“Don’t move until the measurement is complete.”
“Move upward.”
“Relax.”
“Hold your breath.”
After that, various tests continued relentlessly following mechanical commands. Only after being dragged here and there and submitting his body to all sorts of equipment did Park Shinui finally receive permission for a brief rest.
“The test results will be ready in 15 minutes. Well, I’m sure you already know that.”
With a clack, a glass of water was carelessly placed on the table. The voice was clearly tinged with sarcasm. Park Shinui, who had decided to wait in the waiting room until the test results came out, stared blankly at the glass that had been thrown down, then slowly turned his head toward the examiner who had set it down.
Since possessing the body of Park Shinui from the book, the reactions he encountered from people were generally divided into two types. Either they were openly disgusted, or they thoroughly flattered and appeased him. It seemed that the examiners at this Ability Center belonged to the category of people who had no need to appease Park Shinui. Seeing how people who had initially hesitated about what attitude to take were now, at some point, not even hiding the contempt and scorn in their eyes.
“Is the test I just took to confirm the matching rate with Kang Taejun-ssi?”
However, Park Shinui was someone already painfully accustomed to this kind of disrespect. Even in the world he originally lived in, he had never lived a particularly respected life, so being treated this way didn’t wound him anew. Rather, he chose to treat those who looked down on him even more politely. When he did that, some of them would become embarrassed on their own and rein in their previously rampant attitude.
“Yes?”
Perhaps it was because the person who was expected to bristle and get angry showed an unexpected reaction. Flustered by Park Shinui’s gentle voice, the examiner hurriedly composed their expression.
“The test from earlier—I was asking if it was to confirm the matching rate.”
In truth, if it were the ‘Park Shinui’ from the novel, he was someone who had nothing particular to say even when receiving people’s contempt. Not to mention his personal SNS, just looking at the behavior he showed on broadcasts alone, weren’t there countless reasons to be hated? These people here would also certainly know about Park Shinui, who had been making a spectacle of himself everywhere by dropping Kang Taejun’s name.
“No. It’s not a matching test. You already did that last time.”
“Then what test is this?”
The examiner’s eyes wavered. Was it that he didn’t want to answer, or was he gauging how much he should say? A moment of silence passed.
He himself was not the ‘Park Shinui’ who had acted hopelessly in the novel. But how easy was that? Even if he knew all the developments of the novel, it was nearly impossible to perfectly imitate another person who was completely different in both personality and behavior. What he needed right now was information held by the people around him, and to obtain that, he had to break down their wariness in some way.
“I was examined, so I shouldn’t be unaware of the details as the person concerned, right?”
Park Shinui gazed at the examiner with as much sincerity as possible. Then the other person’s face flushed slightly red. Park Shinui had already noticed that while he had initially looked disgusted upon seeing him, his gaze had flickered toward him several times.
So what if he was the nation’s most disliked person? In any case, he was currently the most talked-about figure among the public, and wasn’t he a celebrity whose face made it seem like cameras were rolling somewhere? The examiner seemed to have decided that it wouldn’t hurt to build an amicable relationship with this glamorous man while he had the chance.
“Today’s test is a basic examination to calculate your Guide grade. It also includes the process of comparing matching rates with all Espers registered at the Ability Center. Additionally, we conducted a basic physical ability test as well.”
The examiner cleared his throat briefly and offered an answer as if bestowing a favor. Now that Park Shinui, who was rumored to be arrogant and ill-mannered, was acting surprisingly compliant, the sharp voice had softened as if in surprise. Park Shinui neatly placed both hands on his knees and tilted his head slightly to the side, assuming an attentive attitude.
“Then does that mean the matching rate with Kang Taejun-ssi is confirmed without a doubt?”
“Since the matching rate with Kang Taejun-ssi has already been tested, naturally that would be the case, right?”
“Why? The test results might have changed in the meantime.”
“Well, because the Ability Center’s test results boast 100% accuracy. And it’s not just Park Shinui-ssi, but Kang Taejun-ssi has also already confirmed this several times, hasn’t he?”
Irritation once again appeared on the examiner’s expression. His tone became rough as if he didn’t understand why Park Shinui kept questioning an obvious result, but then, upon checking Park Shinui’s face again, he softened his attitude.
“Still… since time has passed, the numbers might have changed.”
Park Shinui lowered his voice and showed a troubled expression.
‘Don’t tell me the 99.99% match is confirmed as is.’
That shouldn’t be the case. Since he wasn’t the real Park Shinui from the novel, if they tested again, it would be normal for the results to be vastly different. Rather than having it exposed later that the matching rate was fake and the situation getting tangled, it would be much easier to deal with the aftermath if everything was revealed now.
“Park Shinui-ssi, are you saying you don’t trust this country’s top-level testing institution?”
The examiner even made an aggrieved expression.
“Ah, no. It’s not that I don’t trust it…”
“The matching rate examiners at the Ability Center don’t allow even a 0.1% margin of error. There has never been a single mistake, and such a thing cannot happen!”
Judging by the reaction, one might think this person had directly conducted Park Shinui’s matching test a month ago. In that case, it made sense that he would be angry, since he’d essentially been asked by a professional brimming with pride in their work, “Did you do your job properly?”
“I must have conveyed my meaning incorrectly. It’s not that I don’t trust the Ability Center’s tests, but as you know, the numbers are so surprising that even I, as the person concerned, find them hard to believe… I was just asking if we shouldn’t confirm them one more time.”
Park Shinui answered as politely as possible while preserving the other person’s pride. Still, the matching rate test had to be redone. Because of that, Kang Taejun had even held a bonding ceremony with Park Shinui, but if the numbers had changed, wouldn’t he ultimately end up causing harm to Kang Taejun?
“……”
“Actually, seeing you today, I felt that you’re a truly professional and meticulous person. I thought anyone would trust a test conducted by someone like you.”
“Well, I am rather thorough. Even within the Center, I have something of a reputation for having no margin of error.”
As expected. Park Shinui nodded inwardly. The more pride people had in their work, the weaker they were to recognition.
“That’s why I instinctively felt trust.”
“Hmm, well… thank you for thinking that way.”
When Park Shinui silently showed a subtle smile, the examiner’s face flushed red again.
“Ahem, ahem. But… why do you want to redo the matching rate test?”
The examiner lowered his voice and glanced at Park Shinui. He had an expression wondering if the compliment he’d just heard might have been sarcasm, but after seeing Park Shinui’s expression with its gentle smile, he seemed to change his mind and shook his head.
“If the matching rate has changed, I’d feel too sorry for Kang Taejun-ssi.”
“For Esper Kang Taejun?”
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’ve had an unrequited love for him for a long time. Like fate, I manifested as a Guide and even formed a pair with him, but it’s already been a month since the bonding ceremony and all that testing. If the numbers have dropped in the meantime, it would ultimately harm him. He’s someone who desperately waited his whole life for a Guide… I’m worried.”
A seamless emotional excuse mixed with truth and lies flowed out.
“Ah…”
Park Shinui subtly averted his gaze, seeing the examiner’s pitying expression, which was clearly different from the beginning. No matter the purpose, lying about loving Kang Taejun wasn’t easy, even if only because of the pangs of conscience.
“So… couldn’t we redo the matching rate test just once?”
Although he had spent the past few days lethargically adapting to the reality of entering a dream, Park Shinui wasn’t originally the type to avoid difficult situations. He was someone who knew how to attack like a tenacious fighter when it came to overcoming circumstances.
Moreover, he genuinely liked Kang Taejun. Although it wasn’t romantic feelings, wasn’t he the protagonist of the novel he cherished most? As a fan, it was only natural to wish that a character he held deep affection for would not be hurt or suffer if possible.
