Teleporting to the Esper Center, Seoh looked around.

The interior was decorated in white with blue accents, and it looked extremely neat. In some ways, it wasn’t that different from the Guide Center, but the atmosphere somehow felt freer. They didn’t seem to move around in groups, and there didn’t appear to be any class hierarchy by rank.

“It’s your first time at the Esper Center, right? Guide Yoon Seoh.”

“Ah, yes.”

At Lee Jaewoon’s question, Seoh nodded several times. It was very rare for a Guide to come to the Esper Center. There was a separate area for guiding, and no reason for a Guide to visit the Esper Center in the first place.

“No matter which coordinates you teleport to in the center, you’ll always end up here. It can’t be helped for security reasons, so you have to pass through the lobby.”

“…Yes.”

Seoh walked across the Esper Center lobby with Song Taejoon on his right and Lee Jaewoon on his left. Before he knew it, he had drawn everyone’s attention.

A Guide in white stood out among Espers wearing blue jumpers. On top of that, one side had an S-rank Esper, and the other had a teleportation Esper classified as a special ability user. It was only natural that they were curious.

As Seoh looked around, he kept making eye contact with people every time he rolled his eyes, and in the end he gave up on looking and lowered his gaze.

Even if the stares weren’t contemptuous, the flood of attention was still overwhelming. And besides, another Esper like the last one might show up and act like they knew him, demanding guiding. It was best to keep his head down as much as possible.

“…”

As Yoon Seoh, who had been looking around with fascination just moments ago, moved forward with his eyes fixed on the floor to avoid people’s gazes, Taejoon swept his surroundings. Some Espers were shining their eyes at him as if Seoh was a Guide, and there were others who had recognized him as Yoon Seoh just by looking at him.

Every one of them had nothing but curiosity in their attention.

“Song Taejoon.”

Then Lee Jaewoon called out to Song Taejoon.

“What.”

Taejoon, who had been scanning the area with a blank face, turned his head toward Jaewoon.

“Tone it down a bit. Everyone knows Guide Yoon Seoh is your assigned Guide, so no one’s going to touch him.”

At those words, Song Taejoon and Yoon Seoh both reacted at once. Taejoon frowned and looked displeased, while Seoh gave an awkward smile with an embarrassed expression. It felt like a casually thrown stone had hit the mark.

But Taejoon soon laughed in disbelief and said, “I’m not being wary.”

“Then stop glaring at everyone.”

“I was just looking. Don’t misunderstand it like that.”

At Song Taejoon’s nonsense, Lee Jaewoon clicked his tongue and shook his head. Not knowing what he looked like right now, he was talking so freely.

The moment Yoon Seoh shrank back, Song Taejoon’s gaze changed. He was the very image of an Esper trying to protect his Guide. The guy who always grinned and showed off his crude mouth had wiped away all traces of a smile and was now glaring at everyone, so naturally they were getting uneasy. No wonder the people who had gathered out of curiosity were slowly backing away.

To be honest, because of all the bad rumors about Guide Yoon Seoh, even he had been biased.

But the person he had met in reality was far too different from the rumors. They said he couldn’t keep himself away from Espers and would throw himself at them, but what a load of crap. Instead, he was cautious and obedient to a fault.

And it seemed like he had more friction with other Guides than expected.

When he had gone to the Guide area to look for Kang Mingi, he found Yoon Seoh being bullied inside a trailer. The sounds of his pain had seemed strange enough that he hurriedly revealed his presence. If he hadn’t, something irreversible might have happened.

When Kang Mingi came out of the trailer, he had caught a glimpse of Yoon Seoh clutching himself tightly with his arms and trembling. Seoh only ran out of the trailer after Kang Mingi disappeared.

Later, when he brought him back to Song Taejoon’s lodging, he had seemed in a good mood, so Taejoon hadn’t bothered asking what happened to him. No, maybe it was more accurate to say he couldn’t ask.

No matter how much of a special ability user he was, an Esper meddling in a Guide’s affairs was a serious overreach. Guide matters were managed within the Guide Center, and Esper matters were managed within the Esper Center. That was a rule clearly written in the documents.

And besides, wasn’t this something done by none other than Kang Mingi, who was practically being groomed as the next head of the Guide Center?

It made sense that everyone was cautious. Guide Yoon Seoh probably knew it too, so maybe he was just enduring it and bearing with it. Even if it was unjust, he had no choice but to accept it.

He didn’t look anything like the gigolo the rumors made him out to be.

Jaewoon still couldn’t understand why such a rumor had spread in the first place. He shook his head.

Come to think of it, the Espers who called Seoh that were just as ridiculous. They knew how rare a Guide who gave good guiding was, and yet they still looked down on him like that.

If even Song Taejoon, who hated Guides, was reacting this way, then Guide Yoon Seoh might actually be a treasure. He didn’t hate Espers like the others did, he gave good guiding, and his personality seemed agreeable enough that there shouldn’t be much reason to fight.

He almost regretted it a little.

It would have been nice if Guide Yoon Seoh had been assigned to him.

“Lee Jaewoon.”

Then that icy voice sent out a firm warning. Jaewoon looked at Song Taejoon, who was glaring at him, and shrugged as if he didn’t understand the meaning.

“What?”

“You should tone it down too.”

“What exactly did I do?”

At Jaewoon’s slick answer, Song Taejoon gave a picture-perfect smile. Only then did Jaewoon flinch and wave both hands. He needed to back off before Song Taejoon really lost his temper.

“Alright, alright.”

As they walked, they soon reached the elevator.

“If you go to Building A, Sector 1, that’s enough. The center director will be there.”

After giving them the location, Jaewoon pressed the elevator button. He glanced back and forth between Song Taejoon and Yoon Seoh, then walked up to Seoh and held out a hand.

“Guide Yoon Seoh, see you next time.”

Seoh slowly lifted his head. When their eyes met, Jaewoon was smiling differently from the first time he’d seen him. It was a long-lost bit of kindness. He wanted to respond to that gesture, but his hand was injured, so he hesitated. What should he do? He didn’t want to seem like he was refusing because he disliked him.

But before Seoh could worry any further, Song Taejoon, who stood beside him, slapped Jaewoon’s hand away.

“Aren’t you supposed to go do your own thing now?”

“Wow, you used me and now you don’t know me.”

“Should I steal some guiding serum and bring it to you?”

“…You crazy bastard.”

The way he said go screw yourself was terrifying. Especially from a guy who knew very well how frightening artificial guiding could be. For an Esper himself, he really didn’t know what was worth saying and what wasn’t.

When the elevator arrived, Song Taejoon pushed Seoh’s back and made him get inside.

“Go.”

Song Taejoon followed him in, then waved one hand at Jaewoon like he was telling him to get lost. Then he immediately pressed the close button.

What an asshole. Jaewoon glared at Song Taejoon, cursing him with his eyes. But then.

“Um, wait…”

Before the door closed, Seoh hurriedly spoke up.

“Th-thank you for bringing me here.”

After bowing politely, Seoh’s small head disappeared behind the elevator door. Jaewoon stood there blankly for a moment, then reached out too late, but the doors had already shut and the elevator had gone up.

“…”

It wasn’t the first time he’d been thanked by Seoh, but somehow today felt strangely disappointing. Jaewoon scratched his head hard, then let out a deep sigh.

It was the first time Song Taejoon had ever made him feel jealous.

He couldn’t hide his irritation.

Building A, Sector 1.

This was the area used by top executives and the center director, perfect for avoiding the eyes of others. The reason the center director had called the two of them here was to keep Seoh’s condition from becoming public. If word got out that the assigned Guide had been injured, it would put Song Taejoon and the Esper Center in a disadvantageous position.

Seoh was walking the long corridor toward Sector 1 with Song Taejoon. Even though he knew they were heading to receive treatment, it felt like he was walking through a field of thorns.

Since the elevator, Song Taejoon’s mood had looked terribly bad. Seoh couldn’t tell why, so he kept feeling nervous. Had something happened during the conversation with Esper Lee Jaewoon, or was this also because of him?

So he just kept quietly walking after him.

The corridor was silent, with not a single person passing by. They had passed several doors when a dead end came into view far ahead.

Song Taejoon asked, “By the way.”

“…Yes?”

“Why do you keep speaking so formally?”

Seoh looked at Song Taejoon, unable to understand the meaning of the question. Taejoon had asked it and was still looking straight ahead. It was the first time Seoh had watched Song Taejoon one-sidedly like this, so he found himself staring without meaning to. Even his side profile was handsome.

“I’ve never seen you speak casually. Don’t you know how old I am?”

He knew.

Basic information about S-rank Esper Song Taejoon was something everyone in the world knew, Guide or Esper aside. But that was separate from speaking casually. Even if the two of them were the same age.

“I do… know.”

“Then why are you talking so formally?”

To Song Taejoon, it was probably a relationship he found awkward and uncomfortable, but he was asking as if to say, Why don’t you just speak casually? It felt strange. Seoh hadn’t expected Song Taejoon to ask something like this.

If he were to answer the question, since becoming sick he hadn’t had many normal conversations, and he didn’t have close people around him, so speaking casually wasn’t familiar. And honestly, he had never even thought about it, because that kind of close relationship felt like an untouchable zone that wasn’t allowed for him.

“…Because it’s more comfortable.”

But he knew there had to be complicated circumstances behind it, so he didn’t want to say it himself. Even if he tried to explain, it would only sound like a pathetic excuse.

Song Taejoon gave no reaction even after hearing his answer.

Maybe he had expected it, or maybe he had asked without really being curious at all. Silence was better than ridicule, so Seoh didn’t ask back.

While they exchanged a few inconsequential words, they arrived at the dead end.

There was a large door ahead, and on the big nameplate it said Sector 1. As Song Taejoon opened the door without hesitation, the interior came into full view.

“You’re late. It’s been more than ten minutes since you arrived.”

As if he had been waiting, someone walked out from inside and tapped Song Taejoon on the shoulder. Then he spoke to Seoh.

“Guide Yoon Seoh?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m the center director, Park Sungmin.”