On the first day of becoming a free guide, the first thing to do was a regular checkup.
When you had a pair esper, there was no need to update matching information. However, now that he’d become free, he had to update the latest information.
Yet Han Seoha headed not to the guide-exclusive examination center but to the medical center. Arriving at the medical center during the busiest morning hours, he hesitated as if he’d come reluctantly.
When attention began to gather at his suspicious behavior, Han Seoha entered with his head deeply bowed.
“What brings you here?”
The receptionist’s attitude was businesslike. When even an esper who came directly with severed limbs looking for a healer would get a lukewarm response, it was only light toward a guide who had entered perfectly fine.
“Hello. Um… Do I have to wait long?”
“Unless it’s an emergency, you would.”
The medical center was a general hospital for ability users where numerous healers and doctors were stationed. Even though it was morning, the reception area was full of people waiting.
When no words came even after waiting, the receptionist checked on Han Seoha beyond the glass window.
He couldn’t make eye contact with his reddened, swollen eyelids. Bruises on his wrists were glimpsed through his anxious fidgeting as he kept adjusting his shirt collar and sleeves.
The receptionist had often seen guides who looked like this. Erasing the indifferent expression up until now, she produced a soft voice along with a smile.
“If you fill out the questionnaire, we’ll connect you to the appropriate department.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The receptionist who handed over the form used when abuse was suspected at the medical center became even more certain watching Han Seoha shrink every time an esper passed by.
“What’s your name?”
“Han Seoha, I’m a guide.”
“Mr. Han Seoha, what’s your affiliation?”
“I haven’t been assigned yet… Today is my first, no, my return to work.”
“Is the cause of the injury related to an esper?”
Even though it wasn’t a question the receptionist should ask, she asked subtly because depending on the circumstances of the damage, it was possible to report or punish the esper in question.
At Han Seoha’s anxiety as he only rolled his eyes instead of answering, the staff member spoke in a small voice.
“Mr. Han Seoha, you can just nod your head.”
Espers were extremely dangerous beings. No matter how often they encountered them inside the association’s center, if they made up their minds, guides or ordinary people could die instantly.
Combining the rumors and Han Seoha’s injuries, the answer came out that the esper in question was trash.
“Is it a former partner?”
Even at the question that followed, Han Seoha kept his mouth firmly shut. He only fiddled with the pen, then looked at those lined up behind him and hurriedly shook his head.
“Um, I’m fine. I’ll just go. I’m sorry.”
“Patient confidentiality is thoroughly maintained, so you don’t need to worry.”
“No, that’s not it…….”
At the anxious Han Seoha’s appearance, attention from the surroundings gathered. Even those in line only watched with curious gazes rather than irritation.
“But if I say… you’ll report it, won’t you?”
“Of course. We need to confirm what kind of senseless esper did this so we can punish them and prevent recurrence.”
“I don’t want… that to happen.”
“Pardon?”
The surroundings gradually grew quiet enough to hear Han Seoha’s endlessly shrinking voice.
“If my guiding had been sufficient, that person wouldn’t have acted impulsively either.”
The receptionist couldn’t understand what she was hearing.
Is this that guide angel disease I’ve only heard about? Not even a rookie, but a famous first-year guide whose name even the receptionist had heard enough to know. For such a guide to still be saying things like that.
Unable to settle down, when people’s gazes wouldn’t leave, Han Seoha hurriedly bowed his head.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll come next time.”
In the spot Han Seoha left, talk about him rose and fell for a moment. Especially a few who had visited with minor symptoms began to lightly consume and spread the new gossip following yesterday’s.
Small misunderstandings would become rumors, exaggerated and distorted. When those piled up one by one and became truth among people, sympathy for Han Seoha would grow.
Han Seoha, who checked his phone as soon as he left the medical center, was impressed.
“That’s fast.”
The post on the anonymous bulletin board titled ‘Are there still guides getting beaten these days?’ had what just happened mixed with speculation and exaggeration.
When a few comments defending Ryu Jaegeon and eyewitness accounts followed, even Han Seoha’s back view showing no injuries whatsoever was verified. The firepower of a mere anonymous bulletin board was only this much, but if they piled up one by one, it would eventually be what people recalled at the end.
It was the eviction team esper who caused the injuries, but thanks to that, it helped a little in tarnishing Ryu Jaegeon.
Han Seoha deliberately bit his lip and tore off the scab. Each time he worried it to make it fester and swell, the faint pain felt like an investment for the future.
If it was an injury that could heal, it was welcome. It didn’t matter if he got hurt a bit more. He needed more rumors and public opinion. At the end of that, they had to clearly recognize that Han Seoha was only a victim and that he deserved sympathy and protection, not their jealousy.
Enough that they couldn’t oppose it even if he received the protection of an S-rank esper.
‘For that, I need to create even one more situation.’
Thinking so, his steps toward the matching test department felt light.
Han Seoha, who arrived at the matching department, discovered espers lined up in a row on corridor chairs. Instead of rushing over the moment they saw him, the uniforms of the espers with restless or excited faces were subtly disheveled. Among them were even some with bruises around their eyes.
‘Did they even establish a hierarchy?’
Unlike the previous life, thanks to stopping by the medical center and deliberately arriving late, the espers were docile as if they’d decided on an order among themselves.
Before, surrounded by espers rushing at him like a pack of dogs, he’d collapsed under Ryu Jaegeon’s ridicule. Unable to even breathe properly at Ryu Jaegeon’s coldness in not saving him. His shoulder had even dislocated because of the espers who had grabbed and dragged him, saying the gasping Han Seoha in agony was appetizing.
Now, unlike then, the espers only gleamed with their eyes while standing in line. Seeing the docile espers, he was certain he’d fortunately avoided that time slot.
Above all, he didn’t miss the face of the security team esper, surprised at Han Seoha’s appearance, contorting. As expected, Ryu Jaegeon was inside. Since he’d arrived before he left, it was the best time.
Han Seoha had to be here until the timing when Ryu Jaegeon and Yu Haneul came out. Accordingly, a gentle smile naturally settled on Han Seoha’s face as he greeted each esper waiting for the matching test one by one.
“Hello, are you perhaps the people who came for matching tests today?”
“Ooh, Guide Han Seoha!”
“Of course, we rushed here at the crack of dawn and waited.”
“Guide Han Seoha, I think it would be good if you came a little later.”
Among those welcoming him, there were also those showing concern. It was grateful, but unnecessary news right now, so he pretended not to know and tilted his head.
“Huh? But I’m already late…….”
“Why are you saying useless things? The guide is free now.”
While those welcoming and those worrying mixed together exchanging greetings, the matching room door opened roughly. At the same time, at the familiar wave he felt, Han Seoha let out a small exclamation without even needing to act.
“Ah.”
For a brief moment, everyone fell silent.
Despite his effort to ignore Han Seoha caught at the edge of his vision, Ryu Jaegeon was caught by the ankle by the tiny exclamation.
The Han Seoha that Ryu Jaegeon knew was diligent. He should have anticipated that he would have arrived in front of the matching department at an early time.
“Jaegeon hyung?”
Yu Haneul showed puzzlement at Ryu Jaegeon, whose steps had slowed. Ryu Jaegeon should have focused on him and pretended not to know Han Seoha, but he had no choice but to stop at the voice that followed.
“Jaegeon-ah, you… your wavelength is stable.”
Han Seoha’s pure admiration, knowing Ryu Jaegeon’s wavelength better than anyone, was full of sincerity. Ryu Jaegeon’s waves were in an incomparably more stable state than before due to close-contact guiding with an A-rank guide.
“Really… I’m glad.”
What bloomed on the face of Han Seoha, who felt it more clearly than anyone, was not resentment but delight and relief. It was pure affection without a speck of sulking or resentment toward the esper who had abandoned him.
“That’s genuine, isn’t it?”
“Wow, crazy…….”
At the desperation that made even Ryu Jaegeon, who had tried to look away, look, the hearts of the espers waiting for the matching test wore thin. Even after being betrayed and abandoned, the endless affection purely directed toward his esper was a unicorn-like story. They were desperate to turn such a guide’s interest and affection toward themselves.
“Guide Yu Haneul. Really, really… thank you.”
Han Seoha, who bowed his head toward Yu Haneul, conveyed only gratitude without even saying please take care of him. Yu Haneul nodded and pulled at Ryu Jaegeon’s arm, but he somehow didn’t move.
“Jaegeon hyung?”
“Who dared.”
“Hyung, why are you… Agh!”
The moment Ryu Jaegeon, who had tried to avoid it, confirmed Han Seoha’s face, the anger he couldn’t hide explosively burst out along with the esper’s wavelength.
“Urk!”
“Wh-what?”
Just as all the waiting espers took defensive positions and the security team espers were about to rush in, Han Seoha only stared blankly at Ryu Jaegeon flying toward him.
Ryu Jaegeon was pleased yet frustrated by the endlessly defenseless Han Seoha even in a situation where everyone was on guard. Above all, he ground his teeth at the swollen lips that even had scabs.
“Who did this?”
“Ah, it hurts.”
Even at Ryu Jaegeon’s skilled touch, accustomed to handling delicate guides, the appearance of being in pain snuffed out his patience.
“Which bastard dared touch what’s mine?”
“Jaegeon-ah.”
“Tell me. Before I blow them all up.”
Even at the rippling waves as if about to spew heat at any moment, Han Seoha, who was familiar with them, answered with a sorrowful smile without any sign of fear.
“I’m not yours anymore.”
The calm voice that swallowed even grief, let alone resentment, was strangely firm.
Only then did Ryu Jaegeon realize. That he, who had abandoned Han Seoha, didn’t even have the right to worry.
