“I apologize. Under the Guide Rights Law, your action could be misinterpreted, so I spoke up.”Yoon Siwoo released the Association President’s wrist. His expression remained completely calm—nothing like a soldier behaving rudely toward the Supreme Commander. The President and his aides simply stared at him, bewildered.“Ah—haha. Right. I suppose I wasn’t being careful enough, especially with reporters present.”Only after one of his aides whispered in his ear did the President force himself to nod. It seemed he was choosing to smooth over Siwoo’s behavior for the sake of appearances.“It’s good to see you looking after your pair Guide.”“Thank you.”“Haha, well then—carry on.”Looking cheerful again, the President almost raised his hand to clap Raon’s back, hesitated, then scratched the back of his head instead. It didn’t look intentional—just an unconscious habit he had toward people he liked.Once the crowd that had swept through like a storm finally moved on, Raon was released from the uncomfortable situation. He let out a quiet exhale of relief and turned to Siwoo when the area fell mostly silent.“Are you out of your mind?”“What did I do?”“Do you not know who the Association President is? How could you act like that? Hm?”Raon recalled the cold tension that had filled the air for a moment. Unlike Guides, Espers were military-affiliated and therefore far more disciplined. And yet ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Siwoo had just talked back to the Supreme Commander. Anyone could have called it insubordination.Even now, high-rank Espers had enough authority that the military couldn’t dominate them like before, but the country was still technically in wartime. If Siwoo fell out of the Association President’s good graces, even as an S-rank, his future would darken instantly.And compared to other high-rank Espers, Siwoo’s standing was already weak. Of all people, he antagonized the Supreme Commander. Raon bit down on his lip, frustrated.“Raon, don’t do that. You’ll hurt your lip.”“You—!”Siwoo didn’t seem to care at all. Instead of thinking about the consequences, he was only worried Raon might injure his lip. Raon’s frustration surged and his voice rose.Just then, Dasom and Jamie, who had finally caught up, stopped short with wide, startled eyes. Raon forcibly swallowed his anger at their presence.“You know I don’t care about things like that. Right?”“…Ha.”Siwoo’s tone was meant to soothe him. But it only made Raon’s head pound harder. He raked his hair back with a hand and exhaled.Raon didn’t care about promotions. And that was fine—he was a Guide, not an Esper. But Siwoo couldn’t afford to deviate like this.Once again, Raon was worrying about Siwoo being left alone after he was gone. Without a pair Guide, Siwoo’s stability would drop, his numbers would fall, and his already-precarious standing in the military would only worsen. Siwoo might say he didn’t care—but Raon cared.“And your shoulder really is hurt.”“Ah—”Raon flinched when Siwoo’s hand touched his shoulder. A sharp sting shot through him before he could suppress the sound.“Let me see. It’s probably bruised.”“It’s not that bad—”“Don’t lie.”Siwoo frowned, voice firm. He reached to pull Raon’s clothes off, making Raon stumble back in alarm.“He’s right, Team Leader. I think you should let us check.”“He is. A civilian body needs more caution.”“Wait—”Dasom and Jamie both sided with Siwoo. Because Raon had let sound slip earlier, he’d made them worry as well.With no escape, Raon retreated with them into a nearby conference room and took off his jacket. When he loosened his shirt, a deep, dark bruise stained his shoulder.He had felt pain—but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. Surrounded by Espers, the President hadn’t realized how much strength he used.“Oh no… Team Leader, does it hurt a lot?”“Hm. It’s manageable.”“I’ll heal it!”Dasom’s voice wavered. She placed her hand gently over his shoulder. A soft white glow ignited from her palm.When she had first awakened, her healing produced no visible effect. But after training with Jamie—and understanding her ability fully—the light appeared, and her healing had strengthened. Raon watched the bruise fade almost instantly.“How do you feel? Does it still hurt?”“Mm. I’m fine.”“Thank goodness…”Raon rotated his arm lightly. The pain was completely gone. Seeing this, Dasom exhaled in relief.“Lunch break is almost over. Let’s go quickly.”“Yes, Team Leader.”They had arrived later than expected, making lunch time tight. Raon picked up his pace, and the others followed.“Hm.”Raon glanced at Siwoo and cleared his throat. Now that some time had passed, he understood why Siwoo had reacted that way. If Siwoo had been the one hurt, he would have been angry too.Siwoo walked silently. The muscle in his jaw kept flexing—ever since he saw the bruise.If Siwoo caused another incident in the military, it would be trouble. Concerned, Raon tugged gently on his arm.“Siwoo. I’m fine now. Don’t take it out on anyone else. Okay?”“……”“Hey. Okay?”Only then did Siwoo give a small nod. It wasn’t reassuring, but Raon had no choice except to accept it. He swallowed a sigh and stepped into the cafeteria.“Oh, Team Leader Raon! You just getting lunch now?”“Haha—yes.”“Eat plenty, okay?”“Thank you.”The moment Raon approached, the cafeteria lady heaped his tray full of rice.Her nephew had been one of the Espers Raon saved in the last Gate. To her, Raon was practically a savior. It was embarrassing, but Raon couldn’t exactly refuse. He stared at the mountain of food, helpless.“Sorry we came late. We’ll eat quickly.”“Oh hush, there’s no rush! Take your time.”“Yes, thank you.”They sat at a table near the dish drop for convenience. Raon stared miserably at his overflowing tray. If he ate it all, he’d be sick. If he didn’t, it would look rude.“If you can’t finish, leave it. I’ll eat it.”“…What?”Raon turned to Siwoo. His tray was also piled high, yet his face was completely calm.But eating someone else’s leftovers—wasn’t that unsanitary? Raon had never once eaten food someone else had partially eaten. Even if it were Siwoo’s, he wouldn’t have. Yet Siwoo spoke so casually he was thrown off.“That’s gross.”“Your leftovers aren’t gross.”“They are gross.”“No they’re not. You’ve had worse.”“Hey—!”Raon’s voice jumped. Siwoo didn’t even flinch—he simply began eating.“Ahem.”Feeling Dasom and Jamie’s stares, Raon ducked his head and began eating quickly. He couldn’t look at anyone. His face was hot.Why does he say things like that with people around.A memory flashed—Siwoo’s face buried in him, nowhere near sanitary.God.He forced the memory down and chewed hard.In the end, Raon couldn’t finish the food, and Siwoo took the leftovers. Raon didn’t have the strength to argue.The four of them hurried back to the training hall. The others were already training.“Sorry we’re late.”“It’s fine, Team Leader.”Hyun Juwon and Kim Taehyeok accepted his apology easily. They were used to Raon being pulled into public matters.“By the way, Mikhail has been coming here often, lately.”“Mikhail?”“Yes.”Juwon leaned in and spoke quietly. Raon grimaced.After being reprimanded for reverse guiding, Mikhail had sulked in his quarters. Now it seemed he was restless and wandering again.“He’s not here though.”“He’s been going to another training hall. The one the other special teams use.”“Hm.”Juwon, well-connected as always, relayed the gossip. Raon nodded slowly.Since Jamie didn’t need close escort inside the Center, Mikhail must be passing time there. Raon’s lips lifted slightly.That’s irritating.Mikhail wasn’t medical staff, so he wouldn’t be assigned to the Guide Team during Gates. He would instead be filling Seo Dojin’s role as core combat power.Still, Raon would be leading Gate operations going forward—he needed to understand Mikhail’s combat profile. Mikhail knew that, and yet he was deliberately going elsewhere.Raon exhaled slowly, calming himself.Mikhail was like every other S-rank Esper—a bastard.A bastard with the emotional maturity of a child.There was no reason to be provoked.Raon turned his head, face smooth, and spoke.

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