Chapter 17

The purpose behind the string of reservations was crystal clear. Having received the team guide proposal just the day before, Baek Eu-jin was certain of their intentions.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, Guide-nim, so I prepared a bit of everything. Surely, something here must suit your taste, right?”

The first to take initiative was Park Sae-byeok.

The once-neatly arranged guiding room was now overflowing with gifts she had brought. Shopping bags were scattered everywhere, leaving barely any space to step. The room was saturated with the sweet scent of fruit and flowers, almost to the point of suffocation.

Baek Eu-jin rubbed his face with his hand, already looking exhausted, and muttered,

“I can’t accept this… Please take it back.”

“Oh my, you don’t like any of it? Alright, I’ll throw it all out and bring something new tomorrow.”

“You’re coming back tomorrow?”

“Of course! I’ll come every day!”

Her nonchalant response left Eu-jin speechless. She tilted her head as if to ask if there was a problem, making it impossible for him to find a suitable reply.

“Like I told Team Leader Ahn yesterday, I’m not interested in becoming a team guide,” he said firmly.

“Why not? Don’t you like us?”

“It’s not that I dislike Delta Team; it’s just that fieldwork doesn’t suit me.”

“Oh, so you’re saying you don’t mind us as a team?”

What in the world is she saying…?

It felt like talking to a five-year-old; logic simply didn’t seem to apply. Eu-jin swallowed the words that almost escaped his lips.

I’ll deal with her for now and bring this up again when Team Leader Ahn comes later.

Suppressing a growing frown, he forced his face into a neutral expression and regained composure.

“Let’s just get started with the guiding,” he suggested.

“Hold my hand!”

“…Alright.”

She extended her hand eagerly, like an excited puppy. He clasped her palm as if shaking hands, and energy began flowing naturally. Saebyeok’s bright and sparkling gaze was hard to ignore. Already, the thought of enduring the next 30 minutes felt daunting.

“I have psychokinesis. I’ve been an Esper for seven years, and I’ve been with Delta Team that entire time.”

“I see.”

“I don’t usually talk about this, but I really love our team. They’re like family, and there’s a strong sense of loyalty. They’re the only people I trust with my life.”

Contrary to her typically brash demeanor, Saebyeok spoke with surprising sincerity.

“I know fieldwork is tough. Sure, rifts are terrifying. As Espers, we have no choice but to go in, but… Honestly, if I ever had the chance, I’d quit in a heartbeat.”

“Living as an Esper must be hard.”

“Right? Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever even get married.”

Her worries about relationships were no different from those of an ordinary woman in her twenties. Baek Eu-jin, listening attentively, felt his expression soften as the tension eased.

He glanced briefly at the Esper with her long hair tied tightly into a high ponytail. No matter how you looked at her, she was undeniably beautiful.

“Why not? Someone like you, Park Sae-byeok, could definitely get married. You must have plenty of decent options around you.”

“Not a single one.”

“Well, for example, maybe someone like Kwon Su-ho? He works with you, after all.”

“What?! Kwon Su-ho?!”

Sae-byeok’s voice shot up, cutting through the relaxed atmosphere and instantly turning it sharp.

“That bastard? He’s just a pretty face hiding a pile of garbage!”

“But earlier, you said you could trust him with your life….”

“Sure, I trust him with my life, but that doesn’t mean I’d marry him! Kwon Su-ho? Ugh!”

Sae-byeok shuddered as if just imagining it was unbearable. Her entire arm was covered in goosebumps as she let go of his hand to shake them out.

“Is it really that bad? These days, it’s not uncommon for Espers to date or even marry each other.”

“No way. He’s like my brother! Dating Kwon Su-ho? Screw that. I’d rather die alone.”

Even the thought seemed to horrify her, and she shook her head vigorously, clutching his hand again with a firm grip. Her tone dropped, becoming unusually serious.

“Guide-nim, just so you know, you absolutely cannot fall for Kwon Su-ho. I’m telling you this for your own good—there’s nothing to him but his looks. Nothing.”

“Noted.”

“I mean it! If you don’t keep your head straight, you’ll get swept up by that sly bastard in no time. I’ve seen it happen to more than a few people!”

“But if I did, wouldn’t that be good for Delta Team?”

“Wait… huh?”

Her confused murmur was met with Eu-jin bursting into laughter. Saebyeok, though brash, had an unexpectedly endearing side to her.

“Don’t worry, I won’t fall for him.”

* * *

After Park Sae-byeok left, the second visitor arrived.

“Welcome, Team Leader.”

“It’s good to see you again, Guide Baek Eu-jin.”

Ahn Itaeh stepped into room 1514 with a slightly sheepish smile.

Eu-jin offered him a cup of warm coffee. Since the guiding session was clearly just a pretense, there was no need to waste energy on formalities. Eu-jin got straight to the point.

“This is really putting me in a difficult position.”

“Can’t you consider it just one more time?”

“Does it really have to be me?”

Ahn Itaeh lowered his gaze, a low hum escaping his throat as he thought carefully about how to persuade Eu-jin.

“We’ve been operating without a team guide for over ten months now.”

“Yes, I’ve heard.”

“Our requirements for a guide were quite specific. They needed to be at least A-rank, or at the very least, someone who could handle wide-range guiding effortlessly.”

“There must be plenty of candidates who fit those criteria.”

“More importantly, they had to mesh well with the team. As you’ve experienced, the rift field is an incredibly dangerous place. A single mistake from one person can have devastating consequences for everyone.”

Ahn sighed and removed his silver-rimmed glasses, massaging his tired eyes. Having led Delta Team for seven years, he felt more exhausted now than ever.

“Both the Rift Management Bureau and the guide center have been very supportive. We’ve worked with countless guides over the months, but my team… let’s just say they’re incredibly, uh, particular.”

“Feel free to speak openly,” Eu-jin offered.

With only the two of them in the room, Ahn took a deep breath as if to unburden himself.

“Well, my team members are, let’s say, highly unique individuals. I love them like my own, but even I struggle to manage them sometimes. When it came to choosing a team guide, their opinions always clashed, and there was always at least one dissenting vote.”

“….”

“But yesterday, for the first time in ten months, they were unanimous. Every single one of them agreed.”

Ahn straightened his posture, his gaze steady and sincere as he looked Eu-jin in the eye.

“Do you understand why I can’t give up on this?”

“….”

“We absolutely cannot afford to lose you, Guide Baek Eu-jin.”

Faced with Ahn Itaeh’s heartfelt plea, Eu-jin found it hard to respond. He could only imagine how much the team leader had endured.

If Eu-jin had been a clueless rookie, he might have brushed it off, but he understood the challenges all too well from his own past experiences. Still…

“I’m sorry. I have my own reasons,” he said, rejecting the offer once again.

As the words left his mouth, Ahn’s expression darkened. The warmth in his face gave way to a shadow of disappointment.

“Can’t you tell me what’s holding you back?”

“My personal issues aren’t something Team Leader Ahn can solve,” Eu-jin said firmly.

“…I don’t want to resort to this, but I could report this to the higher-ups.”

Ahn Itaeh finally voiced what sounded almost like a threat. Yet, with his kind and mild demeanor, the guilt was written all over his face, even as he said it.

“If an order comes down from above, I won’t have much choice but to comply.”

“….”

“But you won’t do that, will you?”

“…No, I can’t.”

Too softhearted, as always.

If it had been Eu-jin in Ahn’s place, he would have used every tool at his disposal to lock down a guide. With a bit of persuasion, the Rift Management Bureau’s director alone would have willingly spilled all of Eu-jin’s secrets and vulnerabilities.

Eu-jin clicked his tongue lightly but kept his thoughts hidden as he delivered another firm refusal.

“My stance hasn’t changed, so I suggest you give up on this. Team Leader—are you okay? You don’t look well.”

“I’m f-fine…”

But Ahn clearly wasn’t fine. He was sweating profusely, his face pale as he clutched his stomach tightly, grimacing from what seemed like intense pain.

“You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

“Well, my… penalty is chronic gastritis… ah, damn,” Ahn groaned, his words mixing with strained gasps.

Eu-jin, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation, momentarily froze before sinking back into his chair.

Wow… What a waste of my concern. I didn’t see this coming.

“Give me your hand. I’ll guide you,” he said at last, extending a hand toward Ahn Itaeh.

* * *

“Uh… Guide-nim?”

“Just stay quiet and sit down.”

Yoo Tak, the youngest member of the Delta Team, had arrived. The second-year Esper swallowed the question he was about to ask, letting it dissolve into the air. His large eyes darted nervously, gauging Eu-jin’s mood, which seemed far from pleasant.

Eu-jin pressed his temples, trying to ease the throbbing headache, all while reading through the document Yoo Tak had brought—a personal profile.

Tilting his head skeptically, Eu-jin glanced up and locked eyes with the young Esper, who was staring at him expectantly.

“Your ability’s penalty is… flat feet?”

“Yes! So, if I walk too much, my feet hurt,” Yoo Tak replied cheerfully.

“And you don’t have any self-healing capabilities?”

“Heh heh, nope!”

The kid was almost too sunny. Despite Eu-jin’s cold tone, Yoo Tak was beaming like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“By the way… can I call you ‘hyung’?”

“No.”

“…Okay.”

After that swift rejection, Yoo Tak deflated like a balloon, his posture shrinking as he nervously fiddled with his fingernails. Watching him like this stirred something complicated in Eu-jin.

Maybe it was because Yoo Tak was a healing-type Esper, someone inherently focused on helping others. Unlike the others, his presence nagged at Eu-jin’s conscience a little more.