‘What does he have to say, coming all the way here?’
He had no idea whatsoever. Moreover, the person who came was none other than Seo Igyeong.
An S-rank Esper affiliated with the Center, a work colleague who only did Guiding when a Guiding schedule was set—that was the extent of his impression of Seo Igyeong.
If he had to nitpick, as a fellow S-rank Esper and someone holding the Team Leader position, he had such a contrasting atmosphere compared to Jung Sijun that he only felt relatively slight goodwill toward him.
Yoon Kihyun didn’t believe at face value that Seo Igyeong had something to say to him. Working at the Awakened Management Center for about a year and a half, he’d experienced quite a lot of sights he couldn’t bear to see. Especially when it came to Espers, his teeth ground in frustration.
The Espers’ sense of privilege was incomparable to the so-called traditional elite professions. Since no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t be called an Esper or Guide if you didn’t Awaken, their self-consciousness gradually became bloated.
Intoxicated by themselves performing supernatural acts that non-Awakened people couldn’t do, they divided non-Awakened and Awakened people and went so far as to rank superiority and inferiority. Even creating vulgar words like “Awakened spoon” or whatever as new slang.
‘Something feels a bit off.’
Of course, they could attach any excuse for having something to say, but it didn’t seem like an important story. Since he had no intention of letting Seo Igyeong into the Guiding room, when he went outside the Guiding room and closed the door, Seo Igyeong hesitated.
Looking at his slightly tilted body, it seemed he had stopped while naturally trying to enter. When he glanced at his expression, surprisingly, he seemed a bit flustered.
‘What?’
This side was just as flustered. Due to the nature of Guiding rooms, entry by people not registered in advance was generally taboo.
He wasn’t a newbie who just started working at the Center, and as a Team Leader who belonged to the seasoned group, there was no way he didn’t know. Nevertheless, the fact that he tried to enter the Guiding room meant one of two things.
Either he knew Jung Sijun was currently absent, or it was business that wouldn’t matter if he entered together.
Either way, it wasn’t a topic that would draw Yoon Kihyun’s interest.
“What did you want to say?”
At Yoon Kihyun’s question, Seo Igyeong glanced at the firmly closed door and pulled up the corners of his mouth. He was smiling, but it didn’t seem like a sincere smile. In fact, he was feeling flustered.
‘Ah, this isn’t easy.’
After confirming Jung Sijun had left to handle a Gate that occurred nearby, he visited the Guiding room, so he thought Yoon Kihyun would naturally let him inside.
But a scene slightly different from his expectations unfolded before his eyes. A firmly closed Guiding room door and a gaze looking up at him as if on guard.
“Mm.”
Seo Igyeong coughed briefly to buy time to organize his expression. The scene revealed through the gap when Yoon Kihyun opened the door to look outside wasn’t much different from the rumors he’d heard.
‘I heard Team Leader Jung has really built a nest in the Guiding room.’
‘Really?’
‘After training and conditioning end, he apparently holes up straight in the Guiding room. And keeps going out together to eat meals too.’
The news of Jung Sijun’s long-term rental of the Guiding room was already a big topic among Espers. Because many didn’t know such a benefit existed for S-rank Espers. Even Seo Igyeong himself learned for the first time that such a clause existed.
Not satisfied with hiring Yoon Kihyun as a personal Guide, he made him sit in a long-term rented Guiding room and practically built a nest. Even though he could only glimpse a very small part of the Guiding room, it was enough to know the rumors were true.
“How about we talk over something at the cafe?”
“The cafe.”
“The cafe on the main building side is fine, or I don’t mind going outside either. Let’s do whichever is comfortable for you, Kihyun-ssi.”
When Seo Igyeong presented options, Yoon Kihyun’s eyes narrowed. There was a cafe for employees in the Awakened Management Center’s main building. But if the scene of drinking something with Seo Igyeong there reached Jung Sijun’s ears…
‘Ugh.’
Just imagining Jung Sijun grumbling with his lips pouted gave him a headache. He wanted to decline the headache that was slowly improving with prescribed medication from getting worse.
“Is it a very important conversation?”
“If you feel that way, Kihyun-ssi, then it is, and if you don’t feel that way, it could be that kind of thing?”
What kind of bullshit is this, again?
Yoon Kihyun’s cheek twitched. Seo Igyeong’s way of speaking sounded somewhat cunning.
Compared to Jung Sijun, whose every sentence was mixed with curses and sarcasm, he was definitely mannered and sensible, but should he say it gave him a strangely slimy feeling?
‘What kind of story could be important or not important? Is this a joke? It’s not like he came all the way to the Guiding room to play twenty questions.’
If it were really an important story, he wouldn’t have been talking in this tone of smiling and playing word games. He should have noticed when he acted friendly near the Center’s main gate a few days ago.
Thinking that Seo Igyeong was no different from those pestering types, he didn’t feel the conversation was worth continuing.
“If it’s not an important conversation, please leave.”
“…Ah.”
Perhaps not expecting Yoon Kihyun’s attitude of drawing a line, Seo Igyeong smiled with a troubled face.
It seemed like he was carefully thinking about his next words, or perhaps he was smiling out of habit to smooth over his discomfort. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t say his business here on the spot, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down either.
‘If you have something to say, say it. What are you trying to do with me, just grinning?’
At the strange standoff between Seo Igyeong and Yoon Kihyun, the gazes of people coming and going in the corridor where the Guiding rooms were gathered began to focus one by one.
Everyone already knew that Yoon Kihyun, who had resigned, was holed up in the Guiding room as Jung Sijun’s personal Guide. And now an S-rank Esper visiting that Guiding room. It was a perfect topic for people who loved gossip to chatter about.
“Team Leader Seo Igyeong.”
“Yes.”
“What are you trying to do with me right now?”
When Yoon Kihyun asked irritably, Seo Igyeong slightly lowered his head. Due to the suddenly closer distance, a sweet floral scent brushed past his nose. It was a perfume that suited Seo Igyeong’s gentle-looking impression, but he couldn’t shake off a somehow incongruous feeling.
“I have something to talk about with just the two of us, Kihyun-ssi. Listen and then judge.”
Yoon Kihyun’s eyes wavered slightly. He was thinking of at least listening to what kind of story warranted just the two of them. Yoon Kihyun checked the time on his phone.
There was still time until lunch. Before that, it seemed he could finish the conversation with Seo Igyeong and go to the Chinese restaurant at the address Jung Sijun had sent.
“Fine. Then let’s go to the main building cafe.”
“Yes. Sounds good.”
Seo Igyeong answered with that characteristically good-natured-looking smile of his. Looking closely, the way he smiled constantly regardless of the situation was annoying.
Though it was much better than throwing a temper, smiling constantly at everything didn’t seem sane either. Yoon Kihyun managed his expression while having slightly twisted thoughts.
‘Ah, I’m really going to be pissed if it’s nothing.’
While walking down the corridor keeping some distance from Seo Igyeong, Yoon Kihyun sighed inwardly.
When he was with Jung Sijun, it was good that at least no one talked to him. Even if he was reluctant to rely on Jung Sijun somewhere, he couldn’t help but feel wistful at times like this.
***
When Seo Igyeong and Yoon Kihyun entered the Awakened Management Center’s main building cafe, the inside was rather quiet.
When Seo Igyeong said he’d buy the drinks, he ordered chamomile tea and sat down. The main building cafe, which he’d rarely visited because he was always busy with work, felt strangely unfamiliar.
“So, what exactly did you want to say?”
“…Ah. Straight to the point?”
Seo Igyeong laughed as if a bit surprised. He seemed to have a hard time adapting to Yoon Kihyun’s attitude of asking the main point when the drinks they ordered hadn’t even come out yet. He observed the calm yet cold-looking beauty sitting across from him.
It was still a face that caught one’s gaze like when he worked as a Team Leader at the Center, but the atmosphere was strangely different. Should he say it seemed a bit sharper…
“Mm, how is it working as a personal Guide?”
At the gaze that seemed to urge his question, Seo Igyeong finally broke the ice.
“What do you mean, how is it?”
“I was wondering if the workload and treatment are okay.”
Even at Seo Igyeong’s gentle tone, Yoon Kihyun’s expression didn’t soften easily.
“Of course it’s fine.”
“Ah, I hope you won’t misunderstand. I was just asking once to see if Team Leader Jung is taking good care of you. Because that friend has such free-spirited and tough aspects.”
Yoon Kihyun also knew that assessment was accurate because he knew Jung Sijun’s personality well. But he couldn’t take an agreeing reaction. Because the intention behind Seo Igyeong saying such things definitely felt slimy.
The alarm bell rang that the drinks were ready, and Seo Igyeong brought the drinks back and placed them in front of Yoon Kihyun. And again, unable to withstand Yoon Kihyun’s gaze, Seo Igyeong brought up a question closer to the main point.
“By any chance, in the contract you signed with Team Leader Jung, Kihyun-ssi, is there a penalty clause?”
Penalty. Yoon Kihyun put down his cup as soon as he barely moistened his lips with the tea.
The intention of that question was clearly to probe him. Asking if Jung Sijun was taking good care of him, mentioning workload and treatment—it all converged into one intention.
‘Personal Guide headhunting, something like that?’
Yoon Kihyun silently stared at Seo Igyeong. The still good-natured-looking smile now appeared a bit different.
