* * *
The saying that life can change overnight—
Ben Plaskun never believed in it.
If anything, he understood far better the notion that life is unfair and that one should simply adapt.
He wasn’t particularly talented at anything, nor did he stand out for his looks.
That didn’t mean he was dull, either.
He was competent enough at most things that others did, even if he wasn’t exceptional.
Average grades, average relationships—just about average in every way.
Though his parents had passed away early, leaving behind nothing but poverty, he had grown up under his grandmother’s care and turned out decently.
He was satisfied with that. He simply had to do everything on his own.
And without much rebellion, he grew up just fine.
If there was one thing that set him apart from others, it was that he was a Guide.
In this society, children were tested around the age of ten to determine whether they were an ordinary person, a Guide, or an Esper.
Generally, ordinary people made up 80% of the population, while the remaining 20% was evenly split between Espers and Guides.
Espers and Guides were categorized into six ranks, from the highest S-class to the lowest E-class.
Once their compatibility was assessed, they would be partnered with a match, typically of a similar rank.
There was only one exception to this rule—Guides had a rank even lower than E-class.
F-Guide.
A Guide with a 0% chance of matching with an Esper.
Less than 1% of all Guides fell into this category.
They possessed the characteristics of a Guide but were practically incapable of forming a bond with an Esper.
After all, no such F-rank existed among Espers. In rare cases where compatibility was detected, it was usually with a D or E-class Esper at best.
Thus, while standard Guides ranged from S to E-class, those who failed to meet even the lowest standard were labeled as F-Guides.
And in this world where almost all Guides were at least E-class or higher, Ben Plaskun, unfortunately, was an F-Guide.
Zero compatibility. A Guide in name only—almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
Of course, there was a special case known as the “Irregular Guide,” an anomaly within that 1% of F-Guides.
However, the odds of that happening were infinitesimally small, and Ben Plaskun was quite certain it didn’t apply to him. So there was no point in dwelling on it.
Still, Ben Plaskun was a rather optimistic realist.
He hadn’t been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he figured he at least had a serviceable copper one.
He worked as hard as he could within his limits, and though it was only an entry-level position, he had managed to land a stable government job.
That wasn’t too bad, was it?
So he had no doubt that he could continue living this peaceful life he had barely managed to secure.
Until he met that man.
* * *
