Episode 16
Finally, My 23rd Birthday
Finally, she was twenty-three.
For the past 365 days — all 525,600 minutes — Yeongwon had completely failed to become more mature.
So she decided to just toss that self-reflection aside and focus on something more important:
Today, she was going to eat birthday seaweed soup with Kim Yeohyeon, who’d been born the same day as her.
Even though they’d started speaking casually, her relationship with her assigned esper hadn’t really progressed at all.
He kept refusing every time she brought up guiding, saying his vessel was full enough, that he didn’t need it.
So she hadn’t even gotten the chance to try guiding once.
Okay, sure, he hated human guidance — fine.
But come on. Not even sharing a single meal together? That was too much.
“How can eating a meal together be this hard?”
“Normally, I love eating alone, but at least your assigned partner should share one meal with you.”
“This is still the Land of Rice, a proud K-country, isn’t it?”
Her birthday felt like the perfect excuse to finally have that first meal together.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
Her phone buzzed as she walked around the kitchen.
[Go Yoryeon: Yeongwon~ happy b-dayyy!! Did you have seaweed soup??]
[Me: Of course~~]
[Me: (photo)]
[Me: Found beef-seaweed soup this morning — soooo goodㅠㅠ I’m movedㅠㅠ]
[Me: But I stopped after three spoonfuls!!]
[Me: I’m saving the rest for dinner so I can eat with my partner (emoji)]
[Go Yoryeon: Your partner??]
[Me: Yep yep]
[Go Yoryeon: Still can’t believe you became his guide (emoji)]
[Me: It just kind of happened? haha]
Yeongwon kept her explanation vague.
She didn’t want to lie — but she definitely didn’t want to tell the truth either.
Go Yoryeon seemed to get the hint; ever since she’d been transferred from the Center, Yoryeon hadn’t asked for more.
[Go Yoryeon: Want me to find out what time he gets off work??]
[Me: 8ㅅ8 Please dooo (emoji)]
[Go Yoryeon: (big emoji)]
Texting back and forth with Yoryeon through their yellow chat app, Yeongwon closed the pot lid.
[Go Yoryeon: I can probably get the info to Esper Kim Yeohyeon through the Director!!]
[Me: Thank you, thank you (emoji)]
[Go Yoryeon: Really, happy birthday again ♡ so glad you were born (emoji)]
[Me: Aw,w you’re too sweetㅎ_ㅎ]
[Me: Hope you get off work on time today, unni!]
[Me: (emoji)]
Done texting, Yeongwon opened the fridge.
Clack.
She took out the marinated salmon she’d been aging in the fridge and gently placed it on top of warm rice.
There was even a small birthday cake — she decided to save it for dinner.
“Looks amazing…”
Usually, the penthouse staff brought her gourmet take-out from top restaurants for every meal.
But ever since Kim Yeohyeon moved back in, the food that appeared on the table felt like it came from another dimension.
The snacks stocked in the fridge were always perfect, too.
So, being a proud homebody with master-level skills in merging with her bed or sofa, Yeongwon would load everything on a tray and take it upstairs to eat.
“Soy-sauce salmon… divine.”
Every new dish hit her like a new wave of happiness.
Ding. Ding.
Her phone buzzed again.
She took a big bite, chewed slowly, swallowed — and checked it.[Go Yoryeon: But, Yeongwonㅜㅜ]
[Me: ?? What’s up??]
[Go Yoryeon: They said your esper’s not at the annex right now.]
[Me: Business trip??]
[Go Yoryeon: Nope. He stopped by home then headed toward Euljiro-Ipgu Station, apparently?]
Yeongwon froze for a second.
“Prologue… Myeong-dong rampage.”
Euljiro-Ipgu was practically next to Myeong-dong. Same area, really.
Her face hardened. She put her spoon down.
Clack, clack, clack.
Then came a flood of breaking news alerts.
Scroll. Scroll. Scroll.
Endless.
It was just like the Ilsan Gate — maybe worse.
The pace and volume of updates was insane.
The population density there, the gate’s level — everything was on another scale.
[Breaking News: Myeong-dong under lockdown, entry restricted.]
[Breaking News: Gate confirmed AA-class or higher.]
[Breaking News: Euljiro sealed off. S-class probability.]
[Breaking News: Namsan tunnels 1, 2, 3 closed.]
[Breaking News: Gangbuk access blocked.]
[Breaking News: All Han River bridges restricted.]
So the novel’s opening scene — it was finally happening.
“This is why I wanted to at least try guiding once…”
“But okay, regret over. It lasted, what, three seconds.”
She shoved away any useless regret and started organizing what needed to be done.
Find Yeohyeon’s location.
Get there.
Get his consent for guidance.
Guide.
Calmly. Carefully.
It came without warning, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Life’s biggest disasters always arrive uninvited — so in a way, this one was even polite about it.
Beep-beep. Beep-beep.
Ding.
Ring-ring.
Click, click.
The alerts never stopped.
Yeongwon called Yeohyeon — no answer.
[Breaking News: Euljiro S-Class Gate OPEN.]
[Breaking News: Euljiro-Ipgu Gate crack expanding.]
They all said the same thing.
“Wait — he stopped by your home first?”
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.
Yeongwon ran down the stairs as fast as she could.
Bang!
She threw open the study door without knocking — empty.
So he hadn’t made it home after all.
Not a good sign.
Beep.
She turned on the study TV — hoping for live footage, any new info.
“This is Gwanghwamun, we’re live from Gwanghwamun…”
“Gwanghwamun? That’s too far from Myeong-dong.”
Click. Channel switch.
“Near Jonggak area…”
“Closer, but still no visuals.”
Channel after channel — nothing.
They all said Kim Yeohyeon was there, but he never appeared on camera.
Then — ten seconds, twenty…
KABOOM!
CRASH!
BOOM!
From a distant broadcast shot, a massive barricade rose across downtown.
Something only Kim Yeohyeon could create.
Steadying herself, Yeongwon requested an emergency field pass from the Center and ran back upstairs.
“Guide uniform… where is it…”
She quickly changed into the white uniform, checking messages in between.
[Breaking News: First barricade complete.]
[Breaking News: Emergency evacuation begun.]
While waiting for the Center’s response, she texted him again.
[Me: Where are you?]
[Me: Euljiro where exactly?]
[Me: Once the Center approves, I’m coming to you.]
[Me: Don’t push yourself, just wait for me.]
No response.
She kept calling — still nothing. The network hadn’t crashed yet; the call tones still rang.
After more than a dozen tries, finally — a connection.
Yes, this is Kim Yeoh…
“Where are you?”
No time for fangirling — her voice was sharp, steady.
“Tell me exactly where you are.”
“Yeohyeon. I’m asking you where you are.”
Yeongwon wasn’t the type to scream when panicked.
She went the opposite — colder, quieter, more focused.
“Kim Yeohyeon.”
Between exits 2 and 3 at Euljiro-Ipgu Station, on the road toward Cheonggyecheon. I’ve set up a tent there.
Beep.
Right away, the Center’s reply came through:
[Helicopter ready for deployment.]
[Wait on the rooftop.]
She kept the call going.
“You’re still okay, right?”
Yes.
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Don’t overdo it. Just stay put until I get there.”
The birthday plan was officially dead.
Dinner could wait — they’d eat another day.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
The helicopter approached the rooftop.
“Guide! You can board now!”
In her white uniform, Shim Yeongwon climbed aboard — and the helicopter lifted off from the penthouse roof.
KABOOM!
CRACK.
The walls of the buildings lining the main road split apart like wafers, crumbling into dust.
Everywhere looked like the trailer for a disaster movie — chaos, panic, destruction.
Wee-oo wee-oo!
Tap tap tap.
“Haa… haa…”
Yeongwon charged straight into the mess without hesitation.
Tap, tap.
“Who planned this crap… it’s total chaos…”
“Haa… haa…”
Because of the unstable gate crack, the helicopter hadn’t been able to land right in front, so she had to run, full speed, to reach Yeohyeon.
Wee-oo wee-oo!
Even though the first shock had passed thanks to his barricade, the site was far from stable.
Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars — all jammed together, clogging roads and sidewalks alike.
“Move! Sir, please! The fire truck needs to pass!”
“Citizens, please cooperate!”
“Official duty in progress!”
Good thing she’d put on the guide uniform.
“Guide! Center-assigned guide coming through!”
Just wearing it made people step aside; even checkpoints opened easily.
Wearing a mask was another good call.
In the chaos, she needed to protect her face from the hundreds of shoving phones at her to film.
Even with lives on the line, people here still had the unstoppable urge to record everything.
“Guide! Over here — the short-haired guide!”
Center staff came running as soon as she reached visual range of the gate’s crack.
“Please head over to the group of A-rank espers!”
“Can we get your registry number to check the match-rate database—”
“Guide! That way”
She cut them all off.
“I don’t have a registry number.”
Sorry, what?
“Kim Yeohyeon.”
That was all she said — and silence fell instantly.
Clearly, word had already spread through the Center’s chain of command.
“I’m Kim Yeohyeon’s assigned guide.”
No more questions. They simply pointed her toward his tent.
Without ever giving her registration number, Shim Yeongwon walked straight through multiple layers of security —
clearance levels that even the Prime Minister couldn’t cross — and reached the tent near the gate.
Getting the guards to open the flap was easy, too.
“Guide’s here.”
Finally, without any unnecessary drama, she saw him.
Beep. Beep-beep. Click.
Over fifty machines were connected to Kim Yeohyeon.
He was lying on a cot, dozens of tubes and needles attached to him.
so many that his arms had no space left, with even his neck pierced in multiple places.
And near the tent entrance, blocking her path with an uneasy face, stood an unfamiliar A-rank esper.
“He said he doesn’t want direct guidance.”
Bullshit.
Yeongwon didn’t even look at the extra. She brushed past him without hesitation.
