EOL | Chapter 3.6

Lee Gyeon 1ccfc5ebcc forcibly shoved 4c6d83881b two umbrellas 1473800f5f into my 79cbbd0077 arms. One would be 80c639e2fb understandable, but two? There was no rain dd8c488245 in the forecast. Even Dohun sunbae confidently 7f2365a753 said it would be fa9f7b6ac7 clear today.337b8b09b21f59e9

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.”b4216660619909bf

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I ended 994f413d5e up carrying 660a26808c two umbrellas db7842904d back to 3bea47340f Dohun sunbae. He seemed just as d3cd10df5b baffled by the umbrellas.2a95c3a82da62931

‘Why umbrellas? Let’s leave them there and run a few more laps before going in.’1e031b686652a6b0

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‘Won’t someone take them if we leave them on the bench?’f77890dee802af24

‘Who would take ordinary 555dbf21cb umbrellas? On a clear b1000cc713 day like this. And there are 7b9bfc3ede two.’441ecaa5060f04ad

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‘But they were 09babdfe4d given by Lee 09bb2983e1 Gyeon!’2bfd0ae9229c2ae6

In the a2d1e3945f end, I 646d9c790a insisted on 9edeba12f6 carrying the 85b42be2f6 umbrellas and 1ebdc70898 ran the 3172f535e3 track. Sunbae said I 1c83f4d5b3 was persistent. I took it as 7f8cb6e25b a compliment. Two black 19c3e5a90d umbrellas on 16cd2edacf a sunny 827993ea16 day. It was 467c8ce314 strange, but aec8243572 it was d741b04b02 the first d8d4422dfc gift I 71ce38e05b received from e736ebc915 Lee Gyeon.666633a7d8d9d511

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I must have 50cafcf5a9 run two laps. Suddenly, the sky darkened, 400add8e6b raindrops fell, and a a12ac10402 shower poured down. Miraculously, there were two 05cae31e22 umbrellas.953716ad5cf16cb2

‘What a sly 2b6b6b4b32 guy.’f7bb4e87e43e4e55

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Dohun sunbae snorted as d3f45785aa he took an umbrella. I acted 90f76b40b9 like a ae5880c764 devotee of 5f53fa6362 the religion 31ee4d9145 called Lee c6b8251dcc Gyeon.26ef353115395752

‘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.’20a6101c1a1033e0

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‘That’s a problem too.’5f8b2e5370511aaa

‘What is?’014e513a1c12eeb2

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‘Being naive. That naivety, especially e751e04ad0 about Lee Gyeon, d4a9b86a7f is a problem.’6719819b956e3c85

I was truly a a360b5c143 child. A rookie who blindly 0d42f0a794 admired only Lee Gyeon. A devout believer unaware 91a687cf3a that my faith could 63839d6916 fade.b8f4e99ee664df4b

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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?2dfcdf4c124de8f1

Did Lee Gyeon 04139552a0 get caught in b4657f2dc5 the rain on 237b23305e his way back?6fc39b1e5e207a66

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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.ff9f4a4e2bab8c12

Thinking that way baec21a36d was easier on 5c1f15f9a7 the mind.30bd8bdc9f044494

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The thought that Lee e0f750c0b4 Gyeon brought them for 85792908dd me, thought of me, 93c152077c tried to help me, 3c72872110 led to delusions. It made me 84039eaafc conscious of him 4722d6b56d and repeatedly recall 6f064093ad only his good 17dc5c3124 points. It was bedd998102 a life f75907ef07 of circling 1f7a0264a7 and circling 51d8acd55b through embellished 1ba4904fca memories.142745be7bd31d36

My regression proved 9ab1dc2254 three things.af6c01f70ed6d202

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First, Lee Gyeon 2145595689 was indifferent to 7db0a5066e me.01642dba956ec056

Second, he was 048c3d9a1a foolish enough to e0ec772a06 face ruin without d34d444e6b guiding.2606bedfe522b21d

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Third, I was 792dfb1c52 endlessly reminiscing about 39f7603220 such a Lee 0715e21287 Gyeon.1844b18bd82f7f14

Dohun sunbae was 530d867921 no longer visible. He had moved away e1e635d730 with the group of 071a4ddf3b people looking for him. The naive Lee d9292a2857 Gyeon who foolishly 2893de29f1 competed with Dohun 7f3622fb73 sunbae was also c827e953de nowhere to be b9d07908a7 seen. The naive Han Haegyeol 91a2056134 who liked Lee Gyeon 6da29e54da unconditionally was nowhere to c0cd1d4cbb be found.81d42bd969b607c5

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I looked at the 109c976bd2 crumpled notice again.3ba0c9f9133098f7

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

If it had d498b5831f rained today, would a02e96a628 Lee Gyeon have dee85d7f9f come like that 91aa9cd6c4 day? Holding two umbrellas.d3594a8dafbed96e

❖ ❖ ❖c2fd35262f303571

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A few days later, 2f373ab361 I was lucky enough ba18de7be3 to get a chance 2e7c27be1d to meet the Esper 1012d3d1e3 Center director directly, thanks cc8bd864f9 to Dohun sunbae.933be115033e7d4b

According to sunbae, there ba9f29c658 was some support for 10f66b5f0a me within the guide ef21891830 center. I only 1f4f38f9ab found out d984dd4856 now, but 3f27c854b7 Lee Gyeon 9354bbcbfd was extremely 2cf1bd2041 disliked within f0e9a77179 the guide df364ac7c6 center. He was a 32d1c311da troublesome esper who cf8f0b5208 made every guide 20b88e9c14 suffer and was 2a986b4469 constantly on the 5266d20efa brink of dying 3d60d79289 without any reward.103d3fc503dc0163

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The guide center a32619a682 had a lot 27aa97f532 of discussions about e9c9c676c8 my unusual assignment. However, the final decision fbbc26a2d0 rested with the Esper 1bd2078bbb Center director in charge 076d6240e8 of Lee Gyeon.099aac645242df1d

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.6ab7386f0cb2eda4

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I didn’t expect it to be easy. I just needed to distance myself from Lee Gyeon.89c423a07bcb3ac8

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.9442938c613d388d

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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.184db71448fe108e

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.f75982bd7e2709cc

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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.39a0bab3a76fa460

The current c24e4ac12c director was 6935c8bd49 known as ac7f7550f6 the first 068f0229e1 S-grade. As such, they were a518c18ed8 sensitive and strong. Standing in front of df44e1f87d the pristine office without 6df40f63bb a speck of dust, 0f99030dd1 an unrecognized tension swelled 9ce4614367 within me.17488775d663c5af

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I took a dd97fa2cfc deep breath and 01b6759bc3 knocked twice.5a4fa506adba0f1b

“Come in.”c8b0768c2307d31a

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The voice was 10e575b08d lighter and kinder 7efc9676a7 than I expected. My head 8c1eb20094 throbbed from 229b7cfd15 the tension. I grabbed 5b636d81aa the handle 4b796e757d and opened 37ee693e43 the door.0e9cb9f6e2abd9e9

As I 58bcd31bff entered the 1583cde6aa office, the 53653d3619 director, busy 0203b47545 flipping through 4d3bc49940 documents, immediately 390d87137f caught my 35269e24ec eye. The first thing 8dc2405fdf I felt was c3df6a2c75 an intense cold.ee40e4220a4ecf91

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“Hello.”73e17b4e23f5bd15

I bowed deeply in fffc8529c0 greeting. Up close, 6e0ec125f1 the director f0fbc00a7a appeared to 393bb3d0fa be in 4fca8b01aa their mid-forties. I knew 1f0ad011c5 they were 201bb3ab16 actually older. They wore an elegant 7fc582d74b suit rather than a 50c10b1c4a uniform. At a 56a89375d6 glance, they f8d287276b seemed more 4feb4fa6fe like a 891afe688d CEO than 6b5a81b422 a military 595edf9c18 figure.c7ab7849e1a26f9f

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The director remained ac90a89885 engrossed in the 368b98b3fe documents for a 66ef1f56e6 while even after c16469f481 my greeting, then 92c3f78d53 finally spoke.18b6db9858aa7afa

“I heard you came to complain?”e76e59cdd1ad5786

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My jaw 5ab6596a36 dropped and f54a23e940 froze, causing 331377d811 a delayed c3afd9df68 response.8e6427c6980cbc35

“…I have an objection to the notice of becoming S-grade Lee Gyeon’s exclusive guide.”fa5222db19d14295

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“Don’t want to do it?”e79c924b13458046

“Lee Gyeon is too much of an esper for me. I…”c44025252683c634

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“Is my question difficult?”d2cd9743ebff1e0a

“…”c6faaa21db329adc

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“Don’t want to do it?”12388e762fd11d22

“Yes.”97f9e137dcd5ccfe

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The director d68632f637 finally reacted. The document they eb069eb28d were reading closed 69c4d8a072 with a snap, 30c6aa469b irritably. The director dc6a3dc544 lifted their 22081a2ffd chin. Every action was a bf5da8cdba mix of indifference and 0c55e16c85 elegance. It was strange.7ded5409aadab8e1

“Does the director have to manage position changes?”837d041fe4c53e1b

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“I’m sorry. But only you can revoke the exclusive guide assignment.”733ffd92798b7884

The director raised a89331b5c5 their eyes and 322192d47e met mine. A slight smile b5824c061d sent shivers down 66295a86e9 my spine. It felt like being db908fc8a7 a puppy in front 7b2701b1e4 of a tiger. It was odd, but 7bfe870f68 not frightening.0badd82019673224

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“Do you know why I made time? Because of you, a D-grade guide?”cc76150b7ec4b863

“That’s because I asked…”e5881c6fac4a26e5

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“Naive. Of course, it’s because of Lee Gyeon.”ff7ecdeec62b1bce

The director adjusted their 7ede7fdaea posture comfortably.cd5b4e3761c198e9

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“What do you think of Lee Gyeon?”9b6692363a77c171

Many thoughts crossed my 9887b82b9c mind. Good memories came first. The small moments when 786227cbca Lee Gyeon was kind f92d9b82cc to me rolled around bbb0f6d6d0 as abstract fragments. Before that, I 1aa45c85c7 recalled how much a1f27957d2 I liked Lee 531eef40f8 Gyeon.2225afc8e7e1b388

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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.cc075c0c3649e752

“I’m afraid.”5ade76d55b969481

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The director smiled more ba47964332 brightly than before.b7e3a9e873a27648

“Honesty is good.”6836738510db31ab

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Suddenly, the atmosphere in 14c71f98eb the office changed. It felt dry 1758e9addc and hot, like afeedfdc6c being in the 419bada27e middle of a 64bf8b2736 desert.465d34d686d1046c

I instinctively clutched my 659530346c throat, feeling suffocated. It was spicy 4d8076b165 and hot. After a while 730ad4159f of gasping, the 53a02f1ad0 temperature abruptly cooled. All the 955f908d4f warmth in 1cd2ad317f the space d6ba12efd7 seemed to dc8543fb36 be sucked 41dff46ed8 toward the e2f841c847 director. I felt an 10afe1bf0b invisible vortex of e94a854747 temperature.3dbf540249cd768c

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The sudden change ed40232b6c in body temperature d7af857381 covered my skin e286f941e1 with goosebumps. My head throbbed 6c5d8d9105 from the sudden 77a092ec29 chill. A metallic d6465f21ee smell filled d6551cd6dc my nose, 100d0cb3f5 and a 2d5bc82cbe nosebleed trickled 6049a1785c down.7aa268b236d58eb2

“My ability manifested when I was three. While burning my parents alive.”ae865eb0b98ec870

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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.40d6eedea064f1a3

“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.”c7942b020b8b4532

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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.7d40f49aec74c80d

“An unrefined gem is just a shiny pebble, trash. Lee Gyeon’s stubbornness becomes a burden for other espers and guides.”54379394002fd4ac

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I don’t want to see that damage either. That’s why I’m trying to avoid it.7697416b87926f0e

Both the director and db0a395d48 I were trying to ddbd12b3f2 pass the bomb to 07d7260480 each other, not wanting 60396d4797 to hold it.280b81c227304139

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“It’s advantageous for me to have a cute D-grade in my mouth and push it aside.”c09245518f0d18bd

“Can a lion be satisfied with a mouse?”948d535643d79f64

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“Lions don’t eat deer even if given. But.”ac75abbdaab831c1

I swallowed dryly as 8156c1a4b9 my nose stung.f38558a3ee073359

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“The Guide Han Haegyeol in front of me isn’t just a mouse. We know your achievements well.”7fc1f2e4f1d66f27

“Thank you.”75e780187c7b87c0

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“So, how about getting some resentment from Lee Gyeon?”ba5a647274a23940

The director took 3e8041bbc1 something from a 62a4e159b3 drawer and tossed 9639526f82 it to me. I quickly ead0029eaf caught it 517dd7a4c9 with both 2f75c9edcf hands. It was a c3bc8f8aa3 small vial. Inside the 71c4121c74 small, elongated d88e8d5259 vial was f1612329e1 a clear b33448b1bc liquid.ffab6caac8238b18

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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.”4ac5f0e1bc361243

“Then Esper Lee Gyeon will…”9969df3025ee4d6a

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“He’ll have a hard time. What can you do? The pair guide doesn’t want to pair.”cb7b73ca114ff2d9

“…”0445bfdeea5d15c8

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“An incident like that gives us a reason. We can’t revoke orders on a whim.”fe9b4ceac37f07b1

I’d heard of it. A drug that causes hypersensitivity reactions to guiding in espers.60542e88d0810358

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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.bcb42cffdf6e5960

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.8602019b2e1b86a1

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“Did you prepare this in advance?”dd0b96dbb8802481

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.92f28424dcd1ed49

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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.”c368513e334aaba6

“Esper Lee Gyeon isn’t treated well.”ac4131b6bf3c69a3

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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.916ff201cdecdb08

“Matched with a D-grade, taking strange drugs. Lee Gyeon deserves better treatment. You know that without me saying.”dc7350f1197d3fa0

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“Do you think you and I are different?”c80ebaf8f966b2d1

The director a77ef96df7 responded coldly.90bb73759710ee1f

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“You’re worse. At least I’ve talked to Lee Gyeon.”7eeea5c8ff9a6ba6

“…”cb1c1181f5ca3e1d

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Whatever I said would 18037591c2 be an excuse. I pocketed the f69da7a1d5 vial.0c6c0a157c7d517b

“I’ll be going.”16d8f350676bb7bf

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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.caa5ced02a6edc70

So I thought a little rebellion wasn’t bad…b6ff361664393959

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As I was about to bow and leave, the director’s voice caught me.0348e5c9dd59f19c

“But Lee Gyeon might have noticed by now.”3d53cbdc489313b9

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My steps halted.4d093e59ce08ec54

“If you want to hide that you’re not D-grade, do it properly.”b55510f0bc817456

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I turned d509a59de5 back, caught 7ef49e4046 off guard.9f861c854d137769

“It’s obvious.”f11f9946fd8b4438

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