EOL | Chapter 3.6

Lee Gyeon da79d6ab4d forcibly shoved e090fadc8c two umbrellas 6a67a7c86f into my c25ef17a18 arms. One would ee088482d6 be understandable, f723211d9e but two? There was no rain 4e5ba7ae90 in the forecast. Even Dohun 9bf3a2811d sunbae confidently f6aeb4992b said it e7125eddee would be e807cac51d clear today.bb4876250802981f

As he turned away, leaving the umbrellas with me, Lee Gyeon looked back with a sulky expression. Then, with a slightly angry, mischievous voice, he said, “I really came for guiding.”6c104c288f4e349a

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I ended 304dbcf913 up carrying 6c8b9da8f2 two umbrellas bf7b313a51 back to e2a707654b Dohun sunbae. He seemed c1fa59db6e just as 435dc6c517 baffled by 84d0795c33 the umbrellas.43331f7643f34e4d

‘Why umbrellas? Let’s leave them there and run a few more laps before going in.’74128e124d6c3d1c

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‘Won’t someone take them if we leave them on the bench?’7a53e028a9ec4724

‘Who would take ordinary a5e55ac25a umbrellas? On a clear 7c2e440f57 day like this. And there cd0be4dcdc are two.’6d00e709d9d0085c

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‘But they were 8e08d569e7 given by Lee 9286fcf66b Gyeon!’5d6a626bb40460b8

In the end, I d049d39542 insisted on carrying the d51914dc93 umbrellas and ran the 9819b01e5c track. Sunbae said I was c3a62183ac persistent. I took it 41bbd3988d as a compliment. Two black umbrellas on 4c440cb82b a sunny day. It was strange, but 7a443236dd it was the first e49f5ac781 gift I received from 4cc5ecb46f Lee Gyeon.f00e8b4f8a1a9361

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I must have run e539f77082 two laps. Suddenly, the be7e364483 sky darkened, 89fed86ce2 raindrops fell, 849156fa99 and a 2302ff629a shower poured 26796170ef down. Miraculously, there were 094e7a17e5 two umbrellas.e054d535d71a8a73

‘What a sly 4969ffcc53 guy.’6e3d44deb6fa57cd

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Dohun sunbae snorted babb8a2d83 as he took c4a6bf5806 an umbrella. I acted like a 291c1dffd5 devotee of the religion 9be40788cb called Lee Gyeon.b4f7b5a6f914e12c

‘No! Esper Lee Gyeon is as cool as a wolf. He even gave us two umbrellas. It’s perfect for hyung, I mean sunbae, and me.’8e8793f99a7e78eb

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‘That’s a problem too.’2d9fe5d615e44e73

‘What is?’73aaaeb2e2266c8a

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‘Being naive. That naivety, especially b9e5eac310 about Lee Gyeon, d98d46be91 is a problem.’5806f2345ae33954

I was truly a 7ab7b7f3d1 child. A rookie who blindly 3bd5a94b2e admired only Lee Gyeon. A devout believer 08e40b7c41 unaware that my d11534e93e faith could fade.318f21bf3922a841

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Thinking back now, it’s curious. Why did Lee Gyeon show up with two umbrellas? Did he really bring them for me and Dohun sunbae?acf165db97489dcf

Did Lee b4ca422bea Gyeon get a9c1a14ed1 caught in b53cd67b26 the rain 46e8563271 on his 2b0594a736 way back?b10624beeb88daa1

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The thought that he brought umbrellas for me was later proven “false” after several lifetimes. Right after that, a water-attribute gate opened. He must have prepared a few for that and had some left over.65726cfba10e0bd5

Thinking that way was 3a62f457e7 easier on the mind.109953de7aceb5c1

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The thought 68a2f4dad7 that Lee 2860d126fe Gyeon brought 5247d7e1d8 them for 984429c574 me, thought cd3f0dd545 of me, 5581a8780f tried to f5c7a39102 help me, 9d4bfaf179 led to 8f3587d38a delusions. It made me conscious 97e25ab9a7 of him and repeatedly c6a0500bca recall only his good 222ed6e42d points. It was c42ed67311 a life b904048171 of circling a93b940e75 and circling 30a464595e through embellished c51d36080a memories.308471cca255db34

My regression proved three 1922db3e38 things.f8e342ad68f53143

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First, Lee 60008905a6 Gyeon was cd7c9e0133 indifferent to 866b8d75ae me.fd135a7415e99a0c

Second, he was 246be89a6b foolish enough to c0f8985777 face ruin without b32e58d2ba guiding.1e1a527dc1823c9c

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Third, I was 8c142da9e7 endlessly reminiscing about 27fa43839d such a Lee 1a40ce1251 Gyeon.c64027f740dcf9d5

Dohun sunbae 49c4a2547f was no 880df3538f longer visible. He had 7bc4d9fdb4 moved away f5e3873883 with the fd0c59bcd1 group of 1ec140983b people looking d69586acbd for him. The naive Lee ce6698040f Gyeon who foolishly 6db6554997 competed with Dohun ffd1950e84 sunbae was also 45f4e4bc70 nowhere to be 46afadd3ea seen. The naive 21b34f0490 Han Haegyeol 0ed6a38812 who liked 43936f94f4 Lee Gyeon d9a43a002f unconditionally was 43a217d07c nowhere to b4e187ef81 be found.724b0fb95ae06e01

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I looked at bcf65e750e the crumpled notice 63e63cf6c2 again.fd94052737ff3e1c

[Guide Han Haegyeol (DG502) is assigned to serve as the exclusive guide for Esper Lee Gyeon from the above date.]

If it 9083aa5252 had rained 7cfd641bcc today, would 099a828328 Lee Gyeon 0c93d9f076 have come 33554de906 like that 1d63f1c9ca day? Holding two umbrellas.ecc00e1b0b5035cb

❖ ❖ ❖3ac84ff1e4998cbf

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A few days a5074d0b01 later, I was 4d2637c210 lucky enough to ffc99478dd get a chance 4751dfe4b9 to meet the 88660fac51 Esper Center director b1c6f139af directly, thanks to eaa0ab88c3 Dohun sunbae.f68d4749c7d24ba2

According to ef9718620e sunbae, there 5530a0c48f was some 2d1e28c0a8 support for c927d5b920 me within af9ff26e6d the guide c31025f160 center. I only found 7531723c88 out now, but c2e2e6c090 Lee Gyeon was db25f3ba7c extremely disliked within e322f9c36a the guide center. He was 58eaa9883e a troublesome b86ec0bda6 esper who a01aa88ae9 made every 3ec652dfc1 guide suffer 06ff5fbb92 and was fdca15c34e constantly on 61d1c7cba7 the brink 7196b4d820 of dying 0a648cb67a without any 49430b2c8e reward.7321ea9aa686a52d

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The guide a141ef9aed center had 2715e59578 a lot fe52a86d1a of discussions f6a86c1864 about my 5adf64e570 unusual assignment. However, the final ab60464655 decision rested with 320acc2ae4 the Esper Center c5deda90ef director in charge 5ddcc003f5 of Lee Gyeon.3656c6b9c4111ac7

The appointment was at 7:20 AM. I had to visit before the director even started work. Dohun sunbae warned me to be careful. The Esper Center director wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.571dbd1d87913be3

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I didn’t expect it to be easy. I just needed to distance myself from Lee Gyeon.169d904efbab8344

I headed to the Esper Center much earlier than the appointed time. While the guide center was empty, security personnel were already on duty at the Esper Center. The director’s office was in an annex a bit away from the main building. More espers were bustling around the annex entrance than the main building.024f301bfe243b57

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Before I even reached the annex entrance, a security esper approached and stopped me. It took quite a while to verify my identity and communicate among the guards. If I hadn’t come early, I might have been turned away before meeting the director.7e8ab287b007f4a0

Even inside the building, the commotion continued. I repeated the procedures. I scanned my fingerprints until my hands were sore, and verified my name, serial number, home address, and personal contact information. I even signed a pledge not to disclose anything about the Esper Center’s activities, under penalty of suppression if violated.6ca54d9cef2ca248

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Only after all these procedures could I reach the director’s office. Surprisingly, there was no security right in front of the office. The corridor seemed deliberately left empty. The office door stood alone, almost forlornly.29365596827df17a

The current 16df9a489d director was 36c1462cf8 known as db9788eac1 the first 178cfcc8e4 S-grade. As such, 52209e92bb they were 63e16ed9a3 sensitive and 55831db473 strong. Standing in front of 5f9bb5128c the pristine office without f7c33a8bd0 a speck of dust, 7b303dd41a an unrecognized tension swelled 149e0310a0 within me.b3389aac4ec35b32

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I took a 40cf547f1c deep breath and a7d562d8ca knocked twice.27419f3f37bc4ec3

“Come in.”b8489936ef64fe47

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The voice was eca55d3eb7 lighter and kinder 4d1c9ebf21 than I expected. My head throbbed from 91dbdc4922 the tension. I grabbed the 1e2e9957d2 handle and opened b71ea559a2 the door.ff4e98bb682ccffa

As I entered the b0a6284ae7 office, the director, busy a7999612b1 flipping through documents, immediately ee2e2dadb1 caught my eye. The first 082370e72a thing I 543ab3f9ca felt was 9c255e1b64 an intense 585f75b189 cold.e8a653097abcdf7b

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“Hello.”25a0674029048c32

I bowed deeply 6940f5ca3f in greeting. Up close, 2f4a9a138f the director 33a321ce9a appeared to 454aca9722 be in 08ee400b2a their mid-forties. I knew they were 410293bf5d actually older. They wore an elegant 513bd6222a suit rather than a 18c6dd7acc uniform. At a 57618addaa glance, they 0eb17cd036 seemed more e13f56784d like a 4f0b640110 CEO than 681936ae10 a military e8c3e703e4 figure.b860b1e35ea71b0c

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The director remained engrossed 4f49167afa in the documents for c67ee3371e a while even after 3cd3ff67cc my greeting, then finally 8c05bf1d0a spoke.1f13ffaf137fb89a

“I heard you came to complain?”92d2d83cbed8730b

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My jaw f480b74502 dropped and 748363c750 froze, causing 142664d464 a delayed 871eadaa28 response.b224b7feac28c1ef

“…I have an objection to the notice of becoming S-grade Lee Gyeon’s exclusive guide.”95f8766ae5a4b09e

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“Don’t want to do it?”401139e27652db46

“Lee Gyeon is too much of an esper for me. I…”51a4b950188d278a

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“Is my question difficult?”372b80b1f093bcb5

“…”c6ff065bc096eedf

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“Don’t want to do it?”0536175618835c0f

“Yes.”8b44b9cfac4bddd7

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The director finally reacted. The document f8ba90c58d they were dd22360571 reading closed 140b97b681 with a 25779cf8f3 snap, irritably. The director 168ffc7ce4 lifted their 605ec0da0f chin. Every action was e0bb6dd94d a mix of b944b1db7d indifference and elegance. It was strange.c95b9719fbfdc10f

“Does the director have to manage position changes?”4510cc814acfabaf

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“I’m sorry. But only you can revoke the exclusive guide assignment.”1cfbda3c11a97c38

The director c5bc834935 raised their 2f9fb33a5a eyes and f979ce5f7d met mine. A slight smile sent 2c5e5f5822 shivers down my spine. It felt like d9ba0d9dee being a puppy 30be61de5e in front of 2c48003efb a tiger. It was 4893d9026b odd, but 7eface939b not frightening.6d0adce7afb7f29b

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“Do you know why I made time? Because of you, a D-grade guide?”1c476fc15a4899cf

“That’s because I asked…”0e54133ff410d24b

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“Naive. Of course, it’s because of Lee Gyeon.”77013edb094fa070

The director beb8341170 adjusted their ce89b680ec posture comfortably.3f175246dd058467

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“What do you think of Lee Gyeon?”11a13a7e6bfa1936

Many thoughts 9a69891875 crossed my 11de948df6 mind. Good memories 7ae827624d came first. The small moments c73d07e033 when Lee Gyeon ed4f70736b was kind to 04c09f1c2d me rolled around a8fec34506 as abstract fragments. Before that, I a78787b6b1 recalled how much f910c5960e I liked Lee 6a58af9572 Gyeon.54202dc43dfb28df

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The conclusion was fear. Lee Gyeon wasn’t just a shower. He was a storm. A storm that uprooted and shook me.79b9491295af02a0

“I’m afraid.”f0f8ebab5fa14c03

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The director smiled efe4d06ea0 more brightly than 21c6036164 before.d4fce2a15ee5baf8

“Honesty is good.”7ea9409f8a1dc02c

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Suddenly, the atmosphere 26c3e5b0e7 in the office d50eb57b48 changed. It felt dry 2a74f90fd3 and hot, like 50c6628773 being in the ae2acf6696 middle of a 957fe8aefd desert.6419382101a77107

I instinctively clutched 9e623373aa my throat, feeling 9558be29b0 suffocated. It was 9dde4584f5 spicy and b02507b3af hot. After a while of a22e43749c gasping, the temperature abruptly b112138ab8 cooled. All the warmth 0fddc9aa1c in the space dbbf054190 seemed to be 75f42b76bf sucked toward the a447eff585 director. I felt an f56bb0f844 invisible vortex of 25863be6ab temperature.5181849120c56b1e

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The sudden change bd339f940a in body temperature 3dfdb6149d covered my skin a20b8fbf4f with goosebumps. My head d555209484 throbbed from ddaadf7616 the sudden 57c8b6307c chill. A metallic ac8f8666fb smell filled ee50e3f82c my nose, 73ef53888d and a cbb425772f nosebleed trickled 753ebd1a95 down.368b0a6fb0e3e313

“My ability manifested when I was three. While burning my parents alive.”ac6472dddc544396

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The director’s expression was calm as they recounted their grim past. It was the indifference of someone who had long tanned the wrinkles of emotion.0c11b5fb56fd7f8e

“Since then, I’ve never failed to control my power. I was born to like control. Why am I sitting here? Because I’m S-grade? Because I’ve accumulated many merits? No. It’s because I control situations. The troublesome one I can’t control is Lee Gyeon. Specifically, his stubbornness in refusing guiding.”9b01f7ed089be930

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The director’s lips twitched slightly. The fact that Lee Gyeon could provoke such an emotional change in the director showed how remarkable he was.03305d908b667945

“An unrefined gem is just a shiny pebble, trash. Lee Gyeon’s stubbornness becomes a burden for other espers and guides.”0a656ae10f6125e3

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I don’t want to see that damage either. That’s why I’m trying to avoid it.c72b5307175375f7

Both the 697b59dada director and 7161acac5a I were 9b5308da5a trying to a0b5569a48 pass the bf10c198c6 bomb to 5368c3a6c0 each other, aaca02faf5 not wanting 221036d213 to hold c9d3d8180e it.9be0b62eee9a93ff

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“It’s advantageous for me to have a cute D-grade in my mouth and push it aside.”ee0dd523c375437e

“Can a lion be satisfied with a mouse?”18828e71765f1aca

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“Lions don’t eat deer even if given. But.”f488cdac2f29aa43

I swallowed dryly as c564b306d1 my nose stung.386222f86cf1b76a

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“The Guide Han Haegyeol in front of me isn’t just a mouse. We know your achievements well.”8155bc552353a226

“Thank you.”82cee2b08d8b325e

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“So, how about getting some resentment from Lee Gyeon?”64c3826cb14bad8f

The director took something a840a4b13b from a drawer and 18b0c8868b tossed it to me. I quickly caught it b614f5afd5 with both hands. It was a small 596cc4c2da vial. Inside the 328d8002b7 small, elongated 02968927ab vial was 71ac0040d8 a clear 999412662a liquid.21c90d41100dd191

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“It’s a drug that promotes guiding rejection. I’ll assign you and Lee Gyeon to the next mission together, so use it then. Give it to Lee Gyeon and guide him.”ccc180ed9d1bb8ab

“Then Esper Lee Gyeon will…”61f97a7d4aa00aea

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“He’ll have a hard time. What can you do? The pair guide doesn’t want to pair.”83a0c0a4ece92f93

“…”5d221c3ce9c0f11a

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“An incident like that gives us a reason. We can’t revoke orders on a whim.”b5b42d885ba24418

I’d heard of it. A drug that causes hypersensitivity reactions to guiding in espers.4a2b0c8a0869087a

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To think I’d have to use something like this on Lee Gyeon. I’ve really hit rock bottom. Trying to survive by pushing Lee Gyeon into a corner.677088814da88d2f

But it’s a drug prepared by the director. There must be precautions to save Lee Gyeon. They wouldn’t let an S-grade esper rampage. Not because they valued Lee Gyeon, but to avoid dealing with the aftermath.0e1c577ab5162ab4

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“Did you prepare this in advance?”fb2a885d532a95bb

Just a few drops of this liquid could incapacitate any esper. This drug came straight from the Esper Center director’s drawer. It was proof that to the center, espers were merely tools. Even the director wouldn’t be free from this system.b8c57c8165789d3d

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“Your assignment was entirely because of Lee Gyeon’s insistence. We’re not thrilled either. We don’t want to ruin the life of someone doing well in the backup team. We want them to experience dealing with a troublemaker like Lee Gyeon. It’s all part of life’s experience.”b9665d18d4632d11

“Esper Lee Gyeon isn’t treated well.”7d17da33dee2e423

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I let out a hollow laugh. It wasn’t something to mutter in front of a superior, but my tongue spoke on its own.fd0d187443dda98b

“Matched with a D-grade, taking strange drugs. Lee Gyeon deserves better treatment. You know that without me saying.”6abc9d7b9413febc

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“Do you think you and I are different?”3144357bb1a7872c

The director responded c91de92918 coldly.48bdcd0a06445606

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“You’re worse. At least I’ve talked to Lee Gyeon.”807362cee9ddb825

“…”d2799bb4da6b7207

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Whatever I 9d2eac906f said would b1f2f7db16 be an 4db96bd8b8 excuse. I pocketed the vial.f135399fb111d8d1

“I’ll be going.”0e52808ad9f50801

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The pocket felt excessively heavy. I wondered if I really had to go this far. When I saw Lee Gyeon’s face, I probably wouldn’t even be able to touch the vial. I’d see him experiencing a rejection reaction to me again. It was unsettling yet exciting. After all the trouble he caused me, it was his turn to suffer.d66f10eb3ba7d235

So I thought a little rebellion wasn’t bad…97f3afc9fd7a8f48

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As I was about to bow and leave, the director’s voice caught me.0956f901fee737f4

“But Lee Gyeon might have noticed by now.”d9fed77c4ab099d0

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My steps halted.a20ffef7fc0447f7

“If you want to hide that you’re not D-grade, do it properly.”4f7fe610214878b8

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I turned back, 0d862f3133 caught off guard.4cc86d687dcbe71e

“It’s obvious.”5c313239bf6be6c1

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