By Zephyria 
Despite Daniel’s words of reassurance, Seung-hyun, unable to relax, fidgeted with his hands. His palms kept getting sweaty. He rubbed his palms on his thighs and asked.
“Is that person an Esper?”
Due to nervousness, Seung-hyun’s voice trembled, but Daniel didn’t seem to mind much.
“Of course. The same class as you.”
Daniel looked away from Seung-hyun with a dry gaze as he made a phone call.
“Yeah. Jae-il. Come to my office for a moment before you go. Why? There’s a reason for everything.”
* * *
After finishing the call with Daniel, Jae-il had a face that looked like the world’s most annoyed person. After nagging him all day, he was now telling him to come by. Observing his expression silently, Joy said while licking a lollipop,
“I think I know the reason.”
“What is it?”
He had prompted Joy, but Rowan intercepted the question. Rowan’s cheek was puffed out because he had been forced by Joy to put a lollipop in his mouth. Glancing at Rowan with narrowed eyes, Joy mumbled while rolling the candy.
“They said a Backsplash Class Guide is coming this time.”
“Really? Why didn’t I know?”
“Because you’re stupid.”
“Joy-i. I think calling your older brother stupid is going too far.”
“Anyway, I have a good feeling. This is a woman’s intuition.”
Beside the twins sitting side by side, Jae-il tilted his head back completely and let out a long breath. The sound of the deep sigh was thick with boredom. Though he breathed it out into the air, it felt as if the ground would sink. Glancing at Jae-il’s state, Rowan said tentatively,
“Do you want to receive guiding now?”
“…….”
Jae-il’s head turned slowly. There was no particular emotion in the gaze that shifted. There was only a light question of whether he could really do it. Just by making eye contact, Rowan’s hair stood on end, and his body froze for a moment. As if he had expected that, Jae-il let out a slightly hollow smile.
“Just get well soon.”
The man’s level was 30%, considering the twins whose bodies were worn down by frequent guiding recently. It was a high number compared to most Espers, but Jae-il was used to it. He was so used to it that it was sickening.
“Yeah.”
Standing up and dusting off his pant legs, Jae-il straightened his back.
“I should go.”
Just then, Joy carefully tugged at the end of Jae-il’s sleeve. She cheered him on with a voice that almost felt solemn.
“Trust my gut. This is for sure.”
“Normally, ability manifestation is completed before the age of ten, although re-awakening is possible into one’s twenties or thirties. However, since your initial awakening was at twenty-two, that in itself is quite a rare occurrence.”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, my point is that ability user training begins from that moment. Guides must be able to manage an Esper’s energy well, and since this becomes more difficult the higher the rank, it requires a long time.”
“…….”
“Usually, theory and practical exams are taken every three years, and if you don’t pass, you’re held back indefinitely. You just keep doing it until you succeed. But you came straight to the Awakener Center, Mr. Ji Seung-hyun? Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Listening to Daniel, Seung-hyun became confused as to whether he was attending a class or receiving a consultation. He had finished his Guide registration and felt like he could just leave and lie down in bed, but he had a strong feeling that Daniel was simply stalling for time to let him meet someone named Jae-il. Seung-hyun continued to nod repeatedly while listening to the long-winded explanation.
“So, what I’m saying is that because you’re late, you have to learn quickly.”
“Yes, I will try my best.”
When Seung-hyun answered nonchalantly, Daniel emphasized once more.
“Effort alone is not enough.”
Looking straight into the eyes that looked up at him in bewilderment, Daniel spoke almost as if he were brainwashing him.
“As fast as possible. Got it?”
Seung-hyun’s gaze dropped and then slowly rose again.
“Is that why you’re calling this person, Jae-il?”
“You caught me?”
“You said it was just for greetings.”
“Yes. Just greet him.”
It was a suspicious statement. Seung-hyun had thought Daniel seemed neat and polite at first impression, but perhaps he wasn’t. Seung-hyun puffed out one cheek. He wondered how he was supposed to achieve growth that effort alone wasn’t enough for.
Furthermore, he had never met an A-Class Esper. Having spent his time desperately avoiding people associated with public authority, this was the first time Seung-hyun had encountered such a meeting. As his anxiety grew, Daniel’s explanations began to fade from his ears.
He was just debating whether to ask if the greetings could be postponed. While staring down at the table with his head bowed, Seung-hyun’s shoulders flinched. He snapped his head up, his eyes wide with surprise.
“……?”
A strangely irritating energy wavered behind his back. Energy? Could a human even feel such a thing in the first place? As Seung-hyun tilted his head in disbelief, Daniel smiled faintly.
“I guess he’s here?”
Soon, a knock sounded. Once Daniel gave his permission, the sound of the door opening followed. Seung-hyun’s eyelids fluttered rapidly. The strange sensation brushing against his skin became strong enough to feel a physical volume.
“You’re here?”
“Hello.”
As a firm, low-resonating voice pierced clearly into his ears, Seung-hyun’s shoulders flinched again. He couldn’t even bring himself to look toward the source of the sound.
“Jae-il. This person has a matching rate of no less than 98% with you. Mr. Seung-hyun, please say hello.”
“…….”
‘I can’t look.’
Gripping the edge of the table, Seung-hyun was terrified. His face had long since turned pale. Without daring to take his eyes off Daniel, Seung-hyun simply shook his head.
“It’s okay. That, um… I mean.”
Since he wasn’t an ability user, Daniel found it difficult to provide an accurate explanation and gestured to Jae-il.
“Jae-il. Come closer.”
“I think it would be better if I just left.”
With every phrase the man uttered, Seung-hyun’s heart pounded violently.
“You have to do it anyway. This person is a savior to you.”
“…Sigh.”
The man let out a sigh behind him. At that, Seung-hyun felt an unpleasant, sticky sensation, as if something were scratching the skin of his back. The man’s emotions were so vivid it felt as if they were clinging to his back.
‘This is impossible.’
Footsteps drew closer from behind. The bizarre and mysterious sensation grew even more intense.
“I am Ha Jae-il.”
The man’s large hand filled his vision. He couldn’t believe the black smoke swirling around the hand. With no way left to avoid it, Seung-hyun’s head slowly rose. It was a movement as slow as a motion picture. As he slowly took in the man’s appearance, Seung-hyun’s pupils instantly dilated to the maximum.
“……!”
It was a monster. The large-framed man had a monster as big as himself perched on his shoulder. Without realizing it, Seung-hyun raised his hand to cover his mouth.
The color was black and the texture was menacing. It shrank and flared up as if it possessed a will of its own. It played cunningly, as if deceiving its opponent. Just looking at it induced extreme nausea.
He had met several Espers on his way here. But he had never seen that kind of thing. No, it was the first time in his life. His pupils, with the whites of his eyes wide open, scanned frantically around the man.
‘What… is that….’
“Ugh.”
Seung-hyun frowned in the face of the intangible energy that caused such discomfort it made him want to gag. His consciousness began to blur rapidly. Even breathing became difficult.
It was clear that the man was also scanning Seung-hyun. The man tilted his head slightly and looked at Seung-hyun intently. It almost felt like he was glaring.
Despite seeing these vivid energies for the first time, they felt familiar; while they were repulsive, they also felt strangely intimate. It was a contradictory sensation. He wondered how such a thing could exist. Did all Espers carry things like that around? It was utterly grotesque.
Barely regaining his composure, Seung-hyun looked at the hand the man held out and clenched his own fist. He knew he had to take it, but he couldn’t find the courage. He felt that if he did, that monster would crawl over through his hand.
“Ji, Ji Seung-hyun….”
The man spoke to Daniel in a voice mixed with a sigh. He said something like a reprimand, stating that this wasn’t the right way to do things, but Seung-hyun couldn’t hear it. Rather, he felt like he was losing his mind because of the negative emotions the man was emitting. His consciousness began to fade. The man’s voice sounded as if it were coming from further and further away, growing blurrier. His vision swam. Rubbing his stifling chest, Seung-hyun shook his head. He was in agony, and a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.
“I’m sorr….”
He felt like he was going to die.
* * *
He should have known from the moment Daniel told him to come to the lab without giving a reason. Daniel had a nasty disposition, achieving his goals by any means necessary.
‘Trust my gut. This is certain.’
Seeing the back of the man sitting opposite Daniel, Jae-il recalled Joy’s words.
‘How can that be.’
He pushed aside his habitually skeptical thoughts for now. As he closed the distance, Daniel introduced the man.
“Jae-il. This person has a matching rate of no less than 98% with you. Mr. Seung-hyun, please say hello.”
The man, who couldn’t even bring himself to look this way and was merely trembling, was certainly a stretch to call a Guide. An A-Class Guide in name only, from the 13th District. Joy’s information seemed quite accurate.
“You have to do it anyway. This person is a savior to you.”
He didn’t like the way Daniel was forcing it when it was obvious the man didn’t want this. Of course, Daniel was also right. It was something that had to be done. Something he couldn’t escape unless he did it. Something regardless of his own will. As he usually did, Jae-il deleted his emotions and reached out his hand. A vacant gaze fell upon the crown of the man’s head. The sooner he finished this formal and boring sequence, the better.
“I am Ha Jae-il.”
Jae-il extended his hand with a dry voice.