Episode 3: Isn’t Possession Supposed to Be with an S-Class? (2)

“Come on, no matter how bad it is, it shouldn’t be this severe!”

The moment she realized the truth, a surge of hatred toward Baek Ju-yul, whom she had never even seen, welled up inside her. So-dam, who was already sensitive to cold, now had to endure this intense chill even in her favorite season, summer. If she truly was an F-class Guide, used and discarded like a disposable item while suffering such side effects, it was only natural for her to resent Baek Ju-yul.

“…But still, he’s a pitiful guy.”

However, to her, Baek Ju-yul was the protagonist and her favorite character from a story she had passionately followed, so she couldn’t help but feel sympathetic toward him.

At that very moment, as if responding to her muttering, her phone rang sharply.

♪♬♩♪─.

[Han Siyeong – Supervisor (B-class)]

The appearance of someone who clearly seemed to know this world’s Maeng So-dam made her freeze completely. Forcing down the hesitation that clogged her throat, she cautiously answered the call.

“…H-hello?”

[Guide, Maeng So-dam. Didn’t you say during our call yesterday that you’d be able to come to work today? Work hours have already started; what do you think you’re doing? Esper Baek Ju-yul has been waiting for you!]

Once again, So-dam had absolutely no desire to get entangled with the original story, unless it directly concerned her safety.

[I know it’s tough. Since guiding Baek Ju-yul once, no one has stuck around without trying to find another Esper and running away. That’s why I offered to double your daily pay. You even said you were really grateful.]

“Y-yes, I did say that….”

[No matter how hard it is, you still have to pay off your debts. I’m offering you this opportunity because I think highly of you, Maeng. If it were any other supervisor, sigh.]

The blatant pressure made her keenly understand why the original Maeng Guide had made such choices. The overt explanation of her dire circumstances embedded within those words painted a clear picture of what the future held if she refused this coercive offer.

She would rather die than spend this life running from debt collectors again.

So-dam closed her eyes tightly and opened them, realizing there was only one answer she could give.

“I’ll come to work. I’ll head out right now.”

[Please get here as soon as possible. You know that Esper Baek Ju-yul isn’t someone with time to spare, right? Opportunities for an F-class to shine like this are extremely rare.]

“Yes, I know. I understand. So… should I go to the Association? The Esper & Guide Association?”

[…Have I ever asked you to go anywhere else?]

“No, you haven’t. I was just suddenly curious and wanted to confirm.”

[Is it really that hard for you? Once you finish this job, I’ll let you rest for a few days. Anyway, without Esper Baek Ju-yul, you don’t have any work, right? Other F-classes have bonded Espers and exclusive contracts, so there’s nothing we can do about that, but as for you….]

“Ah, yes, that’s right. I don’t have a bonded Esper, nor do I have an exclusive contract… I’ll see you soon.”

There was no response to the farewell she habitually added. So-dam stared quietly at her phone, now displaying a black screen, indicating the call had ended, and then she let out the frustration that had built up inside her.

“What a jerk…”

Constantly referring to her as an F-class, F-class—how obnoxious could someone be? And considering the person on the receiving end of those words was indeed F-class, the person speaking had to be more than just rude; they had to be utterly lacking in basic decency.

The fact that the first character she had a conversation with after possessing someone in a novel was someone like that made her want to faint and wake up again, treating it all as if it never happened.

The only silver lining was that, thanks to this rude and talkative character, she had managed to gather some information about the person whose body she had possessed.

“If I haven’t bonded with an Esper and don’t have an exclusive contract… that means there’s probably no one around who would notice I’m not the original person. And it seems like I don’t have any friends either.”

Looking down at the phone’s empty home screen, with no notifications or anything else, So-dam clicked her tongue in annoyance.

The phone, devoid of even the most common social media apps, clearly belonged to someone who lived their life entirely alone.

As she frowned and fiddled with the phone, So-dam eventually let out a deep sigh.

“…Still, I have to go to work. Maeng So-dam, why were you in debt? Huh? Did you want to make the life of the person who possesses you miserable?”

So-dam was too much of a commoner to shamelessly take advantage of her situation as a possessor from day one. Especially since this wasn’t just about anything—it was about money, a subject that made her feel even smaller.

Although she didn’t know exactly how much debt there was, it was clear that the amount was so large that she had to take on dangerous jobs while being openly disrespected.

“I hope it’s not something like 1 billion won or anything… Ugh, Nasper was all about Espers, so I have no idea how much Guides make.”

In the original story, the author occasionally compared ordinary Espers to the protagonist Baek Ju-yul, the SSS-class Esper, to highlight his greatness.

For instance, it was mentioned that Ju-yul’s annual salary was about 1,000 times that of an A-class Esper. The accessories he gifted to the harem members, i.e., the female leads, were so expensive that ordinary Espers couldn’t even dream of affording them.

However, while the story provided plenty of details about Espers, it never mentioned anything about Guides of such a low rank that they couldn’t even make it into the harem.

In other words, if she wanted to find out more about the life of an “F-class Guide” in this world, like it or not, she would have to step into the Association.

“I should be able to find the location with a quick search. After all, it’s a public institution… It shouldn’t be too different from reality.”

Though it was a flimsy guess, luckily for So-dam, it turned out to be correct. As she memorized the address and route listed on the major portal site, someone suddenly started banging on her front door.

“Coming!”

So-dam quickly checked her appearance, running her fingers through her messy hair as she hurried toward the entrance.

When she flung the door open, she found a woman standing there, looking at her expectantly.

She barely swallowed the “Who are you?” question that had been on the tip of her tongue, managing to come up with a more neutral, yet still appropriate, question.

“…What brings you here?”

“Huh? Well, you called me, didn’t you? You said it was something you couldn’t discuss over the phone and asked me to come early in the morning.”

“Ah… Did I?”

“Yes, around 10 PM last night, you sent a text. It sounded… well, dangerous, so I came to check on you… but you seem okay?”

The woman’s gaze, which quickly scanned So-dam from head to toe, held a faint but definite concern. From just this brief exchange, So-dam was able to roughly guess the woman’s identity.

“Oh, right, the reporter… I must have caused you trouble.”

“Oh my, oh my. Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘reporter’? Call me Hyun-ju unni!”

“Oh, yes. Hyun-ju unni. Actually, I had a bit to drink last night and blacked out. I’m really sorry for making you come all the way here for nothing…”

“If it’s just a drinking habit, then that’s a relief, but you have no idea how worried I was when I first read that text. You should either throw your phone away when you drink or quit drinking altogether.”

“I didn’t realize I had such a bad habit because I didn’t have anyone to contact until now, but I must have gotten too comfortable with you, Hyun-ju unni. I’m really sorry…”

Even though it wasn’t something So-dam herself had done, she felt a surge of guilt, thinking about how Hyun-ju must have rushed over so early in the morning.

It was more of a feeling of pity for such a kind person than true guilt, but Hyun-ju simply waved her hand dismissively, not taking it to heart.

“No, no. I was just stopping by on my way to work anyway. Baek Ju-yul was supposed to leave the country today, but a new S-class creature appeared, so the trip was postponed.”

“Oh… That explains it.”

“What do you mean by ‘that explains it’? Do you know something?”

“I was Guiding Esper Baek Ju-yul yesterday. Then they asked me to come out again today, so I thought something must have happened… Turns out this is what it was.”

“Oh my. Isn’t it Baek Ju-yul’s principle not to Guide with the same person twice? You must have something special.”

‘There’s no such principle, Hyun-ju unni… It’s just that no Guide has ever managed to handle him twice in a row…’

Since Ju-yul had never given an interview after starting his activities as an Esper, most of the information about him was purely speculative.

Even the Esper & Guide Association clammed up when it came to internal matters. Of course, as someone who knew the original story inside out, this didn’t apply to So-dam.

Feeling a bit sorry for Hyun-ju, who was completely off track, So-dam quickly changed her expression and flashed a smile.

“Oh, that’s not it. They just contacted me because there weren’t any free Guides available right now.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.”

“Come on, he’s not just S-class; he’s an SSS-class Esper. Why would he show any interest in an F-class like me? That doesn’t make sense. You know how F-classes are treated.”

Hyun-ju pressed her lips together, silenced by So-dam’s self-deprecating words.

TL/N: “Unni” (언니) is a Korean term used by women to refer to an older sister or a female friend who is older than them.