“Yes.”
“How were the results?”
“They said they’ll send the results sometime this afternoon.”
Feeling the gazes from around them, Jiwon forcibly stopped himself from shrinking and took Seo Gangwoo’s hand first. Gasps of surprise could be heard from here and there. Having become a pair with Seo Gangwoo, an S-rank Esper, he had to get used to such gazes now.
“Let’s stop by that cafe over there before we go. It’s a place that sells desserts I like, and since I’m at the Center, I want to get some to take out. If it’s uncomfortable, would you like to go to the car first?”
“It’s fine.”
At Seo Gangwoo’s answer that he’d go together, Jiwon smiled and headed to Cafe Ellin without letting go of their clasped hands.
Since it was a cafe occupying prime real estate within the Center, there were indeed many customers, but the spacious interior and efficient layout didn’t feel stuffy.
When Jiwon pushed open the door and entered, the ability users who had been looking outside through the transparent glass walls thought “no way” as they watched, then were startled with a gasp. Sounds of inhaling breaths, something falling, and coughing could be heard from here and there.
Jiwon heard those sounds too but passed them by pretending not to, and headed straight toward the showcase full of appetizing desserts today as well, bringing Seo Gangwoo along.
He stuck his face close to the showcase as if he’d press against it and pondered with a serious expression about what to buy.
Besides the basic signature menu, Ellin also had menus that changed slightly each day, drawing in customers’ footsteps. And among those customers was Jiwon, who had become a regular.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
Jiwon turned his head and asked Seo Gangwoo, who was standing quietly beside him.
“Choose what Guide Kim Jiwon wants to eat.”
At Seo Gangwoo shaking his head, Jiwon propped his chin and pondered seriously before calling the clerk.
“Over here~.”
“Ah! Yes. …I’ll take your order.”
To the clerk who approached with an awkward smile at Seo Gangwoo’s presence, Jiwon pointed here and there with his finger and placed his order.
“One strawberry slice cake, one cheese tart, and one omelet please. Um… and raspberry choco too. Ah! The Berry Berry Rainbow Edition set! Please wrap this up too!”
In the middle of ordering, Jiwon’s cheeks flushed red with excitement upon belatedly discovering the edition set showing off its beautiful appearance.
Though the quantity was a bit much, since he wouldn’t come to the Center tomorrow, it was an order considering what he’d eat the next day too. Seo Gangwoo watched such Jiwon silently.
Jiwon held out the card he’d taken out of his bag in advance for payment. Seo Gangwoo tried to pay, but Jiwon said it was okay and stopped him. It was because his dad had sent him pocket money to his account, telling him to use it until he received his salary. Thanks to that, he had a bit of financial leeway.
Thinking everything would be resolved on his first payday, Jiwon splurged wildly on the desserts he wanted to eat.
Jiwon happily watched the desserts coming out of the showcase being wrapped one by one.
Just then, the door of Cafe Ellin, which had become quiet from people holding their breath watching the two, opened and the clacking sound of heels echoed.
The people inside the cafe turned their heads to check the owner of the sound.
“Heek!”
“Oh my…”
“…What on earth is this situation?”
The owner of that sound was Choi Hyerin.
The ability users in the lobby outside were also bustling about or watching with interest.
S-rank Esper Seo Gangwoo, who even when occasionally appearing at the Center would only pass by briefly with a cold face. And A+-rank new Guide Jiwon, who had already become the center of attention among the Espers belonging to Center 1 for being beautiful, having a good personality, and being cute. Just the two of them appearing at the cafe affectionately holding hands was enough to make everyone gasp and watch while holding their breath.
But in addition to this, Choi Hyerin, who was rarely seen at the Center and was famous as Seo Gangwoo’s pair, appeared as well, so the commotion grew louder and louder.
Everyone couldn’t even manage their expressions and watched the situation closely.
Upon entering the cafe and seeing the two’s clasped hands, Choi Hyerin made an expression as if it was absurd. The clacking sound of her heels stopped, and Jiwon and Seo Gangwoo, who felt the presence, also turned around.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo, it’s been a while. Shall we talk alone for a moment?”
Choi Hyerin glanced at Jiwon once, then spoke to Seo Gangwoo with a confident expression.
“I have nothing to say.”
“…I have something to say though. Just a moment will do.”
At the firm refusal that came back, Choi Hyerin’s expression cracked slightly, and she composed her complexion, tucked her hair behind one ear, and spoke once more.
She, who hadn’t expected the two to already start going around together, bit her inner lip slightly.
She’d already asked Espers she knew to let her know in advance when Seo Gangwoo came to the Center. Just as she was wondering whether she should go directly to his house if she waited any longer, news came that Seo Gangwoo had come to the Center, so she hurriedly dressed up and came.
But she didn’t expect to see Seo Gangwoo standing there holding hands with his new pair Guide as if showing off right upon arriving.
She inwardly sneered wondering if he really liked this inexperienced male Guide who had just manifested, but that wasn’t the problem right now.
It was dangerous if the sight of them going around together like that spread through the mouths of the Center’s ability users. Even now, there were many eyes watching.
Though irritation surged at the sight of him not even budging despite her speaking twice, if she didn’t handle this matter, even with the power of her grandfather at headquarters and her father who was the Center Director, there would be no way to handle the aftermath.
And she too could maintain what she’d enjoyed thus far only with Seo Gangwoo there.
“We didn’t talk properly, did we? The situation is flowing a bit strangely, but there was a slight misunderstanding.”
Choi Hyerin, who forcibly relaxed her expression that was about to harden, spoke in a soft voice and took one step toward Seo Gangwoo.
“There’s nothing to misunderstand. I have nothing to say, so I’ll be going now.”
“No, it’s definitely a misunderstanding. If you listen to what I have to say, you’ll understand. Let’s not do this here…”
Though Seo Gangwoo didn’t move as she wanted, Choi Hyerin, who hadn’t thought he would refuse her coming to talk directly like this, became impatient.
Thinking she needed to quickly move locations and bring up the main point, she took one more step closer and reached out her hand to grab Seo Gangwoo’s arm. But that hand was blocked by a hand pushing it away from the side and failed to achieve its goal.
“What, you?”
Choi Hyerin, who had been gathering even the patience she didn’t have to hold back her temper because many eyes were watching, raised her eyes sharply and glared at the hand blocking hers.
At 171cm tall and wearing high heels too, Jiwon looked up at Choi Hyerin, who was looking down with lowered eyes, blinking with large, deer-like innocent eyes.
Though he’d thought that someday he might encounter Choi Hyerin, Seo Gangwoo’s previous pair, he didn’t know they’d meet this soon.
The pair contract had already been approved, and the scheme to manipulate Seo Gangwoo had turned to bubbles. But he’d anticipated that there was a high possibility Choi Hyerin’s side wouldn’t cleanly back down. Jiwon had continued to exchange messages with his older sister about this and received serious counseling.
The conclusion was that given Esper Seo Gangwoo’s personality, he didn’t seem likely to step forward and speak for himself about the unfair treatment during the period they were paired and what Guide Choi Hyerin had done, and even if he did step forward to fight, it wouldn’t look good.
Clearly it was Choi Hyerin who, while being a pair, didn’t guide properly and unilaterally broke the contract pushing him to the edge of a cliff, but sometimes the world absurdly transformed victims into perpetrators.
Especially when the perpetrator appeared to be a social underdog. Though Guides were in a high social position, there was a strong social perception that compared to Espers they were relatively fragile and protected Espers, so they should naturally be protected since they helped the nation. Due to the Guide shortage, it was commonplace for their minor crimes to be covered up or for punishment levels to be lowered to something like community service.
Even if a clear ruling came out now that it was Choi Hyerin’s side’s fault, later through public opinion manipulation and dilution, though Choi Hyerin did wrong, she could receive sympathy votes for being a Guide.
At that, wasn’t she a precious A-rank Guide?
Jiwon hoped that sparks wouldn’t fly from such matters and cause Seo Gangwoo to receive even a bit of criticism.
Moreover, there shouldn’t be a situation where Choi Hyerin was protected just for being a Guide, or got away without receiving proper disadvantages for the fraudulent approval process during the contract termination.
Even now, for the two months since the pair was broken, Choi Hyerin had been living her daily life unrelated to guiding obligations or penalties as if she were still an S-rank Esper’s pair.
If a quarrel between an Esper and Guide didn’t look good, then he, a Guide, could step forward on the surface. He even thought it was fortunate that the other party appeared like this openly in a public place.
Jiwon rolled his eyes and silently watched Choi Hyerin, then interjected at an appropriate timing.
“Me? I’m Esper Seo Gangwoo’s pair Guide though?”
Jiwon answered with a slight smile.
The ability users who had been focusing their attention on the three people all displayed question marks above their heads at Jiwon’s answer.
“What… why, no, wait.”
Flustered, Choi Hyerin tried to stop Jiwon from speaking, but he was faster.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo’s pair. You asked what I was, so I answered?”
Jiwon even raised his wrist and showed the pair watch jingling.
