“…I was scared. Really, I was scared.”

The woman’s mouth barely opened. In her eyes, there was a lingering fear, like dust, swirling around in annoyance. Lee Miyeon gently reassured her, pushing a steaming cup of tea toward her.

Miyeon was tasked with comforting the woman, who was so pale she looked ghostly, and getting her to talk about “that moment.”

The woman took a sip from the mug in front of her. However, it didn’t seem to help ease her fear. She gripped the large mug tightly, her fingers white, her face even paler than the knuckles that showed on the back of her hand. She looked down at the table, lost in thought. Miyeon remained calm, waiting for her to speak.

How long had they been there? The woman finally spoke in a somewhat empty voice, as though she was recalling something.

“There didn’t seem to be anything strange. They just… seemed like normal people.”

“Did you feel any sense of discomfort? Anything at all would help.”

Miyeon was eager for any small clue that would fall from the woman’s lips. The woman seemed to think it over more carefully, then continued slowly, her voice uncertain.

“Umm, you said they were Esper and Guide pairs, right?”

“Yes. They are extremely dangerous, first-degree criminals. There are even more malicious Espers following their pair.”

The woman’s eyes shook at Miyeon’s words. What she had seen during “that moment” was quite different from Miyeon’s description. The two unfamiliar men—no, Oh Jinwoo and Lee Hansol—did not seem as dangerous as Miyeon had described.

On the contrary…

The woman shivered, rubbing her stiffened arms. What she had seen still didn’t feel real to her.

“But those people, especially the man you said was an Esper, he… he said he didn’t want to fight…”

“He?”

Miyeon caught the careful way the woman referred to him and asked carefully. The woman froze for a moment, her shoulders stiffening, then slowly, in a tone as if cursing, she uttered a name.

“Ji Gwanyeong.”

“…”

“Ji Gwanyeong. He said that while smiling… that’s what he said.”

Each word the woman struggled to say carried a heavy fear. Miyeon clicked his tongue inwardly. The mouth that had been so skillfully responding before now felt sealed, as if it had been sealed with wax.

“And then, after that… that…”

“‘After that.’” Fear started to rise in the woman’s eyes again. Miyeon could guess what she had seen in that moment and hurriedly spoke, his voice tinged with a small, heavy sigh.

“Yes. It’s okay. You don’t have to say it. It must have been hard, thank you so much for your help.”

The woman gave a slight convulsion and bowed her head deeply.

At Miyeon’s subtle gesture, other researchers from the center, who had been waiting outside the interrogation room, respectfully and firmly escorted the woman out. Soon, she would forget all about the events in this room and the “moment” she had trembled in fear to remember.

The Esper, left alone in the interrogation room, immediately searched for a cigarette inside her robe but stopped as she remembered her vow to quit smoking since the day before. She clicked her tongue softly.

In fact, when she had seen a few articles about Ji Gwanyeong and Choi Taehun, she had thought that after a series of troubling incidents, the pair’s matching rate, which had been fluctuating wildly, might finally have worked out.

So, she left them alone.

She grumbled under her breath, closing her eyes as if to pretend not to notice.

The stubborn, ill-tempered Esper was one thing, but she wanted to lessen the guilt of trapping Taehun, who must have suffered both physically and mentally, in a cage without bars.

But she never expected that the result of those few hours would escalate into a much bigger incident. Miyeon pressed his throbbing temples hard. Since she had manifested as an Esper, headaches, which had been rare, had been occurring more frequently lately.

“Damn bastard.”

The Esper muttered a curse under her breath, then tossed the pen she had been scribbling with on the tablet. The reason she had been stuck at the center for the past few days was all because of that “damn bastard.”

That “damn bastard,” in other words, Ji Gwanyeong, had truly made a mess of things.

Most of Yongsan District and some parts of Jung-gu were completely cut off from water supply, directly adjacent to the crime scene. It was a heavily populated area, and with so many embassies nearby, there were a lot of foreigners. If things went wrong, it could lead to diplomatic conflicts.

“He’s never going to be a gentleman. With this mess, do you think there’s any country that would accept him if he suddenly decided to emigrate?”

Miyeon leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened. It was Oh Yeon, who had been watching the situation from behind the one-way mirror. Miyeon was so relieved to see the coffee in his hand that he couldn’t help but cheer a little.

“Ah. Finally. I really needed some caffeine.”

“Good work. The last witness was the woman from earlier, so I think we can take a breather for now.”

“…What about the embassies? Any complaints?”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will handle it.”

Miyeon’s eyes widened at the unusually low tone of Oh Yeon’s voice, which sounded several times more tired than usual. The person who embodied the FM spirit of the center was this blunt Esper. Yet, hearing such an indifferent response from him about a situation involving a pair from the center was surprising.

Miyeon stopped sipping his coffee and, in a shocked voice, said, “Wow. I didn’t think I’d hear you say that. Life’s full of surprises.”

“….”

Oh Yeon had been seeing his guide, Park Seungwon, only briefly in the center’s dormitory for the past few days. No matter how patient Seungwon was and how he avoided complaining, being kept so far from his pair was enough to make anyone’s nerves tense.

And the situation that had started this whole mess…

Yeon recalled the scene a few days ago that had driven everyone in the center to work through hellish overtime, letting out a sigh.

In the chaos, where people were trembling in fear, Ji Gwanyeong had been holding an unconscious Choi Taehun, cradling him as though he were holding the most precious thing in the world. The scene was so warm and kind that the bright red blood staining Ji Gwanyeong’s arm almost seemed like part of a beautiful painting. Of course, the blood wasn’t theirs.

The incident had started during Ji Gwanyeong and Choi Taehun’s first outing.

Why… is he angry?

Taehun stared blankly at his Esper, who had a stiff expression. In truth, he didn’t quite understand the situation.

The young man, who had muttered something strange earlier, was an enigma, but what caught Taehun’s attention first was Ji Gwanyeong. Just moments ago, Ji Gwanyeong had been calming down the reporters from a distance, but now, he was approaching with a terrifying expression, striding toward him. What was more, he was dragging a crowd of people behind him like storm clouds.

Reacting instinctively to the overwhelming presence, Taehun tried to move out of the line of sight of the crowd, but the man behind him, Oh Jinwoo, was faster than him.

“What is this? Let go!”

Taehun, unable to raise his voice, struggled to shake off the hand gripping his neck from behind. However, all he felt was the resistance of trying to push away an immovable metal block. Taehun knew this feeling well. There was only one type of being capable of rendering an adult male powerless so easily.

This man—he’s an Esper.

Realizing that, the guide gulped involuntarily. Taehun knew that, as long as this expressionless man behind him was an Esper, there was no way he could overcome the man’s strength, no matter what he tried.

The sound of shutters clicking frantically filled the air. It felt like he was walking through a movie set today. The flashes from cameras began to burst as they shot pictures in the shaded areas, making Taehun frown.

However, no matter how bright the flashes were, they were far from enough to erase the presence of the man standing in the middle of it all. Ji Gwanyeong, with his cold, fixed gaze, was locked onto Taehun’s back. Only then did Taehun think, Could it be that my Esper, Ji Gwanyeong, is annoyed by these unfamiliar people?

Just then, Ji Gwanyeong’s lips parted.

“Remove your hand.”

His voice was low and clear. Questions like murmurs followed from all around. “Mr. Ji Gwanyeong, what is your relationship with these people?” “Is the person in the middle Mr. Ji’s guide?”

Taehun quickly lowered his gaze, trying to regain his composure. He realized, at this moment, that when someone was too flustered, no words or actions would come to them. He felt this acutely.

Lee Hansol, seeing Taehun like this, let out a soft laugh and walked past the guide, heading straight for the Esper. As they got closer, the sound of the shutters grew louder, almost frightening. More and more people stretched out their arms to take photos with their phones. Oh Jinwoo silently watched the scene, not budging from his grip on Taehun’s neck.

Because of that, Ji Gwanyeong’s eyebrow twitched. As Taehun had guessed, Ji Gwanyeong was indeed very displeased. The detached feeling he had experienced moments ago, which had made him feel almost like a fool, was long gone, replaced by a much darker mood.

In truth, dealing with the people following him had become tiresome, something he had experienced repeatedly to the point of indifference. It was a little annoying, but as long as he handled it quickly and focused on Taehun, it would be fine.

But the unfamiliar pair before him was a different matter.

As he began visiting the center regularly, Ji Gwanyeong had encountered more types of “power” than he had seen in his entire life. However, none of those powers had made him feel threatened.

Thanks to that, the Esper could always place them on his scales and weigh them at his leisure. The dreadful feeling that Miyeon and Oh Yeon had experienced when they first met Ji Gwanyeong had been caused by his blatant scorn.

This leisurely disdain was a luxury only a top predator could afford.

But now, the Esper standing so close to his guide appeared hazy, like a thin mist, making it impossible to gauge what kind of power they possessed. The shape was discernible, but it was unclear what kind of force the individual held.

Ji Gwanyeong ignored Lee Hansol, who was smiling brightly in front of him, and focused his eyes on Taehun’s neck, which was still held by Oh Jinwoo. When he tuned out all other sounds and focused on “Taehun’s” unique presence, he could feel the slightly rapid pulse, tense and quick.

The moment earlier this morning, when Taehun’s bare skin had touched him, was still so vivid that it sent chills down his spine. The expression Taehun had as he fell asleep again while talking to him, the breath he had heard when he hugged him tightly, were all cherished memories stacking up inside him.

The man, Oh Jinwoo, seemed to have no intention of hiding his presence at all. This was why Ji Gwanyeong had been able to notice him right away. His blatant approach, as if to say, I am coming closer to your guide, made Ji Gwanyeong feel mocked.

“Hey, Mr. Ji Gwanyeong, don’t you see me?”

Miyeon, who was waving her hand in a somewhat childish and light manner, seemed to find Ji Gwanyeong’s indifference absurd.

The man finally tilted his head slightly and looked at the young man. His gaze was so cynical, as if he found the conversation not even worth his time. The reporters were the ones who were stirred by this. Ji Gwanyeong, the gentle and kind actor beloved by everyone, the man they knew. No matter how rude the questions or how terrible the situation during interviews, he never showed any signs of shaking, always providing the perfect, model answer. To describe him as “smart” would have been an insult.

But the man before them now felt different from the one they knew. His strangely sharp expression made them tilt their heads in confusion. The reporters’ assumptions, in fact, were a rather sharp and professional analysis.

Right now, he wasn’t ‘Actor Ji Gwanyeong.’ He was simply ‘Esper Ji Gwanyeong.’

“Haha. Now you’re looking at me. Nice to meet you! I’ve really wanted to meet you, but you must be quite busy.”

“…….”

“I rushed over because I heard you were here. I’m Lee Hansol, and this person over here—”

“A guide. You.”

Lee Hansol, who had been speaking quickly with a slightly flustered expression, widened his eyes in surprise. Despite Ji Gwanyeong’s somewhat rude attitude cutting off his words, Hansol didn’t look displeased. Instead, he beamed with a bright smile, as if pleased.

“Yes! Yes, you know? I’m the ‘guide’!”

“Of that Esper?”

It was a strange question that sounded like an inquiry but didn’t seem to convey any curiosity. Taehun rolled his eyes and looked at the man behind him, who had still not said a word but was holding onto him. His slightly dark skin and brown hair gave him a soft appearance at first glance, but his emotionless, gloomy face made it hard to label him with any one feeling.

“Ah, Jinwoo. Jinwoo… um, yes, right now?”

Taehun clearly noticed the moment the man behind him flinched. But even then, the situation wasn’t easy to understand. The young man, who was a guide like him, had called Ji Gwanyeong “my Esper.”

But now, did he say he was paired with this man?

Taehun felt completely confused by the whole situation. Lee Hansol continued, speaking in a bright voice.

“Actually, I think I’ll switch to Ji Gwanyeong!”

The following explanation didn’t really help clarify anything.

The guide blinked slowly with wide eyes as he mulled over Hansol’s words. He had never heard of Esper reassignments, not even at the center. More than that, there was no way “Ji Gwanyeong” could be reassigned. …It shouldn’t be allowed.

The Esper, staring at the young man with his drowsy eyes that revealed nothing, opened his mouth slowly, as if exhaling a deep breath.

“You want to change me into an Esper?”

“Yes. Jinwoo really dislikes me, so the matching rate has been all over the place, and he’s always struggling with the rebound.”

“…….”

“But Ji Gwanyeong is really a strong Esper! ‘Third measurement impossible,’ that’s even higher than Jinwoo! So I thought it was a good opportunity!”

The expressions of those eavesdropping, with their ears perked up, changed. Ji Gwanyeong had never revealed any information about himself to the outside world, except for the fact that he had an impressive matching rate with his guide. So much so that there were low-level websites that constantly wrote fictional stories about his abilities.

In such a situation, the idea of revealing not only his guide but also the abilities that had been shrouded in mystery started to come to light, and it was incredibly intriguing.

‘Impossible to measure’? ‘Third’?

The monster slowly moved, while taking in all the murmurs of the people behind him. This caused an opposite reaction from the two guides. Lee Hansol’s expression became brighter as the distance between him and the monster closed, while his pair, Choi Taehun, strangely became pale.

But whether the monster knew this or not, he spoke in a completely calm voice.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Huh? Oh, uh…”

Lee Hansol, who for the first time showed a slightly awkward expression, paused before answering.

“Uhh, well, that’s kind of… hard to say.”

Then why bring it up in the first place!?

Choi Taehun inwardly shouted in frustration. But he quickly snapped to attention at the question his Esper had asked. Until now, no one at the center had ever mentioned anything about the ‘second impossible-to-measure’ Esper before Ji Gwanyeong.

But the man holding onto him was that person, and it felt strangely surreal. Moreover, it was strange that this man was casually recounting details about Ji Gwanyeong that had never been made public.

‘Should I contact the center?’

The guide tried once more to pull his arm free from the grip, but once again, it was futile. That was when Oh Jinwoo’s gaze flicked briefly toward Taehun. He looked at the guide’s profile, who had turned pale from the tension, with a somewhat troubled expression.

Because of this, even the monster’s eyes, which had never been shaken by any words or situations, narrowed slightly. Ji Gwanyeong was a man who couldn’t tolerate anyone—especially an Esper—showing interest in his pair.

“Right, you said your name was Lee Hansol?”

“Yes!”

“How do you plan to make me your Esper?”

Something seemed to drop in the guide’s chest with a heavy thud.

The guide stared blankly at the Esper, visible over Lee Hansol’s shoulder. For a moment, his muscles tensed so much that veins stood out on his neck, and his heart began to race rapidly.

The black eyes staring directly at him held a faint smile. Without realizing it, Taehun found himself moving his lips, licking his dry mouth with his tongue. Even though he knew it wouldn’t work, he tried to push Oh Jinwoo’s arm away once again.

Lee Hansol, noticing that the monster’s gaze was fixed solely on Taehun and not on him, clicked his tongue lightly.

“That’s easy.”

“Easy?”

Here is the English translation:

“Of course. Just that person, Choi Taehun over there—”

At that moment, the sound of a foot dragging along the asphalt as it lost its strength was heard, and Taehun’s body collapsed forward. Though it was a bit of a rough manner, it was actually Oh Jinwoo’s way of showing consideration.

The guide, unconscious, leaned limply into Oh Jinwoo’s arm. Ji Gwanyeong watched every move that Oh Jinwoo made. He could have stopped him, but he didn’t.

He didn’t stop him because he knew his pair wouldn’t be pleased with what he was about to do.

“It’s all about killing.”

The harsh words, spoken in an everyday tone, made everyone around them inhale sharply. Someone even whispered uncertainly, “Isn’t this being filmed right now?”

Ji Gwanyeong’s gaze, which had been fixed on Taehun without a single shift, finally began to move. A slight smile appeared on his face, and the emotion that had been difficult to define until now finally shifted to one side.

Hansol’s heart raced with excitement.

Who’s stronger, Oh Jinwoo or Ji Gwanyeong? Now, he just had to choose! Then, the strongest Esper would truly be his!

However, unlike Hansol, Oh Jinwoo found Ji Gwanyeong’s change in demeanor odd. Ji Gwanyeong had shown visible displeasure when he touched this man, retaliating with his strength. The sharp, intangible energy from him was still enough to send a shiver down his spine.

But now, Ji Gwanyeong was looking a bit more languid, his eyes half-lidded, wearing a face that seemed to enjoy the situation. His guide was unconscious, leaning on him, yet he looked strangely entertained. Oh Jinwoo was unsettled by the mysterious shift in his attitude. A deep, instinctive sense of unease crept up inside him, a feeling so unfamiliar that he couldn’t even recall when he had last felt it.

Ji Gwanyeong slowly opened his mouth.

“…I understand now.”

The man, who found it perfectly natural to be the center of attention, was smiling alone in the now quiet street. Oh Jinwoo thought he saw his eyes flash toward him for a brief moment.

“You don’t want to fight, do you? You’re too scared to even touch Taehun.”

“…”

“So that’s why you made such a fuss, asking to be watched so irritatingly, ‘Second Impossible-to-Measure,’ huh?”

Hansol noticed his Esper avoiding Ji Gwanyeong’s gaze and watched carefully. After confirming Oh Jinwoo’s reaction, the Esper sighed softly and waved his hand lightly.

At first, the sound was barely noticeable, like small movements of insects. It was the kind of noise that could be missed by some but was slightly disturbing for those with keen ears.

But the strange sound grew louder and soon began to mix with the sharp screech of metal being scraped. The slight confusion that appeared on Hansol’s face started at that moment.

Ji Gwanyeong moved his fingers as if playing a delicate instrument. Then, an object that had appeared to be a dark blur due to its speed rose into the air.

“W-what? What?!”

A man’s shout was followed by screams from everywhere. With the only man holding the leash asleep, there was no way to stop the monster now more completely than ever.

Cameras, cell phones, laptops…

All the metal pieces that could be captured and transmitted in his sight never escaped Ji Gwanyeong’s view. The struggling power that tried to escape was laughable. The numerous pieces of metal, taken by the Esper, collided rapidly, starting to make an intense, tearing sound. In the midst of the chaos, where even his own voice seemed inaudible, Oh Jinwoo met the gaze of the smiling Esper.

The monster looked as though it was reflecting its earlier self in a mirror. Just as Oh Jinwoo had held onto Choi Taehun, Ji Gwanyeong grabbed Hansol, who was absent-mindedly taking in the scene around him. But the people no longer had time to look at the man they loved—or had loved. They were only trying to escape the fear that the swirling metal pieces would come crashing down on them.

However, the monster did not allow even that. What he wanted was the perfect isolation of this space. He knew exactly how to block any unnecessary chatter from escaping.

Ji Gwanyeong began to summon the soldiers he was skilled at handling. Before long, a massive sound was heard as huge streams of water rushed rapidly to every possible exit. The water, now a dark blue, mingled with the metal, crashing onto the asphalt in the form of a giant prison.

“But if you had the mental energy to care this much, before that…”

“…Wait!”

Hansol stared at Ji Gwanyeong, who was slowly tightening his grip on his neck, with a dazed expression. The voice of Oh Jinwoo, sounding somewhat urgent, no longer mattered to him. Just before losing consciousness, he smiled slightly at the whispering voice of the Esper in his ear.

—You should have made sure he couldn’t act so arrogantly.

Lhaozi’s Note: Hello, this is the translator, Pardon me if there was and will be grammatical error and name error, please comment it if you encounter it so that I can fixed it, Thankyou so much, this had a manwha and when I searched there was also a novel of it so i again, took the liberty to translate the novels, Thankyou for reading this with me!