Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Unregistered Guide
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"Good points aside, there are plenty of downsides too, aren't there? Even among Awakeners, Guides don't have the power to protect themselves like Espers do."
"But I heard Guides are the only ones who can hold an Esper's leash. Unlike Guides who can live without Espers, Espers can't survive without a Guide."
At that, I shook my head firmly.
"A leash? Guides can't completely block their own Guiding. It can happen involuntarily through physical contact alone. Of course, they can adjust the intensity or amount at their discretion, but that's a bit of a stretch to call them the boss."
"But don't Awakeners get to live off a lifetime pension after their service period? That sounds great!"
"How much is a 'lifetime pension' really worth? Besides, the service period is three years—who knows what could happen during that time?"
"Uh... Sister, do you hate Awakeners or something?"
After I kept spouting nothing but negatives, the female part-timer started peeking at me cautiously. The male part-timer blinked, sensing the awkward vibe.
"Noona, you know way more about Awakeners than I thought. You always seem so uninterested, so I figured you didn't know much. Did you look it up?"
"Ah, a friend of mine works at the Center..."
"I had no idea Guides can't completely block Guiding. So if they touch an Esper, you can definitely tell if they're a Guide, right?"
"Well... It's not completely blockable, but they can dial it down to the absolute limit where no one would notice."
"Really? How do you know that? I've never heard anything like it."
How did I know?
Of course I knew. Because I'm that Guide.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Since Han Se-young and Yang Hyun-woo both worked at the Center, it was easy for me to pick up info on Awakeners.
Roughly eight months ago, I was spending the day sandwiched between the two of them.
As usual, I half-listened to their Awakener chit-chat with one ear while inwardly cursing the whole mess.
Espers who risk death without Guiding, Guides forced to hold their lifelines...
Plenty of people dealt with it publicly out of necessity, but since Guiding happened through contact, it wasn't uncommon for Espers and Guides to end up as couples.
That's why the matching rate between Espers and Guides was often compared to the red string of fate.
It wasn't entirely wrong. The only difference was that it felt more like a red string woven from blood than some romantic destiny.
Either way, it had nothing to do with me. My mandatory test results from before had classified me as a non-Awakener.
Actually, the most disorienting part after returning to my original world wasn't the Awakener stuff at all—it was the total absence of my abilities.
Back when I was Amelia, I'd fought in wars as a Healer by absorbing and releasing life force. But once I returned to being Kim Yu-jeong, those powers vanished.
The loss itself didn't bother me.
It had been Amelia's ability from the start, so it made sense that Kim Yu-jeong couldn't use it. I could accept that.
The problem was that while the healing power was gone, the sensation of using it remained.
That day, lost in those thoughts, I lightly nicked the tip of my finger with the knife I was using to peel fruit.
I tried channeling my ability into the bleeding finger, but I only felt the familiar gathering—no healing happened.
It was like trying to write: I could feel the pen gliding, but nothing appeared on the paper.
"Yu-jeong! Why would you self-harm...!"
Yang Hyun-woo, mid-conversation with Han Se-young, snatched my arm in a panic. Clang—the knife hit the floor.
"Look! It's not bad at all."
"Yeah. I slipped while peeling the fruit."
I glanced at Yang Hyun-woo. He'd clearly seen what I did and called it self-harm, but he wouldn't rat me out to Han Se-young straight-up.
That would lead to a huge fuss about calling my parents and all that.
As I stared at him, annoyed at the hassle, I noticed the shock in his eyes. His trembling pupils shifted from my arm to my face.
"...Yu-jeong, you're a Guide?"
And just like that, I learned a truth I never wanted to know.
That I was an Awakener—a Guide, no less.
That day, I realized the healing ability I'd used as Amelia had been replaced by Guiding.
Since the cat was out of the bag, I ran a bunch of tests on Yang Hyun-woo, who was an Esper. Turns out our matching rate was pretty high, and I might belong to a fairly high Guide rank.
"This is insane..."
"That's incredible, Yu-jeong!"
...Please don't tell me it's C-rank or higher?
A potentially high rank was the last thing I wanted. Awakeners C-rank and above had to serve three mandatory years unless there were special circumstances.
After just one year of rest, I'd get dragged back into the fray? No thanks.
The one lesson I'd learned rolling through that romance-fantasy world for seven years was this: you don't need to be amazing. Just live peacefully, doing what you want. That's the best life.
I'd had my fill of special treatment for seven years already. And I'd gained the profound insight that the more skills you have, the more exhausted you get.
I grabbed Yang Hyun-woo's shoulders with the most serious face I'd ever made and locked eyes with him.
"Hyun-woo, keep my Awakener status a secret. You too, Se-young."
"Huh? But if you get tested, you'd get state support..."
It'd be great if that support was free.
"Promise me! Absolutely keep it secret. Nod if you get it."
The kind-hearted Yang Hyun-woo looked puzzled—why hide when Awakeners get all the spotlight?—but he promised to keep it quiet since I seemed so desperate.
Han Se-young felt the same way, and they've both kept their word to this day.
Awakeners aren't that common to begin with, and unless you go to specific zones, daily life doesn't overlap much.
Plus, as someone experienced in controlling my abilities, I kept my Guide waves suppressed in everyday situations, which helped maintain the peace.
From experiments, even D-rank Esper Yang Hyun-woo said he couldn't tell I was a Guide like this.
I snapped out of my thoughts and got back to hustling. Lunch rush was hitting, and the cafe was getting crowded.
"Sister, I missed an order—could you take the warmed basil pesto panini over instead?"
"What number?"
"Table 8!"
This cafe was unique: every seat had a call bell.
Aside from takeout, we had to bring menus to seated customers, take orders, and serve them ourselves.
"Table 8... Ah."
Scanning around with a tray of food, I spotted table 8 and frowned slightly.
The man from the rumors was sitting there.
"...Excuse me. Your order is ready."
The man just gave a slight nod, eyes glued to his phone.
Up close, his face really did stand out—like it belonged in higher definition than everything else. No wonder people were making a fuss.
I set the panini plate down on the table, arranged the utensils neatly, and picked up the tray. That's when I belatedly noticed the fork was precariously hooked on the table's edge.
That'll fall any second.
Worried it'd drop, I reached for the fork.
But right then, still staring at his phone, the man grabbed the fork—and I ended up placing my hand right on top of his.
...Huh?
My brain glitched for a few seconds.
Something warm under my palm—what was that? Why was the fork hot? His hand was sturdy and bony, unlike his refined features.
This... isn't the fork?
The realization hit late. I yanked my hand back.
"Sorry! I wasn't trying anything—I was just going for the fork and accidentally grabbed your hand instead. It looked like it was about to fall off the table, so I reached to catch it, but I messed up and grabbed the wrong thing..."
I babbled excuses in a rush. Women sometimes asked for his number or flirted at the cafe, and I didn't want to be mistaken for one of them.
But on second thought, all this over-explaining probably sounded weirder.
"...Haha, enjoy your meal."
I tried to bolt, but he grabbed my hand. Hesitantly turning back, I saw his large hand enveloping mine.
He'd even pulled his eyes from his phone and was staring intently at our joined hands. His long lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks—it was almost artistic for a split second—until my head cleared with a chill.
—No matter the reason, if anyone saw this, I'd become the rumor mill's star.
I wrenched my hand free with force and immediately scanned the room.
Luckily, the place was too busy for anyone to notice.
Still, he was a hot topic, so I couldn't fully relax. To smooth things over, I asked casually,
"Is there something on my hand?"
I hoped he'd say yeah, something stuck between his fingers or whatever.
"Ah, looks like something was stuck between my fingers."
"... ."
But he just stared at my withdrawn hand and said nothing more.