Chapter 42
A Guide was carried away.
A Haste-type Esper student carried Guide Oh Ji-hyun, and the Guide class teachers ran along with them.
Since reverse guiding involves a Guide taking on the pain that an Esper would feel, when a Guide takes on the intensity of pain an Esper experiences, it’s naturally difficult for a Guide’s physical body to endure.
Among these cases, severe ones like Ji Yeohoon’s uncle who experienced cardiac arrest weren’t common. Reverse guiding usually occurred when an Esper had already used a lot of their ability and was in severe pain, or when a Guide tried to care for multiple Espers at once.
The student who collapsed could be considered a normal case of reverse guiding.
But I knew it wasn’t.
“Must have been a low matching rate?”
Yoon Cheong’s opinion was the common one.
Which Esper would deliberately reject a Guide to cause reverse guiding?
Ye Han-dam, with his pink, fluffy impression, rather had a sorrowful expression on his face.
“This is serious. I wonder if I won’t be able to receive guiding here either?”
At these words, the Guide students in the class flinched.
The phrase “here either” meant that this had happened before.
Was it deliberate, or was he saying it because he genuinely felt that way? It wasn’t certain.
If he hadn’t received proper guiding, his pain would already be chronic, so if reverse guiding occurred while guiding Ye Han-dam, the Guide would experience more severe pain than from other Espers.
And I couldn’t help thinking that this bastard was deliberately speaking this way.
His tone suggested that Guides would naturally avoid him.
While he created this situation, he was somehow making the Guides feel guilty with a voice that created tension.
Was it because reverse guiding had never occurred to anyone in the classroom until now?
The fear of reverse guiding, and the fear of Espers, was being planted as seeds through Ye Han-dam’s words.
“Seems the matching rate wasn’t compatible.”
And preventing those seeds from sprouting wasn’t a job for children.
I had no intention of leaving it to children either.
“Ye Han-dam, don’t you need to receive guiding regardless?”
Since it wasn’t something that students with few obligations and responsibilities should shoulder, I stepped forward.
“Teacher, the transfer student seems to need guiding. After all, it didn’t work well with Oh Ji-hyun earlier.”
The Guide class teachers had already rushed out with the collapsed Oh Ji-hyun.
The person I requested guiding from was the assistant homeroom teacher of the Esper class.
In an Esper-Guide school, Guide teachers must have above-average Esper matching rates to care for students.
If reverse guiding occurred even with the teacher, I thought I could subtly push this issue to our guild.
The assistant homeroom teacher of the Esper class approached and extended a hand to Ye Han-dam.
This would confirm whether Ye Han-dam was directly causing reverse guiding, or if it was happening despite his wishes.
Ye Han-dam repeatedly and deliberately causing reverse guiding until he finally went berserk would happen five years from now.
If that young kid became twisted due to experiencing reverse guiding multiple times and that future incident occurred, I would need to help him from now. But if he was deliberately causing it at such a young age, measures would need to be taken.
“Ah…”
The teacher guiding Ye Han-dam also eventually clutched his chest.
The students were surprised by the reverse guiding that only I had expected, but soon the teacher got up saying he was fine.
Seeing Ye Han-dam briefly make an extremely bitter expression when no one was looking, then smiling as if nothing happened, I could finally be certain.
The current Ye Han-dam wasn’t yet the pink demon who deliberately caused reverse guiding.
He was an eighteen-year-old high school student hurt by unwanted reverse guiding.
That seemed somewhat fortunate, but my worries only deepened.
How do I solve this?
* * *
After school ended, I returned to the dormitory, sent Ji Yeohoon a message saying I wouldn’t let him get away with skipping meals, and had dinner.
Until bedtime, Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon were busily chatting on voice chat.
“…So are you going for Master?”
“Yeah. They said let’s try for it since we’re already playing.”
Weren’t you two fighting until recently?
They were raising their tiers so quickly that I wondered if they would have become pro gamers if they hadn’t manifested as Espers.
Here I am with a headache because of the pink-haired future demon, while these guys have no idea.
I can’t tell these clueless guys that he’ll become a demon who goes around causing reverse guiding terror later…
And I’d be the bad guy if I asked these two to deal with someone who hasn’t done anything wrong yet.
But he still needs guiding.
Seriously, what Esper has this many instances of reverse guiding?
Espers instinctively prefer guiding. This means they’re eager to receive guiding even if there’s just a slight compatibility.
That applies both mentally and physically.
But to have reverse guiding happen consecutively like this?
I ran my hands through my hair, continuously racking my brain.
They say shout “Go” even if you can’t eat when you feel something might be possible.
But you should only shout “Go” when you’re certain.
“By the way, why do you have to play games in my room?”
“…”
“Go back.”
Are you trying to tease Ji Yeohoon? Since they had microphones set up and were chattering, my voice naturally went into their voice chat too.
As it approached 9 o’clock, I grabbed the chair and moved it, telling them to go back, which made Yoon Cheong look disappointed, and Ji Yeohoon, though not visible, made a disappointed sound.
“Get ready for bed quickly. You too, Ji Yeohoon.”
– Hyung, just one more thing.
“What?”
– I don’t know what you’re worried about, but it’ll work out fine.
“…What?”
“Exactly what he said. It’ll work out.”
“What are you talking about?”
– I’m logging off first, good night. Yoon Cheong hyung, sleep well or don’t, whatever.
The chat turned off.
Yoon Cheong looked at the monitor with an annoyed expression for a moment, then stared at me with a face that seemed to say not to worry.
These guys know nothing but are so quick to pick up on things. I was so dumbfounded that I smacked his back.
“Grow up, will you? Stop just pretending to be mature, you bastards.”
“Ow! Why, I am mature, just me…!”
Maybe because his body is firm, my hand hurts more.
“Ji Yeohoon isn’t even here!”
Yoon Cheong, whose back was making slapping sounds under my hand, became dejected and looked at me.
I looked at him for a moment before extending my hand.
“What?”
“Let me try guiding you for a bit.”
“Suddenly?”
I held Yoon Cheong’s hand and checked one thing.
Different from usual, but familiar to me.
He was quietly holding my hand, but he seemed to feel something was strange and moved his head.
“Why is it less?”
“What is?”
“Compared to usual, it’s a bit… uh…”
Yoon Cheong seemed to think something was strange but couldn’t figure out what exactly.
“Be quiet and go now.”
“What is it, what did you do?”
“Good night.”
I chased the confused Yoon Cheong out of the room and lay down on the bed.
Then I picked up my phone and sent messages.
[Guild Master, this is Moon Soo-young. Could you tell me the Research Team Leader’s phone number? I have something to ask.]
[Teacher, this is Moon Soo-young from the Guide class, I have something to ask.]
* * *
The next day, the atmosphere in the class was different from usual, unsettled.
Oh Ji-hyun, who was carried away yesterday, had no major issues but would rest for one more day, so that seemed reasonable, but…
The children who had tried to talk to the transfer student until yesterday were now just awkwardly greeting him.
“What’s going on, why is everyone so quiet?”
As Yoon Cheong and I entered the classroom, the triplets hesitantly approached.
“The Guide class homeroom teacher went to the infirmary because of reverse guiding…”
“What?”
What’s this now? Reverse guiding happened again?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
