"Oh my, what happened to you?"
"Yeah, it's only been a day. Been doing alright? Fuck, sorry, but next time I go to the hospital, can you book this idiot a psychiatry appointment too?"
The employees were horrified when they saw Huiyeong show up looking like he'd become a homeless bum overnight.
Wrapped tightly in a cute pink rabbit blanket, Huiyeong's hair stuck out in every direction, the clothes visible underneath were pajamas, and his eyes were completely vacant. He looked like a man who had given up on life.
Having exhausted himself arguing with Shinyul all morning, Huiyeong simply hung limply in his arms, not even reacting when Shinyul repeatedly kissed his cheek. The moment he was gently set down on the office sofa, however, he lashed out and kicked Shinyul square in the leg.
"Princess, just rest here for a bit. I'll be back soon."
"Fuck off, you bastard."
He cursed viciously and kicked him several more times, but Shinyul merely smiled as though it didn't hurt at all. He carefully smoothed Huiyeong's messy hair before leaving the office.
Watching him walk away, Huiyeong let out an enormous sigh the instant Shinyul disappeared and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Um... Huiyeong? What brought you here?"
"You should ask that crazy bastard. How the hell would I know? He's the one who suddenly lost his damn mind, threw me over his shoulder, and dragged me here."
"...Uh... really...?"
Assistant Manager Shin answered with a blank expression.
Huiyeong immediately scowled.
"Forget it."
"I'm going home."
"I've gotta leave before that lunatic comes back."
He sprang to his feet—
—and immediately staggered from dizziness.
The employees rushed over in alarm, supporting him as though helping an elderly man at a senior center.
"Oh dear, you don't look like you have any strength left. Why don't you rest a little longer? We'll take you home afterward."
They had no idea why Shinyul had brought Huiyeong here, but they knew one thing for certain.
Shinyul would never bring him to work without a reason.
An Esper's instincts—especially where their own Guide was concerned—were frighteningly sharp.
Shinyul had not yet fully established trust with his Guide, yet he had brought the one and only person capable of Guiding him into the Center, surrounded by countless other Espers.
The employees didn't know why.
But they knew they had to keep Huiyeong here.
Maybe it's because of Huiyeong's mental condition.
If there had been a problem with the residence, Shinyul would've reported it immediately.
And if he'd wanted to keep Huiyeong beside him every second, he wouldn't have left him alone in the office.
There had to be some reason Huiyeong couldn't be left by himself.
Exchanging meaningful looks, the employees gently helped him back onto the sofa.
"Did Shinyul really bring you here without saying anything?"
"Yeah!"
"I think he's seriously gone crazy!"
"He got himself all dressed for work, then suddenly threw me over his shoulder and brought me here!"
"What am I supposed to do with that guy, huh?"
"Well..."
"He's always been a little unreasonable."
"Please bear with him, Huiyeong."
"...Seriously..."
Clicking his tongue, Huiyeong settled back onto the sofa.
His body was so small and slender that even the sofa felt like a bed.
He lounged there with a rebellious expression before suddenly sitting upright.
"Hey."
"Since I'm already here, let me ask."
"How do I meet the other Espers?"
"...Huh?"
"Quit standing there looking stupid."
"You remember what we talked about?"
"The overseas Espers with unusual abilities."
"You were gonna tell me what their powers are."
"Oh..."
"Right..."
"That's true..."
The employees awkwardly answered while glancing at each other.
Ever since Huiyeong's arrival, staff from neighboring teams had quietly been listening in.
Now they visibly stiffened and began typing much faster.
This office wasn't occupied solely by Assistant Manager Seong and Assistant Manager Shin, who handled the Shinyul-Huiyeong pair.
Many unfamiliar faces worked there as well.
Huiyeong didn't care.
"So..."
"You said it'd be awkward to tell me about Espers from other countries, right?"
"You're all government employees."
"Mister's thinking about you guys, alright?"
"So just tell me how I can meet them."
"I'll casually ask them myself."
"Just tell me where I can find them."
...You're a government employee too.
Watching Huiyeong beam proudly at his own considerate suggestion, the employees broke out in cold sweat.
The man had only just been officially matched with his Esper...
...and now he was asking to meet other Espers.
He had absolutely no idea how immoral—and scandalous—that sounded.
Looking at Huiyeong's completely innocent expression, the employees lowered their heads.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
The group messenger exploded with notifications.
Fortunately, everyone present handled S-rank Espers.
They were all trustworthy and knew more about Huiyeong's condition than ordinary staff, so there wasn't much concern about gossip spreading.
Still...
Protecting their assigned Guide was part of their job.
The employees hurriedly changed the subject.
"Rather than that..."
"Would you like us to show you around the Center?"
"You must be bored."
Looking at Assistant Manager Seong's stiff smile, Huiyeong initially looked unimpressed.
Then he nodded.
Having lived long enough to read the room reasonably well, Huiyeong noticed the awkward expressions, the employees desperately changing the subject, and the endless stream of chat messages flying across the monitor behind them.
Guess it's hard to talk about this with so many people around.
"Alright."
"Let's go."
"My whole body's falling apart..."
"When you get old, you might as well die."
"Oh, don't say things like that."
...You're twenty-one.
Leaving everyone behind, Huiyeong shuffled out first, dragging along a pair of fuzzy indoor slippers that matched his fluffy pale-blue pajamas.
Assistant Manager Seong turned back toward the others.
Just in case anyone leaked this conversation, he widened his eyes dramatically.
If anyone spreads this...
You're dead...
He silently mouthed while drawing a finger across his throat.
The employees from the neighboring teams smiled reassuringly and nodded.
The furious clacking of keyboards, however, never stopped.
If rumors made their way back to Shinyul...
They were finished.
Everyone knew exactly what would happen if Shinyul heard that Huiyeong had been looking for other Espers.
Any matched pair would end in disaster.
The employees trusted everyone to keep quiet...
But they still couldn't shake their anxiety.
After everything it had taken to bring those two together...
"Hey!"
"Hurry up!"
"You planning on taking all day?"
"Y-Yes!"
After shooting everyone one final warning glare, Assistant Manager Seong quickly sent Shinyul a message on his work phone before hurrying after Huiyeong.
The employees stayed close as they walked, explaining each floor and its departments.
Dungeon Management.
Major Crimes.
Public Affairs.
International Union.
"Hmm..."
Huiyeong responded with little interest.
Only one thing truly stuck in his memory.
The International Union Department...
...on the sixth floor.
"The hell?"
"Does your government dump every job on you people?"
"Haha."
"Espers simply have a lot of responsibilities."
Well...
If I had superpowered people around, I'd work them like dogs too.
Thinking about how effortlessly Shinyul suppressed every bit of resistance he put up, Huiyeong nodded to himself.
Considering he'd already given up trying to fight back because nothing ever worked against Shinyul...
...it made perfect sense.
After touring the main building, they stepped outside.
Assistant Manager Seong pointed out building after building.
"The Training Wing."
"The Guide Center."
"The Esper Center..."
By then, Huiyeong had already exhausted every last ounce of stamina.
He panted heavily.
"What should we do..."
"Would you like to rest?"
"You've been to the Guide Center for training before, right?"
"There are rooms with beds."
"Should we stop there for a while?"
Why the hell does a workplace have beds?
The thought crossed Huiyeong's mind.
But his trembling arms and legs left him no room to argue.
He nodded immediately.
"L-Let's..."
"...rest a bit."
Shaking like a newborn deer yet stubbornly refusing anyone's help, Huiyeong forced himself into the Guide Center.
The whispering stares that had followed him since the main building only intensified.
He ignored them completely.
The moment he reached the lobby—
—he simply plopped down onto the floor.
There was no reason he wouldn't attract attention.
His childish-looking pajamas weren't the issue.
He was the Guide whose first appearance had nearly caused an S-rank Esper battle big enough to shake Headquarters.
An S-rank Guide who had awakened only to suffer mental confusion in a tragic accident.
The only person ever matched with Han Shinyul at 95%, after every other Guide had failed to exceed a 50% matching rate.
Huiyeong had become the Center's hottest topic.
He was the only one who didn't know it.
Sitting flat on the polished lobby floor, Huiyeong listened to the whispers around him without caring.
He simply waved impatiently at the flustered employees.
"Hurry up and get me a Guiding room."
Having spent years in organized crime, he'd long grown accustomed not only to whispers, but to looks filled with hatred and fear.
None of it bothered him.
He only hoped the employees would hurry.
According to Haram, booking a Guiding room on short notice was incredibly difficult.
Esper missions were always overloaded.
Whenever an Esper was dispatched, their Guide immediately reserved a Guiding room in preparation for emergency Guiding afterward.
Of course, Huiyeong and Shinyul lived close enough to the Center to walk there, so they'd probably never need one.
Haram's point had been that every Guide worked hard for their Esper.
Huiyeong remembered only one thing.
The Guiding rooms were always full.
So he continued pestering the employees.
"God..."
"I'm dying here!"
"I'm just going home!"
Unable even to sit upright anymore, he sprawled across the floor, panting.
At his age, he hated whining like a spoiled child.
But he genuinely felt like he was about to die.
He'd spent the morning wrestling pointlessly with Shinyul.
Then, without getting any real rest, he'd been dragged all over the Center.
His already weakened body had been squeezed completely dry.
He was so exhausted that, for the first time in his life...
...he actually wished Shinyul would suddenly appear, throw him over his shoulder, and carry him home.
Some people simply performed quick Guiding right there in the lobby.
Several couples stood pressed tightly together, groping one another while sharing lingering, passionate kisses.
"...The world's really gone to hell..."
Huiyeong stared openly at one particular pair, who had completely ignored both the employees' warnings and Shinyul's rules as they remained wrapped around each other in a deeply intimate kiss.
When the larger man finally lifted his head after the kiss...
Huiyeong's eyes widened.
...Huh?
That guy...
The man who met his eyes looked equally surprised.
"Oh—Huiyeong!"
It was Haram.
Still lying on the floor, Huiyeong awkwardly waved.
"Y-Yeah..."
He clicked his tongue.
Great.
Of all things to walk in on.
But the man clinging to Haram immediately frowned.
Blocking Haram from approaching Huiyeong, he snapped,
"Haram."
"You shouldn't associate with people like him."
"You're too nice for your own good."
"...Excuse me?"
Huiyeong caught every word.
His face instantly twisted.
Unlike most people...
Huiyeong never held back.
"The fuck did you just say?!"
One of the Guide Center employees assigning Guiding rooms to waiting pairs looked up after hearing someone yell, "Crazy bastard?"
Then they spotted Huiyeong lying on the floor screaming his head off.
"...Ah."
Makes sense.
Completely understanding the situation, they quietly lowered their head and returned to the paperwork.
Seeing that, Huiyeong's eyes bulged.
"Hey!"
"Use your damn brain!"
"You've got two people making out in broad daylight in the middle of the lobby!"
"And somehow I'm the crazy one?!"
"This is fucking ridiculous!"
"Back where I'm from, you'd get nailed for public indecency or something!"
His slender body practically bounced with outrage.
Then—
Still panting from his own temper—
His body suddenly floated gently into the air.
"Huh...?"
"Who made our princess so angry?"
At some point, Shinyul had appeared.
He effortlessly lifted Huiyeong into his arms, kissed his soft cheek, and smiled.
...Hey.
If you suddenly pull this kind of shit now...
Then what the hell was I getting angry about just a second ago?