"You don’t have to force yourself to guide an Esper who doesn’t want it. No one’s going to blame you for that, Hamin.""But it’s still my duty…""That duty only applies if the other party wants it. And you’ve got plenty of work within the team already, don’t you?""Well, that’s true, but…"The gloom on Hamin’s face slowly faded. Raon smiled and patted his shoulder."I have high expectations for you, Hamin.""R-really?""Of course. Keep working hard.""Yes, Team Leader!"It took some coaxing, but Raon finally managed to send him off. Still, his mind was tangled with unease. The thought that he might have broken the original storyline crept back in again.After all, Hamin’s biggest role was to support Dojin. Regardless of his temperament or personality, the strongest Esper right now was undeniably Dojin.If Hamin stopped guiding him, Dojin’s ability output would fall. And with countless Gates still to be faced, losing combat power was the last thing they could afford."Haa."Raon exhaled, shook his head, and stepped out of the meeting room. He was on his way to the cafeteria when he stopped mid-stride."Been a while, huh?"Taegun cocked his head to the side, glaring at him. Raon gave a half-hearted nod in return."Yeah. Been a while.""Got promoted while I wasn’t looking, too. Should I be calling you Team Leader Raon now?""Obviously."When Raon replied coolly, Taegun’s face twisted in irritation. Raon stared back, expression flat."Ha, damn it."It was their first time meeting since the irregular Gate suppression. Before the team reorganization, Raon had been tied up with insertion guiding for Siwoo, and as soon as his body recovered, the reorg happened so quickly that he hadn’t even had time to see Taegun.Taegun looked thinner than before. He’d fought a desperate battle against the guardian protecting the core, burning through his power—no wonder he still looked drained and pale.Well, not my problem.He’d recover much faster with guiding, but Raon saw no reason to force it when the other side clearly didn’t want it. It wasn’t wartime anymore, anyway."If you’re just here to chat, move. I’m headed to eat.""…Wait.""…?"Raon started past him, but the low voice stopped him. He frowned slightly and turned his head."What?""Why him? Why Song Minjae instead of me?""What?"For a second, Raon tried to recall who Song Minjae was. Then it hit him—the C-rank mental-type Esper currently on the guide team. He let out a short, incredulous laugh."Don’t tell me you want to join the guide team.""The hell would I want that for?""Then why ask?""Ha."When Raon tossed the question in that lazy tone, Taegun sighed, visibly irritated. His expression left no doubt—he was pissed."It just pisses me off, damn it. What the hell makes me worse than Song Minjae, huh?"He exploded, voice sharp. Raon shook his head at the childish outburst."You’re combat team. Use that ability on monsters, not for running errands in the guide team.""Still feels like shit, though.""That’s your problem to deal with."Raon waved a hand dismissively and turned away, but an annoyed voice stabbed at his back."Hey! Han Raon!""…!"Taegun’s hand clamped around his wrist. Despite being a mental-type, he was still an S-rank Esper—Raon hadn’t even sensed him move. He blinked in surprise and looked back."Ugh!""…?"Taegun flinched and let go at once. His reaction—like he’d been shocked—made Raon pause.What the hell now?It was bad enough that he’d grabbed him, but the way he recoiled, as if something disgusting had touched him, was even stranger. Raon rubbed his wrist where the grip had been and glared.Hm?Then he noticed something off. Taegun was rubbing the same hand that had touched Raon, biting his lip. The expression didn’t look like disgust.At first Raon thought it was, but the atmosphere wasn’t right. Quick to read people’s moods, he remembered the guiding he’d done for Taegun inside the Gate—and smirked."What, do you want me to guide you again?""Fuck off! When did I ever say that?""Can’t blame you. An S-rank Guide’s guiding does feel good, doesn’t it?"Taegun’s mouth shut like he’d run out of words. The look on his face made Raon laugh out loud.Espers. Always the same.They cursed and hated Guides all they wanted, but one guiding session and they melted. Maybe they should learn what dependence feels like before looking down on Guides.Thinking of Dojin’s treatment of Hamin soured his mood further. Raon raised a hand and gave a faint wave."Want me to guide you now?""Get lost!""Suit yourself.""Uh…"Raon lowered his hand and turned away immediately. As he walked toward the cafeteria, a startled voice came from behind him. He ignored it and kept going.That train had long since left. He had zero interest in Taegun anymore. Humming under his breath, he stepped into the cafeteria."Hey, you’re here?""Yeah."The moment he entered, he spotted Siwoo standing near the counter. Raon blinked in surprise."You already ate?""Not yet.""Why? Were you waiting for me?""Yeah.""Hm."Raon hummed softly at the answer. He hadn’t expected Siwoo to wait without eating.Caught off guard, he smiled a little."You could’ve eaten first, you know.""I just wanted to eat with you.""Really?"Siwoo’s gentle answer lifted his mood. He’d been irritated after running into Taegun, but that vanished instantly."Let’s hurry before they close up.""Okay."Training had run late, and the talk with Hamin had delayed him further. Raon urged Siwoo along to grab their trays."What did you talk about with Guide Hamin?""Oh, that."As soon as they sat down, Siwoo asked. Raon froze halfway through picking up his spoon.It wasn’t anything secret, but still, the conversation had been private. He hesitated, then decided to gloss over it."He’s just been struggling a bit with the training.""Really?""Yeah. So I encouraged him a little."Technically true—he had given encouragement at the end. Raon forced an awkward smile."Don’t overwork yourself either, okay?""I’ll be fine.""Still. You shouldn’t get hurt before the next Gate.""Yeah, fair point."Raon’s eyes narrowed slightly. The next Gate would appear soon. He didn’t remember the exact date, but before the rewind, it had come not long after the irregular Gate ended—as if mocking humanity’s brief relief.This time, with the irregular Gate handled cleanly, there was no chaos. Training had been steady; everything was falling into place. If things kept going according to plan, the next Gate suppression would go smoothly."Are you even listening to me?""Huh?"Lost in thought, Raon had missed Siwoo’s words. He gave an awkward laugh."Ah, sorry—what’d you say?""You weren’t even listening.""My bad. I’ve just got a lot on my mind."Siwoo frowned slightly, clearly displeased. Raon barely stopped himself from laughing and asked,"So what did you say?""Tomorrow’s training. I think Lee Yeojoon can stop the height drills now.""Yeah?"Yeojoon had been training under Siwoo’s supervision for his fear of heights. Lately, the usual screams had stopped—looked like he’d overcome most of it through those bungee drills Hamin mentioned."Then from tomorrow we’ll start combining firearms training with team drills.""Got it.""You reviewed the materials I sent?""Yeah, I memorized them."Siwoo nodded crisply, looking dependable. He was quick—teach him once and he picked up ten things. Despite his young age, he’d practically become Raon’s deputy, handling half the team coordination.With his steady progress, he’d climb ranks fast once he accumulated results in the next Gate. He could even surpass Dojin’s record as the youngest to make colonel.Assuming the System doesn’t come back.The thought of Siwoo someday leading his own team brought a faint smile—until the word System resurfaced, wiping it away. Every time he managed to forget, it came crawling back."If you’re done eating, let’s go.""Okay."Feeling the weight of that thought, Raon stood once Siwoo’s tray was empty.He naturally planned to ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) guide him afterward. The day had run late with the meeting, so they’d have to go to Raon’s quarters instead of a guiding room."Siwoo, then let’s—""Raon, I’m not going to take guiding tonight.""What?"The words blindsided him. Raon frowned.

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