Chapter 11: The Unfamiliar Smile and a Child’s Guiding Touch

Prosecutor’s Office 5, P.S. Lab

Knock, knock.

Arriving at the Prosecutor’s Office on the sixth floor, I knocked before pushing the door open. Inside, a welcome face sat, clad in a prosecutor’s gown.

“Oh? Junseo.”

“Heard you arrived.”

“Wow, it’s been a while. Come in quickly. We still have twenty minutes. You must have come straight down after seeing my message.”

Hanseo Hyung was a rare intellectual Esper, a psychic type especially difficult to find, and among them, a truly precious S-class. Possessing two distinct abilities, he was one of the few psychic Espers who, like myself, had been registered as S-class immediately after their initial manifestation. He was also one of the select individuals I allowed myself to truly open up to, despite typically maintaining a formidable wall between myself and others.

For reasons different from my own, Hanseo Hyung had struggled considerably to find a guide. After enduring numerous difficulties, the guide he finally chose was Hey. His full name was Jesus Silva, an ALL-ESP Guide—one of only three in the entire world.

“Where’s Hey?”

“He went to the restroom. He’ll be back soon.”

“Alright.”

“Did you just get here?”

“No, a little while ago. I was with Aunt. She suggested we have lunch together after this.”

Upon hearing my words, Hanseo Hyung suddenly burst into laughter.

“Looks like she caught on to me trying to avoid her. Since she sent you today, I suppose there’s no escaping. Tell her I understand. We’ll head up once we’re finished.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, you look good.”

Even after several years, Hanseo Hyung’s smiling face still felt unfamiliar to me. Not that I disliked it; rather, the image of him I had known since I was very young was simply more ingrained, and his present demeanor, though still novel, was by no means unwelcome.

Our first meeting hadn’t taken place at the Center. At the time, Hanseo Hyung was eighteen, and I was ten—still years before my Esper manifestation. Our family had met him through Aunt, who was then a researcher at the Center.

‘Junseo, say hello. This is Hanseo Hyung. Your names are so similar, you could be brothers.’

From the very beginning, Hanseo Hyung wasn’t one to smile often. He wasn’t as blunt or taciturn as I was, simply a bit more reserved. However, four years ago, Hanseo Hyung underwent a profound change. The man who had always maintained a formidable wall around himself suddenly began to express his emotions without inhibition. And the catalyst for this transformation was none other than his guide.

“I hear rumors you’re raising a child.”

“You already know everything; why bother asking?”

The face before me curved into a playful smile. It was painfully obvious he had already heard every detail from my parents, and he was clearly just trying to tease me.

“Ten years old, you said?”

“Yes.”

“How is he?”

“How is who?”

“The child. What’s he like?”

“What’s he like? He’s just quiet.”

“Hmm, you were much the same, Junseo.”

Hanseo Hyung tapped the desk with one hand, murmuring to himself, ‘I’m really curious. I want to see him.’

“Was I really that small back then?” I blurted out the question that had suddenly surfaced in my mind. The person who had known me when I was ten years old nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

“You were small, alright. Though, admittedly, only up until that year.”

The year I turned eleven, I experienced a sudden growth spurt. It wasn’t just my height; for a child, my physical stamina was abnormally robust, and my muscular strength and endurance were remarkably superior. Two years later, at the age of thirteen, I manifested as an Esper.

“Yun Junseo and childcare… I simply can’t picture it. Isn’t it difficult?”

“Not particularly.”

“Seems he’s not causing you any trouble, then.”

“It’s only been four days.”

‘Could there possibly be another word in this world that suited me as poorly as ‘childcare’?’

As I pondered this, rising to my feet, the door suddenly burst open. A figure with striking blue eyes extended a hand towards me.

[Oh? When did you get here? Are you going to guide me?]

Recognizing me, the very first thing he asked about was, predictably, guiding. Hey was not only Hanseo Hyung’s guide but also the sole guide capable of guiding me. One of the two guides who shared a matching rate of over 30% with me had recently gone abroad, leaving only Hey able to provide me with guiding. Consequently, even on days when my condition wasn’t particularly poor, I found myself receiving guiding from him every time we met.

We proceeded to stage three as usual. While I certainly felt a comfortable and cozy sensation, there wasn’t a distinct surge of overwhelming positive energy.

“I have something to ask.”

[Me? Are you talking about me?]

[Yes.]

Though I hadn’t said anything particularly profound, Hey furrowed his brow slightly, adopting a peculiar expression. Then, with a look of incomprehension, he shrugged his shoulders and gestured for me to continue.

[I heard that guide training also includes learning how to guide.]

[Yeah.]

[So, you can’t do it if you don’t learn?]

[Hmm, usually not.]

[But why? Aren’t abilities something you’re born with?]

Unlike Espers, who require no additional practice after their abilities manifest, I had heard that guides needed to undergo a certain degree of training to master their guiding capabilities. As someone who had been able to control my own abilities immediately after manifestation, this distinction was difficult for me to grasp.

[Guiding is different from an Esper using their abilities.]

[How?]

[There’s an individual involved, you see.]

Hearing those words, I nodded silently. It was a point I hadn’t considered, and the moment the realization struck me, I understood completely.

[To perform guiding, you have to focus entirely on that individual, and that’s not something that comes easily from the beginning. It requires a fair bit of practice.]

[Are there any exceptions? Like, if you could do it just by holding hands without even thinking?]

[No. Absolutely not.]

His muscular arm drew a resolute X in the air.

[Do you know why it’s difficult for a guide who’s already completed matching to guide another Esper? It’s not that their ability vanishes, but simply that it’s nearly impossible to focus on someone who isn’t their designated Esper. Guiding is utterly impossible without affection or trust.]

I recalled the image of Jaeseong hastily reaching out to grasp my hand. To focus solely on one person. To think entirely of that individual. A task not easy from the outset. Yet, Jaeseong had, in a sense, accomplished such a difficult feat entirely on his own. As this realization dawned on me, a peculiar sensation stirred within.

It was a truly bizarre sensation.

****

After that, the inspection concluded much sooner than anticipated. Having exhibited no unusual symptoms or peculiar signs since my secondary manifestation, it had proceeded without any complications. I quickly changed my clothes and hastened my steps. As I exited the seventh-floor examination room and started down the stairs, I saw the two individuals I had just met amicably ascending them.

“Oh?”

[Good heavens…]

Hanseo Hyung and Hey, upon seeing me, froze in place, as if utterly dumbfounded.

“I’m wearing this for a reason, so don’t even think about teasing me.”

“What’s going on? Is there a wedding in the middle of Monday afternoon?”

“…Think what you like.”

“Hmm, it seems like something interesting, yet you’re being petty and refusing to tell me. …Ah. Or is it something bad? Are you due in court because of that incident three months ago? Are they summoning you as a defendant?”

Hanseo Hyung, who had been speaking in a jesting tone, suddenly adopted a grave expression. Seeing his face, I found myself unable to immediately disclose the truth. This unfamiliar attire, which I had never worn except for my cousin’s wedding, marked its third appearance since I had met Jaeseong: twice for court visits to finalize his guardian registration, and now today.

“You brought a suit all the way here? Didn’t have time to stop at home?”

“I wore it when I came. I just changed out of it for the inspection earlier.”

“Since morning? …What’s really going on?”

“It’s nothing important.”

His suspicious gaze continued to follow me, but when I persistently feigned ignorance, a different topic eventually emerged.

“We were actually heading that way ourselves. If you’re finished, why don’t you join us for lunch? Dr. Yoon is still inside, isn’t she?”

Glancing at the time, I saw it was 12:40 PM. According to Jaeseong’s timetable, I needed to be at the school no later than 1:50 PM. While I certainly didn’t want Jaeseong to wait on his very first day, more than that, my own heart was so consumed by anxiety that I found it unbearable. Even throughout the inspection, his image kept surfacing, making it impossible to concentrate.

His face, which had turned back to look at me multiple times. I yearned to return to the school swiftly.

“Aunt is inside, so go on in.”

“What about you?”

“Next time. I have to go now.”

“Where are you going?”

“School.”

I rattled the car keys in my hand. Hanseo Hyung tilted his head, then burst into laughter. Hey, standing beside him, also chuckled after hearing Hanseo Hyung’s explanation.

“Well, being a parent is certainly better than being a defendant.”

***

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Was one second always this long? The time spent waiting for Jaeseong felt so anxious and agonizing that I resented its slow crawl. I wished I could feel something, anything, but throughout my time sitting in the car, I felt absolutely no emotion.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

Jaeseong’s unclear feelings—neither good nor bad—only intensified my unease. Not knowing what he was doing, what he was thinking, or what expression he wore, was more than frustrating; it felt like a tightening noose around my throat.

There was nothing particularly wrong; he had simply gone to school. It was what every child did. Attending school away from their parents, fostering self-reliance—these were natural rites of passage. Yet, to feel such anxiety over something so ordinary?

I, who had promised him a normal life, was doing something utterly ridiculous. If I continued like this, I would be no different from other Espers who meddled in every single aspect of their children’s lives.

—♪♬

The sound of the bell echoing across the empty playground was a welcome relief. About five minutes later, children, their schoolbags slung over their shoulders, began to emerge energetically from the distance.

Some ran, clutching something in their hands; others walked, holding tightly to a friend’s hand; and still others chatted excitedly with a group of friends. Perhaps due to the vastness of the playground, the throngs of children pouring out looked incredibly small, like an army of ants marching in a line.

‘How big must this small playground appear through your eyes?’

Thump. Thump.

Suddenly, my heart quickened. Following the sound, my gaze shifted, and there Jaeseong was, walking towards me.

His usual calm expression. His small body trudging along, schoolbag on his back.

I stared intently at Jaeseong approaching from a distance when, suddenly, he who had been looking at the ground, lifted his head. Our eyes met, and as expected, he flinched, quickly averting his gaze.

‘He always manages to avoid me.’

Jaeseong and I met about two-thirds of the way across the playground. I naturally extended my hand. It was meant to take his schoolbag, but instead of the heavy bag, his small hand was placed in mine.

“……”

“……?”

When I furrowed my brow slightly, Jaeseong blinked in confusion, his face bewildered.

“…Let’s go.”

I couldn’t bring myself to finish the request for his bag.

I couldn’t refuse the momentary comfort. It was an impossibly wonderful feeling.

I recalled Hey’s last words:

‘Guiding is utterly impossible without affection or trust.’

I let out a hollow laugh inwardly.

The reason Jaeseong could guide without even realizing it. It was like a reward, a compensation for the sense of security I, as his guardian, provided him. The comfort and reassurance an adult could offer. The affection and trust born from that.

That alone was enough for me.