Chapter 7: Iron Wall and Provocation

“Who said anything else? I just wanna get to know a fellow classmate.”

Lee Chae stood up without a word, gathered his bag and textbook, and moved to a seat far away from the guy.

Damn. That’s how you build a wall. Absolute ice. No wonder the flies can’t stick.

Haejin mentally gave him a thumbs-up, grinning inside.

But the sleazy bastard wasn’t done. He followed like a dog with a bone.

“Hey. Ignoring someone has limits. Isn’t that a bit much? I felt bad for you being D-class and was gonna throw you a bone, but you’re acting real expensive.”

Lee Chae slammed his pen down. Click.

Every head in the lecture hall turned. Most looked entertained.

Haejin’s face, however, turned murderous.

“Listen, just f*ck off. Got spare time? Go kill another monster. What, too weak? Can’t handle it alone? You look like you’d drop dead from one hit by a shadow, yet you’re annoying the hell out of me. Seriously.”

At the vicious roast, the guy shot to his feet and grabbed Lee Chae by the collar, shaking him.

Lee Chae’s smaller body jerked back and forth.

Who the f*ck does this bastard think he’s touching?

Haejin didn’t hesitate. He picked up the thickest textbook he could find and hurled it.

“ACK! You crazy—!”

The guy barely dodged, screaming.

“You little sh*t, who do you think you’re swinging your tail at?”

“Crazy bastard got a rag in his mouth or something?”

“Wanna take it outside? My body’s getting stiff anyway. Perfect timing.”

Even with the open provocation, the guy didn’t dare step up. He just huffed and puffed.

“What? Too scared? Felt bad for you being B-class and was gonna give you a shot, but you’re acting real expensive.”

Haejin threw the guy’s own words back with a feral grin.

Humiliated in front of everyone, the guy still couldn’t retort to Haejin. He turned and snarled at Lee Chae instead.

“We’ll see if you’re still this cocky next time.”

Lee Chae ignored him completely.

Haejin kept cursing at the guy’s retreating back.

“Who the f*ck do you think you are, barking at my guide?”

Haejin sauntered back to his seat, smug, and turned expectantly toward Lee Chae.

But the ice-cold guide didn’t even glance his way; eyes glued to his book.

…Seriously? He can actually read right now?

Haejin hadn’t expected a thank-you, but being treated exactly like the sleazebag pissed him off.

He stood up again and marched over.

Lee Chae definitely felt him coming, yet didn’t react.

So Haejin snatched the textbook right out of his hands.

Finally, those brown eyes glared up, full of irritation.

“Guide-nim, we’ve already done contact. Don’t be so cold.”

Any normal person, faced with Cha Haejin acting like this, would be pissing themselves, blaming their bad luck.

But Lee Chae just twisted his lips into a sharp smile and spat the exact same line he’d used on the sleaze.

“Not interested in being anyone’s exclusive. I’m D-class anyway; even if I tried, guiding wouldn’t work. And I’m definitely not looking to date.”

From the back, Jinwoo’s jaw dropped.

He’d guessed Haejin got guided yesterday because he looked too good, but a D-class? Never in his wildest dreams.

And that attitude on a D-class? The guy’s guts were hanging outside his body.

But what shocked Jinwoo even more was Haejin.

If anyone else had talked to Haejin like that, he would’ve cursed them into the ground, provoked them into swinging first, then used it as an excuse to half-kill them.

Yet Haejin didn’t even get angry.

He just shrugged, lazily flipping through the stolen textbook.

“Good little guide. Studied hard in Guiding Theory, huh? Bet you’re great at guiding.”

Jinwoo’s eyes nearly popped out.

Is this guy finally insane?

Cha Haejin, the king of paying back one insult with ten, just took that in front of everyone?

Lee Chae stood up, glaring straight into Haejin’s eyes.

Jinwoo squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for bloodshed.

Those big, double-lidless eyes shot pure venom.

Haejin actually faltered.

It felt like those eyes could see straight through every childish thought in his head.

For the first time in his life, Cha Haejin felt shame, and an inexplicable fear.

Lee Chae sighed.

“Just f*ck off, please. Class is starting. There’s a limit to being a nuisance.”

Always pushing him away, never bending.

It lit Haejin’s hunting instincts on fire.

He grabbed Lee Chae’s shoulder, leaned in until their breaths mingled.

Lee Chae’s unshakable eyes finally flickered.

Haejin tapped his cheek.

“Want your book back? Come get it, nerd.”

He seized Lee Chae’s wrist, scrawled Legion’s address on the palm in sharp strokes.

Lee Chae tried to yank free, but the grip was iron.

Haejin hugged the textbook to his chest like a trophy, grabbed his bag, and walked out.

As expected, Lee Chae shouted after him.

“Give it back! How am I supposed to follow class without my book, you psycho…!”

Haejin left without looking back.

Lee Chae stared at the empty doorway and sighed.

He’d dealt with plenty of espers hitting on him, but Cha Haejin was a new breed.

Low-rank guides who rejected high-ranks usually got anger, filthy insults, or violence.

Predictable.

He could always guess their next move and counter it.

But Cha Haejin did whatever the hell he wanted with zero pattern.

He was basically a grade-schooler.

Two encounters and Lee Chae already felt drained dry.

But there was no avoiding it.

He could buy a new textbook; money hurt, but whatever.

The notes inside were irreplaceable for class and his future civil-service job.

Should I chase him now and wrestle it back?

While he hesitated, Professor Kim walked in.

Lee Chae pulled out blank paper and prepared to take notes.

His wrist still tingled where Haejin had grabbed it.

Why am I stressing this much over some random asshole?

Cha Haejin was, in every possible way, infuriating.

Why did he do that? Seriously, why…

No matter how many times Lee Chae thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

If he was that mad, just hit me and be done. Why take the book?

Guiding Theory was an easy elective for espers, but for guides it was core, graduation requirement, job requirement.

Especially for someone aiming to be a headquarters civil servant.

Even without Cha Haejin, life was exhausting enough.

Suddenly a lunatic shows up and starts throwing rocks into his calm lake.

Get the book back, then avoid him forever.

That was the plan.

For three days, Lee Chae searched everywhere.

Nothing.

So he went to the address written on his palm.

Just to retrieve the book.

Yet stress was already piling up.

Don’t shake. He’s the one in the wrong, not me.

Born to powerless, non-awakened parents, a low-rank guide in a world that judged everything by rank, Lee Chae had to become tough to survive.

He trained himself from childhood never to tremble in front of anyone.

Even a have-nothing D-class could avoid being trampled if he carried himself with pride.

That arrogance was now second nature, and it had worked against every esper who ever tried him.

If he kept it up, Cha Haejin would be no different.

It’d be hard, but he’d just treat him like a final boss.

Thinking that, he arrived at Legion’s front door.

Lee Chae clenched his fists, steadied his breathing.

Don’t shake. Never shake.