* * *
“Hyung!”
“…!”
It was Siwoo.
Raon looked at Siwoo with surprised eyes.
He thought it would take more time since they were discussing the disciplinary matter.
“Did you finish talking?”
“Yes. Why did you come all the way here, Hyung? I would have gone to the Center if you waited.”
Siwoo seemed flustered, as if he hadn’t expected Raon to come inside the military base.
Raon smiled and held his hand.
“I did this because I wanted to see you quickly.”
“Ah.”
At that, Siwoo’s face, which had been hardened with worry, slightly relaxed.
Raon naturally performed Guiding and tightly held Siwoo’s hand.
“Are you okay? Were you not struggling?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Hmm.”
Fortunately, Siwoo didn’t seem to be lying.
The wavelength, which had been irregular right before the rampage, was now quite stable.
‘He’s much more… okay than I thought?’
Raon grumbled inwardly with a puzzled look.
Considering the watch wasn’t ringing, the Insertion Guiding from last night must have already raised the value past 30%, but he should have still suffered from side effects for a while due to the aftershock of going as far as the precursor to a rampage.
Yet, the current Siwoo didn’t show any signs of that.
He even wondered if the wavelength had been rougher when Siwoo was enduring with drug Guiding.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
He kept fiddling with Siwoo’s hand and tilted his head.
Before regression, he had never had a deep relationship with an Esper, despite being an S-Class Guide, so he couldn’t properly judge the situation. It seemed like he needed a professional’s opinion.
“By the way, why is Esper Mikhail here?”
“Ah.”
Siwoo’s gaze turned towards Mikhail, who was standing nearby.
However, Mikhail didn’t even blink despite the sharp gaze.
Come to think of it, Mikhail’s accommodation must have been assigned to the Center side.
This happened naturally since Jamie, who came with him, had to follow the Guide Team’s schedule.
It wasn’t strange for him to be going back and forth between the Center and the base to negotiate with the military command about the spoils of war while participating in the dual Gate.
But Siwoo’s question didn’t seem to mean that.
He must have been challenging Mikhail, asking what business he had talking to Raon, whom he usually disliked.
Siwoo seemed to mistakenly believe that Mikhail had initiated the quarrel again.
“Is there some place I shouldn’t go?”
“I don’t care where you go, but don’t purposely come here and act disrespectfully toward Hyung.”
“Oh my.”
Mikhail looked at the small growling Siwoo as if he found him cute.
Seeing Mikhail, who had somehow regained his composure, made Raon realize the considerable age gap between Siwoo and him.
Most of the Alpha Team Espers were not even thirty yet, but Mikhail was already thirty-two.
He was a whole ttidonggap (12-year cycle) older than Siwoo.
Perhaps because he had been generally abrasive until now, Mikhail always looked younger than his age.
But now, he definitely looked like he had more life experience.
Although Raon still didn’t know the reason why.
“If I hadn’t been here, Team Leader Raon would have been in big trouble with Esper Seo Dojin.”
“What… did you say?”
“Isn’t that right?”
Siwoo looked back at Raon in surprise.
Mikhail also nodded, asking for Raon’s agreement.
Raon was momentarily flustered, but he couldn’t help but nod.
“I just met Team Leader Seo Dojin.”
“I heard he returned, but…”
Siwoo bit his lip.
He seemed quite frustrated that Raon had run into Dojin while he was absent.
Raon stroked his hand, signaling him not to get excited.
“Esper Mikhail. I appreciate your help, but could you please refrain from provoking my Esper too much?”
Raon said this in a deliberately firm voice.
Siwoo became surprisingly docile at the words ‘my Esper.’
Mikhail let out a hollow laugh and took a step back.
“I also know that my life is precious. I just feel wronged for being misunderstood.”
“Hmm.”
Despite saying that, he seemed quite excited and sarcastic.
Raon gave him a suspicious look.
The sudden change in attitude was baffling.
Naturally, Raon had no intention of forgiving Mikhail.
No, regardless of forgiveness, he didn’t even want to continue the relationship unless it was for the Irregular Gate.
But that brief Guiding seemed to have completely changed Mikhail’s mind.
When he judged Raon to be a useless Guide, he acted ruthlessly and rudely.
How could Raon trust an attitude that changed as soon as he realized Raon had value, like flipping a palm?
Raon clicked his tongue, looking at Mikhail’s shameless face.
“Then, I’ll see you next time, Team Leader Raon.”
“Well, yes. Please rest.”
But Mikhail didn’t look like he would give up easily.
An Esper’s personal obsession was immense, and if he had the support of the Alliance, he would surely be bothersome for a long time.
Dojin alone was overwhelming enough, but now the Alliance and Mikhail too… Raon sighed.
“Let’s go too, Siwoo.”
“Yes.”
As they walked away, Siwoo kept glaring at the back of Mikhail’s head until the end.
Then, upon leaving the military base, he looked at Raon again.
“What did Team Leader Seo Dojin say?”
“Just, well. Nonsense.”
“He asked you to be his pair?”
“…”
Perhaps because he had previously witnessed Dojin forcefully demanding Raon to be his pair, Siwoo clearly guessed the truth even without seeing it.
At the silent confirmation, Siwoo ground his teeth.
“Don’t go causing trouble unnecessarily. You’re already under disciplinary action, you know.”
“Ah, did you hear about it?”
“Yes, that you can’t enter the Gate for the time being. So I also said I won’t go in.”
“What?”
Siwoo widened his eyes in surprise at Raon’s words.
Looking at him in disbelief, Raon continued casually.
“Why should I enter when my pair Esper isn’t going in? Anyway, you have to raise your value again, so I just said I wouldn’t go either.”
“Did the Center Chief allow it?”
“Is permission needed? Since Team Leader Seo Dojin has returned, he will take back the command.”
“But…”
Raon had expected him to be happy, but surprisingly, Siwoo’s expression was not good.
He seemed to think that Raon was giving up an opportunity to achieve merits because of him.
“Hyung worries a lot about the team members. You always worry about the combat team members getting hurt… Are you really okay with not going in?”
“…”
But Siwoo knew Raon much better than Raon had guessed.
And Raon was even more surprised that Siwoo’s words were not wrong.
He had said in a moment of anger that he would leave if Siwoo was excluded from the Special Team, but if the Irregular Gate appeared earlier than planned, he wouldn’t be able to stand by.
It would be different if the System appeared again and suppressed his actions, but he couldn’t just watch people die.
“It’s okay. I’m sure the military will pretend your disciplinary action never happened if an Irregular Gate shows up.”
“That is…”
“And what is disciplinary action in the first place? They should be giving you an award.”
Although Siwoo was in the wrong in the Blue Gate area, he sacrificed himself to save many people in the final Red Gate area.
The fact that there were zero casualties in this Gate was largely due to Siwoo blocking the wave of water that swept over the Red Gate at the end.
But the military didn’t acknowledge any of that.
“If I had rampaged then, it would have been a bigger disaster. The military probably had no choice.”
“Phew.”
Good-hearted Siwoo took the side of the military that disciplined him.
Raon thought it was truly too much for such a kind person.
It wasn’t only Siwoo who had received unfair treatment all this time.
High-ranking Espers, who were as threatening as a collapsing Gate if they rampaged, often received unfair disciplinary actions or treatment, even when they achieved praiseworthy accomplishments like Siwoo.
Although things have improved compared to the past, as many people have consistently demanded reform, there are still many problems.
Since Espers are easily frowned upon for nearly rampaging, even after suppressing a Gate at great risk, they can no longer rush to the front line just out of a sense of duty.
This would only become more prevalent in the future.
“I wish the old-fashioned people would change their minds.”
“Isn’t that kind of talk a little dangerous here?”
“Let them hear it, I guess.”
Raon said nonchalantly and continued walking.
Siwoo, who was gradually sensing that something was strange, looked around and asked.
“But where are we going? This is the Center, right?”
“Yes, we need to go get a check-up.”
“A check-up?”
“Yeah. You almost rampaged, and I also came back after going into the Gate.”
“Ah.”
Guides must undergo a check-up after visiting a Gate, but Espers didn’t necessarily have to.
Only Espers at risk of a rampage were managed separately, and Siwoo hadn’t been called to the examination room recently because his value was good.
But Siwoo seemed oddly tense and tightly held Raon’s hand, perhaps because he didn’t have good memories of that place.
“Why, you don’t want to get a check-up?”
“That’s not it.”
When Raon asked as if soothing a child, Siwoo hardened his expression and shook his head.
Raon unconsciously chuckled.
* * *
