Zero Point

#018

The two headed to Eunseok’s quarters. Eunseok entered first, put down his bag in the corner, and took out two bottles of water from the refrigerator. Secretary Kim entered the quarters without hesitation and sat down on the living room sofa.

Eunseok placed a water bottle in front of Secretary Kim and sat in a single chair diagonally across from her. Secretary Kim placed a seemingly heavy stack of papers on the living room table.

“It’s a good decision to appear in mass media. As you continue your activities, it’s only a matter of time before your face and personal information become known. It will definitely be more beneficial for you to be active directly rather than unnecessarily fattening the wallets of paparazzi.”

Secretary Kim explained calmly as she handed over the top sheet of paper. Eunseok took it and skimmed through the contents. It was an interview request from a broadcasting company.

“First, there will be an official interview as a White Tiger Guild member before you start your activities in earnest. As you can see, it’s an interview with a broadcasting station under the Ability User Management Bureau. This channel mainly broadcasts gate appearance alerts, information, and mutant appearance notifications. There are also occasional programs related to ability users. Since you’re making your mass media debut as an ability user and Guide, not an ordinary person, this channel is the most appropriate choice for an interview.”

“Sounds good,” Eunseok replied.

Secretary Kim then handed over a mixed stack of papers and booklets.

“Despite no exposure of your face or much information yet, we’ve already received quite a few advertising offers. It seems your special forces background and S-class Guide status are enough to appeal to advertisers.”

Eunseok flipped through what appeared to be scouting requests from advertising agencies or companies, along with booklets about the respective companies and brands.

Security and guard company offers were likely due to his special forces background, while pharmaceutical company offers seemed influenced by his Guide status. There was even a promotional video offer from the Guide Association and an insurance company advertisement.

“Our guild’s legal team will be responsible for negotiating advertising terms and model fees. Currently, the model fees aren’t particularly high, but once you start appearing in media and begin activities in earnest, your value will increase several times over. So it would be best to release the first interview, see the response, and then renegotiate terms. What do you think, Guide Lee?”

Secretary Kim’s proposal was reasonable.

“Sounds good,” Eunseok agreed immediately. The interview alone was already quite burdensome. And now advertisements like a celebrity? Even though it was something he’d have to do eventually, he wanted to postpone it as much as possible.

Secretary Kim smiled as if it was a good choice.

“By the way, do other guild members also engage in these activities?” Eunseok asked, recalling Choi Hanseo’s advertisement videos he had seen in his laptop search.

“Of course. While there are opposite cases, many ordinary people have a certain admiration for hunters and guides with abilities. Especially if high-ranking ability users are also good-looking, they can be more popular than average celebrities. For example, the Guild Master and the hunters of the 1st Combat Team are consistently exposed in media like magazines and advertisements.”

“Ah,” Eunseok nodded, making a short sound. Hearing that those he had become friendly with here were all active in such ways eased his mental burden.

“I’ll coordinate the interview schedule and let you know. I’ll leave these materials here. Please look them over if you want to review them later.”

Secretary Kim checked her wristwatch after finishing her words. Then she stood up.

“Since you have a Guiding appointment, I’ll take my leave now. Have a good day.”

Secretary Kim gave a slight bow and turned to leave. Eunseok saw her to the door and then checked the time. The Guiding appointment time with today’s only reservee, Choi Hanseo, was approaching.

Choi Hanseo had reserved the last time slot today as well. Thanks to pushing the 1st Combat Team members’ numbers down to zero, no other reservations had come in. Moon Bora and Ji Taeuk, who had become quite friendly with Eunseok, sent messages saying they were training hard to receive Guiding again soon.

Intentionally raising their numbers to receive Guiding – Eunseok should probably advise them to take it easy, but he only replied to keep up the good work in training. With only six people including Choi Hanseo for Eunseok to Guide, he had plenty of free time from his third day of work. It didn’t sit well with him to receive a high salary while doing nothing. Besides, it’s not like Guiding would wear him out no matter how much he did it.

Arriving at the Guiding room, Eunseok hesitated as he was about to take out the white gown.

‘Though it wasn’t meant to make one want to take it off.’

He remembered Choi Hanseo’s muttering.

After a moment’s consideration, Eunseok hung the gown back in its place.

As expected, Choi Hanseo was late again. The doorbell only rang after an hour and 30 minutes had passed. He entered and sat on the sofa as if it were natural, and his watch had changed color again, showing a light orange.

“What on earth did you do to raise your numbers so much in just one day?”

Had he already developed a professional habit as a Guide? Eunseok’s brow furrowed automatically at seeing the high numbers.

Instead of answering, Choi Hanseo extended his hand.

“Aren’t you using your abilities too freely just because you have a Guide?”

“Well, what does it matter? It’s not like Guiding wears out the ability.”

Choi Hanseo echoed Eunseok’s earlier thoughts exactly. It was almost suspicious enough to make one wonder if he had some kind of telepathic ability.

“I trusted you and let loose a bit for the first time in a while.”

“Looks like you took a supercar that usually cruises at 30 km/h for a spin on the Autobahn.”

Eunseok said as he took Choi Hanseo’s hand.

“Seems you’ve looked up my interviews too?”

Choi Hanseo asked, fixing his gaze on Eunseok.

“It’s good to know some information about one’s superior.”

Eunseok honestly admitted to looking up information on Choi Hanseo. Choi Hanseo’s eyes curved slightly.

“So, what did you think after looking it up?”

Choi Hanseo asked. Eunseok thought for a moment before honestly sharing his impression from when he watched the video.

“If I were in that situation, I would have gone mad from frustration long ago.”

“I appreciate your understanding.”

Choi Hanseo said softly as he unbuttoned the cuff of the hand Eunseok was holding. Eunseok raised an eyebrow as he watched Choi Hanseo roll up his sleeve. Choi Hanseo’s hand, with the sleeve rolled up to just below the elbow, suddenly slid up Eunseok’s forearm like a snake climbing a tree. Eunseok’s forearm, exposed in his short-sleeved shirt, pressed tightly against Choi Hanseo’s. The large hand wrapped around Eunseok’s upper arm above the elbow.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to lower it to blue today.”

“Why?”

“Because tomorrow we’re entering a gate with our S-class Guide. Shouldn’t I be in top condition to escort you?”

At those words, Eunseok immediately abandoned the thought of pulling his arm away.

“Are we entering the gate right away without separate training?”

Eunseok asked, his eyes sparkling. Choi Hanseo chuckled.

“Are you that pleased?”

“Of course.”

If it meant he could enter a gate right away, Eunseok was willing to let his arm be held. He could definitely feel the increased efficiency of Guiding with the larger area of contact.

Choi Hanseo glanced at the time and then tapped his knee with his free hand.

“But it seems impossible to lower it to blue in the remaining time.”

This makes it difficult to enter the gate tomorrow…

Choi Hanseo muttered as if for Eunseok to hear.

This guy…

Eunseok cursed Choi Hanseo inwardly.

“If you had come on time, it would have been fine.”

“I’m just so busy. I barely managed to make this time.”

Choi Hanseo said leisurely. Not having fully grasped the behavior patterns or personality of the man before him, Eunseok found it difficult to determine whether Choi Hanseo was deliberately late or genuinely squeezing in time due to being busy.

He keeps ambiguously provoking people.

Eunseok glared at Choi Hanseo with unfriendly eyes. Choi Hanseo shrugged slightly as if to say ‘what are you going to do about it?’

“Since I don’t have anything else to do in the evening anyway, why don’t you continue receiving Guiding even after the time slot ends?”

Eunseok proposed a compromise. But Choi Hanseo immediately shook his head.

“You might have time, but I don’t. As I said, I barely managed to make this time.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“It seems we need more efficient Guiding. For instance…”

Choi Hanseo trailed off, raising his free hand to meaningfully brush his thumb across Eunseok’s lower lip.