“Huh…. Guide Choi Hyerin actually contacted me this morning, so that was why.”
“Team Leader Do, what kind of contact came from Guide Choi Hyerin?”
“She kept shooting off about how the Center requested guiding for Esper Seo Gangwoo but the person in question didn’t come, so she waited all night—my ears are still ringing.”
Team Leader Do Hyeonuk shook his head side to side, recalling the words Guide Choi Hyerin had poured out in anger.
“The Center requested? The Center called Guide Choi Hyerin?”
“Ah… Did Team Leader Lee not know yet?”
At the question from General Manager Seo Hojun, who was reading the Center Director’s mood, Team Leader Lee Juyeon was curious.
“Don’t know what?”
“Team Leader Lee, currently Esper Seo Gangwoo and Guide Choi Hyerin’s pair contract is in a terminated state.”
“…What?! What do you mean.”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon, who had raised her voice at Center Director Kim Taekjun’s unexpected words, soon came to her senses and cast her gaze at the other three people.
“Ahem….”
“Team Leader Lee, I also found out yesterday. I brought Esper Seo Gangwoo to the Center from the scene myself.”
“No… Does this make sense? You’re saying the pair contract termination has been approved?”
“Yes. It’s even been two months since it was approved.”
“No, why are you only telling me this important fact now?!”
At Lee Juyeon’s words, the Center Director was silent for a moment.
“How can something like this happen? It’s Esper Seo Gangwoo! There isn’t even a Guide with a matching rate! Center Director!”
“I was dumbfounded too. It had already been approved without me knowing. I only found out when contact came from the Headquarters higher-ups.”
“Headquarters?”
“It seems Guide Choi Hyerin pulled something. Whether that family’s people pulled strings or what…. Many people at Headquarters don’t know about this fact either. When I tried to look into it, they just told me to keep quiet for now.”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon tried to calm her confusion and at least grasp the situation first.
“What on earth were they thinking? Do you have any guesses?”
“The nuance was that Guide Choi Hyerin and Esper Seo Gangwoo would pair up again.”
“Are they crazy?! Whew….”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon, who unconsciously let out a curse, made a big effort to calm down by taking deep breaths. Everyone had expressions showing they understood such a Team Leader. Because they had been like that too when they first heard this fact.
“No wonder…. So that’s why Esper Seo Gangwoo collapsed a while ago. No, if something goes wrong with an S-rank Esper from this, how do they plan to handle it?”
“They must have thought complacently. Since he’s endured well until now.”
“Don’t tell me…. They didn’t do this to freely wield an S-rank Esper as they please, did they?”
“Why wouldn’t they? It’s obvious.”
“Even now I’m worried because Esper Seo Gangwoo’s condition is precarious, and what is this….”
“Haah….”
Everyone seated let out deep sighs.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo’s condition might rampage even today. Actually, the fact that he’s endured until now is already amazing.”
“But in this current situation, you’re saying Guide Kim Jiwon, who manifested not long ago, is guiding Esper Seo Gangwoo?”
“……”
“……”
“……!”
Everyone was silent at the new news, as if many thoughts were running through their heads.
“Yes. Guide Kim Jiwon. Guiding is approved now. And Esper Seo Gangwoo’s watch is also turned on. The gauge is 84% right now.”
“Why would he turn on his watch? At 84%, the warning notification barely didn’t go off. What about matching?”
“We can’t know yet. Esper Seo Gangwoo doesn’t care about matching rate tests these days anyway. Though guiding was approved an hour ago, if it’s as Team Leader Do says, there’s a possibility he guided all night.”
“What if Guide Kim Jiwon and Esper Seo Gangwoo have a decent matching rate? Huh?! And at this timing when Esper Seo Gangwoo doesn’t have a pair—?”
General Manager Seo Hojun, excited while speaking, jumped up from his seat and paced.
“Manager Seo, calm down first. We don’t know yet. It might actually be a good thing. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that Guide Choi Hyerin doesn’t guide properly? The matching rate is low, and they only put them together because there was no one to replace her.”
The fact that Guide Choi Hyerin doesn’t guide Esper Seo Gangwoo properly was a fact everyone in the Center knew.
Not only was Esper Seo Gangwoo’s condition noticeably continuing to worsen, but there were many ability users who had seen Guide Choi Hyerin appearing without fail at various social gatherings.
From her own mouth, she went around bragging about shopping at some shopping center, having a party at a villa for several days, or going on trips. She even gained popularity as an S-rank Esper’s pair Guide and received permission from the Center to do famous magazine interviews or photoshoot pictorials.
Thanks to Guide Choi Hyerin revealing her busy activities without hesitation, they couldn’t not know. When the Center continued to recommend measures, she would pretend to guide for a moment or submit false reports that she had guided.
The problem was that Esper Seo Gangwoo kept turning off his watch, so there was no clear evidence that the reports were false. He also didn’t come to the Center, and even when they reported these matters upward, they were dismissed because of Guide Choi Hyerin’s background.
At a time when all countries were tearing their hair out over chronic Guide shortages, A-rank Guides belonged to first priority protection targets to that extent, and the Guide’s opinion was top priority. On top of that, with relatives being high-ranking officials, what more was there to say?
“There’s no guarantee that Guide Kim Jiwon will pair up either.”
“That’s right. We can’t encourage them to pair up….”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. The Guide’s will is most important. Still, it’s not like there’s no room, right? Team Leader Lee, what is Guide Kim Jiwon’s disposition like?”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon swallowed a sigh and answered.
“He’s fine. The person himself has no rough edges and has a gentle personality. Though he’s only been working for a week, he works diligently, and he’s approving Espers in order of high gauge. At this rate, his performance report will also be in the upper ranks.”
“Really? A decent Guide came in this time. If it’s Team Leader Lee’s word, it’s trustworthy.”
“Even if they don’t pair up, if he can guide Esper Seo Gangwoo, even just that is something. For now, until we confirm Guide Kim Jiwon’s will, this matter can’t leak out. The matching rate test is the same.”
Everyone nodded at those words. If this matter became known, they didn’t know what the Choi Hyerin side would do again.
“The Center Director’s words are correct. If this fact goes to Guide Choi Hyerin’s side, they’ll definitely try to nullify the pair contract termination. Since it was approved through fraudulent means anyway, the Headquarters higher-ups will also actively agree. Pair re-approval would be impossible without Esper Seo Gangwoo’s will, but termination nullification is definitely possible.”
“That’s right. Although it was approved on paper, since it wasn’t officially announced, there are only a few people who know it’s in a terminated state.”
“If they find out he’s making a pair contract with another Guide, they’ll definitely interfere with the approval. Because if these two become a pair, everyone will naturally know that it was terminated with Guide Choi Hyerin.”
Esper Do Hyeonuk frowned deeply, as if getting angry even while speaking.
“It wouldn’t have gone their way anyway. Looking at the situation so far, Esper Seo Gangwoo has no intention of pairing up with Guide Choi Hyerin again. It would be the same even if Guide Kim Jiwon hadn’t appeared.”
Center Director Kim Taekjun accurately grasped Seo Gangwoo’s psychology.
“The timing is really killer.”
“I know. At this rate, we should be grateful that Guide Choi Hyerin terminated the contract herself.”
“I hope it goes well….”
General Manager Seo Hojun was shaking one leg, next to him Research Director Choi Seunghyeon was crossing his arms and touching his lips, Team Leader Lee Juyeon couldn’t release her serious expression, and Team Leader Do Hyeonuk couldn’t keep still his clasped hands with elbows on his knees.
The Center 1 executives were actually more restless than the parties involved.
“Let’s wait and see for now. But we can’t just stay still. If the two people decide to pair up, the approval process will be handled expeditiously. Even among high-ranking Headquarters officials, there are those who found out late about the contract termination approval and expressed dissatisfaction. I’ll establish a line with reliable people among them. Everyone prepare so procedures can be taken immediately.”
Center Director Kim Taekjun, who had been tapping the table with his finger, looked at the four people in front of him with strong eyes and said.
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
The four people who received that gaze also exchanged looks with each other and nodded.
“If they don’t make a pair contract….”
“Guide Choi Hyerin’s side….”
“The Headquarters line….”
After that, the Center 1 executives who shared countermeasure meetings for various situations left the Center Director’s office with determined faces.
* * *
Jiwon continued guiding.
After being in one position for over two hours, his body became uncomfortable. Afraid of waking Seo Gangwoo who was sleeping soundly, he moved his head a little like a sloth, repeating inwardly as slowly as possible, as small as possible, then stealthily rotated his wrist, slowly extended his knee and returned it.
Jiwon, who successfully fidgeted his body without waking Seo Gangwoo, felt like he could endure a little more. He let out a small sigh of relief and carefully continued guiding.
Ddiring—!
‘Ahhhhh~~.’
At that moment, at the message sound ringing from the work tablet placed on the table, Jiwon’s body flinched as if bouncing while he screamed inwardly in surprise.
