The sound of Gu Baekyoung’s pfft laughter could be heard.
He seemed to remember the interview where he’d said, ‘I was able to overcome rampage through the power of love. That is all.’
Onyul pulled Gu Baekyoung’s hand. It was a gesture meaning they should quickly escape from this place.
Gu Baekyoung immediately embraced him and moved quickly. No one could follow the movement using his main ability, telekinesis.
In the blink of an eye, today’s main character had disappeared.
“Wow…… They’re a fucking amazing couple, really.”
Everyone agreed with Yoon Jihyuk’s mutter to himself.
In the soundless silence, only one person was dumbfounded.
Park Hanil, grinding his teeth, stared for a long time at where they had disappeared.
‘I can’t end it like this.’
And then, his phone began to vibrate. The caller was the Management Bureau Director who had been quietly watching that entire situation.
***
“Ah, please come again……”
There was no answer to that timid greeting. The female customer just opened the convenience store door and left as if running away.
“Pfft.”
Laughter burst out in the quiet convenience store. It was Ji Sanghyeon’s laughter mocking Yu Wooyoung.
Having come during Yu Wooyoung’s part-time shift, he giggled whenever customers appeared who were reluctant about Yu Wooyoung calculating their purchases while giving off a gloomy atmosphere.
“My part-time shift is over, though.”
Now that only the two of them remained, Yu Wooyoung showed an annoyed look as if asking when he’d spoken timidly.
“You still haven’t adapted. Do more. Maybe your anthropophobia will get better.”
“……I feel like I’ll never adapt, Boss, no, Ji Sanghyeon-ssi.”
“That’s why I told you to socialize more normally. Think positively. When else will you face this many people?”
Yu Wooyoung, alias Ghost, had severe anthropophobia.
When he was alone, he giggled and acted shady, but the moment he stepped outside his room, he became a terrible outsider.
It wasn’t originally like that—it was because of trauma he’d experienced as a child.
Ji Sanghyeon teased him for being gloomy, but in truth, no one wished more for Yu Wooyoung to come out into the world than he did.
“Damn it, there are so many other guys, but why me……”
“Yu Wooyoung-ssi, there’s a clear reason for that, you know.”
Ji Sanghyeon patted Yu Wooyoung’s shoulder as if telling him to give up.
“So, what are the results of observing our manager all this time?”
At the cautious question, Yu Wooyoung’s blue gaze stared at the large window. He looked at the pitch-black outside of the convenience store and opened his lips.
The results of observing the manager over the past week were……
“Strange.”
“Strange?”
“I know it’s strange even as I’m saying it, but he seems like a guide and also seems like an Esper.”
Yu Wooyoung’s eyes deepened as he tilted his head in puzzlement.
Code name ‘Ghost’ was an A-rank Esper.
His main ability was ‘Energy Identification.’
Just by capturing someone in his blue eyes, he could distinguish whether they were an Esper or guide, and furthermore, he could even identify an Esper’s unique ability.
Yu Wooyoung could identify the abilities of almost all ability users belonging to the Ability User Management Bureau.
However, he didn’t know all the information about S-rank ability users whose rank was higher than his. At most, he could only identify their main abilities.
‘But I really can’t tell with the manager.’
Even if Kang Ian was an S-rank guide, he should at least be able to identify that he gave off guide energy.
But Kang Ian seemed like an Esper and also seemed like a guide.
He definitely wasn’t an ordinary person, but sometimes it seemed like he gave off guide energy, sometimes it seemed like he gave off Esper energy…… but then again, it wasn’t like he could see an Esper’s main ability either…… He really couldn’t tell.
It was like he was both an Esper and a guide.
He’d never once seen a person who possessed both clearly different abilities.
That’s why Yu Wooyoung instead doubted his own ability.
‘Did something go wrong with me?’
Ji Sanghyeon had also deployed Yu Wooyoung to the convenience store to accurately figure out Kang Ian’s identity.
But he thought it was unexpected to see Yu Wooyoung looking uncertain.
Because he was confident about his ability if nothing else.
“It’s not that he’s not a guide, but he also seems like an Esper. And he seems like an Esper, but also seems like a guide?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
“What’s certain is that he’s an ability user Gu Baekyoung is close with.”
Yu Wooyoung, who was in charge of the afternoon shift, had discovered Gu Baekyoung loitering around the convenience store without fail over the past few days.
Everyone couldn’t recognize him in disguise, but Yu Wooyoung saw through his identity at once through energy identification. Gu Baekyoung would observe him without acknowledging the manager.
“What could the manager’s identity be?”
“Who knows. Schrödinger perhaps?”
Ji Sanghyeon didn’t feel bad even though he hadn’t clearly figured out Kang Ian’s identity.
At least he had established himself as a part-timer more trusted than Yu Wooyoung, and he’d even created two debts with Kang Ian.
Whenever he felt like it, he would be able to figure out his identity.
There was no need to be impatient. Since establishing the Anti-Management Bureau, he was well-versed in hiding himself at the base and watching for opportunities.
What was important was seizing the opportunity reliably at the right timing.
“It seems the manager also knows about his own condition. That’s why he boldly entered the Guide Center.”
Both of them had watched Kang Ian’s activities through the live broadcast.
They’d wondered what kind of plan he had to escape Park Hanil’s scheme……
<Now apologize as you swore.>
Not only did Kang Ian fluster Park Hanil with his unique method,
<It’s the power of love. That is all.>
He even spouted lines as if coordinated with Gu Baekyoung.
The appearance of Gu Baekyoung and Kang Ian broadcast on the media was that of lovers passionately in love, no matter who saw them.
That confidence and guts were amazing. Thanks to that, his wish to cast him into the Anti-Management Bureau grew ever stronger.
“Will those two actually date?”
“Who knows. But it definitely seemed like Gu Baekyoung is the one desperately hanging on.”
Ji Sanghyeon agreed with Yu Wooyoung’s opinion.
Well, even if they were dating, their relationship probably wasn’t as deep as mentioned in the media. Like Yu Wooyoung said, it could be a relationship where Gu Baekyoung was unilaterally hanging on.
Since becoming an Esper, Gu Baekyoung had never once met a guide with compatible wavelengths. How desperate must he have been to follow around an Esper who had Therapy ability?
But now even that had disappeared, so he would try not to let go of the suddenly appearing S-rank guide again.
However, Kang Ian didn’t seem to have that level of affection for Gu Baekyoung.
Should he say he was like a mom taking care of a troublesome son…… It seemed like compassion was greater than love.
This was a man’s intuition. Ji Sanghyeon’s unique instinct from countless romances over the years.
“I should also have a Schrödinger romance with the manager.”
“Ji Sanghyeon-ssi, are you in your right mind?”
“I am in my right mind, and you stick by the manager’s side and figure out his exact identity.”
“Ha…… You’re saying to continue this damn convenience store part-time job.”
“It’s not bad, right? Those guys’ headquarters is right in front of us too.”
As soon as the Management Bureau was mentioned, Yu Wooyoung’s atmosphere sank.
“Boss, if you’re going to become the manager’s lover, become a real lover, not Schrödinger.”
“Why?”
“Because making Gu Baekyoung rampage doesn’t need to be through Gate rampage—that love play will probably be enough.”
“Oh~ For a no-dating loser Yu Wooyoung who’s never dated once, that was quite a cool-headed judgment.”
“I-I’m not a no-dating loser!”
“Then you be Schrödinger’s no-dating loser too.”
“……”
Yu Wooyoung, who had no confidence in winning a war of words, trembled.
Ji Sanghyeon giggled at his reaction and thought of Kang Ian, who wasn’t here now.
At first, he’d greatly thought of disposing of him. Because there couldn’t be a guide who would make Gu Baekyoung even more perfect.
But after meeting him face-to-face, his thoughts had completely changed. Should he say that he liked Kang Ian more and more?
Moreover, he was a mysterious ability user who didn’t react to Yu Wooyoung’s ability either. He even liked that appearance of rushing in recklessly for someone’s sake.
Seeing today’s appearance of getting past a major crisis as if it were nothing, using his wits, his interest went beyond that to the point of drooling.
Like he’d told Yu Wooyoung, what if he became Schrödinger’s lover with Kang Ian—in other words, becoming close as if they were lovers or not—and pulled him into the Anti-Management Bureau?
He’d already thought of a way to pull Kang Ian in.
He planned to use compassion, which was both Kang Ian’s weakness and strength.
Someone once said compassion ruins one’s life…… What about Kang Ian?
A captivating smile hung on Ji Sanghyeon’s lips once again.
