Chapter 264: A MISSING Chapter
<SOUTH KOREA is currently celebrating the birth of its second S-Class Guide.>
Yuno stared blankly at the television, watching the news intently.
He was in a hospital, but he couldn’t watch the news in the VIP Room because the patient he was looking after was asleep. Hence, he came out and went to the lobby. He was about to head to the café and watch the news on his phone while having coffee.
But the hospital lobby had a giant television there, and it was playing the live broadcast of the news station that he wanted to watch.
Hence, he sat in the last row and watched the news.
<Ho Jungwon-nim originally awakened as an A-Class Guide. Out of all the Guides that the previous government had sent to Esper Ki Gayoon-nim, only Ho Jungwon-nim had achieved a 23% matching rate with the former #1...>
Hmm?
Yuno was familiar with Ho Jungwon as a fellow Guide.
However, while looking at Ho Jungwon’s picture on the television screen, he couldn’t help but feel like he knew him personally.
Moreover...
Why does my heart hurt while looking at that person?
<As per protocol, Ho Jungwon-nim had taken a matching rate with the country’s Top 5 Espers.>
Right, that was the protocol for an S-Class Guide.
Sajangnim also took a matching rate test with the Top 5 Espers in the country. That’s how he ended up being Ryu Sungbin’s Guide. They had an 85% matching rate— the highest matching rate for an Esper and a Guide pair at the moment.
Moon Noa’s matching rate with the other Top 5 Espers only reached around 50%, while his matching rate with Ki Gayoon was only at 19%.
Yeah, Ki Gayoon couldn’t really get a good matching rate with high-ranking Guides.
So, Yuno wondered if Ho Jungwon matched well with the former #1 Esper.
As if on cue, the news anchor talked about it next.
<Ho Jungwon-nim’s previous matching rate with Esper Ki Gayoon-nim was 23%. But after he manifested as an S-Class Guide, their matching rate had increased to 39%.>
Oh, it did increase.
But it was still low.
What’s actually wrong with Ki Gayoon?
That was Yuno’s thought after hearing the news that Ho Jungwon had a 60% matching rate with Lee Sarang, Jin Sooin, and Matthew.
But the most shocking thing was...
<Ho Jungwon-nim had an 87% matching rate with Esper Ryu Sungbin.>
Yuno clenched his hands tight.
It’s higher than Sajangnim and Ryu Sungbin’s matching rate.
He wasn’t surprised by the news because he had already heard it from someone else.
In fact, he only watched the news because he still couldn’t believe it. But now that it had been broadcasted to the entire country— no, the whole world, actually— he had no choice but to accept it.
<Ho Jungwon-nim has just announced that he’s now Esper Ryu Sungbin-nim’s new official exclusive Guide. Moreover, Ho Jungwon-nim will go by the name ’Bambi’ once he starts working for the National Guide Bureau, under the new Chief Kim Munhee’s administration...>
Yuno smirked bitterly when the news didn’t mention Moon Noa at all when his boss was currently in a critical condition.
Fuck this shit.
***
WHEN Yuno entered the VIP Room, an unexpected guest greeted him.
Well, he wasn’t really surprised to see Ryu Sungbin standing in front of the hospital bed while watching the ’sleeping’ Moon Noa.
Except Sajangnim isn’t asleep— my boss is in a coma.
Moon Noa had been in a comatose state for a month now.
It happened when the Esper Association HQ was, apparently, attacked by a dungeon monster.
But Yuno didn’t buy that shit.
All the Top 5 Espers, minus Ki Gayoon, were there.
And only Moon Noa was seriously injured?
Something is off.
Unfortunately, the people involved in that incident had been keeping their mouths shut.
"Noh Yihun, you’re here."
"It’s ’Noh Yuno’ now, sir," Yuno said politely, and then he looked at Leehan, who was unconscious on the floor. "Did you do that to Leehan Hyung?"
"I only knocked him out since he tried to stop me from coming in," Ryu Sungbin said, and then he turned to Yuno. "Am I not allowed to see Moon Noa anymore?"
Look at this bastard addressing Sajangnim by his full name...
"Why are you surprised, Ryu Sungbin-ssi?" Yuno asked coldly, clenching his hands tightly. He wanted to punch Ryu Sungbin, but he knew he’d die if he did that. And, if he died, who would protect Moon Noa? His boss’ family couldn’t be trusted since they were only after his wealth. "You publicly announced that you and Sajangnim had already ended not only your relationship, but also your bond as an Esper and a Guide while Sajangnim was still in a coma."
Yeah, that happened.
And he had an idea why.
"Did you dump my boss for Ho Jungwon?"
"I didn’t give you permission to interrogate me, Noh Yihun," Ryu Sungbin said coldly. "And, even if I answer your questions, you wouldn’t understand."
"Maybe I wouldn’t, but that won’t change the fact that you’re a scumbag."
"Ah, Moon Noa really raised you."
"Get out of here while I’m still asking nicely."
"Don’t worry— this will be the last time you’ll see me here," Ryu Sungbin said, still cold and distant. "Noh Yihun, take care of Moon Noa."
"I stopped praying a long time ago, but I might start doing it again."
Obviously, Ryu Sungbin looked confused,
Yuno was kind enough to explain.
"Starting today, I’ll pray for Sajangnim to meet a better man than you are. Someone who won’t dump him while he’s at his lowest. When that happens, I hope you’re still around to see it— to see Sajangnim being happy with someone else."
That day, Ryu Sungbin only smiled bitterly before leaving for good.
***
<ESPER Ryu Sungbin-nim is now the country’s official #1 Esper. After his official appointment, Esper Ryu Sungbin-nim had also announced that Esper Ki Gayoon-nim is now officially removed from the Top 5...>
Haaah.
Why are this country’s strongest Espers fighting?
But, as a Guide, Yuno couldn’t really be bothered.
He was more worried about the current state of the National Guide Bureau and the government.
"Should I just quit?"
Yuno, who was busy sketching on his drawing tablet, raised his head and found Kwak Hakjae sitting on the windowsill while acting melancholic. "Even if you quit as the president of the Esper Association, nothing will change, sir. You already lost all your power to Chief Kim Munhee and the new President. The Espers under your command have left you and followed Ryu Sungbin, and they’re now following Chief Kim Munhee."
Kim Munhee used to be Moon Noa’s second-in-command back when Moon Noa was still the chief of the National Guide Bureau.
But that person suddenly became the chief while Moon Noa was in a coma,
I can’t do anything since the Top 4 Espers are practically running this country at the moment.
"You don’t have to remind me, brat," Kwak Hakjae said, sighing. And then he clutched his head as if he were frustrated. "I was there with Moon Noa when the ’attack’ happened. But I can’t remember what happened that night. Heck, I don’t even remember why we were at the basement of the HQ. The news said we were attacked by dungeon monsters, but I don’t remember any of it. I was shocked when I found out Moon Noa had fallen into a comatose state."
Yeah, that was the gist of it.
President Kwak doesn’t remember anything.
"After that incident, Ryu Sungbin came to me just to tell me that they’re going to elect Cheol Kang as the country’s new President."
Haaah.
Yuno was pissed when he remembered that again.
Cheol Kang was the Vice President when the former President Moon Nam-il was in power. And, as expected, Cheol Kang was just as corrupt and evil as the former President.
That’s why I don’t understand why Ryu Sungbin put that kind of person in power.
Or maybe Cheol Kang was only a puppet?
After all, Ryu Sungbin is now the most powerful Esper in the country.
"I also don’t understand Kim Munhee," Kwak Hakjae said, sighing. "She’s not greedy, and she has no reason to steal everything from Moon Noa. But, overnight, she became the second most powerful figure in the country after seizing the National Guide Bureau."
Yuno nodded in agreement and was about to say something, but stopped when he got a message from Leehan.
Oh.
Sajangnim is awake!
***
"YUYU, I missed you~"
What the fuck?
Yuno took a step backwards, feeling the strong urge to smack Moon Noa in the face.
No, is this really my boss?
The Moon Noa that he knew wasn’t this cheerful.
Plus, Sajangnim is talking weirdly!
As if it wasn’t strange enough...
"Who the hell is ’Yuyu?’"
Moon Noa chuckled. "Of course, it’s you. Isn’t your name Yuno? But it’s too boring. So, from now on, you’re ’Yuyu’~"
Okay, that gave him goosebumps.
The way Moon Noa talked was so different from his normal way of speaking.
Is this the effect of being in a coma for almost two months?
But that was the least of his concerns.
"Sajangnim, I have a lot of things I need to tell you—"
"I know, Yuyu," Moon Noa said, smiling. But that smile looked a little sad. "I know everything that happened while I was asleep."
Oh.
Yuno wanted to know how, but he wasn’t sure if it was a question that he could ask.
He was certain of one thing, though.
Sajangnim has changed, and I have no idea how and why.
It was as if Yuno had reached the end of a book with an entire Chapter missing, so the ending didn’t make sense at all.
***
[MEMORY SYNCHRONIZATION 100% complete.]
That was the first thing that greeted Yuno when he opened his eyes.
He felt like he had woken up after having a very, very long dream.
"Noh Yuno, you’re finally awake."
Oh?
Yuno let out a sigh when he was greeted by the most handsome face he had seen in his life. "Gayoon Hyung."
That confirmed it.
Yuno was finally back to the present, but...
What the hell is going on?
***
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