Chapter 10: A Path to Ascension

The twisted bone found its original place, the torn tissue healed rapidly, and the wound became clean without a scar.
Perhaps because it was an A-Class Healer-class Esper, the wound showed an astonishingly fast regeneration speed.

But right now, meeting Taewoon was my priority over the wound.
I wanted to finish the treatment quickly and express my gratitude to him.

The Healer-class Esper, perhaps sensing my urgency, told me I could go as soon as the treatment was finished.
I thanked him as well and hurried outside.

The shelter had already moved back to the Center.
I checked my Guiding Watch to see Taewoon’s condition.
His heart rate and body temperature were gradually rising, while his guiding level was dropping.

I hurriedly contacted Manager Kim Jinho to confirm Taewoon’s location.
Managers could track the location of the Espers they were in charge of through the tracking devices implanted in their bodies.

The manager told me that even without tracking, Taewoon would be in the S-Class exclusive guiding room.
At his words, I hurried to the training wing.

I could somewhat predict his reaction when I went to find him, so I was scared to meet him.
But I hated growing distant like this even more, and I resolved to meet him to convey my gratitude.

After hesitating in front of the S-Class exclusive guiding room for a while, I took a deep breath, knocked, and entered.

He must have been receiving machine guiding, as his body was covered in electrodes.
He scowled at my sudden appearance.

“How did you know to come here?”

“I asked the manager. I’ll guide you from now on.”

At my words, he was still frowning, but he was tied to the machine and couldn’t move properly.
I thought that was a relief.
I could do as I pleased.

“I’m your exclusive Guide. I need to be by your side to guide you in dangerous situations.”

“I said I don’t want it.”

“You can’t help it even if you don’t want it. You need me.”

‘And so do I.’ I didn’t say the last part and just sat down next to him.

“I don’t need someone like you!”

But contrary to his words, he only offered a small resistance.
His lips were nearly purple, and blue veins bulged on his face and neck.

I carefully placed my hand on his wrist.
Through the guiding training, I had learned a little about how to guide effectively to raise the level.

As soon as his wavelength touched mine, the level began to rise.

The guiding room was quiet except for the sound of the machine, so I tried not to even breathe.
But in the end, I had to open my mouth.
I couldn’t continue to live in this state of disconnect with him.

“Taewoon-ssi, I heard that once you become an exclusive, you have to be together even if you don’t want to.”

“The exclusive contract ends when a Guide with a higher matching rate appears.”

His words, colder than a midwinter blizzard, stung my heart, but growing distant from him was even more painful.

“I know. But you said this was the first time you had such a high matching rate.”

“……”

“Why are you being so cruel to me? Is it because I’m a C-Class?”

“You just figured that out?”

From his perspective, it was only natural for him to not trust a C-Class like me.
But my guiding level had already risen by 5%.
That in itself was proof that I was helpful.

“My grade is low, but my matching rate with you is high, so they said I can provide the same level of guiding as an S-Class with just a little training. It’s already gone up by 5% now.”

“Don’t give me that bullsh*t.”

“Why do you hate C-Classes?”

According to Manager Kim Jinho, there seemed to be a reason.
If I knew the reason, I was planning to fix it to improve our relationship.

“I just do.”

He set his mouth in a firm line and turned his face away, as if he didn’t want to talk to me anymore.
At that, I couldn’t say anything more and fell silent.
A deep sadness that I couldn’t understand emanated from his eyes.

As soon as the guiding level reached exactly 60%, he pushed me away and forcefully tore off the electrodes attached to his body.
At that sight, the thought ‘Does he hate guiding with me that much?’ made me feel gloomy again.
But 60% was still close to the crisis zone, so I held onto him.

“60% isn’t enough. We need to do more.”

His guiding level needed to be raised to the calm zone so he wouldn’t suffer from the side effects.

“I hate being with a C-Class like you, and the guiding feels cheap, so it makes me feel like sh*t.”

He left a sharp wound in my heart and walked out of the guiding room.

His words were true.

Tears welled up at my shabby grade and situation, but I managed to hold them back by biting my lip hard.

The unbelievably baffling fact was that even after being treated like this, I still liked him.
My life had completely changed after meeting him, and our encounter still felt like destiny.

By the time I finished cleaning up the guiding room he had left in a mess, it was already close to midnight.

I was walking down the hallway towards the elevator when I saw Dr. Yoon standing in front of it.

“Are you on your way back from guiding Esper Hyun Taewoon?”

“Yes. You’re working late too, Doctor.”

At my words, he just smiled.
We got on the elevator together.
I asked him one of the questions that had been constantly making me anxious.

“Doctor, Esper Taewoon hates me…. Is it possible for the exclusive contract to be terminated like this?”

“It will be difficult to terminate an exclusive contract just because he doesn’t like it.”

“I see.”

I was relieved to hear that I could continue to be his exclusive, even if I received his contempt and cold treatment.

“Does Esper Hyun Taewoon dislike you because your grade is low?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

Everyone at the Association knew that he disliked low-grade Guides.
Dr. Yoon was silent for a while, as if thinking about something, and then spoke again.

“Guide Shinui, how about you train with the goal of promotion?”

“Promotion?”

“Yes. It will be difficult to reach S-Class, but there is a precedent of going from C-Class to A-Class.”

Dr. Yoon’s words were exactly what I wanted and was so happy to hear.

“Is it possible for me?”

“Having a high matching rate with an S-Class means you have high wavelength control. You can definitely get promoted.”

The word ‘promotion’ kept ringing in my ears.
Along with the image of Taewoon smiling gently at me.

“Then I’ll try it. It’s possible for me, right?”

“Yes. But it might be very difficult. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

I wanted to go back to how things were with him.
If I became an A-Class, he would surely treat me kindly again.
If that happened, I didn’t care if my body was overworked.

“I’m fine as long as I can get promoted.”

“Good. It’s late, but could we talk for a moment?”

“I’m fine, but what about you, Doctor?”

“Of course I’m fine.”

He said, putting his arm around my shoulder.
I went to his research lab with a grateful heart.

I decided to participate in the promotion program suggested by Dr. Yoon to raise my Guide grade.

Every day after work, I went to the promotion program room to have my wavelength corrected by a machine and receive wavelength amplification training.
With the help of Dr. Yoon and the researchers, I was adapting quickly without much difficulty.

Today, too, I left work at 6 PM sharp, had dinner, and went to the promotion program room.

For a while, I had been correcting my immature wavelength, but starting today, I was told we would officially begin expanding it.
I was excited to hear that I could raise my grade quickly once I entered the expansion stage.

In the middle of the program room, there was an unfamiliar machine and a bed.
I followed Dr. Yoon’s guidance and lay down on the bed.

“Originally, the efficiency is higher when training with an Esper, but since you already have an exclusive contract, we have to use a machine.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than two researchers brought in two more machines.
I didn’t know what they were for, but it didn’t matter as long as I could get promoted.

“I’ll attach the electrodes.”

Dr. Yoon pulled a long wire from the machine.
Then he attached the electrodes connected to the wire to my temples, the nape of my neck, my wrists, my ankles, and my heart and stomach.
I had vaguely heard that they would forcibly expand the wavelength through electric currents.

The more I trained, the easier guiding would become, and my guiding grade would also rise, so I hoped the number of training sessions would increase quickly.
I knew it would take a toll on my body, so I was also worried.
Still, I planned to participate in the program until I was promoted.

“It might hurt since an electric current will be flowing through your body.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll let you know when it’s over.”

When Dr. Yoon turned on the machine, just as he had said, an electric current flowed into my body.
I was taken aback by the unexpectedly sharp pain, but I clenched my fists and tried to overcome the pain.

Things of great value are not easily obtained.
I resolved to endure this moment, imagining a future, however distant, where a promoted me would be welcomed with joy by him.