Chapter 13

Kwon Suho cracked his eyes open lazily and glanced at the man sitting across from him.

Though it was a late-night shift and there was no need for formal attire, the guide was properly dressed in a shirt and tailored pants. Even the tie was knotted so tightly it looked almost suffocating to the viewer.

Must be a meticulous personality, Suho thought, a faint sense of amusement bubbling up. Perhaps it was a strange sense of kinship that brought a rare smile to his lips. He quietly tilted his head back, brushing a finger over his tired eyes.

His eyes ached, likely from the lack of sleep. It would be nice to catch even a couple of hours after this session ends.

Chronic insomnia was one of Kwon Suho’s personal penalties.

At least the guiding process itself was pleasant—small relief amidst his perpetual exhaustion. With a hand covering his eyes, he murmured,

“Can you extend the session by 30 minutes?”

“…Yes, I think that should be fine.”

“Then, please, one more round.”

The quiet clicking of the keyboard followed, and shortly after, Suho’s phone buzzed. A familiar notification popped up, confirming the extension.

Efficient. He appreciated the guide’s ability to handle things seamlessly. Thanks to this, Suho could complete the two guiding sessions Ahn Itaeh had ordered in one visit.

The guide let out a soft yawn, politely covering his mouth. Well, it’s that time of night, Suho thought. In the dead of night, when the world was asleep, it was rare for anyone to be fully awake and alert.

Oddly enough, Suho found himself yawning too, as though it was contagious. After a couple of long breaths, he crossed his legs and rested his chin on one hand, leaning slightly to the side.

I won’t be able to sleep anyway, he thought. So, he decided to simply close his eyes and let the time pass.

* * *

“…Excuse me, Esper-nim.”

A stranger’s voice jolted Kwon Suho awake. He blinked rapidly, startled to realize he had dozed off—something that rarely happened. Even more surprising, it had been a deep and restful sleep.

While Suho tried to shake off his lingering grogginess, the guide stood patiently beside him. Seizing the right moment, the guide handed him a clipboard and a pen.

“Could you please sign this?”

For a brief moment, Suho’s pale face showed a flicker of irritation. His perfectly straight eyebrows knitted slightly as he pushed the clipboard away.

“I don’t do signatures.”

Unfazed, the guide calmly held out the clipboard and pen again.

“The session is over. I need your signature to complete the payment. You can just write your name if you’d like.”

“Fine, give it here.”

Suho’s voice dropped to a near whisper. He pulled the rectangular clipboard closer and hastily scribbled his signature. From his bowed head came a faint muttering that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

Mortified, Suho couldn’t bring himself to lift his head. His face burned with embarrassment, and he covered it with one hand, trying to cool the heat. Meanwhile, the guide stood nearby, unbothered, calmly reviewing the completed paperwork.

As Suho sat there, the guide’s ID badge swung lightly before his eyes. The name on it—Baek Eu-jin—burned itself into his memory.

* * *

After finishing his early-morning shift, Baek Eu-jin returned to his dormitory, quickly changed out of his clothes, and collapsed into bed. He didn’t wake up until late in the afternoon, as if he had been knocked out cold.

“Ugh, I’m dying here.”

Even after sleeping so long, the fatigue from staying up all night refused to leave him.

I don’t think it used to be this bad… My stamina must have really taken a hit.

“Should I try exercising or something?”

The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he shook his head almost immediately. He knew his own laziness all too well.

Rubbing his puffy face, Eu-jin shuffled out to the living room. Despite sleeping for nine hours straight, the sun was still shining brightly outside. He grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and opened the balcony door, stepping out into the open air.

After a night shift, guides were always given two days off. He could savor this precious time to rest today and tomorrow. Leaning against the terrace railing, Eu-jin drank his water while pondering how to spend his free time.

“The view’s still awful.”

All he could see was the dull, gray Guide Center building and the even more monotonous Rift Management Bureau next to it. For security and safety reasons, guide dormitories were always located next to these two buildings, no matter the district.

It gave the place an unavoidable resemblance to a prison.

While it was true he could go out freely whenever he wanted, there wasn’t much to do outside, nor anyone he particularly wanted to meet. Ever since he awakened as a guide, he had become more withdrawn, and his social circle had shrunk considerably.

What a monotonous life. No matter how he thought about it, he felt like he would never escape this bubble. A dull ache settled in his stomach, and he gulped down the water like it was a shot of soju.

His empty stomach growled loudly, begging for food instead of just water.

“Right, everything we do is to stay alive… Let’s eat first and think later.”

Ruffling his already messy hair, Eu-jin headed back inside.

It was on the second day of his break, in the afternoon, that he received a call from an unknown number.

“Yes, hello?”

“Hello, Guide Baek Eu-jin. This is Jang Hyun-nam, the general manager of the Guide Center. I’m sorry to disturb you during your time off. Are you available to talk?”

Eu-jin immediately straightened up, his relaxed posture gone at the sudden call from a superior.

“Yes, I’m available.”

“I’m calling regarding the interview schedule. You’re aware this week is the annual interview period for first-year guides, correct?”

“If I recall, mine is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m.”

“Yes, that’s the original schedule. However, I’d like to meet with you separately. There’s something important I’d like to discuss.”

The cautious tone of the manager’s voice came through clearly over the phone.

The annual interview for first-year guides was usually just a formality. A small group of guides would gather to discuss minor grievances and exchange generic advice. It was more of a procedural ritual than anything meaningful.

What could possibly be so important that the center manager wants to meet with me one-on-one?

Suppressing the growing curiosity, Eu-jin calmly replied,

“Today works for me as well.”

He figured it was better to get it over with quickly if it was going to happen anyway.

* * *

“Sorry to have called you in on your day off.”

“It’s no trouble. It’s not far, after all.”

“How’s your dormitory? Any issues or discomfort?”

The Zone 1 Guide Center Director, Jang Hyun-nam, asked with a gentle smile.

Jang Hyun-nam was relatively young for someone managing an entire institution. His tone, much like his deer-like features, was soft and warm. Eu-jin had heard that he was a guide himself.

“Thanks to your consideration, I’m settling in well.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s been about a month, hasn’t it? Your performance has been impressive, Guide Baek Eu-jin. The feedback from Espers has been excellent… It seems like you’ve adjusted remarkably quickly.”

“You’re too kind. I’ve just had a lot of help from those around me.”

The conversation circled around formalities. Nothing so far warranted a private meeting—these were questions that could’ve been asked in a group setting without raising eyebrows.

“Try some tea. The Rift Management Bureau director sent this as a gift this morning, and it has a wonderful aroma.”

Sitting across from Eu-jin, Jang Hyun-nam skillfully poured tea from the tea set on the table. The small teapot, tilted with practiced precision, filled the cups with a pale yellow liquid. As he said, the fragrance was inviting.

Eu-jin nodded politely and brought the teacup to his lips. The tea, just cool enough to drink, carried a subtly sweet pear-like flavor.

Watching Eu-jin’s reaction, Jang Hyun-nam smiled again, his eyes softening.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s very good.”

“This is one of my favorites. The quality of this batch is exceptional. I wanted to make sure you got to try it.”

It was clear that he hadn’t called Eu-jin just to share tea. Whatever the real topic was, Jang Hyun-nam seemed reluctant to get to the point.

The empty small talk stretched on for quite a while. When Eu-jin’s teacup was nearly empty, he decided he couldn’t wait any longer and took the initiative.

“May I ask why you wanted to see me specifically?”

“Have you ever considered applying for a field position?”

The sudden proposal left Baek Eu-jin momentarily speechless. He hesitated, mouth slightly open, before breaking into a candid laugh.

“Not at all.”

There wasn’t the slightest hint of deliberation in his response.

As if expecting this, Jang Hyun-nam began listing the benefits of the field role.

“The pay is triple what you currently earn. There’s additional hazard pay, of course. You’ll also get three extra days off after each mission, and if you don’t use them immediately, they’ll accumulate for later….”

“Director, I’m sure you don’t think I’m unaware of all this.”

“Well… fair enough.”

Jang Hyun-nam rubbed the corner of his mouth awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment. He was well aware that Baek Eu-jin was not just any guide but a former Esper—a team leader-level Esper, at that.