Episode 11: Guiding—What Is It, and How Do You Do It? (8)

“…Wow. I almost lost it for a second there, but Baek Ju-yul, you’ve really brought me back to my senses.”

If not for his snarky comment, the punch she had been planning to throw at his cheek might have turned into a kiss instead. It was good that she had regained her composure, but there was no retrieving the impulsive gesture that had her grabbing Ju-yul’s hand like a runaway horse.

“So you grabbed my hand with your ‘clear-headed’ mind, huh?”

“…What?”

‘When did I even grab his hand? This mischievous hand! Bad hand!’

So-dam awkwardly turned her head, avoiding his gaze. Ju-yul, feeling a bit confused, watched her. It wasn’t like she suddenly wanted to hold his hand after everything they had just done—more likely, it was her way of getting ready for the ‘practice’ he’d mentioned earlier.

Whatever strange familiarity or suspicion he felt around her, he couldn’t deny that this was a praiseworthy step forward.

Perhaps it was this positive thought that made Ju-yul smile slightly as he spoke.

“Looks like you’re finally ready to start practicing. In that case…”

“Wait a minute! I think you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t grab your hand to start practicing!”

Ju-yul’s suggestion, which had felt like an encouraging pat on the back, only made So-dam’s eyes widen as she hurriedly interrupted him. She had her own reasons for this sudden outburst.

‘If we keep going, I’ll end up becoming that poor Guide who throws her body and soul into endless Guiding practice for the male lead… and I refuse!’

Of all things, she couldn’t handle that misunderstanding. She feared that one wrong move could trap her in an inescapable harem centered around the protagonist.

Ju-yul smirked slightly at her fiery outburst and asked mockingly, “So then, why are you holding my hand? With both hands, no less.”

‘Because seeing a handsome man this close is a first for me, okay?’

It would have been an embarrassing excuse, considering they’d already shared far more intimate contact. But back then, she had been in a half-dazed state. Since then, she’d been more or less coherent, and her desire for pleasure had driven her to act impulsively…

‘Honestly, this is even more embarrassing than saying something awkward. At least those were just pillow-talk moments, but this… this makes me look like a full-on creep!’

Her desires, which had once shamelessly taken over, had now abandoned her, leaving her alone with her rational mind, desperately trying to save face. Her face flushed red, bringing an unexpected glow to her complexion. Ju-yul, noticing this, spoke again, this time with all traces of amusement gone from his voice.

“Fine, you don’t have to explain. I think I get it.”

“Uh… Really?”

Ju-yul’s response to her tentative question was the last thing she expected.

“Of course. Having an SSS-class Esper as your practice partner must feel overwhelming. But since I’m giving you permission, go ahead. Let’s see how well you’ve learned.”

His smooth, almost teasing tone caught So-dam completely off guard, and her lips twitched as if she might burst out laughing at any moment.

Feeling the impending threat of laughter bubbling up, So-dam hurriedly raised her hands to cover her mouth. If she had come up with a reasonable excuse and moved on, maybe Ju-yul wouldn’t have misunderstood any further.

But, as fate would have it, her hands were still holding Ju-yul’s hand tightly, and it was only now, much too late, that So-dam realized this.

With her hands pressed against her lips and Ju-yul’s hand firmly grasped between them, she froze like a statue.

‘This pose… it looks so weird! Anyone seeing this would think I’m dying to practice Guiding with Baek Ju-yul.’

As So-dam stood there, her face heating up even more while her thoughts raced, a sudden, unexpected event occurred—one that blocked off any escape route she had been considering.

“…Oh.”

“Shh. Focus.”

“Ah, yes…”

Despite the warmth that filled the Guiding room, the cold sensation on So-dam’s hand was as startling as if someone had pressed an ice pack against her skin. Her eyes shot open.

The source of that icy feeling, as she quickly realized, was Ju-yul’s hand. While her hands had been holding onto his, Ju-yul had also gently clasped her right hand with his other hand.

So-dam blinked in disbelief, trying to make sense of what was happening, before finally letting out a long sigh.

‘Well, there’s no going back now. I guess I’ll just treat this as a practice session… It’s not every day you get to use an SSS-class Esper as a training partner. Ha ha…’

Even with the minuscule amount of Guiding energy left in her after their earlier encounter, she knew it would barely make a dent in Ju-yul’s overwhelming contamination. It was laughable, really—an F-class Guide trying to cleanse an SSS-class Esper. The difference between their power levels was like a grain of sand trying to stop a tidal wave.

‘Sure, we had sex, so maybe I’ll be able to help him just a little, like the size of a cat’s claw. But there’s no way it’ll be enough to stop him from losing control…’

Some might have despaired at their inability to ease their favorite character’s suffering, but not So-dam. In fact, she felt an odd sense of relief. If she was just an insignificant extra in this world, it meant she didn’t have to worry about messing things up by interfering with the main plot.

‘After this, I’ll just keep my distance from the original story and live a quiet life. No more meddling in dangerous plotlines.’

Imagining her peaceful future brought a soft smile to her face. She felt like she could handle whatever cold, biting energy Ju-yul threw at her now.

‘Though, honestly… if I didn’t know this was all part of some fantasy novel, I’d think this whole “energy” thing was just some weird cult stuff.’

Had someone tried to explain this to her in the real world, she’d have had only three responses: “Not buying it,” “Not doing it,” and “Not believing it.”

Of course, the fact that she’d been transported into a novel was just as unbelievable as any cult-like claim. It all felt like a dream she’d eventually wake up from. But still…

‘Those piercings… they’re exactly how the novel described them. The ones made from that special mineral to suppress his Esper energy.’

There were three piercings in Ju-yul’s ear, from his earlobe up to the helix. She remembered that in the novel, the number of piercings decreased as the story progressed, especially once the main female leads—who were also Guides—started to appear. By the end of the novel, Ju-yul no longer needed the piercings at all.

‘Yep, this is definitely the novel. I really have been transported here… Oh, I’ve been holding his hand for too long. I should start focusing.’

Though Ju-yul’s brief explanation hadn’t been much help, So-dam decided to trust her body—the body of “Maeng So-dam,” which had years of experience as a Guide, even if she was only F-class. Surely some of that experience would carry over.

‘It’s all about imagination, right? From what I felt, Ju-yul’s energy was like a mix of ice and water. About 90% ice, 10% water. I’ll imagine the ice as the contamination and carefully remove it, leaving only the clean water. I can do this, So-dam.’

Lost in her own world, So-dam closed her eyes, tuning out the sensation of Ju-yul’s hands as she focused inward.

The energy inside her felt like a vast, turbulent ocean. It was daunting, but she reminded herself that as a Guide, it was her job to face this, no matter how difficult or frightening it seemed.

Whether Ju-yul was her partner or someone else, mastering her Guiding abilities was essential if she wanted to live a normal life, far from the chaos of the novel’s main events.

With that practical mindset, So-dam pushed aside her fears and plunged into the energy, mentally scooping out the large chunks of ice.

As she concentrated, her hands began to tremble, and a sharp, biting cold spread through her fingers, as if she were actually gripping chunks of ice. The pain was almost unbearable, like her palms were being torn apart.

“Hng… Ugh… This is insane, it hurts so much…”

Her face paled, her brows furrowed deeply, and her hands shook violently. Ju-yul, still holding her hands, could sense what she was going through. He could roughly guess the pain she was enduring, and he could feel the faint, steady warmth of the energy she was transferring to him.

Even though it wasn’t much, he could tell she was giving it her all.