I’m Going Home Now 6

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Chapter 6

“What if that Guide refuses? Then will I try with someone else…?”

“That won’t happen. Guide Choi Haegang won’t refuse a dedicated contract. If he had intended to refuse, he wouldn’t have come to the Association in the first place.”

“Is… that so?”

“We’re not asking you for a lifelong contract. We’re only requesting it temporarily.”

“Why specifically me…”

“I’m sorry, but there are both Guide Choi Haegang’s personal circumstances and Esper Baek Dohyun’s situation to consider.”

Dohyun doesn’t know his ability as an Esper. However, being S-class, the amount of energy he can use is immense. Because of this, while he’s fine now, he needs a Guide with a high matching rate in case problems arise.

Not just in Korea but worldwide, it’s rare for an S-class Esper or Guide to have a high matching rate with a high-class Awakened one of B-class or higher. As Espers increase in rank, they can use more energy, but this also means they require more vigor during Guiding. Even if it’s not needed right now, once he’s able to properly use his abilities, he’ll need Guiding, and at that time, it might be difficult to immediately find a high-class Guide—that was the Team Leader’s explanation. Especially since most high-class Guides are freelancers.

‘Deputy Manager, I’m sorry, but I’m a bit pressed for time.’

He recalled how busy Haegang had seemed. But if he’s such a busy person, wouldn’t it be better to contract with someone else? Even if the matching rate is relatively worse.

“Someone else?”

Perhaps because he was thinking deeply, his thoughts seemed to leak out again. Dohyun shifted his gaze at the Team Leader’s question. The Team Leader smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry, he’s just pretending to be busy, Esper Baek Dohyun. Wouldn’t it be better to have one Guide with a high matching rate and high rank, rather than receiving Guiding from multiple Guides?”

“Uh… I suppose so?”

“If not just Guide Choi Haegang… you’d have to undergo matching rate tests until finding a Guide with a decent rate, and even if you find one with a good matching rate, if their rank is low and their vigor is limited, you’d need to contract with multiple Guides.”

The Team Leader’s words hit Dohyun hard. Choose one person with whom the first meeting was ruined, or uncomfortably work with multiple people? Dohyun’s answer was already decided. After hesitating, he finally opened his mouth.

“Yes… if Guide Choi Haegang is okay with it… I’ll work with him temporarily…”

“You’ve made a good decision.”

“Only if I absolutely have to…”

“I’m telling you this because you absolutely have to.”

The Team Leader’s words were too resolute to be considered mere suggestions. Somehow feeling like he’d been baited, Dohyun was strangely easily persuaded by the Team Leader in front of him. Reluctantly, he nodded.

It wasn’t easy for Dohyun to open up to someone he’d just met, but the Team Leader effortlessly made him agree. Normally, he would have refused. As Dohyun sank into thought, the Team Leader made an apologetic face.

“I’ll also look into suitable guilds for Esper Baek Dohyun to join. Among the documents I gave you, there’s a guild list. Until you properly understand your ability, you’ll likely join most places on a temporary basis, but…”

“Ah, I’ll handle that myself.”

Dohyun shook his head at the mention of guilds.

If he had to join anyway, it would be better to go where he knew people. Dohyun sent a message to Chan.

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As soon as he made contact, Chan and another Esper in charge of the handover arrived.

“See, you should have just come to our guild when I told you to!”

“So Baek Dohyun Esper’s acquaintance was you guys.”

“Yes. We’re high school classmates.”

“Esper Baek Dohyun, it’s fortunate you have a familiar place. It’s a trustworthy guild, so you can rest assured.”

Chan and the Team Leader seemed familiar with each other as they conversed. Were they acquainted? The Team Leader spoke with a somewhat relieved expression.

“I’ll also inform Guide Choi Haegang to go to the guild tomorrow.”

For Dohyun, this sounded like hell. There was no need to specifically inform him. Dohyun swallowed the words that rose to his throat. Distinguishing when to speak and when to remain silent was too difficult for him. Seeing Dohyun’s wavering eyes, the Team Leader smiled.

“If anything goes wrong at the guild, you can contact the Awakened Support Team. We’ll take immediate action. Since this isn’t an official membership yet, please also contact us if you need to move to another guild. The Association will provide legal advice and assistance.”

After greeting the Team Leader, Dohyun got into the car Chan had arrived in. He briefly introduced himself to the pink-haired Esper, whose name seemed familiar. Where had he heard it…? Just as Dohyun was deeply pondering this.

“When Espers manifest, their hair or eye color often changes due to energy influence, hyung. You said your hair was originally black too.”

“That’s right.”

“Will Bbakdo’s change too?”

This was a conversation about him that he wasn’t participating in. Dohyun, with no intention of interrupting, simply stared out the window, though secretly curious and occasionally glancing over. The Esper smiled.

“It varies from person to person, but it tends to change the more you use your ability. I didn’t start changing immediately after manifesting either.”

Light blue eyes moved beneath light pink hair. Wouldn’t such colors stand out too much? Dohyun turned to check his own appearance in the rearview mirror. Dark hair and eye color. Just like the majority of non-Espers—ordinary.

He slightly shifted his gaze to observe the Esper waiting for the traffic signal while holding the steering wheel. The vibrant colors were eye-catching but didn’t feel awkward. It was as if he had been born with such brilliant colors from the beginning. Why did this flamboyance, which wouldn’t suit Dohyun at all if he tried to imagine it on himself, seem to fit this person so well?

Their eyes briefly met through the rearview mirror. Dohyun flinched and looked away again. Ah, I see.

“It’s because you were born with features that suit it well…”

In Dohyun’s eyes, the Esper had looks that matched those colors perfectly. Until they arrived at the guild, Dohyun kept staring at his reflection in the window. He wasn’t particularly fond of his mild-looking appearance.

“There’s something strange.”

“What is it?”

Dohyun glanced at the pink-haired Esper as he brought up the subject.

“It’s fine, go ahead and say it.”

“…When I was talking with the Team Leader earlier.”

Unlike usual, Dohyun had been easily persuaded by the Team Leader despite having just met him. Chan provided the answer to his question.

“Ah, that. It’s probably because the Team Leader is a Guide. You likely felt comfortable without realizing it due to the Guide’s vigor. Small amounts of Guiding happen naturally even when they’re just standing there. Even if you don’t recognize your ability, maybe you instinctively realized that receiving Guiding makes you feel comfortable?”

According to Chan, it was due to an Esper’s instinct to feel comfortable around Guides. Dohyun made a sour expression.

‘The instinct of an Esper is to become weak around Guides.’

Does that mean he could become weak even to someone who dislikes him? The sharp face of Choi Haegang briefly flashed through Dohyun’s mind before disappearing.

“Does this happen every time you see a Guide?”

“Not necessarily. The Awakened Support Team Leader is already famous. He’s a high-class Guide with generally high matching rates.”

That was somewhat reassuring. Dohyun didn’t want to be the only one one-sidedly letting his guard down around the prickly Haegang.

Listening to various explanations while being led to the guild by Chan, Dohyun looked around at the strange atmosphere. This is odd… the guild logo was too familiar. And the pink-haired Esper who drove them…

That strange sense of déjà vu peaked when they entered the Guild Master’s office, as they were told that even temporary members needed to meet the Guild Master.

“Esper Baek Dohyun?”

“Hello.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Guild Master Cheon Somyeong.”

“Yes, hello… What?”

At the unexpected introduction, Dohyun blinked. There was only one Guild Master named “Cheon Somyeong” that he knew of. Seeing Dohyun’s confusion, Chan was shocked.

“What? Don’t tell me… you really didn’t know?”

Somyeong Guild. The first and oldest guild established in South Korea. The guild with the most S-class Awakened ones.

Awakened ones were a frequent topic of conversation among classmates and coworkers, and the story of Somyeong, the number one ranked guild in Korea, was never absent from these discussions. That Somyeong Guild?

Flabbergasted and mouth gaping, Dohyun pressed Chan.

“…Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t you think it’s weirder that you didn’t know?”

“Isn’t it weirder to know that? How could I know if you didn’t tell me?”

“Everyone at school knew…? Please, pay attention to your surroundings for once, you socially-inept bastard…”

He had known that Chan’s parents were guild employees and that Chan planned to join the guild, but he had never thought that guild would be Somyeong. Pouting at the reproach, Chan pounded his chest with his fist in frustration.

Well, in a world where rumors spread about when famous Espers are getting married and where they’re going on their honeymoon, students wouldn’t be unaware that someone belonged to Somyeong Guild, where every story becomes a rumor and news… so why hadn’t he known?

“How could you not know that?”

“I knew your parents worked for a guild…”

“Of course you should know that much. Oh Jaewon and Jung Haesu talked about it so much in the group chat. They mentioned our guild name countless times—did you not see any of that? Or rather, did you even read it?”

Chan’s words finally jogged his memory. He had either pressed and left the group chat where 300 messages would pile up if he didn’t check his phone for just a little while, or marked all notifications as read. Throughout his school years with Chan, he had been forced into the path of being social, so he had completely disregarded matters that didn’t concern him.

“You’re really something else.”

“…Shut up. Please just be quiet.”

“I guess Chan didn’t tell you. Anyway, welcome, Esper Baek Dohyun.”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

He had been so surprised that he’d said all sorts of nonsense in front of someone he was meeting for the first time.

Sitting down across from them and receiving the registration documents, Dohyun hesitated, wondering if this was really okay.

He was uncomfortable relying on others’ goodwill or generosity. Even though it was a temporary membership, he felt he should repay them in some way for the guild’s protection.

Moreover, this was one of the top guilds. This wasn’t like the pre-manifestation minor support program for non-manifested underage Espers that the Association had been gradually recommending before he graduated high school. The guild’s support, even for a non-combat type, was likely offered with the expectation that he could benefit the guild when he manifested.

Sure enough, the Guild Master quickly got to the point.

“A small number of Espers manifest with non-combat abilities. Among those, high-class Awakened ones of A-class or higher can be counted on one hand. Because of this, we have somewhat limited data on why Esper Baek Dohyun can’t use his abilities by moving energy.”

Does that mean even the guild doesn’t know why this happened? Dohyun pressed his lips together at the Guild Master’s words.

“But it’s not unheard of. It’s just the first time it’s happened with a high-class Esper. There have been reports of non-combat Espers struggling to figure out how to use their abilities.”

This was hopeful news. In the case of non-combat Espers, their abilities weren’t the type that directly applied force to living beings or objects. Since there are countless ways to utilize energy, the Guild Master concluded by saying they would help until he could figure it out.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard. We’ll also do our best to find possible methods. If things work out later, don’t forget us, okay?”

Dohyun nodded at the Guild Master’s words. Since kindness without expectation of return made him uncomfortable, it was better if there was even a small way he could repay them.

He thought he could continue living without knowing his ability, but being a half-Esper who constantly needed the Association’s management didn’t seem appealing either. Wouldn’t it be better to cooperate quickly for stability and reduce the hassles?

As he abruptly picked up a pen, Chan reprimanded him.

“Hey, hey. Are you just going to sign without knowing what it says?”

“Are you trying to scam me?”

“Well… no.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

Dohyun wrote his name with a face that showed he didn’t care.

“You’d probably just endure and overlook it even if you got screwed over, wouldn’t you?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Ugh, you have no cuteness at all.”

“Why would you look for that in me?”

Chan shook his head at the curt reply.

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