By Zephyria 
“If that’s the reason, then I refuse.”
“Is that so? That’s a shame…”
“Esper Vasily, it would be better for you to quickly find a proper Guide and form an exclusive assignment rather than sticking with a C-Class Guide like me.”
Pretending to give sincere advice, I turned my gaze toward the window.
I truly hoped Vasily would find another Guide quickly. Only then could I have the suppression chip embedded in my neck removed and return to a normal life.
“…….”
Silence fell.
Because I had rejected the proposal to be his Guide, an uncomfortable atmosphere lingered in the car. After chewing over the silence, I finally spoke first.
“Esper Vasily, will you be applying for designated guiding today as well?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure. I have to visit a Gate today. If you want, I’ll finish up quickly and come get guiding.”
“I was just asking out of curiosity, so you don’t need to go out of your way.”
So Vasily is going to a Gate. In that case, today’s temporary guiding will be much easier.
Guiding Vasily alone was far more exhausting—both mentally and physically—than guiding Espers of my own rank all day. Thanks to the random question I asked to break the awkward silence, I had gained useful information.
Soon, we arrived in front of the Guide Association. I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
“Then, have a safe trip to the Gate.”
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, you work hard today too.”
After getting out of the passenger seat, I watched Vasily’s car head toward the Esper Association building right next door before turning around.
I enjoyed the comfortable commute, but the uncomfortable conversation along the way left me feeling vaguely uneasy. I should avoid being alone with Vasily for a while.
As I walked with that thought, I suddenly noticed a cold sensation in my hand and looked down.
“Ah.”
I forgot to give the ice pack back…
* * *
“My goodness, Gi-dam-ssi! What happened to your face?”
As soon as I entered the office, Jo Woo-yeon looked at my face and gasped in horror.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Despite applying a cold compress throughout the commute, the blue bruise hadn’t disappeared. For the record, I had just tossed the ice pack I forgot to return to Vasily onto a nearby patch of grass.
“I got into an argument with a drunk person on my way home.”
“That must have hurt a lot. Of all places, your face…”
“I’m fine. I’m sturdy, so it’ll heal quickly.”
I suppose it is too conspicuous. I decided I should stop by a convenience store to buy a mask before my temporary guiding duties began and sat down in my seat.
I quietly scanned the surrounding atmosphere. Fortunately, it seemed no one knew that I had been kidnapped.
Naturally, yesterday’s events were not made public. Judging by the state of the building covered in ice, the Espers who kidnapped me must have died instantly on the spot.
Well, even if they were lucky enough not to die, they’d suffer for the rest of their lives from severe frostbite. Since the association would have handled the cleanup, only the higher-ups in the association would know the full story.
After guiding all morning, I returned to my seat during my break to check the news. Ever since saving children near the Gate I had followed Vasily to previously, checking news articles daily had become a habit.
While looking to see if there were any accidents I could help with, a piece of news caught my eye: Vasily was heading to a Gate.
“Is this the Gate Vasily mentioned this morning…?”
However, the temporary code assigned to the Gate felt strangely familiar. I was sure it was a Gate where something had happened…
I narrowed my eyes and searched my memory, but I couldn’t recall it. Well, if it didn’t come to me immediately, it probably wasn’t a big deal. I tried to dismiss it as insignificant and erase it from my mind, but the uneasy feeling lingered for a long time.
Before I knew it, the break was over. Returning to the guiding room, I welcomed the next person in line and began the guiding.
‘Ah, I remember now.’
It suddenly occurred to me while I was guiding. That Gate—it was a mutant Gate, and I think there were quite a few casualties.
Vasily and I had eliminated all the monsters and exited the Gate, but when civilian researchers entered afterward, a powerful monster suddenly appeared. By the time we rushed back to handle the aftermath, we confirmed that everyone was dead and there were no survivors. I still couldn’t forget the sense of despair that washed over me then.
“Esper-nim, I’m sorry to interrupt the guiding, but may I take a quick call?”
When I asked for understanding to take a call during the process, the Esper didn’t particularly object.
As soon as I received permission, I immediately called Vasily.
Ring… ring…
The ringing continued for a long time. Has he already entered the Gate? Then how do I deliver this information… As I worried, my eyes darting anxiously, Vasily finally answered.
Guide Kwon Gi-dam?
“Hello, Esper Vasily.”
The moment Vasily’s name left my lips, I felt the body of the Esper receiving guiding stiffen. Oops, was this an Esper with bad memories of Vasily? I should say what I need to say and hang up quickly.
Why are you calling? You haven’t been kidnapped again, have you?
“No. I called because there’s something I wanted to ask… By any chance, are you still before your departure to the Gate?”
That’s right. I’m scheduled to enter soon, so I can’t talk for long. What are you curious about?
I asked him while pretending to know nothing.
“Usually, the strongest monster is at the deepest part of the Gate, right?”
That’s correct.
“Is it possible for there to be two of them?”
It’s not common, but occasionally those kinds of mutant Gates appear.
I didn’t explicitly state the details. It would be strange, and hard to believe, if I knew a Gate I had never visited was a mutant Gate. Therefore, simply raising his awareness should be enough.
“I see. Thank you.”
You called just to ask that? I knew it, you really wanted to become an Esper…
“No, absolutely not.”
So, what are you doing right now?
Despite saying he couldn’t talk for long, Vasily didn’t hang up and continued the conversation. I answered briefly. My business was done, so there was no reason to keep holding the phone.
“I’m working.”
Working…
“I’m in the middle of guiding an Esper.”
…….
A long silence followed over the phone.
“Esper Vasily?”
Did the signal cut out? But the call was still connected. Thinking he probably had nothing more to say, I asked as if seeking his permission.
“I’ll hang up now?”
Even though I hadn’t pressed the end call button, the line suddenly went dead. What the—why did he suddenly get in a bad mood? He really is an incomprehensible guy.
After that, I continued to check the news from time to time while working. No articles about an accident at the Gate had appeared yet.
Then again, back then, the incident happened in the evening. It wasn’t time to leave work yet, so even if an accident occurred, there was still plenty of time.
Still, I was anxious. What if Vasily didn’t realize and just came out after dealing with the monsters he could see, despite my warning? Should I have been more precise… Regret washed over me belatedly.
Should I call and check one more time? While I was fiddling with my smartphone, the door to the guiding room swung open.
“E-Esper Vasily?”
Vasily had come to the guiding room. Moreover, I was in the middle of guiding another Esper.
Flustered, I called his name. Seeing me in the middle of guiding, his mood seemed to sink, and he said nothing, his eyes turning cold. Why is he acting like that again?
“…….”
Vasily silently stared at the Esper receiving guiding from me. When those cold, silver-grey eyes turned toward him, the Esper flinched, stood up, and practically fled the guiding room.
Leaving me speechless after witnessing that scene, Vasily nonchalantly sat in the empty chair.
“Why did you drive away an Esper who was perfectly fine receiving guiding?”
“It’s better to guide me, who just came back from a Gate, than people who come for guiding without doing anything.”
“Sigh…”
I let out a deep sigh.
What on earth should I do with this selfish social misfit…
30 – ICG