“...What the hell?”Raon, who had been resting in his quarters for a bit, froze # Nоvеlight # in surprise as a man stormed in.“Nam Taegun, have you lost your mind?”“What about you?”“What?”“You haven’t lost yours?”“……”Taegun fired back in an irritable tone, closing the distance without hesitation.They’d always had a tense relationship, and arguments weren’t rare—but Taegun had almost never come at him like this. And now he’d actually ripped the door off its hinges and hurled it aside.Raon glanced at the door—crumpled like paper against the wall—then glared back at the fuming esper.“Pretty sure I’m still saner than you.”“Ha!”Taegun let out a sharp, hollow laugh, then burst out louder.“Ha! Hahaha!”“……”He really did look insane. Raon watched him silently, his expression cooling as the manic laughter went on.“You’re pairing with Yoon Siwoo, huh?”“Ah.”So that’s what this was about. Word must’ve reached him. If it wasn’t from Siwoo himself, that meant the rumor hadn’t spread through the Center yet. Raon thought for a moment before landing on the obvious conclusion.He used his ability. As a psychic-type esper, Taegun didn’t need anyone to tell him what was going on—he could pick up any sensitive information circulating in the building with ease.“Yeah.”It was going to be public soon anyway. Raon admitted it easily with a nod, and Taegun’s eyes only grew darker.“Then what about me?”“What?”“Who’s supposed to guide me?”“……”Like you’ve ever been guided properly by me before.Raon was almost speechless. But Taegun’s expression stayed fierce.“You came here because you wanted guiding?”“……”“You want me to do it?”Raon flicked his fingers casually. Taegun flinched.Seeing that, Raon laughed under his breath.“But you’re a psychic-type. You barely even need it.”“You son of a—”Taegun ground his teeth.Raon didn’t feel entirely guiltless toward him—just that Siwoo took priority.And unlike Siwoo, who had simply endured the neglect in silence, Taegun had picked fights at every opportunity, always itching to provoke him. It was impossible to have good feelings about someone like that.Well, looking at him now, he’s basically a kid picking on the person he likes.“You done following the Captain around?”“Figured it’s about time I stopped.”Raon answered offhandedly and eyed the broken door folded in half.Could that be repaired? Or would they have to replace it entirely?He was genuinely wondering when a sneering voice cut in beside him.“Ha. Like a dog ever stops shitting.”“That’s a big word for you.”“What did you just say, you fucker?”Taegun’s expression twisted, and his energy turned sharper.Even as a psychic-type, he was far stronger than a Guide. If Raon wasn’t careful, he could end up folded like that door.But he wasn’t scared. Taegun couldn’t harm him anyway.“Guide Han Raon! Are you all right?”Of course, a high-grade S-rank Guide’s quarters had a security system. Any disturbance automatically triggered a Guard response. Raon glanced at the group of espers rushing in.“I’m fine.”“Esper Nam Taegun, what in the world—”Recognition dawned on their faces, quickly replaced by confusion. They clearly hadn’t expected this intruder.“Even if you’re Esper Nam Taegun, causing harm to an S-rank Guide is—”“I didn’t do anything, damn it.”Taegun snapped, glaring straight at Raon, ignoring everyone else.“You really going to pair with Yoon Siwoo?”“Told you. Yeah.”“Ha. That’s fucking rich.”Does he ever stop swearing?Still, somehow the rough language suited him. Raon sighed and turned to the guards.“I’ll handle it. You can go. Just make sure someone fixes the door later.”“But…”They hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave the volatile esper alone with him.Even so, a few A-rank espers couldn’t restrain Taegun if he actually snapped, so sticking around wouldn’t help.“Just go.”“...Yes, sir.”Realizing they were outmatched, the guards withdrew. Raon watched their retreating backs and murmured,“You’re getting a disciplinary report.”It had been over twenty years since Gates had started bursting open across the cities, spewing monsters into the world.Back when espers and guides first began managing the disasters, Guide rights were nonexistent—everyone was just struggling to survive.But once people finally had the luxury to care, Guide Rights Law had been enacted, changing everything.The Association had already been struggling with Guides who refused to register due to stigma. Now, strict regulations protected them.And under those laws, espers were absolutely forbidden from using force against Guides inside the Center.That, in part, was why Raon had always been able to act out without consequence. Even an S-rank esper like Taegun couldn’t avoid punishment once this incident was reported.“Whatever. I’ll spend a few hours in lock-up, big deal.”“……”He wasn’t wrong. The Association wouldn’t keep a valuable S-rank esper in a cell for long—just enough to make a point. Knowing that, Raon didn’t even bother being angry.“So you’re really throwing a fit because I’m pairing with Siwoo?”“It’s just… fucked up.”“Ha. You don’t even need guiding.”As far as Raon knew, Taegun’s contamination level had rarely dipped below 40%.Sure, that was borderline dangerous—but being psychic-type, he could hypnotize himself into stability. Overuse would backfire, but still.Even the occasional radiative guiding Raon had tossed his way was enough to keep him functional. So why the hell was he reacting this sensitively just because Raon wanted to pair with Siwoo, whose condition was clearly worse?“You usually just ignore me. Since when do you care what happens between me and Yoon Siwoo?”“……”The real Han Raon did, Taegun probably thought.But Raon couldn’t tell him that he wasn’t that Han Raon anymore. The System might be quiet, but he was far from free.Raon exhaled slowly and gave a half-hearted answer.“Yeah, well, I’m trying something new.”“Ha. Sure you are.”A crooked smile tugged at Taegun’s lips before he growled,“I’ll be watching. Let’s see how long that lasts.”“……”With that warning, Taegun turned and stalked out. Raon watched his retreating back until he disappeared.After he left, Center staff hurried in and repaired the door. Surprisingly, it looked fine in no time.“Hm.”Left alone again, Raon stared down at the wrist device on his arm.Even if Taegun had learned the news through his ability, Siwoo himself must’ve already been informed about the pending pairing. And yet, he hadn’t said a word.He could always check tomorrow, but considering how violently Taegun had reacted, he couldn’t help wondering what Siwoo’s response would be.“He’ll probably hate it.”Raon muttered to himself, recalling Siwoo’s anger in the Guiding Room. He’d definitely grill him again, asking what the hell are you thinking this time?Still, unlike the Director, Siwoo wouldn’t be able to flat-out refuse. He needed guiding too badly for that.Thinking so, Raon let himself relax again, perhaps a little too easily.***“Hey, I’m sure the Director already told you—”The next day, Raon caught Siwoo just as he was heading out on assignment.Siwoo froze mid-step in the hallway. Raon quickly spoke up.“Let’s form a pair.”“……”Only then did Siwoo turn to face him. His black eyes were calm, unreadable—nothing like yesterday’s agitation.“...What are you plotting now?”“I’m not plotting anything.”As expected, suspicion first. Raon smiled brightly, trying for an easy tone.“Come on. I’ll take good care of you.”“……”Siwoo didn’t even snort. He just turned away as if the conversation wasn’t worth his time.Man, could he at least react a little? Raon thought, uneasy at the complete lack of response.“Hey, wait. You could at least answer!”“……”“I’m signing the contract first, you know.”That made Siwoo stop again, this time frowning slightly.“I don’t have time for jokes.”“It’s not a joke. I mean it.”“……”“Your contamination levels are a mess lately. You need care.”Raon’s voice turned serious. He’d wanted to say that countless times in the previous timeline.“Since when do you care?”Siwoo clicked his tongue, expression bitter, eyes averted. Meeting them head-on, Raon finally realized—Siwoo truly expected nothing from him.“Fine. Let’s do it. Pairing.”“Uh, yeah.”“We’ll draft the contract separately.”Siwoo’s tone was cold, final. Then he turned on his heel and strode off before Raon could say another word.Raon just stood there, watching his back as it grew smaller down the hall.

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