Churu for the Angry Guide – Chapter 127

127

Siwoo, assessed as SS-rank, received special treatment from the first day of training. Not only was he assigned a dedicated training instructor just for him, but they even set up a training schedule tailored to his desired intensity. This was unheard of treatment for a new guide.

The instructor said it would take about two weeks to be ready for the field. However, Siwoo insisted on a plan to finish within just one week.

It was an unreasonable request, but the instructor accepted it. Despite being a newcomer, his jaw-dropping rank made it impossible to disregard his opinion.

Moreover, he was the dedicated guide for the Baekya Guild. If he’s the guide for the Baekya Guild, not just any other guild, then they should accommodate everything.

“Guide Han Siwoo, would you like to take a short break?”

The instructor, carrying a towel, supported Siwoo as he emerged from a long cylindrical machine. Inside the machine, monster wavelengths were being emitted in stages. The training involved enduring these wavelengths while emitting guiding energy above a certain level. Even an hour of this would leave one’s entire body drenched in sweat and feeling dizzy.

“We’ll start the next training after you’ve rested sufficiently. Please take a comfortable break.”

The instructor personally escorted Siwoo to the entrance of the break room. Siwoo, not yet accustomed to monster wavelengths, was exhausted after each training session. Nevertheless, he was eager to start the next practice quickly.

“I’ll… rest for just 10 minutes.”

“You can rest longer. Here, eat the lunch box you brought too.”

The instructor treated Siwoo with a constant smile. He was a team leader-level guide, far older and more experienced than Siwoo. However, from their first meeting, he used extremely polite language with Siwoo and showed excessive courtesy. And it wasn’t just him; everyone did.

“Hello, Guide Han Siwoo. You’re working hard today too!”

“Aren’t you thirsty? Would you like some water?”

All the guides, including the instructors, greeted Siwoo with a kind attitude. Siwoo found their kindness awkward. Even though it was already the third day of training, he couldn’t get used to the excessive attention and kindness directed at him.

Today again, Siwoo ran to the outdoor terrace, avoiding those who tried to talk to him, and sat in the most secluded spot. Already sufficiently tired from training, he just wanted to rest alone.

“He does look a bit different.”

“There must be a reason the Baekya Guild took him. And look at his rank.”

Just before the outdoor terrace door closed, whispers reached Siwoo’s ears. Though it wasn’t criticism, it still made him uncomfortable.

Nothing has changed about me. In just one day, people’s attitudes towards him had completely changed. Just because his guild affiliation and rank were revealed, everyone smiled at him when they made eye contact and spoke to him in a friendly manner.

Siwoo, who had been ostracized and insulted all his life for being a cat beastkin, couldn’t adapt to this warm atmosphere. He couldn’t.

Honestly, it all felt fake to him. Anyone would think so if they felt eyes scanning them up and down while mouths smiled. Not everyone was like that, but most looked at Siwoo with evaluating eyes. Having grown up sensitive to others’ gazes, he keenly detected their stares.

Siwoo shook his head and focused on his heavy lunch bag. Since starting training, his appetite had quickly revived. In fact, he was eating even more than before.

“Wow, damn. Looks delicious.”

When he opened the lunch box lid, plump grilled eel gleamed. He had already eaten what Kang Geonho gave him for breakfast, and this was prepared by Yoo Jihan. He had tucked the one from the youngest deep in his bag to eat for dinner. They packed Siwoo’s lunch every day without fail. Even when he said it was okay, they stubbornly filled his lunch bag to the brim.

Of course, he refused verbally, but he felt good about it. There was no reason to dislike being given delicious food. Even though they were far apart, eating the food they provided made him feel like they were together.

As he was stuffing a large piece of eel into his mouth, people on the outdoor terrace greeted him with their eyes. Siwoo quickly swallowed without fully chewing and bowed his head deeply. He quickly devoured his lunch with a fierce expression to prevent anyone from talking to him.

‘I thought you’d be uncomfortable.’

At that moment, Kang Taebeom’s voice unexpectedly came to mind. Siwoo’s chopsticks slowed as the low voice filled his head.

Kang Taebeom must have known. That I would be this uncomfortable.

Siwoo wiped his sauce-stained mouth while mulling over the conversation he had with Kang Taebeom. The cold face that came to mind with the low voice lingered before his eyes, refusing to disappear.

There had been no contact from the leader. Despite receiving such a high rank that everyone was making a fuss, not even a single text message.

Is he that busy? Or is he not interested?

It seemed like it could be both reasons. With an ambiguous feeling, he poked at the grilled eel before shoving it into his mouth.

Even though it hadn’t been long since he had filled his stomach with breakfast, he was quickly hungry again. It seemed he was getting hungry quickly from using a lot of energy.

Siwoo was adapting to the training at an astonishing rate. Although his physical strength was weak, his guiding energy was superior to that of the instructors.

Since starting full-contact guiding, he had been growing by leaps and bounds every day, as if undergoing a second awakening. As if it had been waiting, wavelengths became easily readable and he could control guiding at will. He showed incredible learning ability, enough to surprise even himself.

The problem was physical strength. Damn physical strength.

As he was busily filling his stomach, relying on the strength from food, someone placed a canned drink on Siwoo’s table with a thud.

“Eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion.”

Siwoo flinched at the unfamiliar voice and paused as he raised his head.

“You’re Guide Han Siwoo, right?”

A woman who looked about the same age as the Guide Team Leader was smiling calmly. His wariness towards the stranger soon turned into curiosity about her combat uniform.

A faint aura of the gate emanated from the woman’s combat uniform. It seemed she had just come from working in the field.

“I’m Yoon Soha, the dedicated guide for the Hwayeon Guild.”

The woman pointed to the chair opposite Siwoo and asked if she could sit. Siwoo glanced at her combat uniform and nodded slightly.

It was his first time directly facing a guide who worked in the field. Moreover, being the dedicated guide for the Hwayeon Guild meant she was quite high-ranking. Hwayeon was as famous as the Seowol Guild.

“Were you surprised that I suddenly approached you? I’m sorry. I came while working because I wanted to meet you quickly.”

Guide Yoon Soha seemed to have a gentle personality matching her calm tone. Her measured speech and modest smile eased Siwoo’s wariness.

“I heard about your rank. Congratulations. SS-rank, wow.”

Unable to find words to respond, Siwoo just examined her combat uniform. There were traces here and there as if monster blood had been wiped off. The dagger and gun at her waist also showed signs of long use.

“I heard you want to do field guiding. Is that right?”

“…Yes.”

“It won’t be easy, but I think you’ll do well. Your rank is excellent, and you’re full of enthusiasm.”

The woman looked at Siwoo’s face with its soft downy hair and continued the conversation while drinking the beverage she had brought for herself.

“The Baekya Guild is full of excellent people, so they’ll take good care of you. So, you just need to take good care of yourself.”

Siwoo, who had been distracted by the woman’s combat uniform, belatedly felt puzzled. Why is she telling me these things? We’re not even acquainted.

The woman smiled silently, reading Siwoo’s puzzled expression. She seemed to ponder how to explain, then calmly opened her mouth.

“I’m very interested in nurturing outstanding juniors. And I tend to meddle a bit.”

It seemed like a hastily made-up answer, but she didn’t appear to be a bad person. Rather, the opposite.

“If you have any questions, ask me anything. Here’s my number.”

She wrote her number on a napkin and told him to contact her when convenient. Unfortunately, she said she only came to greet him today and checked her watch. It seemed she had just taken a short break to come.

“Well, as your senior, I’ll just tell you this for now.”

Guide Yoon Soha drained her drink in one go and then held up her straight index finger.

“Don’t guide until your heart hurts.”

Despite the sudden turn in the conversation, Siwoo listened silently.

“It’s your body sending a warning signal. Never ignore it. Understand?”

Siwoo’s lips moved slightly before he nodded ambiguously. In fact, he had already experienced his left chest aching a few times. It would hurt briefly after guiding but be fine the next day. So he didn’t think it was a big problem.

“Remember this. Guide Han Siwoo. Our bodies are different from espers.”

The woman, making direct eye contact with Siwoo, pressed the table gently as if holding his hand. Her calm gaze carried traces of deep years and experience.

“We are weaker than we think, and espers are stronger than we expect.”

She cautioned him not to forget this fact, then suddenly blinked and opened her mouth with an “Ah.”

“I need to go now. I think my partner has woken up.”

Siwoo stood up abruptly, as if mesmerized, following the woman who immediately rose from her seat.

“How do you know that?”

Although they had just met, he somehow wanted to talk more. He had many questions for her, who seemed experienced in field missions.

“Because we’re imprinted.”

Imprinting. It was still an unfamiliar term to Siwoo. The woman looked at Siwoo blinking his clear eyes and took a moment to add an explanation.

“When you’re imprinted, you can feel each other’s sensations even from far away. You can immediately tell when they’re hurt or sad too.”

“Can you know their emotions too?”

“Yes, so we can’t hide anything from each other.”

The woman chuckled and gently patted Siwoo’s shoulder.

“Get some rest now. Don’t overdo it.”

She sat Siwoo down in the chair before quickly leaving the break room.

Left alone, Siwoo pondered over her words with a blank expression.

“Imprinting…”

Imprinting. A word he thought would never be relevant to him suddenly stuck in his mind. Along with the face of someone who wasn’t present.

Author: Hyacinthus B

Hyacinthus