“…Where the hell is Hwang Seol-bin?! Where is he?!”
Kang Biso stormed through the halls like a man possessed, eyes blazing with fury.
“……”
Kim Seong-gyeong followed behind in silence, watching without a word. No one knew why Hwang Seol-bin had disappeared or where he’d gone, but Kim Seong-gyeong had a gut feeling—if he stuck with Kang Biso, they’d find him.
“What’s going on?”
“What the hell’s up with that guy?”
The people at the center began murmuring amongst themselves and backing away, trying to avoid the commotion. But Kang Biso didn’t care. He kept charging forward, shouting Seol-bin’s name louder and louder as he tore through the Guide Center.
Then, a door up ahead opened, and a familiar face stepped out.
That Guide is…
Kim Yong-ha. The S-Rank Guide.
They hadn’t interacted much beyond introductions, but Kang Biso had seen his face enough in the media—always being mentioned in connection with Hwang Seol-bin—to recognize him immediately.
And clearly, Kang Biso recognized him too. He shifted course and made a beeline straight for Kim Yong-ha.
Kim Seong-gyeong wasn’t sure why he was suddenly targeting Yong-ha instead of searching for Seol-bin, but the intensity in his stride said it wasn’t good.
Worried, Kim Seong-gyeong reached out instinctively to stop him. But before his hand could make contact, another Esper stepped in between them.
Must’ve been one of Kim Yong-ha’s bodyguards.
“…Who are you? If you have business here, you’ll need to submit a formal request to the center.”
Kang Biso didn’t even blink at the warning. Wild with rage, he kept moving forward.
“If you take another step, I’ll be forced to intervene.”
“…Move.”
Kang Biso ground the word out between clenched teeth, glaring daggers at the Esper blocking his way.
“Do you even know where you are? You can’t just storm around like—”
“I said move.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to use my ability. Stop this, now—!”
“I SAID MOVE!!!”
The sheer fury in Kang Biso’s roar hit like a shockwave. The bodyguard’s eyes suddenly went unfocused, and he collapsed on the spot.
Startled, Kim Seong-gyeong glanced around. One by one, the others nearby were dropping to the floor—unconscious.
In the blink of an eye, only three people were left standing in the corridor: Kang Biso, Kim Yong-ha, and Kim Seong-gyeong himself.
What the hell…?
Was this a mental-type ability?
Kim Seong-gyeong frowned. That was the only explanation for how everyone had gone down so fast without a fight.
But Kim Yong-ha was still conscious. If Kang Biso’s ability affected everyone, it should’ve worked on him too.
Which meant Kang Biso had intentionally excluded him.
Kim Yong-ha looked around in confusion, clearly overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Kang Biso closed in—his expression unreadable, his steps unhurried.
Now that everyone else was down, the only one who could stop him was Kim Seong-gyeong.
He tensed, ready to intervene, but something about the scene made him pause. He glanced down at the collapsed bodyguard.
That Esper had been A-Rank. Kim Seong-gyeong remembered seeing him during a dungeon raid—someone with decent skill.
And he went down just like that?
Didn’t even get a chance to fight back. That meant Kang Biso had to be stronger. Probably higher ranked.
Maybe even S-Rank.
Only now did Kim Seong-gyeong start to truly question who Kang Biso really was.
If he had that kind of power, the government or media should’ve mentioned him by now.
Hell, at the very least, Kim Seong-gyeong should’ve seen him in action—on a mission, in a dungeon, somewhere.
But he hadn’t. Not once.
Except when Hwang Seol-bin was with him.
“You son of a bitch.”
While Kim Seong-gyeong was lost in thought, Kang Biso grabbed Kim Yong-ha by the collar.
Startled, Kim Seong-gyeong stepped forward to intervene—
—but froze at the words that followed.
“What the hell did you do to Hwang Seol-bin?!”
What? Why was he asking Kim Yong-ha that?
Did he think Yong-ha was involved somehow?
Kim Seong-gyeong found himself glancing at Kim Yong-ha’s face.
His eyes had dropped, and he was biting his lower lip, looking like someone who’d just been called out—hard.
That look of guilt confirmed it.
He definitely knew something.
If things get any worse, I’ll step in. For now… it’s fine. Everyone’s just unconscious. And if this leads to finding Hwang Seol-bin, then…
Kim Seong-gyeong pushed aside the duty of an Esper to protect Guides—just for now.
He kept his senses razor-sharp, ready to move in an instant if things escalated, watching the two of them with a sharp, wary gaze.
“…Why are you asking me where he is?”
Kim Yong-ha tried to sound calm. But the tension in his voice, the slight tremble—it gave him away.
Kang Biso tightened his grip, fury radiating off him.
“Don’t play dumb with me. You think I haven’t dealt with bastards like you before? Where the hell is Hwang Seol-bin?!”
“What the hell did I even do to make you come at me like this?!”
Kim Yong-ha shouted, voice tight with frustration, as Kang Biso glared at him like he was ready to kill. But Kang Biso didn’t flinch. He bared his teeth and growled through clenched jaws.
“That drink last time. You thought I wouldn’t notice you drugged it?”
…Drugged?
“D-Drugged? What are you talking about…?”
“Don’t even try to deny it! Right after that, Seol-bin went completely off the grid!”
At that, Kim Seong-gyeong’s expression stiffened.
Hwang Seol-bin had gone missing. And Kang Biso was saying it was because Kim Yong-ha drugged him? That the disappearance wasn’t just a coincidence—but a setup?
It was a lot to take in. Sure, Kang Biso’s words weren’t proof on their own. But Yong-ha’s reaction to the accusation—the mention of drugs—looked exactly like someone caught red-handed.
“…I-I swear, I don’t know anything!”
“Don’t give me that bullshit! This is all your doing!”
While the two shouted at each other, Kim Seong-gyeong stood frozen, reeling.
Why…? Why would an S-Rank Guide like Kim Yong-ha go after a D-Rank Guide like Hwang Seol-bin?
If what Kang Biso said was true, Yong-ha had drugged Seol-bin and made him disappear. But why?
That was when—
“Guide Kim Yong-ha!”
“Restrain that Esper immediately!”
Espers from the Guide Center had finally caught on to the commotion and were swarming the hallway.
Kang Biso’s face twisted in annoyance, fingers twitching like he was about to unleash another ability.
But this time, Kim Seong-gyeong couldn’t let him.
He stepped in front of Kang Biso, cutting him off.
“The fuck are you supposed to be now?” Kang Biso growled, eyes narrowing.
“…Why don’t you step back before this turns into something worse? You’re not helping yourself here.”
He was betting on his status as an S-Rank Esper. Kang Biso wouldn’t be reckless enough to pick a fight with him—and a dozen other Espers closing in.
Sure enough, Kang Biso clicked his tongue, then shoved Kim Yong-ha back with a snarl.
“You better pray, Kim Yong-ha. Because when I find Seol-bin… I won’t let you die easy.”
His voice was cold enough to freeze blood.
And with that, he turned on his heel and took off—racing down the hall before launching himself through a window and disappearing.
“Esper Kim Seong-gyeong! What just happened here?”
“Was that a Villain? Was he targeting Guide Kim Yong-ha again?”
Just as Kim Seong-gyeong started to give chase, a wall of Espers surrounded him instead. Naturally, they assumed he’d stepped in to protect Kim Yong-ha and started questioning him without hesitation.
He glanced once at the shattered window where Kang Biso had vanished, then gave a curt answer.
“…I’m not sure what that was either. I was here for a Guiding session, and things looked like they were escalating, so I stayed to monitor the situation.”
The Espers nodded and began securing the area.
Not one of them questioned why he hadn’t tried to stop what they assumed was a Villain.
“Guide Kim Yong-ha, we’re moving you to a safe location.”
“…Okay.”
The reply made Kim Seong-gyeong glance over.
Supported by another Esper, Kim Yong-ha looked pale and shaken. He was trembling, his face ashen—anyone would’ve thought he was scared out of his mind.
But to Kim Seong-gyeong, it all looked like an act.
He hesitated a moment, then called out.
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
Kim Yong-ha stopped and turned back, eyes flicking toward him.
It felt like the whole hallway had gone quiet—like everyone was watching. But Kim Seong-gyeong swallowed, then forced himself to sound as casual as possible.
“Do you really not know where Guide Hwang Seol-bin is? I came for a session, but he’s nowhere to be found. If you know anything… now’s the time to say it.”
“…No. You, that guy earlier—why are you all asking me? I don’t know where he is.”
Kim Yong-ha held his gaze for a moment, then turned away and left with the Espers.
You don’t know…?
Kim Seong-gyeong didn’t believe that for a second.
Kang Biso was convinced this was all Kim Yong-ha’s doing.
Of course, you couldn’t just accuse someone without proof. But between the talk of drugs and the way Kim Yong-ha had reacted—the guilt, the defensiveness—there was no way he was innocent.
And yet, there was no clear motive.
Why would an S-Rank Guide go after someone like Hwang Seol-bin? A D-Rank nobody?
None of it made sense.
And Kim Seong-gyeong didn’t even know where to begin.
Even if he wanted to help find Seol-bin, he had no leads. No idea where he went, who he talked to, what kind of life he lived.
He was just a guy who came in for the occasional Guiding session. That was all.
He didn’t know anything.
All he could do was stand there in the hallway, staring at the broken window where Kang Biso had vanished.
***
Outside the Guide Center, Kang Biso ducked into a side alley, forcing himself to calm down.
He’d almost lost it back there. The second he saw Kim Yong-ha, rage had nearly taken over—he was this close to blowing everything up.
But now wasn’t the time to waste energy. Not when he didn’t even know where Seol-bin was yet.
Finding him came first. That was the only thing that mattered.
He pulled out his phone and hit a speed dial.
[“Hyung! Do you even know how many times I’ve tried to call you?!”]
The moment the call connected, Kang Bijun snapped at him. Kang Biso ground his teeth and cut straight to the point.
“…Hwang Seol-bin is missing.”
[“What? What the hell are you talking about?!”]
“I want the Guide Center’s entire CCTV feed. Every detail of Kim Yong-ha’s movements. If you come up with nothing…”
“…not even you’ll be safe.”
He ended the call without waiting for a reply and turned to glare back at the building.
Kim Yong-ha.
That bastard wasn’t getting a clean death.
The second he found Hwang Seol-bin—
That would be the day Kim Yong-ha died.
And the Guide Center that couldn’t even keep track of one of their own?
He’d bring the whole damn place down.
