Chapter 46: The Unintended Romance Rumor

“There were a few people,” Sa-yoon replied. “It’s a subtle difference, but the most recent person I received guiding from felt exceptionally comfortable.”

“Right? I knew you’d feel it. Eliminating this difference is what would make it a perfect technique.”

“Hahahaha…”

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Sa-yoon’s spine as he watched the researchers, invigorated by his evasive comment, launch into another fervent discussion. Still, lunch break was drawing to a close. The clock had already ticked past 12:55 PM. Just five more minutes, and he would be free.

“Well, since we’ve met like this, how about we head to the cafe?” the eldest researcher suggested with a smile, a gleaming card clutched in his hand. Sa-yoon’s gaze flickered between the man’s smiling face and the clock.

“I don’t think I have… time. Isn’t lunch break ending?”

“Not at all. We were on the night shift yesterday, so we’re only working mornings today. It’s almost time for us to leave.”

“……”

It was a bolt from the blue. Sa-yoon quickly glanced around at the others.

“You must be tired if you worked all night. You should rest…”

“We can’t miss an opportunity like this! Actually, there’s so much I’ve wanted to ask an Esper directly.”

“It’s a shame Espers always avoid us when we try to talk to them. To think we have a chance to consult with an S-rank Esper!”

Sa-yoon wished he could have backed away if he hadn’t been seated. He now understood why other Espers fled the moment they made eye contact with the researchers.

“Esper Jin Sa-yoon, what would you like to drink? Americano? Latte?”

“Ah, no. My lunch break is about to end…”

“It’s fine. I’ll submit a request to our superiors, stating it’s for an interview.”

A thin, pale finger clasped Sa-yoon’s wrist. Unable to shake off the sickly grip of a hand that rarely saw the sun beyond a brief stroll, Sa-yoon was dragged directly to the company cafe.

Sa-yoon rubbed his sunken eyes with his fingers. The deep dark circles stubbornly remained. He sighed, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

His once handsome face was now a wreck, a casualty of prolonged intellectual inquiry.

True to their word, the researchers who had pulled an all-nighter chattered incessantly, their mouths parched. For hours, they spoke animatedly about their research, barraging Sa-yoon with questions about Espers’ thoughts. It was torment for Sa-yoon, who had little interaction with other Espers and had never worried about guiding, to forcibly invent answers and feign agreement.

Yet, even amidst the lengthy ordeal, there was a small reward.

Several research projects were underway simultaneously in the research facility. The area Sa-yoon had visited yesterday was dedicated to research on guides and Espers. Each research project belonged to a different team.

The researchers had proudly mentioned a secret development project, handled by a select few talented individuals. It was described as a dream team for chosen talents, with rigorous security for entry and exit, and no vacations, yet everyone yearned to join.

Sa-yoon was certain that this mysterious project was the one concerning the prediction system.

‘So, it’s back to square one after all.’

Even for Sa-yoon, gaining deeper access into the research facility would be difficult. While his position as an Esper Team Leader was high, his authority within the research facility was a different matter entirely.

Maintaining a rapport with the researchers he met yesterday might allow him to accidentally glean more information, but he couldn’t predict what further trouble he might encounter. Just yesterday, he had struggled to refuse their persistent pleas for ‘just a few drops’ of his blood as a sample.

It seemed extracting additional information from the research staff would be challenging. There was also the risk of his own weaknesses being exposed unnecessarily. He needed to explore other avenues.

“Team Leader. Team Leader.”

A hurried voice called Sa-yoon from outside the door. It was Chae-jun. When Sa-yoon answered, the door burst open.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

It was rare for Chae-jun, who usually acted with decorum in front of Sa-yoon, to be in such a rush. Chae-jun looked around, confirmed no one else was present, and carefully closed the door before entering.

“Team Leader. Who is Kang Gi-dong?”

“Eh?”

The unfamiliar name made Sa-yoon scratch his temple. No, he felt like he’d heard it somewhere before, but it didn’t immediately come to mind. In a unit teeming with people, three-syllable male names were all much the same. How was he supposed to know who that was?

“Why are you looking for that person through me?”

“That’s what I should be asking you! What’s your relationship with Kang Gi-dong, anyway? I thought things would be quiet with Levian out on a mission, but now you, Team Leader Sa-yoon, are starring in a romance drama?”

Good heavens, the plot was moving too fast for him to follow. Who was Kang Gi-dong, and why was Levian suddenly being mentioned? And a romance drama? What absurd nonsense was this? As Sa-yoon’s eyes widened, staring at Chae-jun, the agitated Chae-jun gradually calmed down.

“You really don’t know who he is?”

“That’s what I want to ask you. And by the way, our Chae-jun has grown up so much. You’re even coming to scold your Team Leader now?”

“Ah… Hahahaha.”

‘Then why is there such a fuss?’ Chae-jun quietly mumbled to himself. His serious, contemplative expression suggested he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“Explain it properly. What happened?”

After taking a moment to compose himself, Chae-jun pouted before continuing.

“Kang Gi-dong is a Guide. He’s an A-rank Guide who works freelance without a fixed Esper. And now, there’s a rumor that he and Team Leader Sa-yoon are secretly seeing each other.”

Now it was Sa-yoon’s turn to argue. His mouth fell open in dumbfoundedness at being unexpectedly linked to a Guide whose name he didn’t even know. He couldn’t fathom what algorithm could possibly lead to such a strong rumor, one that Chae-jun would describe as a ‘romance drama,’ arising from merely holding hands with a Guide.

“From your expression, it seems you really are innocent, Team Leader. But the records… they don’t look good.”

“What records? What’s the problem?”

“You know there are quite a few fans who keep track of Team Leader Sa-yoon’s every move. People looked at the guiding records, and it turns out Mr. Kang Gi-dong has an unusually high number of guiding sessions with you, Team Leader Sa-yoon.”

Only after hearing Chae-jun’s explanation did Sa-yoon understand what had happened. Sa-yoon’s method for choosing a Guide was simple: he picked whoever was available at his desired time from the top of the list. He found the process of flipping through pages to find a specific Guide tedious.

And the Guide list was always arranged alphabetically. Kang Gi-dong would almost certainly appear at the very top.

Realizing the situation, Sa-yoon clutched his head. He slammed it down onto the desk.

“Surely, Team Leader Sa-yoon, you’re not actually…”

“No. Absolutely not. I don’t even remember his face.”

With his cheek pressed against the cool desk, Sa-yoon merely lifted his eyes slightly to look at Chae-jun.

“Alright, I understand the situation, but why did such a rumor suddenly spread? It’s been quiet until now.”

“I don’t know where the rumor originated, but apparently, you mentioned recently finding a Guide who suited you well.”

“I did?”

“Yes. So, when people checked your guiding list, Guide Kang Gi-dong was the most recent one. And combined with the fact that your guiding sessions with him were more frequent than with other Guides, it became a perfect situation for a misunderstanding.”

“Hahahahahaha…”

‘This must be why they say to be careful even when drinking cold water in front of others.’ Sa-yoon realized that the words he had uttered yesterday to deflect the researchers’ questions had been distorted in this manner.

To think that something he said yesterday afternoon would spread like this in less than 24 hours meant that the researcher species must truly have loose lips.

Ignoring his own fault, Sa-yoon blamed the gossiping individuals, rubbing his head against the wooden desktop.

“Furthermore, Mr. Kang Gi-dong is… a fervent fan of Team Leader Sa-yoon… and it seems he was so delighted by the news that he went around telling everyone.”

“How do you know that, too?”

“Of course, I manage all of Team Leader Sa-yoon’s fans in the unit. I also monitor them to ensure they don’t do anything foolish.”

Chae-jun’s proud, chest-out declaration only made Sa-yoon’s head ache more.

“Anyway, I’m glad it’s not true, Team Leader. I’ll make sure to silence them immediately. How dare they try to get involved with our Team Leader? This is a serious crime against the Sa-yoon fan club rules!”

Sa-yoon sighed, watching Chae-jun, who was fuming with indignation. That guy seemed normal, but he occasionally displayed such odd behavior. A dating rumor, of all things. This was a first for Sa-yoon since joining the military.

He was already worried sick about rumors with Han Do-hoon, and now this ridiculous one had cropped up. If this continued, he would be unnecessarily spotlighted by being linked to a specific Guide.

“Chae-jun.”

“I know what you’re going to say, Team Leader. I’ll keep them firmly in line.”

“Don’t. Just leave it be.”

Sa-yoon smiled, seeing Chae-jun’s wide eyes. This might actually be a good thing. In truth, Sa-yoon had been too aloof until now. Rumors of being linked with a Guide were a common occurrence that Espers experienced once or twice.

‘It’s probably natural to do everything others do at least once.’ Moreover, it would draw less attention to his relationship with Han Do-hoon. While he shouldn’t inconvenience an innocent Guide, the other party was currently more excited and spreading the word themselves.

Sa-yoon just needed to pretend he didn’t know. In a way, it was a helpful rumor for him.