“…Even pairs have to submit performance reports, don’t they?”
“They do. It’s just that they’re all false reports.”
“False performance reports? If a dangerous state persists, doesn’t the watch automatically send a report?”
Jiwon’s eyes widened.
“Because it’s a daily occurrence for Esper Seo Gangwoo’s gauge to rise to high points, he often just turns off his watch because of the constant warning alarms. The center understands this situation, so they couldn’t force him. Instead, they put alternative measures in place.”
“May I ask what those alternative measures are?”
“First, they exceptionally set the watch’s alarm to go off at 85%. Also, with Esper Seo Gangwoo’s consent, they installed abnormal energy detection sensors at his home and along his usual routes. Fortunately, he mostly stays at home, so they’ve been able to manage it without much trouble.”
For an Esper, turning off their watch was practically illegal, so Jiwon had been curious about how Seo Gangwoo, who had the highest risk management rating, could turn off his watch without any sanctions—now the mystery was solved.
“Guide Choi Hyerin exploited that. Besides that, we could find evidence if we looked, but even if we raise issues, they get buried. She has a good family background.”
“Family background?”
“Yes. It’s a family that’s had high-ranking officials in politics and business for generations. Even now, Guide Choi Hyerin’s grandfather is the chairman of the Ability User Management Headquarters, and her father is the director of Center 8. She has relatives who are members of the National Assembly and business owners too, so combined with her position as an A-rank Guide, she’s not easy to touch under normal circumstances. The fact that the termination of a pair contract with an S-rank Esper was approved so absurdly says it all.”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon gulped down her juice as she spoke, seeming angry. Jiwon gulped down his apple juice along with her.
“That’s truly terrible. Even knowing he’d suffer…”
“There are many Guides like that. I shouldn’t be saying this to Guide Kim Jiwon who just joined recently, but… they fulfill just the mandatory quota and don’t do any more guiding.”
“What? But there’s always a backlog of Espers waiting for applications?”
“It’s true that Guides are in short supply. But it’s also true that the backlog gets worse because there are many Guides who work lazily.”
Jiwon recalled the list of guiding application waiters that never seemed to decrease. So that’s what it was.
“There are bonuses for exceeding the mandatory quota though.”
“Some people are greedy for money, but playing around and working comfortably is better than money. There’s no worry about getting fired, and since company housing is all provided, there’s no need to buy a house. Even if they buy houses for their families, Guides get loans easily. There are interest rate benefits too. You heard during training that direct family members of Guides also receive support from the government and center, right? There’s simply no need to work hard.”
If there was a Guide manifester among family members, they received benefits. If they wanted, they could move to a safer zone—the more central the area, the more important buildings there were, so Espers patrolled more frequently and the defense system was better established, making it safer.
In such places, you couldn’t just buy a house even if you had money. But if you were a Guide’s family, the center would find a suitable house and help with everything from purchasing to moving. Also, a barrier capable of defending against up to grade 6 monsters was installed in the building itself.
That wasn’t all. All medical services were free, all family members received a 50% tax reduction, and if needed, they would even arrange safe jobs.
Guide benefits would only increase, never decrease. It was to prevent emigration abroad.
When even one Guide was precious, a Guide’s departure from the country was a major problem.
There were many countries with even better Guide benefits.
“So Espers end up begging unilaterally. Some Guides only guide Espers who give them gifts, or only pick Espers who are their type. As a result, there are Espers who’ve suffered unwanted sexual harassment. There are also Guides who treat Espers with too-high gauges like bombs and avoid approving them.”
“What? Se-sexual harassment…? Then don’t they get punished?”
Jiwon was shocked. Not only was it surprising that Guides used guiding in such ways, but Jiwon, who had learned during training that ‘Guides choosing Espers is for the Guide’s safety,’ couldn’t believe that there were cases of Guides sexually harassing Espers.
“At most they get a warning. When a Guide receives a warning, they get penalized, but there’s no legal punishment. However, the center takes measures to connect the victim Esper with another Guide. If it’s severe, they might be transferred to a center in another district.”
“The problem is more serious than I thought.”
“From an Esper’s perspective, it’s a matter of life and death. So there are cases where they accept unfair demands from Guides. The center is trying to self-regulate these related matters, but it’s not easy. It’s unfortunate.”
“Life and death…”
Jiwon’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Still, this is how much it’s improved compared to before. Previously, there were several Guide groups within the center, and Guides with those tendencies would create an atmosphere that made even Guides who weren’t like that change the same way. People learn bad things faster, after all. There were many other problems too, so the center prohibited Guide gatherings, but there was strong backlash.”
“This is the improved version? Wow… I didn’t know it was this severe. I only knew to the extent that Guides’ treatment was good.”
“The center blocks this kind of uncomfortable information about ability users from leaking out. Of course, people interested in this area vaguely know through hearsay. But ordinary people who have no connection to ability users and no interest don’t know.”
“Right. My family was exactly like that. Until I manifested as a Guide, we had no connection and no interest. Hehe.”
“Right?”
Team Leader Lee Juyeon smiled gently while looking at Jiwon, who was laughing brightly.
“Still, there are quite a few Guides who work diligently. There are Guides who go directly to the field too, and we have to keep working to make things better.”
“You’re amazing, Team Leader-nim.”
Learning about problems between Espers and Guides that he didn’t know about, Jiwon’s eyes sparkled as he found Team Leader Lee Juyeon, who was trying to improve these issues, cool and amazing.
“Hoho, no. It’s something I should naturally do. Guide Kim Jiwon, please help me a lot too.”
“Of course! Naturally.”
“The conversation went a bit sideways, but what’s important is Guide Kim Jiwon’s feelings. Just because the situation is like this doesn’t mean you need to hastily form a pair. Not forming a pair doesn’t mean you can’t guide Esper Seo Gangwoo. Once you form a pair, you can’t easily terminate it, so you need to decide carefully.”
At Team Leader Lee Juyeon’s words, Jiwon decided to think about it a bit more. His heart was almost leaning toward it, but once he made a decision, that would be the end of it.
Jiwon asked a few more questions about pairing. In response, Team Leader Lee Juyeon explained each thing in detail in a way that was easy for Jiwon to understand.
As a result, the conversation went longer than expected and quite some time had passed. Worried about Seo Gangwoo who would be in the private room, Jiwon tidied up and stood.
“Thank you for explaining so kindly, Team Leader-nim.”
“Not at all. These are things I should naturally explain. If you think of more questions, contact me anytime. Okay?”
“Yes. I’ll see you again!”
Jiwon received Team Leader Lee Juyeon’s farewell and went down one floor through the stairs, returning to Room 705, the private room.
At his entrance, Seo Gangwoo, who had been sitting on a single-seat sofa reading a book, put the book down on the table. It was a book Jiwon had bought while browsing the bookstore in the center.
Fortunately, Seo Gangwoo’s condition didn’t seem to have worsened while he was away.
“Is that book interesting? I haven’t read it yet.”
“It has decent content.”
“You can speak comfortably.”
“This is comfortable for me. Don’t worry about it, and Guide Kim Jiwon can speak however is comfortable for you too.”
“Umm… Let me guide you first.”
The speech was somewhat stiff, but if he said this was comfortable for him, Jiwon decided to check Seo Gangwoo’s physical condition first rather than adding more words.
Approaching closer, Jiwon began guiding while embracing the upper body of Seo Gangwoo sitting on the sofa. After a moment, firm, thick arms wrapped around and supported Jiwon’s waist. Since Jiwon was standing while embracing the sitting Seo Gangwoo, his face came to rest against Jiwon’s chest.
Jiwon quietly closed his eyes and concentrated on guiding.
Though not urgent enough to be critical, the waves were moving more actively than when he had finished guiding earlier.
Jiwon controlled his energy, untangling the clumping energy and calming the waves trying to rampage.
Seo Gangwoo’s interior, which had felt as confusing as a maze at first, had now become somewhat familiar, so the guiding speed had increased.
Indeed, directly moving the energy was much more efficient and faster than just guiding normally. Of course, mucous membrane guiding would be better, but since Seo Gangwoo had regained consciousness, they hadn’t done any guiding beyond embracing.
Since Seo Gangwoo’s gauge condition wasn’t good, he had thought about trying it for guiding efficiency, but the words suggesting guiding through kissing just wouldn’t come out of his mouth. In the end, he gave up on an attempt he couldn’t handle and was satisfied with embracing.
Jiwon became absorbed in reading the problematic waves through their touching bodies and sending his energy. With the greed to calm even one more wave, his concentration naturally increased.
