“It’s been a while, Tae-rim. This is the new guy, right?”
“Yes. I’m Esper Seon Juho. Seon Juho, this is Guide Choi Jiwoon.”
They’d crossed paths once before during an earlier operation, but Tae-rim had never spoken to Choi Jiwoon directly. So this was the first time they were officially talking since Tae-rim lost his memory.
“Hello.”
Seon Juho greeted them with a sulky expression.
“Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Choi Jiwoon. Let’s get along well.”
It was almost like Why should I? was written all over Seon Juho’s face. Still, Jiwoon cheerfully carried on without a care in the world.
“You must have a lot on your plate, Tae-rim. I heard you’ve been training hard and nearly regained your original skill level. You’ll probably be heading out on external expeditions soon.”
“Most likely.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve always admired athletic people. I’m kind of clumsy myself….”
His small laugh—Heh—was surprisingly refreshing. Tae-rim smiled faintly, unsure how to respond. No matter what he said, it would probably come off as bragging.
“Are you guys heading out right away?”
Jung Jae-heon smoothly cut in. Kwon Hae-beom gave a slight nod.
“It would’ve been nice to have some time to bond, but Hae-beom hyung said he’s busy… such a shame.”
Kwon Hae-beom didn’t spare even a glance in Tae-rim’s direction. Tae-rim, in turn, didn’t bother looking at him either. You ignore me, I ignore you—that kind of energy.
“I really wanted to get closer to you, Tae-rim….”
Watching him say that with such an innocent expression, Tae-rim couldn’t help but think of all those villain-protagonist conspiracy theories. He’d clearly been reading too many twisted webnovels lately.
“We’ve got plenty of time. No need to rush it.”
Tae-rim gave a standard, polite response, thinking again that maybe he really had read one too many novels—but then, suddenly, a wave of hostility hit him.
Startled, he looked up to find Kwon Hae-beom glaring down at him with a terrifying expression.
Goosebumps prickled across his skin.
“What the hell is your problem?”
Just then, Seon Juho stepped in front of him protectively. Tae-rim worried the two might start fighting, but he was frozen—his body and voice both refusing to move.
“Hae-beom, you need to go. The helicopter’s waiting.”
Thankfully, before the tension could escalate further, Jung Jae-heon stepped in between them.
“Hae-beom hyung, seriously—what’s wrong with you?”
Choi Jiwoon scolded him quietly, but Kwon Hae-beom didn’t respond. He simply took Jiwoon and walked off toward the helipad.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
Seon Juho’s voice was filled with concern. Tae-rim let out a long sigh and nodded. Seon Juho growled in frustration.
“What is his problem? Why did he come at you like that?”
Seon Juho asked bluntly, leaving Jung Jae-heon looking visibly uncomfortable.
“Tae-rim, you alright? That guy… seriously….”
Tae-rim took a deep breath, regaining his composure. An Esper threatening a civilian was a serious violation. Yet Kwon Hae-beom had openly directed killing intent at him.
Sure, it probably meant Hae-beom hated him—but now that Tae-rim had calmed down, he knew he couldn’t let it slide.
If he just brushed it off, it could lead to bigger misunderstandings later. It was better to face it head-on.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Uh? Uh… well, maybe… a little?”
“Then he should file a formal complaint and request an apology. Isn’t it illegal for an Esper to threaten someone like that?”
“Y-yeah, technically…”
“He’s right. That kind of thing is against protocol—I was taught that too!”
“Haha… I’ll talk to Hae-beom about it. For now, let’s just let it go. We’re not here to fight, right?”
Seon Juho kept grumbling, swearing that next time, he’d be the one to threaten Kwon Hae-beom and get revenge. Tae-rim didn’t know if the threat would work, but it was kind of adorable—so he just told him to hang in there.
After unpacking at the dorm and having lunch, they headed straight to the field. Seon Juho was practically bouncing with excitement like a puppy about to go for a walk.
“Don’t get too worked up.”
“Okay.”
“Listen to everything Esper Jung Jae-heon says.”
“Okay.”
Jung Jae-heon had said there was no need to worry, but Tae-rim couldn’t help it. Seon Juho felt like a puppy left on the edge of a river—he was just too anxious. This wasn’t a simulation anymore. There were real monsters out there. What if he got hurt?
“It’s safe. That’s why we’re doing training here. The dangerous ones have already been taken out—it’s just low-level stragglers now.”
“But what if a high-level Gate suddenly opens?”
“You know the odds of that happening are practically zero, right?”
They were at the outer wall of District 1—the lowest-risk zone in the entire country. Tae-rim knew it was safe, but he still felt like an overbearing parent fussing over a kid’s field trip.
“Don’t worry, hyung. I’d never do anything reckless.”
Seon Juho lowered his head expectantly, like he was asking to be patted. Tae-rim reached out and ruffled his jet-black hair.
“Be careful out there.”
“Okay!”
“And you too, Esper Jung Jae-heon. Stay safe.”
“Uh, sure… Getting this kind of send-off for a routine mission is a little embarrassing, though.”
Jung Jae-heon scratched his head awkwardly, then gave Seon Juho—who was glaring at him—a light smack on the shoulder.
“Let’s move, rookie.”
But the moment they turned away, Seon Juho flashed a bright grin at Tae-rim and waved enthusiastically, as if he hadn’t just been glaring daggers.
“See you soon~!”
Even after taking off, he kept turning around to wave. It was so cute that Tae-rim couldn’t help waving back until they were completely out of sight. Only then did he finally turn to head back.
“Well, look who decided to grace us with their presence. VIP’s here.”
As soon as Tae-rim stepped into the S-rank Guiding Room, a snide voice rang out. All he’d done was walk into the designated space for S-rank Guides—nothing out of the ordinary. Still, someone had something to say.
With a sigh, he took a seat and exhaled.
Ever since he was assigned to Seon Juho, he hadn’t been showing up to the facility regularly. That alone was enough to spark gossip. No doubt the snarky comment was just another symptom of that.
Another sigh escaped him.
Why did he have to end up possessing this guy, of all people? Was he being punished for something? Did he do something terrible in a past life? His mind was spinning with questions.
Sure, there were plenty of stories where the protagonist woke up in a villain’s body—but that was just a narrative device where the villain became the protagonist. But him? He’d become Lee Tae-rim in a world where he clearly wasn’t the lead. Nothing ever went right for him. What kind of protagonist had to eat this much crap?
Even the so-called villain leads usually got a “main character buff.” But him? All he’d gotten was a one-way ticket to constant misery. Not only was he a hated S-rank Guide, but now he was the only one available for external expeditions? Honestly, screw the money—he didn’t want to risk his life in dangerous zones.
He was finally starting to understand why the original Lee Tae-rim had always been so bitter and short-tempered. “Jealous of him,” they’d said? Yeah, right. If they were that jealous, they could take his place anytime.
“Rolling in with two S-rank Espers. Must be nice to be so popular.”
“Our special little S-rank, huh?”
“And talk about lucky—loses his memory and, poof, a brand-new Esper shows up, ripe for the taking. Ugh, I’m so jealous.”
Tae-rim wanted to plug his ears. The loud gossiping outside was clearly meant for him to hear. He was human, after all—there was only so much tolerance he had before the irritation bubbled over.
“And Jiwoon? That idiot’s so sweet he even went to the helipad to greet him. Seriously, must be nice. Some people really do have it easy.”
“Maybe the heavens are smiling on him or something.”
The laughter that followed was unbearable. Tae-rim stormed out of the guiding room, too fed up to sit in silence any longer. If they were going to talk shit, they could at least do it where he didn’t have to hear it.
The moment he stepped out, the group of Guides loitering near the S-rank Guiding Room scrambled like cockroaches, suddenly changing the subject and pretending they weren’t just mocking him.
Cowards. Never said a word to his face, but always so bold behind his back.
Tae-rim let out another sigh and turned to head back inside.
“Oh? Isn’t that the S-rank Guide?”
He was the only S-rank Guide currently stationed here. Instinctively, he turned toward the voice calling him—and saw a group of Espers approaching. They looked familiar.
Where had he seen those thuggish faces before?
Then it hit him. They were the C-rank Espers—the ones who’d acted like creeps and groped his hand like a bunch of perverts.
“Didn’t see you at all after you got reassigned. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Since fate brought us together again, how about a little guiding session?”
They chuckled lewdly. Tae-rim inhaled slowly, calmly, before responding.
“There are currently two S-rank Espers on site.”
If there’s only one S-rank Guide available and multiple S-rank Espers require assistance, lower-ranked Espers aren’t even allowed to make a request. S-rank Espers always come first.
“Tsk. So uptight. It’s not like C-ranks require much energy. What’s the harm in tossing us a little bit?”
Yeah, you greedy piece of shit, he wanted to snap—but he held it in. Instead, he shook his head and turned away.
“Stuck-up asshole. Tch.”
As he stepped back into the room, the parting jab from behind made his blood boil all over again. Maybe it was time to file a transfer request. The old Tae-rim—the one who had a thing for Kwon Hae-beom—was long gone. He had zero reason to stick around in District 1 anymore.
