“Sunbae.”
“Hm?”
“You’re drunk, aren’t you?”
“Have you ever seen an Esper get drunk?”
“I told you not to do anything without my permission.”
I tried to hide my embarrassment by speaking in a stiff tone.
“Maybe I am drunk.”
Han-gyeol didn’t show any sign of regret. Instead, he intertwined his fingers with mine, where I had been nervously fiddling with my ring.
“This is surprising.”
“What is?”
“I didn’t expect you to be this persistent when it came to dating women.”
When I was younger, I had imagined going on a first date with him or even becoming his girlfriend.
He was always so well-mannered and thoughtful. I had believed he would approach someone with care and gentleness, or maybe that he wouldn’t even care about romantic relationships at all—like a platonic love, or something.
Looking back, that was just my fantasy, and I was way off the mark.
He was the type to actively pursue someone he had feelings for.
“I didn’t think I’d be like this either.”
He leaned his head against his hand and looked up at me, his attention fully focused on me.
Maybe it was because of the dim lighting, but his gaze felt more intense. At the same time, Han-gyeol’s presence flowed out toward me in a thick, palpable way.
“Ever since I confessed, you’ve only looked prettier. It makes me want to keep messing with you.”
His gaze trailed over my features, and I instinctively brought my hands up to guard my neck, as if to protect myself from his gaze.
“How did I hold back for so long? You’re so beautiful.”
“Please… stop saying that. That I’m beautiful.”
“You’ve heard it since you were a kid, haven’t you? You used to always play the princess in plays at kindergarten. Didn’t you enjoy it?”
“How is that the same as this?”
It wasn’t as if I wasn’t used to being called pretty, as he said. But today, for some reason, it made me flush, as if I were hearing it for the first time. I lowered the hand that had been guarding my neck and, out of habit, reached for my collarbone. Han-gyeol’s gaze followed the movement of my hand. A slow heat started to build from within me.
It had to be Han-gyeol’s presence. That hazy feeling, the warmth spreading through my body, was his energy. It felt as though his presence had a physical form, wrapping around me. I could sense that he wanted to touch me.
“Sunbae… your presence is making me dizzy.”
“I’m the one who drank, so why are you the one getting tipsy?”
His presence, laden with desire, made my head spin. Feeling strange, I stood up quickly.
“We should go.”
“Shall we?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
Han-gyeol didn’t resist and obediently followed my lead. He adjusted his presence to strengthen his body’s regeneration ability, purifying himself and quickly detoxifying the alcohol. By the time we left, he looked as sharp and composed as when we had first arrived at the bar.
On the way back to the center, I struggled to stay awake, afraid that I might accidentally initiate guiding in my sleep. Yu-geon’s warning about not guiding with Han-gyeol still lingered in my mind.
Though now, it all felt a bit pointless.
“Yu-geon’s supposed to come to the center tomorrow anyway, so you might see him.”
Han-gyeol said as he dropped me off at the GS dormitory.
“For what?”
“My cousin’s visiting from Branch A for a bit.”
“An Awakened?”
“Yeah. An A-Class Guide.”
That was a pretty high rank. I had known Han-gyeol for a long time, but this was the first I was hearing about his cousin. Then again, his family was known for producing high-ranking Espers, so it wasn’t too surprising.
“When does your cousin arrive?”
“In the morning.”
“I doubt Yu-geon will show up…”
“He’ll probably make an appearance. If not, well, nothing we can do.”
He didn’t seem certain either.
“But try not to run into my cousin if you can.”
“Why?”
I was wondering why he seemed cautious about this cousin, but then he spoke with a slightly awkward expression.
“She’s still young and a bit immature.”
He had said something similar when Yu-geon had first come to the center. But back then, he hadn’t gone so far as to tell me to avoid Yu-geon. What kind of kid was this cousin that he was warning me so explicitly?
“Sleep well, Sa-weol. I’ll see you at the center tomorrow.”
With that cryptic remark, he headed back to his dormitory.
Han-gyeol wasn’t one to talk much about his family, and I didn’t want to pry, so I simply returned to my room.
***
Yu-geon didn’t come to work again today. The last report I had heard was that he had been spotted near the back entrance yesterday, trying to sneak onto a military cargo truck. He was caught and ended up fleeing back into the center.
That meant he was still here.
“Good morning, Sa-weol. Still haven’t found Yu-geon?”
“No.”
Ji-han greeted me as he approached.
“Today’s the last day of the grace period, right?”
“…….”
“I saw in the mailroom that Yu-geon took leave yesterday and today. Han-gyeol couldn’t reject it because he was in the gates for a few days. What are you going to do?”
“Sunbae, you’re just here to tease me, aren’t you?”
It was the perfect example of someone fanning the flames. Ji-han always brought up what he knew would push my buttons every time we met.
“Aw, don’t be like that. I’m just concerned for you. That’s why you should’ve been more careful about who you paired with.”
My hands shook with frustration. I was already well aware that I should’ve been more cautious about choosing a pair.
I had definitely lost my mind when I hastily agreed to pair with Yu-geon out of fear that my secret might get out. If I had thought it through more, I could have avoided this whole situation.
I knew Yu-geon was too obsessed with guiding to ever report me. Why had I thought so short-sightedly?
But it was too late now. Regret wouldn’t help me. I needed to find Yu-geon and cancel the pair today, no matter what.
“I heard Yu-geon’s supposed to come to the office today.”
“Yu-geon’s coming? Why?”
“His cousin from the Awakened Branch A is visiting.”
“Ah, right. If he doesn’t show his face, his cousin will probably throw a fit.”
“Did you know too, Sunbae?”
“Who? Song-i?”
Ji-han called the name, presumably of the cousin, with a very familiar tone.
“Yes, the captain’s cousin.”
“Yeah, of course. She’s kind of a big deal over at Branch C, just like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, maybe she’s a bit different from you. Oh? Here she comes.”
Ji-han was about to explain further about Han-gyeol’s cousin when the office suddenly became a bit noisy. I followed his gaze to see a small young woman walking toward us, flanked by several large, burly men.
“This is Alpha Team. Should I notify the director that you’ve arrived?” one of the men asked.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go see him myself shortly.”
“Understood.”
Alongside her was a man I recognized as the Branch A general manager, bowing deferentially. Why was he, of all people, acting as a guide for the center?
“Oh? Ji-han oppa, hello!”
“Hey, Song-i. How’ve you been?”
“Good! Where’s Han-gyeol oppa?”
“Han-gyeol hasn’t come to work yet.”
The moment she arrived, she asked about Han-gyeol. She was about shoulder-height to me, with big round eyes, plump lips, and soft-looking cheeks. Her long, curly hair gave her the appearance of a fancy protein doll.
“I was hoping he could show me around Branch A.”
She looked visibly disappointed that Han-gyeol wasn’t there.
“And Baek Yu-geon? He’s here, right?”
“Yu-geon’s also on leave today. Didn’t he tell you?”
“I told him I’d be at Branch A today. Could he have forgotten?”
She seemed shocked to find out that Yu-geon was also absent. Apparently, she was quite close to both Han-gyeol and Yu-geon, not just one of them.
“What brings you here anyway?”
“Oh, I might be transferring to Branch A soon.”
“Really?”
“Yep, so I’m here to check things out in advance.”
She responded with a cheerful tone. So, she was still part of Branch C, yet she was wandering around the team office like it was no big deal.
Technically, even if someone was a guest, the team office was a restricted area. We discussed sensitive information about missions that only happened in Branch A here.
“By the way, this is Alpha Team’s Guide, Gu Sa-weol. You know her, right?”
“Hello, I’m S-Class Guide Gu Sa-weol.”
Ji-han belatedly introduced me. I extended my hand out of courtesy, but Song-i’s blue eyes scrutinized me from head to toe as if she were evaluating me.
“No, I don’t.”
She flashed a smile but completely ignored my handshake, turning back to Ji-han.
“Ji-han oppa, can you show me around before the others arrive?”
“Me?”
Really?
I shot Song-i a sharp look, but she pretended not to notice and continued chatting with Ji-han.
“Yes, please. I brought some Espers from Branch C just in case. You never know—it could be dangerous.”
“What danger could there be in the center? Also, Sa-weol is trying to greet you. Didn’t you see her?”
Ji-han, caught between us, awkwardly forced Song-i’s hand into mine for a handshake. Song-i, looking annoyed, barely touched my hand before quickly pulling away.
“Ha ha. Since you’re a guide, maybe Sa-weol should show you around instead. She knows the places guides need to visit better than I do.”
Ji-han seemed eager to shift the responsibility to me, probably uncomfortable with the situation.
“Um, today I’m actually—”
“No, thanks. I’m uncomfortable around strangers. I’d rather you show me around, oppa.”
Before I could decline, Song-i cut me off, her tone dismissive.
“O-okay. Let’s go. Let’s head out.”
In a fluster, Ji-han quickly escorted her out of the office, eyes wide with discomfort. I let out a small laugh, shaking my head as I rubbed my hand where Song-i had touched it.
“Ugh, what was that?”
Out of nowhere, the awakened members of Alpha Team suddenly gathered close around me, surrounding me protectively. Their eyes were fixed on the door Song-i had just exited, as if they expected lasers to shoot out of it.
“Ugh, something smells off.”
“What do you mean?”
“Such a nasty, rotten smell. The stench of a crazy psycho.”
Hanna, chewing on a lollipop, grimaced and waved her hand in the air, as if clearing away the foul odor.
“Isn’t the team office off-limits to outsiders from Branch C? How did she even get in?”
“The general manager brought her in himself.”
“Ugh, that Baek family lapdog. He’s probably sucking up to them, hoping for some leftovers to fall his way.”
Hanna made a face as if she’d seen this situation a hundred times before.
“She totally pretended not to know you on purpose. What awakened person doesn’t know Gu Sa-weol? Even regular civilians know who you are.”
