5%…… no, I can probably bring it down by 7%.
Yujin checked his watch at intervals, murmuring inwardly. The physical readings of the Esper under his care could be monitored in real time through the watch.
There had been nothing like that in the world of the novel — he’d always had to rely on intuition to gauge things. In that sense, this world was undeniably more convenient.
Crack.
“Hm?”
A sound of something breaking. Yujin turned his head instinctively — and startled.
The table Baek Dohun had been gripping with his other hand had fractured. Then it gave way entirely, fragments scattering across the floor. Yujin’s skin prickled. He released Baek Dohun’s hand and drew back slightly.
“Are you all right?”
“……”
He had already brought the readings down to the target level, and Baek Dohun seemed to be struggling to adjust to the guiding of a proper S-rank Guide for the first time. It was probably best to stop here for today.
“This…… this is what guiding is supposed to feel like……?”
“Pardon?”
Baek Dohun murmured with a look of confusion on his face. Yujin glanced at him with mild curiosity, but Baek Dohun wasn’t looking back at him. He seemed slightly dazed — uncharacteristically so.
Well, of course. Yujin Langford never guided anyone properly.
To Yujin Langford, guiding had been nothing more than a tool for taming Espers. His philosophy was that giving them as much guiding as they wanted would only spoil them — all while having no idea that it would be those very Espers who’d eventually put him in the ground out of spite.
He must have done the same thing here for three years, so it was no wonder Baek Dohun couldn’t quite collect himself after receiving real guiding from an S-rank Guide for the first time. The Espers in the world of the novel had reacted the same way.
“I’d recommend receiving guiding on a regular basis going forward.”
“……”
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
Yujin said it brightly and rose from his seat. The job was done — there was no reason to linger. He turned to leave the guiding room, but a low voice came from behind him.
“Wait.”
Yujin turned his head, puzzled. Baek Dohun was staring him down with a dark, turbulent gaze as he closed the distance between them. His eyes were too bright — bloodshot, shot through with red — and there was something unsettling about the look in them. Yujin startled and tried to step back, but Baek Dohun moved faster.
“What exactly are you playing at, Kwon Yujin.”
“Ugh.”
Baek Dohun grabbed him by one shoulder to keep him from retreating. He probably hadn’t intended to use much force — but the grip strength of an S-rank Esper operated on an entirely different scale from an ordinary person’s. Yujin let out a pained sound at the pressure in his shoulder.
“You’ve been doing nothing but playing games this whole time — so what’s with the sudden change.”
“Ugh, my shoulder——”
Yujin hissed and tried to knock Baek Dohun’s hand away. But the hand might as well have been carved from stone — it didn’t budge. Baek Dohun didn’t seem to even hear him, like he wasn’t entirely in his right mind.
His face is calm, so I assumed his personality matched — but I suppose he’s the quietly unhinged type. Given that his contamination levels had gone unmanaged to the point of nearly triggering a rampage, it was understandable. But turning on the person who had just gone out of their way to guide him was still out of line.
“Team Leader Baek Dohun! If you don’t let go, I’m reporting this to the Center!”
“……”
Only at that did Baek Dohun’s clouded eyes regain focus. The hand clamped around Yujin’s shoulder loosened — slowly.
“Whether it’s a whim of mine or whatever else — either way, you getting guiding is good for you, isn’t it?”
Yujin asked in an irritable tone, gripping his throbbing shoulder. Baek Dohun was still watching him with a sharp, cutting gaze.
Damn Espers. Damn Yujin Langford.
It had been the same when he first transmigrated into the world of the novel. The Espers who had been subjected to Yujin Langford’s tyranny refused to trust him. Some of them had lashed out physically, just like Baek Dohun had now. Espers were fundamentally the same, here or there.
He had barely cleaned up that disaster before coming back — and now he had to go through the same thing all over again. He was the one who had every right to feel wronged to the point of losing his mind.
“If you act like this again next time, I’ll take it as you refusing guiding.”
He said it coldly and turned away. He’d tried his best to stay composed, but his body hadn’t gotten the message — it was trembling terribly. Yujin forced his legs to move and got himself out of the guiding room.
“Ha……”
The thought that this would repeat itself countless more times ahead of him made everything go dark. Yujin walked forward, still clutching his aching shoulder.
Should I keep a bodyguard around.
In the world of the novel, at least there had been knights attached to the Langford ducal house. Here, he had no one. To protect himself from an S-rank Esper, he’d need to keep someone at least A-rank at his side. But after three years, his reputation at the Center was bound to be at rock bottom — and the other Espers would surely want nothing to do with him.
God, this is so annoying.
Back in the office, Yujin shoved the hair that had fallen into his face irritably out of the way. Recalling what he had gone through in the world of the novel only made his mood worse. He muttered a quiet curse under his breath, his expression twisted.
“Damn it.”
“T-Team Leader?”
Hayeong, who had scrambled in after him the moment he returned to the office, flinched and stared. Yujin belatedly registered his presence, exhaled, and dropped into his seat.
“Ngh.”
“Oh — did you get hurt somewhere?”
Even the small movement of sitting down sent a fresh jolt of pain through his shoulder. Hayeong came over immediately, concern written across his face.
He’s been at Yujin Langford’s side as deputy team leader all this time, putting up with every kind of harassment. And he’s still this worried. It must just be the kind of person he was — genuinely good-natured. Yujin felt some of the irritation Baek Dohun had stirred in him settle slightly.
“I’m not hurt exactly — it’s just my shoulder……”
“Should I call the medical officer?”
“It’s not that serious.”
Calling the medical officer the moment he got back from guiding Baek Dohun would raise eyebrows at the Center. He didn’t want this to turn into a bigger thing over something like this.
He shook his head to decline, but Hayeong couldn’t hide the worry on his face. Yujin left him hovering like a restless puppy and asked in an indifferent tone:
“What’s the guiding schedule for the other Espers?”
“Ah — there’s a session scheduled this afternoon with Esper Kang Taejun.”
“Kang Taejun……”
Yujin pulled up the Alpha Team 1 profiles again. After Baek Dohun’s entry, Kang Taejun’s profile appeared.
“Um, if you’re feeling unwell, should I push back the guiding schedule?”
“No, leave it.”
He’d already said he’d do the guiding — rescheduling now would only invite pointless misunderstandings. And it had to happen sooner or later anyway; tired or not, it was better to get it done while he still could.
“But your shoulder is bothering you……”
“I said I’m fine.”
Yujin waved Hayeong out of the office and finished reading through Kang Taejun’s profile.
Same age as me. No notable background.
Unlike team leader Baek Dohun, Kang Taejun hadn’t gone through any textbook elite track. He was a case of awakening late as an S-rank Esper and being scouted into the military afterward. That meant he had lived far more of his life as a civilian than as a soldier.
In short — compared to Baek Dohun, he was easier to deal with. There was no need to tread especially carefully around him, which meant he’d probably be less of a headache than Baek Dohun.
His compatibility rate was 42% — the lowest among the team members — but an S-rank Guide didn’t choose who to guide based on compatibility rates. It didn’t matter much. Yujin filed away what he’d learned about Kang Taejun and headed out when the time came.
“Hey, have you lost your mind? Did you walk into a wall face-first or something?”
“……”
His expectation that Kang Taejun would be far easier to deal with than Baek Dohun was demolished within exactly one minute of laying eyes on the man.
Faced with an immediate stream of insults thrown straight at him, Yujin maintained a thin, strained smile. He was dangerously close to punching the Esper he was supposed to be managing.
“Esper Kang Taejun. Watch your mouth.”
“Oh, what the fuck. Since when do you talk to me all formally?”
“……”
“You seriously gone crazy?”
It seemed Yujin Langford and Kang Taejun had been on terms where they’d been hurling insults at each other for a good long while. Taking in the look of utter bewilderment on Kang Taejun’s face, Yujin let out a short breath.
Kang Taejun certainly wasn’t the type Yujin Langford would have been drawn to. He was handsome enough for an S-rank Esper — but he’d have been just outside Yujin Langford’s strike zone. With the powerfully built frame typical of an Esper with physical enhancement as his ability, and a face that was angular and ruggedly masculine, Kang Taejun was nothing close to Yujin Langford’s taste.
That man had been merciless toward Espers who didn’t interest him. So Kang Taejun had probably been treated carelessly, maybe even dismissively — never properly guided, treated like he was beneath notice. Yujin pressed a hand to his throbbing head.
“You’re seriously saying you’ll guide me with no conditions? You think I’m going to buy that?”
“Yeah. If you don’t want it, fine.”
“……”
He’d said it out of frustration — but fortunately, it stopped Kang Taejun’s constant stream of noise cold. He was still eyeing Yujin with deep suspicion, though.
“Make up your mind. Either take the guiding like a normal person, or walk out.”
He raised his hand and gave a slow, deliberate beckoning motion in front of Kang Taejun’s face. Every time his fingers moved, Kang Taejun’s gaze wavered. A flicker of disconcertment was plain on his face.
Kang Taejun’s readings weren’t as dangerous as Baek Dohun’s. But that didn’t mean they were anywhere near safe, either. Right now, he’d be dealing with side effects from insufficient guiding — headaches, tinnitus, things like that.
Given his personality, there was a chance he’d storm out regardless — but Yujin judged that as unlikely. True enough, Kang Taejun bit down hard on his lip, clearly furious at himself for being so easily tempted.
“God, did you seriously take a bullet to the head or something……”
Kang Taejun muttered and looked down at the open palm Yujin was holding out to him. His face was scrunched in pure distaste, the reluctance written all over it.
