Chapter 3
“You’ve probably seen him on TV a lot, right? LS Innotech Vice President Baek Do-hyuk. Vice President, this is Esper Lim Ji-seo.”
In truth, Ji-seo had never seen a man like him on TV. The moment she looked at the man sitting on the sofa, she thought he might be a celebrity who had come to check out what an Awakened Management Bureau branch looked like.
“Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Lim Ji-seo.”
She bowed lightly and then glanced at the chief.
All she knew was that LS Innotech was a key subsidiary of the LS Group. After Gates opened and Awakened individuals started appearing, LS Innotech quickly moved to dominate the relevant industries, eventually becoming one of the world’s top high-tech companies.
Even within the bureau, many of the training devices were LS Innotech products.
She had always thought the name “Innotech”—a blend of Innovation and Technology—sounded a little underwhelming for one of the country’s top companies, but it wasn’t something she mentioned aloud.
Vice President Baek Do-hyuk, sitting with his long legs crossed, appeared only a few years older than Ji-seo. She hadn’t expected someone so young to hold the vice president position in a global corporation.
Anyone could tell he came from a chaebol family. Indeed, his greeting confirmed it:
“Nice to meet you… for the first time?”
Was that a greeting or a provocation?
He tilted his head, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning his elegant face over the table.
“Lim Ji-seo, have we met before?”
What was this guy?
Why start off on such a crooked note before even finishing introductions? Ji-seo glanced at the chief, thinking she might have wanted to offer an overly formal, heartfelt greeting like, “It’s an honor to meet you in person after seeing you in the media, Vice President.”
The chief seemed momentarily taken aback by Baek Do-hyuk’s unexpected comment. But Choi Young-muk, the bureau chief, had overcome countless challenges to reach his position—he was no ordinary person.
“Oh, of course, we’ve met. This is the son of Chairman Baek Beom-jun. You’ve seen him on TV every day, right?”
The chief skillfully eased the tension, subtly highlighting Baek Do-hyuk’s status while keeping the conversation light and smooth.
“Of course… born with a silver spoon. No wonder his neck is so stiff,” Ji-seo thought, nodding politely.
Baek Do-hyuk, however, did not fully mask his displeasure at the flattery. But Ji-seo didn’t care. She simply wanted to understand why she, a C-Rank Esper, was being included in a visit from a chaebol heir—and to leave as quickly as possible.
When high-ranking visitors came, they usually wanted to see S-Rank Espers. Publicly shaking hands with a famous Esper was often the only reason for their visit. There was no reason to invite someone like Ji-seo, so naturally, she wondered:
“Is it because I’m unmarried and a young woman?”
Sometimes, certain Espers would try to take advantage of young female colleagues, but the man before her didn’t seem desperate. Still, Ji-seo straightened her back and focused her gaze, cautious as ever.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—her guess was half right.
“Lim Ji-seo, this is confidential, but Vice President Baek has awakened as a guide. S-Rank, no less. He’s currently looking for an assigned Esper, and you, Ji-seo, are perfect—absolutely perfect!”
Ji-seo nodded without much reaction, still unable to read Baek Do-hyuk’s intentions. She was slightly surprised, of course. Only about 0.1% of the population had awakened as Espers or guides, and among them, only 0.1% reached S-Rank. The probability of encountering this by chance was staggering.
So the heir of a chaebol family had miraculously awakened as an S-Rank guide and wanted to partner with C-Rank Ji-seo. How lucky—or unlucky—was that?
Chief Choi Young-muk’s expression clearly asked the same question: what would Ji-seo say?
“…….”
Ji-seo sipped her tea quietly, saying nothing for a long moment. The silence became unbearable for Choi Young-muk.
“So, what do you think, Lim Ji-seo?”
“I don’t think I can.”
She put down her teacup and spoke clearly. The chief’s face looked as if he’d been doused in cold water. Understandable. This was LS, a company that had quickly gained an advantage in the age of the Great Gates. Seeing Ji-seo reject an S-Rank guide’s choice must have been shocking.
“Don’t give vague answers. Why not? Do you already have a guide? Am I inadequate as your guide? Or do you simply dislike me?”
Baek Do-hyuk’s reaction was even more interesting.
Ji-seo wondered if her answer was a grave insult. His eyes trembled slightly, as if a lion had been told it would be abandoned. The word abandoned came to mind—not inappropriate, considering the faint hurt beneath the growl.
“I’m only a C-Rank Esper. Even in our bureau, there are many A-Rank Espers without assigned guides. It wouldn’t make sense, by common sense or propriety, for me to monopolize an S-Rank guide.”
Ji-seo spoke her mind. Her power gauge remained steady. Being dispatched to a B-Rank Gate and partnering with B-Rank guide Park Jung-yoon was sufficient. Their compatibility rate? About 58%. Not remarkable, but functional.
“Ha……”
Baek Do-hyuk, still leaning forward, frowned in disbelief. The chief nodded slowly, realizing Ji-seo’s reasoning made sense. This was about efficiency—not just cost or time, but overall effectiveness, something even elementary students could understand these days.
Baek Do-hyuk extended his hands loosely. Ji-seo observed, emotionless, the strong, well-shaped hands without rings.
“All right. I didn’t plan to go into detail, but let me say this clearly: I want you, Ji-seo, to help me. I’m set to inherit LS. Naturally, I want the process to go smoothly. I don’t plan to work as a guide publicly, and shareholders wouldn’t like me spreading my… seed indiscriminately.”
Ji-seo considered telling him that all Espers and guides regularly receive sexual education, STD prevention, and contraception, and that male guides don’t automatically do that—but she held back.
After Ji-seo lightly nodded, Baek Do-hyuk continued, confident and firm, as if briefing a client:
“Last month, I almost got caught in a Gate incident during an overseas trip. I was rescued by an on-site Esper, revealing that I’m a guide. So far, I’ve kept it secret, but I started feeling uneasy. Disclosure is better than concealment, after all.”
“Oh, were you in New York…?”
Baek Do-hyuk nodded.
