It had already been a few days since my date with Kang Biso—a night that was both fun and unexpectedly thrilling. I’d caught myself kicking my blankets over and over from the memory of what happened at the movie theater, which earned me some weird looks from Baek Beom. But aside from that, life had gone back to being pretty normal.
With only a little time left before the end of my shift, I opened the next file—an Esper I’d be guiding soon.
Kang Cheol-soo. A-Rank Esper.
That rank alone made my eyes narrow. As a D-Rank Guide, I typically handled C or D-Rank Espers. Having an A-Rank come to me for Guiding? That just didn’t happen. Sure, Kang Biso’s file had been doctored to list him as C-Rank, and Kim Seong-gyeong was a special case, so they were exceptions. But a real A-Rank?
Someone like him should be going to Kim Yong-ha or Yoon Yi-hyeon…
Even if not one of them, there were plenty of other Guides he could’ve picked. Why me?
No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t add up. But as a D-Rank, I wasn’t in any position to turn down an A-Rank’s request.
— BANG! BANG! BANG!
Just then, the door slammed open with a loud knock, and a man stormed into the room.
He didn’t even wait for a response before barging in. The nerve. I swallowed my irritation and stared at the man who clearly didn’t know the meaning of basic manners.
“This the Guiding Room for D-Rank Guide Hwang Seol-bin?”
The guy had a buzz cut, sharp eyes that looked like they’d been slashed across his face, thin lips, and ears weighed down by piercings. Towering well over 190 cm with a body packed full of muscle, he looked like trouble from the moment he walked in.
He smacked his gum loudly and spoke in lazy, disrespectful speech, like it was second nature. His eyes raked over me with clear disdain. The feeling was mutual.
“Yeah, this is the place. Have a seat.”
He wasn’t going to leave just because I ignored him, so I pointed to the chair. The man swaggered over and plopped down, crossing his legs with an arrogant smirk.
“…Please give me your hand.”
“You.”
“Sorry?”
“You’re the one harassing Yoon Yi-hyeon, aren’t you?”
“…Excuse me?”
Harassing Yoon Yi-hyeon? What the hell was he talking about? His smirk was irritating, but I kept my face neutral and asked calmly.
“I’m not sure what you mean. Yoon Yi-hyeon is a colleague of mine…”
“Colleague? Don’t make me laugh. A D-Rank trash like you calling him a colleague? What a joke! You piece of shit!”
His face twisted with anger as he shot up and shouted. It was clearly a scare tactic, probably hoping I’d cower, but it didn’t faze me. I’d survived worse than this. No way some thug like him would shake me.
Still, I had to wonder—what was this guy’s connection to Yoon Yi-hyeon?
“You think I came here for Guiding? Ha! You, a fucking D-Rank, trying to mess with Yoon Yi-hyeon?”
“…I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ve never done anything like that to him.”
“Guys like you always say that. ‘Never happened,’ ‘Don’t remember’—same bullshit every time. You bastards only remember once you’ve been beaten senseless. Like this!”
He raised his fist and loomed over me, clearly trying to pick a fight. It was obvious he hadn’t come for Guiding at all. But that didn’t mean I could just hit back.
“I told you, I haven’t done anything to him.”
“So what, now you’re saying I’m making things up? That it, punk?”
He scowled and jabbed me in the chest with his fist. It wasn’t a light tap either—it shoved my chair backward.
What the hell is this guy’s problem? When the hell did I ever harass Yoon Yi-hyeon?
Wait… could this be that scene from the book? The one where Yoon Yi-hyeon first lashes out at Kim Yong-ha, starting down the villain path? This kind of lines up…
But why is he coming at me instead of Kim Yong-ha? What the hell did I do?
“Hah, are you zoning out while I’m talking? You really need to get your ass kicked to come to your senses, huh?”
No matter how many times he tried to threaten me, I just stared back. Maybe realizing his intimidation wasn’t working, he suddenly grabbed me by the collar and yanked me out of the chair. His grip tightened around my throat, cutting off my air, but I didn’t look away. I just kept my eyes on his.
“What, you think I won’t hit you? Think the Center’s gonna protect you? Let me tell you something—nobody lifts a finger for D-Rank trash like you. Got it? So stop acting big. Stay in your lane.”
His constant shit-talking had finally pushed me over the edge.
“…You talk too damn much.”
“What?”
“You clearly didn’t come here for Guiding, and you’re impossible to talk to. So get the hell out.”
“Oh, you little fuck. You just tell me to leave? Me?”
“Yeah. Right now, get ou—ugh.”
His face turned bright red, and without a second thought, he punched me. I didn’t even dodge. The slow-ass fist landed with a loud smack, jerking my head to the side. I could taste blood in my mouth—guess he split my lip.
Perfect. He threw the first punch. Now anything I do is self-defense.
“So, you hit me?”
“Yeah, I did. Why? What are you gonna—AAAGH!”
I twisted his arm back without hesitation, yanking it behind him in one swift, fluid motion. The man didn’t even have time to resist—his wrist was wrenched back with a sickening angle, and he screamed in pain.
“Aaaagh! Let go! Let go, you fucking bastard!”
He thrashed, kicking out wildly and trying to twist free, but it was useless. My grip was locked in place, and he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Y-You… Let the hell go!”
He must’ve thought I’d be easy to overpower. His face was a mix of confusion and panic, but he kept struggling. I tightened my hold to shut him down for good.
— CRACK!
“AAAAAGH!”
…Okay, maybe I overdid it. His wrist snapped with a loud pop, and I felt it give way under my hand.
Shit. That was a little too much.
Holding onto a clearly broken wrist seemed excessive, and the guy’s screaming was getting seriously obnoxious. He wouldn’t be throwing punches anytime soon, so I let go. He dropped to the floor, clutching his wrist and groaning.
“Ugh… uuuuugh…”
He looked pale, practically shaking as he whimpered on the ground. Then, despite all that, he turned to glare at me.
Seriously? Still has the nerve to give me attitude?
That just pissed me off more.
— BANG!
“Guh!”
I shoved him toward the wall. Maybe harder than I intended. He crashed into it with a solid thud, hitting the back of his head so hard his eyes rolled back—and he dropped, unconscious.
“…Well. That escalated.”
That definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Now what?
I stared at the body for a while, debating my next move, before finally pulling out my phone. First thing’s first—call the Team Leader.
Honestly, if Yoon Yi-hyeon had just stuck to the original plot and sent this guy after Kim Yong-ha, none of this would’ve happened. This was entirely his fault.
Then again… if Kang Cheol-soo had gone after Kim Yong-ha instead, there’s a good chance he would’ve gotten hurt. So maybe it was better this way.
If word got out that an S-Rank Guide had been assaulted by an A-Rank Esper, the Guide Center would’ve lost its damn mind trying to protect him. But a D-Rank? An incident like this would barely make waves—and Kim Yong-ha would stay out of the spotlight.
After a long ring, the call connected.
[Hello?]
“Team Leader… it’s Hwang Seol-bin. Sorry, but something’s happened…”
***
The moment the news hit that an Esper had attacked a Guide, the entire Guide Center went into full-blown chaos. The Team Leader and the medical staff stormed into my Guiding Room.
“Guide Hwang Seol-bin! Are you alright?!”
“Yeah, I’m fine. But… that guy’s the one you should be worried about.”
The Team Leader paused, catching his breath as he looked me over. His expression twisted when he saw the swelling on my cheek. Then his eyes landed on the Esper collapsed against the wall.
“What the… What the hell happened here?”
“He attacked me. Just lunged out of nowhere. I dodged, and he slammed into the wall. Knocked himself out cold.”
“He ran into a wall… by himself?”
The Team Leader clearly didn’t buy it—but after a long sigh, he gave a slow nod, accepting it for now.
“…Alright. Guide Hwang Seol-bin, looks like you just need some minor treatment. That Esper, though—he needs to go to the infirmary.”
He shifted into professional mode, calmly coordinating the response. The medics rushed past me, loading the unconscious Esper onto a stretcher and carrying him out.
The Team Leader watched him go with a deep frown.
“Honestly… this isn’t the first time that Esper’s caused trouble. He picked a fight with another Guide not long ago too. Guess we were too lenient back then. But now? A repeat offense like this—we’ll be pushing for serious disciplinary action. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You must be shaken up. Go home and rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
He gave my shoulder a reassuring pat before leaving the room.
“Sunbae! Sunbae! Are you okay?!”
That voice—Kim Yong-ha came bursting in, eyes wide with panic. Through the open door, I could see Espers and Guides standing outside, whispering to each other. With the Team Leader and medics rushing in earlier, it was only natural people got curious.
“Your face… Did that Esper do this?! Who the hell punches someone in the face?! I swear, I’ll get payback for this, Sunbae!”
“Already handled it. You saw him getting carted off, didn’t you?”
“Well yeah, but still—!”
“…And I think your anger’s aimed at the wrong person.”
“Huh?”
Kim Yong-ha looked confused, but I didn’t explain.
I walked past him and stepped outside. Beyond the murmuring crowd, hidden behind one of the center pillars, I spotted him—Yoon Yi-hyeon.
He was chewing his nails, looking visibly anxious. The second our eyes met, he flinched and quickly turned away, disappearing from sight.
***
Yoon Yi-hyeon couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
None of this was supposed to happen.
The plan had been simple: Kang Cheol-soo would rough up Kim Yong-ha and Hwang Seol-bin a bit, scare them into apologizing to Yoon Yi-hyeon. But because Kim Yong-ha was an S-Rank Guide, his request had been denied. So he’d told Kang to start with the easier target—Hwang Seol-bin.
And now Kang Cheol-soo was the one being wheeled into the infirmary?!
Yoon replayed the events in his head.
When Kang said he finally got a session with Hwang Seol-bin, Yoon had delayed his own appointment just to secretly watch it unfold.
From what he heard through the door, Kang had the upper hand. He was yelling, pushing the guy around… then came the sounds of a scuffle—thuds, grunts, chaos. Then silence.
Something felt off. He stepped back to keep an eye on things, only to see the Team Leader and medics rush in… and carry out Kang Cheol-soo.
“What the hell is going on?! Shit…”
He winced—his nails had broken the skin. Blood welled up on his fingertips. Nothing was going right.
And if Kang Cheol-soo told the Team Leader he’d been ordered to do this?
Yoon shook his head hard.
No. Cheol-soo wouldn’t. He never has.
No matter how many times he got punished, Kang Cheol-soo had never once snitched on him.
Goddammit. I told him to scare the guy, not go overboard like this!
Everything was spiraling out of control. Chewing his nails down even further, Yoon Yi-hyeon turned and hurried away.
