Chapter 7: Unexpected Abilities and Peculiar Preferences

“It’s never been this long before.”

The intensity of his gaze made it hard to conceal my nervousness.

Seokjoo finally broke the silence, which had stretched longer than expected.

“Most of the time, multiple people are required.”

His tone was notably vaguer than before, trailing off at the end.

It wasn’t unusual for multiple Guides to be necessary.

Just as a single high-ranking Guide could guide several low-ranking Espers, it often took multiple Guides to manage a high-ranking Esper.

Kang Seokjoo, an S-rank Esper, was particularly known for his low synchronization rate with Guides, a fact I’d heard from the director.

As Jungwon nodded, Kang Seokjoo smiled naturally once more and spoke.

He clearly had no intention of elaborating further on that particular question.

“It’s my turn, then. What kind of movies do you enjoy?”

“…”

‘Weren’t all his questions a bit strange? Why would he be curious about such things?’

‘Yet, it wasn’t a sensitive inquiry, and Jungwon themselves had initiated the back-and-forth questioning.’

‘Though too lazy to think, they couldn’t back out now.’

“I don’t watch many movies. I simply don’t have the time. If I had to choose, though, I prefer quiet films.”

“Something like a romance?”

Jungwon paused, their lips pressed together, before looking at him and slowly replying.

“Is that your next question?”

‘It wasn’t an act of vengeance for being interrupted earlier; in truth, it was closer to a jest.’

‘However, the seriousness with which they’d asked likely masked any playful intent.’

Seokjoo responded lightly.

“I suppose it is. Your turn to ask another.”

“This might be a sensitive question, but if we’re to work together, I feel it’s necessary to know in advance. What kind of abilities do you possess?”

‘Espers, by definition, were individuals endowed with supernatural powers.’

‘The manifestation of these abilities varied greatly from person to person.’

‘While common and useful powers like telekinesis or teleportation existed, there were also abilities utterly useless in combat, such as discerning what food someone desired.’

‘With such powers, it was difficult to achieve a high rank, regardless of the total amount of psychic energy—though Kang Seokjoo, being S-rank, surely wasn’t one of those cases.’

“Hmm…”

Kang Seokjoo seemed to ponder for a moment before a faint smile touched his lips.

Then, he snapped his fingers, producing a sharp click, and spoke.

“Something like this?”

Before Jungwon’s eyes, the fork on their plate spontaneously levitated, twirling gracefully to coil pasta around its tines.

Jungwon watched the fork approach their mouth and nodded subtly.

‘Telekinesis, then.’

Though a common ability, it was also incredibly useful.

Being telekinesis, it wasn’t a non-combat ability, so its utility in the field was undeniable.

What was truly remarkable was the exquisite precision with which he levitated small objects.

The pasta-laden fork, coiled more neatly than if done by hand, bobbed rhythmically before Jungwon’s lips.

Typically, S-rank Espers, possessing immense power, often struggled with fine control, making delicate manipulation of their abilities challenging.

Thus, when one imagined the telekinesis of a high-ranking Esper, the image was usually one of raw, dynamic force.

They might uproot trees, lift every object within a hundred-meter radius, or, to exaggerate slightly, even hoist entire buildings.

In stark contrast, the delicate manipulation of small objects was a specialty often found in B-rank Espers or lower, those with excellent control despite less overwhelming power.

He hadn’t received an S-rank for nothing, so the sheer strength of his ability was beyond question.

Being indoors, he had merely adjusted its intensity; in the field, its true power would be immeasurable.

Coupled with his precise control, this alone was enough to earn him high marks.

“Thank you. I’ve seen enough.”

The fork remained suspended before Jungwon’s mouth, as if urging them to eat quickly, yet Jungwon never opened their mouth wider than to speak.

Seokjoo signaled with his eyes, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.

The fork then gently settled onto Jungwon’s plate.

Seokjoo continued to watch Jungwon, his gaze troubled.

‘What was that about? Was he upset that I hadn’t praised his ability, despite his impressive demonstration?’

‘While his ability to control his power with such finesse, unlike most S-rank Espers, was certainly remarkable, it wasn’t enough to make Jungwon gasp in utter astonishment.’

‘Yet, Espers could sometimes be exasperatingly sensitive, much like a five-year-old performing a talent show; failing to humor them might lead to trouble.’

‘It truly wasn’t in Jungwon’s nature, but…’

‘Regardless, they were stuck together, for better or worse.’

‘Just as Jungwon was about to widen their eyes dramatically and exclaim, “That’s truly incredible!”‘

“Or perhaps, something like this?”

Seokjoo preempted them, snapping his fingers again.

‘Was he going to levitate something else?’

However, nothing on the table stirred.

Jungwon was about to ask what he’d done, their brow furrowed in confusion, when a flash of light streaked across the window outside.

A moment later, a rumble of thunder echoed, like a massive collapse.

It seemed lightning had struck.

Jungwon watched the sudden downpour begin, their face contorted in bewilderment.

‘Surely… Kang Seokjoo hadn’t done this too?’

Given the circumstances, it would have been stranger if anyone else were responsible, yet Jungwon remained half-convinced, half-doubtful.

“…Did you do that just now?”

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?”

Seokjoo echoed the upward inflection in his voice, nodding.

His gaze followed Jungwon’s.

The fierce rain lashed against the ground.

Outside, people flustered by the sudden deluge scrambled, covering their heads with bags or coats as they ran.

Jungwon gazed down at the scene outside, their expression grave rather than amused.

It wasn’t that they felt pity for strangers they’d never met.

They were simply a little confused.

“Everyone’s going to get soaked.”

Unlike the analytical Jungwon, Seokjoo remained utterly unconcerned.

The moment he murmured that, the torrential rain abruptly ceased.

Had it not been for the drenched people, it would have seemed as though the downpour had been an illusion.

Jungwon subtly observed Seokjoo’s expression, then spoke, almost probing.

“Your abilities… they aren’t limited to just one.”

Whether telekinesis or the ability to control rain, both were highly valued powers due to their extensive utility.

Either one alone seemed sufficient.

Espers with two abilities weren’t entirely uncommon.

However, such individuals usually possessed abilities that weren’t particularly potent, or they had multiple less useful powers.

Furthermore, among S-rank Espers, whose inherent power was already formidable, the vast majority wielded only a single ability.

‘So… was one of his abilities weaker in intensity?’

‘Perhaps the telekinesis had excellent control but lacked raw power.’

While Jungwon was diligently racking their brain, Seokjoo, in contrast, spoke with an air of complete nonchalance.

“Yes, I have a few. None of them are particularly exceptional, though—just dipping my toes in each, you could say.”

‘A few? Not just these two?’

‘Could it be that each ability was unremarkable on its own, but he possessed many different kinds? Such a case wouldn’t warrant an S-rank.’

‘Moreover, what he had already demonstrated was far beyond merely “dipping his toes in.”‘

‘It was fortunate that Jungwon’s face rarely betrayed their emotions.’

‘Otherwise, they would undoubtedly be wearing a comical expression of undisguised shock by now.’

“Ah, but I assure you, it won’t hinder us from handling this task.”

Seokjoo added this, though no one would have harbored such a concern.

Jungwon couldn’t tell if he was deliberately feigning excessive humility or if he genuinely meant it.

Jungwon responded perfunctorily and averted their gaze.

‘Even if he preferred to remain unknown, how could an Esper like him have concealed his existence until now?’

‘What exactly was his true identity?’

In their bewilderment, Jungwon had even missed the opportunity to ask about his other abilities.

Still, they would discern the extent of his truthfulness once they arrived at the scene.

“…Alright. Your next question, please.”

“Let’s pick up where we left off. Movies, then—something like a romance?”

‘He had just revealed a plethora of abilities, and this was his only question?’

‘Again, Jungwon understood nothing, but they didn’t want to bother asking for his reasons or refusing to answer.’

‘However, for Jungwon, who had never truly considered their own movie preferences, it was a rather difficult question.’

“I’d prefer a calm drama, I think. Romances tend to bore me.”

“I see.”

He nodded.

‘Had he genuinely been curious?’

‘It hardly mattered.’

‘Perhaps Kang Seokjoo wasn’t truly interested in such trivialities, but rather, simply didn’t care what kind of person his assigned Guide was.’

‘Did an Esper of his caliber truly not care about the identity of their Guide?’

‘Whether an S-rank Guide or otherwise.’

Regardless, Jungwon only needed to focus on their own job.

Jungwon, who had been slightly bowed in thought, soon spoke.

“Do you have a preferred guiding method?”

“Not particularly. As long as the problem is resolved, that’s all that matters. Ah, it would probably be best to avoid physical relations, if possible.”

Kang Seokjoo immediately shook his head without hesitation, and Jungwon subtly furrowed their brow.

His answer was completely unexpected.

Seokjoo glanced at Jungwon’s expression, then smiled faintly.

“You can rest assured on that front; I won’t be making any such demands either.”

‘His words were pleasant, but…’

‘Honestly, they were hard to believe.’

‘They sounded too much like sweet talk to be readily accepted.’

Jungwon scowled deeply, gazing at Seokjoo with an expression of profound disbelief.