Approximal Guide

“Yes.”“Come in and take off your coat and hang it up. You’ll be giving blood.”As soon as I took off my jacket and hung it up, the researcher instructed me to lie down on the bed. If it was just blood donation, they usually take about 30ml, right? Why ask me to lie down for something so simple? Perhaps sensing my confusion, the researcher sighed and explained.“They’ve been short on blood lately. The higher-ups gave instructions to do a blood donation when taking blood samples. Please lie down now.”“Is it really okay to just take my blood without my consent like this? What year is this… it’s not the era of selling blood to buy cows.”“How would you buy a cow with blood? Lie down.”Even with my protests, the researcher continued to give orders with an irritated expression. Then, without warning, after sanitizing my arm, they jabbed the needle into my vein and immediately connected it to the blood bag. I couldn’t believe it. They were stealing my blood without my consent? Is this a country or not? Tsking in frustration, I closed my eyes, thinking I might as well take a nap.Suddenly, the scent of blood hit me, and I could no longer lie still. After being suddenly dragged to Hallasan mountain yesterday and then doing shooting drills this morning, I could feel a nosebleed coming on. I groaned in annoyance.“I’m bleeding. Take it here.”“How can I collect a nosebleed in a blood bag? Lie on your stomach before you suffocate from the blood blocking your airways.”No matter what, they had to take my blood. With a sigh, I turned onto my stomach. The researcher shoved a cotton pad into my nose and then pulled back the curtain by the bed and left. Left alone, I could hear the oddly quiet atmosphere of the blood collection room, and soon sleep began to take over me. My nosebleed stopped, and as I tried to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of the cotton pad, I drifted off into a light doze when I felt someone’s presence beside me.“We meet again. Why did you get a nosebleed?”The voice was familiar. I opened my eyes, wondering what was going on. However, I couldn’t see his face because I was lying on my stomach. I tried to get up to see his face, but my arm was still hooked up to the blood collection.“You don’t need to bother getting up.”“Excuse me, but I’m in this state… who are you?”Could you at least introduce yourself? When I asked, I heard a small laugh from the man standing beside my bed.“You saw me yesterday.”Yesterday…? It was only then that I remembered the tall man I had seen at the training center podium yesterday. Could it be him? His voice sounded strangely familiar, and I had thought so yesterday too. Even though I couldn’t see his face, his voice felt familiar… It was at that moment.“I’ll see you again soon.”The man said only that, then pulled back the curtain and left. Still unable to rise, I barely managed to turn my head and see his back. Because of the low bed, only his military boots were clearly in my line of sight. Military boots… I suddenly had a strange feeling of déjà vu. But just as quickly, sleep overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t get up to chase after him.When I finally got up, the researcher, with no sign of concern, told me that since it wasn’t the time for re-assessment, it would take about a week to get the results from the blood test. Instead, they offered to do liver function tests and allergy checks as well. I ended up receiving an unexpected health check-up.I blankly nodded along to the rapid-fire instructions and returned. It wasn’t until the next day that I started to think about the things related to the military boots. There were definitely some suspicious aspects I couldn’t ignore. I shouldn’t have let that guy go so easily. A few days passed with a feeling of regret and unease.Lately, I had been working harder than when my knee had been messed up, focusing on rehabilitation training. The exercise program that Han Byeongeun had pushed me to follow was slowly encouraging me to build up my cardiovascular endurance.“If you try to start strength training right away with a body like this, you’ll wreck it. Start by walking more, at a leisurely pace, but often.”So, like someone heading to the past exams in Hanyang, I had to walk aimlessly. But since my knees were better, walking didn’t feel the same as before and was actually quite enjoyable. I would sometimes stroll near the communal guiding room or make sure to walk to and from work.Though I still felt uneasy about some things, the days were relatively peaceful. One evening, I watched a baseball game with Han Byeongeun while eating pizza and drinking beer. On another day, I lost track of time doing light strength training. And one day, unable to understand why I had to leave work when I was supposed to go in the first place, I tried to sleep in the communal guiding room. But when the lights stayed on late into the night, I was kicked out by a security guard.“Sergeant, why are you sleeping here? You know that if you don’t swipe your card at the entrance to the dorm, it’s considered desertion, right?”The regular military guard asked, looking bewildered. I clicked my tongue and replied.“Sorry. I was just too lazy to go back to the dorm…”The security guard frowned at my words, giving me a look as if to say, what kind of person is this? After that day, I made sure to go home on time. Anyway, time passed incredibly fast, and I was left alone, reorganizing my guiding techniques. The recent days had been peaceful, so I naturally thought today would be just like any other day.It was early in the morning, and while eating some puffed rice I had received after saluting the cafeteria staff, I had my legs propped up on the desk, doing a crossword puzzle. With the single-minded goal of breaking the record left by the chief of the communal guiding room, I was intensely focused when the phone rang.“Wow, that’s what the code was for?”I didn’t want to touch the dusty phone, so I grabbed a few tissues, wiped it down quickly, and put the receiver to my ear.“Yes, this is the communal guiding room.”As soon as I answered, the voice on the other end spoke urgently.— Is this the communal guiding room?! How many guides are there?“It’s just me. The original capacity is two, but one has been transferred to the Gangwon center…”— Damn it. Why is there only one person? Can you hurry over to the Esper ward? It’s an emergency!“Why me, though, if it’s an emergency…”I responded indifferently, wondering why they were looking for someone like me when the guides in the ward were probably supposed to be there. The man on the other end spoke quickly, almost panicked.— All the guides from the ward are attending training at the central department today.What? That can’t be right. How could the guides be attending central training when an emergency might arise? For something this serious, the ward manager might need to be held accountable. I was too stunned to respond and quickly asked the most important question.“What’s the Esper’s rating in the emergency?”— S++!Oh no, damn it. S++? That means Kim Moohyuk. There couldn’t be two S++ rated Espers in this center. That rating is unique to Kim Moohyuk’s ability. I quickly hung up and dashed out.Luckily, the communal guiding room was close to the Esper ward, or I might have collapsed from exhaustion running across a facility as big as a few new city blocks combined. I was running at full speed.And why wouldn’t I? The situation itself felt like poison to me. The fact that all the guides went to the central department reminded me of the day I almost died. Kim Moohyuk, you idiot. It wasn’t just him; maybe I had gotten complacent too. The image of Kim Moohyuk struggling as he entered the pre-rejection phase automatically replayed in my head. There’s no way an Esper of his level could last without a guide. I couldn’t forget Han Byeongeun’s words about how the signs of rejection were nothing unusual.I was running so fast that I felt like my lungs would burst, but I couldn’t stop cursing. Most of it was directed at that idiot, Kim Moohyuk. What an idiot. He should have assigned a proper pair of guides, but instead, he held out until things got this bad? If I had died, so what? It wouldn’t have ended the world, but why was I still so stupidly alive? I wanted to punch that fool, so I pushed myself even harder, feeling the blood rush to my head. By the time I arrived at the ward, I was gasping, unable to even straighten my back.“Huff, huff—. From the… communal guiding room… huff—.”“This way, this way. Thank you for coming so quickly.”The paramedic, seeing my exhausted state, didn’t seem to have the heart to rush me, and instead, he came up to me, offering his arm and guiding me to the dedicated guiding room where Kim Moohyuk was. I asked the paramedic to brief me on the situation. He nodded and hurriedly began to explain.“If you had been any later, he would have entered the rejection phase. Right now, his remaining guiding capacity has dropped below 8%.”“That… that’s impossible. Huff—.”“I agree. I don’t know what happened at the scene… But Captain Kim’s famous for not taking care of himself, but this is really bad. He almost entered rejection just recently and barely recovered.”I wanted to reply, but my breath was so labored that I couldn’t. The paramedic, perhaps thinking I might die before I could guide Moohyuk, patted my back sympathetically as he led me into the dedicated guiding room. Once I calmed down, I nodded, indicating I was okay, and looked through the reinforced glass.Kim Moohyuk was lying on the bed with a pale face.From the small objects floating around him, it looked like the poltergeist phenomenon was about to occur as he neared the rejection phase. I clicked my tongue, irritated, and said.“I’ll go in directly. Open the door.”“But… that’s not safe. If you make contact now, your guiding capacity will decrease significantly.”“It’s fine. Open it.”I kept my eyes fixed on Kim Moohyuk as I spoke, and the paramedic reluctantly swiped his ID card against the panel next to the door. A beep echoed, and the door opened.It wasn’t obvious from the outside, but the door was incredibly thick. Even so, if Kim Moohyuk’s guiding capacity dropped below 3%, that thick door would bend like paper. Fortunately, since he was brought in when his capacity was still over 5%, it seemed like he hadn’t reached the bunker stage yet.I sighed and stepped inside, hearing the door shut quickly behind me. Turning back in slight surprise at how fast they closed it, I noticed the researcher giving an awkward smile. They were quick to worry about my guiding levels, but apparently, the idea of an S++ Esper on the brink of a meltdown was truly intimidating. That was all I needed to think about. I moved swiftly toward the bed.“You damn fool,” I muttered.The curse slipped out naturally. Given his condition, physical contact seemed unavoidable. It’s been a while since I’ve had to kiss him, I thought, almost resignedly.“I brushed my teeth, so don’t start complaining,” I said.Usually, Kim Moohyuk would just hold me as he slept, rarely requiring the high-level contact guiding that went as far as a kiss. As far as I remembered, it had been two or three years, and I felt slightly embarrassed at the thought it might have been even longer for him.Chuckling softly at the habit, I placed my hand on the mattress beside his shoulder. His prominent nose cast shadows over his face, drawing my eyes to the sharply defined ridge above his lips, framed by finely shaped lips that were surprisingly captivating. Lowering my head, I pressed my lips gently against his. The soft sensation was quickly followed by the intense drain of guiding energy, causing me to let out a startled grunt. My supporting arm trembled under the sudden pull of energy, guiding energy slipping away through our connection as if it were a bottomless pit.What on earth had this guy been doing to leave his guiding reserves this depleted? Pathetic Kim Moohyuk. Who am I to say? If I’d died, you should have just moved on with your life. After seeing me struggling to recover from the loss of my pair partner, he had decided to follow my exact path. The thought made me both indignant and sympathetic.Thankfully, the draining speed of the guiding energy started to slow. Still, I felt dizzy. Sergeant Kang had a high guiding reserve, fortunately; otherwise, I’d probably be shriveling up like a mummy by now, suffering from guiding depletion symptoms—burst blood vessels in the eyes, nosebleeds, and all sorts of other nasty side effects.Despite everything, I had to remain alert. If Kim Moohyuk awoke now and sensed my guiding energy pattern, he’d immediately know that I was not Sergeant Kang Hajung but Colonel Kang Hajung. Guiding or Esper energy patterns were as unique as fingerprints, with distinguishing characteristics in their wave values and the sensations they gave the receiver. Moohyuk, perceptive as he was, would certainly recognize my pattern.If he awoke now, he would realize that the person kissing him was not “Sergeant Kang Hajung” but “Colonel Kang Hajung.” If that happened, my dreams of retiring would be over. The military would never let go of me, their precious guide for Kim Moohyuk, especially after losing me once. Perhaps they’d have considered it if I had never left him, but Moohyuk’s repeated rejection of other pair partners and the frequent pre-outbreak episodes must have only heightened the military’s anxiety.No matter how powerful a weapon Moohyuk was, a weapon that unstable was a double-edged sword the military had to reckon with. Conservative as they were, they didn’t like to gamble in that way. Even if they were holding onto Moohyuk now out of ambition, they were surely biding their time for a decision. So if my identity as Colonel Kang Hajung—or even just as a guide capable of stabilizing Kim Moohyuk—was revealed, I’d have no choice but to abandon my hopes of retirement.In the past few days, I had practiced altering my wave pattern. Can anyone really change their fingerprint? Change their genetic DNA? Yet, with the coordination of my mental will and Sergeant Kang’s sensitive body, I had managed to shift the peaks and valleys of my pattern slightly after a few tries. It wasn’t a complete transformation, but close enough.Even a small difference was enough to be considered a different pattern altogether, and that was all I needed. After all, similarity and exactness were two entirely different things. If one were to compare my current pattern with Colonel Kang Hajung’s, they’d find about a 20% difference in the values of its peaks and troughs—a match as close as that of twins. But even so, it wasn’t identical, so I wasn’t Colonel Kang Hajung.…Well, no one would actually suspect I was Colonel Kang just because the patterns were similar. Still, I was glad to have prepared, just in case.It made me wonder why Sergeant Kang, with his high guiding reserves and sensitivity, had remained a D-class. What a waste. I sighed, but right now, dealing with this poor fool in front of me took precedence. I glanced at the monitor above Kim Moohyuk’s head to check how much his guiding level had risen.10, 23, 31, 39, 40, 48… Seeing the numbers climb steadily, I let out a breath of relief. That’s when I felt a hand pressing down on the back of my head.“Mmph—!”All I could do was let out an awkward noise, squished by the strong grip that pushed my lips more firmly against Kim Moohyuk’s. I tried to push myself up, but it was futile. All I could manage were muffled grunts, the person’s strength overpowering me. Another hand tightly clamped onto my wrist, pinning it to the bed with a grip so strong it was painful.When I finally succeeded in pulling back, something was on the verge of pushing its way into my parted lips. I looked down in shock to see Kim Moohyuk staring up at me with a clear, focused gaze. His deep voice rumbled in a low whisper.“…Is it you, again?”In response, two thoughts flashed across my mind: “How dare you speak informally to me after I saved you,” and “Again? Does that mean he remembers the last time he nearly lost control?” A chill ran down my spine. I swallowed, drawing in a steadying breath, and replied gruffly, hiding my unease.“Let go. Here I am, guiding you, and all you can say is ‘Is it you again?’”I tried to act as if nothing were wrong, but it was truly humiliating, almost as if I were bleating like a goat. I tried to twist my wrist out of Kim Moohyuk’s grip, fearing he’d sense my racing heartbeat, but it wasn’t easy. It was frustrating to see him looking completely unfazed while I struggled and strained. I felt like an old man itching to yell, “Hey, you brat! Do you even know who I am?!” It annoyed me that he didn’t recognize his instructor and was committing all sorts of offenses against me. …Of course, if he did recognize me, that’d be a huge problem.I couldn’t tell if I wanted him to recognize me or not, as I anxiously rolled my eyes, trying to figure out a way out of this situation. His question—asking if it was me again—also bothered me, especially since he probably shouldn’t remember anything from the last time he had a pre-outburst episode. So I carefully asked.“But… what do you mean by ‘again’?”Correction: I asked directly. It was as poor an act as lying about not eating ramen in front of Kim Moohyuk. He looked at me, then began to sit up, but at that moment, the door opened and a medic burst in with an exaggerated fuss.“Captain Kim, you really almost had a close call this time! If it weren’t for Sergeant Kang Hajung, you would’ve been… well, anyway, you were in serious danger!”Despite the medic’s fuss, Kim Moohyuk kept his gaze fixed on me, staring intensely. I relaxed my eyes, pretending I was completely clueless, as if doing so would keep me safe from any troublesome topics in this room. But my hopes were shattered by the medic’s next words.“But Sergeant Kang, what level are you that you were able to calm down an S++ esper’s guidance exhaustion?”…This doesn’t sound good. Feeling anxious, I forced a laugh and hastily interrupted the medic.“Well, I think I may have left water boiling on the burner in the guidance room for my ramen, so… I think I should go—”Just as I took a step back, Moohyuk grabbed my wrist again. Startled, I momentarily lost control of my guidance, and the raw guidance energy almost spilled out of me. I barely managed to hold it back and adjust my waveform. I hadn’t been fully prepared, so I could only make a very slight adjustment, leaving it close to my original wavelength.Kim Moohyuk’s eyes widened as he looked at me. With no other way out, I was about to close my eyes in resignation when the medic’s final words made my jaw drop.“By the way, your matching rate is 70%! That must be why the emergency calmed down so quickly!”…How oblivious can this medic be? I suddenly wanted to strangle the guy for his cheerful smile as he said, “Oh, congratulations!” right next to me. But… why was it only 70%? My matching rate with Kim Moohyuk was 92%. It had been such an extraordinary match for two S-ranks that it caused quite a stir at the central office.The idea of 70% felt absurdly low, especially considering that my matching rate with Ha Seonghan was 80%. Feeling a surge of pride, I couldn’t help but mutter.“Isn’t that a bit low?”The medic looked at me, baffled.“What do you mean? 70% is quite high. That’s top-tier within our center.”Talent must really be dead these days. How is 70 considered high? Just as this thought crossed my mind, Han Byeongeun’s scolding echoed in my mind.“Colonel, you were born a genius and only ever dealt with other geniuses, so you have no interest in how normal people live. It’s like star athletes becoming coaches and wondering why their players can’t do what they did.”Hmm… is that it? Am I supposed to understand the situation that way? I half-heartedly nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Kim Moohyuk continued to hold my wrist. Raising an eyebrow, I spoke.“Excuse me, Captain, but my wrist is hurting.”“….”Moohyuk, without any sign of surprise, slowly released my arm, but I could tell he was actually a bit flustered. I knew this from spending years by his side and observing his habits. What was his problem? Why was he so flustered? Really, I should be the one panicking. My pride got the better of me, and while I’d complained about the matching rate being too low at 70%, the reality was that a high match rate also meant I’d inevitably be tangled up with Kim Moohyuk in the future. Besides, if I’m soon promoted to B-rank in my guidance evaluation, the matching rate could compensate for the rank difference, possibly making me a permanent battery pack for Kim Moohyuk’s missions—whether I liked it or not.Unaware of my inner turmoil, the medic happily clapped and cheerfully commented, “This is great news for you!” He then left to bring painkillers and muscle relaxants for Kim Moohyuk, who was still recovering from his guidance depletion. Now left alone with him, I let out a deep sigh. Kim Moohyuk’s gaze turned toward me. His face, usually calm even in pre-outburst states, now looked somewhat pale.Time may have passed, and his face may have grown sharper and more masculine, but I still recognized it. Kim Moohyuk, at this moment, was exhausted from loneliness. The twenty-year-old Moohyuk who came to the guide quarters, asking me not to hate him, and the Moohyuk standing before me now were the same person.I sighed softly, glancing around the focused guidance room, where various objects lay scattered, before finally speaking.“…I’d appreciate it if you didn’t report this to the superiors.”“…”“It’s not like it would do you any good to be involved with me, Captain. The rumors say as much.”The words felt awkward coming out of my mouth, but if it was Kim Moohyuk, he’d probably despise such bothersome rumors. He must have found it irritating to get entangled with Sergeant Kang as well, so I had no choice but to use that excuse. Sitting on the bed, Kim Moohyuk just kept staring at me in silence.“Seventy percent… There must be some error.”I expected that Kim Moohyuk would agree with me to some extent. After all, right now, he must see me as the main character of the rumors he detested and as a guide with a poor reputation around the center.While I’d already requested a reassessment, the results weren’t out yet. He would still see me as a D-class guide, and a guide at that low a level couldn’t provide the kind of formidable support that an S++-level Esper needs. Moohyuk surely understood that, so he’d see that my words made sense. I looked forward to his response, but the words that came out of his well-formed lips were something entirely different.“I don’t want to.”“Yes, of course, you wouldn’t want— Wait, what?”I almost nodded in agreement, but my eyes widened in confusion. Kim Moohyuk added, in a flat tone, “You have a habit of ignoring what I say. I told you I don’t want to.”His expressionless face was fixed on me. My mouth fell open. What’s up with him? Did he hit his head against the wall when he collapsed? What kind of brain allows him to forget everything about what happened between me and Sergeant Kang? Just a few days ago, he was treating me like an annoying fly, and now he says he doesn’t want to? Who behaves like this? Was he always so stubborn?Lost in all sorts of bewildered thoughts, I stared at him. Kim Moohyuk’s face remained impassive, and his gaze never wavered.“Seventy percent is high, you know.”His tone was as if it was no big deal. I looked at him in disbelief.“But Captain, you dislike me.”“So?”“I mean, you might end up paired with a guide you dislike.”“Who said you were my pair? I only have one pair.”Kim Moohyuk frowned in displeasure. ‘You fool, that one person is me,’ I wanted to say, but I held back and squeezed my eyes shut.“So, what are you planning to do if the center forces the pairing?”“That’s my problem, not yours,” he replied, checking the monitor and the readouts, then tore off the nodes attached to his chest. The open front of his shirt revealed his broad, defined pecs.This guy had clearly bulked up. I’d lost most of my muscle mass, so a twinge of annoyance passed over me. I didn’t want to continue a conversation that led nowhere.“If the center finds out, pairing us up is only a matter of time, despite you not wanting me as your partner. If you don’t want that, you should at least avoid staying in a condition with such a high risk of losing control.”With a sigh, I advised him, and Kim Moohyuk got up without a word, buttoning his shirt. Standing there, he looked down at me with an unreadable gaze, reminding me how, five years ago, his eyes conveyed so much more. The more we spoke, the more I felt just how far the Kim Moohyuk I once knew had drifted. Once he fastened all the buttons, the dog tag that had been visible disappeared beneath his shirt. In a casual tone, as if he were discussing something trivial, he said,“Instead of reporting it, I’d like you to guide me.”“What…?”“You don’t want the center finding out about the compatibility rate, right? Then you’ll have to put up with some minor inconveniences.”Kim Moohyuk picked up the military pager from the floor, snapping off the dangling cuff button as he did so. As he lifted his discarded jacket, he spoke to me as if it were the smallest matter.“You saw, didn’t you? I’m hurt. A guide’s duty is to keep their Esper alive. Don’t you have any sense of professional obligation?”With those words, my mind went spiraling. Professional obligation? The same obligation that almost killed our mentor trying to save you? What on earth has he been eating for the past five years to become like this? My good-natured, polite Esper had turned into a rude, pushy thug.But I couldn’t outright refuse Moohyuk’s demand. If he decided to report this to the center, I’d be the one in trouble. I had no choice but to decide quickly. Giving a pained expression, I pointed toward the door with my thumb, signaling for him to deal with the overjoyed medic who seemed way too pleased about our 70% compatibility.Kim Moohyuk glanced at me and walked past. Just as the medic was about to come inside, Moohyuk grabbed the man by the crown of his head, pulling him in.“C-Captain Kim, what are you doing—?”“A 70% match is high, isn’t it?”“Huh? Oh, yes… It is indeed. But if you could let me go—”The team member looked at Moohyuk with a bewildered expression. He seemed completely confused, not understanding why this was happening all of a sudden. As he glanced at me with a look that seemed to say, “Please stop this guy,” I quickly turned my attention to the hangnail beneath my fingernail.“But I think, if the researcher keeps quiet about my matching rate with that guide, things will go a lot smoother,” Moohyuk said.“What will be smoother?”“Am I being unclear?” Moohyuk asked in a low voice, almost like a growl. The team member was now hiccupping, looking like he might cry. I pursed my lips, silently thinking, I have nothing to say either. I just got threatened by this guy myself. Whether the team member read my expression or not, he didn’t argue back and simply nodded in agreement with Moohyuk.“Then… I’ll keep it secret for now…”“I’ll report it when I feel like it. Can you cooperate?”It was phrased as a request, but it was clearly a high-handed command. The team member nodded reluctantly, his face looking like he was ready to cry. It seemed like he was just relieved the military doctor hadn’t shown up yet. He quickly deleted the data and added that he would just treat it as an emergency situation. The team member hastily exited the emergency guidance room, looking half out of his mind, as if his own safety was his top priority.Once again, I was left alone with Kim Moohyuk. He was still looking at the pager, speaking in a disinterested tone.“I’m waiting for contact.”“What contact?”Moohyuk glanced at me, then smirked, as if mocking my minor resistance. That attitude… Why didn’t I see it sooner? I was so frustrated I could hardly believe it. It felt like I’d been tricked into believing a false advertisement. His betrayal made my brows furrow deeper.“Just keep quiet,” he said. “You’ve got plenty of suspicious things about you.”Then he opened the door and left. I sighed deeply as I watched his back.Surprisingly, despite the threats, Moohyuk remained quiet for the next few days.On the first day, I came into the shared guidance room, tense, waiting for contact from Moohyuk, but nothing came. It was irritating to wait with nothing happening. Sure, I knew he must have been busy, but wouldn’t it have been polite for him to at least give me a heads-up? I muttered to myself as I mopped the floor. While Chief was at the Gangwon center, I figured I might as well clean up the messy shared guidance room.I didn’t even want to clean my own room, but I couldn’t stand the dust piling up, so I started cleaning. No matter how much I wiped, it didn’t seem to improve. The hot pack box was full of water stains, and the infrared lamp was covered in dust. Even the guiding equipment was filthy. I spent the entire afternoon cleaning the bathroom sink, but it didn’t seem to get any better. I thought maybe I should stop by Yeopsae-dong tomorrow and buy some cleaning supplies.“Guiding, right?”An Esper suddenly entered, asking for guidance like ordering pig’s feet at a restaurant, before even sitting down. I stared at him, dumbfounded. The Esper smiled slyly.“But, how much contact do you allow here?”Seriously? There are still people like this even after 5 years? I didn’t try to hide my scowl, visibly frustrated.“Whether or not I make contact is up to me. You don’t look like there’s an urgent need, so why are you making a fuss about contact?”“Hey, you’re speaking informally…”“You started it, so I thought I’d give it a try. Feels pretty good. Go ahead, drop the act. Let’s be friends, damn it.”The Esper looked utterly shocked. His expression was priceless. You were the one who started speaking informally. Why is it not okay for me? After a beat, the Esper scowled and raised his voice.“Hey, what’s your rank? If a superior speaks informally, you should just accept it, not talk back!”“Rank, what rank? Are you a one-star? Two-star? You’re not a general, so why are you bringing up rank? We’re all just soldiers. And where do you get off addressing me like that on our first meeting? Do I know you? Am I your friend? I don’t hang out with ugly guys.”“This is really something.”His face turned beet red. Just try hitting me and see what happens. I’ll have you on the ground in no time and take whatever I want. Just as I was about to act on that thought, the door opened again, and someone entered. It was an Esper, wearing a mask and a hood, with a height that was almost at the doorframe—clearly, it was Kim Moohyuk. Even though Esper types are usually tall, it’s rare to find one with shoulders that wide. I recognized him instantly, but unfortunately, the Esper in front of me wasn’t him.“Stop looking around. You were defying me earlier, weren’t you? What, are you trying to act like you respect the chain of command now that someone’s entered?”What a delusion. I responded instead of sighing.“Forget it. You were the one who started with the inappropriate remarks. Look at your name, rank, and affiliation. I’ll make sure you’re sent to the brig.”“Well, looks like you’ve been mouthing off quite a bit since earlier.”The esper gave me a threatening look. Seeing him raise his hand, it was clear that he had probably forced other guides into doing things like this. It was the moment right before he would strike. Suddenly, from behind, a loud screeching noise of a chair being dragged across the floor caught our attention. Both the esper and I turned our heads toward the sound. Kim Moohyuk, wearing a mask and with his hood pulled up, had sat down on a chair he had pulled in from somewhere.With his legs stretched out and his back leaning against the chair, his hands clasped on his flat stomach, he looked like an observer at a show.“Go ahead, keep going.”…These two really know how to get under my skin. I found myself unexpectedly disappointed by Moohyuk’s reaction. It was natural that he wouldn’t recognize me, but after all the time we’d spent together, the bond we’d built felt invalidated. I knew it was not his fault—he didn’t know I was Colonel Kang Hajung—but it still felt like a betrayal.I was furious and felt that any argument with the esper in front of me was pointless. I grabbed a portable measurement device for the esper’s remaining guiding capacity and jabbed it into the back of his hand. The device emitted a cheerful ding sound when it made contact with his skin.“What the hell are you doing?!”“I’m just checking if you’re in a condition to receive guidance. You seem like you’re managing just fine without it. Is there really any need to go over your limit?”I answered indifferently, and a ding echoed again as the device displayed the remaining guiding capacity on the screen.“See? 71% left. What a joke. You could go out and catch a pig and still be fine. Now get lost and stop bothering me.”“You crazy bastard!”The esper, embarrassed by his exposed weakness, looked like he was about to throw a punch. Fine. I thought to myself, let’s just get this over with. I’ll take the punch, then report this bastard for assaulting a guide, and the other one for standing by and doing nothing. I gritted my teeth, bracing for the slap to my cheek. At least if I don’t dodge, I win this fight by standing my ground.But the expected slap never came.“What the hell—”Kim Moohyuk effortlessly grabbed the esper’s wrist and stopped him.I furrowed my brows. Moohyuk, still holding the esper’s neck, dragged him away. The esper, whose build was impressive, was being dragged by Moohyuk like a paper doll. All he could do was scream in frustration. Moohyuk opened the guiding room door and stepped outside, dragging the esper with him. After the two of them exited, the door swung back by itself, likely from the force.“Where the hell did they go…”I mumbled in confusion. Kim Moohyuk returned through the door again. Without relaxing the frown on my face, I asked,“What are you doing?”“Taking out the trash.”Moohyuk replied simply, taking off his mask and pulling down his hood. It seemed he had been hiding it when people were around earlier. I sighed.“What’s this all about?”“What does it look like?”Both of them are really going to keep speaking so informally. But since Moohyuk is a captain, I can’t just snap back at him. I bit back my desire to respond with the same informal tone, and instead, I scowled at his playful words.“How should I know? Just say what you need and leave already.”Despite my sharp tone, Moohyuk didn’t seem bothered. He casually looked around the guiding room, tapping the equipment with his index finger.“Why are you here?”At my frustrated question, Moohyuk pointed lazily at a sign hanging under the ceiling. It read “Guiding Room 1.” I sighed again.“Did you come to receive guidance?”“I told you, I’m getting guidance from you now.”“Then why didn’t you just say so earlier, instead of dancing around—”“I was trying to avoid making you feel like the one who got thrown out earlier.”Moohyuk answered indifferently. Had he always been like this? He was starting to act more like a stranger to me. But regardless, it was clear he needed the guidance, so I decided to give in. I grabbed a guiding support device and stood next to him.“Are we doing this here?”“Where else would we do it? The library?”I answered just as indifferently, switched on the device, and pressed the radiation guiding amplification button. Moohyuk raised an eyebrow and observed the device carefully before asking,“Does this thing really amplify the guidance?”“No. It just plays music while guiding. There’s a paper that claims that listening to relaxing music increases the effectiveness of the guidance. Since the military bought it, it probably means one of the higher-ups got a kickback.”I responded indifferently, pushing the machine that played Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” in 64-bit. Kim Moohyuk looked at me as though wondering why I was bothering with something that wouldn’t even be effective.“There’s an order to turn on the radiation guidance during sessions with new equipment,” I explained, “If they say to do it, then I do it. What else can I do? I’m just following orders, after all.”“You look annoyed.”Kim Moohyuk answered in a tone that seemed curious, and when I looked up, his face remained expressionless. He looked down at me with a detached expression, and I was so fed up that I decided to silently attach the node to his wrist while expanding the radiation guidance waves. The guiding assist machine’s display showed Kim Moohyuk’s remaining energy. It was more precise than the portable device I used earlier with Esper. I could see the energy, which had dropped to 23%, slowly rising.“How the hell did it drop to 23%?” I muttered under my breath.“Do I have an obligation to explain to you? Are you my superior or higher-ranked than a lieutenant colonel?”Since neither was true, I had no choice but to remain silent. When I was a Colonel, he was definitely my subordinate, but not anymore. I shut my mouth, and Kim Moohyuk fell silent as well. The machine continued to play Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” with a mechanical hum. It was frustrating that, after five years, the technology still hadn’t improved enough to eliminate this dissonance.I was irritated at the slow rise of his energy, so I grabbed his hand firmly.Kim Moohyuk looked at his hand in surprise, but I continued to stare at the machine’s display as I spoke.“We’ve done worse, so don’t be so shocked.”“…What?”What do you mean, “what”? You passed out, and we kissed, you idiot. I thought, in a somewhat mischievous way, before releasing his hand when the gauge reached 80%.“Now it’s at 80%. You can go now. I need to clock out.”I grabbed the mop handle I had carelessly left near the scene of the earlier ruckus and went to wash it in the bathroom. After wringing it out with the moisture remover, I came back to find that Kim Moohyuk was gone and the guiding room was silent.I clicked my tongue in irritation. I felt a little uneasy.Funny enough, Kim Moohyuk continued to show up regularly at the shared guiding room. I knew he didn’t have many days off from missions, so maybe it was his brief rest period, but every day, he showed up about 30 minutes after I arrived. He didn’t do anything clearly either. He just lay on the patient bed in the shared guiding room and slept. He didn’t seem to be disturbed by anyone else. The room was quiet, except for a few troublesome Esper-like visitors. I occasionally forgot that he was there, accustomed to the peaceful silence between us.It was probably normal. Moohyuk and I had lived together in the same space for a long time as pair partners. Spending time with him was something I was used to. And it had only been a month, so his absence from my quarters felt stranger to me than it probably did to him.However, it wasn’t the same for him. He had been without a pair guide for five years. For me, it felt like it had only been a short time, but for him, it had been a long, accumulated time.I still wasn’t sure. Was it even possible for him to find a good guide? Would he listen if I suggested a new partner? After all, his heart was locked away, and telling him to find a new guide was likely futile. If it were easy, Byeongeun and Kim Inhak would have succeeded by now.In the end, I felt sorry for him. Maybe his personality had gotten worse because of me, and I felt guilty. Maybe I shouldn’t have kept him alive. If not, how could I let him talk like that to an instructor? Hearing him speak these days made me want to headbutt him and break a couple of his front teeth.I felt responsible. While he slept, I quietly muted the computer and played Freecell. Suddenly, an email popped up from the Guide Research Lab. It was about the results of my ranking review. They were asking me to come to the research building to pick up the result.“Why can’t they just send this by email? Why make me go all the way there just for the results?” I muttered, annoyed. I didn’t want to go to the research building right now, so I decided to go later and clicked back to Freecell, determined to break the Chief’s record today. His score was absurdly high for someone who only ate and played Freecell. I even looked up strategies online to try to beat it.As I focused intensely on matching card numbers, trying not to let my eyes get too dry, Kim Moohyuk suddenly stood up and said, “Let’s eat.”“Huh?”I was taken aback. It was just like old times. He was always the one in charge of making sure I ate. But I didn’t feel like eating. Sergeant Kang wasn’t a big eater, and his appetite was low. If he had a breakfast, he could easily skip lunch without feeling hungry until dinner.I always made sure to eat breakfast for energy, but honestly, I wanted to skip lunch today. I didn’t want to feel guilty about skipping everything, so I stopped by the convenience store and bought two boiled eggs for lunch.“Eat alone. I’m busy.”“Come on. Eat.”Kim Moohyuk casually retorted before leaving the guiding room. What the hell, crazy guy. If you’re not going, just don’t. I thought indifferently and rested my elbow on the desk, resting my chin on my hand as I clicked the mouse. Then, something unexpected happened. The chair I was sitting in started moving on its own, heading toward the door.“Uh, uh, uh—?!”The sound of clanking filled the air as the door opened. Without realizing it, I was carried all the way outside the guiding room, still sitting in the rolling chair. I muttered a curse. It had to be Kim Moohyuk’s ability. Just as I was about to stand up from the chair while cursing, I heard his voice.“What are you talking about?”“What do you mean, ‘what?’ I’m curious about your star sign.”Since when was he behind me? I felt pity for myself in that moment—how did I end up in a position where I was speaking formally to someone I was once in charge of? Being dragged around by this guy, lower in rank by several levels, and now I had to show some respect. It was infuriating. Kim Moohyuk narrowed his eyes at me as if granting me a temporary pass and then gestured toward a military jeep parked outside the building.“Get in.”“Where are we going?”“We’re going to eat some stew.”“You should’ve said that earlier.”I quickly jumped into the passenger seat. Stew, huh? There’s a restaurant area in Ipsaedong, and while the quality of food is decent, soldiers always love the meal provided by the military. I couldn’t miss an opportunity for a rare outing, so I hopped in, and as Kim Moohyuk opened the door after walking around the car, I asked him again.“What are we eating?”“Budae-jjigae.”“Oh, Budae-jjigae? That’s good at the intersection.”Without thinking, I mentioned the restaurant we used to frequent, but when Kim Moohyuk paused and looked at me curiously, I realized I had said something odd.“What’s with the look?”“Intersection? Which intersection?”“What do you mean ‘which’? You know, the one on the way to Jaryeoro, near the intersection where they serve really good Budae-jjigae.”Kim Moohyuk glanced at me with an amused, almost mocking look as he slowly shifted gears and reversed the car.“It’s been gone for three years.”What the hell. My vision went blurry for a moment. Why would a family-run restaurant that had been around for three generations close down? The owner had even promised to pass it on to me and told me to visit often, so why would they shut down the shop? It made me even sadder that I couldn’t have the stew I loved anymore. While I was lost in thought, Kim Moohyuk shifted gears again and drove straight ahead.“…You heard about that restaurant from the seniors, didn’t you?”“Ah… yes, that’s right.”I forced a smile, answering as if I were a newly enlisted soldier with a lot of enthusiasm. And naturally, after eating lunch with him that day, I ended up with a terrible stomach ache. If I hadn’t pricked my finger with a disposable syringe needle lying around the guiding room, I might have died from indigestion.“God, my fate.”After Kim Moohyuk dropped me off at the center and left for some work, I walked into the guiding room, took a moment to relax, and flopped onto the bed. I lay there until quitting time.After the sudden outing and the stomachache, I was drained, so I went back to my dorm, washed up, and went straight to sleep. I woke up to the loud sound of my alarm ringing in the morning, skipped breakfast, and went straight to the guiding room. And of course, I had to meet that guy who had drained all my energy yesterday.“…Are you free, Captain?”“I’m waiting for mission orders.”Kim Moohyuk had brought a book and was lying on the bed reading. It was a book by the first Korean Nobel Prize-winning author.Now he was even showing up to work before me. I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief. Unlike places like the wards or research labs where doors are kept locked for security reasons, the guiding room didn’t have any valuables, and being in the center of the facility, there wasn’t much to worry about with petty thieves, so I had left the door open when I left. And now, Kim Moohyuk had slipped in, lying on the bed. I thought to myself, “Has he always been this shameless?”I filled a hot pack that had evaporated overnight with water, silently observing him.“You’re working hard.”“Do I look like it? If you knew, you could help me out.”Kim Moohyuk’s indifferent response irked me. He didn’t reply but continued flipping through the pages of his book. I sighed. How should I deal with this guy?But today, I had work to do. Because the chief was absent, I, a mere sergeant, had ended up taking on the role of the head of the guiding room, handling all the equipment supplies and checking if any were running low. I had to make a list of items and finish it by today.