Chapter 14: The Price of Top Performance

“You’re welcome to say anything you like, but there’s one thing you’d be wise not to.”

“…”

“If you’re going to demand your Guide back, or claim this is invalid, then you can quietly leave.”

Ryu Yishin plucked a single petal from a fresh rose in the vase and placed it atop the snowman’s head like an ornament.

‘It would be much better to attach small buttons for eyes,’ he mused. ‘While I’m no aesthete, it’s always better to have something rather than nothing, and a snowman with facial features and limbs is certainly preferable to a mere lump of snow.’

As Ryu Yishin casually entertained such thoughts, Team Leader Joo’s complexion progressively paled.

“No, listen, Team Leader Ryu. This is a bit… too much, isn’t it?”

“What exactly is ‘too much’? I merely followed due process.”

Ryu Yishin gently curved the corners of his lips into a radiant smile, then gazed at Team Leader Joo, who appeared speechless and utterly bewildered.

‘He likely has nothing to say, hence that expression,’ Ryu Yishin surmised.

He watched Team Leader Joo with a more intrigued gaze, awaiting his response.

The Ryu Yishin of now was demonstrating a level of patience that his former self could never have imagined. This remarkable transformation was entirely due to Jung Hanseol’s guiding.

“Yes, due process. I know that. But…”

“Then isn’t that enough? I didn’t threaten him or abduct him. I merely designated Jung Hanseol as the first person to be brought in, a privilege of being the top-performing team.”

Leaning back with an elbow propped on the sofa’s armrest and his chin resting casually in his hand, Ryu Yishin cut off Team Leader Joo, delivering his words precisely and with a voice as cold and sharp as his abilities. Whether it was the chilling air filling the room or the ominous aura Ryu Yishin exuded, Team Leader Joo shivered uncontrollably, enveloped in a pervasive cold.

In truth, Team Leader Joo had no logical argument to counter Ryu Yishin’s words. This was closer to a matter of ethics.

“I’d imagine it wouldn’t have been an issue if Team 7 had secured the top performance ranking…”

“…”

“Then your Guide wouldn’t have been taken, would they?”

Ryu Yishin, who had casually uttered words designed to wound his opponent’s pride with a faint smile, rose from the sofa and walked towards the desk. Team Leader Joo, his face utterly bewildered, slowly lifted his head to watch him. The ash-haired man, exuding an almost exotic charm, maintained a perpetual smile.

“I hear two of Team 7’s Espers were transferred to the provinces… You must have quite a headache.”

“…”

“I’m not particularly busy, but you, Team Leader Joo, seem to be. You may leave now.”

With such an unequivocal dismissal, there was nothing more Team Leader Joo could do here. Even for a Team Leader Joo, who ranked among the top within the organization in terms of ability, he was utterly insignificant before an S-class Esper. Ultimately, having gained nothing but further injury to his pride, Team Leader Joo rose from his seat with a stunned expression and stumbled away.

Only after hearing the door close did Ryu Yishin instantly wipe the smile from his face.

His migraine, which he’d thought had subsided, flared anew with a surge of irritation. Unable to control his temper, Ryu Yishin crushed the snowman in his hand, obliterating it before leaning back fully in his chair. The utterly destroyed snowman soon vanished without a trace.

“…”

Ryu Yishin briefly turned his gaze sideways, staring intently at the firmly closed door. Though the room was soundproofed, meaning no one inside would have overheard the conversation, the concerned party of their brief exchange remained within. Given that his body had not fully recovered, even if he had heard and been startled by the conversation, he likely couldn’t have rushed out immediately.

Team Leader Joo, still clinging stubbornly to Jung Hanseol, a Guide who was no longer part of Team 7—especially with a new employee ID having been promptly issued at Ryu Yishin’s insistence—was only exacerbating Ryu Yishin’s stress-induced headache.

Ryu Yishin quietly gazed at the door to his private guiding room, recalling the events of two days prior. After concluding a large-scale battle and solidifying his team’s position as number one in performance, Ryu Yishin’s first action had been to submit a scouting proposal to upper management.

It was to bring Jung Hanseol, Team 7’s A-class Guide, into his own team.

Originally, Ryu Yishin had never considered a situation where someone would be cut from his team, nor one where he would bring in a new member. His father, the Director of National Security, who knew Ryu Yishin well and understood his disinterest in forming relationships with others, naturally held the same assumption. It was therefore unsurprising that the internal atmosphere stirred when he conveyed his desire to bring Team 7’s Guide into his team.

Regardless, Ryu Yishin paid it little mind. The only thing that mattered to him was bringing Jung Hanseol into his team.

The reason, of course, lay in that ‘extraordinary’ guiding.

“Gah…”

As Ryu Yishin silently replayed the memories of that day, he frowned slightly and sharply turned his head towards the source of the sound. Jung Hanseol stood awkwardly in the doorway, his hand on the doorknob, faint scratches healing on his face, and his left arm heavily bandaged. Apparently not expecting to encounter Ryu Yishin immediately upon exiting, a look of bewilderment clouded Hanseol’s expression.

“I-I’m sorry, Team Leader, I didn’t realize this was your room…”

His flustered gaze darting about, utterly unsure of what to do, was somehow amusing. The room Hanseol had been resting in was, in fact, Ryu Yishin’s guiding room, and the only exit led directly into his office; thus, Hanseol was bound to encounter Ryu Yishin upon opening the door. Unaware of this, Hanseol hesitated, shuffling backwards as if to retreat into the room, until he noticed Ryu Yishin’s subtle nod and froze.

“No, it’s fine. Come out.”

Hanseol, of course, had no idea what was “fine.” Though he had muscle aches, they weren’t severe enough to prevent him from walking, so he had no great difficulty coming out. Hesitantly, Hanseol fully emerged from the guiding room and meekly sat on the sofa Ryu Yishin indicated with a tilt of his chin.

Observing this, Ryu Yishin picked up the phone on his desk and promptly issued a concise command: “Bring everyone in.”

Hanseol, who had been fixated on the table due to a strange tension, covertly glanced at Ryu Yishin, now casually reclining on the main sofa closest to him. He found it slightly puzzling that Ryu Yishin’s previously rigid expression seemed to subtly relax, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sudden influx of people.

“You called for us, Team Leader?”

Five burly men and two men of relatively ordinary build entered. Among them, Kang Seungmin, the most familiar face to Hanseol, offered Ryu Yishin a slight bow, exhibiting impeccable courtesy. Hanseol, watching them all stand before Ryu Yishin with their hands clasped behind their backs, inadvertently rose from his seat. Ryu Yishin chuckled at the sight but did not insist Hanseol sit back down, immediately getting to the point.

“Some of you are vaguely acquainted, aren’t you? Time for introductions.”

“…Introductions?”

“I told you to adapt quickly, didn’t I?”

‘Why sudden introductions…?’ Hanseol had merely asked, dumbfounded by the utterly unexpected request, only to be jolted awake by the sharp, severe words. Although he wasn’t entirely sure of the situation, Hanseol recalled Ryu Yishin’s dislike for repeating himself and inadvertently opened his mouth. It seemed he had no choice but to follow Ryu Yishin’s instructions for now.

“Ah, hello… My name is Jung Hanseol… I’m twenty years old, and I’m a Guide…”

This was the first time he’d introduced himself since his initial entry into the agency, when he’d stated his name and age before the members of Team 7. Back then, the word ‘Guide’ hadn’t been attached to his introduction, and he had been nineteen, a year younger than he was now.

Whether it was because he was truly a naive child back then, or if genuine warmth had emanated from them, no one greeted Hanseol with applause and cheers as they had before. Only unfamiliar faces stood stiffly, staring at Hanseol with calm, expressionless gazes. They showed no surprise whatsoever, as if they already knew exactly who Hanseol was.

Hanseol instinctively glanced down at Ryu Yishin, the person who had prompted the introductions. The moment their eyes met, Ryu Yishin curved his lips into a smile.

Hanseol, not understanding the meaning behind his smile, awkwardly returned it.

‘What else should I say? My birthday or hobbies… Do I have to lay out all that information?’ Ryu Yishin’s gaze remained fixed on him, causing Hanseol to frantically rack his brain, trying to decipher the atmosphere.

As everyone remained silent, an awkward stillness hung in the air, broken only by Ryu Yishin.

“I’ve had him introduce himself, but none of you should even think about touching him.”

“…”

“Because he’s mine.”

“…What?”

While everyone else showed no sign of agitation, as if they had already expected this, Hanseol was the only one to let out a dumbfounded sound. Ryu Yishin’s sudden and blatant assertion of ownership over him caused Hanseol’s eyes and lips to part simultaneously. Ryu Yishin, however, casually ignored Hanseol’s reaction and continued speaking.

“Even if other teams request your support, just ignore them.”

“What? B-But shouldn’t I…?”

“If I tell you to ignore them, then ignore them. Woo Chanhee, Gwon Jiwook. Any support requests for him, you two handle them.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

Everything flowed naturally and without obstruction. Hanseol, however, found himself unable to adapt, feeling like an outsider in Team 1’s icy atmosphere, which was utterly different from the warm, amicable environment he had experienced in Team 7. His anxious gaze kept wandering, and his toes, peeking out from his slippers, twitched incessantly, betraying his nervous state.

“Anyone object?”

“No, Team Leader.”

To Ryu Yishin’s final question, directed at all his team members, Kang Seungmin immediately replied. His answer, though quick as if he had been waiting, was delivered in a voice as calm as if he had long pondered it. Ryu Yishin leaned back deeply into the sofa, a satisfied smile spreading across his entire face. Amidst them all, only Hanseol stared blankly at Ryu Yishin, unable to conceal his troubled heart.

‘…This is strange.’

‘The situation is unfolding in a peculiar way.’

With a surge of unease, Hanseol pressed his sweat-dampened palm against his fiercely pounding heart, biting down hard on his lower lip.