“Then we’ll begin the second mission. The first partners will be Esper Hyun Tae-oh and Guide Lee Jun-hyung.”
The Production Director called Tae-oh and Jun-hyung forward, and the two sat side by side in the chairs the staff had prepared in advance.
Given thirty minutes, Jun-hyung told Tae-oh that he’d adapt to him. He didn’t know what the bonus prize was, but since the condition was that he’d keep it entirely to himself, Jun-hyung went into the game determined to win.
Which meant that regardless of Tae-oh’s effort, all Jun-hyung had to do was answer based on the Tae-oh he’d come to know.
Across from them, the Production Director glanced down at his cue card.
“Let’s begin. Ten questions in total. Answer simultaneously.”
The moment his words ended, a staff member signaled the start, and the timer on the LED screen above them began to tick.
“Esper or Guide!”
“Guide.”
“Guide.”
Both answered in unison, and Tae-oh shot a quick glance at Jun-hyung. At the center of his world was Kang Chi-yu—and Chi-yu was a Guide. Naturally, when given the choice between Esper and Guide, the answer was obvious.
For something decided in just a second, it was perfect.
“Snow or Rain!”
“Rain.”
“Rain.”
“Morning or Evening!”
“Evening.”
“Evening.”
They continued answering in sync until the final question, where their answers diverged.
“Plan or Impromptu!”
“Impromptu.”
“Plan.”
The two looked at each other. Jun-hyung almost laughed—this guy looked like he lived on impulse, yet he chose “Plan”?
At his expression, Tae-oh raised a brow as if to say, What?
Still, out of the first nine questions, they’d only missed one.
Jun-hyung had been watching Tae-oh since their Academy days. He knew Tae-oh resembled Kang Chi-yu as closely as possible, so he deliberately chose answers Chi-yu would likely prefer.
And his guess had been spot on. As expected, Jun-hyung had a knack for any kind of game.
Finally, the last question dropped.
“Older or Younger!”
“Same age.”
“Same age.”
The two of them blurted out an answer that wasn’t even among the options. The staff looked flustered—what were they supposed to do with that?
After some debate, they decided to count it correct. Since the whole game was meant to test “telepathy,” identical answers—even unlisted ones—fit the spirit of the rules.
The next round was Yoon Do-jae and Kang Chi-yu.
Chi-yu worried things might be awkward after rejecting Do-jae earlier, but Do-jae was just himself—considerate as always. He kept his usual demeanor so Chi-yu wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, which allowed Chi-yu to act the same toward him in return.
They ended their game with six correct out of ten.
Last up were Min Yu-hyun and Beom Do-il.
During their thirty minutes, Yu-hyun drilled Do-il with everything he liked. Do-il had boasted he was good at memorization, so Yu-hyun made him recite everything until it stuck. But more than that, Yu-hyun wanted Do-il to mistakenly believe he was falling for him, using the game as an excuse to reveal more about himself.
By the time the game started, Do-il had heard so much about Yu-hyun’s preferences that his ears practically rang. He rattled off answers instantly, hitting them one after another.
Seeing how well his “crash course” worked, Yu-hyun couldn’t help but smile, fully absorbed in the game.
But the idiot, out of sheer habit, still chose things Jun-hyung liked—and ended up missing three questions.
***
The third game was Find Your Partner.
Behind an opaque wall stood three Guides, each sticking a hand through a hole. Espers had to identify their own partner by touch alone.
The format leaned heavily toward entertainment, especially in the final round. The producers had debated long and hard whether to include it.
They knew critics would accuse the show of turning into a variety program under the guise of reality. But they also knew it would generate attention.
Since this was the first broadcast after the show’s revamp, they needed something explosive.
Before restructuring, complaints piled up that the show was too stiff and boring. This was their chance to brand it as a reality program that could also deliver fun through special segments.
Perhaps sensing that, Hyun Tae-oh and Beom Do-il completely ignored the rules and invented their own game.
Tae-oh was already holding Kang Chi-yu’s hand, while beside him, Yoon Do-jae scoffed at being told to let go, insisting that was his partner’s hand.
Beom Do-il was kneading Lee Jun-hyung’s hand like dough, while on the other side of the wall, Min Yu-hyun waved his neglected hand frantically, calling Do-il’s name.
The producers had envisioned Espers identifying their partners through the subtle flow of Guiding energy.
Instead, Tae-oh and Do-il recognized Chi-yu and Jun-hyung instantly by touch alone, breaking the entire setup.
Yoon Do-jae too recognized Chi-yu’s hand immediately and fought to pry it from Tae-oh’s grip.
Soon, Tae-oh and Do-jae were even using their abilities in a tug-of-war over Chi-yu’s hand, while Do-il clung to Jun-hyung’s and declared gleefully, “This is definitely Guide Lee Jun-hyung’s hand!”
From behind the wall, Guide Min Yu-hyun snapped.
“It’s not Guide Lee Jun-hyung’s hand—it’s mine! Mine! Do you not know the rules, you idiot!?”
So furious he forgot the cameras were rolling, he cursed Do-il outright.
“How many times did I tell you—if you don’t understand the rules, then at least remember who your partner is! Do my words mean nothing to you!? You want me to lose this stupid game because of you!?”
Jun-hyung, exasperated by Do-il fondling his hand, gripped him painfully tight and ordered him to grab Yu-hyun’s instead. Do-il, however, replied cheerfully:
“Who cares about the game? Isn’t it amazing that I can find you like this?”
“Yeah, great. Now just play the damn game.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Nobody’s gonna win this round anyway.”
Do-il said it while glancing at Tae-oh, still clutching Chi-yu’s hand.
From behind the wall, Yu-hyun’s voice cracked with fury.
“Beom Do-il, Esper!! Get over here right now!?”
***
The overall winners of the missions were Hyun Tae-oh and Lee Jun-hyung.
When Do-il cheered as though it were his own victory, Yu-hyun smacked him hard on the back. The action slipped out before he realized, and afterward he glanced nervously at the cameras.
“Ow!”
He desperately wanted to erase the humiliation of the third game, but the Production Director told him it was impossible—cutting it would mean scrapping the entire segment. Yu-hyun was half resigned.
Still, with that idiot acting like Jun-hyung’s win was his own, Yu-hyun burned with irritation.
“Why’d you hit me….”
Do-il rubbed his back with a pitiful face.
“You’ve got a real talent for pissing me off. So just shut your mouth.”
Yu-hyun muttered low enough only for Do-il to hear. Do-il obediently tucked his lips inward and looked back toward the staff like a scolded child.
What an embarrassing mess. Min Yu-hyun of the Central Bureau now risked not even making it into Part 2.
His pride would never allow that.
Ever since that lunatic Hyun Tae-oh suddenly started chasing after his childhood friend Kang Chi-yu, Yu-hyun had realized the possibility of pairing with him was gone.
Which left only Yoon Do-jae or Beom Do-il.
And in the end, it narrowed to Do-il.
The idea of pairing with Do-jae—and even engaging in saliva-contact Guiding—was nauseating. Not because he disliked him, but because they were simply incompatible.
Do-il wasn’t exactly a match either, but at least he felt easier than Do-jae. And Yu-hyun still clung to the belief that Do-il had fallen for him.
So Yu-hyun resolved that no matter what, he would seize the spotlight in Part 2 of A Pair is Born.
“Now, Esper Hyun Tae-oh and Guide Lee Jun-hyung, here’s the promised bonus prize.”
At the Director’s signal, a staff member handed him two ticket envelopes.
“Don’t tell me… lodging vouchers…?”
Yu-hyun muttered, eyeing them.
“What? A hotel??”
Do-il looked back and forth between Yu-hyun and the Director with wide eyes.
The Director handed the envelopes to Tae-oh and Jun-hyung.
“These are vouchers for the Ability User Hotel recently built by JPT in Y-Zone, an uninhabited island. Since the winners are likely the closest to being true Pairs, the staff carefully chose this gift. We also arranged with the Central Bureau to grant a week-long vacation immediately after filming, so you can use them right away. We hope Esper Hyun Tae-oh and Guide Lee Jun-hyung enjoy their time together.”
At those words, Beom Do-il glared at Tae-oh, eyes blazing.
“Give it to me.”
“Give it to me!”
The words burst out simultaneously. Tae-oh aimed his demand at Jun-hyung, while Do-il shot his at Tae-oh.
The moment their voices overlapped, the two locked eyes—as if on cue.
