To start with, the size of his face alone was not something that belonged to any currently living human. Without a word of exaggeration, it was smaller than a grown man’s open palm. It was astonishing how eyes, nose, and mouth could be packed into that space — arranged with a perfection that was almost uncanny.
The clean line of his neck below and the breadth of his shoulders went without saying. Yoon Gyujin stood just a hair over 180 centimeters — relatively short for this particular world, where 190 was commonplace. But he demolished objective numbers with sheer proportion alone. His limbs were long and lean, and nicely defined muscle gave him a solid, toned look.
His physique alone could be praised without pause, but what surpassed even that was his face. Two eyes, one nose, one mouth — the same three things every person in the world possessed — and yet how they could come together so flawlessly and perfectly was astounding.
In Kim Huimyeong’s eyes, Yoon Gyujin was the most handsome man among all living humans. It was a subjective judgment, but anyone who had seen Yoon Gyujin’s face even once would have no choice but to agree.
He was genuinely more statue-like than an actual statue. Eyes with depth that weren’t overbearing, a straight nose, full lips — they came together in a way that made the skin tingle, composing a face that once seen, demanded a second look, and then a third.
This was no joke — Kim Huimyeong could spend three nights and four days doing nothing but complimenting Yoon Gyujin’s face. Being told to spend a lifetime just staring at that face — honestly, it would be possible. Not an exaggeration — with looks that had genuinely reached that level, it truly would be.
From the moment Kim Huimyeong laid eyes on Yoon Gyujin’s face, maybe that was when becoming a devoted fan had already been decided. But could anyone be blamed? He was really just that handsome.
“You don’t need to be so nervous.”
Whether it was how Kim Huimyeong was swallowing dryly that gave it away, Yoon Gyujin reached out to reassure him gently. In the white guide uniform he wore, he gave off an ascetic, almost sacred impression. Kim Huimyeong was clearly wearing the exact same uniform, and yet the feeling was entirely different. It was as though a spotlight had been lit over Yoon Gyujin’s face alone, making it shine.
“I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
He patted Kim Huimyeong’s shoulder as he said it. How could someone with that face be that gentle on top of it? Among every senior Kim Huimyeong had encountered so far, not one had possessed a manner as soft as Yoon Gyujin’s. At this point, when Yoon Gyujin smiled, Kim Huimyeong’s heart simply pounded on its own.
Suppressing the overwhelming feeling, Kim Huimyeong nodded shyly. Yoon Gyujin, with no way of knowing Kim Huimyeong’s inner state, calmly went over the training schedule.
“We’re Team 1, so we’ll be entering at the front. Any experience with Gates?”
“Ah, no! Today is my first time in the field!”
“Then don’t leave my side. The Espers will protect you in principle, but inside a Gate you never know what might happen — stay sharp. If you assess the situation and determine that on-site guiding is needed, go ahead and do it without waiting for procedure.”
“Yes sir! Understood!”
It was information that had been covered in the briefing the day before, but hearing it from Yoon Gyujin made it sink in on a completely different level. And not only was the senior’s voice easy on the ears — his tone was gently measured on top of it. Could someone who disliked this person really be said to have normal character? The seed of devoted fandom had taken firm, deep root in Kim Huimyeong’s mind.
“The ones we need to focus on are Team 1’s Espers. Kwon Dajung got guiding recently, so he won’t need it today — but Choi Seonwoo and Moon Munguk will come to you for guiding.”
Kim Huimyeong’s eyes stayed bright and attentive throughout the explanation. Apparently pleased by the engaged listening, Gyujin offered a small smile.
“When you guide Seonwoo, make sure you hold his left hand. He uses his ability with his right hand, so he doesn’t like anyone touching it. Munguk isn’t particularly difficult as a rule, but he tends to get especially sensitive right after using his ability — keep that in mind. Left or right hand doesn’t matter for him, but gripping too tight makes him uncomfortable, so take note.”
Guiding, in general, grew more effective as the level of physical contact increased.
But that was only half true. No matter how much physical contact occurred, if the guide decided not to guide, the effect disappeared. That, in theory, was also why “reverse guiding” was possible. When a guide made the decision to guide, they could influence an Esper’s body and mind regardless of the Esper’s own will. This usually resulted in something positive — but when the influence was applied in a harmful way, it was called reverse guiding.
Furthermore, the higher the guide’s rank and the higher the matching rate, the less physical contact level mattered. Conversely, for lower-ranked guides, contact level still made a significant difference. For that reason, Kim Huimyeong couldn’t help but have a question about Yoon Gyujin’s instructions.
“Um, senior…? In that case — would physical contact beyond just holding hands be difficult?”
“Why do you ask?”
Gyujin tilted his head. Well — Yoon Gyujin was an S-rank guide. A practitioner of an entirely different caliber from a C-rank guide like Kim Huimyeong, which was why a statement like “just hold their hand” naturally presented no issue for him.
Not understanding at all, Gyujin listened as Kim Huimyeong carefully explained the reality — both the hardship and the heartbreak — of being a C-rank guide.
“Well, I’m C-rank, so… there’s also a rank gap with the Espers, and I think I’d need to do at least a hug for it to count as a proper guiding.”
“Ah.”
Yoon Gyujin let out a short, deflated sound. Evidently a problem he had never even considered — he looked visibly flustered.
“Oh, so just holding hands wouldn’t cut it?”
“It’s possible, but the effectiveness would drop quite a bit.”
A C-rank was seriously outmatched when guiding S-rank Espers. Kim Huimyeong would have loved nothing more than to manage with just hand-holding, but it was obvious the Espers on the receiving end would barely feel a thing.
If effectiveness was the measure, it would take mucosal guiding — not just a hug — to even come close. The rank gap was one thing, and the fact that Kim Huimyeong was a rookie with little field experience couldn’t be overlooked either.
Even so, the reason Kim Huimyeong had been pulled in was that no one else had been willing to come. Truly no one — not a single person had volunteered for this, which was why a C-rank rookie ended up participating in this training.
“Hmm… well, for now I’ll try to convince them. A hug should be fine.”
Having to convince someone just to guide an Esper — a brief wave of disillusionment hit, but Kim Huimyeong quickly reframed it. The harder the challenge, the more you grow from solving it — that was how it worked. This was the kind of experience that built character in ways that would last a lifetime. At Kim Huimyeong’s level of seniority, even coming face to face with an S-rank Esper would normally be an unthinkable luxury.
“I’ll give it everything I have, senior!”
Kim Huimyeong called out with gusto. At the rookie sincerity — clumsy but wholehearted — Yoon Gyujin let out a soft laugh. He reached up and ruffled Kim Huimyeong’s hair.
“Your name was Kim Huimyeong, right? Is it alright if I call you by your name?”
“It — it would be an honor, senior!”
“Thank you, Huimyeong.”
That single, unremarkable line sent Kim Huimyeong’s heart into a frenzy. In that moment, Kim Huimyeong swore an oath to become Yoon Gyujin’s most devoted fan. The increasingly ragged breathing was desperately suppressed for fear of looking like a creep. It was getting somewhat suffocating — but thankfully, before Kim Huimyeong could keel over entirely, Gyujin withdrew his hand first.
Yoon Gyujin’s gaze moved to somewhere behind. Kim Huimyeong quickly turned as well. Standing just inside the entrance was a man Kim Huimyeong knew well.
“Oh—!”
An involuntary gasp escaped. The backlight streaming in from behind the entrance made the man standing there look even more beautiful. Before the actual presence of the famous SS-rank Esper, Kwon Dajung, Kim Huimyeong stood there gaping like an idiot.
In person, Kwon Dajung was exactly three times more beautiful than in any news photograph. His was a face that met every standard of beauty that humans could perceive. The quality was slightly different from Yoon Gyujin’s, but this one too was an appearance that could sustain an eternity of compliments.
“What were you doing in here without coming out? I was waiting outside the whole time.”
Kwon Dajung walked straight up to Yoon Gyujin and wrapped an arm around his waist. The pose — more intimate than any couple — drew a sharp intake of breath from the watching Kim Huimyeong. Yoon Gyujin, however, seemed entirely unbothered whether Dajung approached him or not.
“Just getting ready. More importantly — have you introduced yourself? This is Guide Kim Huimyeong. And this is Esper Kwon Dajung, Special Operations Team 1.”
At Yoon Gyujin’s straightforward introduction, Kwon Dajung turned his head. It seemed only then that he registered Kim Huimyeong’s presence — or perhaps he’d noticed and chosen to ignore it until now.
“Nice to meet you! My name is Kim Huimyeong!”
Kim Huimyeong bowed respectfully. Kim Huimyeong was older in age, but Kwon Dajung had far more seniority. On top of that, guiding would need to happen going forward — so it was best to get along as well as possible…
“That’s hyung’s substitute?”
“Don’t say ‘that’s’ when referring to a person. Use proper language.”
Yoon Gyujin reprimanded him firmly. Kwon Dajung, making absolutely no effort to hide his displeasure at Gyujin defending Kim Huimyeong, nonetheless corrected himself without argument.
“Is that person hyung’s substitute? What rank?”
A sharp gaze — like appraising merchandise — swept Kim Huimyeong up and down. Noticing Kim Huimyeong’s tension, Gyujin casually stepped slightly in front of Kwon Dajung.
“Does rank matter? The others are gathered outside, aren’t they? Let’s go say hello before we enter. Huimyeong, come along.”
“Huimyeong?”
Kwon Dajung murmured coldly. Not catching that, Yoon Gyujin slipped out through the door. Kwon Dajung watched him go for a moment, then slowly turned his head.
“Hey.”
From that refined face came a tone that was anything but refined. Kwon Dajung, a full head taller than Kim Huimyeong, smiled pleasantly and drew a finger across his throat.
“Don’t get any ideas.”
With that crisp warning he snapped around. His retreating figure could be seen trotting after Yoon Gyujin — slipping immediately into the spot beside him, clinging and fawning. The split-personality display left Kim Huimyeong standing alone, trembling.
