“The thing is, Esper Seo Gangwoo…”
The fork in Jiwon’s hand dug meaninglessly into an empty spot on the plate.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo?!”
What could it be? Could he have fought with Esper Seo Gangwoo?
Everyone’s curiosity only grew at Jiwon’s appearance as if he would dig all the way underground, so they all swallowed and waited for him to continue.
“Well…”
“What is it? Did you two fight or something? They say pair fights are like cutting water with a knife, so it’ll resolve quickly, so don’t worry. You originally clash a lot in the beginning.”
“Ah, no. We didn’t fight. It’s just… it’s time for him to come out of the dungeon gate, but there’s still no news of conquest completion.”
Jiwon, who had been hesitating, opened his mouth, worried about causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
Everyone moved as if the freeze tag game had been released.
The ability users who finally learned why Jiwon’s mood wasn’t good felt relieved but also felt jealousy and envy at the sight of him worrying and waiting for Seo Gangwoo.
‘I also came back from a mission today.’
‘Hey, you went to a C-rank. I recently came back all drugged up from conquering an A-rank.’
‘Haah… it’s cold, so cold.’
‘You crazy bastard, it’s summer. There’s a heat wave outside.’
‘Those with pairs, get out. Ugh shit, I want a drink.’
The Espers’ pathetic whispering reached Do Hyeonuk’s ears. Those poor bastards. Even so, Guide Kim Jiwon is too busy worrying about Esper Seo Gangwoo to even glance at them.
Meanwhile, Jiwon was regretting speaking up a little.
For Espers, going out to conquer was their job every other day, so he thought they might think he was making a fuss over nothing.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo has been going into adjusted dungeon grades lately, right? Is the conquest being delayed? When did he go in?”
“Today is the 6th day.”
Fortunately, Do Hyeonuk asked about the current situation without adding other comments.
“What’s the dungeon gate rank?”
“B-rank.”
“Hmm, B-rank… If it’s been 6 days since Esper Seo Gangwoo went in, it’s ambiguous, but it is being delayed. Still, it’s not to the point where you need to worry that much. Depending on the dungeon formation, it unavoidably gets longer sometimes. Is the gauge level really bad?”
Do Hyeonuk asked, pointing to Jiwon’s Guide watch.
“It’s still okay for now, but if the conquest is delayed more, it seems like it’ll be dangerous.”
It might be different for other Espers, but Seo Gangwoo couldn’t even use guiding substitute drugs due to resistance.
“Sometimes the location gets deformed, or double dungeons occur too.”
“Double dungeon?”
At Jiwon’s surprised appearance, Do Hyeonuk hurriedly waved his hands and continued.
“Yes. But then the Association agents who were outside immediately report the gate change to the Center. Seeing that there’s been no such report yet, he’ll probably conquer it and come out soon. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“Right?”
It wasn’t just anyone but the words of the Esper Team 1 leader with a lot of dungeon gate conquest experience, so it was believable. Though it wasn’t enough to completely resolve his worries, Jiwon’s sullen face came back to life a bit.
“The Center assigned the mission because Esper Seo Gangwoo’s condition improved that much. The atmosphere is slightly different at each Center, but Center 1 doesn’t unreasonably assign Esper missions. The manpower pool is also broader than other Centers.”
Jiwon, who recalled the executives of Center 1 he had met before, nodded. Though he was still inexperienced in working life, the superiors seemed quite decent in Jiwon’s view.
“Team Leader Do, is today your day off?”
“Yes. I went into a dungeon yesterday and came out, so today if there’s nothing special, I just do maintenance and rest. Guide Kim Jiwon, you’re close with our team members, right? I hear you talk often.”
“I see Minhyeok hyung and Gayeon noona at the Center often. My matching rate with them is good too.”
“I heard. Those guys brag and taunt me about it so much. Could I also get a matching rate test with you later?”
Good. That was natural.
For a moment the surrounding glares stung, but Do Hyeonuk ignored them.
“Of course. Let’s test it when the timing’s right.”
Do Hyeonuk smiled at Jiwon’s ready answer. You fools, this is what experience means.
He didn’t even think about pairing, but his thought was that if he got a matching rate test done, he could at least receive guiding occasionally. Good-ability, good-natured Guides are precious.
“Haha, I really hope my matching rate comes out high too. Those things called team members are hell-bent on teasing their team leader every time.”
Jiwon laughed with a “keke” because his expression of shaking his head while looking fed up was funny.
“They’re probably all at the Center right now? If you’re bored, call them and hang out together.”
“Should I?”
Jiwon was tempted.
“They’ll probably come running saying they’re super happy. Nothing changes from worrying alone, so rest appropriately and take care of your condition. You’re tired from continuously training lately, right?”
“Yes. I will. Thank you, Team Leader Do. Thanks to you, my anxious heart feels a bit better.”
As his heart became more at ease, the strawberry cake remaining on the table finally came into view. Jiwon picked up his fork and put a bite in.
Unlike earlier, Jiwon’s lips curled up as his eyes gently closed at the taste he could properly feel.
Do Hyeonuk, who got to witness such Jiwon right in front of him, understood why the ability users in the café were watching Jiwon eat like that.
As if there was nothing more delicious in the world, the word “happiness” floated up like a vision over Jiwon’s face.
Do Hyeonuk felt the urge to open his wallet without realizing it.
“Delicious. As expected, it’s Ellin.”
Jiwon, who diligently scraped up even the cream remaining on the plate and popped it into his mouth, expressed his respect for Ellin with a quite serious expression.
Do Hyeonuk raised one eyebrow as he briefly turned his head to look at the showcase, thinking about buying one to eat even though he normally didn’t like sweet foods much.
An Esper at another table who made eye contact with Do Hyeonuk gave him a thumbs up.
When he glanced at the opposite side thinking “no way,” this time another Esper sent a wink along with double thumbs up.
Huh, why are they being so gross.
Do Hyeonuk’s face crumpled as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
They were all grinning faces, greatly satisfied that the mukbang of Jiwon they’d wanted had returned.
“Should we get up now?”
“Yes. I finished my coffee too.”
He got up from his seat, picked up the tray with the leftovers, and approached the counter.
“Give it here. Did it taste okay?”
The owner, who quickly approached at Jiwon’s appearance of trying to leave, received the tray.
He was also an Esper. Most of the commercial establishments within the Center building or in the jurisdiction were operated by ability users.
It was partly to minimize civilian access, and also to encourage ability users who had retired unable to overcome serious PTSD from experiencing the field to live a second life while also rehabilitating.
Then they might return to the field if they got better, or settle down and continue operating the establishment. The patissier and owner of Ellin was also the same case.
“It was delicious today too! So pretty I didn’t want to eat it, and the fresh cream wasn’t excessively sweet and the ratio was perfect, and the sheet was so moist it melted as soon as I put it in my mouth. The best! I ate so well, boss.”
At Jiwon’s review counting off each point, Ellin’s owner beamed.
He had already overcome his mental issues long ago, but since he didn’t feel like returning to the field, he continued operating the café.
Making desserts was fun in its own way, and running the café had settled in.
However, he had recently fallen into serious ennui from the tedium of repeating daily life.
So much so that he even thought about going back out to the field he had hated so much.
At such timing, watching Jiwon, who suddenly appeared and became a regular, eating happily with a munch-munch every time, he had somehow regained the passion he had when he first opened the café and made desserts.
As a patissier, there was nothing more grateful than customers who ate the desserts he made deliciously. He had been worried seeing Jiwon, who had helped him find his professional identity and worth, looking depressed, but he was relieved that he seemed much brighter when leaving.
So he also sent a grateful look to Do Hyeonuk standing beside him.
Though the actual party who received that look was appalled by the burden.
“I’m more grateful that you ate it deliciously. A new menu will come out soon, so please look forward to it~!”
“Oh! I can’t resist new menus. I’ll come again, boss!”
“Take care.”
Jiwon, who left Café Ellin following Team Leader Do Hyeonuk who was subtly rushing him with quick steps, headed straight to the Esper Team 1 office.
After chattering and playing with familiar faces for a while like that, he returned to his private room.
Time passed quickly watching the bickering of the combo of Lee Minhyeok, who fooled around but precariously didn’t cross the line, and Lee Gayeon, who counterattacked and charged at each of his words.
“Uugh~~.”
Jiwon looked around the private room that looked exactly the same as when he left, then stretched his stiffly knotted body.
They say humans are animals of adaptation—Jiwon, who couldn’t even walk properly when he returned after finishing practical classes, was now doing quite well in daily life.
However, it was unavoidable that his body became stiff and heavy thanks to Woojin who, like a ghost, increased the class intensity whenever he adapted.
If Seo Gangwoo had been here, he would have loosened the fatigued muscles with massage…
Feeling his partner’s absence once again, Jiwon turned on the tablet and looked at the guiding request waiting list.
Left alone, worries about Seo Gangwoo crept up on him again, so it seemed like doing something rather than staying still would prevent stray thoughts.
