“Indigestion? I didn’t even eat that fast.”Raon lifted a hand to his chest and thumped it a few times as if trying to dislodge a stone. Then he tilted his head.Guess I’ll just take some antacid.With that, he turned away, deciding it wasn’t worth thinking about.***Raon lifted the cup in front of him with an unhurried motion. Steam curled from the still-hot coffee; he blew across the surface and took a sip.Across from him sat Seokhyeon. Unlike Raon, he hadn’t touched his own cup. He only stared at Raon with a hard, unblinking gaze.“Did you quit coffee?”“……”Setting his cup down, Raon asked the question, remembering how Seokhyeon used to drink coffee like water. The Director’s brow furrowed, and he clicked his tongue.“Yoon Siwoo’s readings are improving.”“I’m an S-rank Guide. Of course they are.”“You really have been guiding him regularly…”“Of course.”“……”Apparently still finding it hard to believe, Seokhyeon continued to eye him with suspicion.But as Director, he could personally monitor Siwoo’s steadily improving contamination numbers in real time. For now, all he could do was watch Han Raon’s sudden diligence play out, even if it turned out to be a fleeting whim.“I’ll keep observing for a while longer.”“Be my guest.”Raon gave a careless reply and glanced at the clock.Classes for ability users usually ended early. And since Siwoo was an S-rank Esper, he wouldn’t have much time for university anyway, with missions piling up.Besides, he and Hamin weren’t even in the same year or department. The chance of the two running into each other on campus was—Why am I even thinking about this?Even if his thoughts were a mess from trying to tune out Seokhyeon’s nagging, this was too much.Raon grimaced.“Are you listening to me?”“Huh?”“Haah, honestly.”Seokhyeon sighed as Raon finally reacted a beat too late.Thanks to Raon’s sudden change of heart, the Center had been benefiting, but the Director couldn’t help wondering how long it would last.Siwoo’s numbers had finally stopped bottoming out—enough that suspended missions might soon resume.Swallowing another sigh, Seokhyeon shook his head. Worrying wouldn’t change anything. Who could possibly rein in that delinquent Han Raon anyway? Looking exhausted, he waved a hand.“That’s all. You can go.”“Yessir.”Raon answered quickly and stood. As he turned to leave, Seokhyeon spoke again, displeasure still on his face.“You really don’t intend to visit Chairman Han?”“He’s fine, isn’t he? What would I go for?”Han Myunghun had always produced children like a factory—any number that could be sold off for advantage. Even during a declared national disaster. The number of officially recognized offspring already exceeded ten; the count of illegitimate ones was far higher.Raon might be the most successful product of them all, but he and Myunghun had never gotten along. Their goals happened to coincide, nothing more.Han Raon was a bastard child. Only after his S-rank Guide assessment did Myunghun suddenly change his tone and start treating him like a prized heir. Before that, they’d barely even met.Knowing that history, Seokhyeon didn’t press further. He simply nodded «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» once.“By the way, Yoon Siwoo’s numbers are stabilizing enough that we’re resuming the postponed mission in Zone 3.”“Right, got i—wait, what?”Raon, halfway out the door, froze and stared at him.“Zone 3… you mean the irregular Gate?”“That’s right.”“……”Zone 3.After the first Gate opened, the nation reorganized its entire map through chaos. From Zone 1 to Zone 10, regions were ranked by the frequency and danger level of Gates.Patterns had emerged. Gates tended to form where population density was highest.The government’s decision to forcibly relocate citizens and restructure the country met heavy resistance—until the death toll climbed high enough that no one could object.Even so, relocation hadn’t been perfect. Some still lived in the dense remnants of the old capital. Zone 3 was once Gangwon Province.“But Siwoo isn’t fully recovered yet. If something happens inside an irregular Gate—”“It’s only a reconnaissance mission. There shouldn’t be any danger.”“Irregular Gates aren’t exactly tame, Director.”“The order’s already been handed down.”“……”Damn those bureaucratic bastards.Raon bit down hard on his lip.The government classified Gates by color, since difficulty usually corresponded to hue.The first one to appear in Seoul had been green—the so-called Green Gate. Only later did people realize it was the easiest kind, and that shock deepened when they remembered nearly ten thousand had died there before Espers ever awakened.After awakening, Green Gates turned out to be manageable by D- to C-rank teams. Then came Blue, which required C- and B-ranks; Yellow, for B- and some A-ranks; and Red, which demanded cooperation between A- and S-ranks. Those were now appearing worldwide.But the irregular Gate Seokhyeon mentioned—the one in Zone 3—had no color at all.Such Gates sometimes only revealed their hue once a team entered. Because of that uncertainty, regulations required that any expedition include at least one S-rank Esper.“Couldn’t we wait until Siwoo’s contamination drops to fifty percent before—”“I said no. The higher-ups are pushing for immediate action.”“……”Raon’s hands clenched into fists.Zone 3’s irregular Gate—the very place that, one year later, would mark the birth of the Black Gate and plunge the world into chaos.That pitch-black rift would prove beyond anything they had ever faced. Even elite units composed solely of A- and S-rank Espers had been helpless before it.In the original timeline, the mission had been delayed for a full year because Siwoo’s condition was too unstable. Now, thanks to Raon’s own deviation, exploration was starting early.Please… don’t let anything happen.The unease wouldn’t leave him, but there was nothing he could do.If he were a respected S-rank Guide with spotless achievements instead of the “villainous Han Raon,” maybe someone would have listened. Now, no one would.Well… maybe one person would.He thought of the single person who’d tried to save him as he was dying.Siwoo. Somehow, Raon felt Siwoo would believe him before the Director ever would.“All right. Understood.”“Just focus on restoring Yoon Siwoo’s readings as the contract requires.”“…Yes.”Raon nodded obediently and left the Director’s Office.He doubted the catastrophe meant for next year would erupt this soon—but the unease still gnawed at him as he walked down the hall.***“So then Esper Lee Yeo-jun…”“……”“Hey, are you even listening?”“Hm?”When Raon lifted his head, Siwoo was frowning at him.Siwoo had returned early to the Center after classes, likely to rest before deployment. With an irregular Gate ahead, the staff clearly didn’t want him wasting energy elsewhere.Raon forced a smile, hiding his distaste as best he could.“You kept pestering me to tell you what happened today, and now you’re—”“Sorry, sorry. What were you saying?”“……”Siwoo shut his mouth, sulking, and Raon couldn’t help a quiet laugh. Seen like this, he really did look like a kid.

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