‘Mr. Kim Yeoul has… awakened as a Guide, I would say.’
How could he describe the feeling he had when he heard those words?
The cold throughout his body twisted his insides as it quietly bloomed. It felt like even his breath had frozen inside. He hoped it was a mistake like a miracle, but the sensation he had clearly felt just moments ago was still vivid on his skin for that to be the case.
It had been when they were coming out after finishing their meal at the restaurant. He was holding the receipt and heading toward the counter when suddenly he felt an unfamiliar sensation from behind. Hyeseong flinched in surprise and turned around.
A high-purity, clear purification wavelength he’d never felt before. It was an intense sensation that could aptly be called explosive.
It felt like his heart had sunk to the very bottom. Instinctively, he ran toward the child. Even while doing so, he strongly hoped it wasn’t true.
It can’t be. It must be a mistake. Our Yeoul being a Guide, that’s nonsense…
However, the moment he caught Yeoul just before he hit the floor, he had no choice but to be certain. That the owner of this wavelength that penetrated his body and shook his very soul was this child he had carefully raised.
It was difficult to control his confused feelings, but in any case, soothing the startled child took priority. He discharged the child who was timidly gauging his reaction and asking if he was angry, and took him home.
That night, Hyeseong looked at the child’s face suffering through awakening pain with a hazy mind for a very long time.
‘A Guide…’
The purification wavelength he felt from the child. The power of guiding that absorbs and stabilizes an Esper’s unstable wavelength, and therefore anyone with abilities couldn’t help but desire—that power enveloped Yeoul’s body like thick fog. Enough to be transmitted through the beating of his tender heart. Enough to be mixed in even with the faint breaths he inhaled and exhaled.
It was an intense yet smooth wavelength, to the degree that it was surprising even he hadn’t noticed. If tested, he would definitely be rated B-grade or higher. Even if rated an A-grade Guide, it wouldn’t be surprising.
……
His tightly clenched fist naturally filled with strength.
It was because unpleasant imaginings followed one after another. It couldn’t be helped. There were almost no Espers who could completely exclude sexual nuance from the act of guiding. Would those Esper bastards really leave alone a Guide with such desirable purification power?
On top of that, a neat and cute face, and a clear and lovable personality without a single wrinkle. ‘Guide Kim Yeoul’ would undoubtedly become a massive desire for Espers in itself. Unpleasant goosebumps flowed like electricity along the skin of his entire body.
…No.
Hyeseong cut off the unpleasantly continuing imagination with one stroke. Even if he died and woke up, such a thing would never happen. It didn’t matter what grade the child was rated.
The child’s body was weak to begin with. Such a child couldn’t possibly accept the wavelengths of brutish Espers. Not to mention practical work at dangerous sites—even whether he could endure the basic training to become a soldier was uncertain.
If it were up to him, he wanted to spirit Yeoul away and hide him tightly somewhere no one could find. Instead of dragging this child into sites that were nothing but dangerous, he wanted to let him live as an ordinary college student.
However, unfortunately, ability users were in a state of absolutely insufficient supply compared to demand, and once awakened, there was no way to avoid military service duty.
Then he had no choice but to pull him to the rear as much as possible to protect him. Yeoul would at most sit in the support team office, hold Espers’ hands while wearing guiding gloves, and spend days safe enough to feel boring. Contact with Espers would only go that far. Because he would make it so.
While the child was being tested in the diagnostic examination room, reading the flow of wavelengths appearing on the monitor, Hyeseong had to reaffirm that resolution once more. Because the flawlessly and cleanly drawn curve was manifesting the purification power the child had in a way that was difficult to ignore. To the degree that Hyeseong’s insides were burning up.
‘Do Espers really feel a Guide’s wavelength pleasantly? What kind of feeling is it? Like, does it become cozy and comfortable like getting a massage?’
Moreover, Yeoul asked such things with a bright face.
‘How is it for you, hyung? Can you feel my wavelength right now? Does it really feel good? I’m curious how you feel it…’
Hearing innocent Yeoul’s questions, Hyeseong felt like he was going crazy, to put it vulgarly. Espers’ obsession with Guides. A desire close to instinct, gloomy and tenacious. Naturally, Kim Yeoul knew nothing about such things. Because he didn’t know, he must be spouting overly naive words like massage or whatever to him.
Asking if he could feel his wavelength, if it felt good. Imagining Kim Yeoul throwing such questions at other Espers made him feel like freezing and smashing a few buildings or something.
As he personally placed the rank insignia on Yeoul’s shoulders with his own hands, Hyeseong couldn’t hide his disturbance. With hands like fern fronds that had always come into his embrace without hesitation, the child was saluting him. Along with eyes that had come one step closer to being a soldier just for wearing one dress uniform.
The moment their eyes met—the child with a baby face wearing a service cap—Hyeseong felt a strange sensation in his chest. What was that feeling close to pain? It was an ache he couldn’t name at all.
‘I want to become an excellent Guide.’
Do you, who I’ve raised preciously, truly know what Guides do, how they calm Espers?
Is it okay to throw you, who flows like a stream without any impurities mixed in, just pure and lively, defenseless to those bastards running wild unable to control their boiling energy?
Hyeseong could swear and assert. That not once until now had he ever not viewed the existence called ‘Guide’ as a soldier equal to himself.
He thought they were just different positions, like having different posts or departments. No, rather, since Espers couldn’t survive without Guides, if comparing hierarchical relationships, Guides being positioned higher was correct. Even if the perception of the public, who only encountered Espers’ flashy activities, was the opposite.
However, a considerable number of Espers seemed to keep forgetting that fact. It was because of the instinct characteristic of Espers—being obsessed with those who relieved their pain.
The gloomy instinct to find their own Guide, form a pair, and imprint was similar to that of males in the wild. They weren’t satisfied with gentle and businesslike guiding and kept wanting more than that.
That was precisely why he was so anxious and unpleasant. Kim Yeoul had just turned twenty, still young. His most precious younger sibling in the world being imprinted by someone, being obsessed over… to Hyeseong, it seemed like something absolutely unacceptable.
‘Peace! Trainee G312-A, Kim Yeoul!’
Moreover, Yeoul was more eager than Hyeseong had thought. Even though he would understandably be flustered having suddenly awakened as an ability user, instead of being confused or complaining, he completed training resolutely. Every time he saluted him wearing a training uniform with a face like a bright puppy, it felt like foxtail grass was swaying somewhere in his chest.
However, the problem was that eagerness was excessive. The moment words came out of the child’s mouth saying he wanted to join the rescue team, Hyeseong felt his heart sink with a thud. The fierce voice burst out in an instant.
‘Don’t even dream of it.’
Had he ever spoken to the child that way in his entire life? Seeing Yeoul’s eyes clearly showing signs of being hurt, his heart stirred strangely. However, regarding this matter, Hyeseong had no intention of conceding even a single step.
Losing precious people at the site—twice was enough. His father, and his comrade. How weak and foolish humans who overestimate themselves and believe they can protect everything are before the inexplicable mysteries of the world.
‘I’ll reconsider applying to the rescue team.’
Only after finally making those words come out of Yeoul’s mouth could Hyeseong feel somewhat relieved. However, Hyeseong’s premonition that he would receive a high grade didn’t miss its mark, and the moment Yeoul’s grade appeared, the diagnostic examination building was turned upside down.
‘Crazy, crazy. I knew that kid would be something. Somehow when he brushed past me earlier, the feeling was no joke.’
‘It would be perfect to pair him with our Seonghun. Man, if you put those two together, it’ll be quite a picture.’
‘What are you talking about? He’s obviously my dedicated one. With that level, there’s no point in even doing a matching rate test. Ha, shit, an A-grade. The guiding feeling will be killer.’
The bastards who spewed out a round of filthy words rushed into the examination room one after another, lest they miss Yeoul. He could no longer stand watching them place their hands familiarly on the frozen child’s shoulder and spout honeyed words.
‘Guide Kim Yeoul will be taken by R1.’
When he spat that out, the Esper team leaders visibly wavered. Though brief, an ominous wavelength shortly shook the examination room.
However, within the Security Bureau that operated on the strict principle of top-down command, there was no one who dared express dissatisfaction to Hyeseong.
It was an impulsive decision, but the only option. Since Kim Yeoul was rated A-grade, he couldn’t enter the support team.
If he couldn’t prevent him from being assigned to the rescue team, he had to keep him under his domain and protect him. So that no one else could extend their filthy hands to Kim Yeoul, whom he’d raised preciously. And so that Yeoul wouldn’t fall into danger even for a fleeting moment.
