#114
Hyun Dowoon’s face was calmer than expected. Perhaps he was thinking the same thing as me.
Before, I was just shocked by the terribly low number. Because I was the villain, it wasn’t strange for it to be 1.9%.
Thinking about it now, I had just pathetically avoided it by setting a clear limit, like those who mocked F-class guides. I had mistakenly assumed that with a 1.9% matching rate, I would harm Hyun Dowoon and he would naturally hate me.
‘Because of that, I made Hyun Dowoon suffer…’
Even if it came out as 1.9% again, Hyun Dowoon wouldn’t be disappointed. I had already confirmed sufficiently that he wasn’t that kind of person.
‘He probably has that expression because he doesn’t care what number comes out.’
While Shin Haejun would feel victorious if Hyun Dowoon didn’t get 99.9%, it didn’t seem like Hyun Dowoon would be intimidated by the number.
“Whatever number comes out. Nothing will change.”
As I thought, Hyun Dowoon whispered softly in my ear. His eyes were firm, as if telling me to trust him with certainty. Of course, we didn’t have any relationship that we could clearly name.
I also didn’t think anything would change from our current ambiguous relationship. I was just curious if it would really be 1.9%, or if it would come out the same even after I became S-class or higher.
“Shall we start?”
Hyun Dowoon reached out his hand to me. Then he held my hand throughout the machine’s operation and the printing of the results.
“Director, would you like to announce it yourself?”
The examiner’s voice holding the result sheet trembled slightly. Is it 1.9% after all?
“…It’s okay.”
Hyun Dowoon said, gently stroking the back of my hand. It seems I had unknowingly gripped his hand tightly. Even if nothing would change, I couldn’t help feeling tense as I was curious.
He received the result sheet from the examiner and slowly scanned it with his eyes.
“It’s… 1.8%.”
Since I had implicitly become S-class, I had thought maybe the previous test result couldn’t be trusted… It really changed.
But in a completely different direction from what I had expected.
‘It’s even worse than 1.9%?’
It’s only a 0.1% difference, but somehow I felt indignant. I bit my lip in disappointment.
“It’s even lower than before. Unfortunately.”
The number was so miserable that people couldn’t continue speaking, but amidst this, Shin Haejun spoke calmly with a face that didn’t look sorry at all. He was trying to manage his expression, but I could see he had become more triumphant.
“I guess the rumor was just a rumor.”
“1.8, that’s a number I’ve never heard before.”
As Shin Haejun opened his mouth, others whispered quietly. It seems they had expected a high number between me, an unclassified guide, and Hyun Dowoon.
‘Hyun Dowoon looks so composed, I can’t let myself look disappointed and become the subject of gossip.’
As I was thinking I should manage my expression and swallowed hard, Hyun Dowoon suddenly tilted his head and tapped the paper.
Then he started asking the examiner something, pointing at the numbers. I couldn’t hear what he was saying because his voice was low, but it seemed he was talking about the test results.
“Aaaaah!”
Suddenly, the examiner screamed loudly. His excitement and shock were visible in his widely opened pupils.
As the examiner shouted as if he had discovered something, people’s attention suddenly focused on him.
“There’s a 0 in front of the 1!”
As I tilted my head at this puzzling statement, Hyun Dowoon, realizing that people didn’t understand at all, quickly explained.
“If it were really a single-digit number, it should be written as 1.8, but it’s written as 01.8.”
Does the 0 make… a huge difference? Isn’t 01.8 still 1.8?
I thought that and was confused, but people seemed to think completely differently and were in an uproar. Listening in, I heard that the testing machine never shows other markings. It should never have a 0 in front, so this means it’s not actually 1.8.
‘Then…’
Realizing what this meant, I slowly became dumbfounded.
“Does this mean… 101.8%?”
Someone muttered in a small voice. Although it was a whisper, I heard it very clearly. I alternately looked at the stiffened face of Shin Haejun and the somewhat dazed-looking face of Hyun Dowoon.
‘Why 101.8 of all numbers?’
After the initial shock, I first wondered how this happened. Although numbers don’t usually come out perfectly round, it’s not 100%, and what’s with the 1.8 at the end?
As I was trying to solve the mystery of this strange number in my head, going “Hmm,” the surroundings became increasingly noisy. When I raised my face that had been lowered in concentration, I saw people cheering loudly.
It seemed they were excited because I, an unclassified guide, had recorded an incredible matching rate with two S-class espers. Since they had thoroughly checked the machine before I came in, they seemed to readily accept the matching rate that exceeded 100%.
‘They’re also happy thinking I won’t go overseas.’
I had wondered why they were so happy about someone else’s matching rate, but it seemed to be because they thought of guides as human resources.
‘1.8… hmm…’
As I was about to fall back into contemplation, suddenly both my wrists were grabbed. Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon were each holding one of my wrists amicably and looking down at me.
“Didn’t you hear?”
“Huh? What?”
“Staying here longer will only embarrass you, so let’s go.”
Shin Haejun lowered his head and whispered softly in my ear. Indeed, seeing flashes going off in the distance and reporters pushing through people to get inside, it was time to leave.
“When is the next announcement scheduled?”
“Who will you be paired with? Why did you disband your pair with Director Hyun Dowoon?”
“Director!”
The two of them held me tightly and pushed through the crowd to leave the examination room. When we got outside, I was surprised to see a cloud-like crowd gathered, but thanks to Shin Haejun exuding a menacing aura that made people back off, we were able to safely escape to the parking lot.
Hyun Dowoon, who had opened the door in front of Shin Haejun’s car, gestured to me gently.
“You must be tired, go ahead and rest. I’ll set up the PR response and finish up some work before I come.”
As I obediently entered through the door he opened, I glanced at Shin Haejun sitting in the driver’s seat. Hyun Dowoon was busy, but was Shin Haejun okay? I wondered if it was alright to go with him like this, but Hyun Dowoon didn’t seem inclined to stop me, and Shin Haejun showed no sign of letting me go alone.
‘Is he angry?’
As soon as I fastened my seatbelt, the car took off with a jerk, shaking my body. After watching Hyun Dowoon recede in the distance through the window, I turned my head to look at Shin Haejun and saw his expression was stiff.
‘Is it because the matching rate with Hyun Dowoon… didn’t turn out as he hoped?’
I didn’t want to be too obvious about checking, but Shin Haejun was emitting such a cold aura that I couldn’t help but glance sideways at him.
Well. Just looking at the reporters’ attitudes earlier, I could understand what Shin Haejun was worried about. The people who had been cheering for Shin Haejun’s 99.9% matching rate immediately shifted their focus to Hyun Dowoon.
‘He’s probably worried that I’ll become Hyun Dowoon’s pair again.’
I don’t know why they naturally think I’ll become someone’s pair again according to the matching rate…
After glancing at his stiff profile, I finally opened my mouth to reassure Shin Haejun.
“If you’re worried that I might form a pair with Dowoon-ssi again, you don’t have to.”
“What?”
Somehow, the words came out like a sigh. Shin Haejun briefly turned his gaze from the road to glance at me, then immediately shook his head.
“What are you talking about? I know you’ve been trying hard to run dungeons alone.”
“…Isn’t that what you were worried about?”
I thought he would be happy, but his response was unexpected. When I asked cautiously, a long sigh escaped from Shin Haejun’s mouth. Then his lips protruded in a way that even looked grumpy.
“It’s just, ugh…”
Shin Haejun sighed deeply with a disgusted face and then held out his right hand.
“…You won’t laugh?”
“What is it?”
“Hah… no, I was… jealous.”
“Huh?”
As I blinked, Shin Haejun’s ears turned bright red.
“I thought you’d naturally be destined for me. Does it make sense to exceed 100%? Huh? Weren’t you and the director originally the main characters? Shouldn’t this kind of thing be conceded?”
Shin Haejun muttered at length as if he had found his words. However, as if he thought it was childish himself, his voice gradually became smaller and more mumbled, seemingly embarrassed.
‘He’s experiencing the same jealousy I felt when Kim Sehyun was the main character.’
I turned my head, biting my lips to hide my smile. Then I could see Shin Haejun’s reflection in the window, looking dazed as if he had been hit on the head.
“I told you not to laugh, but I didn’t say to look away like you can’t stand the sight of me.”
His voice sounded shocked, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. As I laughed out loud, “Ahaha,” Shin Haejun looked at me with astonished eyes.
“Safe driving! You shouldn’t do that while carrying me!”
“Ah, I can sense the car in front, so it’s fine! Hey? Did I seem, like, childish-”
“Quickly, just look ahead. I just found it a bit funny, that’s all.”
I felt strangely new. His first impression was completely high-handed and grumpy, but now he seems cute.
“I understand why you said you were jealous.”
I nodded, recalling the emotions I had felt once.
“When they said I was an amazing pair with 98%, how jealous was I?”
As I muttered softly, Shin Haejun spoke with a serious face, as if chewing on the words.
“I should have crushed him more thoroughly…”
I could guess the hidden subject, so I shook my head.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
