CHAPTER 14
"Guide Yeo Hanseo, are you alright?"
The instructor, who had just returned, asked Hanseo with concern. Hanseo managed to keep his expression neutral and nodded at the instructor.
"Ah, I was a little startled, but I'm fine."
"Fine? Your face looks terrible. Let's stop here for today. Go home and get some rest."
"Yes, thank you."
There was no reason to refuse being sent home. Hanseo quickly accepted the offer. Perhaps because he had been recalling unpleasant memories one after another, his head was starting to ache.
'I need to eat something delicious.'
'What should I get on the way home? Bossam? Samgyeopsal? Dakgalbi sounds good too.'
Bossam: Boiled pork belly
Samgyeopsal: Grilled pork belly
Dakgalbi: Stir-fry marinated chicken
Hanseo reached for his phone to search for nearby restaurants, but he stopped when he heard someone call his name from behind.
"Guide Yeo Hanseo."
He turned to see the instructor standing there, having followed him out.
When their eyes met, the instructor gave a slightly awkward smile.
"I wanted to talk about what just happened. Shall we walk down to the first floor together?"
"Ah, yes."
Just then, the elevator arrived.
With a ding, the doors opened to reveal an empty elevator.
Once they were alone, the instructor spoke.
"Guide Yeo Hanseo probably didn't fully understand the situation. Esper Park Jintae's reaction just now was a bit... odd, wasn't it?"
"Yes, a little..."
"Right, how should I put this? I'm not an Esper, so I can't explain it perfectly, but we discussed in class how crucial Guiding is for Espers, didn't we?"
Hanseo nodded. The instructor paused, as if carefully choosing his words.
"As I've said many times, Guiding is an inseparable part of an Esper's life. That's why Espers instinctively cling to their Guides—it's a kind of survival instinct. No Esper can live without a Guide."
It seemed that the instructor wanted to excuse Park Jintae's behavior on his behalf. Hanseo nodded attentively, carefully concealing his indifference.
However, the conversation began to drift in an unexpected direction.
"Unlike Espers, Guides are essentially ordinary people with no special abilities. This gap has led to countless incidents. There's a reason this country has laws protecting Guides."
"......"
Wasn't he trying to make excuses for the Esper?
"Guide Yeo Hanseo is still a trainee, but since Esper Park Jintae requested it, you'll soon undergo a compatibility test. I wanted to warn you beforehand. That man has caused trouble with Guides before."
Hanseo recalled the gleaming eyes that had stared at him.
'So he's got a history.'
More surprising was that they'd brought someone like that in as a Guide training partner.
As if reading Hanseo's thoughts, the instructor immediately explained, "Actually, we tried to exclude him from this training session. But Esper Park Jintae is one of the few A-Class Espers, and it looks he has connections within the center..."
The instructor added that Espers were naturally drawn to Guides, so most of them volunteer as Guide training partners. Park Jintae's ability to secure this position over countless other Espers spoke volumes of his status.
"So, be careful around Esper Park Jintae. If he tries anything, report it immediately."
The instructor gave Hanseo an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry I can't offer you any better advice."
"...It's okay. Thank you."
Since no incident had occurred yet, it was natural that the instructor could only advise caution.
As Hanseo was about to exit the elevator, he suddenly asked, "By the way, what happened with the incident that Esper caused before?"
"Ah." The instructor's expression turned pessimistic. "I heard he received a light punishment, like community service."
The elevator doors closed.
"Hmm..."
Lost in thought for a moment, Hanseo pulled out his phone and resumed what he had been doing earlier: searching for restaurants.
'Let's go with dakgalbi after all.'
Worrying about Park Jintae wouldn't solve anything, but he could certainly solve his hunger right now.
If Hanseo was just an ordinary Guide, as the Instructor had said, he might have been frightened. But he was both a Guide and an Esper. With his abilities, he could create an opening even against an A-Class Esper. In his previous life, he had used this method to escape those who pursued him.
More importantly, after being chased by an enraged Gu Jei, dealing with other Espers felt like child's play.
Whatever Park Jintae does, it's nothing compared to the task of saving a world destined to perish in five years.
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As the Instructor had predicted, Hanseo underwent a compatibility test with Park Jintae the following day.
"Look, Hanseo! We're destined to be together!" Park Jintae exclaimed, triumphantly waving the test results.
To avoid a dismissive response like "So what?", Hanseo changed the subject.
"Isn't it usually said that a match rate above 90% is considered a destined pair?"
"It's only a 3% difference! That's practically the same thing!"
The compatibility rate with Park Jintae was 87%.
A bit low, Hanseo thought.
But Park Jintae seemed to have a different opinion.
"Hanseo, please become my exclusive Guide!"
Hanseo was taken aback by his immediate declaration.
He was momentarily overwhelmed by a sense of futility.
'If only Gu Jei had been like this.'
If that was the case, everything would have worked out perfectly.
He would be happy, Gu Jei would be happy, and the whole world would be happy.
Hanseo glanced at the phone in his hand.
Still no word from Gu Jei. Only Pyo Myeongho, who had taken his number, occasionally sent messages to check in.
If 87% was already like this, why was Gu Jei, at 98%.... What's wrong with him? At that level, wouldn't it be normal to be dazed and intoxicated by Guiding? Was his mental fortitude just that strong, or what?
"Hanseo?"
The low call interrupted his thoughts.
Park Jintae, who had been staring at Hanseo with a blank expression, smiled again when their eyes met.
A chill ran down Hanseo's spine.
"Expecting a call?"
"...No, not really. I just thought I felt a vibration."
"Ah, I knew it."
I knew it?
That was a strange response. It was as if Park Jintae already knew Hanseo had no family or friends who would call him.
Sensing Hanseo's confusion, Park Jintae quickly explained.
"Ah! Actually, after we parted so abruptly two days ago, I asked around about you. Someone told me you're a survivor of the Heukyoung-dong Gate incident."
"......"
"I'm sorry for asking others about you without your permission, Hanseo. I got a bit carried away."
Though Park Jintae had indeed gone overboard, his explanation was reasonable enough.
Having claimed to be a survivor of the Heukyoung-dong Gate incident, it wasn't strange that others knew about him.
...Of course, he hadn't expected his face to become this widely known.
'What if the research institute recognizes me and comes looking?'
Hanseo briefly entertained the dreadful thought before shaking his head.
The photo only circulated online briefly, and now all the data had been completely deleted as part of the victim protection measures. Even if someone had seen the photo, they couldn't be immediately certain.
'Besides, there are no records of me left at the lab. ...I burned them all.'
Before escaping the research lab, Hanseo manipulated the researchers into deleting all records about him. He even burned down the entire facility. It was a meager act of revenge compared to what he had suffered.
Meanwhile, Park Jintae continued to talk incessantly.
"As an apology, may I treat you to dinner tonight? There's a fine-dining restaurant I love. I'm sure you'll enjoy their scallop confit, Hanseo."
"Scallop... what?"
"Ah, you're not familiar with it. Confit is a French cooking technique... Well, you'll understand once you try it."
Though he didn't quite grasp what Park Jintae was saying, it sounded like he was offering to buy him something delicious.
Not that he wasn't interested, but...
"Oh, it's okay! I'm not feeling well today."
Hanseo immediately refused. Those gleaming eyes seemed to want to devour him, not share a meal. Nothing would taste good under that predatory gaze.
Park Jintae repeated his invitation several times, but sensing Hanseo's unwavering resolve, he shifted tactics.
"Then let me drive you home. That's okay, right?"
"No, thank you. I'll take the bus."
Hanseo deliberately kept his tone firm, fearing that any leniency would encourage further advances. Yet Park Jintae refused to give up easily.
As Hanseo continued to shake his head, Park Jintae finally began gently nudging him forward.
"Come on, let me at least do this since I couldn't treat you to dinner. Let's go."
This bastard!
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