Like when they came, they arrived at the lobby of the main building’s Building A from the training ground through multiple spatial movements, entered Cafe Ellin, ordered drinks and several desserts, and sat down.
“Drink, drink and calm yourself down a bit.”
Minhyeok took care of the new Esper Taehwan. He too was concerned that the young Esper had experienced a state just before rampage. At that, Taehwan sniffled for no reason and slurped his ade.
Jiwon, who was leaning against the soft chair back, also seemed to gain some energy after taking a sip of cold drink and then eating a bite of sweet cake.
“Minhyeok hyung, you worked hard today too. What’s your gauge at now?”
“It’s not urgent enough to need guiding yet. If needed, I can request another Guide. Jiwon, you should rest today.”
“That’s right! Rest. Jiwon did something big today! Well done. Well done! So this friend is the person in question?”
Esper Lee Gayeon, with a somewhat rough voice, sat in the remaining seat—when had she even entered Ellin.
“Gayeon noona!”
“Ah, why are you showing up here. Noona, are you following me around?”
“What’s this burn victim saying. Did you rent this place out or something? And I came to see our Jiwon!”
Gayeon, who smacked the back of Minhyeok’s head soundly as he grinned sheepishly, looked at Jiwon and the new Esper.
“I’m Team 1’s Esper Lee Gayeon. What’s your friend’s name?”
“I-I’m Team 13’s Esper Kim Taehwan! It’s been a little over two weeks since I joined.”
“How old are you?”
“Fifteen.”
“Oh my, really just a little thing. You worked hard. Think of it as warding off bad luck before going out on a gate attack.”
“Ye-es….”
Jiwon patted Taehwan, who was tearing up again. The sight of the large-bodied Esper shedding tears was somewhat funny, but thinking about how scary today must have been for him, it was just pitiful.
Taehwan sat close beside Jiwon and calmed his unsettled heart. Though the medical team had told him his current condition was very stable so there was nothing to worry about, the anxiety of “what if” still remained.
Right now, the safest place for him was by Jiwon’s side. Remembering the Guides who had run away screaming “monster” at him when he was rampaging, he absolutely didn’t want to go to another Guide.
Though there were other Guides who had stayed until the end, they had collapsed and were hospitalized, so right now only Jiwon remained. Minhyeok and Gayeon, who were fellow Espers, fully understood such feelings.
Though Gayeon also said she came to see Jiwon, she had approached so as not to leave the new Esper who had rampaged alone. Rather than talking about rampage-related matters, they exchanged stories about small tips for center life and information related to Espers from other teams, keeping the young Esper trembling with anxiety company.
* * *
In the darkening evening, Seo Gangwoo dragged his tired body onto a special vehicle. The interior of the 12-seater vehicle was empty. Though it wasn’t his intention, the other Espers found it burdensome to ride together with Seo Gangwoo, so it had naturally become like this. Taking a seat anywhere, he suppressed the surging waves.
The B-rank dungeon gate they had entered this time was a double dungeon. Because of that, the attack had been delayed more than expected. Apparently there had been no changes to the gate’s exterior either. There had been reports that the number of such double dungeons had been increasing recently.
The attack process itself wasn’t very tricky. However, because he had used his ability without thinking about the double dungeon, and had to use his ability again in the process of dealing with two boss monsters, his gauge was rapidly filling up.
He had to think about situations where he would enter such mutant dungeon gates in the future. Probably the center, having analyzed this attack case, would lower the mission difficulty or limit ability usage.
To think an S-rank Esper had to worry about rampage danger at a mere B-rank dungeon gate. Anyone who didn’t know would laugh at it.
Like this, he had no right to tell Jiwon not to get a field license. Though there would be no particular comments for a while since he knew his own body’s condition, the Ability User Headquarters wouldn’t want to just leave an S-rank Esper idle.
“Haah….”
Seo Gangwoo, who let out a deep sigh, frowned at the oncoming pain. For Seo Gangwoo, who couldn’t see effects due to resistance to guiding substitute medicine, a field Guide was ultimately essential.
The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt toward Jiwon. The sight of him, already a delicate person, training so hard to get a license that he couldn’t even walk properly when he came back, flickered before his eyes.
Just then, the vehicle started moving. Though he was sitting still, he closed his eyes at the view shaking as if there were an earthquake.
What was Jiwon doing around now?
He might be sleeping soundly wrapped up in blankets, or since Jiwon was sincere about guiding work, he might be guiding another Esper.
If that were the case, he was filled with thoughts of wishing he could be in that Esper’s place right now. He wanted to monopolize him completely for himself. An S-rank Esper’s pair Guide didn’t need to fill mandatory performance quotas.
But knowing how responsibly Jiwon did his guiding work, and how much pride he took in it, he couldn’t say those selfish words asking him to guide only himself.
Who was he, to restrain the brilliantly shining Jiwon?
Jiwon was already an overflowingly kind person to him.
“Kuk….”
A fairly large wave tore through his interior. Seo Gangwoo’s clenched fist trembled, his jaw area pulling tight as he gritted his teeth.
More than this pain, he felt like he would go crazy with longing for Jiwon who would be waiting.
Recalling warm brown eyes, soft hair, and a frame that would fit snugly in his arms when embraced, Seo Gangwoo thought this detestable pain was bearable while thinking of Jiwon who would be waiting for him.
The special vehicle carrying Seo Gangwoo arrived at the center.
His head was filled only with Jiwon. He wanted to see him as soon as possible.
Seo Gangwoo, who quickly opened the door and got off, strode toward the center building.
His sensitized senses spread throughout the center building and surroundings, collecting all sorts of unwanted information. While passing through the lobby, pouring gazes pierced him painfully.
If it were before, he would have done useless actions like blocking his eyes and ears or moving to places without signs of people due to that tremendous amount of information, but now he analyzed and examined each piece, hoping there might be some trace of Jiwon in the information conveyed by those senses.
At that moment when even small sounds were heard as tearing noise and dust floating in the air, sparkling in the light, irritated his vision, Seo Gangwoo stopped his steps.
“Jiwon-ah, ——.”
“Really… if it wasn’t for that ——, next time when I go for guiding….”
Among the chaotically mixed noise, the longed-for name caught Seo Gangwoo’s ear. Since he couldn’t hear Jiwon’s voice, it might just be someone with the same name, but still, it wasn’t something he could pass by.
As soon as he entered Ellin, Jiwon’s regular cafe, Seo Gangwoo could find him.
His pair Guide.
The person who made him miss him even while looking at him with his eyes was right there.
As soon as he entered, the people inside the cafe that had become quiet looked at Jiwon as if it were natural.
Upon seeing Jiwon, Seo Gangwoo felt as if the world was slowing down. He approached Jiwon one step at a time. His heart was also beating roughly among the rampaging waves.
Jiwon was dozing off with one hand raised supporting his chin.
“Ah, Jiwon-ah. Esper Seo Gangwoo is here! Wake up.”
Gayeon, who was sitting across from him, gently shook him trying to wake him up. But Jiwon, who had fallen asleep from fatigue, couldn’t easily open his eyes.
“Esper Seo Gangwoo.”
Team Leader Do Hyeonuk, who had just joined and been talking, called Seo Gangwoo. The new Esper Taehwan had frozen with his mouth hanging open at seeing S-rank Esper Seo Gangwoo for the first time.
“May I take Guide Kim Jiwon now?”
Seo Gangwoo, who received a greeting with a rough nod, asked without taking his eyes off Jiwon.
“Please do. We were about to send him up to his private room since he started dozing off a little while ago anyway.”
At Team Leader Do Hyeonuk’s words, Seo Gangwoo lifted Jiwon in his sitting position to an appropriate height with telekinesis, then supported him with his arms in an embrace.
He gazed intently at Jiwon sleeping soundly without moving in his arms. His gaze was persistent as he examined whether anything had changed in the mere less than a week.
“As it happens, the attack was delayed so Guide Kim Jiwon waited a long time. He worried about Esper Seo Gangwoo a lot.”
At Team Leader Do Hyeonuk’s words, Seo Gangwoo’s eyes wavered minutely. He pulled Jiwon further into his embrace while hiding his tingling heart.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
Then, unlike before, he made eye contact with Team Leader Do Hyeonuk and those sitting at the same table as Jiwon and greeted them, then turned around and left the cafe.
“Whoa, whoa. My hands are trembling right now.”
Taehwan took deep breaths while showing his trembling hands. Having felt the unapproachable energy of an S-rank Esper up close, he couldn’t even gauge how strong it was.
Because Seo Gangwoo, sensitized from using his ability and having his gauge fill up, hadn’t properly contained his energy, it was felt even better.
“Amazing, right…. That’s what S-rank is, kid.”
Gayeon said to Taehwan with a chuckle. Gayeon herself, while saying that, also released tension by clenching and unclenching her hands under the table.
“Still, since Esper Seo Gangwoo returned safely. Jiwon has one less worry.”
At Minhyeok’s words, everyone nodded. Because they recalled Jiwon, who had sighed several times while in the cafe.
