99 Percent Love

“Hello.”  

[There is an emergency call for Sanghyeon-dong. It’s a gate that showed no sign of opening for days, but now it suddenly starts to open.]

“What? Why are you telling me this now…?”  

[The energy waves have just been detected and the people over there panicked and contacted us. Sorry for the sudden call, but most of the team is being sent to a gate in Chungcheong right now, so we need you to…]

“Send me the address. I’ll be on my way immediately.”  

Rion hung up the phone while he hurriedly changed his clothes.  

There were only two days left until the couple’s registration.  

He was relieved that the centre director had arbitrarily removed his name from the Chungcheong gate party list, saying it was to give him some time to cool down and mentally prepare.  

[He said.]

“…I guess I’ll have to take him with me, won’t I?”  

Having finished getting ready in a hurry, Rion, with water still dripping from his hair, stared at his phone.  

Yes, whether he liked it or not, the guy was about to officially become his mate. There was even a chance that the mate registration could be completed inside the gate, so he had to bring him with him.  

With a displeased look on his face, Rion pressed the call button.  

[…Hello.]  

“Get up at once. There’s a gate opening in Sanghyeon-dong. It’s an emergency. Since so many people have been sent to the Chungcheong gate, we have to take care of it ourselves.”  

Judging by the sleepy voice on the other end, he hadn’t received the call yet. Rion spoke urgently.  

“We might even finish the couple registration inside the gate if we’re not careful. Get ready quickly and come out. I’ll text you the address.”  

As annoying as he was, Rion figured he’d show up on time, since he always did his job properly. With that thought he opened the fridge.  

“Seriously, what kind of disaster is this before sunrise?”  

The fridge was full of health products that Kangwoo had given him from time to time. He should at least eat something before he left. Leon grabbed a few random things and left the house.  

Flying would probably be faster than taking a taxi. It would cost him some stamina, but with Yuwon around, he could recover from that to some extent.  

“Wait, if I get there early and Yuwon takes his time, we won’t be able to go in anyway, right?”  

The thought suddenly hit Rion and he rubbed his forehead. Where did this guy live again?  

[I’m on my way.]

He answered the moment he picked up the phone – what a rude guy, Rion thought.  

“No, wait. Where do you live?”  

[Near the centre, in the ×× officetel… but why?]  

“Oh, I know where that is. Stand in front of it. I’ll come and pick you up.”  

There wasn’t a second to waste – Rion had no time to wait. With that thought, he ended the call and flew straight to the ×× officetel.  

Since he had started from the centre, it didn’t take him long to reach the nearby officetel. As expected, Yuwon was waiting in front of the building, looking completely different than usual.  

Wearing a thin long-sleeved t-shirt and athletic pants, his hair dishevelled, Yuwon looked much more his age – or rather, much younger, Rion thought as he watched him.  

“Let’s go.”  

“Shall we take a taxi?”  

Still not fully awake, Yuwon blinked as he asked.  

“Oh, shall I bring my car?”  

“You have a car?”  

Yuwon nodded slowly. Of course, Rion knew that Yuwon came from a wealthy family, but still… With a reluctant expression on his face, Rion realised that this wasn’t the time to think about it and landed in front of Yuwon.  

“Forget it. If we were driving, I wouldn’t have come all this way to pick you up.”  

“Then…”  

“We’re going full speed, so hold on tight.”  

Rion grabbed Yuwon’s arms and put them over his shoulders. Yuwon, looking startled, instinctively clung to Rion’s shoulders.  

As their bodies lifted off the ground, Yuwon reflexively tightened his grip and leaned closer to Rion for support. The position ended up resembling an embrace, but Rion didn’t seem to care as he spoke.  

“Yes, just hold on like that. We’re taking off.”  

“Wait, what are we…”  

Yuwon hasn’t finished his sentence. That was because Rion had taken off into the night sky at full speed.  

***

“You’re here sooner than I expected.”  

“I flew as if my life depended on it.  

Arriving in Sanghyeon-dong, Rion set Yuwon down and joined the Espers to be briefed on the situation.  

He was a little tired from putting all his energy into flying at top speed, but he’d brought some health supplements with him, and his matching guide was with him, so he figured he’d make it.  

“I’m not sure how much you’ve been told, so I’ll just explain everything. The gate itself is B-class. To be honest, it’d be a bigger problem if another A-class gate popped up just a few days after the one in Chungcheong.”  

“What about the assigned personnel?”  

“They sent most of the A-class Espers to Chungcheong to give you a break. We have to leave a minimum number of people at the centre in case something else comes up. So you’re the only S-class here, the rest are B- and C-class.”  

Rion looked around with a worried expression on his face. The only silver lining was that the Espers present had relatively long careers compared to their ranks.  

“It won’t be easy.”  

Feeling a little foggy, Rion pulled out one of the health drinks he had brought with him and began to sip at it. His senior, Gwang-hyun, was used to the sight and continued talking without much reaction.  

“Yes, but we’ve put together a team that specialises in fighting. The leaders here have also been taken from those on standby duty. Still… at least you have your partner with you.”  

“He’s not my partner yet.”  

“Won’t it be official tomorrow anyway?”  

“There are still over 50 hours until 6 pm in two days, you know?”  

Rion countered Gwang-hyun’s words while sipping his drink. Bringing Yuwon along seemed to have been a wise decision after all.  

“We wanted to go in as soon as you arrived, so let’s get started. By the way, don’t you need a guide after flying all the way here?”  

“It’s S-class guiding. It’ll be quick.”  

Rion shrugged his shoulders and approached Yuwon. Without a word he held out his hand and Yuwon stared at him in silence.  

“Hurry up and show me the way before we go in. The gate is open, so we have to go in right away.”  

Yuwon glanced at Rion, who was still sipping his health drink, before finally taking his outstretched hand.  

Rion, already impatient, felt a surge of irritation at Yuwon’s slow, deliberate movements. But as soon as the guiding energy flowed through his hand, all his frustration melted away as if it had never been there.  

Well, the guiding isn’t to blame, Rion thought as he stared blankly at their joined hands while they received the guiding.  

A few days ago, Yuwon had annoyed him with a comment about charging into enemy territory without a plan, leaving Rion furious and determined to avoid his guiding altogether. But as Yuwon had said, work was work and personal feelings were personal.  

Even if he couldn’t bear to look at him, it was essential to be guided before entering a gate. Absolutely essential. Rion nodded to himself as he collected his thoughts.  

“That’s enough. Let’s go.”  

Having received sufficient energy, Rion let go of Yuwon’s hand and headed toward the gate. The other Espers and guides, who had been waiting for Rion’s guiding to finish, also gathered with their equipment in front of the gate.  

This would be his last mission with Yuwon before they officially became a partner, Rion thought as he entered the gate.  

“Ugh, it’s hot.”  

The inside of the gate was a scorching desert terrain, the sun beating down relentlessly. Gwang-hyun, the veteran senior, got the group’s attention and spoke.  

“Watch your step in the desert! You never know what kind of monsters might emerge from under the sand, so always keep an eye on the ground. Kang Rion, can you see anything?”  

Gwang-hyun, who had already taken to the air to survey the gate’s interior, called out to Rion.  

“The sandstorm is too strong – I can’t see clearly. I could go higher to get a better view, but then I might not be able to react quickly in case of an emergency.”  

“Don’t underestimate your elders. Just concentrate on scouting the terrain for now.”  

Nodding, Rion climbed higher and began to scan the desert terrain more thoroughly. The endless expanse of sand stretched in all directions, devoid of any visible features.  

After descending to the ground, Rion reported back to Gwang-hyun.  

“I don’t see anything. It’s probably like you said, a gate where something comes out from underneath.  

“Man, gates like that are the worst…”  

Gwang-hyun scratched his head and looked around at the party members. Fortunately, Yuwon was the only newcomer, so they should be able to handle it one way or another.  

“Well, with you here, we should be able to clear a B-class gate eventually, even if it takes some time.”  

“The bigger problem is finding the boss in the first place.”  

“I’ve been in a gate with similar terrain before. After taking care of some minor monsters, the sand split and the boss appeared. Maybe this is the same type?”  

The experienced Espers gathered together, brainstorming and discussing the characteristics of the Gate as they formulated their strategy.

“Why did an emergency have to happen during my shift?”  

“Tell me about it. I was planning to clock out soon and get a good night’s sleep…”  

Meanwhile, the guides, who had less to do at the moment, were spending their time more leisurely. Yuwon, who had no immediate tasks, just stood quietly and watched the conversations around him.  

“Hey, I heard you’re about to finish your pair registration?”  

At that moment, one of the guides who had been chatting nearby approached Yuwon and started talking to him. The news of Yuwon and Rion’s imminent official pairing had already spread.  

“Yes.”  

Yuwon nodded quietly. The guide continued with a curious expression.  

“I heard that being paired comes with a lot of benefits and support. That sounds nice.”  

Now that it was mentioned, Yuwon vaguely remembered hearing something like that. However, he wasn’t particularly interested in those benefits.  

“Looks like the registration will be completed as soon as you leave this gate. I’m jealous. Good luck for the future.”  

“Thank you.”  

Yuqon replied with a small smile. In just two days, the adaptation period would end and the paperwork would be processed.  

Some people had made a fuss about the possibility of the couple’s registration being completed inside the gate, but Yuwon doubted that anything unusual would happen in a B-class gate. Thinking this, he glanced at his analogue wristwatch, which was unaffected by the Gate’s interference.