Chapter 11

The morning shift ended, and as planned, they gathered at the underground cafeteria. Maybe because it served a special meal, the place was more crowded than usual. After wandering around with trays, they finally found a spot where five people could sit together.

“How was your morning?”

“What do you think? I got stuck with a weirdo right from the first session. They threw a fit, demanding a higher level of guiding, so I had to hit the emergency bell. It was a mess. Ended up canceling all the following appointments.”

“What? Seriously? Who was it?”

“You know, probably the youngest member of the Wolf Team? Same thing happened last time.”

“What’s his deal, always causing a fuss because he can’t get enough of his guides? He should just be blacklisted already.”

“Ugh, I’ve got an off-site assignment with the Wolf Team this month… Should I ask to switch teams?”

Having faced such a rough morning, the guides were on edge. They kept complaining about Espers endlessly, even as their food grew cold.

Baek Eu-jin, unable to add anything to the conversation, simply kept his ears open and silently continued eating.

“Come to think of it, Eu-jin, you’ll have to head out to a rift soon, right?”

As the conversation shifted to him, Eu-jin quickly swallowed the food he had in his mouth.

“Yes, I’ll be heading out for fieldwork.”

“You must be nervous since it’s your first time. When I was in my first year, I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep for a week. I kept dreaming about monsters showing up.”

“Well, at least the pay is good for that. The months you go out on fieldwork, your paycheck looks very different.”

“Technically, isn’t it more like hazard pay? Honestly, I’d rather do ten insertion guidings than go out to the field.”

“Ten times?! Are those even comparable?”

The conversation naturally shifted to whether rift fieldwork was harder or if insertion guiding was worse. No one seemed particularly interested in eating, as their omelet rice barely seemed to shrink on their trays.

* * *

Guides typically had two career paths to choose from: working as a desk-bound employee stationed at the center or joining Espers in the field to tackle rift missions.

Field positions offered incomparable pay rates. Additionally, field guides had the advantage of only managing the Espers in their team, rather than dealing with multiple individuals.

Despite the benefits, most guides overwhelmingly preferred desk jobs, resulting in a chronic shortage of guides for rift missions. As a result, everyone, regardless of being new or experienced, was required to participate in fieldwork at least once every two months without exception.

“Anyway, Eu-jin, don’t worry too much. They don’t send rookies to the really tough rifts. Rifts can be scary, but the Espers are there to protect you, so there’s no need to stress out beforehand.”

“Yes,” Eu-jin replied.

“Who knows? You might end up liking it and switch to fieldwork permanently.”

Eu-jin gave a small laugh, covering his mouth with a plastic cup. Not likely. I’d rather stay tucked away in the guide center, he thought but kept the words to himself.

After finishing lunch, they all headed to the cafe on the first floor. The senior guides, who ordered coffee, grabbed seats first, while Eu-jin, the youngest, and Kim Soo-kyung, a second-year guide, waited by the counter for their drinks.

At that moment, a group of people entered the café.

From the sheer energy radiating from them, it was clear they were Espers. Their presence caught the attention of everyone in the cafe, curious about what was happening. Among the group was a guide receiving almost excessive protection.

The young man, with his pale, handsome face, carried himself as though the attention he received was only natural, his nose held high with pride.

“Lemonade for me.”

He said, barely lifting a finger and gesturing with his chin. Immediately, an Esper standing beside him rushed to place the order, as if it was second nature.

“Here comes the princess.”

Kim Soo-kyung muttered under her breath, furrowing her brows and glancing sideways at her colleague.

Han Kyul Oh, another second-year guide, had been receiving attention and favors from Espers since joining the Guide Center. As an A-rank guide with strikingly beautiful looks, it was inevitable that a group of admirers would form around him.

Hearing the displeased tone in her senior’s voice, Baek Eu-jin, who had been examining a receipt, turned his head. Sure enough, Han Kyul and his entourage came into view.

No matter where you go, there are always people like that—a popular guide surrounded by devoted followers. Rather than finding it distasteful, Eu-jin found it mildly amusing and let out a small chuckle.

“Are you laughing at me right now?”

A sharp voice rang out, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to Han Kyul. He was glaring at Eu-jin, his large eyes narrowing into pointed slits.

Caught off guard by the sudden irritation, Eu-jin responded, puzzled.
“Me?”

“What? Who dared?”

One of the Espers standing beside Han Kyul stepped forward, his eyes wide with anger. Rolling up his sleeves, he revealed bulging arm muscles as though ready to pounce.

“I wasn’t laughing at—”

“Oh, so now I’m lying?” Han Kyul interrupted with a sneer.

“I did laugh while looking your way, but I think you’ve misunderstood—”

“Hey, who do you think you are, messing with our Han Kyul?”

The Esper shoved Eu-jin roughly on the shoulder, forcing him to stumble back. Though uninjured, Eu-jin’s expression darkened at the unwelcome contact.

The Esper, towering and well-built, exuded an intimidating aura just by standing there. Most guides would have been too frightened to do anything but retreat. Unfortunately for him, Baek Eu-jin was not most guides.

His expression turned icy as he took a step forward, closing the gap between them. Meeting the Esper’s gaze head-on, he spoke in a calm but pointed tone.
“Watch your hands. What if I’d gotten hurt?”

“You’ve got some nerve, huh?”

“Is that how you were taught to treat a guide? Your manners are atrocious.”

Though his tone was level, his words cut deep. The Esper, who had been on the verge of exploding in anger, froze when their eyes met. His face flushed red, and his breath quickened.

Despite his size advantage, there was something about Eu-jin that made it impossible to treat him lightly. Struggling for words, the Esper could only stand there, huffing in frustration.

“What are you doing, letting yourself lose to someone like that? Honestly, useless!”

Unlike before, Han Kyul, who had been watching from behind, suddenly shoved the man’s back in frustration. His delicate features twisted in annoyance as he frowned deeply and stormed out of the cafe, not even bothering to pick up his drink.

“Ha, Han Kyul!”

The dumbfounded Esper snapped out of his daze and called after him, but it was too late. Watching him scurry after Han Kyul, along with the rest of the Espers trailing behind, was almost pitiful.

Once the noisy group had left, the area near the cafe counter quieted down again. At that moment, Eu-jin’s order was called, and his drink was ready. Acting as if nothing had happened, Eu-jin calmly grabbed his tray.

“What’s his deal? Why is he so touchy?”

“Seriously,” came the response.

“Eu-jin, do you have some history with Guide Han Kyul?”

“Not at all.”

In fact, this was their first meeting. Eu-jin shrugged nonchalantly, genuinely confused by the whole ordeal.

He took his drink back to the table, where his teammates, who had witnessed the small commotion, immediately sided with him.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always like that.”

“He’s especially rude to anyone who might seem like competition. Looks like you’ve been ‘marked’ by Han Kyul.”

“He’s so greedy. He has to hog all the attention to feel satisfied.”

“Still, he’s supposed to be really good at what he does. I heard he had the highest reservation rate last month….”

“Look at him, though. If I were a client, I’d probably book him too.”

The team continued to chatter, alternating between criticizing and begrudgingly acknowledging Han Kyul’s skills, but Eu-jin simply sipped his drink quietly, uninterested in the drama.

The conversation about Han Kyul Oh continued, and while Baek Eu-jin wasn’t one to enjoy gossip, he listened quietly, sipping on his iced coffee through a paper straw. Learning about what kind of person Han Kyul was might not be a bad idea, especially since it seemed likely they’d cross paths again.

Why is it that bad premonitions are always spot on?

It was an odd craving for soda that brought Eu-jin to the break room, a place he didn’t visit often. There, he ran into Han Kyul once more. Just like before, several Espers were gathered around him.

The Espers, clustered around Han Kyul, appeared young—probably in their early to mid-twenties at most. Their energy was unmistakable, and their behavior fit their age: loud and boisterous, as if they had rented the shared break room just for themselves. Swearing and laughter echoed throughout the space.

Eu-jin tried to ignore them as he passed by and headed for the vending machine. Though he unintentionally overheard bits of their conversation, he wasn’t about to plug his ears. His plan was simple—grab his drink and leave.

As he tapped his ID card on the payment terminal, a shrill voice caught his attention.

“Can’t you just get me a meeting with Kwon Su-ho?”

“You know it’s not that easy. That guy never meets guides socially,” replied another voice.

“Even if I offer to guide him, he refuses? Are you sure you mentioned my name?”

Han Kyul clearly had a lot of pride in himself. He believed the world revolved around him and assumed all Espers should naturally like him. While his confidence could be charming at times, it often crossed the line into arrogance.

As Han Kyul continued to insist, one of the Espers rubbed his temples in exasperation.
“Han Kyul, if you really want to see Kwon Su-ho, your only option is to go into a rift.”

“What? No way! Why would I ever go in there?”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. Just give up and hang out with me instead. I’ll make sure you get whatever you want,” the Esper said slyly, his tone suggestive. He leaned in close, his warm body brushing against Han Kyul, who recoiled in visible disgust. Han Kyul stood up abruptly, making it clear he wanted distance.

“I told you! I’m not guiding anyone until you introduce me to Kwon Su-ho!”

“Geez, you’re so harsh. I already told you, that’s beyond my ability.”

“Is it really that hard?” Han Kyul demanded, his cat-like eyes narrowing in frustration.

The Espers around him exchanged awkward looks, none of them willing to give a direct answer. Of course it’s hard. Do you even know what kind of person Kwon Su-ho is?

And then—

Clunk, clatter, thud!

A loud noise broke the tension, drawing everyone’s attention to the vending machine in the corner.

Baek Eu-jin bent down to retrieve the soda can that had noisily dropped into the dispenser. Even he was caught off guard by how loud the sound was. He straightened up, holding the can, with all eyes now on him.