Morning broke on the day they were to enter the Gate.
Seo-ha blinked his dry, stinging eyes, having barely slept after guiding Han Ju-oh since before dawn.
‘Three months—just like that.’
He marked time by coloring in grape clusters, but to him, each week had passed like a single day. With how inseparably he’d been tethered to Han Ju-oh, yesterday felt like today, and tomorrow might as well be the same as the next. But has their matching rate improved?
No.
Annoyingly, it only ever surpassed 60% through insertion guiding. Outside of that, he had to raise the intensity just to see even the smallest shift—and even then, the difference was negligible.
“We have to stay perfectly synced during guiding.”
He could channel energy into him at regular intervals. For now, that was the most reliable way to maintain Han Ju-oh’s condition.
That wasn’t all he had prepared.
He turned his head. Han Ju-oh, stoic as ever, stood beside him. Beside Han Ju-oh were Ian and Moon Roi. Feeling Seo-ha’s gaze, Ian gave him his signature easy smile. Moon Roi silently mouthed, What?
Seeing their composure brought a strange kind of comfort.
“Me, stepping into an S-Class Gate… I’ll never forget this.”
Seo-ha glanced at Baek Jong-hoon, a B-rank Guide Esper who was muttering under his breath. He was the one always with Han Ju-oh in the training room, helping him adjust to new combat techniques. Seo-ha hoped he came out of this alive.
“Just don’t go dying in there.”
Jang Jin-young the Guide seemed to share that same sentiment.
After surveying all the familiar faces, Seo-ha turned back around. A foreign Esper briefly crossed his field of vision—someone he didn’t recognize, which was rare given how well he knew most Espers. Probably another dispatch, like Ian.
“Ju-oh.”
He called out to Han Ju-oh one final time—and this time, he reached out and took his hand. He even released the reserve of energy he’d been saving for this exact moment.
“There’s one thing I do know for sure.”
Seo-ha fixed his gaze forward, voice low and serious. He could feel Han Ju-oh looking at him. Even Ian and Moon Roi were glancing over. Baek Jong-hoon and Jang Jin-young too…
Why was everyone looking at him instead of focusing on the mission?
Well, Han Ju-oh was watching—he had no choice but to say it.
“There are only two grapes left.”
He said it with a light, satisfied smile—reminding him that just two more wishes and it would all be over.
Just thinking about what wishes to ask for brought a visible spark of joy to Seo-ha’s face. But the responses from those around him were… odd.
Looking around, their reactions were all too telling.
Moon Roi’s expression screamed, Of course you’d say that. Ian forced a diplomatic smile.
Baek Jong-hoon and Jang Jin-young burst into loud, obnoxious laughter, like it was the funniest thing they’d heard all month.
But the most aggravating of them all was Han Ju-oh.
He smiled. It was a beautiful smile, yes—but it carried the air of someone who hadn’t expected anything else.
“Seo-ha.”
Han Ju-oh’s voice came surprisingly gentle. Seo-ha hadn’t expected that tone.
“I like you too.”
“……”
While Seo-ha stood frozen in place—the Gate opened.
***
Kim Mi-yeon sat in the cafeteria, going through documents.
It was a rare sight. Normally, she secluded herself in the executive office, so her presence here made people glance over in curiosity as they passed.
But Kim Mi-yeon ignored the attention and calmly sipped her coffee.
“Guild Leader.”
Her secretary approached. Kim Mi-yeon looked up and met her eyes.
“You’re here.”
“Here’s the file.”
As if she’d been waiting for it, Kim Mi-yeon immediately held out her hand. But as the secretary moved to hand her the tablet, she hesitated—something on the screen had caught her eye.
“The Gate has opened.”
Kim Mi-yeon turned toward the window.
The S-Class Gate Han Ju-oh was scheduled to enter shimmered in the distance. She had chosen this cafeteria seat specifically to observe the team’s final formation. Now, she accepted the tablet and reviewed the data.
She skipped past the excessive filler text and went straight to the Center’s main ooint buried in the middle.
“He’s sulking.”
Calling it sulking might have sounded childish, especially when the message came from the National Security Department—an official government agency—but it wasn’t entirely wrong.
In response to their previous order to assign Han Ju-oh a different Guide, Kim Mi-yeon had given them a completely different reply. She had reported that there had been a shift in the matching rate between Guide Baek Seo-ha and Esper Han Ju-oh, and requested more time, including all the relevant test results.
The National Security Department had acknowledged the message. But in a clear act of retaliation, they refused to dispatch additional personnel for this Gate mission. Since she hadn’t given them the answer they wanted, they were essentially saying, Handle your Espers yourself.
Then today—Gate entry day—they demanded an updated matching rate.
Kim Mi-yeon responded… at her own pace.
She timed it so the report would arrive after the Gate had already opened—deliberately leaving them with no time to assign another Guide even if they wanted to.
Thanks to that decision, Han Ju-oh was able to enter the Gate with only Baek Seo-ha by his side—and Kim Mi-yeon had successfully landed a blow against the National Security Department.
“It feels satisfying… but I’m still worried.”
Her expression soured, as if the moment of triumph had never happened. If their matching rate had risen high enough, she wouldn’t have had to make such a call.
As it stood, she might have just sent Han Ju-oh into a death trap. Even if it was what he wanted, even if he had complete faith in Baek Seo-ha—she was the Guild Leader. She should have remained objective, no matter how close they were.
“Maybe I’m not cut out for leadership after all.”
Han Ju-oh had wanted this, and she had trusted him. But now that the outcome was out of her hands, unease twisted in her gut. All she could do was hope Han Ju-oh and the rest of the team returned safely.
***
Normally, entering a Gate meant passing through something like a tunnel or cavern. While the research was still ongoing, there was a theory that dungeons were actually parts of another world—alternate regions of a separate dimension.
According to the theory, dungeons represented those regions, and the Gates—shaped like caves—were passageways connecting them…
‘Can’t remember the rest.’
Seo-ha tried to recall the details of the theory, but his mind wasn’t cooperating. Probably because he hadn’t walked through any kind of tunnel. The moment he passed through the black hole-like Gate, he’d found himself abruptly in another world.
Even the air felt foreign. Hot and dry, so harsh it felt like it could peel his skin.
And the scenery was just as unforgiving.
“Not quite a desert,” Moon Roi remarked.
The air was dry enough to parch his mouth, like a desert storm, but the ground held no sand—only cracked, baked earth. No signs of life anywhere. The word that came to mind first was barren.
“This isn’t a good start.”
Seo-ha muttered to himself. Even if they managed to deal with the monsters quickly, there was no way of knowing how long it would take—and the environment certainly wasn’t going to help.
It was nothing like the forest dungeon they’d encountered before. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to set up a foothold and hold it.
“Esper Baek and Esper Davis—you’re on defense.”
Baek Jong-hoon and Davis, an Esper from Ian’s guild, were designated to the defensive team.
Han Ju-oh immediately moved toward the Espers and began organizing the teams. Those tasked with protecting the Guides formed the defense team. Those assigned to explore the surroundings became the recon unit. Han Ju-oh joined the latter.
Ian stayed behind, just in case something unexpected happened. Once the roles were sorted, the Espers moved out quickly.
“Stick close to Ian,” Han Ju-oh said, placing a hand on Seo-ha’s shoulder before leaving.
“You know me—I’m the best there is at finding the safest place.”
Seo-ha gave his hand a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry.”
“Even in the middle of nowhere, I’ll manage just fine.”
That confidence seemed to satisfy Han Ju-oh. He said nothing more and disappeared with the recon unit.
“I’ll check the opposite side,” Ian said, then headed off in another direction.
Now Seo-ha stood alone, with only a heavy supply pack resting at his feet.
“You’re staying near the Gate, right?”
Moon Roi came over and asked. Seo-ha nodded.
“Seems like the safest option.”
If a monster broke through the Gate, it would be dangerous. Staying close put them at risk, but they didn’t have any better options.
From what he could tell, this was the only suitable place to hold their position.
“If things get bad, we can just retreat through the Gate,” Jang Jin-young said, casually joining in.
He pulled out water packs from his bag and handed them around. Seo-ha took one, but hesitated. Inside the Gate, every supply was precious. Being handed one so casually, like it was a snack, left him momentarily speechless.
“I really shouldn’t take this.”
“Take it,” Jang Jin-young said with a grin. “Think of it as a bribe to look out for us.”
“If I’m not around, please keep an eye on Esper Baek.”
Seo-ha had guided Baek Jong-hoon before, and Jang Jin-young was clearly trusting both him and Moon Roi to support him if anything happened.
“I came in here for the experience, yeah—but this place is dangerous for Jong-hoon.”
His gaze softened as it landed on his partner.
“So please—make sure you help him. Okay?”
The water pack in Seo-ha’s hands felt heavier than it should have.
