Chapter 8
After that, the parents continued their conversation for quite a while before concluding the dinner.
The two little brats were making a racket, saying things like “Hyung, stay over,” or “No, come play at my house,” but they quieted down after receiving a bit of scolding from their respective parents. I just coolly said, “Let’s meet tomorrow,” and returned home.
* * *
Nothing particularly happened the next day, but the day after that was the problem.
Physical examination.
We already knew we would manifest as Espers and Guides, but the issue was that our classmates didn’t know.
“There’s a Guide in our class!”
Rumors spread quickly after the Esper and Guide manifestation examination.
At first, only our classmates vaguely noticed there was a Guide in the class, but before I knew it, all eleven classes knew about it. By lunchtime, the entire school knew, to the point where even sixth graders would peek through the doorway to catch a glimpse.
Of course, the Esper was accurately rumored to be Yoon Cheong.
It wasn’t so much a rumor as a confirmation.
From the beginning, there were already stories circulating that Yoon Cheong was likely to be an Esper due to his appearance. Elementary school kids’ observational skills were surprisingly impressive.
Moreover, since those who manifest must transfer schools immediately, as soon as Yoon Cheong was identified as a potential manifestation, he received a transfer notice.
“Who’s the Guide?”
“Since Cheong is in our class, maybe the Guide is in another class?”
Around the time these conversations were spreading, Yoon Cheong had just received his notice and put it in his bag when the teacher called my name, holding a Guide-related notification that had arrived a bit later.
The first-grade class 3 kids who had been looking for the Guide immediately spread the word to their friends after confirming it was me, disappearing here and there.
It’s actually not that common for an Esper to emerge from a school, let alone having a Guide in the same class—what incredible odds.
Though I knew in advance, the teacher giving me the notice seemed surprised at the jaw-dropping probability.
Additionally, the excitement was heightened because there hadn’t been any potential Esper or Guide students in the previous three years.
How could it be easy to meet Espers, who make up about 0.1% of the total Korean population, or Guides, who are even rarer, at school?
Even then, you could only see them to some extent in Seoul, where the land is small but densely populated, or in Gyeonggi or metropolitan cities. The further you go into the provinces, the more likely you are to only see Espers and Guides in TV news reports about gate clearings.
Perhaps it’s fortunate we’re in Seoul. Though kids were chattering about getting autographs in advance, they thankfully didn’t rush at us.
“They say a characteristic of Espers is that they’re really handsome, and Cheong definitely fits that.”
“But what about Guides?”
“Guides are supposed to be ordinary-looking.”
“But that one is…”
“Good-looking… ordinary…”
The children who had been talking enthusiastically glanced around before lowering their voices and whispering among themselves.
To ordinary people, Guides tend to look or feel not much different from regular people.
So, Yeohoon’s father was the most unusual case.
“Why~ That Guide Oh Chan-seok? He’s not exactly ordinary! He’s extremely handsome.”
“Because he was a singer? But he doesn’t appear much on TV these days. My mom said she used to be a big fan. She still has that thing at home. The thing you hold to cheer.”
Hearing about something with writing on it, I assume they mean a placard.
The kids who were glancing at me while talking about the uncle are keeping their voices too low for me to hear, which is somewhat hurtful.
Even before my regression, I hadn’t particularly dated anyone, and my own comfort was more important than having a partner, so I never paid much attention to my appearance. Still, hearing them talk about looks like that is frustrating even for someone with a thick skin. And they’re just elementary school kids.
Plus, the seat next to me belongs to Yoon Cheong.
A high-level prospective Esper who would eventually be rated S-class.
People who came to see the interesting Guide would nod at Yoon Cheong’s appearance, and inevitably I caught their attention too for being his seatmate.
Is that the Guide? I heard someone say, and I turned to look at Yoon Cheong.
“Now we won’t be able to attend school quietly.”
“We can just go as usual.”
“People will keep acting like this.”
We couldn’t hide it, and it would continue until we transferred to an Esper-Guide specialized school.
The truth is, I’m the one who’s extremely bothered.
Yoon Cheong could just think, “I’ve always attracted attention for my looks, so being an Esper is just another reason people look at me,” and continue as usual. But for me, who could have remained inconspicuous as just Yoon Cheong’s desk partner or friend even when next to him, this attention was more burdensome.
Before my regression, until I manifested, I had a reasonable amount of attention-seeking tendencies for my age, a bit of arrogance, and tended to be quite cocky due to the love I received from my parents.
As soon as I received the notice that I would become a Guide, I ran straight to the faculty office and excitedly called my mom and dad, shouting, “I’m going to be a Guide!” As a result, all the teachers in the office found out.
That wasn’t all. I told every friend I met, “I’m going to be a Guide,” removing any mystery or specialness from being a Guide. There’s a different impact between others whispering about something and proudly announcing it yourself.
I could just do it like before my regression without being self-conscious, but with my current mental age and state, that was impossible, so I just collapsed onto my desk.
“The teacher is coming. You should put that in your bag quickly.”
Yoon Cheong said something to me that I would normally have nagged him about.
With a deep sigh, I carefully folded the notice, put it in my bag, and raised my collapsed body to sit properly.
“But you’re pretty, so it’s okay. Their eyes must be wrong.”
“…You’re really random.”
Although I disliked standing out, the most difficult part was all the rumors, but Yoon Cheong seemed to have misunderstood why I was dejected.
“It’s not because of my appearance…”
“Then why are you down?”
“It’s just burdensome.”
It was very burdensome to have people focus on me and to have them overlap my image with the noble Guide image portrayed in media.
As a D-class Guide who preferred being ordinary, I didn’t particularly like being in the spotlight, and what was important to me was earning better than others and living well as a Guide.
In elementary school, with a child’s mind, I boasted about having something different from others because it made me feel special, but afterward, when I went to middle school like other children and puberty arrived around the time of manifestation, I realized that I wasn’t really a “special person.”
While guiding ability might be a “special ability” that manifests in only a few, Moon Soo-young as a person wasn’t “special,” so my feelings of pride faded.
My parents’ influence played a role too.
Mom and Dad always said that it wasn’t about me being special or able to do something great, but about using my ability to help others and prevent them from getting hurt. About watching over those who enter gates to protect people, and stabilizing Espers who become sensitive after exerting all their energy upon return.
Toward the end of my puberty, when I was thinking about “myself” and being a “Guide,” the final words from my mom, who had consistently received association education as a Guide’s parent, played a decisive role in me developing a calmness similar to what I have now.
“A Guide ultimately pushes Espers back into the battlefield. When you see Espers entering and exiting gates, they cherish their Guides immensely. Even when they’re covered in blood and in pain, they never put their Guides in danger. I’m a selfish mother who is relieved that Soo-young will be a Guide who returns protected, not an Esper who returns severely injured, but still, I hope Soo-young will calmly help Espers a little more for their sake.”
That’s how I ended up joining the association right after high school graduation.
Because I wanted to help other Espers regardless of their rank, with what little power I had.
Actually, my thinking isn’t much different now, but the problem was this guy and the one a year younger.
“You’re still pretty. Even if he doesn’t like it, he’d admit that.”
Even when I responded nonchalantly or showed an annoyed face, these guys focused their attention solely on me.
Since the two weren’t Espers yet, they weren’t seeing me as a Guide. Nevertheless, they followed me around constantly.
Since they weren’t Espers yet and I wasn’t a Guide, I wasn’t feeling any kind of inseparable attraction, but rather, I found myself unknowingly softening toward these little brats and taking care of them.
I was seeing them not as Espers I would guide, but as a same-age friend and a younger brother I needed to look after.
Perhaps because of this, both of them looked at me with pure eyes, as if they knew I would never harm them.
“Even so, you’ll go to an Esper school, and I’ll manifest as a low-rank Guide, so I won’t need to transfer. We probably won’t see each other much until we become adults.”
“I know. That can’t be helped.”
Though Yoon Cheong found Yeohoon annoying, he consistently engaged with him because I wanted them to be friends.
Though Yeohoon disliked Yoon Cheong, he consistently invited him because I wanted them to do things together.
So I decided that, even if not exclusively, I would watch over these two as long as they grew up normally.
As I was about to leave the classroom with my bag, greetings came from all around.
After all, they were my classmates, so when I waved my hand, the little ones who had been cautious brightened up and poured out their greetings.
“Soo-young! Soo-young! Get home safely! Give me your autograph later!”
“You’re not becoming a celebrity! See you tomorrow!”
“Soo-young! I didn’t say anything because you didn’t seem to like it! But you’re really handsome!”
But why are these elementary school kids’ reactions a bit different from before my regression?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
