Chapter 61:
Seo Jae-yi, having executed a masterful escape from the Center, sped towards her flower shop. Her driving skills were nothing short of divine.
She hadn’t invested in a safety-focused car for nothing.
“Huh?”
Having successfully evaded all pursuit with her dazzling driving skills, she entered her flower shop with a lighter heart, only to be met with a surprising sight.
“What? Why are you two here?”
Baek Joo-won and Grayson, whom she had parted ways with at the Center, were casually sitting at the table in her flower shop, sipping coffee and chatting.
“Maggie, are you breaking and entering now?”
“Why are you only accusing me? Baek Joo-won is sitting right here too.”
“It’s not breaking and entering if Baek Joo-won is here because I’m happy to see him, but you’re not.”
“…Why is our honey so cold to me?”
Seo Jae-yi ignored Grayson’s whining.
“You’re back, Master!”
Airok fluttered over and landed on her shoulder. His warm, soft face nuzzled her cheek.
“Ah, Logi. Did you let them in?”
“Yes, I did. To be honest, I didn’t want to let them into our home…”
Airok sighed dramatically.
“But Master cherishes this one, even if she doesn’t care for that human, so I yielded.”
“Hey, why am I ‘that human,’ and Baek Joo-won is ‘this one’?”
Grayson raised his hand and asked, and Seo Jae-yi answered matter-of-factly.
“Because Baek Joo-won is the one who will save me, and you’re useless. It’s your fault, Maggie.”
“Honey, I even helped you fight the boss monster today. That’s too harsh.”
“What! Boss monster? Master, you went into a dungeon?!”
Airok, startled by the unexpected news, pushed Grayson’s face away and asked urgently.
“There was a dungeon break near the Center. I received Guiding after it was over, so I’m fine.”
“You should have just sent this useless human!”
“This is the only place that treats me like this. Sob, sob. I want to go back to the US.”
“Then go. Go back today.”
“I was thinking about going back soon, but after seeing what happened today, I might stay a bit longer.”
Grayson, who had been pretending to cry, looked at Seo Jae-yi with a meaningful smile.
“Honey, so did you decide to accept that Guide as your exclusive Guide?”
That was why he had come here instead of returning to the hotel.
Airok panicked, seeing Seo Jae-yi frown.
“What? Master, what’s he talking about? Exclusive Guide? Uh, did another Guide appear besides him?”
He glanced at Baek Joo-won, who was calmly sipping his coffee, but he could see the tension in his hand, despite his expression.
“He’s not a compatible Guide. His Matching Rate is only 48%.”
Seo Jae-yi briefly explained the situation. Airok was the one who went ballistic.
“What?! How can they force an incompatible Guide on Master, an S-rank?!”
“Exactly! That’s absurd.”
Grayson agreed with Airok and clicked his tongue.
The US government forcing a Guide with a mere 48% Matching Rate on him? It was unthinkable.
It might be possible in countries like China or Russia, where the government had absolute power, but most countries wouldn’t even dare.
Nothing was scarier than incurring the wrath of an S-rank Esper.
But Korea was different. The government could get away with this because the Guiding Center controlled Espers’ authority.
And one more thing.
“Jae-yi, they’re doing this because they know you’re weak to Guides.”
The government and the Center had tried to break her spirit through experiments and forcing her into dungeons.
Grayson had learned about it by chance, being her longtime friend.
And he also knew that they had failed to break her.
But she was softer towards Guides? Even Grayson would exploit that weakness.
“I understand why you’re doing this, but stop it. Before it becomes your true weakness.”
Baek Joo-won and Airok, who didn’t know about Seo Jae-yi being experimented on by the government, looked at each other, confused.
Seo Jae-yi clicked her tongue at them.
“You want to talk about that here?”
“Yes, I do.”
She glared at the annoying Grayson and sighed.
“I rejected him. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, though. You know what he said? He’s my fan. He’s attracted to my ability and fame.”
Grayson spat out his tea.
“Cough, cough. What? A fan? Not a ballpoint pen?”
“I’ll turn you into a ballpoint pen.”
“You’ve got a good fan. That’s great, honey.”
Airok scoffed at his quick change of attitude.
And then, an unexpected attack came.
“Ah, you were happy because he said he was your fan. I see. Then I’m not needed anymore.”
Seo Jae-yi was horrified by Baek Joo-won’s calm words.
“What are you talking about?! I rejected him! I don’t need a fan! Really! I’m your fan! Please don’t abandon me!”
Seo Jae-yi clung to Baek Joo-won, praising him profusely. He was the most handsome, had the best personality, the highest Matching Rate, and his Guiding was the best.
Airok clearly saw Baek Joo-won’s lips twitching, hidden behind his cup.
Sigh… Poor Master. She couldn’t even tell him…
He dabbed at his imaginary tears.
Crash!
Someone burst through the door, almost breaking it down. It was Seo Won-yeong, her ash-gray hair disheveled.
“Unnie! Where’s that bastard…? There you are!”
Seo Won-yeong, panting, charged at Grayson, who had been watching Seo Jae-yi and Baek Joo-won with amusement.
Seo Jae-yi quickly scooped Baek Joo-won up and dodged, startled by her intensity.
Seo Won-yeong launched a powerful kick at the abandoned Grayson. A satisfying thud echoed through the air as his head snapped back.
“I made equipment for you and treated you kindly because you were my sister’s friend, and what? You’re trying to steal Baek Joo-won?! How dare you betray my sister! You bastard! I’ll never forgive you!”
“W-wait, honey!”
“Honey my ass! Who told you to call me that?!”
“W-Won-yeong, let’s calm down and talk! T-this is your sister’s shop!”
“Then come outside! I’ll finish you off properly!”
Grayson’s handsome face swelled up instantly from the merciless kicks of the Enhancement Esper.
But Seo Won-yeong wasn’t satisfied yet. She grabbed him by the collar, trying to drag him outside. Grayson desperately clung to Seo Jae-yi’s leg like a lifeline.
“Jae-yi, Jae-yi, help me!”
He looked pathetic, his face swollen, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Seo Jae-yi sighed, seeing her friend’s rare display of vulnerability.
“Sigh, I can’t help it. Logi, help Won-yeong.”
“Yes, Master!”
She couldn’t let her precious shop be destroyed!
Seo Jae-yi readily abandoned Grayson.
“Seo Jae-yiiii!”
Grayson, unable to resist with Airok joining the fray, was dragged outside. Soon, the satisfying sounds of a beating filled the air.
“Whew, that was close. Baek Joo-won, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Seo Won-yeong’s kicks are impressive. She could have been an athlete if she wasn’t an Esper.”
“Ah, did I not tell you? Won-yeong is a black belt. She’s been learning all kinds of martial arts since she was eleven. She was even selected for the national judo team in high school. She awakened right after that, so she couldn’t participate in the Olympics.”
It was an unexpectedly impressive past.
“…My condolences to Grayson.”
“Won-yeong will send him to a better place.”
They finished their conversation, the comforting sounds of a beating continuing in the background.
“You bastard! You betrayed my sister while wearing the equipment I spent a week crafting day and night with the best materials?! Spit it all out, you bastard!”
“Won-yeong, honey! Let’s talk! Aaargh!”
“I’ll never forgive you!”
His screams of pain continued endlessly.
***
Seo Won-yeong was somewhat oblivious to information.
She only cared about her mother and Seo Jae-yi and was indifferent to everything else. She usually holed up in her workshop, attached to their house, focusing solely on crafting equipment, unless it was related to Seo Jae-yi.
Therefore, she had no idea that Mac Grayson had come to take Baek Joo-won to the US.
Until Haeil Guild Leader Kim Yoo-sung informed her.
“Sending Won-yeong… He’s truly a scary person.”
Grayson, beaten to a pulp, shuddered as he finally learned the truth.
Kim Yoo-sung had sent a freelance Esper, someone not affiliated with any Guild, to avoid any repercussions if he personally punished Grayson.
And Seo Won-yeong was Seo Jae-yi’s beloved sister, so she had a connection to Grayson. They had even caused trouble together in the past, so he couldn’t report her.
He could only endure the beating.
“At least she didn’t kill me.”
Grayson touched his cheek, which was covered with a bandage. His whole body ached, not just the spot where she had kicked him, but he was just grateful to be alive after being beaten by Seo Won-yeong, one of the strongest Enhancement Espers.
But now that Seo Won-yeong knew, he couldn’t stay here any longer. Even Grayson didn’t want to be continuously beaten by her.
“Hello. Good evening, Baek Joo-won.”
So that night, Grayson rang the doorbell of Baek Joo-won’s hotel room.