“Yes, that’s correct, but…”And what business of yours is that supposed to be?His tone practically implied the question. Seo Dojin’s thick brows drew together ever so slightly.“What exactly happened yesterday?”“...Yoon Siwoo’s contamination level dropped low enough to trigger an alert on my device. So I went to perform an emergency guiding.”“And you stayed with him until morning?”“It was that kind of situation.”Even if he was the Team Leader, prying into the details between a paired Esper and Guide was bad manners. Raon had no desire to know what kind of guiding Dojin and Hamin did yesterday either—or how long they were together. He wasn’t the real Han Raon, after all.“Even if you’re my superior, I’m under no obligation to report every detail of my relationship with my paired Esper.”“...”“Then, if you’ll excuse me—”Sensing the growing tension, Raon tried to step away. Dojin had never acted like this toward him before, and something about it felt… wrong.Tap.“Ah—!”He didn’t get far. Dojin’s hand closed firmly around his wrist. Raon stared at him in disbelief.“What are you—”“No reason to report, you said?”“Urgh—”“Then what about you?”Dojin’s low voice pressed close, fingers tightening around Raon’s wrist. The rasp of his displeasure dug into Raon’s ears.“You had a reason to go around digging into every little thing between me and Guide Lee Hamin, didn’t you?”“That’s—!”Raon almost blurted that it hadn’t been his will at all—but stopped.He couldn’t tell anyone that he’d transmigrated. There was no point in explaining. Forcing himself to stay calm, he fought to keep his composure.“My apologies if I offended you. I must have overstepped out of concern as the team’s Exclusive Guide. It won’t happen again.”“Hah.”He spoke without a flicker of guilt.Everyone knew Han Raon had been obsessed with Dojin, following him around like a lovesick fool—but Raon had no intention of admitting that, not anymore. Not now that the System no longer had its claws in him.“Whatever you’re thinking, it won’t change anything. I will never look at you that way.”“...”The chill in his voice cut like a blade. Raon lifted his gaze, meeting Dojin’s eyes. A memory surfaced—his very first encounter after transmigrating into this body.Your guiding disgusts me.Back then, before Lee Hamin had even joined, Dojin had spat those words without hesitation—his tone dripping with revulsion, as if being guided by Raon had been a punishment he barely endured to avoid losing control. Raon had hated him—truly, viscerally hated him.“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t misunderstand, Team Leader. I don’t have any feelings for you.”“What?”Even knowing he’d pay for it later, Raon couldn’t stop the frost from lacing his voice.“That’s perfect, actually. Because I always found guiding you disgusting too.”“...”Smack. He shook off Dojin’s grip. The man’s arm dropped without resistance. Raon walked past him without another word.***The encounter had been unpleasant, but Raon’s mood wasn’t bad in the end—thanks to the obedient Esper who’d shown up quietly for the match-rate retest.“Siwoo, did the mission go well?”“...Yes.”The reply came slowly, but Siwoo didn’t ignore him—he even nodded. Compared to how he used to walk straight past Raon without a glance, it was a remarkable improvement.Even the Guiding Center staff couldn’t stop sneaking glances at them, unsettled by the new atmosphere between the two.They used to fight constantly—Raon hurling insults, Siwoo coldly ignoring them. Seeing them like this must have been disorienting.We really were awful back then, Raon thought. Yelling at a younger Esper like Siwoo had been worse than his pathetic clinging to Dojin.And yet, after everything that had happened, Siwoo’s cheeks still flushed pink whenever he saw him—like a new bride remembering her wedding night. The sight alone lightened Raon’s mood.“Ahem, then let’s begin the test,” one of the staff said carefully, glancing between them.Raon silently rolled up his sleeve. He’d done this plenty of times before—especially back when Han Raon kept pestering to redo the match-rate test with Dojin at every chance.Remembering that made him a little self-conscious. He leaned back against the chair as the staff placed the sensor on his arm. Across from him, Siwoo sat stiffly.“It’s done. The result will be ready shortly.”“Alright.”They left the testing room together. Raon looked relaxed, but Siwoo fidgeted the entire way out.“How was your condition today?”“Huh?”“Were you feeling alright?”“...”Just outside the door, Raon turned to ask. Siwoo froze for a moment, lips pressed shut.But Raon’s bright, expectant eyes left him no escape.“Y-yes... thanks to you.”“Haha, that’s good to hear.”“...”At least his composure was back; he didn’t look nearly as shaken as he had that morning. Raon found himself a little disappointed.“The results are ready,” a staff ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ member called.They followed the attendant to the Director’s Office. Director Jang Seokhyeon was already seated at his desk.“You’re both here.”“...?”“Sit down.”Something in his expression felt off. Raon tensed as he took his seat.“Is something wrong? Did the match rate drop?”It was the only explanation that came to mind for the Director’s grim face. Maybe he regretted approving the pairing if the compatibility had fallen.But if the rate had dropped, Raon would’ve felt it during yesterday’s guiding. That hadn’t been the case.“No—it’s the opposite.”“The opposite?”“Your match rate is ninety-seven percent.”“What?”Ninety-seven? Raon turned sharply toward Siwoo, who looked just as startled.The last test two years ago had read eighty-two percent. A jump of fifteen points—up to ninety-seven—was astonishing.Even Dojin and Hamin’s compatibility was only ninety-five. Raon let out a low whistle.“I’ve never seen a rate climb this sharply before,” Jang said, voice edged with concern.Raon had his suspicions. When he’d first transmigrated, the match-rate test had already been completed. His presence alone might have changed the resonance between them.And then there was the matter of the rewind—three years back in time. There were plenty of unknown factors.“Well, good news is still good news, isn’t it?” he said lightly, trying to defuse the tension.Dojin and Hamin’s case had raised issues because they were S-rank and B-rank respectively, but both he and Siwoo were S-rank. No such problem here.“A sudden increase like this also means it could crash just as suddenly,” Jang warned.“Ah.”That was a fair point. He was thinking several steps ahead, as always.Still, even if it dropped, it would probably just return to the old level. The original Han Raon’s compatibility with Siwoo had been eighty-two percent—a solid figure to begin with.Only Raon knew that. Which was why he remained calm.“True, but for now this works in our favor. We can use this opportunity to stabilize Yoon Siwoo’s contamination levels for good.”“Haa…”Jang sighed as he looked at Raon’s easy grin.But he couldn’t deny it—Raon was right. Siwoo’s readings had always been unstable; this pairing could finally bring balance.Still... was Han Raon always like this? Jang studied him through the glint of his glasses.He’d changed so much in just a few days—his attitude, his behavior, everything.“Then we’ll take our leave.”“Go get some rest.”Jang dismissed them at last, still frowning faintly.Raon might be acting strange, but he hadn’t caused any harm—if anything, he’d been unexpectedly helpful. The Director simply watched their backs fade from the office with a quiet, uneasy stare.***“Ninety-seven percent. I still can’t believe it.”“...”“You were surprised too, right?”Raon glanced at Siwoo.He hadn’t spoken a word since they’d heard the result. Used to his silence, Raon simply shrugged and turned forward—“...?”Then stopped. Something felt off.Siwoo walked beside him at his usual steady pace, expression calm. Nothing seemed different—Well, well.Except for one thing.His earlobes were burning red.

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