Lee Heewoo opened his mouth, closed it, then opened his eyes wide again, unable to say any words. Black Dwarf Guide. Those unfamiliar words were still floating around in his head.
These days, whenever you turned on the television, stories related to Espers and Guides flowed out. They acted as if everything happening in the world was connected to Espers or Guides. That made sense, because recently, everything from international affairs to economics and diplomacy was all related to Espers and Guides.
Though he didn’t understand all the difficult current events or news content, Lee Heewoo also knew how amazing high-grade Guides were. Even though Brown Guides had been appearing frequently in various countries recently and their numbers were rapidly increasing, in Korea there was still no additional news besides Kim Sowoon.
So Lee Heewoo had secretly indulged in pleasant imaginings that if it was revealed he was also a Brown Guide, he’d receive quite good treatment. On top of that, Heichi seemed like an extremely high-grade Esper, so Lee Heewoo had worried a lot about whether he, being merely a Grade 5 level Guide, would be inadequate for him.
“I’m, Black……?”
But to think he was a Black Dwarf Guide.
To think he was the only Black discovered in the entire universe.
Honestly speaking, all of that didn’t feel real and rather felt like a lie. As Lee Heewoo blankly just muttered the word Black, AJ, who had been watching from behind, added supplementary explanation.
“Black Guides are Guides whose cases are extremely difficult to find even looking back through the history of the entire universe. Even in Epsilon, where Guides have a long history, records of Black Guides are virtually nonexistent, but there is one known fact.”
“Wh-what is it?”
“Black Guides can radiate guiding within a certain area without direct contact with Espers—in other words, they’re capable of radiation guiding.”
Radiating guiding within a certain area without contact. As soon as he heard those words, Lee Heewoo recalled Jet, whom he’d met before. Recalling the heterogeneous sensation he’d felt then, definitely.
“Um…… Before, in front of Gudeok Station, the air quality around me seemed to change…… S-so, it felt like I was breathing some kind of energy into my surroundings, and that…… Was that radiation guiding?”
At Lee Heewoo’s rambling explanation, everyone fell silent. Then Kzar stepped forward and spoke.
“Lee Heewoo, excluding you, there is no Guide capable of radiation guiding, so we cannot know what that sensation is like.”
“……”
“However, based on my experience, all Guides feel a sensation of ‘connecting’ with the other person when guiding them. The same goes for the other Esper.”
Lee Heewoo’s eyes widened. That’s right. It was. Definitely, Lee Heewoo had felt a sensation of connecting with Jet, who had been nearby.
Back then, he’d only thought it was because Jet had placed his hand on the back of his neck, but apparently not. Lee Heewoo recalled a series of incidents he’d dismissed as mere worries until now, one after another.
“First…… Though it’s informal, how about getting an examination?”
“Examination?”
“Accurate diagnosis is only possible by visiting Epsilon, but even within the battleship, we can simply examine Guide-nim’s grade and details.”
Only then did Lee Heewoo look around the room. The reason this place had given him a similar feeling to the recovery room was apparently because this was an examination room. Since he had no particular aversion to the examination, he was about to follow AJ’s words when Heichi, whose face was subtly crumpled, stepped forward instead.
“Is it absolutely necessary?”
“Since the examination results will be transmitted directly to Epsilon, I understand what the Captain is worried about. Still, I believe proceeding with the examination is correct. That…… It appears Guide Lee Heewoo’s ability values exceed our expectations.”
At the words that if even a simple examination produced results, they’d be transmitted directly to Epsilon, Heichi ground his teeth. It was already confirmed that the measurement results would be tremendous, and it was clear what kind of reaction Epsilon, upon receiving those results, would show.
However, as AJ said, it was also true that Lee Heewoo’s ability values far exceeded expectations. Guiding fundamentally required the Guide’s stamina, and if things continued like this and Lee Heewoo happened to collapse unable to control his abilities, that would also be a big problem. That was also why Heichi had urgently brought him to the examination room today.
“I’ll bring the designated researcher for the examination. Please wait here for a moment.”
When AJ left briefly, only Lee Heewoo, Heichi, and Kzar remained in the examination room. While Lee Heewoo still hadn’t escaped from the fact that he was a Black Guide and was staring blankly into space, Kzar opened his mouth first.
“Being Black doesn’t make you different.”
“……What?”
“Whatever choice you make, your choice must be respected, Lee Heewoo.”
Kzar’s heavy emerald eyes pulsed deeply. Lee Heewoo, who had caught on to what he was trying to say, gulped.
“Don’t approach my Guide beyond a certain distance.”
“Why do you already define him as your Guide? Have you even formed a pair?”
At Kzar’s rebellious words, Heichi tilted his head crookedly. Heichi’s eyelashes left long shadows under his eyes and below them, and the atmosphere froze in an instant. Perhaps if the Guide before his eyes wasn’t one of the only two White-grade Guides in the universe, Heichi might have acted as he usually did.
“Then is there even a probability that it will be another Esper instead of me?”
“Every Guide’s Esper is chosen directly by that Guide. You’re stating the obvious.”
“If I’m the only option.”
While the verbal sparring went back and forth quickly, Lee Heewoo looked at the two alternately. Both Kzar and Heichi had a tendency to speak in low voices, pressing forward gently, so in some ways, their personalities seemed very similar. The only difference was that Heichi seemed a bit more emotionless, while Kzar was literally threatening like a warrior who had experienced countless battlefields.
“An unparalleled arrogant statement.”
“That’s not something you should say.”
“Um…… Excuse me, but……”
When Lee Heewoo raised his hand and cautiously inserted himself into the conversation, emerald eyes and golden eyes looked at Lee Heewoo simultaneously. Flustered by the gazes of those huge men, Lee Heewoo hesitated without opening his lips, then started hiccuping.
“Then, hic, I, hic…… Have to go, hic. To Epsilon?”
“No, Lee Heewoo.”
“You’ll have to go at least once eventually. Hmm, it was quite noisy in my time too, so this time will be even more so. Lee Heewoo, I advise you. Since more Espers exist in Epsilon, don’t limit yourself to here and definitely……”
The more Kzar’s words continued, the more the smile disappeared from Heichi’s face. Just as Heichi’s gaze at Kzar was reaching almost to the point of murder, AJ, who had left, returned. Behind him followed an Esper in attire Lee Heewoo had never seen before.
“What were you talking about so interestingly? Kzar, did something happen?”
Thanks to oblivious AJ, the atmosphere settled. Lee Heewoo, who had already been reading the mood, listened to the explanation related to the examination while swallowing the hiccups that kept bursting out. The designated researcher glanced at Lee Heewoo and calmly began preparing for the examination.
“Well then, we’ll all go outside. Kzar, huh? Come with me!”
Kzar left first in a flash, and AJ hurriedly followed behind him. Heichi firmly squeezed Lee Heewoo’s hand once before going outside. Even so, they were only going beyond the transparent glass wall, so the inside was fully visible from outside, but nevertheless, Heichi didn’t take his eyes off Lee Heewoo.
Left alone, Lee Heewoo first put his feet into the cylindrical pod as explained and slowly lay down. When he folded his hands over his chest, the pod’s lid rose by itself. Shhhhhh…… Clunk. With a low noise, his vision briefly went dark.
And before even 30 seconds passed, the pod opened again. Lee Heewoo, who had gotten up from his spot, sent a look asking if it was okay to come out to Heichi beyond the glass window, and he nodded. Lee Heewoo hurriedly got up and went outside.
“I’ll tell you the results first.”
Even though he’d only lain in the pod for about 30 seconds, the examination results were already out. Lee Heewoo looked at the researcher holding an unfamiliar machine with a trembling face.
“Control Power A+, Transmission Power S, Sensitivity S+…… Based on the above results, Guide Lee Heewoo has been identified as a Black Dwarf.”
Lee Heewoo was surprised upon hearing the examination results, but apparently other people weren’t surprised. Everyone beside him just nodded as if they had predicted the results.
Lee Heewoo lowered his head to look down at his hands. Lee Heewoo, who folded and unfolded his rough, scarred hands that had done a lot of hard work, still couldn’t believe he was such an amazing Guide. While those beside him chattered about something, Lee Heewoo began concentrating on the energy he possessed.
The flowing pattern was similar to before. The air quality around him changed, and simultaneously there was a sensation of releasing and filling his energy into a certain area. When he raised his head, the wavelengths that had appeared faintly until before now appeared as distinct curves. Lee Heewoo now knew that those were Espers’ unique wavelengths.
“……! Guide Lee Heewoo, stop……!”
At AJ’s desperate voice, Lee Heewoo, who had been frantically radiation guiding, suddenly raised his head. Then he saw AJ with a deathly pale face and Heichi with a crumpled complexion. Behind them, the designated researcher who had been announcing the examination results was sitting down with a flushed red face.
Heichi swept his face with a complicated expression and said:
“……Please refrain from radiation guiding, Lee Heewoo.”
“Yes, uh, I-I’m sorry……”
