GP | Chapter 1.2

A Guide subjected to that kind of treatment would be bedridden for two days straight. When a Guide’s energy ran completely dry, they sometimes went into shock, and those who experienced it sometimes developed trauma. That was why Song Taejoon was the number one Esper Guides avoided.

And that was not all. There were rumors that he had openly laughed and said he hoped the Guides would all go to hell, and that he had rejected emergency guiding, saying it would be better to rampage than to receive guiding.

In truth, for Seoh, having his energy drained to the point of shock was not a problem at all. The biggest problem was that Song Taejoon did not want to receive guiding. The fact that he hated Guides did not matter to Seoh, but the fact that he also rejected guiding was fatal.

He was supposed to be the exclusive Guide for an Esper like that? Honestly, if he became the exclusive Guide for an S-rank Esper, he could escape the pain. If the target were not Song Taejoon, that is.

“Couldn’t it be a different, a different Esper? That person is famous for refusing guiding…”

“Even if Song Taejoon rejects guiding, he’ll end up receiving it anyway. The Esper Center director would never give up on that bastard. And whether he receives guiding or not will depend on how much effort you put in, won’t it?”

“Director…!”

“If you’re not confident, you can stay here. It’s not a hard decision, is it?”

Seoh’s eyes shook violently. This was not kindness. It was punishment for the crime of behaving as he pleased until now. He had been indulged up to this point, but this was the final warning that he would no longer be tolerated.

No matter which he chose, the outcome would be similar. Either keep suffering and occasionally feel okay for a moment, or live under pain of a lesser intensity until the day he died. At least if he stayed in the Guide Center, there was no chance of a future.

“…”

Seoh could not say anything and bowed his head deeply. The hope he had tasted for a brief moment came back as poison. Of course the Guide Center, which had thoroughly ignored his pleas, would never offer a good deal to someone who ignored rules. He had gotten excited for nothing, built up expectations for nothing. In a fleeting burst of happiness, he had forgotten that this place was not so easy.

“I respect your choice.”

“…My choice.”

Would he have done this to an Esper too?

When Espers and Guides first appeared, Guides had almost no human rights at all. It had absolutely been a time when a Guide had to belong to an Esper and guide them, and there had even been periods when one Guide had to handle many. But not long after, things had changed.

Separate institutions had been created to oversee Guides and Espers, and they had promised to coordinate with each other so that neither side would suffer. Naturally, the intention had been good. And things had worked better than expected.

That was, until the promise became twisted.

Espers absolutely needed Guides, but Guides did not necessarily need Espers, so the only ones who wanted to preserve the relationship were the Espers. As a result, negotiation and coordination gradually tipped against them, and the Guide Center naturally took the upper hand.

Guides discovered Espers’ usefulness only when they realized that their power could become the source of their own authority.

It had already been more than thirty years since that had continued.

Seoh felt like he could imagine how the Guide Center had treated Espers all this time. It probably had not been much different from what he himself was going through now. It made him feel suffocated.

“You don’t have time to think for long. You need to decide right away. The Esper Center is waiting too.”

“…”

Seoh started scratching at his hangnail again with his nail. Anxiety was quietly creeping in.

Which should he choose? The Guide Center? Or going to Esper Song Taejoon? Was there another option? Another way?

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible to get out of here. He knew very well how strictly the Guide Center controlled its Guides. Besides, what he needed was an Esper… and meeting them without going through the Guide Center was a long shot.

There were other routes, but those were nothing more than a way to advertise for his own death. Because that would mean joining the rebels.

The government valued Espers and Guides, but it showed no mercy to those affiliated with the rebels. They might capture them alive for torture, but they would never let them live to the end. The reason was that they could not know when those who had once betrayed the government might turn again. So there was no point in even thinking of crossing the Center, much less considering it.

Then among the two choices, the one with at least some chance was…

“Esper Song Taejoon… maybe.”

Even if he rejected him, wouldn’t things change little by little if Seoh kept guiding him? In the end, Espers could not live without Guides. Of course, neither could he.

The Guide Center would never break the rules, so this might be the best option. Staying here would not give him any future.

Seoh pressed down hard on the fingertips that were starting to go numb.

“I’ll go… to Esper Song Taejoon.”

“I knew it. Good choice. If possible, try to get along with him. You know what exclusive means, right? It means neither you nor he can meet anyone else.”

“…Yes.”

“I guess I’ll have to congratulate Esper Song Taejoon later. It’s not a true marking, but in practice it’s no different. It’s nearly impossible for an Esper to find a partner, but thanks to Guide Yoon Seoh, he’s been assigned one like this. He’s pretty lucky, that bastard.”

Listening to the director’s amused voice, Seoh squeezed his eyes shut. The dice had been cast, and until the result came out, there was no taking it back. He would have to somehow get along with Esper Song Taejoon. All he could hope for was that he was not as temperamental as the rumors said.

“Since you need to leave right away, pack your things and come to the first-floor lobby in an hour.”

“Yes.”

“Go on then.”

Seoh stood, bowed, and walked away. He stared blankly at the soft carpet swallowing his footsteps, then clenched his fist tightly. He could feel energy slowly building up. Right now it only tingled, but as time passed, the intensity would only grow.

“Ah, right. Guide Yoon Seoh.”

Just as Seoh’s hand touched the door handle, he turned at the sound calling him. When their eyes met, the director lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile.

“Take care, and see you later?”

Seoh bowed his head again instead of answering. It was a reminder to leave here for now as the exclusive Guide for an Esper, but not to forget that he was still affiliated with the Guide Center. For a normal Guide, it would have been a moving thing to hear. For Seoh, it was like an unbreakable shackle.

The door opened and closed without a sound.

After leaving the director’s office, Seoh stood rooted in place for a long time. He knew in his head that he should hurry back to his room and pack, but he could not easily make himself move.

S-rank Esper Song Taejoon. An Esper who hated Guides and refused guiding.

The man he had gambled on was exactly that person.

Could he really get along with him? No, he had to. Since he had been told he would move into the man’s residence, they would be seeing each other every day. If he faced him and treated him warmly while working hard at guiding, maybe the relationship would turn out better than he expected.

He had to do that, and he had to try.

By now, that man had become his only support.

Enduring the numb pain creeping up his fingers, Seoh moved forward.

His luggage was smaller than he expected. A few outfits issued by the Center, some essential Guide supplies, shoes, simple toiletries, and an emergency kit in case something happened.

After stacking the bags neatly into a shopping bag, he sat blankly on the bed.

Only when about ten minutes remained until the promised time did he get up. He did not know when, or if, he would ever return to the Guide Center, so he had to empty the room completely.

Most of the contents were supplies, so if he left them there, other people would sort them out on their own. He closed the door, grabbed his bags, and went down to the lobby. More people were moving around there than he had expected.

Seoh stopped and looked at the people walking about.

Half were wearing Guide-only uniforms, and half were ordinary employees of the Center.

Those wearing Guide uniforms had badges of different colors pinned to their collars. Those badges marked their rank. White for D-rank, green for C-rank, blue for B-rank, red for A-rank.

Guides traveling in groups were arranged by rank. At the front were the B-ranks with blue badges, followed by the green and white badges behind them. The hierarchy was unmistakable.

Seoh looked down at the badge on his own collar. On the red badge, the letter A was written in gold. There were no other A-ranks in the lobby besides him. He almost wanted to tear the badge off, but if he did, he would obviously be called in for violating the rules.

It might be a badge someone would be proud of, but he was not proud of it at all.

Seoh let out a short sigh and lowered his gaze, keeping his eyes on the floor. He pushed his bangs down as much as possible so they hid his eyes, then started walking.

As he crossed the lobby, people’s stares clung to him. It was only natural for them to be interested in a Guide wearing that rare red badge. But when they realized that person was Yoon Seoh, they did not bother hiding their disgust.

“…”

At gazes that stabbed like needles, Seoh swallowed dryly and quickened his pace. If he could just get past the lobby and outside, he could breathe again. Even if he was used to looks like this, that did not mean he could take them calmly. At least not while he was still sane.

He was walking with his head bowed low, avoiding not only eyes but faces, when something slammed into his shoulder hard. Seoh lost his balance and fell to the floor.

“Ugh.”

“Ah, fuck… disgusting.”

Before he could even feel the pain, the curse that reached his ears made his shoulders curl inward. His body reacted automatically to the familiar voice.

The phone in his hand had already fallen to the feet of the man in front of him. Seoh stared at it blankly when a voice full of irritation spat out another insult.

“Why the hell is this whore wandering around the lobby?”

“…”

Seoh slowly raised his head. Through the bangs covering his eyes, he could see a collar marked with a red badge. Behind it, people with blue, green, and white badges were lined up one after another. Lifting his gaze a little more, he saw the man’s face.