Chapter 15:
‘If he says he’s going to the Center, I’ll tell him about that and try to dissuade him.’
It wasn’t a pleasant memory, but she was willing to revisit it for Baek Joo-won’s sake.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay? The government will keep interfering.”
“If I obediently followed the government’s wishes, I wouldn’t be Seo Jae-yi, but Seo Disaster.”
“You are a disaster, though.”
“That’s true.”
Kim Yoo-sung chuckled at her characteristic nonsense. Hearing her usual nonsensical remarks somehow dissipated the frustration that had been building up during the meeting.
“Alright, then let’s unleash a disaster of our own.”
“Ooh, what is it? Do you have a good plan?”
“I couldn’t find Baek Joo-won even after searching the Center for hours today. He must be somewhere for training, but someone is definitely preventing us from contacting him.”
“That’s underhanded.”
“It is. So let’s fight fire with fire. Starting tomorrow, you’re going to clock in at the Center.”
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened at Kim Yoo-sung’s suggestion.
“Huh? Is that okay? You know I hate going to the Center.”
“Baek Joo-won is more important right now. If you become friendly with him, he won’t be able to ignore you.”
Kim Yoo-sung omitted the phrase “dying you,” but Seo Jae-yi understood.
She didn’t know if Baek Joo-won was aware of her condition. She hadn’t told him, and the Center likely kept it a secret, fearing he might develop sympathy for her.
But if they spent time together, he would inevitably find out. Wouldn’t he feel some compassion then?
“Okay, I’ll start visiting tomorrow.”
Seo Jae-yi readily agreed.
Pity or whatever, it didn’t matter. He was her only hope at this point. She would kneel before him if it meant survival. If he saved her out of pity, she would be grateful.
‘The problem is that my first impression was terrible…’
Seo Jae-yi pondered as she sipped the drink Kim Yoo-sung had bought her.
She needed to redeem herself somehow, so taking a gift would be a good idea, right?
And what better gift than a bouquet?
‘I’ll make a beautiful bouquet with flowers that suit Mr. Baek Joo-won!’
Seo Jae-yi happily started contemplating what flowers to use.
If Kim Yoo-sung, who was well acquainted with Seo Jae-yi’s bouquet-making skills, had known her intentions, he would have vehemently objected. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability to read minds.
***
Center Head’s office.
Kwon Yi-soo listened to Han Sung-woo’s report on the investigation into Baek Joo-won.
“Thanks to the government’s cooperation, we’ve expanded the scope of the investigation considerably, but we still haven’t found anything. He’s stateless, so he must have entered Korea illegally, but we can’t figure out how he did it.”
Government cooperation meant more than just a thorough investigation. It meant they could engage in illegal activities with the government’s tacit approval.
They had utilized Espers with exceptional tracking abilities, scouring even the most obscure smuggling routes, yet they couldn’t find a single trace of Baek Joo-won.
“…”
Was that even possible?
He had ordered a deeper investigation because Baek Joo-won was suspicious, not just because of his stateless status. But he had never imagined they wouldn’t find a single piece of information about him.
Especially in Korea, a country riddled with CCTV cameras.
It was as if he had fallen from the sky.
‘It’s strange that someone with no traceable history suddenly appeared and was identified as an S-rank Guide.’
Moreover, the first confirmed sighting of Baek Joo-won, according to the investigation, was at the flower shop run by Seo Jae-yi.
Considering that she was the only one with a high Matching Rate with him, it was incredibly suspicious.
‘Seo Jae-yi…’
Kwon Yi-soo unconsciously clenched his fist.
“Continue the investigation until we find something, anything. Use any means necessary.”
“Understood.”
“How is Baek Joo-won’s training progressing?”
Despite his suspicions, Baek Joo-won was diligently participating in the mandatory month-long training program.
“He’s learning very quickly. He’ll likely complete the theoretical training soon. The training instructor requested permission to start practical training next week.”
Guide training wasn’t just theoretical. They needed practical experience to control their Guiding and avoid being manipulated by Espers.
They also received physical training, firearms training, and other training necessary for potential dungeon raids with Espers.
It usually took at least fifteen days to reach the practical training stage, but completing the theoretical training in a week and moving on to intensive training was quite rare.
“Has he shown any signs of already knowing the material?”
He asked, considering the possibility that Baek Joo-won had been operating as an unregistered Guide before infiltrating Korea. However, Han Sung-woo shook his head.
“There have been no such reports.”
He was either genuinely innocent or skilled enough to hide his knowledge.
This meant they had to keep observing him.
“Authorize the practical training. Adjust the intensity according to his abilities.”
“Yes, sir. And here’s a list of guilds that have expressed interest in recruiting Guide Baek Joo-won.”
Han Sung-woo handed him a folder.
While they hadn’t officially announced Baek Joo-won’s abilities, those in the know were already aware.
The only S-rank Guide with a Matching Rate of over 50% with all Espers, except Seo Jae-yi.
Any guild, especially those lacking paired Guides, would covet him. Soon, even powerful nations overseas would likely seek to recruit him.
‘But why is his Matching Rate with Seo Jae-yi 93%?’
If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t care where Baek Joo-won went.
But of all people, it had to be Seo Jae-yi. 93%, a number that shattered the previous record for initial Matching Rates.
…Why did it have to be her?
“Taesan Guild is also on the list.”
Kwon Yi-soo’s face contorted. Taesan Guild’s name was clearly printed on the second page.
“Tell them absolutely not. They might seem incompetent, but even if Baek Joo-won wants to go there, prevent it.”
“Yes, sir. What about Haeil Guild? Guild Leader Kim Yoo-sung is the most eager to recruit him, and they have a valid reason due to Esper Seo Jae-yi, making it difficult to refuse.”
“Put them on hold. The choice ultimately lies with Baek Joo-won, so focus on keeping him at the Center for as long as possible.”
“Understood.”
After Han Sung-woo left, Kwon Yi-soo looked out the window.
It had been seven years since he became the Center Head.
He had attained this position to achieve his goals, to grasp what he thought was unattainable.
But he couldn’t understand why he felt like he was about to lose everything.
Kwon Yi-soo gulped down cold water, trying to calm himself.
A scene from the past, a memory he couldn’t forget, flashed before his eyes.
‘Hello, pretty oppa.’
The one who had suddenly appeared in his mundane world, the only one who radiated vibrant colors.
From the moment he saw her, Kwon Yi-soo had been tormented by a relentless thirst, a thirst that continued to plague him even after eleven years.
***
As Kim Yoo-sung suggested, Seo Jae-yi decided to visit Baek Joo-won.
She wanted to make a good impression, so she decided to take a bouquet.
“Wow, this one bloomed nicely.”
As she surveyed the flowerbeds, contemplating what flowers to use, her gaze was drawn to the red flower she had brought from the forest dungeon a few days ago.
Whether it was compatible with Earth’s soil or because of Kim Yoo-sung’s life force infused in the soil, the flower was thriving, its beauty enhanced by its dewy freshness.
“This is the one.”
Seo Jae-yi plucked three of the red flowers and added a few other flowers from the flowerbed that complemented them.
The main flowers were red, so what color wrapping paper should she use?
She brought the flowers to the shop and placed them on the table, browsing through her wrapping paper selection.
“Cough!”
A cough escaped her lips before she could suppress it.
She quickly covered her mouth, feeling a metallic taste rising in her throat. Fortunately, she had reacted quickly enough to protect the flowers and wrapping paper.
However, her hand and chin were stained with blood, ruining her clothes.
“Ugh, I need to change.”
Seo Jae-yi sighed, looking at her bloodstained hand and clothes.
Fortunately, she had spare clothes at the shop, anticipating such occurrences.
“At least I’m just coughing up blood, not experiencing dizziness.”
She washed her hands in the bathroom, which she had set up in a corner of the shop for these situations, feeling relieved.
Coughing up blood had become a regular occurrence since a year ago. In fact, blood was the second most familiar thing to her after fire.
‘I hope it doesn’t happen in front of Mr. Baek Joo-won.’
Drenching him with water during their first meeting and then appearing before him covered in blood? Wow… The thought alone was horrifying. Seo Jae-yi shuddered.
He was important to her; she desperately hoped her body would cooperate.
Despite the minor setback, Seo Jae-yi arrived at the Center on time.
“Hello!”
Unlike Kim Yoo-sung, who hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Baek Joo-won, she found him immediately. Her instincts, as they had during their second encounter, guided her to where he was.
It was true what they said about Espers with Guiding deficiency instinctively seeking out their Guides. It was the same primal pull she had felt at the Gate, her body guiding her towards her match.
“Hello.”
Baek Joo-won, who was leaving the training room after completing a Guide-related lecture, bowed politely. Seo Jae-yi smiled brightly and handed him the bouquet she had brought.
“You must be working hard with the training. This is a bribe.”
“…”
Baek Joo-won looked at the bouquet with a strange expression. After a long, contemplative silence, he cautiously asked,
“A… bribe?”
“Yes, I want to be friends with you. It’s my attempt to erase that terrible first impression.”
“…I can’t tell if you’re genuinely trying to befriend me or if this is some elaborate strategy to tell me I’m not needed.”