#99
Seong Ha-young and Kim Jin-woo were filled with anticipation as Oh-yul was coming to conduct a matching rate test. It was clear that there were limitations to research in a private institute. With a shortage of Espers and samples to observe, the couple, after much deliberation, moved to the public corporation along with other researchers they had been working with.
Their move was influenced by Do-hyun’s persuasion, but the main reason was the rumor that the S-class Esper Oh-yul, known for his extremely low matching rate, had gotten a dedicated guide. A guide who single-handedly calmed an Esper known for “devouring” guides was inherently interesting as a researcher. They also hoped to get hints about the stagnant research on guiding assistant drugs.
But that being…
Kim Jin-woo faced Ho-woo with mixed feelings.
“So you’ve manifested as a guide.”
“…Yes.”
His tone wasn’t pleased. Rather, seeming more worried, Kim Jin-woo glanced at Oh-yul and Choi Seon-woo standing behind Ho-woo. If Ho-woo was being threatened, he was ready to roll up his sleeves and help. As if reading Kim Jin-woo’s thoughts, Oh-yul buried his lips on the nape of Ho-woo’s neck and whispered lightly.
“Ho-woo, you should introduce me to the people you know.”
At Yul’s request, Ho-woo momentarily questioned with an “Huh?” Come to think of it, shouldn’t Oh-yul be introducing himself? After all, Seong Ha-young and Kim Jin-woo were researchers affiliated with the management corporation, and Ho-woo was a stranger visiting the corporation. However, without further comment, Ho-woo introduced the Esper clinging to his back to the couple, who now looked a bit better.
“This is, as you all probably know, my… lover and Esper, Oh-yul.”
To be able to introduce this man to others as his lover and Esper. Ho-woo’s face flushed with an inexplicable feeling of embarrassment. One day, he would be able to introduce him like this to his father too. Oh-yul, holding the warmth-filled Ho-woo, happily rumbled his throat.
“I’m Oh-yul, Ho-woo’s Esper.”
Even without introduction, there was no one in this research institute who didn’t know who he was. So Oh-yul was just showing off. It was as good as boasting and warning those gathered here that he was Ho-woo’s Esper, that they were bound to each other.
A blue light briefly flickered and faded in the Esper’s eyes as he looked around the spacious room.
“Is everything prepared for the requested matching rate test?”
The man who had just been Ho-woo’s soft lover instantly changed his expression and returned to being the master of the management corporation. Kim Jin-woo, who had been looking dumbfounded for a moment, checked on Seong Ha-young, who still had a complex expression, and instead guided the two to the testing machine.
The chair placed in the center and the circular metal space surrounding it were designed to capture the special energy waves emitted by Espers and guides. Ho-woo looked at the unfamiliar machine and then, following Kim Jin-woo’s guidance, awkwardly entered and sat down.
Ho-woo fidgeted with his fingertips. His gaze naturally dropped due to awkwardness and tension.
“Don’t worry.”
The lover sitting across from him gently comforted Ho-woo.
“It’s not much once you actually do it.”
Oh-yul lightly held Ho-woo’s hand. A gentle wave flowed over the touched skin. Ho-woo closed his eyes tightly. As guiding was repeated, the energy gradually became more distinct. If at first it was just tingling, now he could feel each flow of water. Feeling the delicately flowing energy, Ho-woo glimpsed the vast sea that Oh-yul possessed.
That sea was brilliantly beautiful.
Ho-woo focused all his attention solely on Oh-yul. The surrounding noise gradually dulled as if only the two of them existed in the world. The thumping heartbeats resonated through each other’s bodies via their palms. A languid breath escaped Oh-yul’s lips.
Finally, when the energy flow completed one cycle, a sharp warning sound disrupted Ho-woo’s concentration.
“Ah…”
A regretful exclamation escaped from Ho-woo. Oh-yul seemed equally disappointed, moistening his lips with his tongue as he opened his eyes narrowly.
“Is it over?”
Silence settled all around. Everyone stared at the result displayed on the screen connected to the machine with disbelieving faces.
“This can’t be.”
As if agreeing with someone’s muttered words, noise erupted. Amidst the murmuring crowd, Ho-woo’s gaze met with the couple’s. Their faces, mixed with shock and doubt, were grotesquely distorted. Ho-woo blankly stared at the screen.
NULL.
How should this be interpreted?
He had expected the matching rate to be high. Because it didn’t feel bad. Because unlike other guides, he was fine. But the result is NULL. A result of nothing.
His head felt dizzy. Oh-yul was also silently staring at the screen.
Ho-woo was surprised to see his lips slowly curve into a smile.
Oh-yul was smiling. Quite happily at that.
While everyone else was serious, the man who had been smiling alone patted Ho-woo’s shoulder reassuringly when he met his uneasy gaze. The gentle touch, with almost no force, smoothly traveled down his shoulder and intertwined their hands. The aftereffects of the intense guiding quickly stabilized Ho-woo even with that small contact. His agitated heart became strangely calm. Ho-woo felt a bit unfamiliar with himself.
Oh-yul was the only one relaxed among those who had fallen into a cauldron of confusion. With a leisurely face, he spoke calmly in a voice neither loud nor soft.
“Enough.”
Even amidst the noise of various voices entangled, his voice overwhelmed those around. As the commotion suddenly subsided, Oh-yul tapped the floor as if to say focus on him. After confirming the gazes focused on him and Ho-woo, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Dr. Seong Ha-young and Dr. Kim Jin-woo, let’s talk separately.”
A faint tension appeared on the faces of the two at the sudden summons. Oh-yul was about to leave the lab with Ho-woo first, but as if he just remembered something, he turned to Choi Seon-woo.
“Esper Choi Seon-woo, clean up here a bit. Neatly.”
Choi Seon-woo quietly raised his lips at that order.
“Neatly. Yes, understood.”
Meanwhile, as his gaze met Ho-woo’s, Choi Seon-woo even winked, squinting one eye. His two eyes with a hint of purple curved narrowly.
“Have a pleasant talk.”
He bowed exaggeratedly. His grinning face somehow looked eerie, so Ho-woo deliberately turned his head and followed Oh-yul out. Oh-yul walked leisurely, but since the office was within the same management corporation, they arrived soon. He politely ushered the three into his space.
Beyond the black door with a shiny new nameplate, the office was a bit different from what Ho-woo remembered. First, the red traces on the wall had disappeared, and the broken wall was completely fixed. A laptop that seemed to be used for work was on the desk, but there were so many piles of papers organized in file folders around it that Ho-woo thought if he were the owner of this room, he wouldn’t want to sit at that desk.
As Ho-woo sat down awkwardly, Oh-yul took out a few small chocolates from the desk drawer and handed them to Ho-woo. Ho-woo was about to distribute them one by one to Seong Ha-young and Kim Jin-woo, but seeing Oh-yul’s slightly sulky expression, he quietly put them in his pocket.
The Esper, finally relaxing his expression, sat in the empty seat and rested his chin on his hand.
“Hmm, where should I start?”
He tapped his chin with his finger, seeming to ponder his words for a moment. Silence settled in the office for a while.
“First, that this incident is not strange?”
“Esper Oh-yul. Generally, a matching rate can’t come out as NULL. This means the value wasn’t measured at all.”
Because there was no matching rate to measure, the measurement didn’t proceed. In other words, Ho-woo couldn’t become a guide. Not by normal methods.
Seong Ha-young carefully examined Oh-yul’s eyes. The pupils were black, without even a hint of blue mixed in, perhaps due to the influence of the recent guiding. It was a color that could never appear if guiding hadn’t taken place. Because Espers naturally consume energy continuously even when not using their abilities.
So this means that guiding occurred between Oh-yul and Ho-woo just now, and the machine failed to record it. This had never happened before. Not once since Espers and guides appeared and machines capable of measuring matching rates were created.
Seong Ha-young couldn’t understand what this meant. It felt like all the knowledge she had was rendered useless. Kim Jin-woo felt the same way.
“This has never been recorded before.”
“Just because it hasn’t been recorded doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
Oh-yul met their wavering gazes straight on. He liked their faces, mixed with scientific curiosity and concern for Ho-woo.
They could never harm Ho-woo anyway.
Skillfully hiding his own expression and emotions, the Esper continued speaking.
