It felt like his heart was going to explode. No, that wasn't enough; his heart was pounding so hard, so loudly, that it wouldn't have been strange if it had leaped right out of his mouth. Then, suddenly, Jinho realized something was off.
'The smell, the smell is gone…'
He had unconsciously brought his wrist to his nose to smell it, but he had been so nervous that he hadn't immediately noticed what was strange.
Regardless of whether he smelled of sweat, normally, a faint, foul odor should have been tormenting him. But now... he felt incredibly comfortable.
Jinho took in the sight of Wonwoo anew. The sweet, fluffy dream he once had came to mind again.
'My destiny. So this is what it feels like... to meet one's destiny.'
Thump-thump, pit-a-pat.
It was a strange thing. Even though it was their first time meeting, he felt a sense of gladness, as if he were reuniting with a family member he hadn't seen in a long time.
He wanted to run to him right now, embrace him tightly, and trap him in his arms. He wanted to hold his hand, just like in his dream. From the moment Jinho laid eyes on Wonwoo, he was seized by an unknown emotion. It was a raw, impulsive feeling, to the point of being troublesome.
Jinho looked at the incident report on the table and took in the name of his destiny.
'Kim Wonwoo, Wonwoo... a pretty name. It sounds nice and fits his atmosphere well.'
He repeated the name dozens of times in his mind and, so that no one could hear, mouthed it as if chewing on each syllable. The more he did so, the more it felt like the name of his destiny was being engraved on his heart. Perhaps because it had two 'ieung' (ㅇ) consonants, a round, soft feeling filled his mouth.
Is this what love at first sight feels like? All his worries while waiting for his destiny after receiving that strange message from the System Guide became meaningless as Wonwoo took a strong hold within Jinho's heart. This version of himself felt unfamiliar and strange. It was to the point of being frightening.
'Calm down. Take a deep breath, and be natural. Act as naturally as possible so I don't seem awkward.'
He had to appear natural, not strange. He had to gain his favor as much as possible. So, every time he met Wonwoo's eyes, he crinkled his own in a smile, and every time Wonwoo spoke, he nodded in response. However, when Wonwoo started talking with Yonghyun, his heart was soon filled with disappointment.
'I, I... I should have been the first one to meet him!'
The moment Jinho heard the story of Yonghyun subjugating a monster and raiding an AA-rank Gate, the emotions he felt were envy and jealousy.
'It feels like the beginning of my destiny was stolen from me...'
Hearing that Yonghyun not only accompanied Wonwoo but also raided a Gate while holding him in his arms made him envious of Yonghyun and just as regretful. He should have come sooner, for the Gate raid.
That was why when Yonghyun offered Wonwoo a job, he found himself unconsciously pressing the issue with sharp words.
While Wonwoo was having a friendly chat with the System, the two men were sharing information about the AA-rank Gate, yet also engaging in a war of nerves over Wonwoo's future.
'For you to personally step up and mention a job offer, and to speak as if you're going to proceed immediately, Chief. I was surprised to see you acting so hastily, unlike your usual self.'
'If you had experienced Wonwoo-ssi's ability firsthand, Esper Han Jinho-nim, you would have done the same.'
'Haha, that's true. I've only heard about Wonwoo-nim's ability through words. However, I am currently experiencing the ability that eliminates the side effects just by being with him.'
'Is that so? As expected, it wasn't an ability that only worked on me. The more I know, the more I experience, the more amazing Wonwoo-ssi's ability is.'
'I suppose I'll get to know it too as I spend more time with the Guide... in the future. Haha, so trying to monopolize Wonwoo-nim by telling him he must join the Bureau is a bit much.'
'Monopolize? Please see it as efficient management and dispatch support.'
When Gates appeared, it was the Bureau's role to contact and gather the Espers scattered among various guilds or working as individuals. Jinho also received jobs and went on Gate raids through the Bureau's mediation.
Because of that, if it was true that a Guide could strengthen an Esper's abilities and help with raids, then as Yonghyun said, it was far more economical and efficient for Wonwoo to join the Bureau and use his abilities as a Guide.
But Jinho... didn't want to see Wonwoo join the Bureau.
If Wonwoo became affiliated with the Bureau, it was only natural that he would become closer to Yonghyun, the central figure of the Bureau, and spend more time with him than with a freelancer like himself. And in doing so, he would grow close to Yonghyun.
Even though he hadn't even had a proper conversation with him yet, he had the childish thought that he would lose Wonwoo to Yonghyun. So, he subtly and carefully suggested to Wonwoo the idea of being a freelancer, trying to seize an opportunity to get closer to him.
Jinho hoped that Yonghyun, who had left 'for a moment' for the handover and report, would have something happen and not return. It might be a little selfish, but he wanted to create time and space to be alone with Wonwoo. After all, he had made efforts in so many ways to meet Wonwoo and gain his favor; he had to appeal that.
'Chief, I'm sorry for thinking this way when you've always taken such good care of me…. But I'm only thinking it in my heart.'
Gratitude is gratitude, but this is a separate matter. With that thought, Jinho cleared his throat for no reason and smiled brightly once he was left alone with Wonwoo.
His heart tickled for no reason when he saw Wonwoo unable to meet his eyes, whether it was because he was conscious of him or just very shy. It was a different side to him from the confident and assertive person who spoke with the PowerPoint screen up earlier, and that was refreshing. Even that side of him was good.
It seemed like he was conscious of this situation of just the two of them, that he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
'What kind of food does Wonwoo-ssi like? Should I ask later, and then give him a whole armful the next time we meet? Flowers, hmm, would flowers be too much of a burden right from the start? But if possible, I want to give him flowers.'
And as if Jinho's earnest wish had reached someone at the Bureau, Yonghyun returned with a very stern expression.
"...I'm sorry, Esper Han Jinho-nim. And Wonwoo-ssi."
"Oh... is something wrong?"
"It's nothing serious, but... something has come up internally, and I have to go out again."
"Th-th-that's not something for you to be sorry about, Chief."
"Thank you for your understanding. Then, will you two wait here?"
"Um, or would it be okay if Wonwoo-ssi and I go on ahead?"
Jinho knew this was the opportunity that had come to him. A chance to be alone with Wonwoo for longer!
Sure enough, as soon as Jinho finished speaking, Yonghyun's face hardened strangely as he furrowed his brow. Seeing Yonghyun like that, Jinho felt a strange sense of victory, even though he knew it was childish.
"Haha, sorry... I had a rather poor lunch... Haha."
"Then we should go eat right away."
"...I see. Then, I will also finish my work as quickly as possible."
As if on cue, the moment Yonghyun opened his mouth to speak, Wonwoo's stomach let out a loud growl, as if it had been waiting.
***
The first thing an Esper who had raided a Gate had to do was check their physical condition.
From the extent of their injuries to their mental state, including stress, Espers would rest in their own ways until they received a result confirming there were no issues.
Just a few years ago, there was a time when after raiding one Gate, you were immediately sent to the next Gate, and then the Gate after that. Back then, it was unimaginable for an Esper to take a break right after raiding a Gate.
But with the establishment of the Association and the union of Esper guilds, they gained power. On top of that, as a result of technological advancements and ceaseless research, the appearance of Gates, which were like natural disasters, could be predicted to some extent, much like a weather forecast, allowing for more efficient raids.
In line with this trend, Espers raised their voices, demanding the same rest as regular workers. The domestic and international governments that employed Espers to raid Gates had no choice but to listen to those voices and guarantee rest after raids. Although exceptions were made for emergencies or sudden Gate appearances, it was still a lot of progress compared to the beginning.
And the place that used this guaranteed rest time more fruitfully and efficiently than anyone else was the Geonyeong Guild.
The Geonyeong Guild was very large and had a lot of manpower, so they could handle the post-raid clean-up themselves instead of handing it over to the Bureau. Thanks to that, they didn't need to coordinate schedules or raid aspects in detail with the Bureau, so after raiding a Gate, they could leisurely set their own schedule at their own pace.
"Geonyeong Guild Team 1, raid complete. Returning to Seoul from Geoje Island."
Baek Juwon, the Geonyeong Guild's only S-rank Esper, carelessly threw off his black, tech-wear-style body armor. The heat that felt like his whole body was on fire still tormented him, but Juwon boarded the van nonchalantly, as if he were used to it.
"Team Leader, we checked our phones and got a disaster alert saying an AA-rank Gate appeared at the Han River. Did we get any dispatch news?"
"What? AA-rank?! What, why didn't I know."
"Well, it would be strange if you knew, since we just finished dealing with a gate…?”
"If we have to go all the way to the Han River, shouldn't we use a movement ability instead of going by van?"
"Ah, I didn't tell you. We did get a request for dispatch support from the Bureau, but they contacted us soon after saying it was resolved, so we don't have to go."
"...Oh. That's great. Our Juwon is tired from just finishing a Gate raid."
"Ah, what's there for me to be tired about. I'm fi—, no. I'm fine."
"Look at him, just because the Gate raid is over, he's letting his guard down and reverting to his old way of speaking."
"Ah, Lee Yul-sunbae. Don't tease me."
"Aigoo, alright, our dear maknae. Your sunbae will hold it in, hold it in. But can an AA-rank Gate really be raided this quickly?"
"Yeah, our side asked several times if they were really okay, and they said they were fine. I heard it directly from Chief Shin Yonghyun."
"Then it's true I don't have to go, right?"
"Yeah. Well, from what I can see, it seems like the measurement was wrong. So we're returning as is. Everyone, get some rest while we travel."
"Yep!"
"Then Lee Yul is going to sleep. Wake me up when we get to a rest stop~"
"We're not stopping at a rest stop."
"Huh..."
Leaving the various commotions behind, Juwon slumped into his seat as if folding his body and took out his phone. Then, with a familiar gesture, he launched a mobile RPG game that was showering users with all sorts of rewards for its 5th-anniversary service event.
'Oh, maybe because it's an event. My mailbox is packed with messages.'
However, what Juwon saw as soon as he opened his mailbox was not a gift or an event message.
[(SYSTEM) Buff benefits that pop-pop-pop! Check out the secret that only you can see right now!]
[Press this button to go to the guide page!]
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t/n : unlock more chapters on my ko-fi^^