Chapter 3: The First Guide

#03

****

Three Months Ago

“You left another matching test halfway through, didn’t you?”

“There was no need.”

“What do you mean, ‘no need’?! That was an S-class Guide we went through hell to find!”

That S-class Guide, supposedly so difficult to acquire, had been the 332nd Guide I’d met just yesterday.

“Move. I need to go to the field.”

“Don’t lie. Since when do creatures appear in broad daylight? It’s still too early. Get back upstairs, now.”

Zone 2, referred to as ‘the field,’ was initially nothing more than a small landfill, a piece of land no one paid any mind to. However, at some point, scientifically inexplicable creatures began to emerge. These creatures were either utterly formless or possessed grotesque shapes, bizarre fusions of various organisms. Monsters that people had only ever seen on movie screens or in their wildest fantasies were now manifesting in reality.

With the sudden appearance of these monstrosities, the world began to lose its order. Despite deploying every available military force, the nations’ combined power proved ridiculously inadequate. It was then, like a final hope bestowed upon humanity by the gods, that Espers appeared. They were the only beings capable of confronting these creatures—human, yet not quite.

The origin of these Espers also remained unknown, but as they represented the sole beacon of hope at the time, no one sought to uncover its cause. Following the advent of Espers, all nations united to establish ‘the Association’ to protect their citizens, and each country created ‘Centers’—research facilities dedicated to Espers.

Typically, humans are born with five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Espers, however, are individuals endowed with a ‘sixth sense’—extrasensory perception. Their unique abilities are categorized into physical, biological, and intellectual systems, usually manifesting during their developmental stages after the age of 15. Possessing combat power far exceeding that of an entire army, and vastly superior to ordinary humans, Espers could conjure phenomena beyond imagination. Yet, there was only one reason why these supernaturally powerful beings served their nations:

Guides.

Nations coveted the Espers’ power and abilities, yet simultaneously feared the aggression and ferocity they harbored. They lacked the confidence to manage Espers, who could rampage out of control at any moment. The solution they sought, however, was remarkably close at hand.

‘Guides.’

These were individuals who, like Espers, possessed another ‘sixth sense.’ They were the only ones capable of controlling the limits of an Esper’s abilities. That was the essence of a ‘Guide.’

‘The nation finds Guides for Espers.’

This was the greatest privilege the state offered to Espers.

And yesterday, I met the 332nd Guide arranged by the state.

In a country where Guides far outnumbered Espers, leading many to believe Espers were blessed, only two Espers, myself included, had reached their mid-twenties without ever finding a Guide. Among them, my matching rate was arguably the worst of the worst.

Eventually, even the other Esper found their Guide and entered their second awakening, leaving me as the sole Esper who hadn’t met a Guide. My highest matching rate to date was a mere 41.2%, and even that was with the only ALL-ESP Guide in Korea—a Guide capable of achieving over 80% matching with anyone else. To have only a 40% match with such a Guide was a truly laughable outcome.

A matching rate exceeding 30% was typically required for third-stage guiding, yet I had only successfully received guiding twice: once with an S-class Guide who recorded 34.3%, and then with the ALL-ESP Guide, who achieved my highest score.

Initially, researchers had offered comfort, suggesting my Esper level was simply too high. However, their reassurances ceased when even an S-class Guide—and later, the ALL-ESP Guide—failed to provide effective guiding. Subsequently, those around me who had once said, ‘You’re still young, it’s fine,’ gradually grew quiet. After I turned twenty, no one dared to speak easily of Guides in my presence.

No one, that is, except for one person.

“Yun Junseo! Aren’t you going to stop? Are you really not going to do the test? Are you just not going to find a Guide?!”

This was Yun Hyerim, the head researcher at the Center, and my only aunt. Being significantly older than my father, she was the only adult I had ever felt comfortable speaking informally with since childhood.

“Let’s be precise. It’s not that I’m not looking for one; it’s that I can’t find one.”

Honestly, at this point, most people would have given up long ago, but my aunt had been chasing after me for eleven years, consistently catching me every time I tried to escape.

“Haa… haa… Dammit, you’re not getting away today. Go back upstairs and finish the test before you leave.”

“I told you, there’s no need.”

“So why not?!”

“When just holding hands tells me all I need to know, why bother going through all three stages?”

The typical three-stage test involved, simply put, holding hands, an upper-body embrace, and a full-body embrace. Yet, in my case, any positive change between stage one and stage three was a negligible increase of merely 0.5 to 1 percent.

At its worst, a matching rate of 8% in stage one would plummet severely through stages two and three, sometimes resulting in a final rate of just 2%. While I’d heard that physical contact with an incompatible Guide could provoke a sense of repulsion, watching an already low matching rate drop so drastically was hardly a pleasant experience.

“You never know. We still have to see it through to the end.”

‘Never know,’ she says. I’ve taken hundreds of these tests by now. Perhaps it’s because I’ve done so many, but at some point, I could roughly estimate a person’s matching rate just by holding their hand. That flutter of excitement, supposedly felt even without full guiding when compatible with a Guide, had never once stirred within me.

Sometimes, a faint sense of repulsion would even arise, as it did with the 332nd Guide yesterday. The moment our fingertips touched, I knew we weren’t compatible. Even if we had proceeded to the next stage, the matching rate would undoubtedly have dropped from stage two onwards.

“I’ll do it next time.”

“When is ‘next time’—Ah, seriously, Junseo!”

Today, my aunt was more persistent than usual. Despite our ongoing struggle, she didn’t give up, following me all the way to the surface parking lot. As I walked towards my designated parking spot, just like any other day, my heart began to pound with an inexplicable rhythm with every step I took.

‘What’s happening? I didn’t even use my abilities yesterday.’

A surge of unease prompted me to quicken my pace. By the time I reached my car, my erratically beating heart was throbbing so fast it hurt. A faint headache even began to throb, accompanied by a wave of nausea.

“I’m going home, so you should go too, Aunt.”

“No. I’m absolutely not giving up today, so don’t even think about going home. I’m taking you back to the examination room.”

“No, it’s not that… *Hoo*, can’t we do it later? I suddenly don’t feel so good.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

A sudden flush of heat washed over me. As I swayed, dizzy from the abrupt onset of unwellness, my startled aunt reached out her hand. And at that exact moment—

*Slap!*

With a sharp, frictional sound close by, all my thoughts abruptly ceased.

“Damn it! Do you have any idea how much money I’ve wasted on your medicine these past few days?! I knew something was wrong when you started getting these stupid ‘awakening fevers’ and acting sick. If you were going to be anything, you should have just become an Esper, you useless brat! I actually thought you might be worth something, and now what? A Guide?”

Turning my head, I saw a gaunt man, appearing to be in his forties, fuming. Given the friction sound I’d just heard and the disturbing conversation, someone clearly had to be in front of him, yet no matter how I looked, the space before him was empty.

Instead, a small figure lay sprawled a short distance away.

‘No way.’

The small, fallen body remained motionless until the man had finished his tirade. But the man, his rage far from abated, aimed a kick at the prone figure.

“Get up, you bastard. If you’re a Guide, aren’t you just selling your body to Espers anyway? Men and women alike, just giving themselves away, and they call themselves ‘national assets.’ Guides are a dime a dozen, so if you want to be favored, you should at least know how to act cute. If you take after your mother, you should be good at that kind of thing, huh?! Hey. Damn it, aren’t you going to get up?! Does this brat think his father’s words mean nothing? Do you need more beatings to come to your senses?!”

Under the man’s relentless kicks, the previously unmoving body suddenly stirred. Through my blurry vision, I saw an emaciated figure, so thin it was hard to tell if it was alive, stagger to its feet. The man’s shouts echoed in the air, and I fixated on the small, trembling shoulders. Nothing else registered but the frantic thumping of my own heart.

‘I have to go now.’

My body moved before my thoughts could fully form. The moment the man raised his hand once more, I bolted, heedless.

“Junseo, no!!!”

*CRASH!*

The concrete wall crumbled, sending dust and dirt flying everywhere. From a distance, I heard the frantic sound of shoes and a short groan. Yet, even amidst the chaos, my entire attention was solely fixed on the faint breathing emanating from within my arms.

All I remembered after that was an indescribable, overwhelming sense of comfort, and a sensation that felt maddeningly good.

****

I awoke at the Center.

I had expected a torrent of scolding, but instead, a remarkably calm voice reached my ears. My aunt explained that I had used my abilities on an ordinary person without consent. Although the injured party’s wounds weren’t severe, I would still have to face disciplinary action from the committee.

“The victim isn’t someone who’ll agree to a settlement easily, so it looks like this might take some time. I’ve been trying to persuade them for hours, but it doesn’t seem to be going well.”

‘Figures.’

“Anyway, the Center will handle it, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Alright.”

“Is that all?”

“What?”

“Is ‘alright’ all you have to say?”

“Yeah.”

I rose from the spot and examined my body. It seemed I had already undergone examinations during my period of unconsciousness, as needle marks were scattered across my exposed upper body. Reaching for a T-shirt lying in a corner to get dressed, I found it utterly impossible to put on. Covered in dust and dirt, it was clearly beyond saving; there was even a small bloodstain on one side.

“Do you have any spare clothes? Even a Center uniform would do.”

“Ha… Are clothes really important right now?”

“So you want me to wear this rag again?”

“…Junseo.”

“Or should I just walk out naked?”

“You really… do you know how worried I was? What are you talking about clothes for? I’ll send you home soon, so just sit back down for a moment.”

Reluctantly, I put down the ruined clothes and settled onto the seat my aunt indicated.

“What do you want to say?”

“…I honestly never thought I’d have to say this like this… *Haa*.”

My aunt’s lips parted as if to speak, then she let out a sigh that seemed to drain the very earth.

“Just say it.”

“Well, that is to say… *Hoo*, it’s going to be difficult, but… congratulations.”

“Ha. Either congratulate me or comfort me; pick one.”

“My nephew has undergone an awakening after eleven years. As your aunt, of course I should congratulate you.”

A second awakening.

This was an event where an Esper’s ability limits surged all at once, leading to a rampage. However, even as I rampaged, my power was simultaneously brought under control. And only a Guide could control an Esper’s power.

At that moment, there had been only one person in my arms.

From all these circumstances, only one conclusion could be drawn.

A Guide capable of triggering an Esper’s second awakening just by touch.

Undoubtedly, this was the optimal Guide, with a matching rate of over 90%.

My aunt, who had spent years trying to persuade me to find a Guide, showed no joy even after a compatible Guide had appeared after eleven years. Her face was etched with worry rather than happiness. Normally, she would have been badgering me to take another test immediately, but this time, she said nothing of the sort.

And for good reason.

Jaeseong was only ten years old.

****

Jaeseong, who had been quietly watching TV alone, had eventually drifted off to sleep right there on the sofa.

Even in his sleep, it seemed my earlier words about sitting properly on the sofa had bothered him, as he was curled up in an awkward position, his head barely resting on the edge of the cushion.

The TV screen played a cartoon, while a sleeping child lay before it.

It was early evening, a time when I would normally be out in the field. The scene was so starkly different from the gruesome sights I was accustomed to that a laugh escaped me.

‘What am I going to do?’

Conflicting emotions surged within me—a chaotic mix of contradictory feelings. While Jaeseong’s sleepy murmurs stirred my nerves, the soft, quiet breaths emanating from him brought a profound sense of calm to my heart.

I didn’t deliberate long on my next action. I rose and gently lifted Jaeseong.

*Thump.*

‘Why is he so light?’

Unconsciously, I held my breath. A sudden fear gripped me that the small body, resting quietly in my arms, might somehow break. It was only after I had carefully laid Jaeseong down on the spacious bed in the muggy room that the full weight of what I had done truly sank in.

A small stature that looked no older than five or six. A body so thin it seemed fragile enough to snap. A youthful face, still devoid of even soft peach fuzz.

‘So small.’

‘So young.’

‘So fragile.’

‘A Guide?’

‘And my only one, at that.’

“Ha. This is insane.”

The reality before me was utterly absurd. I had thought it over many times, but even now, the thought of bringing home a ten-year-old child felt maddening.

Yet, what was even more preposterous came next. Despite the sight of the small body lying before me eliciting nothing but sighs, I found myself unable to leave his side. I could simply walk out and leave him, but my feet refused to budge. I tried to turn away several times, only to fail, and instead, I idly hovered by the sleeping child.

Ultimately, there was nothing for it but to accept this reality, and within it, the day was passing quietly and peacefully.