Chapter 12

But as fate would have it, Kim Si-on didn’t fall for the abrasive Seo Ji-hyuk. Instead, he developed feelings for the calm and reserved Kang Yu-han.

Declaring he didn’t want anything to do with someone as temperamental as Seo Ji-hyuk, Kim Si-on had even petitioned the Center to pair him with Kang Yu-han instead.

To Kang Yu-han, however, Kim Si-on was nothing more than a childish younger sibling. He felt no romantic or emotional connection. Instead, Kim Si-on’s mere presence stirred a deep sense of unease within him—an irrational resentment born of the fear that Seo Ji-hyuk might be taken away by someone else.

That Kim Si-on would take an interest in him, of all people, felt like some cruel twist of fate.

Overwhelmed by his own emotions, Kang Yu-han made a reckless decision: he would interfere in the budding connection between Kim Si-on and Seo Ji-hyuk. After all, with a matching rate equal to Seo Ji-hyuk’s, Kang Yu-han claimed he had just as much of a right to compete.

“I need a Guide just as much as anyone else,” he had argued.

“You know my situation. Just let it go,” Seo Ji-hyuk had countered.

“Why should I? Did you secure the rights to him?”

Kang Yu-han stood his ground. In the end, Seo Ji-hyuk, in front of everyone, grabbed Kang Yu-han by the collar. But Kang Yu-han wasn’t one to be easily intimidated; though he staggered, he retaliated in kind.

No one dared intervene in a fight between two of the Center’s top-ranked Espers. It wasn’t until the Center Chief himself stepped in that the brawl finally ended.

Seo Ji-hyuk was suspended for a few days for striking first, his punishment justified under the pretext of “disrupting the workplace atmosphere.”

This suspension bought Kang Yu-han just enough time to finalize a pairing contract with Kim Si-on. The pairing process prioritized mutual agreement between the Esper and Guide above all else, so the procedure was without fault. However, it came at the cost of public scorn and Seo Ji-hyuk’s wrath.

To outsiders, Kang Yu-han seemed like a selfish Esper driven by greed. But deep down, he was simply afraid—terrified at the thought of Seo Ji-hyuk belonging to someone else, of anyone other than himself standing by Seo Ji-hyuk’s side.

“…I feel dizzy.”

Thinking back on it, Kang Yu-han felt a suffocating heaviness, as though it had all happened just yesterday. He thought he had regretted it enough over the past year, but apparently, it still wasn’t enough.

Blinded by his own selfishness, he had made the terrible mistake of taking Kim Si-on away from Seo Ji-hyuk. Back then, he had thought naively, ‘If worse comes to worst, I can just handle the guiding myself.’

But there were countless complications. He had yet to reveal to Seo Ji-hyuk—or anyone—that he, too, possessed guiding abilities and had a high resonance rate with him. The Center had explicitly instructed Kang Yu-han to keep this a secret at all costs.

If word spread that Seo Ji-hyuk, the core of Seoul’s defense, had an emergency backup Guide, enemies would adjust their tactics. This could shake the long-standing efforts to reclaim lost territory.

The directive to keep this secret extended to Seo Ji-hyuk himself. The higher-ups were adamant about hiding their secret weapon, Kang Yu-han.

For Kang Yu-han, the secrecy was also a matter of survival. Guiding Seo Ji-hyuk drained his life force and could even lead to his death. Unless he was pushed to the brink, he had no intention of revealing the truth.

But this secrecy only deepened the misunderstandings and stoked Seo Ji-hyuk’s resentment.

Sigh.

Kang Yu-han set aside thoughts of the ampoule research. First, he needed to visit the infirmary for headache medicine. He still didn’t know why Kim Si-on had suddenly appeared, but the situation filled him with unease.

What worried him most was the possibility of Seo Ji-hyuk seeing him with Kim Si-on. Just the sight of them together might provoke Seo Ji-hyuk’s temper.

Though the research wing was where he needed to go for information about the ampoule, he hesitated. If Kim Si-on was waiting there, a confrontation would be unavoidable.

Yet, he couldn’t neglect the ampoule investigation either. His thoughts swirled in frustration.

“Ha…”

Kang Yu-han felt suffocated. As if Kim Si-on’s sudden appearance wasn’t troublesome enough, the repeated notifications from his communicator, despite him ignoring the messages, only added to his frustration.

Kim Si-on was relentless, his personality blind to subtlety and stubborn to a fault. Even after a year had passed since his pairing contract fell apart due to Seo Ji-hyuk’s outburst, he was still actively reaching out, undeterred by Kang Yu-han’s silence.

Kang Yu-han knew himself to be narrow-minded. He couldn’t juggle multiple thoughts or embrace multiple people at once. In his limited world, the only person who could fill it entirely was Seo Ji-hyuk.

‘If only I had liked you, everything would have been easier.’

That thought always surfaced when he thought of Kim Si-on.

* * *

“Major!”

Despite wishing with all his might to avoid this encounter, Kim Si-on appeared the moment Kang Yu-han stepped into the research wing.

The young Guide still had a youthful, almost boyish face, flushed cheeks, and wide, innocent eyes. He didn’t hide his delight as he waved energetically and ran over. Lacking the courage to return the smile, Kang Yu-han averted his gaze.

“Esper-nim, it’s been so long!”

“…Yes, it has.”

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Do you have a particular reason for your visit?”

Taking a step back, Kang Yu-han posed the question.

“Did you forget? It’s my re-evaluation period.”

“Ah.”

“I’ve been left in limbo all this time because of someone.”

A year ago, the conflict surrounding Kim Si-on had escalated. Unable to secure a pairing contract with either Seo Ji-hyuk or Kang Yu-han, Kim Si-on had returned to the provincial center.

Naturally, he had now re-registered with the matching system to find a compatible Esper. Feeling awkward, Kang Yu-han cleared his throat and gave a polite nod.

“I’m truly sorry for what happened back then.”

“Oh, come on! There’s nothing to apologize for. This time, you can pair with me, right?”

“What? Kim Si-on, what are you talking about?”

“There’s no way our matching rate has dropped. This time, I’ll secure a pairing contract with you.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course! It’s like we’re a couple that called off our engagement. Isn’t it fair to reconcile?”

“I’ve been going on fewer missions lately, and I don’t really need guiding.”

The last thing Kang Yu-han wanted was to recreate the same conflicts as before. He also had no intention of further provoking Seo Ji-hyuk. His sole focus was to complete the Transition Task Force mission and ensure Seo Ji-hyuk’s retirement. Even that alone seemed to consume all his time and energy.

“No Esper doesn’t need guiding! What a ridiculous claim.”

“I’m serious. I hope you find someone else who suits you better.”

‘Just not Seo Ji-hyuk.’

Kang Yu-han added silently to himself.

“Well, then…”

Kang Yu-han, pressed for time and eager to end the conversation, was about to bow and excuse himself when a familiar voice cut through the air from behind.

“What’s this? Are you two dating now?”

It was Seo Ji-hyuk, his tone dripping with sarcasm. The perfect timing of his appearance made Kang Yu-han want to groan aloud.

“What does it matter to you, Major?”

“You’re not exactly denying it, are you? Lieutenant Kim Si-on, did you come here for a romantic rendezvous?”

“…I’m here for my scheduled evaluation,” Kim Si-on retorted, his voice sharp with irritation.

The tension between the two was palpable, and Kang Yu-han found it hard to watch. Seo Ji-hyuk’s hostility toward Kim Si-on felt tinged with lingering regret. After all, Kim Si-on was a Guide he had been on the verge of securing. Missing out at the last moment had to sting.

“Evaluation? Hah. Well, good luck getting cozy this time around.”

“Why does it concern you, Major?” Kang Yu-han snapped.

“Why shouldn’t it? You two were practically scheming in front of me. Were you trying to get my attention or something?”

“You’re out of line!” Kim Si-on’s voice rose in protest.

The exchange drew glances from passing staff. Recognizing the three of them, many seemed to immediately connect the dots. *Ah, those three from that infamous love triangle,* their expressions seemed to say.

Kang Yu-han realized the meaning behind their stares and felt humiliated and pained. But with the tangled web of misunderstandings, there was little he could say to defend himself.

“Enough. Lieutenant Kim Si-on, let’s leave it at that.”

“Major! Aren’t you upset by this?”

“Calm down. People are watching.”

“Let them watch! I have something to say.”

“For my sake, can’t you let it go this one time?” Kang Yu-han pleaded, his tone softening.

“…Fine. For you, I’ll let it slide.”

Seo Ji-hyuk laughed mockingly at the exchange.

“You’re all so cozy, aren’t you?”

“Major, that’s enough,” Kang Yu-han said firmly.

“What’s this? Protecting your Guide? Must be nice, having a Guide to fuss over.”

Seo Ji-hyuk’s sneering tone pushed Kim Si-on to step forward in anger, but Kang Yu-han quickly held him back and shook his head.

“You said you’d let it go.”

“…Yes, Major.”