I want to be your guide chapter 3

From F-rank, where even using abilities is restricted, to the few S-ranks in the world, Espers are divided by their abilities, and discrimination exists based on those ranks.

The headquarters officially prohibits discrimination based on rank, but the entrenched class system can’t be eradicated.

This inequality wasn’t different for guides, either.

“…Ah, damn it.”

Wooyeon, holding a tray during lunchtime, stopped in her tracks and mumbled.

As Jungyun was about to ask what was wrong, Wooyeon pointed with her chin toward a group of B-rank guides occupying the cafeteria’s center and grumbled.

“They always sit there when the manager isn’t around.”

“Shall we go somewhere else?”

“Let’s do that.”

Jungyun and Wooyeon sat far from them. Fortunately, there were few people in the cafeteria today, so they didn’t have to sit close to the food return area.

The B-rank guides huddled in the center laughed and chatted loudly, ignoring the glances from those around them, acting as if they owned the cafeteria.

As Wooyeon tried to enjoy her soup, her face crumpled at the laughter echoing through the cafeteria. She put her spoon back into the soup and said,

“Isn’t the manager coming to shut them up?”

“He must be busy.”

“He should at least eat. After all, this is all about making a living.”

Wooyeon held up her spoon, wishing Manager Jung Yoona would come to the cafeteria. Jungyun silently ate her meal. She was hungry from the morning’s guiding.

Before joining the headquarters, she hadn’t eaten so much, but after starting guiding, her appetite had tripled.

She worried about gaining weight, but the strenuous guiding sessions left her slimmer despite eating more.

“Let’s quickly finish eating and take a nap.”

As she thought of her perfect plan and took the last spoonful, she made eye contact with someone in the center of the B-rank guide group.

Joo Saeon. One of the few guides whose name Jungyun remembered, and a guide consistently involved in scandals with Domin.

“What’s wrong?”

Wooyeon asked. Jungyun postponed answering, determined not to lose in a staring contest with Saeon.

Saeon whispered to a guide beside him after an intense staring contest with Jungyun. The glances directed at Jungyun multiplied from one to two, then three.

‘Why are they looking at me?’

The gazes curved with unpleasant laughter.

Jungyun frowned at the clear mockery. Wooyeon, who turned her head belatedly, also noticed the whispering guide group looking at Jungyun.

“Are they picking a fight with us?”

“…I don’t know.”

Although she couldn’t hear what they were saying, she knew it wasn’t anything good. While their rudeness was irritating, it wasn’t enough to make her stand up and shout.

It wasn’t the first day that these stuck-up B-ranks were acting like this, unable to abandon their childhood habit of playing leader among themselves, which was just pitiful.

‘Let’s not associate with them.’

You avoid dirt because it’s filthy, not because you’re afraid, so Jungyun chose to leave the scene without engaging in conflict.

“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”

“Hey, wait for me.”

Wooyeon stood up after Jungyun, who had risen first. Even as they returned their trays and exited the cafeteria, she felt their lingering glances.

Unlike Jungyun, who calmly continued to ignore them, Wooyeon stomped her feet, unable to suppress her rising anger.

As they walked through the hallway back to the guiding room, Wooyeon finally exploded in anger and shouted.

“Those bastards were mocking us, right?!”

“Just ignore them.”

“Should I turn back and throw a fit?”

Wooyeon turned as if to head back to the cafeteria. Jungyun quickly reached out and grabbed Wooyeon’s shoulder.

“If we react to every provocation, we only lose.”

At Jungyun’s calm words, Wooyeon took a deep breath to control her anger.

After calming her trembling body, Wooyeon continued walking toward the guiding room. Jungyun lightly tapped Wooyeon’s drooping shoulder.

“…It’s so unfair.”

“I know.”

“In modern times, it feels like we’re the only ones living in a caste system!”

Jungyun completely agreed with Wooyeon’s indignant words. In place of the few A-rank guides, the B-rank guides, who had grown arrogant, liked to distinguish themselves from lower-ranked guides.

Like nobles and commoners from the Middle Ages, they even submitted proposals to separate themselves from the lower-ranked guides.

Fortunately, Deputy Director Hyeon Se-min, who was clear-headed, dismissed the proposal, but conflicts and discrimination deepened.

Among them, the B-rank guides centered around Joo Saeon were particularly averse to even breathing the same air as the C-rank guides. It was as if they considered the C-ranks pollutants.

“I’m going to report this to the headquarters. I can’t live like this. I feel like I’m going to get bald from stress!”

“No, you still have a lot of hair.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

After escorting Wooyeon, who was seething with unresolved anger, Jungyun leisurely strolled down the hallway. Since it was lunchtime, most guiding room doors had signs that read “Lunch Break.”

Passing through the quiet hallway, Jungyun arrived at her guiding room and was about to enter when she noticed a silhouette standing in the distance.

Knock, knock. The silhouette knocked on someone’s guiding room door. They couldn’t possibly not know it was lunchtime, so they were probably an ill-mannered Esper with no respect for guides.

“Shit, if you call someone, you should be there!”

Once, twice, thrice, the knocking sound echoed more aggressively down the hallway. But there was no response from the empty guiding room.

“Damn it.”

The Esper muttered a low curse and finally lowered the hand that had been knocking.

“This is shit.”

The quiet voice was threatening. The Esper loosened the choker around their neck and took a deep breath.

After kicking the door a few more times, the Esper turned around, sensing Jungyun’s gaze.

‘Who is that?’

The distance was too far to see each other’s faces.

But judging by the tall stature and the flashy patterned suit he was wearing, Jungyun could tell he wasn’t an ordinary Esper.

He was probably an Esper of quite a high rank, where the dress code is more relaxed.

“Hey, you.”

The Esper, who was ruffling his hair in annoyance, strode towards Jungyun. His long legs quickly closed the gap, making Jungyun glance nervously at the exit beside him.

“I need to ask you something.”

If an Esper was desperate enough to seek guidance, even to the point of disrupting lunch, he might lose his temper easily. Moreover, there weren’t many people around at the moment.

Even if something happened and Jungyun screamed, there would be no one to help him.

‘This is dangerous.’

The silhouette of the approaching Esper grew clearer. The face, which had been blurry, was starting to come into focus.

As Jungyun prepared to flee, he caught a glimpse of the Esper’s face and gaped foolishly.

“Ah….”

The anxiety and fear that had numbed him disappeared, and his heart began to race for a different reason. But now it pounded more fiercely and rapidly than before.

‘Is this… a dream?’

Jungyun pinched his thigh with his trembling hand. Even though he pinched himself hard enough to bruise, the undeniable pain made his eyes sparkle with realization.

‘This isn’t a dream. Choi Domin is really in front of me.’

Memories may fade with time, but Jungyun still vividly remembers that day.

If Domin hadn’t saved him from the chaos of collapsing buildings and echoing screams, he might have been wandering somewhere in the afterlife by now.

Most people undergo the guide test, which is not compulsory, for the money. Being a government-affiliated guide means you get a house and a decent salary.

But Jungyun was different. He took the test and became a guide solely to see Domin again.

“When does lunch end?”

“Until, until two o’clock.”

Jungyun answered in a shaky voice.

Domin, frowning his straight eyebrows, checked the time on his expensive-looking wristwatch. It was only 1:10 PM. There was still plenty of time until lunch ended at 2 PM.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Ruffling his hair, Domin glanced past Jungyun at the empty hallway. At the end of it, a giant advertisement featuring a younger Domin played repeatedly in the break room.

“When did I shoot that new one? And they’re still using this.”

Domin grumbled upon seeing his image on the screen. Just like he said, the break room’s advertisement was from last year.

The employees at headquarters hadn’t updated it with the new video, and even his furrowed brows from cursing at them looked handsome. His voice, spitting out sharp words, was incredibly attractive too.

Compared to that dusty day, Domin was several, no, hundreds of times more radiant, leaving Jungyun speechless.

Each time he saw the ad, he was impressed, but seeing him in person felt more awe-inspiring than words could express. Even with all the grandiose words in the world, it felt impossible to fully capture Domin.

“Are you a guide too?”

At Domin’s question, Jungyun nodded. With that short response, Domin fell silent again, as if he had completely forgotten Jungyun’s presence.

‘I should say something. A day like this doesn’t come often.’

He had to express his gratitude. He needed to thank him for saving him amidst that chaos and let him know that he was alive thanks to him.

But his lips wouldn’t part as easily as he had hoped.

Just as he mustered up the courage to speak and opened his mouth to say thank you, Domin was already looking elsewhere.

Forcing his furrowed brow to relax, Domin walked past Jungyun and called out to someone in the distance.

“Joo Saeon!”

Oh, Jungyun realized then that the guide Domin had come to see was Saeon. How could he have forgotten that Domin’s exclusive guide was Joo Saeon?

Turning around, Jungyun spotted Saeon approaching with a group of B-rank guides. Saeon, who had been chatting with them, smiled brightly upon seeing Domin.

“Why are you here so early?”

“It’s not that I’m early; you’re late.”

Saeon, who had run to Domin’s side, naturally linked his arm with Domin’s. Domin furrowed his brow slightly but didn’t shake off Saeon’s arm.

“They suit each other.”

The words Jungyun muttered unconsciously were indeed true.

Someone like Saeon suited Domin. Though it was just a brief moment, imagining Domin receiving guidance from him made Jungyun’s face flush with embarrassment.

Even though he knew Domin would never ask for guidance from a C-rank guide like him, he had allowed himself to dream for a few seconds.

“How embarrassing….”

Trying to cool his flushed face with his hand, Jungyun couldn’t take his eyes off Domin’s retreating figure.

He envied Saeon, standing beside Domin. Foolishly, the thought of being the guide in that position wouldn’t leave his mind.