The Youngest wants to be exorcised! chapter 12

Hyunsoo sneered inwardly. He could easily guess the mindset of people who acted like this.

‘They think of guides as mere trash cans for dumping their wavelengths.’

Awakened individuals were clearly a privileged class. Despite the mandatory service, it was one of the most admired occupations.

Among the awakened, espers were particularly popular, thanks to their superhero-like image of exterminating monsters and protecting people.

The media had long competed to highlight news about them, turning them into idols.

‘He’s at that stage where he thinks he’s something special.’

Despite the forced conscription, they enjoyed a salary comparable to large corporations’ starting wages and had the superiority of possessing abilities not granted to ordinary people.

It was a time when their egos inflated rapidly, making them likely to look down on others.

The esper’s uniform bore a badge indicating completion of regular training. This meant he had learned the basic rules for guiding, which he blatantly disregarded for only one reason.

He looked down on Hyunsoo as just a young, inexperienced guide.

Forcibly dumping wavelengths on an unskilled guide could easily lead to guiding shock. This was why trainee guides were not sent to the field.

‘This greenhorn thinks guides are a joke.’

Since becoming a guide, Hyunsoo had never let anyone who disrespected him get away with it.

Frowning, he glanced at the instructor and professor monitoring the wavelength levels.

They had not intervened yet, possibly because Hyunsoo’s expression remained calm, but they seemed to sense something was wrong.

If things were halted ambiguously now, it might just get swept under the rug.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

He needed to make a decisive move. Smiling inwardly, Hyunsoo absorbed all of the esper’s wavelengths in an instant. Since the esper was mediocre, absorbing all his wavelengths wasn’t tiring.

‘What a worthless jerk.’

While Hyunsoo inwardly scoffed, the professor, noticing the steeply rising graph, rushed in with a pale face.

“Stop!”

The esper, startled by the professor’s shout, tried to let go of Hyunsoo’s interlaced fingers.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

Hyunsoo subtly removed the patch on his hand. Then, he pushed back all the wavelengths he had absorbed through their connected hands.

The ability to absorb wavelengths also meant the ability to push them back. However, most espers were unaware of this fact. It wasn’t widely known because few guides could do it.

Although he wanted to make the esper bleed from every orifice, doing so would cause too much trouble, so Hyunsoo adjusted the intensity.

Shoving them all back at once would have been a sight to see, but it might earn the esper some sympathy, which Hyunsoo could not tolerate.

The esper, shocked by the sudden return of his own wavelengths, trembled like a leaf. It was the backlash from the wavelength reversal.

‘Good thing I adjusted it properly.’

Smirking inwardly with satisfaction, Hyunsoo frowned and then slammed his head onto the table.

To survive in the cutthroat environment of the center as a ten-year guide, Hollywood-level acting skills were essential.

This level of acting was a piece of cake. When Hyunsoo banged his head hard enough to make a loud sound, the effect was immediate.

“Jaehee, the trainee!”

“Gasp…”

The professor’s startled shout and the murmurs of the trainees filled the room. Making a loud noise was much more effective at drawing attention than trembling hands, and Hyunsoo’s calculation was spot on.

“Are you okay?”

Now that the attention of the professor and trainees was focused on him, it was the perfect time to deliver the decisive blow. Hyunsoo panted and muttered.

“He suddenly shoved all his wavelengths into me…”

“Suddenly? What do you mean by that?”

The professor’s sharp gaze turned to the esper. As Hyunsoo pretended to be dazed and glanced at the esper, he was too flustered to speak properly.

“So, I mean… I didn’t do it on purpose…”

“Are you admitting that you transferred wavelengths to the guide without consent?”

Cornered by the professor’s icy glare, the esper stammered.

“Well, I just thought the trainee might not know, so I tried to help by giving more wavelengths, I mean…”

“Can you still say that after seeing these numbers?”

The professor pointed to the nearly vertical graph, shouting. Transferring wavelengths without the guide’s consent was a sign of disrespect.

As a professor who educated guides at the basic training center, it was absolutely unacceptable.

Moreover, Jaehee was the youngest son of SY, which heavily funded the central center to which the basic training center belonged.

Regardless of his background, he was a promising talent with excellent skills and grades, highly regarded by the professors.

“Where do you get off doing such a thug-like thing!”

The professor raged, declaring that he would formally refer this matter to the disciplinary committee. Hearing the mention of the disciplinary committee, the esper’s face turned pale as he protested.

“But I also got my wavelengths pushed back by him! Look, my hand is still trembling. Can’t you see?”

‘I have to say something.’

With his head still on the table, Jaehee opened his eyes slightly. He couldn’t leave any room for the esper to argue mutual fault.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. He forced his wavelengths into me, and I just unconsciously thought I didn’t want them, but I didn’t know they’d go back to him… No matter how shocked I was, I should’ve just handled all the wavelengths…”

Acting innocent and naive, Hyunsoo’s words made the professor jump.

“Don’t think that way. This is clearly the fault of the highest-ranking Esper. It is unacceptable to pass the burden without the guide’s consent.”

The situation was resolved surprisingly easily because the professor, who was always concerned about the rights and welfare of guides, intervened.

As he tried to calm the chaotic exam hall, the professor intended to send Hyunsoo to the recovery room.

The Esper, who recklessly forced his wave into Hyunsoo, was talking with the on-duty Esper who had arrived after the professor’s call.

“So yes, I transferred the wave without consent, but it wasn’t intentional, I swear.”

“Are you serious right now…”

The on-duty Esper trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Despite continuing to protest his innocence, the offending Esper only dug himself deeper with every word.

“Can you walk?”

When the professor approached with a worried expression and asked, Hyunsoo deliberately staggered and wobbled. He needed to solidify his position as the victim.

“Jaehee hyung!”

Sejoon, who had been hesitant to approach under the professor’s watchful eye, and a few other peers who had sought advice from Hyunsoo, rushed to support him.

Even in his disoriented state, Hyunsoo thanked his peers, playing the role of the kind-hearted Lee Jaehee.

Meanwhile, he secretly laughed as he watched the offending Esper, who was now writing a statement with the on-duty Esper.

‘Good riddance, you brat.’

* * *

While Hyunsoo was resting in the recovery room, an unexpected visitor entered through the door.

“Oh, I guess the word has already reached you.”

“…Yes.”

The visitor was Lee Jaeyoon, Jaehee’s second brother. Dressed in a neat suit, he closed the door and walked over to Hyunsoo’s bed. Hyunsoo sat up and apologized.

“I said I would handle things without causing trouble, but I’m sorry it turned out like this.”

Although the rude Esper was the clear cause, Hyunsoo couldn’t deny that he was now embroiled in gossip. He watched Jaeyoon’s reaction.

“…Is your body alright?”

“Yes. I made sure not to harm Jaehee’s health in any way. I’ve been eating and exercising regularly during the training period, and my grades are among the top. The medical staff just checked on me and said I’m perfectly healthy.”

Jaeyoon’s expression was complicated. After a long silence, he muttered with a clouded face.

“…Thank you for taking care of things in Jaehee’s stead.”

His voice sounded as if he had given up on everything. Hyunsoo, surprised, rolled his eyes.

“What do you mean… I’m truly sorry for taking over your brother’s body without permission. As I’ve said many times, this isn’t what I wanted.”

“…I understand.”

Jaeyoon stared blankly at his brother. On the outside, it was clearly the youngest sibling he knew, but inside, it was an entirely different person.

The person claimed to be Park Hyunsoo and even displayed knowledge and behavior only Park Hyunsoo could know, eventually convincing those related to him.

“May I ask you one question?”

Hyunsoo nodded at Jaeyoon’s question.

‘What is he going to ask?’

Curiosity piqued, Hyunsoo watched Jaeyoon, who was looking down as he asked.

“Do you still wish to leave Jaehee’s body, as you mentioned before?”