I wish I could just live like this with Siwoo forever and never return to my original world.
Raon had that thought without realizing it.
But it was a wish that was hard to achieve, no matter how much I desired it.
The System’s final reward, forcibly given, was clearly to send me back to my original world.
Could a wish that the person no longer desired truly be called a reward?
Raon let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“But still, if you follow me all the way to the front of the bathroom, Hyung is a little troubled.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Siwoo replied in a still sullen tone.
A hint of dissatisfaction still lingered in his small voice.
The anxiety he felt probably wouldn’t disappear easily.
Raon was feeling heavy-hearted and was continuing to stroke Siwoo’s head when—
Beep, beep-beep.
“…?”
A sound rang out from the watch.
It was different from the sound for an emergency or a summons command.
It seemed like a simple communication.
Raon straightened up and looked at the watch screen.
An familiar name had popped up.
[Lee Yeojun]
“Esper Yeojun? What is it?”
-Ah, Team Leader! Is this a good time to talk?
“Yes, go ahead.”
Raon nodded and looked at the watch.
He then heard Yeojun’s anxious voice.
-Um, have you contacted Esper Dasom separately at all?
“Esper Dasom, you say?”
Raon felt confused by Yeojun’s question.
Since leaving the Center, I hadn’t contacted Dasom privately even once.
Siwoo had half-seriously suggested calling Dasom every time I felt sick, but that was it.
I had never actually called her.
Feeling awkward for no reason, Raon frowned and then continued.
“No, I haven’t contacted her separately.”
-Ah, I see.
“What exactly is going on?”
-Well…
Yeojun hesitated before replying. Raon was surprised by his words.
“Esper Dasom is missing?”
-It might not be missing just yet. But she didn’t show up for training today and isn’t answering her phone. So, I thought maybe the Team Leader might know something…
“Does the Center Chief know?”
-Yes, and some Espers from the Intelligence Department also came to ask a few questions…
“Intelligence Department…”
The Intelligence Department didn’t just carry out spy work.
There were also agents who secretly followed security targets.
There would be a few assigned to me, and naturally, there would be some assigned to Dasom, a rare S-class Healer Esper.
However, the fact that even the veteran Intelligence Department Espers were conducting investigations meant they didn’t know Dasom’s whereabouts.
This was not something to be easily dismissed.
“How long has Esper Dasom been unreachable?”
-We trained together yesterday and parted ways, and we talked in the group chat until night. But since then, there has been no word from her. She’s not answering my calls either.
“Hmm.”
Then it was highly likely that something happened between last night and this morning.
Since Dasom was staying at the Center, unlike me, I needed to find out about her movements there first.
“I’ll go to the Center now.”
-Pardon? But Team Leader, you are currently…
“It’s fine to go to the Center for a brief moment.”
Raon replied curtly and turned around.
Siwoo followed him with a flustered expression.
“Hyung, going outside the house is…”
“I’ll call you back later, so hang up for a moment.”
-Yes, Team Leader.
Raon, who was walking towards the living room, looked back at Siwoo.
He spoke with a serious face.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“A feeling?”
“Yes. You mentioned it before, about the Esper who went missing by Apophis and then returned.”
“Ah.”
I had deliberately not informed the Guide Team about my own kidnapping.
It might unnecessarily unsettle the Guide Team during their training, and it was a secret that shouldn’t be revealed to the outside.
But because of that, my team members wouldn’t have suspected anything when a call suddenly came from Raon.
Even though I hadn’t contacted anyone separately myself.
“Still, it’s not confirmed yet.”
“That’s why I need to go and check.”
“Why do you have to do that, Hyung? The Center Chief and the Intelligence Department are probably already looking for her.”
“Even so…”
I was the one who knew Dasom would reawaken as an S-class Healer Esper and placed her on the Guide Team.
This was true for all the team members, not just Dasom.
Perhaps because of that, I had developed a unique sense of attachment.
Even though I knew Siwoo’s calm words were completely right, I just couldn’t sit still.
Beep.
“…!”
Just then, the alert sound rang out again.
This time it was from a terminal, not the watch.
Raon, startled, took the terminal out of his pocket.
He looked down at the screen.
“…A photo?”
When I entered the message box, there was just one single photo.
Raon swallowed without realizing it and enlarged the photo on the screen.
“…!”
Raon’s eyes widened at the sight.
The atmosphere in the Guide Team without Raon had been terrible for several days.
The team members, who had finished their morning training, slowly walked towards the cafeteria.
The team members, who would usually be chattering and trying to talk over each other, were quiet today as well.
“Team Leader Seo Dojin is clearly determined to eliminate the Guide Team, isn’t he?”
“But can he do that? Their track record is pretty good.”
“Well, even if it’s eliminated, it doesn’t mean Guides won’t enter Irregular Gates. He just doesn’t want to give them any control anymore.”
“Team Leader Seo Dojin is really relentless.”
Several Espers clicked their tongues as they passed by.
They were quite far away, so the other Guides probably didn’t hear them, but the Espers in the Guide Team immediately hardened their faces upon hearing those words.
“Don’t pay attention to words like that, Dasom.”
“…Yes, Jamie.”
Dasom nodded, forcing a smile toward Jamie, who was being kindly considerate.
Then Juwon, who was next to her, asked curiously.
“Why? Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“…?”
Something had definitely happened.
Juwon and Taehyuk noticed the suspiciousness, but seeing the Espers’ faces were so grim, they didn’t ask any further.
Juwon, who was observing the team members’ mood out of the corner of his eye, secretly sighed.
The team atmosphere was truly awful.
With the absence of Raon, the Team Leader, the Guide Team, which had been so high-spirited, became gloomy in an instant.
It wasn’t just because of Raon’s absence.
It was also because Seo Dojin, who considered the Guide Team an eyesore, had returned.
Since the Team Leader, who should be standing up to him and protecting the team, was gone, it was natural that the situation would worsen, making it difficult to cope.
‘When is he going to return, I wonder?’
Not just Juwon, but all the Guide Team members had this thought countless times a day.
Even while eating, no one could cheer up.
It was surprising that they still continued with their training.
Was it because of the obsessive training they had undergone since the Guide Team was formed?
Although Raon, the Team Leader, was continuously absent, no one neglected their training.
An Irregular Gate wouldn’t stop appearing just because the Team Leader was gone.
“Everyone, eat well. The afternoon training will be very tough.”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
Perhaps because of this, they were more closely united internally as a team.
Although the atmosphere was downcast, the team members’ eyes were sharp and alive.
Juwon looked at them with a sense of trust.
“Excuse me, Guide Juwon.”
“Yes?”
While heading back to the training ground, Juwon was surprised and turned his head.
Dasom was looking up at him with a slightly anxious expression.
“What is it, Esper Dasom?”
“Well…”
When Juwon asked in a friendly voice, Dasom hesitated a little.
Juwon waited for her to speak, as he was used to it.
With Raon, the Team Leader, absent, Juwon took on his role.
The other team members also naturally relied on Juwon as if they had an unspoken agreement to do so.
Perhaps because of this, Juwon didn’t find it strange that Dasom was only speaking to him.
“Have you contacted the Team Leader recently?”
“The Team Leader, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Dasom nodded slightly. Juwon shook his head, looking puzzled.
“No. Now that you mention it, I haven’t contacted him recently.”
“I see.”
Dasom’s face darkened slightly.
Juwon, noticing this belatedly, spoke again.
“But why do you ask? Did the Team Leader say something to you?”
“Ah, no.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I just… I felt that contact had been sparse, so I was wondering if you were in contact with Guide Juwon…”
“You’re right. I should try contacting him soon.”
Juwon, realizing that contact with Raon had been sparse thanks to Dasom, nodded.
Dasom offered an awkward smile, bowed to him, and turned away.
The two, a Guide and an Esper, used different training grounds.
As Dasom walked forward, she secretly pulled out her terminal and looked at the screen.
[Team Leader Raon] [Esper Dasom, can you come out of the Center alone tonight?]
[Pardon? What’s going on, Team Leader?]
[Team Leader Raon] [It’s a little difficult to explain in detail. Don’t tell anyone, and please come out alone tonight. I’m asking you.]
[Team Leader?]
After that, there was no reply from Raon.
Dasom anxiously looked at the screen, then turned it off with a determined expression.
I don’t know what the matter is, but sending me a message like this must mean something big has happened to Raon.
Something so important that Juwon or the other team members shouldn’t know about it.
Dasom put the terminal away in her pocket and quickly walked toward the training ground.
