MATCHING RATE

"I'M BACK, BAMBAM~"

Bambi frowned when Moon Noa brazenly entered his office.

He didn't bother asking how his fellow S-Class Guide managed to get in there since only Ryu Sungbin could stop that sly fox from entering any room in the Bureau.

"I just received a call from Sungbin Hyung. He told me it was a false alarm, that there was no Gate that burst at the Blue House," Bambi said, getting up from his seat. "How did you do it, Moon Noa? How did you trigger the alarm that only goes off when a Gate appears?"

"I'm afraid that's a trade secret," Moon Noa said, leaning against the doorframe while crossing his arms over his chest. "But maaaybe I'll tell you if you tell me how you steal your Espers from their former Guides."

"Is that the reason why you're messing with me? Because you think I "stole" Sungbin Hyung from you?"

"I didn't "think" you stole Esper Ryu Sungbin from me— you did."

"So, you're just bitter that Sungbin Hyung chose me over you."

"Maybe, maybe not~"

This sly fox…

"If you want Sungbin Hyung that bad, then I'll return him to you," Bambi said, smiling. "But, in return, throw away Noh Yuno-ssi and put me next to Gayoon Hyung instead of that brat."

"That sounds tempting. Should we make a bet then?"

"I knew there's a reason you're known as the 'sly fox,' but go ahead. I'm listening."

"Esper Ki Gayoon and Yuyu are headed here to take the matching test."

Bambi wouldn't say that he was surprised since he already expected that much.

Noh Yuno-ssi and Esper Ki Gayoon have to get at least a 40% matching rate if they want to establish an exclusive Guide-Esper relationship.

"What's your matching rate with Esper Ki Gayoon again, Bambam?"

"39%," Bambi answered proudly. "I'm the Guide with the highest matching rate with Gayoon Hyung. In fact, I'm the only one who has a matching rate with him that exceeds 30%."

"The Compatibility Testing Machine is not an Item that you can tamper with, so I believe you," Moon Noa said, obviously trying to bait Bambi into biting his offer. "So, let's make a bet involving the matching rate between Yuyu and Esper Ki Gayoon. If their matching rate doesn't even reach 30%, then I'll drop Yuyu and help you be with your Gayoon Hyung."

"Are you confident that Noh Yuno will have a higher matching rate with Gayoon Hyung than me?"

"Are you afraid?"

"What do you want from me if you win the bet?"

"Leave Yuyu and Esper Ki Gayoon alone," Moon Noa said. The sly fox was still smiling, but his eyes were dead serious. "It's about time for you to take a break from pissing him off anyway. President Cheol Kang must be running out of patience by now."

Bambi didn't want to admit this, but Moon Noa was right.

He promised President Cheol Kang that he would seduce Ki Gayoon and make him his new "slave," but it had been a year since then.

Ki Gayoon had refused to cooperate with the government because of Bambi.

The President was at his wit's end as a result.

I have no choice but to step back for now.

That was why Moon Noa's offer was tempting.

"Alright, let's do it," Bambi said, sighing. "Let's make a bet."

Moon Noa smiled. "I'm not naïve to make a verbal agreement with you, Bambam— so, hurry up and pull out a contract-binding Mana Stone."

***

TSK.

Yuno kind of expected it already, but he still got stressed out when he saw Guide Bambi waiting at the entrance of the National Guide Bureau.

"Ahjussi, wait!"

Yuno reflexively grabbed Ki Gayoon by the sleeve of his suit when the old man tried to open the car door.

Of course, he immediately let go when the ahjussi turned to him with knitted brows.

"What is it this time, little shit?"

"Are you comfortable seeing your attacker? If not, tell me," Yuno said in a serious tone. "You're a victim who was recently attacked by Guide Bambi-ssi in your sleep. What if you get triggered—"

"Stop treating me like a weakling," Ki Gayoon said, scoffing at Yuno's concern. "You should worry more about Ho Jungwon since I'm not confident I could stop myself from killing him if he clings to me again."

"Ah, I won't stop you if that happens."

"What?"

"I don't believe in "forgive and forget," so I'll support you if you decide to exact your revenge against Guide Bambi-ssi. I don't empathize with abusers," Yuno said, shrugging. "Though as a pacifist, I'd prefer it if you just sue him and let him rot in jail. But it's up to you, Ahjussi. I'm rooting for you to get the justice you deserve."

"Is this you caring about me?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you hated me."

"I don't like you as a person, but I care about you as a victim."

"Do you have a savior complex or what?"

"If you don't like me caring about you, then just ignore me. But know that I'm willing to stand as a witness if you need me to."

Ki Gayoon tilted his head to one side while looking at Yuno. "Little shit, you're interesti— mmf!"

Yuno stopped Ki Gayoon from dropping the "cursed line" of all romance novels by covering Ahjussi's mouth with his hand. "Ahjussi, if you don't want to fall in love with me, never say that I'm interesting!"

***

"HYUNG, do you really think that kid will have a higher matching rate with you than I did?"

Pfft.

Ki Gayoon completely ignored Ho Jungwon who tried talking to him as they waited for the machine to be ready for the matching test.

He didn't ignore the S-Class Guide on purpose.

It was just that Noh Yuno was funny.

This little shit looks scared of Ho Jungwon and yet he stood in front of me protectively as if he could protect me from that freak.

Noh Yuno was so amusing to Gayoon that Ho Jungwon's presence didn't bother him.

"Hyung, are you liste—"

"Little shit, don't forget about our bet," Gayoon reminded Noh Yuno, cutting off Ho Jungwon on purpose this time. "You have to cleanse my ear from hearing some bastard call me 'hyung' again and again as if we're close."

Noh Yuno raised his head and gave him a deadpan look. "Get ready to be my subordinate, Ahjussi."

***

YUNO could feel Guide Bambi punching a hole at the back of his head with his glare.

Fortunately, he was too busy taking the matching test to be bothered.

At the moment, Yuno and Ki Gayoon were inside a plain white room that looked like a room in an asylum.

There was only one piece of furniture there: a high table with a marble box on top of it.

But although the two of them were alone in the room, there many eyes watching them from the other side of the glass wall. They couldn't see their "audience," but they could feel and hear them.

Especially the loudest one in the crowd.

"Don't be nervous, Yuyu," Moon Noa said cheerfully, his voice coming out from the speaker installed in the corner of the room. "Just hold Esper Ki Gayoon's hands tight."

That's what I'm doing…

The device to test an Esper and a Guide's matching rate was just a simple white box with four holes.

This isn't my first matching rate test, so I'm already familiar with the process.

Yuno put his hands inside the box through the holes in the part of the box that had the letter 'G' on it. Ki Gayoon then put his hands on the opposite side, the part that had the letter 'E' on it.

Then they held hands.

As soon as they did, the box was suddenly filled with lukewarm "water."

It feels like water, but it's actually Mana.

"Are you nervous, little shit?" Ki Gayoon asked arrogantly. "Your hands are cold."

Yuno wanted to tell the old man to shut up, but he closed his mouth shut when it finally appeared: the transparent screen similar to a Status Window.

And then it "talked."

[Congratulations, Esper Ki Gayoon and Guide Noh Yuno!

You have a 100% matching rate!]

Excuse me???

***

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