“Oh Yeon, is something going on?”

For some reason, Choi Taehun carefully spoke up amidst the disordered atmosphere of the center. However, Oh Yeon, unlike the chaotic surroundings, simply answered briefly as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Someone is coming.”

“Who?”

“The Minister of Knowledge Economy.”

Thanks to this, Taehun’s eyes widened in surprise. Earlier in the morning, the guides without any special schedules were asked to gather at the center through a general broadcast, so Taehun had come without much thought, only to be faced with the visit of a high-ranking government official. It was something he hadn’t expected at all.

Miyeon, who had seemed the most flustered earlier, now seemed to have sighed in relief, smiling as she elaborated a bit more on Oh Yeon’s brief answer.

“Well, it’s been noisy lately, right? Because of the joint research between Esper and Guide. But you know, the terms of this agreement were pretty good.”

“Oh. How come?”

“Who else? It’s thanks to our Taehun and his Esper.”

Though it was a much longer and more detailed explanation than Oh Yeon’s, Taehun only blinked, looking even more confused. Miyeon laughed at his expression and patted the guide’s back.

“Maximum matching rate: 171.8! And Ji Gwanyeong, his abilities are as impressive as his personality. Isn’t this a compliment?”

“…Ah.”

“Of course, the official documents only show 151.2. Who would make that public in joint research? The data after that is all with us.”

Imi Hyun, speaking as she leaned affectionately on Oh Yeon’s shoulder, had a voice that seemed to quicken with excitement. It was a stark contrast to the stoic man quietly looking at the monitor.

Meanwhile, Taehun, suddenly reminded of his Esper’s abilities, moistened his dry lips. He realized once again how unique his pair with Ji Gwanyeong was, especially since they didn’t even formalize the documents, and all the data depended on Oh Yeon’s “memory.”

Certainly, judging by the fact that they had completely disabled a training room in the center, their strength was no ordinary one.

Taehun scratched his chin awkwardly, but that feeling quickly passed. Before long, he found himself thinking that the slightly noisy atmosphere wasn’t all that bad after all.

The minister, surrounded by all kinds of bodyguards and assistants, was a middle-aged man with a peculiar impression—his body was thin, but his chin was folded in several layers. He wandered around the center, seemingly eager to find something to criticize.

Especially when he saw the training room that his Esper had destroyed and was now reconstructing, even Taehun, who rarely got angry, felt his blood boil.

“Isn’t this barbaric? Huh? They call it ability, but what is this… Tsk tsk.”

“Yes, Minister.”

They were truly unpleasant people…

Taehun barely managed to hold back the frown that was about to form on his face. The man in front of him was a minister who could potentially be involved with the center’s support, and much older than Taehun. He struggled to let the minister’s words go in one ear and out the other, forcing a stiff smile.

‘It would have been nice if Ji Gwanyeong was here.’

Taehun tried to erase the thought that popped into his mind, but it wasn’t easy. Like the other guides around him, he found himself wanting his Esper to be there to make him feel a little more at ease.

The inconsiderate and thoughtless comments continued relentlessly.

“Actually, don’t you think too much of the budget has been allocated to the guides?”

“…Excuse me?”

“They call themselves guides, but they’re just selling their bodies for money, spreading their legs. It’s not like we’re supporting high-class prostitutes with the taxpayers’ money. Isn’t that right?”

As soon as the minister finished speaking, the temperature in the center dropped by several degrees in an instant.

This wasn’t an illusion, as one Esper with cooling abilities had unintentionally frozen some of the moisture in the air with their power. However, no one in the center had the time to scold the Esper.

Especially the expressions of the Esper researchers, which now twisted into something that no longer even tried to hide their anger.

The secretary, who had been answering “Yes, Minister” to the minister until now, silently closed his mouth, noticing the fierce atmosphere. He at least had some sense. But the minister, who had made the worst possible comment about something the Esper community cherished and was sensitive about, was worse than the secretary.

“Huh? What’s with those expressions?”

“Hoo… Minister, Espers have a strong attachment to their guides. So…”

Director Kwon Dahee of the center spoke with a long sigh, which was against etiquette. She, too, was an Esper. In fact, she had been paired with a guide for over 20 years, never once having a fight, and was devoted to her guide.

Of course, this also meant that she was now quite upset, even though she always wore a gentle smile. But the minister didn’t even look at the director’s face properly before cutting off her words with an almost condescending tone.

“Oh, come on. Everyone’s so caught up in it. You should be dedicating yourself to the country, huh?! You should have a sense of service! How could you be swept up in a pillow talk and betray the greater good?”

[Can’t we just kill him?]

The sincere thoughts of one psychic Esper were conveyed through a group telepathy, and Director Kwon subtly shook her head. The other Espers, who had seen this, now gritted their teeth in frustration.

Miyeon, with the same temperament and a similar speech ability, nervously clenched her fists, and the faint sound of sparks could be heard as small flames began to flicker.

[At least give him a blow to the back of the head. Are you really going to let him walk out of here?]

[Shit, kill him! Minister of Knowledge Economy? That idiot only has udon noodles in his brain.]

[‘Selling bodies’? How dare you talk like that about our brother! He’s just as tall as our brother’s cock!]

[…Hey, you…]

Taehun sighed as he listened to the telepathic rants of the psychic Espers, who were almost out of control, all except for the minister. The only ones who didn’t seem to understand were the minister’s people, but the center had already been thrown into chaos by the furious telepathic outbursts of the psychic Espers, causing a local broadcast interference like a noisy market. The fury of the Esper researchers was the first time Taehun had ever experienced such direct insult toward a guide, and it provided him with some solace.

However, today, fate seemed to be especially harsh on Taehun.

The minister’s gaze, which had been scrutinizing the guides standing behind the researchers with disapproval, suddenly stopped on Taehun. The guide despaired over how widely known his name had become—far beyond what he had anticipated. Being famous was enough with Ji Gwanyeong alone.

“You. You’re that guide, right? The one with the matching rate over 100%, that Ji Gwanyeong guide.”

‘Ji Gwanyeong guide.’

Taehun realized for the first time that his name was being referred to that way. He could feel the slight sarcasm in the minister’s gaze, which made his fist involuntarily tighten.

“…Yes. That’s correct. I’m Taehun.”

“Huh. A young man with all his limbs intact, and yet, he should be living like a man!”

“I’m trying my best.”

The words, spoken as if he were slowly exhaling, trembled faintly.

Miyeon, watching Taehun, had already half-formed sparks in her hands, and Oyeon quietly stopped her. But what the minister was about to say was far worse than Miyeon shooting a fiery arrow.

“Oh. I see. Which side do you prefer, in bed?”

The question, which Taehun had never imagined, caused him to involuntarily bite his lip instead of responding. Somewhere near the guides, the sound of a suppressed curse that was almost a sigh could be heard. Taehun tried to find a coherent sentence, but only a faint flicker escaped his lips.

“Not able to live like a man, huh? How could you be born a man…?”

“Minister!”

Taehun, who had been indifferent for hours, found himself feeling somewhat grateful toward the secretary for the first time. At least he had some awareness. However, the minister seemed to enjoy the fact that Taehun kept his mouth shut in response to his rude question, and he lightly scolded the secretary before trying to continue his speech.

The minister was truly a stereotypical case of Esper-Guide phobia. The center director, Dahee, subtly gestured to Oyeon, instructing her to remember everything that was happening. Though her face remained calm, the coldness in her eyes was unmistakable, and the man slightly nodded.

However, it was an unnecessary order.

Thud. Bang. Boom.
The sounds were succinct and certain, but loud enough to be heard from a distance, gradually growing in intensity.

The guides, confused, looked toward the door where the sound was coming from, but the Espers reacted differently. Their eyes all showed the same emotion.

“It’s over.”

This was the first time Taehun had seen a physical Esper use their powers directly on someone. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend how the scene unfolding before him was working, but one thing became clear.

Ji Gwanyeong, his Esper, was truly powerful.

The movement was so light, it was hard to even call it the use of power. With a small hand gesture, the bodyguards surrounding the minister outside were swiftly thrown and slammed into the walls, knocked unconscious.

Taehun had heard countless stories about how strong his Esper was, but he had never imagined it to be like this. Ji Gwanyeong had already saved him during the Gangnam terrorist incident, so there was no doubt about his strength. But to incapacitate such skilled bodyguards, some of whom were Espers themselves, in the blink of an eye, was beyond his expectations. Taehun blinked in shock, frozen in place, as the oppressive aura around him began to feel overwhelming.

Meanwhile, the people at the center were just as stunned as Taehun. As soon as they realized that the person approaching was none other than Ji Gwanyeong, the Esper researchers instinctively thought, “This is going to go terribly.” They imagined the worst.

But Ji Gwanyeong didn’t kill the bodyguards; he gently knocked them out! The researchers, realizing Taehun would be utterly shocked if he knew, were left speechless.

Taehun, the guide, was equally paralyzed in the situation, unable to move, while looking at his Esper. Ji Gwanyeong, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly a week, looked unfamiliar. This wasn’t just abstract—it was truly unfamiliar.

His usually neat hair was in disarray, and his clothes and forehead were soaked with sweat. The faint stains on his clothing looked completely out of place.

Taehun gazed at his pair with disbelief, his eyes blinking. Only then did Ji Gwanyeong, who had been stretching his neck, open his eyes slightly and lock gazes with his guide. Taehun swallowed unconsciously.

But contrary to the guide’s concerns, Ji Gwanyeong’s eyes curved slightly, as if pleased. It was his natural smile, not the kind seen in dramas.

But the Esper quickly emptied his gaze again and, without closing his mouth, looked at the minister, whose eyes were fixed on him.

What was that man going to say?