* * *
“Aren’t you seeing me as a Guide with too little constancy? You’re telling me to abandon my pair Esper just because he received a disciplinary action?”
When he deliberately answered in a loud voice, loud enough for others to hear, Dojin’s face hardened instead.
Raon glared at Dojin’s shameless face.
The pairing of an Esper and a Guide can be terminated at any time by mutual agreement, unlike imprinting.
However, it is usually the Esper who has a much stronger obsession than the Guide.
Espers are sensitive to the word ‘pair’ as it is, so it was natural that the looks weren’t kind when Dojin openly spoke of breaking a pair in a place full of military Espers.
Dojin, too, seemed conscious of the stares and clicked his tongue.
Then, with an annoyed expression, he looked at Raon and continued speaking.
“Let’s go inside to talk about the details.”
“No, thank you. You can finish it here.”
“Han Raon, do I have to repeat the same thing twice?”
“I don’t want to repeat the same thing either.”
It was fortunate that he met Dojin at the military base rather than in the deserted Center.
There were many means here to directly suppress Dojin.
The Espers standing nearby were watching them, ready to rush to protect Raon at any moment.
It would be good if Siwoo came on time, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Therefore, Raon had to buy as much time as possible.
Raon hoped that he wouldn’t be dragged away by Dojin against his will.
“You’re still stubborn.”
“You are too, Team Leader.”
Dojin gave a nervous smile at Raon, who argued back without backing down.
However, Raon kept feeling an eerie sensation.
He wasn’t sure why he was having this strange feeling, as the chances of Dojin doing anything reckless were very low because of the Espers around.
Was it because he could sense a nervousness he hadn’t seen before from Dojin, who had returned after a long hospitalization?
Raon kept getting an unfamiliar vibe from him.
‘Now that I think about it, he hasn’t received Guiding for a long time, has he?’
When the first Irregular Gate appeared, Dojin, who should have received Guiding from Hamin, showed a strange stubbornness and refused Guiding.
Now that Hamin has even re-awakened as an Esper, it must be even more awkward for him to receive Guiding from Hamin.
Perhaps that’s why he looked even more irritable and sharp.
The traces of the poison left on his cheek also gave off an alien feeling.
Raon, unwilling to admit that he felt fear toward Dojin, clenched his fists.
He couldn’t do anything when Dojin eventually reached out his arm.
“Ugh.”
Raon involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the moment Dojin had seized and suppressed him.
But no matter how much time passed, he didn’t feel the pain of being restrained.
As soon as Raon opened his eyes again, he saw someone’s large back.
“It’s been a while, Esper Dojin.”
“…!”
An elegant, soft voice was heard.
It was Mikhail, who was kinder than anyone else to high-ranking Espers who were not Guides.
He was blocking Raon’s path.
“…Esper Mikhail. I heard the news that you came to Korea.”
“I heard you were injured at the Violet Gate. I apologize for not stopping by separately when you were hurt.”
“No, I know you are busy. It’s alright.”
The two conversed in a surprisingly casual tone, unfitting for the situation.
Raon, who was suddenly excluded, blinked in surprise.
“However, I have some business with Team Leader Raon.”
“Ah.”
Mikhail gave a bright smile to Dojin, who was giving him a dismissal order.
And he replied in a soft tone.
“Is that so? I also happened to have something to talk about with him.”
“What?”
“I didn’t eavesdrop, but my hearing is exceptionally good. It sounded like Esper Dojin was proposing to be a pair with Team Leader Raon. Is that correct?”
“…That is correct.”
Dojin, sensing the bad atmosphere, hardened his expression.
Mikhail, on the other hand, still looked back at Raon with a relaxed attitude.
“The Alliance will soon formally offer a scouting proposal to Team Leader Raon. Along with a proposal to be a pair with me.”
“What did you say?”
The voice of complaint did not come from Raon’s side.
On the contrary, Raon was too surprised to say anything. Dojin fumed and glared at Mikhail.
“What kind of nonsense is that? Han Raon is the only S-Class Guide in Korea. Scouting such a person?”
“Instead, we plan to dispatch an S-Class Guide from our country if you wish. Or Team Leader Raon can stay here until he wants to leave.”
“That is such nonsense…”
“Whether it is nonsense or not will be judged by Team Leader Han Raon, Esper Seo Dojin.”
Mikhail approached Dojin and grinned.
He was annoying, but Mikhail was flawless in terms of outward appearance and specifications.
As he smiled with a face that looked like it had just popped out of a foreign masterpiece, Raon almost felt an illusion that the surroundings had brightened.
“Tell me any condition you wish for, Team Leader Raon. The Alliance is willing to grant anything.”
“Ah.”
Raon only just managed to collect himself.
Seo Dojin, Mikhail, and even a scouting offer from the Alliance. It was a series of unexpected events.
He was quite confused, but Raon had no intention of forming a pair with Dojin or being scouted by the Alliance.
He simply expressed his refusal indirectly since there were diplomatic issues involved with the Alliance.
“I will think about it.”
“I’ll give you all the time you need.”
“…Yes.”
Raon felt uneasy about Mikhail’s sudden change in attitude.
Did he hit his head wrong in the Gate?
Did his head get messed up when he flew in the sky before destroying the core at the end?
He harbored such suspicions, but the blue eyes that softly gazed at Raon had not changed.
Raon felt goosebumps for a moment.
“Korea will absolutely not let this matter go unpunished.”
“By all means.”
“…”
Dojin glared at Mikhail with terrifying eyes.
Soon, he directed an obsessive gaze toward Raon as well, then abruptly turned his body around.
He must have judged that it was better to quickly talk to the superiors and resolve the issue rather than arguing with Mikhail here.
“Phew.”
In any case, thanks to that, he was able to escape from Dojin.
Raon sighed in relief as Dojin walked away. Mikhail looked down at Raon intently.
“Just in case, I’m not lying, it’s true. A formal scouting offer will arrive soon.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Team Leader Han Raon.”
He couldn’t get used to Mikhail’s use of polite language.
In fact, there is no concept of polite language in English, so the overly sensitive translator was simply changing polite expressions into formal speech.
But Raon had never heard Mikhail speak to him formally until now, so far from feeling good, it just felt strange.
“I’m sorry, but can you speak casually like before?”
“If Team Leader Raon does the same.”
“…”
Why on earth is he acting like this?
Raon frowned, looking at the completely changed Mikhail.
Only one reason came to mind.
‘Is it because of the Guiding, after all?’
He might not clearly remember the incident of covering him in the undersea cave.
But he would still clearly recall the Guiding he had done.
He must have been searching for a Guide with a matching wavelength all this time, and it would be hard for an Esper to forget that fleeting Guiding.
‘I shouldn’t have Guided him with such sincerity back then.’
Guiding someone with a non-matching wavelength was quite a burden for Raon.
It consumed much more mental power and concentration than normal Guiding.
It was something he had to do back then to survive, but if he had known it would become this troublesome, he might have done it just moderately.
“Do you regret Guiding me back then?”
“Haa.”
Mikhail, who had brilliantly figured out Raon’s thoughts, asked with a smile in his eyes.
Raon raised his hand and pressed his throbbing head.
“In any case, now that the Alliance knows about Team Leader Raon’s ability, they won’t just let it go. You should be prepared for what’s to come.”
“Phew, I understand for now.”
It seemed that Espers weren’t the only ones who had to hide their abilities.
He had to be careful even with being a helpful Guide.
Reluctantly, Raon considered this a good lesson.
Though he didn’t know how many foreign ability users he would meet in the future.
“And I sincerely apologize for all the rudeness until now. Including the reverse Guiding without manners during our first meeting.”
“What?”
Raon, who was thinking about how to refuse the Alliance’s scouting offer, was surprised to see Mikhail bowing his head toward him.
For the proud Mikhail to bow his head in a place with so many military Espers!
Raon felt embarrassed again by a situation he hadn’t imagined.
However, he couldn’t be harsh when someone apologized first.
Besides, others were watching.
Raon nodded for now.
“I understand. I accept your apology, so please raise your head.”
“…I know you still don’t trust me. That’s also because of me, so I will prove my sincerity going forward.”
“Ha…”
‘I don’t need that.’
Raon wanted to shout that, but he barely swallowed his words and let out a small sigh.
And then, someone called Raon’s name.
* * *
