Approximal Guide

I had a dream.“Instructor, why are you sleeping in a place like this when it’s so cold?”“Yeah, it is cold. Come here.”I pulled Kim Moohyuk, who had been staring at me as I slept on the couch, towards me. At the time, he was still about my height. Despite his immense latent power, Moohyuk easily collapsed into my arms.“C-…Instructor, I—”“Taking naps helps you grow taller.”It wasn’t something you’d say to a man in his twenties, but to me, Kim Moohyuk still seemed like a child. A superpowered Esper, whose abilities had manifested after his rage at a foster home director who embezzled self-sufficiency funds. Despite his age, Moohyuk carried a tremendous burden, especially with the S++ rating of his powers weighing on him.Every morning, his body must have felt twisted, and his nervous system probably burned with pain at every second. The cost of gaining such strength must have come with torment. If anything, he might have pleaded for the pain to stop, even if it couldn’t be strong. Yet, despite enduring all that pain, Moohyuk never once asked me for guidance. He never showed a hint of suffering. I felt sorry for him. That’s why I decided that while he was in the military, I would look after him.I didn’t care about the couch creaking in protest as I lay down next to him. Wrapping my arm around his back, I placed my hand on his waist, pulling him gently towards me with my palm against his chest to keep him from falling off.“Why is your heart beating so fast? Did you exercise?”I could feel Moohyuk’s heart thumping under my palm. It felt strange that his pulse was so quick, so I asked him about it. I saw his neck flush red. Had he really been working out? But Moohyuk said nothing.“Are you hot?”“…No.”His voice was slightly trembling. Despite the weather not being cold, and it wasn’t hot either, why was he shaking and his neck red? As I drifted in and out of sleep, my mind wandered, but I couldn’t settle on an answer. So, I buried my face in Moohyuk’s shoulder blades, let out a breath, and tried to fall asleep again.“…Instructor, I’ll sleep for a bit… Let’s do the training after I wake up.”“…Is your knee still hurting?”“No. It’s much better since you massaged it yesterday.”The murmurs continued on the couch. As I gently patted Moohyuk’s flat chest to lull him back to sleep, I ended up falling asleep first. Why, on a day that wasn’t too hot or cold, did you tremble and have a flushed neck? I wondered about that now.“Ugh—!”I opened my eyes, gasping for breath, and a sharp headache made me lie back down again. It wasn’t just pain; it felt like all my senses were dull and heavy.Something was wrong. Where was I? What was I doing? As soon as I thought about it, something clicked.“Kim Moohyuk!”Startled, I tried to get up but ended up tumbling off the bed. My knee hit the floor, and as I rolled around in pain, I felt someone standing near my feet.“Ugh, uh…?”It was Moohyuk. That was when I finally managed to take in my surroundings. This was my room in the guide-exclusive dorm, room 203.“Who told you to speak casually?”Kim Moohyuk handed me a water bottle. I stared up at him blankly, still in disbelief that he was here and that I was here too. Moohyuk gave me a sidelong glance before abandoning the bottle and sitting down on the sofa, crossing his long legs. I continued to stare at him, confused. What was going on? What was happening? We were clearly—.Kim Moohyuk picked up the tablet next to the sofa and swiped across the screen. In a voice that wasn’t too loud or too soft, he said:“Diana’s virtual training program error acknowledgment case. Signed by Director Kim Seungcheol from the Central Technology Cooperation Department.”“…”I didn’t fully understand what he was saying. Could it be… the virtual training program?Then, a scattered memory surfaced. I remembered sinking underwater, blocked by some kind of black vine, and hearing Kim Moohyuk calling me. Was that the error? Noticing my confused expression, Moohyuk put the tablet down and placed his hands, clasped together, on his crossed knees.“Why did you lose consciousness? I brought you here, saved you, and made sure you were top of your training.”“What— Top of my training?”I asked hesitantly, and Moohyuk nodded indifferently.“Yeah. First place. A 150,000 won meal voucher for Yeopsae-dong’s restaurant.”“Wait!”“—I should be the one to keep it, right? I did all the work.”His nonchalant words made me frown. Wait a minute, we were both a team in this, so why was he taking everything? He had money. I had already lost everything to him. But I couldn’t bring that up.“You don’t need to know how much the CEO of a large corporation makes. I’m just guessing.”As I said this, Moohyuk lost interest in the topic and started looking around my room. That’s when I realized something.“Wait a minute! How did you get in here? You know Esper entry is banned in the guide-exclusive dorm, right?”“I don’t know. Why would I care about that?”When you first joined the center, you waited endlessly for me at the dormitory’s front gate. I didn’t say that aloud, though. Instead, I smacked my lips, and Kim Moohyuk narrowed his eyes as he stared at me before speaking again.“I’m not forbidden from doing anything.”“Who’s free from restrictions?”“This isn’t even worth being called forbidden.”His playful banter sounded oddly pleased, sending a shiver down my spine. Feeling unsettled because of Kim Moohyuk was a first. He’d grown, and I could sense it. Glancing at me briefly, he stood from his seat.“Since I’m awake, I’ll be going. It’s amusing how wary you are when I have no intention of devouring you.”“W-what did you just say?”“You’ve got a habit of asking about things you’ve already heard. I suppose you don’t plan on breaking that?”No, I don’t, you bastard. I glared at him with all the irritation I could muster, but Moohyuk, unreadable as ever, turned his back and walked toward the door.“There’s food on the table. Eat it.”And with that, he left through the front door. I stared after him, dumbfounded, before looking toward the table. A shopping bag from a well-known hanjeongsik restaurant in Yipseodong sat there. I approached, cautiously opening it, to find a stacked bento set inside.“…It’s been a while.”It was from the place we’d occasionally gone to together. Something inexplicable surged within me.“Bento? That guy’s not the type to care about such things. Especially for a Guide? He’d ignore one even if they dropped dead beside him. He’s always been meticulous about avoiding any entanglements.”Han Byeongeun spoke with a touch of disdain. I was puzzled at first but then recalled how thoroughly Kim Moohyuk avoided Guides altogether, even refusing to form pairs with them.Was that why he reacted so sternly when it came to guiding? But then, why did he ask me for it? The thought made me tilt my head in confusion. Watching me, Byeongeun suddenly covered his mouth as if struck by a realization.“Gasp—could it be? Colonel, did that bastard figure you out?”“What?”“I’m saying he wouldn’t act like this toward any other Guide. You’ve no idea how many Guides have cried because of him.”Even if he was unfriendly toward Guides, wasn’t it a stretch to think he suspected me? Who would ever imagine that a complete stranger’s soul could inhabit another’s body? Even I found it hard to believe, despite it being my reality. Sighing, I shook my head. Byeongeun dismissed me, saying he had research to attend to. I’d only dropped by his lab before work and was promptly chased out.I trudged back to the shared Guiding room, planning to clean up a bit, stretch out, and laze around until it was time to leave. News of my first-place finish in yesterday’s third joint training had apparently spread, as I noticed plenty of stares on my way from the research wing to the Guiding room.What are you all staring at? Never seen a center champion before? The attention didn’t bother me—I’d come in first before. Since I hadn’t been walking much lately, I took my time, savoring the moment. But upon opening the door to the Guiding room, I immediately sensed something off.“Why is it… so clean?”The room was suspiciously spotless. It had never been this pristine before. No matter how much I scrubbed, the place never improved. Perplexed, I looked around, and a faint noise drew my attention to the corner. Moving quietly toward the sound, I froze when I met the “gaze” of a mop hovering in midair. Like something out of a magical academy movie, it moved on its own.“What in the world…?”“Try living in a clean space.”“Wah—!”Startled by a voice behind me, I let out a yelp. Spinning around, I found Kim Moohyuk standing there, expression indifferent, waving me away like I was a nuisance. At his gesture, the mop obediently returned to the cleaning supplies cupboard. Oh… right. He’s a telekinetic Esper. Convenient, I suppose.“Isn’t it a waste of your abilities to use them for cleaning? You must have plenty of residual guiding energy.”“Hit rock bottom already and release the radiation Guiding. I need to sleep.”Without even glancing at me, he retorted and headed straight for what had essentially become his designated spot—the last bunk. Without drawing the curtain, he lay down on the bed. I was stunned. What am I, a humidifier? Do you expect me to radiate Guiding energy for your convenience?But then I remembered the lunch he’d brought me yesterday. Sighing at the price of a free meal, I reluctantly unfolded my radiation Guiding waves. You’re supposed to repay even a straw sandal with gratitude. How could I turn a blind eye after being fed? As soon as the waves spread, Kim Moohyuk seemed to fall asleep instantly. How does someone sleep so easily? Are the army doctors who diagnosed him all quacks?From then on, he frequently dropped by the shared Guiding room, using my radiation Guiding to sleep. It became routine. On days when he didn’t have missions, he’d sneak in as my shift ended, lie down without a word, and fall asleep. I’d delay my departure by an hour, guiding him while browsing the internet, playing Freecell, or reading until he woke. Sometimes we’d grab a meal together in the cafeteria or go to Yipseodong if I begged him enough, though the former was more common. I didn’t complain; the cafeteria’s spicy ramyeon was to die for.But today, I was in a foul mood from the start. It was raining. Rain always made me melancholy, bringing back memories of Ha Seonghan’s death. My knees ached, though there was no pain. Even telling myself that my broken knees were now ash and buried underground didn’t help.Eventually, I pulled out the old electrotherapy machine from a corner of the treatment room, attached the nodes to my knees, adjusted the settings, and flopped onto a bed.“…”On days like this, with the rain pattering outside, I longed for discharge. No, not discharge—I wanted to escape. To run away from here, from the military, from the center. To a place where I wouldn’t have to remember the day I lost Ha Seonghan, my Esper. Truthfully, I didn’t miss him. What I couldn’t stand was myself—constantly dwelling on him. Many people shoulder their pain and move on, yet here I was, crippled by my loss and solitude.Ha Seonghan had been like a brother to me. I grew up beside him, thinking we’d grow old together. But it ended too soon. After losing my Esper, I lived in a fog, only to eventually meet Moohyuk. Trying to recall the time in between, I found nothing. Only emptiness.His mood was sinking endlessly. He’d gone on morning walks, exercised, and even made an effort to take supplements to avoid feeling like this, yet here he was again. It was pathetic. Deciding he might as well just sleep, he buried himself under the blanket and stayed in bed all morning, not moving until someone shook him awake.“Have lunch.”“…….”It was Kim Moohyuk. He had shaken him awake. In that brief moment, he was cautious not to let the guiding waves of “Kang Hajung Colonel” spill out. He was sick of such things. Without answering, he kept the guiding waves he’d been emitting in check. Even though it made him nauseous, he endured it.“Get up. Eat, then sleep again.”“I’m not eating.”He responded curtly and turned his head, but, as always, Kim Moohyuk acted as though he hadn’t heard and helped him sit up. The way he slid his hands under his armpits and lifted him up was absurd.“What… are you doing?”His voice came out hoarse, laced with irritation. Kim Moohyuk looked down at him for a moment, then gestured with his chin toward a shopping bag on the desk. It had the logo of a sushi restaurant on it. He tried to speak as casually as he could.“Who eats raw fish on a rainy day? I’m not eating. Leave it, and I’ll eat it later.”“Eat it now. Also, thinking raw fish is bad on rainy days is outdated. What are you, from the Fifth Republic era?”…How did he know? Born during the military regime, he was hit with a pang of guilt and had no choice but to sit up. What would you know, being born during the presidency of a Nobel Peace Prize winner… He sighed as he straightened his back. Seeing this, Kim Moohyuk, apparently confident that he wouldn’t lie down again, walked over to the desk, pulled out the sushi from the bag, and started setting it up.Sighing, he got up slowly, only to feel something snag on his knee. Looking down, he saw it was the node he’d attached for electrotherapy earlier. It was still connected to the machine by a cord. He’d fallen asleep without taking it off. Noticing his hesitation, Kim Moohyuk glanced at his right knee and asked, “…Is your knee hurting?”He nodded absentmindedly before adding, just in case, “Ah, it’s just muscle pain. I did some squats before bed yesterday…”He muttered the excuse and removed the nodes. Limping slightly, he walked toward the desk, where Kim Moohyuk had already opened the sushi containers and neatly split the wooden chopsticks.“Thank you for the food. You always get such nice things for me. Feel free to bring even better stuff next time.”“You don’t seem to turn down much. Is that just your nature?”Kim Moohyuk, who had eventually handed him the gift vouchers from the last event, looked at him with a slight tilt of his head. Without responding, he grabbed a piece of tuna sushi and stuffed it into his mouth.“Yeah. I’m used to taking what others give me. I’ve got a pretty face, after all.”“You’re not that good-looking.”Kim Moohyuk responded instantly, without hesitation. Has he lost his mind? He looked at him in disbelief. He was quite proud of Sergeant Kang’s appearance.“Excuse me? I’m exceptional. If I hadn’t awakened as a Guide, I’d have debuted as a celebrity by now.”“Well, everyone has their own taste.”Kim Moohyuk propped his chin on his hand as he replied. His mouth, partially hidden behind his palm, seemed to twitch as though he was smiling faintly. It might have been his imagination, but it felt like a shame to miss even a hint of a smile from someone who rarely laughed anymore. Did he always like jokes like this? he wondered.But no matter how hard he tried to lift his spirits, it wasn’t easy. It seemed like having less muscle mass than his original body made him more vulnerable to depression. Even though his body had changed, he was still miserable on rainy days. The thought annoyed him. Because of that, his eating slowed significantly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat—it just felt like his throat wouldn’t open.Sensing his sluggishness, Kim Moohyuk quietly asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?”“…It’s not that, just…”He had no real excuse. I used to grow up with an Esper, but after he died, I’ve always been like this. You used to help me back then. When I was around you, I could function like a normal person. But now, look at me. I can’t even do that anymore. He couldn’t say that out loud.He wondered if his depression was because he couldn’t cling to Kim Moohyuk the way he wanted to. Checking the weather forecast, worrying about how his knees would feel before the rain, and then trying to lift his mood once the rain started—all these efforts to stay positive used to help. But now, even thinking about how Kim Moohyuk didn’t recognize him anymore felt like a license to wallow in his misery. It was a strange sense of liberation, as though he could finally afford to feel sad.Of course, it was nonsense. He hated seeing Kim Moohyuk in pain. A Guide wouldn’t want their Esper to suffer. Even if he couldn’t give him anything good, he didn’t want to burden him with the bad. That was why he had tried so hard. But now, it felt like all of that was meaningless. The overwhelming melancholy pressed down on him, and he couldn’t stop the spiral.Seeing him hesitate to finish the sushi, Kim Moohyuk covered the lid of the container.“I went out of my way to get this, and you’re wasting it. Might as well offer it to the spirits at this rate.”“You know what gosure is?”The remark made him chuckle despite himself. The same person who asked if he was born in the Fifth Republic was now talking about gosure. The way Kim Moohyuk picked up on his expressions felt oddly familiar, and it amused him. Kim Moohyuk didn’t respond, instead silently tidying up the table. Feeling guilty, he got up to brush his teeth and lay back down.“If you don’t have anything scheduled, take a break here too, Captain. I can give you some radiation-guiding.”He said this as he extended a measured dose of radiation-guiding, as though flipping on a humidifier switch. Without waiting for a response, he crawled back under the covers. Before his depression could eat him alive, he thought, Let me sleep it away instead. Soon after, he drifted off. Even though he’d been sleeping so much, he felt like he could keep sleeping forever.At some point, Kim Moohyuk woke him up to give him water. Half-asleep and puffy-faced, he shook his head.“I don’t want it.”“You could’ve finished it in the time it took to say that.”Wow, some things about him really never change. His persistence and knack for looking after people while sticking by them were remarkable. Resigned, I took the drink Moohyuk offered me, gulped it down, and then sprawled back into bed, falling asleep again. The next time I woke up, it was, predictably, because Kim Moohyuk had roused me.“…Aren’t you busy?”“Nope. I’ve got free time.”…I wasn’t asking because I was curious about your schedule. Speechless, I buried my face in my hands and dry-washed it out of sheer disbelief. Kim Moohyuk nudged me and said:“Let’s go eat.”“But… we just ate earlier.”“You slept yesterday, so why are you sleeping again?”“You’re awfully persuasive.”“Get up.”Without entertaining more of my nonsense, Kim Moohyuk told me to get moving. The resolve in his voice to drag me to the cafeteria no matter what left me with no choice but to get up and shake myself awake. Did we really have to live so diligently and eat so punctually? Regardless, he managed to load me into his jeep and drive to the cafeteria. Inside, I ended up staring blankly at the kiosk, too tired even to decide what to eat.Clicking his tongue, Moohyuk told me to sit down, assuring me he’d order something. The brief walk from the jeep to the cafeteria had left him slightly drenched from the rain, as he hadn’t bothered with an umbrella.As I sat there, half-dazed, Moohyuk returned and sat across from me. Without me asking, he explained what he’d ordered.“Seafood sundubu (soft tofu stew).”“Sounds nice, especially with this rainy weather.”The words left my mouth without much thought. I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach the food, but I figured it would be rude to dismiss his effort in dragging me here.It was then I noticed the stares from the people in the cafeteria.“People are really staring…”Muttering to myself, I must’ve caught Moohyuk’s attention. He glanced around the room before nonchalantly responding.“They might stare even more going forward.”“Why?”“Who knows.”There are two things in this world that drive me up the wall. One is someone leaving a sentence unfinished, and the other is…Before I could finish that thought, Moohyuk stood and brought back two trays of food. Watching him carry a boiling sundubu pot in one hand without spilling a drop made me a little envious of his strength.“Eat. Leave it if you can’t finish.”Setting the tray in front of me, Moohyuk added. I vaguely remembered him using similar words to comfort me in the past.“Colonel, even one bite would be fine. Just try.”“You don’t have to finish, but if you eat this much, I’ll stop bothering you.”He always waited patiently, as if gently coaxing a rescued stray dog, letting it know it now had a home and someone to care for it. It was that quiet kindness that saved me back then. That day, when everything went wrong, all I could think about was that I had to save him, no matter the cost. Even if it cost me my life, I didn’t regret it.And yet, as a result, here was Kim Moohyuk. Just as kind but sitting across from me with the driest expression in the world. Unaware his guide had survived and was back, he looked as if sleep had eluded him entirely.I wondered then if he resented me. After I left first, did he hate me the way I once despised Ha Seonghan? Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Moohyuk tapping my bowl with his chopsticks. It was as if to say, What are you doing, not eating?You arrogant punk. Hitting your mentor’s food like that. Though I thought it, I didn’t say a word and quietly picked up my spoon. Outside, a gentle rain continued to fall.* * *The next morning, when the sun rose, I found myself embarrassingly fine. A relief, really. Had I stayed in that state, I might’ve ended up digging metaphorical trenches so deep I’d need an excavator to get out. With my mind clearer, the first thing I reflected on was how Kim Moohyuk had looked after me.“…But why is he so damn kind?”Even when we used to work together, he was always busy taking care of me. If he met another guide and even bonded with them, I couldn’t imagine how much kinder he’d become.“If he gets any softer, he might get stoned by jealous guides thinking he’s leading them on. Shouldn’t he be warned?”It’s lucky for him I already knew about his nature. If I’d been any other guide, I might’ve thought Moohyuk was trying to seduce me. Clicking my tongue, I tidied up the shared guiding room that Moohyuk had already cleaned spotless. Not much happened today. The joint training ended after its third round, and rumors began to spread about how I’d helped Kim Moohyuk win first place.At least the whispers had calmed down. That was something. It used to feel like everyone glared at me whenever I walked by. Ridiculous, since I hadn’t wronged any of them.Still, with my future at the center uncertain, a better reputation couldn’t hurt. All I had to do was behave myself. That is, assuming Lee Jungkyu didn’t spread any unnecessary gossip.As I aimlessly tidied the room, someone entered the shared guiding space.“Delivery here.”“Oh, thanks. Appreciate it.”A public service worker carrying several boxes entered. The supplies I’d ordered had finally arrived, and the number of boxes suggested I’d ordered quite a bit.Since Espers and guides are classified information—at least in a superficial sense—public service workers assigned to the center must sign confidentiality agreements. The one before me was no exception. I handed him a drink as thanks, and he saluted awkwardly before leaving, his face flushed, perhaps from the heat.The boxes were plenty, so I began organizing the supplies. It felt a bit presumptuous to handle the shared room’s items without the chief’s input, but necessities needed restocking. Opening the boxes, discarding tape, and arranging the contents eventually left me with a sore back.“Ahh, my poor back…”The groan typical of middle-aged men escaped my lips involuntarily. It couldn’t be helped—I was, after all, at that age. As I finished organizing the last of the supplies, I noticed something strange: an object on the floor floated into the air. I instantly realized it was Kim Moohyuk’s ability at work.“You’re here after all. Thought you wouldn’t show up today.”Without turning around, I spoke and slowly straightened my back before glancing in his direction. As expected, Kim Moohyuk was there, lazily flicking his index finger in the air to move the items from the floor into the cupboards. Watching the simultaneous levitation and organization of multiple objects, I couldn’t help but marvel—it was a sight that was both fascinating and immensely practical.“Your ability is incredibly convenient.”“Then guide me a bit, knowing that.”Kim Moohyuk’s tone was as expressionless as his face. Though there was a faint hint of jest in his words, his flat delivery made it hard to discern his true intent. Smirking, I prepared to deploy a radiative guiding wave, but he lightly shook his head, halting me.“Not that—contact.”What? A request for physical contact? That was unusual. Considering how he’d previously expressed discomfort about guiding through touch, I assumed he disliked it. Puzzled, I tilted my head but stepped forward and offered my hand. He stared at it briefly before clasping it with his own, his rough, scarred fingers covering mine. His hand was large—noticeably so. I loosely held onto it.“Don’t you have a mission today?”Judging by how he’d stared at his pager and phone last night, I figured he must have had something scheduled. He’d developed a habit of scrutinizing his devices on nights before missions. Although we didn’t explicitly share such details, his patterns were predictable. I was confident this was another such occasion—apparently, I was wrong.As I tilted my head in confusion, Kim Moohyuk, still looking down at our clasped hands, finally spoke.“You’re right. I’ll be heading out now.”“So you stopped by for some guiding before you go?”He didn’t answer that question directly, but I found some solace in the implication. If he left without sufficient guidance and ended up injured again, it would only create more headaches for both of us. Thinking back to his signs of burnout and previous episodes, I couldn’t help but focus a bit more on the guiding process.That was when I noticed Kim Moohyuk’s gaze shift—not from our hands but to my face.“Is there something on my face?”“…”He didn’t answer, but his unwavering stare made me increasingly self-conscious. The silence grew so unnerving that I tried to pull my hand away, only for him to interlock his fingers with mine. His large fingers brushing against the delicate skin between mine felt oddly intimate, though I was used to this sensation from guiding. It wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kim Moohyuk spoke—but not in response to my question.“I want you to become my pair.”“…What did you just say?”I couldn’t help but ask for clarification. A pair? So soon? I never imagined he’d propose something like this so quickly. According to Han Byeongeun, Kim Moohyuk hadn’t paired with anyone in the past five years, nor had he received guiding unless he was on the verge of losing control. Startled, I blinked up at him. He seemed completely serious.“I… I don’t understand…”As I stammered, he casually pressed his thumb into my hand and lightly tapped the back of it, as if playing around. His voice, still indifferent, responded to my bewilderment.“What part?”“All of it. It’s just surprising to hear something like this out of the blue.”Come to think of it, this was my first time being formally asked to pair with an Esper. With Kim Moohyuk, it had been forced. With Ha Seonghan, it happened naturally. The idea of making Kim Moohyuk my third official pair felt strange.While I wrestled with my confusion, Kim Moohyuk checked the residual guiding levels displayed on his internal clock. Releasing our clasped hands, he spoke again.“Think about it while I’m gone.”An uncharacteristic burst of annoyance welled up within me.“…But don’t you think your proposal was too casual? There wasn’t even a hint of tension.”At that, Kim Moohyuk, who had been turning to leave, glanced back at me.“Would you prefer it with more tension?”Before I could answer, he closed the distance between us in an instant, staring down at me. If I were in my original body, the height difference wouldn’t have been so dramatic, but in Sergeant Kang’s frame, there was at least a 10-centimeter gap. His sheer size was intimidating, and the way he loomed over me exuded pressure.“This isn’t tension—it feels more like a death threat. Are you saying you’ll kill me if I refuse?”“Maybe you should think carefully about that. What if rejecting this proposal really does put you at risk of being killed?”“Wait, are you seriously—”“What would I gain from killing you? If anything happens, it won’t be my doing.”Kim Moohyuk’s voice was dry as he turned on his heel and walked toward the door.“What do you mean by that?”I called after him urgently, but he didn’t even glance back as he casually pushed the door open and left.“…What? Is someone out to kill me or something?”Left dumbfounded, I muttered to myself. The only response was the empty echo of the guiding room.“Tell me before you go!”My indignant shout reverberated through the quiet space.Thanks to Kim Moohyuk’s cryptic remarks, I spent the entire day feeling uneasy. By evening, however, my worries were swept away by a different, far more infuriating incident.It all started with a message from Han Byeongeun.[Colonel has been X’d.] 8:32 PMI was staring at my phone in disbelief, trying to process the absurdity of it all, when another message popped up. It was a URL. Curious, I clicked on the link, and a browser window opened.Squinting at the tiny text, I zoomed in and was greeted by an utterly ridiculous post.Post Number: 627189Title: Exposing the Personality of Sergeant Guide Working in the Shared Guidance OfficeContent:So, my friend used to work on the same team as this guy. And this dude? A mere sergeant, but he constantly disrespected my friend, who’s an officer. We were just waiting for the right day to give him a proper disciplinary session.(Not some military hazing thing—it’s a matter of discipline, so don’t come at me.)But a little while back, he went ahead and reported my friend to a captain-level Esper, claiming he was being bullied and couldn’t stand it anymore.Because of that, my friend’s team leader got reprimanded and demoted. How many people have to suffer because of this jerk with zero personality?And now, get this. This guy’s really outdone himself. He’s been sticking to that captain-level Esper like glue, and now he’s somehow gotten promoted in guide rank. Rumor has it that the Esper pulled some strings for him behind the scenes.He’s a disgrace to guides everywhere. Special Forces’ reputation? Completely trashed. He’s climbed so high that we can’t even discipline him now.My friend’s been crying her eyes out over the injustice of it all and even fainted. It’s heartbreaking. Meanwhile, this guy has the audacity to keep showing up at the Leaf Wing dining hall, eating with that captain-level Esper. Does the Esper even know what kind of person he is? Should I tell him? What happens if he’s being played?Anonymous1: Just name him outright.└ Seriously. You’re basically giving everything away already, lol.Anonymous2: Oh, that guy~~~~~~ Everyone knows him~~~ 😂└ Who?

└└ Dude, it says he works in the shared guidance office. Use your brain.Anonymous3: Is it okay to post this kind of stuff? You’re begging for disciplinary action.└ Then why even call this board the “Special Forces Communication Hub”? Just rename it to “Special Forces Misinformation Hub.”└└ Did I name it? Why are you ranting at me here?(Comments: View All 1,935)Halfway through reading, it hit me. This post was targeting me.Seriously… who the hell posted this garbage? The writer claimed to be a friend of the guide in question, but it was obvious. It had to be Lee Jungkyu. Of course. He wanted a public smear campaign? Fine. Let’s play. Grinding my teeth, I resisted the urge to storm over and confront him. That would be a rookie move.He wanted to play dirty politics with me in the military? The nerve, from someone who wasn’t even born during the Gulf War. Impressive creativity, though.Although Lee Jungkyu deleted the post quickly, screenshots had already spread like wildfire through the base’s group chats. If someone as out of the loop as Han Byeongeun had forwarded it to me, the post must’ve made its rounds multiple times by now. It was far too late to try damage control.A smarter counterattack was necessary.And in situations like this, the most important strategy was often waiting. Lay low and wait for the enemy to let their guard down. Over the next two days, I actually frequented the base cafeteria more often, gathering rumors.* * *By the morning after the post went live—barely 24 hours later—I walked into the cafeteria with my tray, sensing the buzzing of whispers around me. Like a swarm of bees, people murmured and gossiped as they glanced my way.Feigning ignorance, I took a seat and mechanically shoveled food into my mouth, eavesdropping on their conversations.Most of the chatter revolved around how shameless I was and how much Lee Jungkyu had allegedly suffered because of me. A clear sign that this smear campaign was his doing.Once I’d gathered enough intel, I stood up and dumped my barely touched tray of food into the bin.“Such an entitled brat. Why waste so much food?”I ignored their griping and walked out.* * *The following day, I headed to Leaf Wing to gauge how much the rumors had grown.Leaf Wing was a hub for all Esper guides in the center, so I’d assumed some people might still be unaware of the situation. Wrong. Every step I took was met with scrutinizing stares.The uncomfortable atmosphere was palpable, but it only confirmed one thing: the rumors had spread even further.By today, I decided the situation was ripe for action. Time to face Lee Jungkyu directly.I headed to the headquarters building’s Guide Management Department. Conveniently, I’d received a notification about an upcoming training program for A-rank guides like myself, giving me a reason to be there.Meanwhile, the rumors had evolved into something even more elaborate. A new post on the board accused me of severing ties with my uncle, Kang Byeongchan, who had supposedly taken me in when I was an orphan. It claimed I’d refused to meet him when he visited the center recently, despite his concerns for my wellbeing.The story was suspiciously detailed. It mixed truth with lies so skillfully that whoever wrote it must have been stalking me. How else could they know such specific details? Had they even spoken to Kang Byeongchan? But how?Either way, I felt my adrenaline spike. I wasn’t the type to back down from a fight.Upon reaching the Guide Management Department on the ninth floor, I boarded the elevator, only for it to fill quickly with others. Pressed against the wall, I listened to the chatter around me.“How’d you even find him?”“Who wouldn’t know that booze-addled lunatic? The team leader practically had to wrestle him away from the dorms.”The voice was unmistakably Lee Jungkyu’s.Oh? What an interesting topic. My ears perked up.“Still, how did you track him down? He’s a civilian, isn’t he?”“Who knows? He just showed up drunk one day, claiming an Esper helped him. Like hell anyone would believe that. He’s always been a braggart—Kang Jerkface hated his guts.”Kang Jerkface? Probably Sergeant Kang. No wonder he despised that uncle of his—who’d like a relative who only shows up to leech off you?But the part about an Esper’s help? Now that was curious. What kind of Esper would go out of their way to assist someone like Kang Byeongchan?“Oh. This is our stop. Let’s go.”As much as I wanted to hear more, the elevator stopped at the 9th floor, and they quickly got off. I waited until the doors closed, then asked the person in front to press the button for the 10th floor. Once I got there, I ran down the emergency stairs. As I descended, I noticed quite a few guides around—most of them seemed to be A-rank or higher.Unfortunately, the ones I’d trained were nowhere to be seen. That wasn’t surprising, really. The guides I had trained were likely serving as heads of various centers by now. Even though I couldn’t reveal the truth, I had hoped to spot at least one familiar face. But perhaps that was just wishful thinking.I dismissed my expectations and started walking down the hallway. I could feel the guides who had been looking elsewhere now turning their attention to me. I was used to this sort of gaze—it had been happening a lot lately. It’s common for D-ranks to advance to C-rank, and uncommon for C-ranks to rise to B-rank, but it’s exceedingly rare for a B-rank to become A-rank. So, what about a D-rank rising to A-rank? That’s practically unheard of. But here I was, breaking that improbability. Who wouldn’t turn their heads? Especially since the guide who had achieved this was once the most disliked person in the center.I could feel them murmuring as they stared. Go ahead and stare—I already admired my reflection this morning while brushing my teeth. Not letting it bother me, I walked straight to the reception desk for the guide management department and spoke to the clerk.“Sergeant Kang Hajung, affiliated with the shared guiding room. I’m here after receiving the training notice.”“Yes, please fill this out, and sign here, here, and here.”The clerk, apparently unfazed by any gossip in the military, simply handed me the documents with a tired look. After enduring enough stares on my way here from the emergency exit, her nonchalant attitude was oddly refreshing. I quickly signed the papers. Despite not even glancing at me, she somehow knew when I had finished and swiftly took the documents, typed something into her computer, and pointed somewhere with her pen.“Go over there and give them your queue number. It’s 17.”“Understood, ma’am.”I gave a half-hearted salute and headed where she directed. Another clerk was seated at a desk in front of the training room, handling check-ins. After giving my number, I was told to wait again. Lovely. A whole day of waiting, it seemed.The guides seated on the row of single chairs against the wall had probably already completed check-in. I craned my neck to see if there was an empty seat.A few steps further, I spotted an open spot at the end of the row. I started heading there when suddenly, someone stuck out their leg, blocking my path. I would’ve tripped if I dodged, so instead, I stepped squarely on their ankle.“Argh!”“Oh, what’s this nuisance in the way?”Feigning ignorance about what I had just stepped on, I kept walking. But the group of guides, incensed that their companion’s ankle had been trampled, stood up and confronted me.“Don’t you have any manners? You’re a lower rank, and you dare step on someone’s foot—”“I didn’t see it, sir. Your leg was so long you stretched it across the hallway. I envy your height, sir,” I said with exaggerated politeness, flashing a double thumbs-up at the guide clutching his ankle with a grimace.“Are you insane?!”“Wow, all this over a mistake. I’d better report this to the human rights office—military harassment, huh? I’ve only heard of it, but I never thought it’d be this bad.”As I muttered in a monotone and pulled out my phone, the injured guide glared daggers at me. What are you going to do, glare me to death? I wasn’t intimidated in the slightest and shrugged with a smug, indifferent expression.Their hostility toward me felt too intense to be just about rumors. Most likely, they were irked by how I had climbed the ranks and gotten so close to their level. Moreover, all A-rank and higher guides were vying to pair with Kim Moohyuk. And lately, I’d been spending quite a bit of time with him. Back when I was still a D-rank, they probably thought there was no way I’d end up as his partner.But now that I’d jumped to A-rank and was practically breathing down their necks, they were probably feeling the heat. My promotion must have been a warning shot to them—a harbinger of the competition intensifying.“Are you completely out of your mind? You think you can ignore your seniors just because you’ve been promoted?”“When did I ever ignore my seniors? I’ve been nothing but respectful, addressing you formally and all. If I hadn’t realized you were my senior, I would’ve started with, ‘Do you know me?’”The guides looked flabbergasted. Ignoring them, I took a seat and waited for my name to be called. The training itself wasn’t anything special—groups of four would go into the training room, attend a brief session, and come out.While sitting with my arms crossed in silence, I overheard nearby guides raising their voices just loud enough for me to hear.“Isn’t he Jungkyu’s second-in-command?”“Jungkyu went through hell because of him. They say he once locked Jungkyu in the restroom on mission day so he could take the assignment for himself. Team 12’s esper had to rescue him.”Excuse me? I’m the one who got locked in. The lies Lee Jungkyu spread were truly impressive. Still, I decided to ignore it for now. No good would come from poking the hornet’s nest. I’d wait for the right moment.At that moment, the previous group’s training ended, and Lee Jungkyu emerged with a few other guides. The instant he saw me, his face stiffened.“Whoa, Kang Hajung’s here too?”“So that promotion rumor wasn’t fake?”I heard his group murmuring. Sure, keep talking. I’m a piece of gum—chew away. I stared blankly into space until Lee Jungkyu approached me.“Hajung, where have you been staying lately? Why haven’t you been coming to Team 12’s quarters? Are the rumors true that you’ve been staying in another esper’s quarters?”Wow, Jungkyu’s really laying it on thick. I couldn’t hold back a faint smirk.Rumors of romantic relationships between guides and espers were rampant in the center. After all, guiding required physical contact. Still, a guide from one team cohabiting with another team’s esper was considered dishonorable for a soldier. Guides took pride in doing their best for their assigned team.In short, Jungkyu was trying to destroy my reputation under the guise of concern, casting himself as the responsible senior guide worried about his troublesome subordinate.But the difference between us wasn’t just seniority. I wasn’t bad at politics—I just found it unnecessary and annoying. Still, in this cutthroat world of guides, maintaining my reputation required finesse.Suddenly, I bowed my head and spoke in a tearful voice loud enough for everyone to hear.“Senior, no matter how much you say, I can’t do your laundry anymore. Making me hand-wash your underwear in freezing water during winter and iron it too—it ruined the fabric. I heard from other second-in-commands that this isn’t even my responsibility. That’s why I left the quarters! Why are you lying about it now? You always lie—it makes me so upset!”