Approximal Guide

“It’s done now.”“Done, my foot. Ugh, my head.”“See? I told you it’s done.”The guy mumbled in a detached tone, stood up, and slid his hands under my armpits. With a motion like pulling out a radish, he yanked me upright. Thanks to his effort, I managed to stand on my feet, though I couldn’t stop my heavy head from lolling forward. Clicking his tongue, Kim Moohyuk grabbed my waist and pulled me into his arms.“You found me pretty fast.”“I had to run around quite a bit. Thought I was going to die from all that sprinting.”Feigning composure, I replied. In truth, I’d been panicking, dashing around, and making a huge fuss worrying about what might happen to you. But, of course, I couldn’t say that out loud. Hearing my simple response, Kim Moohyuk turned his head and glanced toward the corner of the training room, as if inspecting a broken surveillance camera lens. It was too far to make out clearly, but I couldn’t underestimate an esper’s vision, so I changed the subject.Supporting me as if carrying me, he walked us forward. After removing his goggles, he took mine off too. Instantly, the augmented reality vanished, and the training room seemed to shrink rapidly. We were close to the exit now. The two of us left the training room in reasonably good shape. As expected, there was no one outside. The officer who’d been slacking off in the shared guidance room hadn’t returned yet. With the surveillance camera broken, that officer was surely in for a disciplinary report—perhaps even busted for slacking.Serves them right for taking esper rampages so lightly, I thought smugly to myself as Kim Moohyuk tossed both pairs of goggles carelessly onto a desk and then dragged me out with him.“No record of the training? That’s grounds for discipline…”Startled by Moohyuk’s muttering, I forced an awkward laugh.“How about we just grab some food? I’m starving.”“Food?”He glanced at the clock on the wall, as if to point out it wasn’t mealtime yet. I wanted to steer the conversation away before he could further incriminate the poor officer who’d be writing disciplinary reports for weeks.“Well, technically, you did soak up my guidance, but—”Kim Moohyuk cut me off before I could finish. He even pried me out of his arms, leaving me to blink at him in confusion. His ears tinged red as he looked down at me with incredulous eyes. What’s with him?“…What did I ‘soak up’?”“Huh? I mean the guidance—”“Your word choice is always so crude.”Scowling deeply, he stomped out of the training room alone, leaving me behind in bewilderment.“What the…? Crude? Me?”Mumbling in disbelief, I belatedly called after him. “Wait for me!” But he didn’t respond.* * *“Rice cake ramen.”“No.”“Then spicy ramen.”“No.”“Uh… fine, seafood ramen?”He raised an eyebrow and looked down at me. This guy really seems determined to ban ramen from my life, even if I change bodies. Ramen companies nationwide would denounce him for this. Frustrated, I glared at Kim Moohyuk.“You said you’d buy me food! Why are all my choices vetoed? What am I supposed to eat then?”Without a word, he pressed a button on the kiosk. The screen displayed: “Nourish your body with a bowl of stone pot bibimbap made with five colorful vegetables! Become a healthy esper or guide today!” The cheerful message seemed to mock my inability to eat ramen, making me angrier.“I don’t want bibimbap!”“Eat it.”“What? Why can’t I choose my food?!”Ignoring my fiery protests, Kim Moohyuk placed a hand on the top of my head and spun me around like a bowling ball before gently pushing me toward a seat.“Stop making a scene and sit down. Who shouts like this in a dining hall?”“Why not teach me multiplication tables while you’re at it? If you’re so keen on lecturing manners, start by addressing this dictatorship where I can’t even pick my meal in a free country!”“And you’ve got some nerve mentioning dictatorship in a military facility.”He yawned nonchalantly at my words. …Okay, that might have been a touchy subject. Anyway, I wanted rice cake ramen! Why did I end up with stone pot bibimbap?Kim Moohyuk steadily ignored my grumbling, retrieving the food as soon as it was ready. He returned with my bibimbap and an absurd amount of food for himself: a plate of meat dumplings, a plate of kimchi dumplings, two rolls of gimbap, a bowl of udon, and raw fish rice.“Where’s the party?” I couldn’t help but remark, staring at the mountain of dishes. Even a waiter with ten years of buffet experience couldn’t have balanced so many plates as well as Kim Moohyuk. But he didn’t answer my admiration.Once the food was set, he placed my bibimbap in front of me and began tackling his feast in silence. Watching him devour the food with such intensity, I marveled again at his voracious appetite, typical of espers but extraordinary even by their standards.“Want a dumpling?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at my staring.“No, thanks.”Sighing, I stirred my bibimbap with a spoon, the sesame oil sizzling slightly. Kim Moohyuk frowned and slid the bowl closer to him, taking my chopsticks to mix it himself. Typical. He still had that habit of looking after his hapless superior. I suppressed a smile as he diligently stirred my meal.Meanwhile, I snuck a dumpling. Glancing at him for a reaction, I saw he didn’t even notice. Once the bibimbap was mixed to his satisfaction, he set it back in front of me without a word and returned to his own food.“Uh… I could’ve done that myself. But thanks.”Giggling, I bit into a dumpling. Kim Moohyuk stared at me intently before finally speaking.“You found me pretty quickly. How did you manage that?”“Found what?”“The place. Even in augmented reality, it must have seemed much larger to a guide. How did you locate me?”“Pfft—what? Huh?”Caught off guard by the sudden question about our training, I ended up choking. Kim Moohyuk gave me a disdainful look and nudged a glass of water towards me with his finger. I sipped it quickly, trying to calm down.“Hmm? What do you mean? I don’t understand,” I replied awkwardly.Normally, I’d joke my way out of such situations, but having been taken by surprise, my acting skills fell short. Kim Moohyuk squinted at me suspiciously, but after a moment, his expression suggested he’d let it slide. Without another word, he resumed eating.…Did he figure it out? His knowing gaze gave me an eerie feeling, as if he’d uncovered something. I couldn’t shake the chill running down my spine. Whatever he suspected, how much did he actually know?Moohyuk interrupted my spiraling thoughts.“Hurry up and eat. Didn’t you whine about being hungry just a while ago?”“…I wouldn’t call it whining.”“Sure, let’s go with that.”“No, really, I wasn’t whining.”Ignoring my protest, he closed the conversation, leaving me to quietly deal with the unsettling feeling creeping over me. Could he have taken something—a drug, perhaps—that heightened his senses? If so, and if it’s related to me… No, no one could possibly suspect that someone might come back from the dead, let alone in someone else’s body.I pushed the thought aside, assuring myself it was all in my head, and continued eating.* * *The next morning, I groggily stared at my phone screen with swollen eyes.031-15XX-XX18Web Message: You’ve been assigned a mission. Please contact the Operations Department today.Always rooting for you, Seoul–Gyeonggi Center.“A mission assignment, huh…”Yawning widely, I dialed the Operations Department’s extension. No answer—too early for anyone to pick up before 9 a.m. With a sigh, I left the phone on the console and stumbled out of my room.The smell of something frying greeted me in the hallway. I spotted Kim Moohyuk by the stove, wearing an apron. Walking over to the water dispenser, I glanced at him.

“Hey, what happened to your old apron? Did you throw it away?”He didn’t answer, continuing to stir whatever was in the pan. His silence was odd, but I dismissed it, heading to the dining table. To my surprise, it was already set—two sets of utensils neatly arranged across from each other atop a dark tablecloth. There was nothing left for me to do, so I sat and waited.Kim Moohyuk finished cooking and brought a plate to the table. In one hand, he held the dish, and with the other, he casually removed his apron, tossing it onto the kitchen counter.“Wow, you made all this for breakfast?”I marveled at the stir-fried spicy squid on the plate. Moohyuk always excelled at whatever he did, but seeing him handle cooking so well still amazed me. When we lived together before, most of the housework fell to him: cooking, cleaning, laundry… Wait. Was I just freeloading off a guy ten years my junior? Realizing my unintentional role as a dependent “kept man” left me dumbfounded.Noticing me zoning out, Moohyuk tapped my rice bowl lightly with his chopsticks. Startled, I looked up, only to see him digging into his food without any apparent interest in my musings.“Well, thanks for the meal. But seriously, you always end up cooking. I don’t even know how to make half of this.”“You eat like a bird. Adding your portion barely changes anything.”His tone wasn’t dismissive, just matter-of-fact, which left me momentarily speechless. It was as if he genuinely couldn’t fathom my concern. Feeling awkward, I shrugged it off and started eating.As I took a bite, a thought came to mind.

“By the way, about this mission assignment—since we’re paired now, wouldn’t it apply to you too? Did you get any notifications?”“What mission?”Moohyuk, already finished with his meal, looked at me curiously. His bowl, much larger than mine, was empty, as usual. I shrugged.“I don’t know. The message just said to check with the Operations Department today.”“….”Without a word, Moohyuk got up and went to his room. I heard faint murmurs, as if he was on a call. When he returned, he looked at me and said,

“You don’t need to call. It’s handled.”“Huh? Did you just talk to the Operations Department?”“Something like that. Don’t worry about it. Just head to the guiding center and check in. Your reassignment isn’t finalized yet, right?”His words made sense. Normally, once paired, guides transfer from the communal guiding center to their partner’s tasks, but with our chief away, the process was delayed. I still felt bad for sticking to the guiding center instead of fully transitioning to our pair duties.Still, with no mission to worry about, I decided to go about my day as usual. As I stood to clear my dishes, they floated up and zipped toward the sink.“I could’ve done that myself, you know.”“You’re hopeless at housework,” he replied dryly, his tone as blunt as ever. The expression on his face seemed to say, Don’t break anything; just go.It was hard to argue with that.“Unbelievable. Then, does the captain’s face scream ‘domestic chores’?”After all, Kim Moohyuk had the kind of cold, sharp look that suggested he’d never so much as washed a single dish. If anyone needed a reality check from a mirror, it was him.“You seem awfully interested in your superior’s face,” Kim Moohyuk said with a sideways glance, signaling that he didn’t want to continue the conversation. His tone was strangely unpleasant, as if accusing me of being overly fascinated by his features. It was like getting rejected by someone when you hadn’t even expressed interest—like asking for a phone number in a survey and getting a curt “I’m not into your type.” Complex and irritating.“What? I don’t stare at your face in detail or anything, okay?”“Sure.”He waved dismissively before I even finished speaking, making it clear he didn’t believe a word. The nerve!“I’m serious, though!”“I said I get it.”Despite my protests, his bland acknowledgment was infuriating. That morning, I had no choice but to go to work feeling as though I’d been rejected by someone I didn’t even like.Perhaps it was the bad vibes from such an early start, but I never expected the unexpected visitor waiting for me in the shared Guiding Room.“…Director.”Barely suppressing a sigh, I forced myself to salute. Sure enough, the person visiting me at work was Kim Inhak. Not exactly a cheerful sight to start the day with, so I couldn’t stop my face from twisting into a grimace.“Well, well! Sergeant Kang! How’ve you been?”What are the odds of the Center Director dropping by to check in on a lowly sergeant? Not good, and that’s why my gut told me this was going to be a disaster. Fighting off the chill, I mustered the most forced smile I could manage.“Well, you know…”It was a lie. I wasn’t fine. The smile I pulled together was more of a pathetic excuse for a polite grimace, insufficient even for buttering up a superior.“Good, good! The Director here has something important to discuss with Sergeant Kang.”Of course he did. Why else would the Center Director show up personally? I tried to smooth out my expression as Kim Inhak took a seat on the sofa opposite me, clapping his hands like an overexcited talk show host.“Word has it that the training results for you and Captain Kim Moohyuk were exceptional! Sure, the training itself came out of nowhere, but since it happened, I asked for some performance data to make the most of it. And guess what? The completion time was super short. So tell me—how on earth did you manage to stabilize Kim’s outburst? The cameras were down, so we couldn’t even watch the footage!”Oh, great. Of course, word had gotten out. I worked hard to maintain a neutral face, but panic bubbled underneath. I should’ve considered the time factor. The thing about guiding Kim Moohyuk was that it always wrapped up quickly, but I hadn’t realized how that might stand out in Sergeant Kang’s body, leading to this kind of high-level interest.But did it warrant the Director showing up himself? Or was Kim Inhak just being dramatic again? Given his nickname, Kim Overreaction, it wouldn’t be surprising. Trying to convey that I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, I replied dryly:“Well, things just worked out somehow. But… what brings you to the shared Guiding Room, Director?”“Oh? So impatient! Asking me to cut to the chase already?”Perhaps it was a bit much for a sergeant to tell a superior officer to get to the point, but I wasn’t particularly sorry. After all, it was Kim Inhak, not someone more intimidating. He seemed more amused than annoyed, studying my expression before continuing.“Well, the thing is, the Director has a special mission for you and Captain Kim Moohyuk as a pair.”Suppressing a groan, I responded, “That sounds like something to discuss with Captain Kim Moohyuk first.”“Sure, sure. But you know how uncooperative Kim Moohyuk can be…”And I’m supposed to be easy to manipulate? His insinuation was absurd, but I could see why he’d think so. From his perspective, I was still young and just a sergeant, probably an easy target.Considering Kim Moohyuk’s warning earlier that morning about ignoring any mission assignments, this must’ve been it. The Director had probably approached Kim Moohyuk first, got shut down, then messaged me out of desperation. When I didn’t call back, he came running. Predictable.Sighing, I resigned myself to hear him out. “What kind of mission?”Perking up at my question, Kim Inhak eagerly explained.“Well, you see… it involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Or is it the National Intelligence Service? Anyway, it’s related to the North.”The North? My confusion must’ve shown because he clarified:“No, I mean the North. You know, North Korea.”“…So the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea?”“Hey! Watch your language! You’re a soldier; don’t use terms like that without proper context!”What followed was a wild explanation.A few years back, after Colonel Kang’s death, unofficial communications started coming from the North. These communiqués, which ended up in the Ministry of Defense, were quickly snatched up by the NIS the following day. The message was always the same: Return our people.No one in the South understood what it meant. At first, they thought it referred to defectors. But then, a bunker near the border exploded.The aftermath revealed four bodies inside. Three belonged to Espers associated with a criminal group, but the fourth’s identity was unknown—until they found a scorched dog tag in the debris.“That dog tag belonged to a North Korean soldier.”“…Are you saying Accent was abducting North Korean soldiers for human experiments?”“Exactly. The North believed the soldier had deserted, but it turns out they were taken for experiments.”Kim Inhak continued speaking.“It seems like, over the years, fewer than 10 people have been abducted sporadically, but this time, the case is much larger. A broker apparently sold off 20 North Korean defectors attempting to cross into China to Accent for money. Among them were North Korean soldiers sent to capture the defectors.”The North, which does not tolerate attacks on its soldiers, had sent a cooperation request to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of National Defense (MND). The North’s demands were straightforward: hand over the broker responsible and rescue the defectors, including the soldiers.“The broker fled to China, so NIS and Interpol are working together to track them. As for the kidnapped individuals, they’re believed to be in South Korea. Your mission with Captain Kim is to rescue them.”It was an obvious headache. The issue wasn’t just about rescuing the captives—any case involving multiple government agencies inevitably came with administrative and political entanglements. I turned to Kim Inhak with a dry expression.“…Well, this isn’t something I can decide on my own. I’ll have to check with Captain Kim first—”“What is it you need to ask?”“Ah!”“Gah!”The sudden voice from behind startled me, but it was Kim Inhak’s loud squeal that snapped me out of it. I clicked my tongue and clutched my chest to calm my pounding heart. Meanwhile, Kim Inhak, clutching his chest as if he had narrowly escaped a heart attack, stood frozen. Captain Kim Moohyuk walked in, ignored my invitation to sit, and crossed his arms.“Been a while?”“…Hey, Captain Kim. Is that any way to greet your superior? Even street punks don’t greet people like that…”Recovering from his shock, Kim Inhak muttered like a wet dog, a touch sulky. Kim Moohyuk disregarded him and instead turned to me.“What did you want to ask? Go ahead.”“Well, that’s…”“I’ll explain it myself!”Clearly worried I’d botch things, Kim Inhak hastily interjected, explaining the situation to Kim Moohyuk. While he spoke, Moohyuk stared at me, never breaking his gaze.It was difficult to ignore the intimidating figure towering over me, arms crossed, scrutinizing me with those penetrating eyes. …What’s he staring at so intensely? I was pondering this when Moohyuk’s finger suddenly brushed my cheek. A sharp, prickling sensation lingered where he touched.“What the…”“Eyelash,” he said simply, blowing the stray lash from his finger with a quick puff.Kim Inhak, who had been mid-sentence, froze, his jaw slack. Then, he suddenly blurted out, “Oh my! I didn’t know you two were so close! Gosh, if I’d known, I’d have gotten you a bigger shared dorm room!”…What does room size have to do with anything? Ignoring my bewildered glare, Kim Inhak lamented exaggeratedly, as though truly regretful. What annoyed me more was that Moohyuk made no move to stop him. If left unchecked, Kim Inhak would inevitably escalate from exaggeration to outright theatrics. Clicking my tongue, I turned back to him.“Is that all you have to say? Surely the mission involves more than that.”“Oh, right, my bad. There’s one more thing. The location of the mission is inside one of Accent’s research facilities.”I knew it. There had to be more. It was odd enough for the center to step in on something so troublesome. Could it be that the captured North Korean soldiers were all Espers? I tilted my head and asked, “Are the abducted soldiers Espers?”“Well, the North wouldn’t admit it, but our military strongly suspects so.”It seemed the North, which officially denies the existence of Espers, had sent only limited information about the captives. I nodded lightly.“For now, we’ll need to think it over. The mission came up so suddenly, and our pair training isn’t even complete.”“Sure, sure, I get it. Moohyuk’s as picky as they come, after all.”Despite his words, Kim Inhak’s expression was hopeful. It was clear he was eager for Moohyuk and me to accept the mission. Narrowing my eyes, I scrutinized him. The mission sounded complicated, but not so much that it warranted Inhak’s personal involvement in pushing Moohyuk for it. I probed further.“The mission doesn’t seem overly complicated. Are other Espers avoiding it?”“Oh, no, not really…”Kim Inhak glanced uneasily at Moohyuk behind me before continuing.“It’s just that Moohyuk always takes on anything related to Accent. …Maybe I shouldn’t have said that?”Having already spilled the beans, Kim Inhak turned to Moohyuk with a sheepish look, seeking approval. Knowing this was just one of his political maneuvers, I sighed—then froze as something clicked in my mind.…Moohyuk takes on every Accent-related mission? On the day I died years ago, Moohyuk had also been assigned to an Accent-related mission. Could it be that ever since that day, Moohyuk had been taking on every such mission to atone? This idiot…Suppressing the bubbling anger within me, I looked at Moohyuk with a sweet smile and said, “Captain Kim, it seems you haven’t quite moved on from that day. Have you been enrolled in a proper PTSD rehabilitation program for Special Forces personnel?”Kim Inhak, startled by my pointed remark, darted a glance at Moohyuk, who remained indifferent, before nodding hesitantly. “Y-yes…?”“Is he attending regularly?”“…More or less? But why do I feel like I’m being scolded?”“That’s just your imagination.”With that, I turned back to Moohyuk. The man, who had spent the entire time inspecting his nails or standing disinterestedly, met my gaze with a look that seemed to say, What are you staring at? What an idiot. Was he hoping to dig something useful out of his nails?As someone who had also lost Ha Seonghan to Accent, I could empathize with Moohyuk’s sentiments. But that didn’t mean I’d sit idly by while he self-destructed, refusing proper guidance and sacrificing himself bit by bit.I turned away from him and smiled brightly despite my irritation.“Well then, I’ve got somewhere to be.”“In other words… you’re telling me to leave, Sergeant Kang?”When I stayed silent, Inhak slowly got up, scratching the back of his head. “Huh, this feels oddly familiar,” he mumbled to himself. Ignoring his ramblings, I practically dragged him toward the door and shoved him out. Then, I started getting ready to leave myself.Kim Moohyuk watched me intently and finally spoke up.“Where are you going?”“I’m going to check if you’ve actually participated in the PTSD training program.”Moohyuk smirked. It was strange how he didn’t seem the least bit offended. Honestly, I’d crossed a line for someone who had only recently been paired with him as a guide. Yet, he seemed completely unbothered, responding in a casual tone.“I’ll come too.”“There’s no need. I can check those records with my guide privileges.”Moohyuk ignored my response and grabbed his car keys. For a moment, I thought he might try to interfere with me accessing the records. Grinding my teeth at the thought, I got in his car reluctantly. But when we arrived at the training center, it turned out I’d been wrong.Moohyuk opened the backseat and pulled out a sports duffel bag.“What’s that for?”“Since I’m dropping you off, I might as well get a workout in.”…Really? He came along just to drop me off? Feeling a mix of surprise and confusion, I noticed his eyes briefly resting on my knee, which had been giving me trouble lately. Feeling oddly self-conscious, I covered my knee with my hand and quickly got out of the car.After entering the building, I checked the directory in the lobby to find where they handled PTSD rehabilitation.“Fourth floor…”Taking the elevator, I reached the floor and walked down the hallway. Knocking once, I entered the administration office responsible for military rehabilitation programs.“Excuse me.”The staff inside deployed their standard don’t-talk-to-me-unless-you-have-to demeanor. Suppressing a sigh, I addressed the nearest civil servant exuding the strongest leave-me-alone vibe.“Good day. Sergeant Kang Hajung here. I’d like to request access to some records.”“…Please hand over your ID card and fill out this form,” the person replied with an irritated look.Ignoring the passive-aggressive tone, I quickly filled out the form and handed it over. The staff member glanced at the document before their eyes widened.“You’re requesting Captain Kim Moohyuk’s training records?”“Yes, that’s correct. I’m Captain Kim Moohyuk’s guide. You should be able to find the records easily.”They gave me a suspicious look before typing into their computer. Upon confirming my claim, their expression softened.“Oh, got it. For a moment, I thought you might’ve been one of Captain Kim’s stalkers. We’ve had those before.”Stalkers? Wow, Kim Moohyuk’s esper life sure is colorful… But setting that aside, I focused on the record they handed me.“Absent, absent, absent, attended, absent, absent, absent… This might as well be considered no participation at all.”“Yes, he’s only attended twice,” the staff member confirmed, nodding.Twice? This reckless idiot attended just twice and had the audacity to confidently drive me here? Holding back my disbelief, I thanked the staff briefly before heading back to the elevator and descending to the first floor.I was so annoyed I found myself walking faster than usual, causing my troublesome knee to ache again. Though the discomfort was bothersome, finding Kim Moohyuk was my priority. I debated calling him, unsure whether he’d be in the shooting range or the gym, when someone bumped my shoulder hard as they passed by.“Ah—”“Huh? Did I just hit something? Felt like it,” someone said mockingly.Looking back, I saw a few guides laughing amongst themselves. My weakened knee had caused me to stumble, forcing me to grab the wall for support. Already simmering with irritation, the incident drained what little anger I had left, leaving me with a sense of futility.I sighed quietly and moved on. At the hallway’s end, I turned a corner and spotted Kim Moohyuk. Raising my voice, I called out to him, “Captain Kim—ah!”Feigning weakness, I let my shaky knee give out completely, collapsing dramatically to the floor. Kim Moohyuk, surrounded by those same mocking guides who were offering him drinks and towels, immediately strode over and grabbed my arm.Just as I’d expected. Despite his gruff exterior, Moohyuk had a surprisingly kind side, and as my pair, he was bound to worry about me. My satisfaction peaked, knowing I’d disrupted the little scene those guides had orchestrated to get close to him.As Kim Moohyuk looked down at my knee with concern, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? How do you trip over nothing?”Though his gaze seemed calm, I could sense a faint warning in his tone. But I had a goal to achieve, and I wasn’t about to stop now. In a loud voice, I replied for everyone to hear, “You didn’t have to come running to me, Captain Kim. I know you’re in the middle of a conversation.”“What are you talking about? You nearly fell, so I helped,” he said, frowning.Realizing I was glancing toward the guides behind him, Moohyuk paused before smirking.“…So that’s what this is about?”Ignoring his words, I continued glaring at the guides, shooting them a smug look as if daring them to try anything else. If it weren’t for the firm arm wrapped around my waist, I would’ve claimed total victory in this petty battle.Startled by the unexpected physical contact, I stammered, “W-what are you doing?”“Helping you stand.”Unlike me, who was stammering, Kim Moohyuk walked with an air of nonchalance, his arm wrapped around my waist. We were so close it gave the impression of being overly intimate, enough to make my skin crawl. Just as I was about to tell him to let go, I noticed the guides standing nearby. They neither approached nor left, just stood there with visibly displeased expressions. Seeing that, I decided to enjoy the moment instead. Serves you right—who told you to mess with me?Thus, I walked halfway down the corridor, practically in Moohyuk’s embrace. When I could no longer bear the discomfort, I pushed his arm away. Moohyuk glanced at me and withdrew without resistance, but not without a cryptic remark.“Judging by your sly tricks, maybe you’re not as innocent as you seem.”“What do you mean, sir?”He fixed his gaze on me before turning to walk down the hallway alone.“We still have shooting practice left. Wait for me.”“Before that, let’s talk. Why are you refusing rehabilitation?”He stopped, turned to face me, and raised an eyebrow.“You’re surprisingly bold, aren’t you?”With that, he turned completely and strode toward me. His expression didn’t betray much emotion, but his demeanor was intimidating. Instinctively, I tried to step back, but my uncooperative knee made me stumble. Moohyuk reached out, grabbing me by the waist to steady me. Once again, I heard the guides whispering faintly in the background.It hit me then—I’d been pointlessly intimidated by him. How times have changed. To think, a punk twelve years younger than me was calling me out. Annoyed, I shoved his chest, but it didn’t budge. That only made me angrier.“Why is asking about your refusal to attend rehab considered bold? If you’d just done it properly in the first place, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”“Why do you care?”“Because I’m your assigned guide!”I shouted the last part out of frustration, drawing startled silence from those around us. Realizing I’d gone too far, I coughed awkwardly. Sure, I’d acted overly familiar with Moohyuk to mess with the guides who’d shoved past me earlier, but going too far could backfire. So, I quickly added, “What if something serious happens to you during a mission?”At that, Moohyuk made a face that seemed to say, Yeah, right, before turning and heading toward the indoor shooting range. I followed behind him, nagging relentlessly.“The PTSD center doesn’t even do anything special, so why won’t you just go? They say you only showed up twice. Do you think those people are just sitting around waiting for you to drop by?”“You must be really worried,” he remarked dryly as we entered the shooting range.I let out a deep sigh. “Well, it’s hard not to be when all you do is chase down high-risk missions. Fine, take the missions, but at least treat the PTSD.”“If you’re so worried, why don’t you just follow me around and babysit me?”His cheeky retort left me speechless. Without another word, he handed me a bulletproof vest.“You have to wear this if you’re entering, even if you’re not shooting.”I put on the vest without complaint. Moohyuk donned his own vest, signed the consent form for live ammunition, and received bullets and a gun from the armory officer. Then, without so much as a glance at me, he focused solely on his shooting.As a result, I had to sit idly in a corner, much like a bored child waiting at a parent’s workplace. That day dragged on, as Moohyuk spent the entire time training. Oddly enough, doing nothing is sometimes more exhausting. On the way home, I fell asleep as soon as I got into his car.When I woke up, we were already parked in front of the house in Garam-dong. Still groggy, I glanced to the side and met Moohyuk’s gaze. He was staring at me intently.“…What?”There was something unsettling about the way he looked at me. His half-lidded eyes were dry, but the feeling they conveyed was strangely sticky, like quicksand masquerading as solid ground. I was so startled that I froze, like prey before a predator.But just as quickly, the intensity in his eyes vanished. If I’d tried to tell anyone how he’d looked at me, no one would believe me. In a flat tone, he finally spoke.“You’re drooling.”“Drooling…?”Startled, I wiped my mouth, but my lips were dry. Realizing he’d been teasing me, I frowned.“Do you enjoy making fun of people?”“If it wasn’t fun, why would I do it? For someone napping in the car of a captain, you sure talk a lot. Get out already.”Embarrassed, I got out of the car without a word. Okay, fine, maybe I overstepped. But riding in your car feels too familiar to me now. Scratching my head, I opened the door to my lodging.That evening, I ate the fried rice Moohyuk made and went straight to bed. As I lay down, his gaze from the car kept resurfacing in my mind. I tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.The next morning, I found a note stuck to my door.Let’s have lunch together. I have something to say.Moohyuk was nowhere to be seen, so I figured he’d left for work already. I headed to the shared guiding office myself. Lunch together? What could he have to say that he couldn’t just mention at home? But when I got to the cafeteria, there was an unexpected face.“Hello, I’m First Lieutenant Han Jaemin.”Standing beside him, Moohyuk casually introduced him as a teammate. A teammate? Moohyuk had a team? I thought he always went on solo missions. Still bewildered, I bowed back.“Hello, I’m Sergeant Kang Hajung…?”Han Jaemin’s friendly demeanor struck a chord of familiarity. After a moment of thought, I remembered. He was the man who’d stopped by the shared guiding office in near-overload conditions some time ago. His decent looks and mild-mannered impression had left an impression on me.Recognizing me, Jaemin put a finger to his lips and smiled, as if to say, Let’s keep our previous encounter a secret from Moohyuk. I gave him a slight nod. Meanwhile, Moohyuk, uninterested in our exchange, crossed his arms and stared at the cafeteria menu board. When the chime signaled that food was ready, he grabbed four trays, placed one in front of me, and kept the other three for himself.Han Jaemin spoke to Moohyuk as if he couldn’t believe it.“Where’s mine?”“Yours is ready too.”It was a clear sign for him to get it himself. Han Jaemin chuckled in disbelief and went to fetch his food, leaving me with a moment to ask quickly.“What’s going on? I thought you were a lone wolf, Captain.”“What’s a ‘lone wolf’ when I’m in service to the nation? Use proper terms.”“Yes, sir, King Sejong. But wasn’t solo work your specialty?”Kim Moohyuk smirked faintly at my retort, then began opening the lids on the bowls of rice on his tray one by one as he replied.“I usually operate alone, but for cooperative tasks, that guy helps out too. He’s more of a spy than a soldier.”Ah, so he was with the National Intelligence Service. I nodded, finally understanding why someone of his rank, about a first lieutenant, moved around without a guide. He seemed used to the shared guiding room, which made sense if he was from the NIS. Spies, after all, couldn’t always rely on having guides by their side.As I was reflecting on my newfound understanding, Han Jaemin came back into view, carrying four trays of food. …He eats like a horse too. Before Han Jaemin could get close, I quickly asked Kim Moohyuk again.“Then is First Lieutenant Han involved in this operation too? More importantly, are we even doing that mission?”Kim Moohyuk didn’t bother answering directly, only giving me a look as if to say, Why else would I introduce you to Han Jaemin? …This guy keeps responding with just his eyes lately. While I was trying to figure out whether the mission was confirmed, I grew annoyed at the sight of the side dishes again being nothing but greens.“Can’t I at least choose my own menu?”“You pick meals that are nutritionally inadequate,” Kim Moohyuk replied flatly.I grumbled at being treated like a child who couldn’t decide what to eat, when a stifled laugh came from nearby. I turned to see Han Jaemin, who had just been reminded of his presence. Upon noticing my gaze, he awkwardly dropped the corners of his mouth and said,“…I’ve just never seen Kim Moohyuk talk this much before.”So this guy’s been playing coy, huh? My memories of him were nothing but constant nagging, so this was surprising. Still, I had more pressing matters, so I asked Han Jaemin directly.“When will we hear the mission overview? I thought it was just Captain Kim and me, but with you involved, it seems like the operation is pretty significant.”Han Jaemin nodded and glanced around cautiously before speaking.“This isn’t the place to discuss it. Today was just meant to be a meet-and-greet. But this guy,” he gestured at Moohyuk, “hates wasting time, so he insisted on wrapping introductions up during lunch. He also said you tend to skip meals if you’re not monitored.”To be fair, there were days I skipped lunch while holed up in the guiding room all day. Going to the cafeteria felt like a hassle. I looked at Kim Moohyuk, wondering how he even knew that. He raised an eyebrow at me while dipping his spoon into the soup.“What are you staring at?”…Somehow, I doubted he cared that much. As I frowned suspiciously, Han Jaemin chuckled warmly, his laugh carrying an odd sense of familiarity. Where had I heard that before? The nagging déjà vu left me tilting my head.I shifted my gaze back to my tray and focused on eating. Midway through, I felt eyes on me. When I looked up, Han Jaemin was staring at me intently. Confused, I raised an eyebrow at him. His expression was peculiar. I was about to ask what he was looking at when Kim Moohyuk noticed me pause and followed my line of sight.Without a word, he grabbed Han Jaemin’s chin and turned his face toward himself, as if to confirm whether Han Jaemin had indeed been staring at me. The exchange was oddly tense, with the two Espers locking eyes.Han Jaemin smirked slightly, while Kim Moohyuk remained expressionless. It wasn’t the vibe of casual camaraderie between friends, which left me puzzled. Then Han Jaemin spoke with a sly grin.“You’re awfully protective.”Kim Moohyuk’s brow twitched faintly, but he released Han Jaemin’s chin with a blank expression and resumed eating. What was this? Acting like I wasn’t even there… In any case, the rest of the meal passed in a strange atmosphere.“You always leave food behind,” Kim Moohyuk commented as he glanced at my tray. Without waiting for my protest, he took my leftovers along with his own and cleaned up. Seeing the pile of trays already in front of him, I decided not to stop him. Han Jaemin watched us with an indecipherable smile.Afterward, we headed to a small conference room in the main building for the operation briefing. So much for just introductions. On our way out of the cafeteria, Han Jaemin suddenly mentioned that the mission had been rescheduled for tomorrow, leaving no other time for a briefing. Since I had nothing else planned, I nodded, while Kim Moohyuk, who clearly expected this, remained silent.Han Jaemin led the briefing. As I scrolled through the file he handed me on my tablet, I muttered,“Operation name: Nest Breaking?”Pointing at the projection screen, Han Jaemin turned to me and said,“That’s correct. Essentially, our military aims to dismantle everything Accent has with this mission.”There was a note of regret in his tone. I gave him a puzzled look, but he only smiled faintly before continuing.“In simple terms, we’re targeting illegal guiding facilities. These scattered, decentralized hubs are essentially the financial backbone of Accent.”The operation outline was clear.After Colonel Kang Hajung’s death, Accent had expanded its influence over the years, setting up illegal guiding facilities where kidnapped guides were forced to work. These facilities not only exploited the guides but also generated revenue that fueled Accent’s operations.Their expansion eventually led to the establishment of guiding chemical plants, where they processed extracted guiding energy into drugs, selling them on the international black market.“How utterly depraved,” I muttered, clicking my tongue in disbelief. What kind of twisted mind thinks of squeezing people like sesame seeds to extract oil, let alone profits? Those buying the drugs must be just as insane.Noticing my grimace, Han Jaemin smiled apologetically, as if he’d just told a child a scary story. The nerve! He was clearly underestimating me. I had been guiding since he was in diapers! Resisting the urge to retort, I narrowed my eyes at him, which prompted Kim Moohyuk to nudge me curiously.