Chapter 17: The Weight of an Exclusive Guide

It was only natural that Jung Hanseol couldn’t even begin to guess Ryu Yishin’s complex intentions. Team 1 already had two A-rank guides, while other teams only had one, leaving no apparent reason to recruit another.

Moreover, Ryu Yishin had explicitly declared in front of the team members that Jung Hanseol was ‘his,’ firmly stating that no one else could guide him. This left Jung Hanseol in an even deeper state of turmoil.

It was tantamount to an outright declaration that he intended to keep Jung Hanseol as his exclusive guide.

Though he hadn’t been employed for long, Jung Hanseol was well aware of the company’s regulations and atmosphere. Given the significantly smaller number of guides compared to espers, imprinting was a rare occurrence, only possible with a wave synchronization rate exceeding 90% and approval from higher-ups. In fact, over several decades, there had been fewer than five documented cases of espers and guides imprinting.

While a guide could imprint with multiple espers and provide optimal guidance to each, an esper would only respond to the guidance of their imprinted guide. They were bound to receive guidance solely from that imprinted guide until their dying day.

Should a guide imprinted with multiple espers tragically lose their life in an unforeseen accident, those espers would also be deprived of guidance, inevitably facing death from the after-effects of a rampage.

For these critical reasons, the imprinting between espers and guides had always been strictly regulated, and having an exclusive guide was explicitly forbidden. Ryu Yishin’s declaration yesterday was nothing less than a bold assertion that he intended to brazenly violate company policy.

With the Director of Security as his powerful backer, what could possibly frighten him?

“…”

‘So, was he truly expected to only guide Team Leader Ryu from now on?’

‘Was he Team Leader Ryu’s exclusive guide?’

‘Was he solely responsible for Team Leader Ryu?’

‘Why him, of all people?’

As he repeatedly replayed the unbelievable reality and unsolved questions in his mind, only a sigh escaped his lips. He inflated his chest, then slowly deflated it, exhaling a long breath, when a chilling, unwelcome presence made itself known.

Swiftly straightening his posture, he peered over the partition, his gaze immediately falling upon a shock of ash-gray hair.

The second person to enter the office was none other than Ryu Yishin, the very individual Jung Hanseol most wished to avoid.

“Good morning, Team Leader…”

Having been preoccupied with thoughts of Ryu Yishin, a startled Jung Hanseol quickly rose and offered a greeting. Despite the lingering chill of late winter, Ryu Yishin seemed oblivious to the season, clad in a thin coat that appeared to offer little warmth.

As Jung Hanseol furtively observed Ryu Yishin’s attire, he was relieved when his greeting was acknowledged with a nod. Ryu Yishin then proceeded directly to his office, disappearing inside. Feeling utterly drained already, Jung Hanseol slumped back into his chair. Just as he was catching his breath and letting out a sigh of relief, his phone rang.

“Yes, Investigation Team 7… no, Team 1.”

He instinctively picked up the receiver, and the familiar words tumbled out before he could stop them. ‘Right, I’m not on Team 7 anymore; I’m on Team 1 now.’ After quickly correcting himself, he moistened his dry lips with his tongue, a sudden chill running down his spine.

He had a premonition that this call was far from ordinary. Unlike a typical company, where the boundaries between work and personal life were often blurred, receiving a call so early in the morning was uncommon.

Given the circumstances, it was highly probable that the call was a request for guidance. Ordinarily, while slightly bothersome, he would accept it calmly as it was his primary duty. However, remembering Ryu Yishin’s forceful declaration in front of the team yesterday, his heart began to pound with an unsettling rhythm.

‘What should I do? Team Leader said I shouldn’t go out for guidance support.’

With the receiver still in hand, Jung Hanseol’s eyes darted around, quickly scanning his surroundings. Aside from himself and Ryu Yishin, no one else had arrived yet. If this was indeed a guidance request, it meant he was the only one available to respond.

–Come into my office.

As various thoughts swirled in his mind and he gnawed on his lower lip, a familiar voice reached Jung Hanseol’s ear. The call ended abruptly before he could even respond, and Jung Hanseol stared blankly at the phone, which now only emitted a repetitive dial tone, before suddenly snapping back to attention.

‘The only person who would order me like this… is Team Leader Ryu.’

A thought, quick as a flash of lightning, pierced his mind and spurred Jung Hanseol into motion. He sprang from his seat as if recoiling, then rushed to stand before Ryu Yishin’s office door. It was partially ajar, so instead of knocking, he cautiously peeked inside, spotting Ryu Yishin seated on the sofa, rubbing his temples.

His brow furrowed, Ryu Yishin had been gazing downwards, but upon sensing Jung Hanseol’s presence, he sharply lifted his head.

“What were you doing that made you so late?”

“I apologize…”

‘It couldn’t have been a minute, or even thirty seconds, since the call ended…’ Jung Hanseol offered an immediate apology to Ryu Yishin, who was openly displaying his impatience, then hesitantly stepped inside, silently pondering his confusion. Although his body was here, he couldn’t help but miss the warm atmosphere of Team 7, a pang of nostalgia tightening his chest.

Team 7, where no one ever got angry, yelled, or scolded. Team 7, where everyone cherished him no matter what. He couldn’t help but desperately yearn for Team 7, whose very temperature felt distinctly different from the bleak atmosphere of Team 1.

“Are you thinking about something else right now?”

“Ah… I apologize…”

‘Could he be using a mental ability?’ Jung Hanseol didn’t dare meet Ryu Yishin’s gaze, who wore a displeased expression as if he had already seen through all of Jung Hanseol’s inner thoughts. He simply bowed his head.

‘The ability to read minds was said to be one of the highest-tier mental abilities, with no esper in the country capable of truly mastering it…’ Jung Hanseol recalled something Team Leader Joo had once said, but quickly dismissed the thought.

Regardless of whether Ryu Yishin could read his thoughts or not, it seemed best to clear his mind and heart in his presence for everything to proceed smoothly. Jung Hanseol subtly raised his gaze to meet those eyes of enigmatic light, then quickly lowered them like a frightened cat.

His silence after summoning Jung Hanseol was unnerving, so he raised his eyes once more, only to see Ryu Yishin beckoning with a finger in the air. Jung Hanseol, who had been standing rigidly from shoulder to toe, easily understood the gesture meant for him to approach. Yet, his feet felt strangely rooted, moving with the jerky stiffness of a broken robot.

Perhaps frustrated by Jung Hanseol’s hesitation, Ryu Yishin promptly seized his wrist, pulling him forward and seating him beside him. Fortunately, it was his left hand that had been caught, so it didn’t hurt, but Jung Hanseol’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Jung Hanseol.”

“…Yes.”

It was the first time someone had called his name with such an icy voice, and the entire situation felt so alien that a shiver ran through Jung Hanseol’s shoulders. Ryu Yishin, seemingly unfazed, continued to toy with Jung Hanseol’s left hand, all while maintaining a spine-chilling smile.

Only moments ago, his face had been clouded with irritation, yet now he wore a smile as if nothing had happened. The erratic fluctuations in his mood left Jung Hanseol utterly bewildered, unable to discern how to respond.

Unsure of how to proceed, Jung Hanseol bit down on his lower lip, desperately trying to empty his mind, fearing that Ryu Yishin might already be peering into his thoughts. He focused solely on the present situation, wondering only why Ryu Yishin had called him.

“When did Team Leader Joo bring you in?”

Just then, Ryu Yishin posed a rather innocuous question. Although Jung Hanseol was curious why he would suddenly ask such a thing, he set his curiosity aside and readily answered. He reasoned that it was only natural for a team leader to inquire about a team member.

“…Around August of last year.”

“Where did you meet?”

“Uh… in front of my school.”

“School? Ah, you were twenty, weren’t you?”

He remembered it being around August, roughly a hundred days before the Suneung exam. One sweltering night, after finishing evening self-study, he trudged out of the school gates when a man in a pristine suit, with an imposing physique, suddenly blocked his path.

Jung Hanseol had already heard rumors of a suspicious man lurking around the school recently, so he was prepared to kick the man in a vital spot and flee if necessary. However, the man courteously asked if they could talk, extending a perfectly rectangular business card.

“You must have awakened around that time, then?”

“Perhaps… I think so.”

That day, Jung Hanseol sat in a 24-hour cafe not far from his school, sipping a cool lemonade, as the man informed him that he was a guide. The man explained that he had instinctively felt a strong pull towards Jung Hanseol and had been observing the school for several days. This man was none other than Team Leader Joo Youngmin, the very person who had brought Jung Hanseol to this place.

Within Jung Hanseol’s exceptionally ordinary life, espers simply didn’t exist, making Team Leader Joo Youngmin the first to inform him of his awakening as a guide. While the exact timing of his awakening was unknown, Team Leader Joo had suggested that if he had recently suffered from a severe cold, that period would likely mark the manifestation of his guiding abilities.

Indeed, about two weeks before meeting Team Leader Joo, Jung Hanseol had experienced a terrible flu, so severe he couldn’t even attend school. Thus, he could only guess it occurred around that time.

As Jung Hanseol briefly recalled old memories, a faint tension in his voice, he answered Ryu Yishin’s questions. A ticklish sensation began to spread from his palm, causing his fingers to involuntarily twitch. He subtly glanced down and saw Ryu Yishin slowly massaging his hand.