Chapter 3
“Rank and name.”
“G0228C, Kang Raon.”
“At least you’ve learned how to properly state your rank and name.”
As soon as he opened the door and entered, Raon’s habitual response slipped out.
One month, whether he wanted it or not, was gradually changing Raon. Nevertheless, Raon stopped a short distance from the desk and stood with one leg crossed over the other.
“Instructor Choi says he’s giving up on you.”
Sunwoo looked at the boy standing defiantly before him. The current time was 10:38 AM. Morning here began at 6:00 AM. Raon’s appearance, having been summoned while everyone else was busy with training or their scheduled activities, was starkly different from the others.
Sunwoo’s gaze lingered briefly on the crooked beret and half-untied boot laces. More problematic than his disheveled clothing was his defiant posture—head down, eyes fixed on the floor, one hand shoved into a pocket.
“…”
“Why don’t you answer?”
“Would anything change if I did?”
Despite the sulky response filled with discontent, the gentle smile on Sunwoo’s face didn’t fade. His face was filled with curiosity as he looked at the newcomer who was breaking all sorts of records just one month after enlistment.
The reports he had received were beyond imagination. This was officially one of the national institutions. The NCSC—National Code Security Center—was a mandatory facility that all manifested Guides and Espers had to go through. Here, they were educated about Espers and Guides, and their abilities were officially documented. After the mandatory six-month education period, they would be assigned to appropriate positions.
The boy standing before him, with his fair complexion and baby fat not yet completely gone, was a sixteen-year-old Guide. How many cases were there of someone suddenly manifesting as a Guide at their own sixteenth birthday party? Unlike his bright yellow hair, the roots were showing new black growth.
“Who knows? Things might change.”
Sunwoo barely contained his laughter when the small head that had been fixed on the floor suddenly lifted, and a clear face stared at him intently. He had thought the reports from below were incorrect.
But seeing the slovenly attire and attitude, the hair sticking out in all directions, the sleep crusted in the corner of his eyes, and the puffy face, he accepted it all as truth.
Until now, he had been sleeping late and had hurriedly rushed over upon being summoned by the colonel.
Sunwoo lowered his gaze to the file in his hand. There was nothing normal about the reports on him. Basically, he had never woken up on time, frequently missing morning runs and even skipping breakfast. When forcibly awakened, he had reportedly clung to his blanket and cried. The subsequent physical fitness test results were disastrous.
50m sprint: 30 seconds
Standing long jump: 130cm
Push-ups: 10 repetitions
Sit-ups: 23 repetitions
Sit-and-reach: 16.2cm
These were at the level of basic physical fitness tests for middle and high school students. Except for the sit-and-reach, everything was below standard. Additionally, for the long-distance run, it was noted in the remarks section that he had collapsed after completing just one lap, claiming exhaustion.
Given that he had been loafing around and refusing to participate properly during the examination, it was no wonder accurate measurements couldn’t be obtained.
Furthermore, his capabilities as a Guide were listed as “immeasurable.”
Although rated as C-class, it was written that Raon had refused everything related to guiding. The only thing he had allowed was radiative guiding, and since that measurement approximated C-class, it was documented as such with an additional explanation.
“What, do you have something you want to say?”
Sunwoo casually addressed Raon, who had been pouting while Sunwoo reviewed the file.
“Please send me home.”
At the childish plea to be sent home, Sunwoo closed the folder he had been reviewing. After all, Kang Raon was the youngest son of the MK Group, which owned a civilian Guide and Esper center. Moreover, MK Group also manufactured various military weapons.
The precious son of a company with close ties to the NCSC.
It didn’t make sense for the youngest son of such a family, Raon, to live as a Guide. Who would want to become a Guide subservient to the state? Guides could live without Espers. But Espers couldn’t. They suffered endless pain, and if they ever went berserk, the end would be a painful death.
Recently, it was said that stabilizers could manage this, but the most stable solution was forming a bond with a Guide. As Espers were nationally important figures, the state also bound and managed Guides. According to those rules, Guides were obligated to be linked with Espers.
However, as a C-class, Raon wasn’t a high-ranking Guide that the state absolutely needed to manage. In a way, he was a lucky case that could escape the legal net. He could simply complete the legally mandated six-month training here and then return to a normal life.
Both the NCSC and Raon knew that he wouldn’t remain a Guide. Raon would formally complete all processes, and he would live as a normal person, not a Guide, under the protection of his family. They just wouldn’t say it out loud.
“You still have 4 months and 26 days left, but how about a private room?”
Raon’s previously indifferent eyes lit up. One of the things that troubled him most was communal living. Here, everything operated according to rules. Not only was it hard to move according to the fixed timetable, but living with others was the most challenging part.
The snoring and sleep-talking of the Guides living together all night, the rustling sounds—it made it difficult to fall asleep easily. By the time he finally dozed off near dawn, the wake-up music and living noises would begin. Since meals were only available at set times, he always skipped breakfast, and in just one month, he had lost a whopping 5kg.
“Really?”
“Yes. On the condition that you don’t skip training and classes.”
The problems he was causing weren’t just Raon’s alone. Over the past month, the overall discipline had become lax because of Raon’s disregard for rules and regulations. Therefore, the conclusion reached through the meeting was to isolate him.
That day, Sunwoo saw Raon smile for the first time. The Raon he had seen was always frowning, expressionless, or sulking with his lips pushed out.
The boy’s eyes curved into crescents, hiding his pupils as he smiled brightly like a child, his chubby cheekbones rising. And his plump lips formed an arc.
“Hehe.”
Seeing him laugh so innocently with sound made Sunwoo’s heart feel heavier. This child was under the protection of his family. It was literally preferential treatment. Although there was a reason about discipline being disrupted, by principle, they should have tightened the loosened discipline and made him adapt to this place.
But he escaped all of that. It wasn’t due to pressure from the MK Group, nor was it the child’s will. It was just how the world flowed.
In the opposite situation, there was another child in solitary confinement. A child abandoned by everyone.
After leaving the center director’s office, Raon ran quickly down the long corridor. Without even taking the elevator, he rushed down the stairs in his eagerness. Opening his locker, he haphazardly shoved his belongings into the bag he had been issued.
“Are you that happy?”
At Instructor Choi’s words, Raon smiled again with a cheerful “hehe.” It was the happiest day since he had entered this place. Today, he felt like he could write a joyful letter to his mother. First, he would tell her that she didn’t need to come for a visit with a lawyer, and instead, he would write about something else.
He thought it would be nice to tell her that the food here was terrible and ask her to send him something delicious.
“By the way, if it’s a private room, does it have its own bathroom?”
“Yes.”
The private room he arrived at was smaller than the bathroom in his home. It consisted only of a single bed, a storage unit, and a desk. The moment he saw the adjoining bathroom, he burst into tears. They were tears of joy at not having to go to the distant communal bathroom to wash.
Raon, finally able to sleep alone after a long time, turned off the lights early and lay in bed. He had never realized how enjoyable silence could be. He closed his eyes. Now he just needed to fall asleep.
Bang—
With the sudden loud noise, the wall beside the bed vibrated, making Raon bolt upright. His hands reflexively tightened on the blanket. Raon’s eyes blinked in the darkness. His senses were sharply awakened, and not being able to see naturally heightened his hearing.
Thud—
There was a sound like something falling. It didn’t continue, but there were irregular sounds of objects colliding and shaking. All the sounds came from the adjacent room. Raon slowly got out of bed, opened the door, and went into the corridor.
After a few steps, he reached the next room. Just as he grabbed the handle, a loud sound made him quickly release it. Could someone be in there? He looked around, but there was nothing in the corridor. This was a place where even mobile phones weren’t allowed. As it was an educational institution for Espers and Guides classified as national assets, everything was confidential. Therefore, the only ways to contact the outside world were through letters or permitted phone calls.
To call someone, one had to move physically. Raon, who had been thinking about going to another floor to call someone, clenched his fist as he heard the thumping sounds again. Who could it be? With such noise, others should have come to investigate, but no one had appeared yet.
“Hello. Is anyone there?”
After knocking, Raon whispered softly. Suddenly, the continuous sounds stopped abruptly.
“May I come in?”
Raon, rolling his eyes in the darkness, spoke carefully again. Whether it was permission or refusal, what came back was silence. His lips dried up, and he moistened them with his tongue. After waiting a moment for a reply, Raon pushed the handle down.
