* * *
“The attitude a Guide must adopt in this situation is…”
It was the usual lecture hour, where some students dozed off and others listened half-heartedly with their chins propped on their hands.
Since these classes were originally designed for those who had just recently awakened as “Specials,” the classroom was filled with children or, at most, middle and high school students.
Excluding the instructor, Suhyeon was practically the only adult present.
At first, it had been a bit embarrassing, but more than fifteen days had passed since he started the course.
Suhyeon was naturally the type not to be easily bothered by his surroundings.
Having quickly shaken off any awkwardness, he began absorbing information at a rapid pace.
What exactly is guiding?
What duties must a Guide perform?
He learned not only about Guides but also the basic responsibilities of Espers, the nature of Gates and monsters, and the reasons why an Esper’s guiding level drops.
Suhyeon listened intently, not missing a single word from the instructor.
If there was something that seemed worth memorizing, he committed it to memory on the spot; if there was something he didn’t understand, he asked.
The instructor, who had been dry and clinical at first, eventually realized Suhyeon’s sincerity and began striving to teach him as much as possible.
As time passed, common sense regarding the world of “Specials” stacked up quickly and neatly in Suhyeon’s mind.
“…This concludes the basic theoretical education you are required to complete. From here, you will follow the Association’s guidance for basic training, contracts, and the performance of your duties. I hope to see you all later as proper colleagues.”
Fortunately, by the day the education ended, Suhyeon had at least grasped the relationship between Guides and Espers, the mechanics of guiding, and the basic systems governing “Specials.”
Of course, actually experiencing it would likely be a very different story from the theory.
Suhyeon gave a polite bow to the instructor who had helped him and slipped out of the classroom with the departing crowd.
The fact that the lectures were over gave him a slight sense of relief.
However, his mind wasn’t entirely at ease because of what was waiting next.
In reality, the training was far more important than the classroom education.
Suhyeon boarded the elevator accompanied by his two hulking guards.
He had now grown accustomed to the stares that followed him and his security detail.
Ding.
With a clear chime, the elevator opened.
He walked down the hallway and arrived at the familiar door.
After punching his code into the keypad, Suhyeon entered the room he had visited every single day.
“You’re here?”
A gentle voice greeted him—it was Soyoung.
Suhyeon set his bag down and sat on the sofa in the room, which was filled with peaceful sunlight.
While Soyoung pulled out his chart, Suhyeon fiddled with the device used to detect guiding levels.
The dark, deactivated screen of the device reflected his pale face.
‘I really want to succeed today.’
It had been over fifteen days since Suhyeon began his training, now entering the third week.
According to Soyoung, even Guides who initially struggle to handle their guiding waves usually get the hang of it within two weeks.
He wasn’t exactly anxious about having exceeded the average time it took for others to succeed, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t frustrated.
And Hajin… was on his mind.
It wasn’t just because they had a contract.
Having built up his basic knowledge, Suhyeon now understood to some extent what guiding meant to an Esper and just how vital their guiding level was.
The more they use their abilities, the more easily an Esper’s psyche collapses.
What prevents this is the Guide’s energy—the guiding wave—and the “guiding level” is literally a numerical representation of the remaining guiding energy in an Esper’s body.
Naturally, the lower this level falls, the more unstable the Esper becomes, simultaneously sinking into a pain that gnaws at their sanity.
To prevent such pain and mental collapse, most Espers maintain their levels above 70%.
But Hajin was different.
—I couldn’t receive guiding well, and originally, I barely maintained around 50%.
50%.
It was an absurd number. 30% was the starting point where an Esper’s mind begins to break and they risk a “rampage.”
Yet, he had lived his daily life barely maintaining 50% and hadn’t even been able to receive contact guiding.
Suhyeon now knew the difference in efficiency between radiation guiding and contact guiding.
Now that he had shoved that common sense into his head, he could see just how preposterous a life Hajin was leading.
He also realized how ridiculous the contract Hajin had offered him was.
—…Are you okay?
—About what?
Suhyeon let out a deep sigh, comparing the image of Hajin tilting his head with an indifferent expression last night to the words he had heard from his instructor.
—It feels like lava is boiling inside your head every moment. Like an inextinguishable fire has been set to your entire body, burning you alive.
The description of the pain felt when an Esper’s guiding level drops was quite gruesome and terrifying.
Furthermore, it was said that for high-rank, powerful Espers, the guiding level drops faster and is harder to replenish.
He hated the thought of Hajin feeling that kind of pain.
Moreover, Hajin had seemed very busy lately.
While he must have been receiving some form of guiding, seeing him occasionally bury his head in Suhyeon’s shoulder and let out a weary sigh made it feel as though he was enduring immense agony.
So, it was only natural for Suhyeon to feel frustrated.
He hoped to succeed today.
His wave usually wouldn’t budge no matter what he did, but still.
“We’ll start whenever you’re ready,” Soyoung said.
Suhyeon closed his eyes and shut out his external senses one by one.
With practiced ease, he focused his mind on the energy shimmering near his chest.
Before long, a sweet, fresh fragrance began to waft through the air.
Beep.
The device in his hand chimed as it detected the guiding.
The constant training of tapping and urging the energy to move had produced results.
Drawing the energy up was no longer an exhausting ordeal for Suhyeon.
Compared to the first day when he had collapsed from exhaustion, it was a massive improvement.
Suhyeon opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the glowing screen of the device, struggling not to break his concentration.
The halo-like energy moved slowly and smoothly, rising to the surface.
A scent like sweet candy drifted and shimmered in the air.
5%, 6%, 7%…
The numbers on the screen rose slowly.
Beep, beep, beep.
In the quiet room where only soft music played, the device sounded at regular intervals.
When it reached 15%, Suhyeon’s breathing began to tremble.
His mind felt like it was whiteging out from an overload, and a transparent bead of sweat rolled down his pale, thin jawline.
Suhyeon grit his teeth. 15%.
It was the number he hadn’t been able to break through for days.
The energy he felt clumped deep inside him was clearly much larger, but the amount of wave he could pull out was negligible.
It was frustrating.
Beep.
16%.
The fresh, sweet scent of a newly bloomed flower intensified.
17%.
In his overheated state, his reddish, full lips lost their color and quivered.
18%. 19%. 20%.
“Heuk!”
Just before the fuse in his brain blew, Suhyeon, having hit his limit, let go of the wave he had been pulling with all his might.
The drawn-out energy snapped back into its main body in his chest like a taut rubber band being released.
“20%. Still, it has increased.”
Suhyeon panted heavily, his face contorted.
Frowning with his sweat-soaked pale forehead, he slumped back into the sofa.
At this point, even a rare sense of irritation began to surge.
Handling energy as naturally as breathing or moving one’s limbs—he was beginning to doubt if he could even do it, let alone “get the hang of it.”
It felt like his head would explode every time he pulled it up. He couldn’t even understand how he had been judged as an S-rank Guide in the first place.
“It’s okay. You can do it.”
There’s a limit to hearing “it’s okay” and “you can do it.”
Handling guiding energy was a primal instinct; no one else could help him with it.
For once, his temper flared.
Suhyeon irritably closed his eyes and felt the wave sleeping inside him once more.
The wave billowed in his chest with an almost taunting tranquility.
It was incredibly infuriating.
Grind.
Suhyeon gnashed his teeth and, in a fit of pique, yanked the energy with everything he had, whether it worked or not.
Beep, bee-bee-beep!
The device wailed at that moment.
Thump.
His heart gave a heavy pound, and his chest felt a slight ache.
And in the next moment.
A sweet fragrance, as if flowers had suddenly reached full bloom in a field, exploded outward, filling the room.
The energy that had been tightly coiled inside his body spread out like a miracle.
“……Huh?”
Suhyeon, who had been colored with irritation just a moment ago, let out a dazed sound in spite of himself.
* * *
