Zero Point

#010

As the meal was coming to an end, Moon Bora, who had already finished her large portion of food, glanced at Eunseok’s hand with eyes full of desire. It was a blatant look wondering how she could manage to hold his hand. Even the shy Ji Taeuk was no exception, discreetly stealing glances at Eunseok’s hand as it moved his chopsticks.

“Guiding. You haven’t done it yet, have you?” Moon Bora asked.

Eunseok was about to nod reflexively but hesitated. He remembered the impressive handshake with Choi Hanseo. Moon Bora, who noticed this momentary hesitation with uncanny perceptiveness, opened her eyes wide.

“Could it be… you shook hands with the Guild Master?”

“Yes,” Eunseok answered honestly instead of denying it. He was still not used to the ability users’ culture of attaching great significance to even a simple handshake.

“Oh my, oh my,” Moon Bora exclaimed softly, then asked with sparkling eyes, “What was it like? Our Guild Master.”

The overwhelming energy from the handshake with Choi Hanseo automatically came to mind at Moon Bora’s question.

“It was… intense,” Eunseok answered simply instead of elaborating on the details of the experience.

“Then what did the Guild Master say?” Moon Bora asked again with a face full of curiosity.

“He said it was delicious,” Eunseok answered honestly. Moon Bora gasped and then burst into laughter.

“De-delicious… Hahahaha! He said it was delicious! Hahaha!” Moon Bora laughed so hard she was nearly out of breath, slapping the table. As the sound echoed loudly in the empty cafeteria, Ji Taeuk poked her side as if telling her to stop laughing.

“Oh… really… phew… I’m sorry. It was just too funny to… phew… The Guild Master isn’t the type to use such expressions. Your Guiding must have been really good.”

Moon Bora muttered, wiping the tears that had formed in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Guide. Bora noona has a very… outgoing personality. And the Guild Master probably didn’t mean to use that expression deliberately. His personality is just… unpredictable… It probably wasn’t meant as teasing or anything like that.”

Ji Taeuk apologized on her behalf with an embarrassed face.

“It’s fine. He said it was delicious because it was delicious,” Eunseok said calmly. Moon Bora burst into laughter again, covering her mouth with her hand.

After returning the clean trays and leaving the cafeteria, they got into the elevator. Moon Bora quietly approached and slightly extended her hand again.

“Can’t you just hold it once? I’m so curious, I won’t be able to sleep like this.”

“Ah, noona, stop it. You’re making the Guide uncomfortable,” Ji Taeuk said, pulling on Moon Bora’s shirt to stop her.

Eunseok looked at Moon Bora’s outstretched hand for a moment, then raised his hand and grasped it as if shaking hands. Just like when he shook hands with Choi Hanseo, their hands locked together as if magnets were attracting each other. Moon Bora’s hand was covered in calluses, suggesting her muscular arms weren’t just for show. And… feeling the intense energy through their joined hands, Eunseok thought that he was indeed a mutant called a Guide.

“…Ha-!” Moon Bora’s eyes widened. Her pupils dilated suddenly as if she had felt a powerful thrill. Eunseok, who had been deeply trained in observing people, could tell that Moon Bora’s reaction was a sign of intense pleasure and elation.

Through their joined palms, Eunseok could feel some kind of internal energy pouring into Moon Bora’s body, enveloping and calming her jagged energy.

It was truly an alien feeling and experience. Just as one can naturally move their limbs without conscious thought, his energy was quickly and smoothly enveloping and purifying Moon Bora’s energy as if it had been waiting for this. Confused by this unfamiliar sensation, Eunseok unconsciously pulled his hand away.

“Ha… really… ha…” Moon Bora repeatedly let out what sounded like sighs or laments, her hand still outstretched as if for a handshake, slowly blinking her dilated eyes. Her hand could be seen trembling slightly.

“Wow… this is really… Ha! Wow, really…” As Moon Bora kept muttering, unable to form complete sentences, Ji Taeuk poked her side. Only then did Moon Bora lower her outstretched hand and run her palm over her face.

“Wow… So this is S-class Guiding. It’s amazing. Incredible.” Moon Bora kept exclaiming in admiration.

Ding-. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

“Well then, have a good night,” Eunseok said quietly and turned to walk towards his quarters, almost as if escaping.

“You really are delicious, Guide! The best! The best! Salute! Salute!” Moon Bora’s shouts echoed down the corridor behind him.

#2

Like a hotel guide book, a brief guide to the guild building was placed on the bedside table. Eunseok had only discovered it last night after lying down in bed. Waking up early in the morning, Eunseok checked the location of the gym in the guide and got up.

Opening the small dressing room attached to the bedroom, he found it full of basic clothing items. Most were t-shirts and pants that didn’t require much personal taste. They were all in Eunseok’s usual size, as if someone had checked in advance. There were also training suits in several colors, and even underwear was perfectly stocked.

Eunseok took out the most ordinary gray training suit and put it on, then headed to the entrance. There was only one pair of military boots sitting alone at the entrance. When he opened the shoe cabinet just in case, surprisingly, there were several pairs of new sneakers, slippers, and even dress shoes neatly arranged. He took out a pair of white sneakers and checked them, finding that even the shoe size was correct. They must have obtained all the information from the physical examination results included in the health check-up and from the Special Task Force. At this level, he wouldn’t be able to complain even if he felt he was being stalked.

Without hesitation, Eunseok put on the new sneakers and left his quarters. According to the guide, the guild members’ quarters occupied two floors, with a gym on each floor.

The glass doors opened sideways when he swiped his employee ID. The spacious gym was filled with all kinds of new exercise equipment and tools. Despite the early morning hour, there were a few people working out here and there. Perhaps thanks to having already felt the energy of Choi Hanseo and other Espers, Eunseok could naturally sense the energy of ability users just by glancing at the people working out.

It was about 20 minutes after he started warming up by jogging lightly on the treadmill. Just as he was about to stop warming up and raise his hand to the stop button, suddenly a voice called out “Oh!” from behind.

Beep-. After pressing the stop button and slowing his pace, Eunseok turned around to see Moon Bora standing at the wide-open entrance with a welcoming expression.

“Guide!” As their eyes met, Moon Bora waved her hand high above her head and called out to Eunseok.

At Moon Bora’s loud call, the attention of those who had been scattered around focusing only on their workouts suddenly turned to Eunseok. Moon Bora approached with big strides and smiled broadly.

“You came to work out from dawn on your first day? Oh, as expected, someone from a special forces background is different.”

Moon Bora spoke familiarly as she came closer.

Moon Bora’s voice was refreshing and resonant. Those who heard about the special forces background began to stare at Eunseok. They seemed to have figured out who Eunseok was just from the information about the new Guide with a special forces background.

And sure enough, a man who had been working out not far away approached and spoke.

“Are you by any chance ‘that’ S-class Guide?”

A man with an angular face and a large, masculine build asked cautiously. When Eunseok didn’t immediately answer, Moon Bora nodded instead.

“That’s right. This is Lee Eunseok, the first S-class Guide produced domestically.”

Soft exclamations of admiration erupted from various parts of the spacious gym.

The man who had spoken stared intently at Eunseok with his mouth slightly open. It was a look as if he were seeing an alien.

“Guide, this is Han Cheolyong, a hunter belonging to our 1st Combat Team,” Moon Bora introduced the man who was just blankly staring at Eunseok. The man, Han Cheolyong, suddenly came to his senses, rubbed his hand back and forth on his pants to clean it, and then extended it as if offering a handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Guide Lee Eunseok. I’m Han Cheolyong, a B-class hunter from the 1st Combat Team.”

It seemed that in the world of ability users, it was essential to include one’s rank when introducing oneself.

“Hey now. How dare you just stick out your hand to the Guide?” Moon Bora pushed down Han Cheolyong’s outstretched hand. Han Cheolyong withdrew his hand with a visibly disappointed expression.

“Nice to meet you, Hunter Han Cheolyong,” Eunseok greeted. A subtle joy appeared on Han Cheolyong’s face. As each hunter he greeted looked at him as if they had discovered a precious treasure, Eunseok felt as if he had become a famous celebrity. It was probably due to the close relationship between Guides and Espers.

“This hunter here might be B-class, but he’s a really capable tanker,” Moon Bora praised Han Cheolyong. Han Cheolyong laughed, “Haha,” and scratched his chin.

By now, people who had been working out were slowly approaching the three. Moon Bora looked around at them and frowned.

“What are you all gawking at? Just continue with your workouts. Shoo, shoo.” As Moon Bora waved her hand as if shooing away street vendors, the people slowly returned to their places with visibly disappointed faces. However, they still kept stealing glances at Eunseok, unable to take their eyes off him.

“Don’t pay too much attention to guys like that. Hunters are just like that. They get excited even when they meet an A-class Guide, so of course they’re acting like dogs that need to poop when an S-class Guide appears right in front of them.”

Moon Bora said, scanning those who couldn’t take their eyes off Eunseok as if warning them. Then she added with a serious face:

“Absolutely do not accept handshakes from guys who stick to you and ask for them on their own. If you start accepting one, everyone will cling to you and it’ll become a headache.”

At Moon Bora’s advice, Eunseok nodded as if he understood. Only then did Moon Bora smile brightly and step onto the treadmill.