Chapter 30

After finishing his shower in a mess of emotions, Haon realized it was nearly time to meet with Baek Chan-kyung. He hurriedly left, walking non-stop towards the front gate area.

There, he saw a tall silhouette; recognizing it as Baek Chan-kyung immediately, Haon tried to calm his nervously beating heart.

“Did you rush out? You could have taken your time.”

“No, not at all.”

Baek Chan-kyung said, noticing Haon’s wet hair.

Embarrassed for having rushed out without time to properly style his hair, Haon awkwardly smiled once.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Haon followed Baek Chan-kyung. Unsure of their destination, he hesitantly initiated a conversation.

“Mr. Baek Chan-kyung, where are we going?”

“Oh, there’s a dining area nearby, so I was thinking of heading there. They have a variety of menus, but do you have any favorite food?”

“I’m okay with anything. Let’s eat whatever you feel like eating.”

Feeling relieved to know their destination, Haon understood they were heading to the bustling area near the center, a place he often visited, led by Siyun. Being familiar with the location made him feel less uncomfortable about being with a stranger.

“Um, I’m fine with anything too, but do you have any dislikes or anything you can’t eat?”

“No, I’m not particularly picky.”

Haon briefly responded. Although he wasn’t fond of all foods, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t eat, so his lie was more out of consideration for Baek Chan-kyung. However, Baek Chan-kyung looked at him doubtfully, prompting Haon to reiterate.

“Really, I don’t have any foods I dislike or can’t eat.”

“Alright, we’ll decide when we get there.”

Only then did Baek Chan-kyung seem to believe him, not pressing the issue further. After that, the two walked in silence.

The dining area, as mentioned by Baek Chan-kyung and frequently visited by Haon, was about a 10-minute walk from the Center’s front gate. An awkward silence filled the space between them. Although Haon felt the silence was uncomfortable, he had nothing particular to say and just walked on.

Upon reaching their destination, they found a street lined with restaurants and cafes, bustling and seemingly endless. Among them were many Awakeners in center uniforms. Noticing this, Haon saw that Baek Chan-kyung was not in uniform and alternately looked at his own uniformed reflection and Baek Chan-kyung in casual clothes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, I was wondering if I should have worn casual clothes too.”

Though he said this, Haon hadn’t really considered wearing casual clothes. The uniforms were equipped with waterproof and thermal features, making them preferable for sudden deployment situations.

“It’s fine. You look good in it. I’m still getting my uniform tailored, so I don’t have it yet.”

“Ah… I see.”

Haon nodded lightly. The uniforms were available in various sizes so that Awakeners could receive them anytime. However, there were occasions when custom-made uniforms were necessary, especially when the uniform needed to be adapted to the Esper’s abilities.

Given that Baek Chan-kyung’s ability involved water, it was likely that additional features would be added to the uniform to handle his powers more efficiently.

“We should probably decide on the menu soon. There’s a sushi restaurant over there, and a pasta place too.”

He pointed at two restaurants in front of them with his finger. Haon, confident he wouldn’t be particularly fussy about the food, didn’t mind whichever menu they chose.

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“What did you eat?”

“A protein shake.”

“Oh, are you on a diet?”

“No, I just eat it because it’s convenient.”

Baek Chan-kyung’s face, which had momentarily darkened at Haon’s response, brightened again. He let out a long sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief. I was worried that you were on a diet and I’d dragged you out to eat for nothing.”

“It’s not like that at all, so you don’t need to worry.”

Haon felt that his conversation with Baek Chan-kyung was oddly both similar and different from his talks with Cha Yugeon. Despite the differences in their tones and ways of speaking, why he felt this way was beyond him.

“Then, shall we go for pasta? It looks like there’s a wait at the sushi place.”

“Sounds good.”

Haon briefly agreed to his suggestion and they headed towards the pasta restaurant. The interior, modern and eye-catching, drew their attention as they entered. It wasn’t apparent from the outside, but upon entering, Haon realized he had been here before with Siyun. He remembered that Siyun, who enjoyed eating, had liked the place.

“This place is good.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Yes, I didn’t realize it from the outside, but now that we’re inside, I remember coming here with a friend. My friend liked it here.”

“That’s good to hear.”

As they were having a light conversation, a staff member appeared and led them to a table inside, near the window made of clear glass. After handing them the menus, the staff member left.

“This seat feels a bit exposed.”

“Should I ask to change it?”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Haon spontaneously commented on the visibility of their seat, but then shook his head in response to Baek Chan-kyung’s question. It seemed too much of a hassle to ask the staff to change their already assigned seating.

Worried Baek Chan-kyung might ask the staff to change their seat, Haon quickly pulled out a chair and sat down. Then, Baek Chan-kyung, after a moment of hesitation, followed suit and sat down.

“What would you like to eat?”

Baek Chan-kyung pushed the menu towards Haon for an easier view. Next to the names of the dishes on the menu were pictures, and Haon pointed to the tomato seafood spaghetti with his index finger.

“I’ll go with this.”

“Anything else? Like salad or pizza?”

“I’m fine. If you want something else, feel free to order.”

“I’m good too. How about drinks?”

 “Just cola, please.”

He opened the page with drinks. Among various options including various beverages and wine, Haon chose a simple cola. Baek Chan-kyung double-checked the menu with Haon before calling over a waiter to place their order.

“Would you like the tomato seafood spaghetti, truffle cream gnocchi, and two colas?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Baek Chan-kyung replied succinctly to the waiter’s final confirmation of their order. The waiter took the order to the kitchen. Left alone again, Haon felt uncomfortable with the returned silence.

“…Thanks for making time even though it was sudden.”

“No problem. It’s nice to get out and about, you know.”

Haon politely responded, although he didn’t mean much of what he said. Fortunately, Baek Chan-kyung seemed satisfied with his response, smiling slightly. Haon thought Baek Chan-kyung looked rather lovely when he smiled, like a graceful deer.

“I wanted to apologize properly. I heard you went through a lot because of me.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just part of the job.”

Haon replied, slightly embellishing his response to convey his sincerity. Engaging in battles with various monsters and facing out-of-control espers resulting in injuries were quite common occurrences. While it wasn’t common for things to get to the point of near-death, it wasn’t exactly uncommon either.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Actually, it’s best if you never experienced it, but the Center’s medical staff and facilities take care of everything. They really do a great job.”

“That’s good to hear. Do you get injured often?”

“It depends on what you consider often. If you consider once in a while often, then yes.”

Haon reassured Baek Chan-kyung once again who still seemed genuinely sorry. Baek Chan-kyung simply nodded, with an expression that seemed to penetrate Haon’s heart.

“I’ll prepare the drinks first.”

At that moment, a waiter brought over glasses filled with ice and cans of cola, then disappeared back into the kitchen. Thanks to this interruption, the flow of conversation momentarily ceased.

Haon hastily poured the cola into the glass, the sound of the liquid filling the silence.

“…Are you the dedicated guide for the person back then?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right.”

Haon nodded in response to the sudden question. Now, the idea of being Cha Yugeon’s dedicated guide didn’t feel as strange or uncomfortable as before.

That title had become somewhat familiar. Haon couldn’t help but think about how remarkable and terrifying it was to become accustomed to something.

“How did you end up becoming his dedicated guide?”

“How did I end up… It’s about the matching rate, I suppose.”

In response to Baek Chan-kyung’s question, Haon paused for a moment, recalling the absurd matching rate of 107 percent. It still felt surreal to him, and even saying it out loud felt awkward.

“Ah… the matching rate.”

He muttered to himself in response to Haon’s words, then chuckled ruefully.