with Yu-won, both put him at ease.
“He’s a good person, Jeong-hyeon.”
“Min-hyeon was thrilled. I know it’s hard for non-combat Espers to enter Gates, but it was the first time I’d seen someone genuinely that excited.”
“He struggled a lot last time, so I doubt he wanted to go in again.”
Yu-won’s tone sounded oddly unenthusiastic, but Rion assumed it was just his imagination and continued.
“This time, you’re the only S-rank Guide going in.”
“Yeah. Hyobin sunbae’s matching Guide is A-rank.”
Unlike the previous Gate, where two S-rank Guides had entered, this time Yu-won was the only S-rank Guide. That was because Hyobin, an S-rank Esper, was matched with an A-rank Guide.
“Their matching rate isn’t high enough to apply as a pair, so technically they’re just matching Guides. But since they always enter the same Gates, they’re basically a pair in practice. Like us—.”
Rion stopped himself mid-sentence. He’d been about to say they were similar to them, but since he and Yu-won weren’t unable to form a pair due to a low matching rate, saying that might sound like he was rubbing it in.
Once we’re out of this Gate…… maybe I’ll try submitting a pair application again.
Then he wouldn’t have to stay behind alone, anxious, while sending Yu-won into a Gate like this. With that thought, Rion glanced down at the hand he was holding.
He said he wanted to respect my opinion when it came to the whole pair thing. If I ask again, wouldn’t he say yes?
“Do you still need more guiding?”
“H-huh?”
As Rion was imagining a hopeful future, Yu-won gave his hand a slight squeeze and asked. The guiding had been sufficient for a while now, but Rion hadn’t said anything because he wanted to linger in this moment just a bit longer.
“I got a notification from the Center Director. Training starts again in ten minutes.”
After hearing that, Rion checked his phone and saw that there really was a group notification. The fact that he hadn’t even heard it meant his mind had truly been elsewhere.
“This schedule’s brutal. This much guiding is enough. Don’t Guides have a separate training schedule?”
“They do, but it starts after regular guiding hours end.”
“Talk about squeezing out maximum efficiency.”
Rion clicked his tongue. Even he, someone who preferred tight schedules, found this intense—everyone else probably felt like running away.
“I don’t think they’ll go easy just because they’re Guides. The Center Director’s training style is completely old-school. If you go, he’ll probably say something like, ‘Back in the day, even Guides hunted a few low-level monsters and were self-sufficient for food,’ and start teaching you how to wield weapons.”
“That actually sounds pretty good.”
“You really are unusual. If it were other Guides, they’d already be screaming that they hate it.”
As if to prove Rion’s point, a shout of “I hate it!” echoed from somewhere. He couldn’t be sure that voice belonged to a Guide entering this S-rank Gate, but the timing was impeccable.
“It’s good to be able to protect yourself, at least a little. We don’t have amazing abilities like Espers, but I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Hey, it’s not like you’re a burden. Protecting Guides inside a Gate is one of an Esper’s duties anyway. Don’t stress about it—just train moderately. I’m there, so what’s there to worry about?”
Rion joked as he told him not to worry. He couldn’t protect them all the time, but he was confident he could do his best to keep Guides from ending up in dangerous situations.
“Ah, I shouldn’t be standing around like this. I should get going. By the time your regular guiding hours end, the Espers’ training should be over, so we’ll probably miss each other.”
“Go in and rest first.”
“Yeah. Hang in there. See you at home later.”
After saying that, Rion left the guiding room. The casual phrase “see you at home” felt oddly embarrassing, and feeling awkward for no real reason, he shut the guiding room door a bit hastily.
“Don’t think about it now. Once we’re out of this Gate…… then I’ll think it through properly. Work comes first, Kang Rion.”
Ever since joining the Center, this was the first time thoughts unrelated to work had floated around his head all day, and it felt unfamiliar. Still, he didn’t particularly want to deny that feeling.
Whether it was thanks to the guiding or something else entirely, Rion’s steps toward the training room felt a little lighter.
