99 Percent Love

“Haa…”

“So, how was it?”

“Hey, Rion’s in top condition. At this rate, we’ll probably clear the gate by tomorrow. Not only did he manage everything in the air by himself, but he even took care of our share of the work.”

“Exactly. It was as if we had only come here to collect materials or something.”

The espers chatted animatedly, telling of Rion’s exploits while being guided. Unencumbered by their chatter, Rion simply focused on the guidance flowing into him through Yuwon’s hand and exhaled slowly.

This guiding is incredible. It was only natural, given the high rate of matching, but this sensation was beyond anything that numbers could quantify.

It felt as if he could finally breathe. He could now understand why the likelihood of Espers and Guides forming romantic relationships was so high.

If just holding hands felt so good, it seemed inevitable to want more.

“Hah… this is great.”

“Is it really that good?”

“Your face is all flushed and you haven’t even had a drink.”

The espers teased Rion, but he paid no attention to their remarks, completely absorbed in the guiding.

“You wouldn’t understand if you didn’t have a suitable guide.”

“Oh, really? You said the opposite not long ago.”

“Exactly. You used to say, ‘You’re so lucky to have a guide with a decent matching rate…’ and all that. Have you forgotten?”

Thanks to the relatively low difficulty of the gate and Rion’s optimal condition, the party atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

After a while of praising each other’s efforts, the Espers suddenly turned to Yuwon.

“What about you, Yuwon?”

“Pardon?”

“They say that when you guide an Esper with a high matching rate, the guide will feel significantly less fatigue than usual. Is that true?”

At Joo-chan’s question, Yuwon blinked slowly and processed the question.

“I think it’s true. I don’t really feel tired.”

“With an S-rank and a 99% match rate, of course it’s going to feel that way. Honestly, aren’t you two destined to be together? A 99% match? You must have gotten tons of interview requests, right?”

Guide Jisoo’s overly enthusiastic comment made Rion cringe, remembering the flood of interview requests he’d received over the past few days.

“If I had time for that, I’d rather spend it training. It’s a waste of time. Don’t you think so, Yuwon?”

“Yes.”

Yuwon nodded in agreement as he drank some water. Rion, trying to make up for the physical shortcomings caused by his chronic lack of leadership, had made it a habit to spend his free time exercising.

But even compared to Rion, Yuwon had a physique that was by no means lacking. Although mostly hidden by his clothes, Rion could clearly see the definition of Yuwon’s hidden muscles.

Can I even brag about training in front of him?

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Rion touched Yuwon’s arm and asked. 

“Do you train?”

“…!”

The moment Rion’s hand made contact, Yuwon flinched noticeably and pulled back slightly.

What the – making it so awkward… Embarrassed, Rion withdrew his hand from Yuwon’s arm, looking a bit embarrassed.

“…Ah, sorry.”

Did I scare him? Well, it’s my fault for grabbing him so suddenly… But still, was it something to react that strongly to?

Rion, now feeling a mixture of guilt and confusion, awkwardly put his hand back to his side.

“…I enjoy training.” 

“Oh, really?”

True to his simple nature, Rion seemed to have completely forgotten the earlier awkwardness, his interest now piqued.

“Well, your physique is too good to be just natural muscle.”

“You have a good eye. When did you notice that?”

“Unless someone only does breathing exercises like you do, everyone would notice.”

“Rion!”

Seoha glared at Rion and huffed in annoyance. But Rion ignored it and continued talking to Yuwon.

“Do you go to the gym? If you don’t mind, would you like to train with me sometime?”

Rion smiled, thinking that spending time working out together could naturally help them get closer.

“I don’t really like working out with others, and I have a home gym.”

“Oh, I see…”

What came back was a cold dismissal. The other espers and guides began to look at Rion uneasily, sensing the cold in Yuwon’s answer.

“Well, that’s fair! Still, it’s nice to know that we share the same hobby – it gives me a feeling of camaraderie.” 

Rion said, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere and pretend that it didn’t bother him.

It’s just the first day of work. He’ll get used to things in time. He’s probably just shy. No way my matching guide would turn out to be someone rude.

Determined to think positively, Rion nodded to himself.

“Maybe that’s why your match rate is as high as 99%, because you already have something in common?” 

Seoha chimed in enthusiastically, trying to support Rion. Rion didn’t want to spoil the good mood, especially since both his condition and the general atmosphere had been great so far.

“Exactly. Who knows, if we keep comparing notes, we might find even more unexpected things in common.”

“Let’s talk more. Where are you from?”

“Do you have any other hobbies besides training?”

A barrage of questions was directed at Yuwon. He answered them bluntly, but seriously, and the conversation continued peacefully.

“Wow, so you got into H University’s law program but gave it up to become a guide?”

“I mean, even if you’re an S-rank… Seriously? Sure, the money is good, but doesn’t it feel like a waste of all that studying?”

Seoha and Jisoo stared at Yuwon as if they had just met the strangest person in the world. Sure, being an S-rank guide meant earning more than enough compared to most jobs, but what about the work-life balance?

The law was undoubtedly a tough field, but spending days in remote, grueling conditions in a gate for up to a week at a time, exhausting your physical endurance while guiding, was a far cry from sitting in an office doing paperwork.

“If I was that smart, I’d quit without a second thought.”

“Well, good thing you’re an Esper. If you didn’t have those skills, what would you do for a living?”

“What? As if you’d do anything impressive yourself?”

Joochan and Seoha began to argue back and forth.

Jisoo, who was obviously used to such things, ignored them and turned to Yuwon with another question.

“Was there a special reason why you wanted to do this job? I mean, taking the test right after your birthday and even giving up college… You must have really wanted to do it.”

“A reason…”

Yuwon, who had answered quickly and succinctly, paused for a moment to think. The reason why he had left his path without hesitation and chosen this job.

“It’s a secret.”

With a small sigh, Yuwon lowered his head.

A secret,  That kind of answer only made everyone more curious. Rion pricked up his ears and stared at Yuwon with interest.

“What is it? Now I’m even more curious. We’ve already applied for the pairing and from next month we’ll officially be a team. You could at least tell me.”

Rion leaned towards Yuwon, practically clinging to him, watching his every move. Resting lightly on Yuwon’s shoulder, he looked at him nervously and swallowed dryly.

“Uh… sorry…?”

But Yuwon’s expression, which had softened a bit earlier, froze again as if it had never happened.

“…It’s nothing.”

This time, Yuwon didn’t brush Rion off harshly. Instead, he accepted his apology easily. But his face still looked as if a cold wind was blowing through it.

“It’s just a personal matter, so I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ah, I see. Well, of course, if it’s personal, you don’t have to share it. Haha. Then… uh…”

Jisoo quickly tried to change the subject, racking her brain for a way out. But by now, Rion, Jisoo and everyone else in the group were starting to feel a little offended.

This guarded attitude, coupled with his apparent lack of effort to hide it, rubbed people the wrong way. No matter how valuable an S-rank guide was, his demeanour was uncomfortable.

“So, um… is there anything you’re worried about or curious about when it comes to the job?”

“Ah.”

Whether he noticed the tension in the air or not, Yuwon answered calmly.

“I’ve heard some basic explanations about couples, but I’ve never actually seen someone in a couple before. I was wondering if there are any couples currently active in the centre.”

“Ah… There are a few. There’s Senior Sujin and Senior Minho, who are an A-rank pair. I think there are three B-rank couples as well?”

“Weren’t there any S-rank pairs before you two were paired?”

“No, there is one. It’s an old case, but I think there’s a couple working as honorary members in a regional branch.”

However, since the party members were all relatively good-natured people, they quickly forgot their earlier irritation and answered Yuwon’s question seriously – except for Rion, who remained slightly deflated after being rebuffed once again.

“Now that I think about it, there’s something that all couples seem to have in common.”

“What’s that?”

“Except for Senior Sujin’s pair, they’re all dating. They’re couples.”

“From what I can see, it won’t be long for her either. Don’t you know that Senior Minho is so passionately after her? Senior Sujin may say she doesn’t like him, but it looks like she’s just deciding when to accept him”.

The party members, having found a new topic of conversation, continued to chat happily.

As they said, it wasn’t unusual for Espers and Finders to become romantically involved in pairs. Emotional connection often influenced the matching rate, and the refreshing sensation of a matched Guide’s guidance was incomparable to anything else.

Globally, statistics showed that most matched guides were either in a romantic relationship or married, so those who weren’t were the exception rather than the rule.

‘Yes, even if things are like this now, our relationship will get better with time.’ 

Rion thought, trying to comfort himself and ease the sting of rejection.

And just because a junior is a bit difficult, does that mean I should give up? As a senior, it’s my job to guide them well.

With that thought, Rion straightened up and spoke again with renewed energy.

“Exactly. Couples always get along well. Who knows? Maybe Yuwon became a guide because he already liked me?”

“Come on, Rion. Isn’t that a bit conceited?”

“Well, it’s possible. I could just ask him directly-“

Turning as he spoke, Rion suddenly fell silent. He had planned to joke, to laugh and say, ‘You like me, don’t you? I can tell~’, but he couldn’t go through with it.

“…”

That was because the expression on Yuwon’s face as they locked eyes was colder than anything Rion had ever seen.