Chapter 71
Association employees with grave expressions were near the Gate, as there wasn’t much time left before the entrance opened.
As expected, their expressions were frustrated, as suddenly appearing Gates were difficult to manage.
No one stopped us, perhaps because our names were already on the list handed to the Association people.
Pushing through the tension-filled area, we found guild members with completely nonchalant expressions.
After being so tense, seeing the relaxed guild members immediately deflated me.
“You’re here.”
“…Aren’t you nervous?”
“Not really?”
My question suddenly seemed foolish.
Some Espers waved, saying “hey~”, and there were Guides who smiled and said it had been a while.
Perhaps because the Gate’s rank didn’t seem too high, everyone appeared relaxed.
“Guild Master?”
“Yes~. Would you like to say something, our prospective guild member?”
“I haven’t signed a contract. Are things always this relaxed?”
“It’s because the gauge is low. At most, it’ll be C-rank. Unless it’s readjusted after we enter, there shouldn’t be any danger.”
The Guild Master answered with a smile, scanning the gathered ability users around before looking at Ji Yeohoon for a long time.
Perhaps because she already knew that Ji Yeohoon’s ability could affect Gates, she kept checking him with a watchful gaze.
Annoyed by her eyes that seemed to be monitoring him as if checking whether he might remove his ability-controlling accessory, I stood in front of Ji Yeohoon to block her view.
“What~?”
I looked up at the Guild Master, whose expression asked what was wrong.
Looking at the Guild Master’s incredibly kind face, I raised the corner of my mouth.
“Nothing.”
Ji Yeohoon wouldn’t even think of such a thing, but when you look at him that way, it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.
But since I couldn’t say that, I just shook my head.
Only the first Gate had its rank increased due to Ji Yeohoon’s power.
Since then, not once had a Gate’s rank increased, yet Ji Yeohoon was still receiving suspicious glances.
During that time, Ji Yeohoon had participated in many studies conducted by the guild.
How and in what way he could influence Gates.
And that wasn’t all. He had been assessed by mental Espers and specialists who determined that he was mentally healthy and had no possibility or intention of misusing his abilities.
As a result, he wore an ability control device under guild supervision, only removing it when necessary.
Now, Ji Yeohoon had become skilled enough at control that he could affect other Espers without influencing Gates at all.
Despite this, he still occasionally received such looks.
When I talked to the guild, it wasn’t so they would monitor whether he was wearing his control device properly or whether he might increase a Gate’s rank.
I’d told them because I was worried his ability might manifest somewhere he couldn’t control it.
It was ridiculous to see the guild, which should be protecting Ji Yeohoon, treating him like a person of concern.
“…Our Hoonie isn’t a child anymore, is he?”
“High school students are minors.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Please stop looking at him like that.”
She might think I’m being sensitive.
But I couldn’t help feeling upset.
After the first Gate incident, Ji Yeohoon had trembled with fear.
After learning that his ability affected Gates, he’d fallen into despair, but brightened up again after discovering he could control his power.
It wasn’t right to give such looks to a kid who was still young.
Seeing my glaring face, the Guild Master looked troubled but quickly changed her expression.
“I was wrong.”
Both Ji Yeohoon and Yoon Cheong looked at her as if asking what she meant, but the Guild Master’s eyes were directed at me.
She raised her hand to point at Ji Yeohoon.
With a deep sigh, the Guild Master bowed her head toward Ji Yeohoon.
“I’m sorry for not trusting your abilities.”
I saw the confused faces of Ji Yeohoon and Yoon Cheong standing beside him, but I gave them a very slight smile.
This is why I like perceptive people.
The Guild Master knew I wanted her to apologize directly to the person who received the look, so she immediately bowed.
Since it wasn’t an apology for me to receive but one that Ji Yeohoon should receive, I gladly deferred the apology to him.
Yoon Cheong’s face was full of questions, but Ji Yeohoon just looked at the Guild Master with a surprised expression before smiling as usual.
This guy’s perceptiveness has been improving lately.
“Should we prepare to enter?”
“Yes. Did you bring everything?”
“Yes, I brought it. You’ll protect us well, right? We’re still high school students.”
Even if we’ve been temporarily accepted as guild members, we’re legally protected high school students.
Though we were treated similarly to adults because we had completed Gate conquests, we were still minors.
She seemed to understand my expression, which implied I wouldn’t let it slide if there was an accident involving minors whom the guild had requested for Gate conquest.
The Guild Master, who would normally have smiled slyly, turned her eyes to the guild members.
“Will you look at my face?”
Where are you trying to avoid the issue? Why aren’t you answering quickly?
Association employees were basically recording everything.
The Guild Master must know they were recording, so it would be difficult to make hasty promises or apologies.
I was demanding anyway, knowing this.
Whether she apologized or said everything would be fine, I wanted to leave a record.
Even if my words weren’t recorded, I wanted to keep as much information as possible about Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon, and avoid any potential bad situations in advance.
“We’re high school students, Guild Master. Shouldn’t you make sure no accidents happen?”
“Ah, alright. I’ll ensure you can leave first if it’s dangerous.”
“Thank you.”
The Guild Master’s attitude was somewhat lukewarm, but that was fine.
I knew that someone in a Guild Master position couldn’t freely make absolute statements.
Especially for Calling, which is ranked first in the country, with numerous guild members under the Guild Master, how could they speak carelessly?
They had to be politically positioned, twisting their words to avoid harm to the guild.
On the other hand, I was demanding they look after the boys even if it harmed the guild.
Yoon Cheong, Ji Yeohoon, and I had never clearly expressed our intention to join the guild.
But from the guild’s perspective, we were a combination of ability users that was difficult to let go.
A bad combination if lost, and a good ally even if we didn’t join.
The Guild Master, having considered all situations, promised to somehow return us safely.
Of course, that was enough for me.
If they cared about me enough to imprint on me, they would prioritize leaving the Gate if my situation became bad.
I felt that even if they did something reckless, the guild would stop them.
“So do we go in as soon as it opens?”
“No. There are still people who haven’t arrived. We’ll go in first if they don’t come before the Gate closes again.”
“People who haven’t arrived?”
In the distance, Ji Yeohoon’s parents were waving.
Looking at the Gate’s rank and the number of guild members, it seemed like everyone had already arrived?
As I looked puzzled, the Guild Master, who had been smiling at us, made an annoyed expression when she saw people approaching from a distance.
“I thought they were actors…”
“I thought so too.”
“I didn’t know a person’s expression could change so suddenly.”
They appeared to be Espers sent by the Association.
They were all dressed in what looked like uniforms, and seeing Ye Han-dam at the back confirmed it.
He was the one who had left for Chaehwa with Ye Han-seo instead of returning to school on our last day at the ski resort.
It seems like he was immediately summoned to school just after going home to rest. For us, it makes sense since we were near the school, but is Chaehwa already deploying minor ability users like this?
Feeling somewhat sorry, I stared at Ye Han-dam, and the two boys blocked my view.
“What are you doing?”
“Hyung, let’s go over to where those Guide hyungs are.”
“Let’s move.”
Just say it with words, don’t pull me from both sides.
I had a rough idea why they blocked me, but I pretended not to notice and let myself be led by their hands.
After hearing the confession at the ski resort, I tried not to look at Ye Han-seo.
Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon also tried to keep Ye Han-seo out of my sight.
The two acted like nothing was happening, but how could I not notice Ye Han-seo’s silver-mixed hair behind them?
I’d have to be stupid not to know.
The two were so obvious that even Ye Han-dam came to ask what was going on.
But even if he was the older brother, it was awkward to say, “Your younger brother confessed to me,” so I just said Ye Han-seo had gotten on the bad side of the two and left it at that.
It’s a bit strange seeing him for the first time since then.
But since we’d eventually face each other once inside, I looked up at them, wondering why they bothered blocking.
It was just funny and cute how they were trying to keep my attention on them, staring directly into my eyes.
Their skill at using facial expressions was really improving.
Whether it was Ji Yeohoon chattering away with a bright smile right in front of me, or Yoon Cheong, who usually speaks and smiles little, deliberately looking down at me with a smile.
“…You guys are doing this on purpose.”
“Doing what?”
“What?”
No, you’re handsome enough that I might forget.
Shaking my head, I prepared to enter the Gate.
Having experienced this a few times, I thought it would be manageable even if a bit nerve-wracking.
But this time it wasn’t easy.
As the middle of the space tore open, a shrill, uncomfortable sound emerged from inside the Gate.
“What the…”
“Ugh…”
Many covered their ears and glared at the Gate.
I’d never heard such a sound from a Gate before.
We needed to go in quickly, but goosebumps made it difficult to step forward.
I have to go in there? How? Gritting my teeth, I tried to move, but the Espers stepped forward without hesitation.
Only the Guides and distant Association employees appeared tense.
Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon were looking at me worriedly, not at the Gate.
“You guys, isn’t that noise bothering you?”
“It’s loud, but are you okay?”
“It doesn’t bother me. Hyung, your expression doesn’t look good.”
“I’m not the only one…”
As Guides who had to enter the Gate with us covered their ears, the guild Espers also seemed concerned, checking on the Guides.
The Guild Master walked around among people, monitoring their condition, then came toward us.
“Are you alright?”
“I don’t think I can go in. I’ll go back from here.”
The Guild Master smiled at my immediate answer.
“You seem fine if you can joke. Shall we prepare to go in soon?”
This is why I hate perceptive people.
If we delayed any longer, the Gate would close, and the gauge might rise and explode, so we needed to enter quickly and conquer it.
Like me, the Guides didn’t seem to want to enter the Gate with that chilling sound.
But since we couldn’t send in only the Espers, I forced myself to move.
“Hyung, don’t stray from beside that shield.”
“Okay.”
The Guides gathered in one place, and a defense-type Esper approached.
Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon seemed about to go forward, but turned back to approach me again.
“What?”
“If you cheer us on, we’ll be quick.”
“Really? Come back safely.”
“…Is that it?”
“Yes.”
At my brief response, both looked hurt as they turned away.
“Come back without getting hurt. If you get hurt, I won’t let it slide.”
I hugged their waists with each arm, released them, then pushed their backs.
“Is that really all?”
Seeing their disappointed faces, I slapped their backs, thinking “What more do you want?”
“Don’t put your cheeks out if you don’t need guiding, Ji Yeohoon. The same goes for you, Yoon Cheong.”
As they nodded in understanding, all I could offer them was, after all, just guiding.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
