Episode 5: Guiding—What Is It, and How Do You Do It? (2)

‘N-no way. There’s no way someone as powerful as an SSS-class Esper would believe in such urban legends… Besides, that wasn’t even his personality… Ugh, seriously. If I was going to possess someone, I should have done it after the backstory side story came out!’

Despite the heavy emphasis on Ju-yul’s “hatred of F-class Guides” throughout the original story, the exact details of this trait were never fully explained. From a few passing references, it was clear that it had something to do with his parents, but… the exact event that triggered his hatred remained a mystery.

Then, just as an announcement was made that a side story revealing Ju-yul’s past was going to be released, devoted fan Maeng So-dam found herself possessing a character before she could even read a word of that side story.

‘Wow… So, to find out the reason now, I’ll have to regress within this world? Haha, at this rate, I might as well be preparing for reincarnation.’

So-dam let out a hollow laugh as her thoughts drifted off on this tangent. But when she carefully sat down next to Ju-yul, his tightly pressed lips twisted into a sneer.

“You’re laughing? This is about you, Guide Maeng Soda.”

“No, it’s not Soda, it’s So-dam… Wait, you’re saying this is about me?”

“Is there any other Guide with the surname Maeng who’s F-class and in debt to the Association?”

Ju-yul’s sarcastic words made So-dam’s mind go blank. Her brain, which had turned as white as tofu, slowly started piecing together his words.

Finally understanding what Ju-yul was saying, So-dam was speechless. How on earth did the laws in this world work that someone else knew her personal information when she herself didn’t even know?

‘Wait, more importantly, is the Association the one So-dam owes money to? How on earth did that happen?’

Feeling a wave of embarrassment at the realization that her miserable situation was known to everyone but herself, she couldn’t help but lower her head.

Her gaze fell on something she had noticed before entering this stuffy room—the item the B-class Guide had forcibly handed her. As she saw the letters “E&G” printed boldly on the crinkling… condom wrapper, she realized that the person who had been so flippant about her situation was the same one who had given her this bizarre item.

Whether So-dam was grinding her teeth in frustration at the now-blurry image of the B-class Guide or not, Ju-yul continued speaking calmly.

“I spent over 30 minutes waiting for you and had some time to think. I wondered, what kind of amazing Guide would make me wait this long? In 10 minutes, I could easily take care of fifteen creatures, so are you a Guide who’s more impressive than handling forty-five creatures?”

“…”

“I considered several reasons why Guide Maeng Soda might think so highly of herself, and I figured that if you had awakened to S-class or SS-class, that might make sense. Since I became an adult, there hasn’t been a single Guide of S-class or higher who hasn’t bonded with an Esper. You’d have to be at least that level to negotiate with my time, wouldn’t you?”

Ju-yul tapped his forearm with his index finger as a twisted smile appeared on his face.

The moment his gaze, which had been directed elsewhere as if suppressing his anger, landed on So-dam, a shiver ran down her spine.

“So, what’s the answer? Have you awakened? S-class? Or maybe even SSS-class?”

Throughout this flood of words, drenched in sarcasm and arrogance from start to finish, So-dam remained silent.

The confidence she had arrived with, fully charged at 100%, had long since evaporated, leaving not a speck behind. Just the fact that she managed to hold back her rising defiance and excuses during his speech was enough to commend her social skills. Swallowing dryly, she finally answered in a small, trembling voice.

“I haven’t… awakened to anything.”

“Then could you please explain why I had to waste my time in this cramped room?”

“…First, I sincerely apologize for making you waste your valuable time, Esper Baek Ju-yul. I believe offering excuses would be disrespectful to you, so… I can only say that I am truly sorry.”

“Hah…”

“I am really, really sorry.”

Before Ju-yul could say anything further, So-dam quickly shot off an apology, standing up from her seat and bowing deeply.

Her waist bent at a perfect 90-degree angle, a skill she had mastered during her high school years while working part-time in customer service. She had long since become adept at adopting a tone of voice that conveyed a somber mood, even if it didn’t reflect her true feelings.

‘Do you think I was late on purpose? Who expects someone to show up at work at 4 AM? Even the worst companies wouldn’t do that. And by the way, this body was supposed to be dead by now, you know? I saved you from getting egged, and this is how you repay me? Ugh, just because you’re young…’

As she silently counted the spots on the tiled floor, grumbling in her mind, Ju-yul’s voice, now devoid of its earlier sharpness, gave her permission to sit down.

Hurriedly sitting next to Ju-yul, So-dam managed to sneak the condom she had been clutching into her pocket without him noticing.

‘I’ll stick it in my wallet and never look at it again. They say carrying one in your wallet brings money—maybe I’ll win the lottery…’

Ignoring the sensation of the plastic wrapper in her palm and the sweat running down her back, So-dam maintained her “I’m terribly sorry” expression as she extended her hand.

At that moment, a large hand roughly grabbed her clumsily outstretched one.

“Let’s get this over with. It’s going to be equally miserable for both of us.”

“Yes, yes. Let’s finish quickly.”

“…Tsk.”

With a flat, emotionless voice, Ju-yul made no effort to hide his distrust toward So-dam, or more precisely, toward an F-class Guide. His displeasure was clear as he intertwined his fingers tightly.

All ten of his fingers were clasped together, leaving no space between them, and at the same time, an icy chill seeped through the skin-to-skin contact. The chilling sensation caused So-dam, who had been trying her best to stay calm, to involuntarily shudder.

“You should have worn thicker clothes. You experienced this yesterday too, so what are you doing, showing up like this?”

“Huh? Oh, I-I don’t have any thicker clothes than this…”

“Ha. Unbelievable…”

It was definitely absurd for someone who had never experienced even a hint of poverty to scoff at her like that. But at that moment, So-dam was facing a much more serious problem than Ju-yul’s annoying bourgeois attitude.

‘Is Guiding supposed to be this cold? No, this doesn’t make any sense. I feel like there’s frost forming in my veins, and even my red blood cells are freezing solid!’

Of course, So-dam was well aware that Guiding Ju-yul was no joke—this had been emphasized to the point of exhaustion in the original story. She was also experiencing the bitter cold firsthand, the same cold that had been tormenting her since she first possessed this body.

‘I know all that! But still…!’

Her teeth, which had been fine just moments before the Guiding started, were now chattering, and even her legs were trembling uncontrollably.

So-dam was so overwhelmed by the worsening situation that she couldn’t even open her mouth to speak. As she remained frozen in place, Ju-yul’s expression hardened, and he spoke in a stern, cold voice.

“You… it looks like you’re unable to Guide right now.”

It was rare for a Guide to be unable to Guide while holding an Esper’s hand.

For an ordinary Esper, experiencing such a situation was almost like a freak accident—akin to being struck by lightning and then hitting one’s head on the pavement and dying.

However, for Ju-yul, who had possessed overwhelming power as an SSS-class Esper since his initial awakening, this was almost routine. There were plenty of Guides who, after just 5 to 10 minutes of holding his hand, found their Guiding blocked and frozen.

Ju-yul let out a cold laugh, his face still set in a stern expression, and then spoke sharply, his voice low and steady.

“Even though you’re Guiding for the second day in a row… do you realize it hasn’t even been 5 minutes since we started?”

“…”

“If just holding hands is this difficult for you, why did you make such bold claims yesterday? …Answer me. Guide, Maeng So-dam!”

“…Ugh.”

As Ju-yul bit down on his smooth lips and abruptly released his tightly clasped hands, So-dam, now without anything to lean on, collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

She groaned in pain, her eyes tightly shut, while her lips had turned a pale blue.

So-dam’s condition, where she seemed incapable of even hearing his sharp words, let alone responding, began to unsettle Ju-yul.

He had seen many Guides struggle with and even faint from the overwhelming task of Guiding him, but it was the first time someone had passed out so utterly, unable to even speak like So-dam.

Clenching and unclenching his fists several times to ease the stiffness in his hands, Ju-yul gently tapped her small shoulder as lightly as he could.

“Get a hold of yourself, Guide, Maeng So-dam! Where do you think you are?”