After Seokhyeon died inside the irregular Gate, everything fell apart.With the sudden absence of the Director, the control tower stopped functioning, and those who should have stepped in to fill the gap all kept their hands clean, too afraid to risk their own lives.Ironically, that chaos allowed the protagonists to rally forces around themselves—but only after a loss too heavy to justify.Raon had no intention of letting that happen again. Even if the System came back, he planned to train the guide team so thoroughly that, should he disappear, they would still be able to take command and act on their own.Strict, sure—but at this point, all we’ve really done is running drills.He had, admittedly, made them run until they dropped, but filing a complaint for “abuse” over that? Maybe they’d gotten too comfortable after how cleanly they’d shut down the last irregular Gate—no sense of crisis left in them.“Even so, putting guides—who are basically civilians—through that kind of training is a waste of time.”At least Seokhyeon’s perspective was different from most. People like Hyunseung had coddled the guides in the name of protecting them, while Seokhyeon merely meant not to waste their strength on useless things.“Whether it’s a waste or not, we’ll see soon enough.”“Hoo.”Seokhyeon sighed, used to Raon’s unyielding attitude. No one knew better than he did how stubborn Raon could be. Lately, that obstinacy seemed to be directed toward slightly different ends, but it was still there.“In that case, you’ll need to deliver clear results in the next Gate. I can only hold off the backlash until then.”“Leave that to me.”Raon nodded confidently, then looked back at him.“Nothing else you want to add, right?”“Hoo, honestly.”Another sigh—one that had become almost habitual—slipped from Seokhyeon’s lips. Raon gave a quick nod in acknowledgment, then rose from his seat.He opened the door and stepped out of the Director’s Office.“Hey, you’re done?”“Oh—did you wait long?”“No.”Siwoo was standing right outside. Raon blinked in brief surprise at finding him there so naturally, then asked in his usual even tone,“Did you eat?”“I was waiting to eat with you.”“Oh—uh, right.”Siwoo said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Raon was quietly taken aback.He’d come straight to the Director’s Office when Seokhyeon summoned him after training, with Siwoo tagging along, but he’d assumed Siwoo would go back to handle his own duties afterward.He hadn’t expected him to wait until he came out. Then again, with the team now fully reorganized, Siwoo didn’t have anything else assigned.Guess we’ll be together all the time from now on.Even after forming their pairing, they hadn’t actually spent much continuous time together, since the roles of Esper and Guide differed so much. But lately, Siwoo followed him everywhere, shadowing his every move as if it were second nature. Come to think of it, that tendency had only gotten stronger since the incident with Dojin.Well, once a Gate opens, we’ll be running ourselves ragged anyway.Raon thought calmly as he loaded food onto his tray in the cafeteria beside Siwoo. The next Gate wasn’t far off.“Raon, Siwoo! Over here!”“Hm?”He turned toward the familiar voice and saw Hamin waving them over. The rest of the team was already seated, eating together.“It’s pretty late—are you all just now getting dinner?”Raon asked in mild surprise as he approached. Hamin smiled awkwardly.“Ah, yeah, we took a while cleaning up and showering.”“I see.”Now that he looked, they were in rough shape. Cleaner than when they’d been out on the training field, sure, but still limp and drained, like paper dolls left out in the rain.“You all pushed yourselves today. I’m sorry about that. Eat well and rest up tonight.”“N-no, not at all, Team Leader. We wanted to do it.”Feeling ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) an unmistakable twinge of guilt for having barked at Seokhyeon earlier, Raon apologized as he sat down, but Dasom waved her hand.“She’s right. Honestly, guides have had it easy at the Center until now.”“I’m really glad we finally get to do something that matters.”Despite their exhaustion, every guide at the table was smiling. Their words filled Raon with a quiet sense of pride.“Ugh.”Except for one—Yeojoon, who clearly wasn’t blending into the cheerful mood.Maybe his stomach still hadn’t settled after the day’s “bungee jump” drills; he gagged mid-bite, then hurried out of the cafeteria. Had he even come here intending to eat?“Don’t worry about him, Team Leader.”“Right.”That came from Taehyeok, Yeojoon’s Exclusive Guide, whose expression was ice-cold. Raon quietly lifted his spoon and began eating.At this rate, I wonder if he’ll actually get over his fear of heights anytime soon.He glanced sideways at Siwoo.“What?”“Nothing. Just—eat a lot.”“You too.”Siwoo’s tray was already piled high, practically a mountain of rice. Espers ate a lot in general, but even among them, Siwoo’s portions were on the large side.Then again, at twenty, he was probably still growing. He already stood taller than Raon, though still a little shorter than Dojin.Three years from now, he was about Dojin’s height, right? Maybe if he keeps eating, he’ll outgrow that too.Raon idly entertained the thought as he bit into a piece of well-marinated pork rib. The Center’s cafeteria food was excellent, thanks to its generous funding.“Still… a bit salty.”He’d spoken without thinking, and immediately felt a gaze turn his way.“Too salty?”“No, not really.”Mass catering could never please everyone’s palate. He didn’t mind much, though he personally preferred food that wasn’t so heavily seasoned.“Should I cook next time?”“Huh? You?”“Yes.”“Hmm.”Raon blinked at him in surprise. Right—Siwoo could cook. He remembered how good that breakfast sandwich had been.“No, you’re already busy training with the other Espers.”He shook his head. However well Siwoo cooked, he wasn’t about to make the kid work extra hours on top of everything else.“Siwoo, you can cook?”“Yes.”Hamin, who had just finished eating, looked at him in astonishment. Siwoo nodded with his usual blank expression.“That’s impressive. I can’t even boil pasta.”“It’s not that hard.”Siwoo’s tone was flat, almost cold. He wasn’t exactly the warmest person to begin with, but even for him, that came off chilly.“R-right. Still, impressive.”Even Hamin, ever good-natured, gave a sheepish smile at the awkward air. Raon quickly stepped in before the mood soured further.“If everyone’s finished, get some rest. Tomorrow will be tough too, so be ready.”“Yes, Team Leader.”“Got it.”“Yes, sir!”The guides answered in unison, standing to bow before heading off. Raon smiled and waved them off lightly.When the others had gone, he turned to Siwoo, who was quietly finishing his meal.“I’ve been wondering—why are you so cold to Hamin’s Guide?”“Me?”“Yeah. Did something happen between you two?”“……”Siwoo pressed his lips together without answering. Raon watched him closely, suspicion in his eyes.In the original story, Siwoo had never been this curt with Hamin. Even if the absence of the System had changed Raon’s behavior, there was no real reason for Siwoo to dislike the main bottom. Which was why Raon was taken aback when Siwoo finally spoke.“Lee Hamin’s the guide with the highest match rate with Seo Dojin.”“What?”“So I don’t like him.”Siwoo muttered the words with a faint scowl. Raon’s eyes widened—he hadn’t seen that coming.It made sense that Siwoo would think poorly of Dojin, especially after witnessing his aggressive behavior toward Raon.But to extend that dislike to Hamin, just because of his compatibility with Dojin? That was new.It left Raon a little stunned, as if he’d accidentally derailed the original plot again. His mouth opened, then closed.Well, it’s not like Siwoo and Hamin were ever meant to end up together anyway.In a world where the main top was already decided, the fate of the side top was obvious enough. Rather than push the issue, Raon just tried to nudge him gently.“They haven’t even formed a pair yet. And now that we’re on separate teams, they probably won’t see each other much.”“Still don’t like him.”“Hm. Well, just don’t make it obvious. We’ll be doing joint drills soon, remember?”“…Fine.”At least he didn’t refuse outright. Still, the faint pout he wore made it clear he wasn’t happy. Raon couldn’t help but smile at how endearing it looked.“Pfft.”“Why are you laughing?”“Because you’re cute.”“Stop treating me like a kid.”His expression darkened, clearly offended. Raon blinked innocently.“What are you talking about, Siwoo?”“……”“‘Like a kid’? You are a kid.”Siwoo’s face twisted in outrage.

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