# Chapter 4
The novel I was reading was the only one I had. It was a novel about a C-class guide. The moment I moved my fingers to search for that novel, the door opened. I flipped my phone over as soon as the door opened.
The person who opened the door extended both hands with a bright voice.
“Guide Park Garam!”
“Yes, yes!”
I froze at the figure who appeared as the door swung open.
It was Ham Minho, the director of Guide Department 1. He was the golden rope that even accomplished S-class guides tried to impress. If you got on his good side, you could rise rapidly in the Association.
But he wasn’t someone who welcomed just anyone. Despite his warm appearance, he only gave opportunities to people he was certain about and built his career on guaranteed results.
Guides who didn’t live up to expectations were cast aside, even if they were S-class. The fact that Ham Minho used and discarded guides as easily as used tissues was famous enough for even a C-class like me to know.
That was the kind of person he was. And now he was approaching me with a radiant smile, someone he’d never even glanced at before.
“Have you heard the news! That following Kim Haewon esper, your matching rate with Nam Ihyeon esper is also 90%!”
“Huh?”
Nam Ihyeon was an S-class esper with looks that could rival an idol. He was practically the mascot of the Association and Esper Department. Since his ability was fire-based, images of him impressively spewing flames often appeared on the Center’s electronic billboard.
I’d never tested my matching rate with such a famous Nam Ihyeon. He was a renowned esper, so they needed to pair him with equally famous guides. He was known for being particularly arrogant.
And now they’re saying I did a matching rate test with that esper? And it came out at 90%? This was truly bizarre, like a ghost eating wet rice in the middle of the night. I opened my mouth but couldn’t form any words.
Director Ham Minho continued excitedly.
“Of course, when you were in Department 17, I didn’t know your face, much less that you were S-class! The tests were wrong back then! Guide Park Garam should have naturally belonged to our Department 1. With such high matching rates with our country’s best espers!”
Ham Minho flicked his tongue like a snake, as if he’d discovered a precious pearl. There was no reason for him to treat me this way. My mind was still stuck in C-class status.
I continued to have an experience that felt “not like me,” without knowing the reason or explanation. Could all the answers be in this small phone? I wanted to flip it over right away, but with Ham Minho right in front of me, checking my phone wasn’t an option.
I decided to go along with the conversation appropriately until it ended, then find out about the novel.
“I heard I was assigned as Kim Haewon esper’s paired guide. Do I also need to take responsibility for Nam Ihyeon esper?”
“That’s what we’re considering. After all, Kim Haewon esper is one of the precious SS-class, only ten in the whole world, right? So I think it’s appropriate for you to exclusively handle Kim Haewon esper. However, Nam Ihyeon esper wants to have you as a temporary guide.”
“Surely a paired guide for an SS-class esper wouldn’t be free enough to be a temporary guide for another S-class.”
Though I wasn’t actually S-class, I had directly experienced the energy required for S-class guiding last time. Radiating energy or organizing waves through contact might not be as sudden as before, but it was still a different job than before.
The Association must know this.
When I asked pointedly, Ham Minho’s nose twitched. It was a sign that something displeased him. He cleared his throat and continued.
“You’re more fastidious than I expected. I heard you were quite accommodating to the director of Department 17…”
“I have to be fastidious to survive. When has the Association ever looked after guides?”
The most important thing to the Association was espers who could produce achievements. Guides were just byproducts that existed for them. Especially as a C-class guide, I had personally felt this.
At my words, Ham Minho’s nose twitched even more noticeably. He was clearly in a bad mood. He didn’t hide his expression. His rank meant he had no reason to.
“Don’t worry about such things. It’s the managers’ job to create limits so guides don’t overexert themselves, and to regulate that. Showing distrust about this is no different than showing distrust in me.”
He meant that if I mentioned it again, he would take it as an attack on himself. I nodded without raising my voice further. There was no need to stand on pride here. After all, I wasn’t really an S-class. I couldn’t tell where this error had originated.
I needed to lay low. This wasn’t the time to hold my head high and argue. For a C-class guide assigned to Department 17, the influence of Department 1’s director was as dangerous as a typhoon.
“Yes, I will trust and follow your judgment and decisions, Director.”
Only then did the director stop twitching his nose. Though he still looked displeased, he set down the fruit basket he was holding and exchanged a few conventional pleasantries. Then shortly after, he said goodbye.
“Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you in Department 1.”
“Yes, Director. Thank you for visiting.”
“Yes, yes.”
He turned around while maintaining his characteristically imperious expression. Then he left the hospital room without any proper farewell. I called out “Goodbye” to his disappearing back. Once he was out of sight, I picked up my phone that I’d flipped over.
The novel application showed a white screen. I hit refresh, and only then could I see my library list. But I saw a different novel from the one I was looking for.
The novel’s title was <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel>. I swallowed nervously and clicked on the title. There was Chapter 1 and an author’s note posted.
Hello everyone~ ^^
This is author HatefulCat.
First, I’m really sorry for deleting my work and disappearing without a word ㅠ
I felt so much self-loathing because you all seemed disappointed in me ㅠ Even though my pen name is HatefulCat, I’m really weak to hateful comments ㅠㅠ
So I want to start over from the beginning. This time I’ll try to write something really solid. I’d be grateful for your support!^^
Oh, and I’ve made some changes because I thought it would be boring if everything stayed the same.
One spoiler: our C-class guide who only had a high matching rate with S-class will become an S-class guide overnight in this novel.
Please look forward to the new story of our protagonist who becomes super powerful!
I’m really reworking the story a lot!
No more frustrations~ I’ll give you plenty of satisfying developments!
The name of the C-class guide that you’ve all been so curious about also appears in the first chapter! Please join me^^
This has been HatefulCat!
Thank you for your support~
My head hurt, perhaps from lingering effects of the concussion. The cutesy writing style seemed to be mocking me.
So to summarize the situation, they’re restarting the series. With some changed settings…
And Chapter 1 was uploaded today, with the title <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel>. And unfortunately, I seemed to be in the same situation as the title of that novel. Just a simple feeling. An uneasy premonition.
“But uneasy premonitions are never wrong.”
I was somehow afraid to click on the first chapter. My thumb hovered in the air several times as I tried to convince myself this was just a novel. My hand trembled.
“No way, shit! How could that be possible!”
When I raised my voice, the security guard outside the door glanced into the room. I quickly checked his reaction and clicked on Chapter 1 of <I’ve Been Possessed by a Real-Time Serial Novel>.
The novel began with the protagonist throwing his phone in anger at the disappointing conclusion of the only novel he read, shouting “This isn’t right!”
Unable to contain his anger, he writes a hateful comment, but the next day he experiences something strange. The C-class guide he had been until yesterday was suddenly adjusted to S-class.
The protagonist denies that his reality is real, banging his head against the wall or raising his middle finger to the ceiling, but eventually realizes he has been possessed into the novel he was reading.
Just like me now.
I was reading text. A novel that was like someone had copied my diary. The screen was white, and the words were what I had said. It was as if someone had recorded my words verbatim without missing a single detail.
I scrolled down several times to the part where the protagonist checked his personal information through the application.
Park Garam (30, Male)
– Affiliation: Guide Department 1
– Classification: S-class
– Paired: Yes (Kim Haewon/SS-class/matching rate 98%)
– Change: Personnel transfer due to emergency class adjustment. Guide Department 17 → Guide Department 1
“That’s me?”
It was me. The eldest of five siblings who had lived as a C-class guide for 20 years eating at the Center’s cafeteria, a 30-year-old man called the master key guide. That man named Park Garam. So, just me.
I scrolled all the way down to understand what was going on. The protagonist confirmed the author’s note, read the novel, and realized he had been possessed. I felt goosebumps rise on my arms.
I didn’t know who was playing this prank. It could be someone around me, but it would be difficult to describe the times when I was alone. I pressed on the comment section to write a comment.
“Let’s lead the way in positive comments. Members on the blacklist cannot leave comments.”
I couldn’t write a comment. It was because of the hateful comment I had written. The author must have reported me. I felt an indescribable mix of frustration, anger, and fear simultaneously.
“What the hell…”
I stopped mid-sentence, covering my mouth. I was afraid to speak carelessly. I read the comments written by others. There was only one.
[Reader1] Wow, congratulations on your new start, author! I’m so excited that you’ve changed genres. And to think it’s BL now, already so delicious. (smirk)
After reading the comment, I checked the category of the writing. The category of the story I had been reading was definitely contemporary. But now it had changed to BL.
“What’s BL… What does it mean…”
I muttered, looking at the two unknown alphabet letters.
