Team Zero.
That was a newly formed team the Ability User Bureau had informed me and would be the main topic in today's meeting.
It consisted of four people, three Espers and one guide, all of which were S-Ranks.
The rank assigned to each esper was based on these categories :
S-Ranks were generally powerhouses that could destroy a country, similar to nuclear bomb.
A-Ranks were people with military grade combat power, their combat abilities may not be as destructive as S-Ranks but their attack power was high enough to destroy a building.
B-Ranks were a more niche, non-combat skill-based people, with abilities such as telepathic ability, hacking capabilities and many more.
While C-Ranks were people with small awakening power, they were no different than normal human.
With the gate danger level rising each year, the bureau formed this team as an efficient manpower allocation and gate outbreak prevention. S-Rank and SS-Rank gate would be the priority of this strike team.
Five minutes left until our appointed time, I, together with Ilyas arrived at the meeting room. Knocking on the door twice, I opened it without waiting for a reply. Inside was a table with chairs lined up on its side.
"Oh! Look who's finally here! Having some fun playing hero?"
Slouched on the office chair was a man with spiky red hair, his slightly tan skin gave him an exotic beach boy vibe, but his choice of words and the mocking grin plastered on his face might made his conversation partner wanted to punch him – at least that's my opinion about him because that's precisely what I would do if I didn't have a godly amount of patience. He was called Xain Trevor, nicknamed God of Pure Strength.
A whistle could be heard from the man beside him, with his hands tapping on his phone's screen, he looked up, "Looks like he brought someone he saved too."
He was the other member of this team, Cedric Lawson, a chaotic ice mage who loved playing games. With his golden wavy bangs covering his sharp upturned eyes, he glanced at the person behind me.
I instinctively shielded Ilyas and waved my hands.
"Just focus on your game and stop staring."
He scoffed when he heard my words.
Because we were workers in the same field, sometimes we bumped into each other. So rather than complete strangers, our relation were more like colleague you know the name of but rarely interact with. You could say our relationship was neutral, not good not bad. It's just them who picked a fight for nothing.
I guided Ilyas to his seat and settled down on mine as well. Glancing at the four people present here, a thought crossed my mind.
'The male leads are all here.'
With all love interest gathered, this was officially the start of the comic.
The summary of the comic from an internet forum I once read was like this :
Having lost both his parents when he was a freshman in university, Ilyas Anderson had to work odd jobs to feed himself and pay his university bills.
After manifesting as an S-Rank Guide, Ilyas was forced to guide three domineering espers. Something he was uncomfortable with because of their violent nature and arrogant demeanor.
But with debt tightening around his neck and a dream left behind by his parents, Ilyas silently endured their torment. How would Ilyas survive these possessive and threatening espers?
'More or less like that. I don't know the ending though.'
The first time I read the summary, I almost split my computer in half. I remember pulling my hair out from the sheer cringe and cliché of this comic plot. And my sister who loved this kind of comic stressed me out even more.
'How do I even explain this to our parents?'
If I could go back to earth again, I would surely slap some sense to that empty head of hers.
Trying to calm down my stress at the thought of my stupid sister, I offered Ilyas, "Want some tea?"
I always brought few sachets of instant tea or coffee in my pockets on meetings like this. First, because the duration of the meeting was long and we didn't get served any drinks. Second, it's to avoid useless bickering with people I didn't want to talk to.
Even if this room was called a meeting room, the facility was more like a break room. And one of the features it had was an electric kettle. Which prompted my love for a nice warm tea in these stomach-churning meetings.
"You and your love for tea. Now you are dragging the newbie guide to like your unique taste too?" Xain said with a tone laced with venom.
I almost spill the hot water inside the kettle at his obvious provocation. I raised my eyebrow and glanced at him.
'What's wrong with liking tea?'
These espers seriously had something wrong in their heads. I understand that this was a comic world, but the espers in this comic were all crazy people who picked a fight with anything and anyone they saw.
I felt bad for our main character for having to endure these assholes' behavior. No, to begin with it was my sister who's crazier for liking these men. And the original Ethan wasn't better either.
"Hey, you are our exclusive guide right? Here, guide me."
"What? But the procedure was-"
"Ahh, I'm already dying from the lack of guiding. Surely, our guide won't let his assigned esper die right?"
Xain rolled his eyes mischievously and said, "Or should I just kiss you right now?"
Ilyas was too stunned to speak. His emerald eyes flickered with rage but he quickly lowered his head and clenched his fist under the table. He clenched so hard it turned white.
It must be humiliating to be treated less as a human and more like a purifier.
I sighed when I watched this spectacle show. Someone had to put an end to it before it escalated.
The glass table clinked when I put the tea mug on it. I held Ilyas' shoulder and gave him the gentlest smile I could.
"Relax and enjoy the tea."
"Hey, I'm talking to you-"
"And I'm currently talking to him, so could you back off?"
I sharpened my eyes as I looked directly at Xain, unwilling to break eye contact with him for a second. If he wasn't warned now, he would cross the line even further. Especially since he's younger than me.
All of the love interests were mentally ill in the first place, and that was how we were designed by the author. The main character would then come into their lives and changed their personality, saving them mentally and physically. But within that time period there was no one that stood by the main protagonist side.
"And why do you interfere every time? He's our exclusive guide, so what I said was right, no?!"
'People aren't object for you to use, especially since this is your first meeting.'
He had such a twisted way of thinking, I didn't even want to answer it. I gave him a look and sighed internally.
'This guy is a lost cause.'
"Ahh!! Why are you giving me that look huh?! That 'You're a disappointment' look!"
I scratched my ear, pretending to not hear his shouts, there's no need for me to bicker with him. A wall of brick would always be a wall no matter how much I talked sense into it.
"Hey! Stop ignoring me!"
I checked my watch, it's already 7.11 AM and our assigned team manager hadn't arrived.
'Is it alright to be this late on your first team meeting?'
"Pfft, haha!"
Just when I was contemplating the bureau employee's competency, Ilyas laughed out loud. His clear and refreshing laughter filled the room.
He flashed me a bright smile, "Ah, sorry, you guys bickered exactly like my friends, I can't help but laugh."
Because I stood directly beside him, his smile was so radiant it made me instinctively squinted my eyes.
'What's this? A circle of light and flowers have formed around him. Is that a protagonist's halo I'm seeing?'
I rubbed my eyes and the flowers had vanished.
When I looked at the other two espers beside me however, they flushed red the moment they saw Ilyas' smile.
'What? Their heart got stolen just like that?'
Once again, I was reminded of the power of the protagonist.
BANG!
"Sorry I'm late!"
A disheveled woman opened the door to our meeting room. Observing our face one by one, she said, "I will begin the meeting now."