He needed to calm Hamin down first. Raon tried to maintain a gentle tone as he spoke.“Maybe the memory of receiving my guiding inside the Gate was so intense that you want to rely on it more.”“Then….”“Which is exactly why we have to be careful. Outside a Gate, I can’t guide you freely.”“Ah….”As Raon made his position firm, disappointment washed over Hamin’s face. But Raon had no intention of retracting what he said.It wasn’t just because of his pair contract with Siwoo. Hamin was a multi-ability Esper—someone who didn’t actually need guiding to function. The fact that he had become dependent enough to believe he needed it was Raon’s fault.Like a chick just breaking out of the shell, Hamin had struggled to use his abilities inside the Gate. It was normal—he had awakened only recently. But they needed his abilities at the time, so Raon guided him to stabilize his power output.He didn’t regret that decision. But the imprint effect left behind was something he did feel sorry about. From now on, whenever Hamin’s control faltered even a little, he would remember Raon’s guiding.“Even if it’s difficult, you need to practice adapting to your abilities more. If you rely too much on unnecessary guiding now, it’ll only make things harder for you later.”“…Understood, Team Leader.”Hamin lowered his head. Seeing him so deflated made it difficult for Raon to speak further.“I’m sorry. I was being unreasonable.”“No. Anyone would feel frustrated.”Raon shook his head, but the pale, anxious look on Hamin’s face did not improve. After a moment of thought, Raon spoke again.“I can’t be a huge help, but I can listen. If you have worries, I’ll counsel you. Anytime.”“Ah.”Hamin lifted his head. His eyes trembled. He had been half-manipulating the situation, and yet Raon was watching him with genuine concern. Embarrassment and shame flushed through him.“No. I’ll work harder. I’m sorry for worrying you.”For some reason, the anxious look that had never left Hamin’s eyes finally shifted. Raon, relieved and slightly puzzled, tilted his head.At least he’d regained his composure. Raon smiled.“Suddenly reawakening as an S-rank Esper and feeling pressured—that alone can be difficult. You can request leave when you need it. Resting and eating well are important too.”“Yes, Team Leader.”Thankfully, the counseling ended on a warm note. Raon sent Hamin out first, then stepped out after him.“Hyung.”“Yeah, it’s done.”“….”Siwoo’s sharp eyes swept over him, checking him from head to toe—making sure nothing had happened inside.The counseling rooms were thoroughly soundproofed; Siwoo clearly hadn’t heard anything. That was a relief. Raon kept his expression soft.“What were you two talking about?”“Nothing much. Hamin’s just really fragile mentally.”“Hm.”Siwoo didn’t doubt him. He’d spent a long time watching Hamin too. Hamin was kind and gentle, but fragile—easy to crack if nudged. Without hearing the conversation inside, Siwoo could accept that explanation.…Sigh.How long did he have to keep navigating this carefully? At least no one besides Hamin had ever been bold enough to ask him for guiding outright. Raon anticipated that there wouldn’t be another situation like this.No—there couldn’t be.While walking, Raon glanced at Siwoo.“By the way, Siwoo.”“Yes.”“I need to go out tomorrow night for a bit.”“Why?”“Well…”Raon told him about the arrangement he’d secretly made. Siwoo’s eyes widened—then slowly, heavily, he nodded.“Okay. I’ll go ahead and wait for you there.”“…Yeah.”Surprisingly, Siwoo didn’t ask for an explanation. Even though he must have wanted to. Raon looked at him quietly before turning his head away again.Either way, tomorrow’s matter needed to be settled. Raon narrowed his eyes.Late at night, Raon slipped out of their heavily secured residence without notifying the Center. It would’ve been impossible without Siwoo’s help.Kkik.He parked the black SUV and shut off the headlights. The dim surroundings swallowed the light, sinking into a cold stillness.He waited.A dormant Gate entrance yawned open before him—a green Gate in Sector 1 where Raon now lived.Green Gates, the lowest rank, entered a dormant state after suppression, turning colorless and silent. Even if they reactivated, they were easy to clear again. So this one had been left unattended with no guard post nearby.Of course, that didn’t mean no one managed it. But Raon had paid to have people withdrawn, leaving the area quiet.For now, no one would interfere.Thud.“Have you waited long, Young Master?”“No.”Someone climbed into the passenger seat—Jeon Youngho, Myeonghun’s secretary. Raon looked at him without warmth.“Haha, I’m relieved we could meet so soon.”“Your bosses must be pressing you hard.”“Well… yes.”Youngho laughed awkwardly. It was pathetic—being the messenger for the family’s sons while being Myeonghun’s own secretary.Raon nodded curtly.“So. What did they say?”“Well, since you’re Team Leader of the Guide Special Team now…”“And?”“They suggest breaking your current pair contract. Even if that Esper is useful now, for the future, they think—”“Anything else?”So that was all. Utterly worthless. Raon tapped the steering wheel, expression twisting. Youngho, sensing it, hurried to continue.“And they say there’s no need for you to enter every irregular Gate. It would be better to refuse the next one—another Guide is already prepared as replacement.”“Hah.”He laughed—empty and disgusted.So that was their plan. Pair him with someone they approved of, then restrict his Gate access to keep him controllable. They still saw him as a puppet.It was revolting.“If you need time, I can help,” Youngho offered quietly.“You?”“Yes.”With Raon’s discomfort plain on his face, Youngho lowered his voice and leaned closer.“If I mediate, I can buy you quite a bit of time. The Directors trust me.”“Hm.”Youngho’s hand slid up Raon’s thigh. Raon stared down at the hand with open disgust.“That Esper is easy on the eyes. I’m sure you want to play with him until you get bored. I can help you do that.”“….”So that was his angle.He’d used the brothers’ demands as an excuse to get guiding from Raon. His hand slid higher—bold, expecting reciprocal guiding energy.But no matter how much he waited—nothing came.Youngho blinked in confusion.“Young Master?”“…Fuck this.”“…What?”Raon slapped his hand away like swatting a ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ bug. Youngho stared, stunned.SCREEECH!“W—what the—?!”Raon slammed the accelerator. The SUV leapt forward like a charging beast. Youngho, who hadn’t put on his seatbelt, screamed.CRASH!“Wha—wait—! Agh!”The SUV smashed through the fence blocking the Gate entrance and drove straight into the dormant Gate.SKRRRT!Raon only braked once they were inside. Tires screeched over dry ground.“Wh—why—why are we—!”“Get out.”“You—you’re insane!”Shaking, Youngho stumbled out. The dormant Gate’s air was cold and still. Even so, he was at least an E-rank Esper. Being dragged into a Gate by a Guide didn’t scare him that much.“You bastard! I’ll—!”But the moment he moved toward Raon, his words cut off.Someone seized the back of his neck—and threw him into the ground.“—Ghk!”“Hyung.”“…!”“Is it this one?”Youngho swallowed hard as he stared up into eyes darker than the Gate’s night sky.Yoon Siwoo.

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