After taking a sick day off, I returned to work only to be hit with shocking news—both Kim Hyun-joong and Yoon Yi-hyeon had been reassigned to provincial branches. I couldn’t help but be stunned. What the hell could’ve happened for them to be sent away overnight?
And with no clear reason listed, it was obvious. It wasn’t a reassignment—it was practically an expulsion from the Guide Center.
Not that I was complaining. Every time I saw those two, it was a headache waiting to happen. Honestly, good riddance.
Just then, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen. It was a call from my Team Leader. Curious, I picked up right away.
“Hello?”
[“Seol-bin, are you at work yet?”]
“Yes, I’m inside the Center.”
[“Actually, I think you need to head to the lab right away.”]
“…The lab? Right now?”
The lab?
I repeated the words, confused. The Team Leader sounded uneasy too.
[“I just got the notice myself, so I’m not sure what it’s about. But they asked for you to head there as soon as you arrived.”]
Even the Team Leader didn’t know? That meant whoever called me in was someone above him…
Who could it be?
“But it’s almost time for my first session…”
[“All your morning Guiding appointments have been canceled.”]
“Canceled? …Did something happen?”
[“I’m not sure on the details, but it seems urgent. Just head there for now.”]
“…Understood.”
After hanging up, I frowned in confusion.
Getting summoned this early in the day… could it have something to do with Kim Hyun-joong and Yoon Yi-hyeon’s sudden transfers? Yoon Yi-hyeon, maybe—but I hadn’t even crossed paths with Kim Hyun-joong since the incident. I couldn’t guess why he’d be involved. And why the lab, of all places?
A bad feeling crept over me. That sinking sense of foreboding, like something was about to go horribly wrong, clung to my skin.
Still, there was no getting out of it. I turned away from the direction of the Guiding Room and headed toward the lab.
Right on cue, a text from Kang Biso came in.
[Hyung, did you get to work okay? How are you feeling? Honestly, I wanted to tell you to take another day off…]
Just reading his words, I could hear his worried voice in my head. A soft laugh escaped me. Then I suddenly remembered—he said he’d be dropping by during lunch.
Maybe I should let him know we wouldn’t be able to eat together today… But the Team Leader only said morning sessions were canceled. Maybe I’d be back by lunchtime?
Not knowing how things would play out, I decided to hold off for now.
[I’m fine. Got to work without a hitch.]
After a moment of thought, I replied with a simple reassurance. He messaged back immediately.
[That’s a relief… I miss you.]
I stared at his words, heart skipping. His feelings came through so clearly, it was impossible to miss. I sent back a reply, full of my own.
[Me too. See you later.]
With that done, I figured I’d better get moving before Kang Biso started worrying again if he couldn’t reach me. I picked up the pace and headed to the lab.
“…Been a while.”
I stopped in front of the lab door. I didn’t think I’d be coming back here. Naturally, my last visit came to mind—when I came to redo my rank assessment. I’d gone so far as to storm a ZEC hideout, planning to manipulate my results. Back then, I hadn’t cared about consequences.
But what the hell was it this time?
Confused and uneasy, I felt my nerves coil. Surely they weren’t going to ask me to redo the assessment again, right?
No way. They wouldn’t.
I slowly opened the door—and immediately froze.
Standing inside with his arms crossed was Kang Hak-gwan. Beside him were Researcher Yeon Gu-han and two Espers.
Kang Hak-gwan?
The sight threw me off completely.
The last time we talked about the incident, Kang Hak-gwan had been more interested in digging for dirt on Kang Biso than getting to the truth. He was the type to toss aside facts like garbage, and I’d taken an instant dislike to him.
I hadn’t seen him since then. So what the hell was he doing here? Was he the one who called me?
“…Esper Kang Hak-gwan. Hello.”
“It’s been a while, Guide Hwang Seol-bin.”
He nodded in response to my stiff greeting, looking me up and down like he was inspecting merchandise. The way his eyes scanned me made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to stay calm.
“Hello, Guide Hwang Seol-bin.”
As I narrowed my eyes at Kang Hak-gwan, Yeon Gu-han greeted me from the side.
“…Hello.”
“It’s been a while. Let’s do well on your reassessment today.”
“…A reassessment?”
Did he seriously just say reassessment?
I looked between Yeon Gu-han and Kang Hak-gwan like I was hearing things for the first time. But strangely enough, it was Yeon Gu-han who looked caught off guard—he glanced over at Kang Hak-gwan like he was the one who’d been blindsided.
“You… didn’t hear about it from Esper Kang Hak-gwan?”
“…Esper Kang Hak-gwan. What is this about?”
Even with my dumbfounded expression, Kang Hak-gwan just shrugged like it was no big deal.
“There’s been a lot of talk about you lately, Guide Hwang Seol-bin. Word is even an S-Rank like Kim Seong-gyeong is receiving Guiding from you. So we figured… why not retest? Who knows? You might just turn out to be S-Rank yourself.”
…Was he kidding?
A reassessment just because of a few rumors?
From someone who hadn’t given a damn about me until now?
“I still think it’s unreasonable to proceed like this without even notifying me in advance.”
“It’s just a reassessment. It doesn’t take long. Do we really need to inform you about every little thing?”
“What the hell kind of logic is that—!”
“Let’s get started.”
He cut me off without a hint of hesitation, sounding like this whole thing was a chore he just wanted to get over with. Without even waiting for my response, he turned to Yeon Gu-han and gestured for him to begin.
“Follow me, then. It won’t take long.”
“Guide Hwang Seol-bin, I’ll need you to hand me your phone. You’ll get it back after the assessment.”
Yeon Gu-han gave me a slightly pitying look as he patted my shoulder gently. One of the Espers stepped forward and held out his hand, silently requesting my phone.
I clenched my jaw and tightened my grip on the device in my pocket. Should I just refuse outright?
But that would only raise more suspicion. They’d start asking why I didn’t want to take the test.
And if I walked out now, pissed off and protesting?
No way. Not with Kang Hak-gwan. He wasn’t the kind of man to let something like that slide. He’d probably force the assessment on me with or without my consent, even if it meant using the Espers at his side to pin me down.
But just going along with it wasn’t an option either.
Last time, I’d barely managed to hide my true rank with Kang Biso’s help.
If they ran the test now, my real level—SSS-Rank—would come out for sure.
And once that was exposed… things would spiral fast. Even someone like Kim Yong-ha, an S-Rank Guide, had basically been locked away. If I was revealed as SSS?
The consequences would be obvious.
Should I try to run for it?
There were five people here, including me. Pure numbers-wise, I could probably get out of the room.
But the problem was…
It all depended on Kang Hak-gwan, the Espers, and my current condition.
Esper abilities didn’t affect me, sure. But my body hadn’t fully recovered yet. If I made a move and they managed to contact someone outside, it’d be game over. Even if I somehow escaped this room, there was no guarantee I’d get out of the Center clean.
And if I tried to flee, the first thing Kang Hak-gwan would assume is that I had something going on with Kang Biso.
If that happened, I’d be permanently blacklisted from the Center.
And that would mean losing my only lead on the Book of Wishes, which was supposedly in government hands.
I clicked my tongue in frustration.
Of all people, why the hell did he have to be the one overseeing a D-Rank’s reassessment?
“Your phone.”
The Esper stretched his hand out again, a little more forcefully this time.
I let out a sigh. No way out. No good options.
Guess I’d have to go through with it, then call Kang Biso for help once I got my phone back.
Not that I was looking forward to that conversation, given what happened last time…
Reluctantly, I handed over the device and followed Yeon Gu-han into the testing room.
“This way. Same procedure as last time, so just relax.”
“…All right.”
I stepped into the machine. The door closed behind me with a soft hiss, and a message lit up on the screen: Initiating Assessment.
I stared straight ahead, jaw tight.
My heart pounded in my chest—unease and tension crashing together in waves—but I forced myself to breathe, to stay calm.
Once the results were out, everything would explode. Worse than what happened with Kim Yong-ha.
In a world obsessed with ranks, an SSS-Rank wasn’t just rare—it was a prize. Everyone would want me.
But right now, there was nothing I could do.
All I could do was wait for the results… and try to figure out what the hell I was going to tell Kang Biso.
A beep sounded. The screen flashed. The machine unlocked.
I stepped out—and saw Kang Hak-gwan already holding the results in his hand.
His eyes widened instantly.
That reaction alone told me everything: the truth was out.
“…What is it?”
Yeon Gu-han, noticing something was off, rushed over to look. The moment he read the result sheet, his face went pale.
“This… This can’t be right! S-Rank would’ve been shocking enough, but SSS-Rank?! That’s insane!”
He stood there gaping, eyes darting from me to the test result, voice rising in disbelief.
Goddammit…
Yeon Gu-han was spiraling, and I… I had no choice but to finally accept it again:
I was an SSS-Rank Guide.
“SSS-Rank…?”
“That can’t be real. Does that rank even exist?”
Even the Espers by the door, who’d been quiet until now, were staring at me in disbelief. Their expressions said it all—no way.
“…SSS-Rank? That’s not possible. There must be a mistake.”
“But the results clearly—!”
“Test errors happen. Just like last time.”
“Y-Yeah, but…”
As I tried to downplay it, Kang Hak-gwan let out a low hum and gave me a long, unreadable look.
“…Hmph.”
He looked surprised, maybe even a little rattled, but when he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
“You make a fair point. Let’s run it again.”
“Y-Yes! Of course!”
Yeon Gu-han practically jumped to reset the machine and pushed me back inside. The process repeated.
And unsurprisingly… the result didn’t change.
SSS-Rank. Again.
This time, Kang Hak-gwan’s tone and expression were completely different.
Gone was the disinterest.
Now he looked like a kid who’d stumbled across a golden ticket.
“It’s confirmed. SSS-Rank. No doubt about it.”
His voice was smoother now—gentle, even.
And it was infinitely more disturbing than before.
“…Looks like it.”
“Congratulations on your new rank.”
That was the first time he smiled at me.
But it wasn’t a kind smile. It was sharp. Cold. Predatory. Like a hunter who’d just cornered his prey.
And I had a sinking feeling…I’d just walked straight into something I couldn’t escape from.
