* * *
“What the hell?”
Raon, who had been resting at the dorm, looked up in shock at the man who stormed in.
“Nam Taegeon, are you out of your mind?”
“What about you?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you out of your mind?”
“……”
Taegeon closed in without warning, his voice sharp and edgy.
They’d always had a rocky relationship and bickered often, but Taegeon rarely got this angry.
And now, he’d literally torn the door off its frame and thrown it.
Raon glanced at the broken door lying crumpled against the wall and glared at the fuming Taegeon.
“I’m less crazy than you, at least.”
“Hah!”
Taegeon scoffed, then burst into loud, bitter laughter.
“Hahaha!”
“……”
He really seemed out of his mind.
Raon watched Taegeon, who was clearly on edge, with a cold, assessing gaze.
“You’re really going to pair up with Yoon Siwoo?”
“Ah.”
So that’s what this was about.
He must’ve heard the news.
If it wasn’t from Siwoo himself, the gossip hadn’t spread through the center yet.
After a moment of thought, Raon reached a conclusion.
He’d used his abilities.
As a mental-type Esper, Taegeon didn’t need to hear anything directly.
He could easily pick up on the kind of hush-hush information that floated around the center.
“Yeah.”
It was something the entire Alpha Team 1 would find out sooner or later, so Raon just nodded, admitting it plainly.
At that, Taegeon’s expression grew even harsher.
“Then what about me?”
“What?”
“Who’s going to guide me, then?”
“……”
When had Han Raon ever properly guided him?
Raon was dumbfounded again.
But Taegeon’s face remained fierce.
“You came here because you wanted a guiding?”
“……”
“Want me to do it?”
Raon flicked his fingers, and Taegeon instinctively flinched.
Seeing that, Raon smirked.
“But you’re a mental-type. You don’t really need it, do you?”
“You son of a bitch…”
Taegeon ground his teeth.
Raon didn’t feel entirely guiltless toward him.
It’s just that Siwoo came first.
And unlike Siwoo, who quietly ignored him, Taegeon was always picking fights, trying to provoke him.
It was hard to feel any fondness in return.
Well, now that he thought about it, he was acting like a kid messing with his crush on the playground.
“Are you done following the captain around?”
“It’s about time I stopped.”
Raon answered casually as he glanced at the door, now bent in half.
Could this be repaired?
Or would it have to be replaced?
He was seriously considering it when Taegeon cut in again, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Hah, like a dog quitting shitting.”
“That wasn’t even a hard sentence.”
“What the hell are you saying, fuck.”
Taegeon’s expression contorted with rage.
Even for a mental-type Esper, he was far stronger than a Guide.
If he lost it, Raon could easily end up crumpled like that door.
But he wasn’t scared. Taegeon wouldn’t dare harm him.
“Guide Han Raon! Are you alright?”
Of course, the dorm of a precious S-rank Guide would be outfitted with a full security system.
Any sign of trouble, and the security Espers would rush in.
Raon glanced at the crowd that had stormed in.
“I’m fine.”
“Esper Nam Taegeon, what in the world…?”
The guards recognized Taegeon, and confusion flickered across their faces.
They probably never imagined he would be the one invading the Guide’s room.
“Even if you’re Esper Nam Taegeon, laying hands on an S-rank Guide is—”
“I didn’t do shit, damn it.”
Taegeon barked the words and glared at Raon, ignoring everyone else completely.
“You’re really going to pair with Yoon Siwoo?”
“I told you, yes.”
“Hah… This is fucking ridiculous.”
Could he stop cursing for once?
Still, somehow, it suited him—that thuggish tone.
Raon addressed the security team surrounding him.
“I’ll handle it. You can go. Just fix the door later.”
“But…”
The guards looked uneasy, clearly not trusting Taegeon’s temper.
But no number of A-rank Espers could handle him alone.
Staying would do no good.
“Just go.”
“…Understood.”
Realizing they were outmatched, the guards quietly withdrew.
Raon watched them go, then muttered,
“You’re going to be disciplined.”
It had been over twenty years since gates had started opening in the middle of cities and monsters poured out.
Back when Espers and Guides were just beginning to respond, Guides had no rights.
It was all about survival, and no one cared about Guide welfare.
But once things stabilized, people began to talk about their rights.
The Guide Human Rights Act was born, and it changed a lot.
There were already many Guides reluctant to report their abilities because of the stigma.
The law aimed to fix that.
At any rate, the center strictly prohibited Espers from behaving violently toward Guides—no exceptions.
And that was one of the reasons Han Raon had been able to run wild.
Even an S-rank Esper like Taegeon wouldn’t be spared if security reported him.
“I don’t care. I’ll sit in lockup for a few hours.”
“……”
They wouldn’t keep a valuable S-rank Esper locked up for long.
A few hours in holding, maybe a slap on the wrist.
Raon knew that perfectly well, which is why he wasn’t even angry anymore.
“So you’re seriously acting like this just because I’m pairing up with Siwoo?”
“It pisses me off.”
“Hah. You don’t even need guiding.”
Raon knew that Taegeon’s contamination level rarely ever dropped below 40%.
Of course, even 40% was already dangerously low, but since Taegeon had mental-type abilities, he could self-hypnotize.
Though overusing that could backfire.
Still, with just the occasional guiding session Raon gave out like charity, Taegeon always stayed perfectly functional.
So Raon couldn’t understand why he was reacting so sensitively to the news that Siwoo—who was in worse shape—was going to pair with him.
“You usually ignore me. You don’t care what happens between me and Yoon Siwoo.”
“…”
That’s right. The real Han Raon didn’t care.
But he couldn’t exactly tell Taegeon that he wasn’t the real Raon.
The system had disappeared temporarily, but that didn’t mean he was free.
Swallowing a sigh, Raon answered vaguely.
“Yeah, well… I figured I should start caring a little.”
“Ha. Seriously.”
A crooked smile curled at the corner of Taegeon’s lips.
Then he growled harshly.
“Let’s see how long that lasts.”
“…”
With that warning, Taegeon stormed out.
Raon stared after his retreating figure, still fuming.
After Taegeon left, center staff hurried in to repair the door.
Surprisingly, it was fixed in no time.
“Hm.”
Left alone again in the dorm, Raon stared down at the watch on his wrist.
Even if Taegeon sensed it with his ability, Siwoo, being the one directly involved, must have been told about the pairing already.
And yet, Siwoo hadn’t said a single word about it.
Raon could check his reaction in person tomorrow, but considering how violently Taegeon had responded, it made him curious about how Siwoo would take it too.
“He’ll probably hate it.”
Raon muttered under his breath, recalling how Siwoo had lost his temper in the guiding room.
He’d probably interrogate him again, asking what scheme he was plotting this time.
Still, he wouldn’t be able to outright refuse like the center director did.
He needed guiding just as urgently.
Thinking that way, Raon optimistically reassured himself once again.
“Hey, I’m sure the director already told you…”
The next day, Raon approached Siwoo just as he was heading out for a mission.
Siwoo, walking down the hall, came to an abrupt halt. Raon quickly continued.
“Let’s pair up.”
“…”
Only then did Siwoo turn to look at him.
Unlike yesterday, his dark eyes showed no trace of emotion.
“…What’s your angle this time?”
“There isn’t one, seriously.”
As expected, Siwoo went straight to suspicion.
Raon flashed him a bright smile and added in a cheerful tone:
“Hmm? I’ll treat you well.”
“…”
Siwoo turned his head again, as if the conversation wasn’t even worth responding to.
He didn’t even scoff.
Isn’t that a little too indifferent?
Raon started to feel uneasy at Siwoo’s cold reaction.
“Hey, wait. At least answer me before you walk away!”
“…”
“I’ll sign the contract first, then!”
At the mention of the contract, Siwoo came to a stop again.
This time, his brows furrowed slightly.
“I don’t have time for jokes.”
“I’m not joking. I’m serious.”
“…”
“Your numbers are all over the place lately. You need care.”
Raon said it in a sincere tone.
Honestly, it was something he’d wanted to say dozens of times before the regression.
“…Since when did you start caring…”
Siwoo clicked his tongue in annoyance and averted his gaze.
But once their eyes met, Raon realized—Siwoo had zero expectations of him.
“Fine. Let’s do it. The pairing.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“We’ll write up the contract separately.”
Siwoo said coldly, then turned and briskly walked away, making it clear Raon shouldn’t try to stop him.
Raon could only stare at his back as he walked off.
* * *
