Naturally, this time he was heading out not to test the fluffball’s abilities, but in his capacity as a Guide.
“Ah, Suhyeon!”
Suhyeon bowed his head slightly toward the familiar faces.
After the Espers had departed and he had separated from Hajin, Suhyeon pushed through the gathered crowd toward the area designated for Guides.
The standby site was packed with trait-users and medical staff prepared for emergencies.
Since this was a gate of a grade that had resulted in casualties even when Esper Teams 1 and 2 worked together previously, it seemed they had bolstered the manpower this time.
Most of the personnel were centered around Teams 1 and 2, so the faces were mostly familiar, but Suhyeon froze while scanning the inside of the tent.
“……Isn’t that……?”
“That’s right, Jaeram is also……”
Lee Jaeram, whom he almost never encountered on the field, was standing among the crowd.
Even though the man was someone who shouldn’t matter anymore, a sense of discomfort flared up.
“Ah, Guide Lee Jaeram?”
“……Yes?”
Suhyeon had only looked at Lee Jaeram for a fleeting moment, but Guide Ryu Jihun of Team 1, who was standing beside him, whispered as if he had noticed instantly.
“You wouldn’t know since you’ve been so busy lately, Suhyeon. They say Guide Lee Jaeram has been in discussions for a dedicated contract with another Esper from Team 2. That’s why he’s back with Team 2. It’s a huge topic of conversation lately. Though it seems they haven’t officially signed the contract yet.”
Ryu Jihun whispered that there hadn’t been gossip like this in a while. Team 2…… Suhyeon grimaced.
He didn’t particularly care who Lee Jaeram partnered with or what he did, but even when Teams 1 and 2 weren’t collaborating, the Guides from both teams often moved together.
This meant he would likely continue to run into Lee Jaeram.
“I mean, he was originally paired with the Team 2 Leader. Being a pair implies they did this and that, but then he broke it off and picked out another Esper from the same team as if to show off. But that’s not even the main issue?”
Suhyeon didn’t react, but Ryu Jihun’s mouth seemed to be itching as he continued to whisper.
“You know how it is, Suhyeon. Since there’s a shortage of Guides, they have to provide guiding to multiple people aside from their pair. But, well, while it’s not as bad as our Team Leader, there aren’t many Guides who can handle the Team 2 Leader, so normally Lee Jaeram should be providing guiding out of a sense of moral duty. Especially since he’s one of the strongest among the A-ranks. But they say he’s just shamelessly ignoring him. Lee Jaeram was always famous for that, but—.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ryu Jihun’s voice, which had been flowing steadily with the local rumors, cut off abruptly.
Rather than the gossip about Lee Jaeram, Suhyeon was busy thinking that Asher must not be receiving proper guiding when he looked up.
Ryu Jihun, who was huddled close to Suhyeon, did the same.
Whether by coincidence or not, the Canadian Guide who had worked alongside them during the previous Grade 13 gate was standing there with a broad grin.
—I came to Team 1 to experience what an S-rank is like. You’re working hard, Suhyeon.
It was the Guide who had fearlessly approached Hajin to offer guiding before.
“Ah, Mr. Rodillac. Do you want to join our chat, too?”
Oliver Rodillac.
That was definitely his name.
Instead of Suhyeon, who froze momentarily not knowing how to respond, Ryu Jihun patted the ground in front of them.
His attitude was friendly, suggesting they had met quite often.
The Canadian Guide grinned and sat down heavily beside them without hesitation.
“Suhyeon, you remember me, right? It’s been a while.”
Perhaps because he remembered the name despite only meeting once, the man greeted Suhyeon with a bright smile.
He was a very energetic man, just as he had been back then.
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ve run into the Team 1 Guides several times, but I haven’t seen you once, Suhyeon. I heard you almost got into big trouble. Are you alright?”
He was likely referring to the kidnapping incident.
“Yes, thank you.”
Suhyeon nodded.
Come to think of it, since being kidnapped by Shin Seojun, the number of times he had gone to the field as a Guide could be counted on one hand.
Dangerous gates requiring his presence didn’t open often, and even when they did, it would have been difficult to run into this man who had no fixed team.
Besides, he had been completely preoccupied with the fluffball.
“Suhyeon doesn’t come out often anyway. It’s partly his rank, but it hasn’t been long since he became a Guide. Plus, he’s been so busy lately that even we don’t see him much, right?”
Ryu Jihun said, leaning his arm slightly over Suhyeon’s shoulder.
Although Suhyeon had never talked about it, the high-rank trait-users had been present during his summoning and knew generally how things were going.
Suhyeon nodded silently.
“Is there anything for a Guide to be busy with other than guiding?”
Rodillac turned his head sharply toward Suhyeon, his eyes sparkling as if asking what kind of interesting story this was.
“Well……”
Suhyeon trailed off, feeling a faint sense of trouble.
The abilities of himself and the fluffball were top secret.
Since the Association’s high-rank trait-users and executives all knew, calling it “top secret” might be a bit of a misnomer, but it certainly wasn’t something he could tell just anyone—especially someone like Rodillac, who was dispatched from abroad.
He was already known to be an S-rank Guide, and he had received excessive attention once due to a previous gate accident.
Furthermore, the fact that a monster had appeared in the city when he was kidnapped had become a news item, though the Association had blocked the information that Suhyeon was the cause.
His daily life was already precarious enough; he didn’t even want to think about what would happen if the fact that he wasn’t an ordinary Guide leaked out.
“That’s a secret.”
“Eh, are you discriminating against me now?”
Sensing Suhyeon’s discomfort, Ryu Jihun jumped in at the right time to distract Rodillac.
“Just wait until you come to Canada for support. I’ll pay you back then.”
“Haha, go ahead.”
Fortunately, it seemed to be only a momentary interest, as Rodillac made a playful complaining sound but soon began to chuckle jovially while changing the subject to stories from other field missions.
“……Oh, Mr. Suhyeon?”
Just as the atmosphere was becoming amicable, a lilting voice split through them.
Suhyeon, flinching at the familiar tenor, slowly turned his head.
Having approached without notice, Lee Jaeram—who had definitely been sitting where the Team 2 Guides were gathered—was smiling brightly with his eyes narrowed.
“It is you, Suhyeon. I thought I had seen wrong.”
It was uncomfortable enough just being spoken to, but when Lee Jaeram acted friendly and soft, Suhyeon froze for a moment, unable to respond.
“Guide Lee Jaeram……?”
Ryu Jihun, who had been whispering rumors about Lee Jaeram just moments ago, let out a flustered voice, but Lee Jaeram went a step further and naturally sat down beside them.
“It’s been a while, Suhyeon. I haven’t seen your face once in the meantime. Ah, though I did see you at the summoning.”
“Oh, Jaeram. Right? You haven’t seen Suhyeon either? Apparently, Suhyeon has been really busy. But he won’t tell me because it’s a secret.”
The man who came for support from abroad certainly had great social skills.
Oliver Rodillac, seemingly acquainted with Lee Jaeram, prattled on without picking up on Suhyeon’s inner feelings or the strange atmosphere.
“A secret? What kind of secret?”
Whatever he was thinking, Lee Jaeram opened his eyes wide and asked with feigned innocence, even adjusting his posture to sit more comfortably.
“…….”
Suhyeon felt discomfort growing rapidly inside him.
—It seems the gate has brought you some unexpected luck.
Was the last time they met when he heard those unpleasant words?
No, that wasn’t it.
Their last encounter had been right as the Rush began.
The day the gate measurement went wrong and he had to guide numerous Espers flashed through his mind.
It was quite a while ago now, and because the Suhyeon of then and the Suhyeon of now were different, his heart no longer raced with anxiety.
However, just as discomfort flared when he looked at Lee Jaeram, they were not in a relationship where they could casually exchange greetings, and they never would be.
“He won’t tell me why he’s busy. Do you know, Jaeram?”
But that was one thing; when the topic suddenly returned to him, Suhyeon felt a slight sense of foreboding.
Since he had been at the summoning, Lee Jaeram would naturally know.
“Lee Jae-.”
Suhyeon tried to speak quickly, but the inexplicable foreboding soon became reality.
“Ah, what? About Suhyeon going out to the field?”
“Wait, Guide Lee Jaeram.”
He heard Ryu Jihun beside him calling out in shock.
“The field? He’s already here right now.”
Suhyeon narrowed his eyes.
“Guide Lee Jaeram.”
Ryu Jihun, also sensing something was wrong, called out to Lee Jaeram, who was smiling like a fox instead of Suhyeon.
“Mhm, that’s right, this is also the field. Why?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Fortunately, Oliver Rodillac asked back brightly, seemingly not understanding the implication.
Suhyeon narrowed his eyes at Lee Jaeram, who was looking back at him like a person who had no idea why they were being called.
“……I believe you know that’s a matter that shouldn’t be spoken about.”
Only then did Oliver Rodillac seem to notice that things were taking a strange turn.
Rodillac fell silent.
Even in the quieted air, Lee Jaeram continued to look at Suhyeon with a bright smile.
“Mmm, I don’t think that was a comment problematic enough to matter, at least in my opinion?”
“I am aware the Association has restricted it; it seems you are not a Guide belonging to the Association, Mr. Lee Jaeram.”
Perhaps because the opponent was Lee Jaeram, Suhyeon spoke with a rare, sharp edge.
However, Lee Jaeram didn’t even blink, only continuing to smile.
For a split second, someone else’s smile flashed over his, but it passed so quickly that Suhyeon couldn’t realize whose it had overlapped with.
“How fierce…… aren’t you speaking a bit too scarily?”
