# Chapter 16
Espers couldn’t enter a place exclusively for Guides without a definite reason.
Knowing this well, Hajin’s Espers demanded a different location, but at Hajin’s persuasion, they reluctantly closed their mouths while pouting their lips.
‘I’ll have to live with these people anyway, so there’s no need to make a bad impression from the start.’
This was one of Hajin’s life principles. To avoid standing out, one had to act like everyone else.
Special treatment, whether good or bad, led to attention. For Hajin, who had to hide his identity, special treatment was necessarily uncomfortable.
While some showing off and special treatment were needed when facing the Chairman to increase his value, such an attitude would be a minus when meeting people he had to work with.
To put it simply, the Chairman was like a CEO scouting Hajin, a unique talent in the world, and the Guides he was about to meet were like the company’s employees.
Of course, unlike a real workplace, it might not matter if Hajin acted like an odd one out, but there was no need to decide on an attitude before even meeting them.
After all, one never knows how life will turn out.
“Just get separate training. Or we could teach you ourselves.”
Han Seungho, who had reluctantly but persistently gotten into the car with Hajin, muttered as if hoping to be heard.
“No thanks. I should learn from professionals.”
But his complaints were ineffective against Hajin’s reasonable words.
“Ugh… when you make so much sense, there’s nothing I can say.”
The Alpha Team inwardly cheered for Han Seungho’s grumbling, but Hajin remained unmoved.
In the end, having failed to persuade Hajin by the time the car stopped in front of the training center, they settled at a nearby café, saying they would wait until he came out.
“Hajin hyung.”
It was Baek Jaan’s voice that stopped Hajin as he was about to enter the building. It had only been a day at most, but his voice had a gentle resonance that somehow gave Hajin goosebumps every time he heard it.
“Have a good time.”
As if feeling like they’d been beaten to the punch, the others also said their goodbyes.
“We’ll be waiting, so come back quickly.”
Han Seungho had promised to always use the “hyung” honorific, but whether he forgot or was unaware, he often omitted it. It was Hajin who had stopped pointing this out.
“If anyone gives you trouble, drop Seungho hyung’s name. Or the captain’s name.”
“I don’t know about the captain, but why are you using my name?”
“Didn’t you know? You’re famous for being cra— Ouch!”
The next person to speak was Lee Doyoon. Hajin found it endearing how, despite his prim appearance, he spoke bluntly but still tried to look out for him while pretending not to.
Of course, if Doyoon knew Hajin thought this way, he would probably deny it frustratedly.
“Then, take care.”
Cha Jinwoo’s voice was the last to bid Hajin farewell, cutting through the commotion. It was just a training session, but the elaborate farewells were startling, though it had been a long time since Hajin had received such a send-off from anyone.
Only then did it truly sink in what it meant to be with these people from now on. Momentarily silent from the unfamiliar feeling, Hajin bowed his head.
“Yes. I’ll be back.”
Still, it was truly awkward and embarrassing, so Hajin hurriedly turned away.
Regardless of not feeling bad, it was embarrassing to have the Espers gathered together saying goodbye like “Dad, take care” just for him going to training, where others could see.
“This is a message from the Chairman. Guide Lee Hajin’s rank has been designated as S-class. The official announcement will be made as soon as Guide Lee Hajin’s training is complete.”
“I understand.”
It wasn’t a bad decision. If anything, Hajin considered it fortunate.
He was already receiving more than enough attention just for being the world’s first S-class Guide. If word got out that his rank was immeasurable, he would surely be under 24-hour close protection and surveillance.
“From here, a training center staff member will guide you.”
Almost before the words were finished, someone who had been waiting approached. Hajin nodded and bid farewell to the person turning to leave, then entered the building.
“Well, well, a VIP has arrived. I wonder why they bring a string of Espers just to receive some training.”
As Hajin followed the guiding staff member, his gaze shifted toward the voice.
The speaker maintained eye contact with Hajin but continued talking loudly, curling one corner of his mouth crookedly as if wanting to be heard.
“Well, being a precious S-class Guide, I suppose that level of escort is necessary.”
“Or maybe he’s just a coward.”
“Guide Han Jiwoo! Guide Min Kyungwon!”
The clustered group giggled and spoke crudely. Seeing this, the guiding staff member called out their names in alarm as if telling them to stop, but they didn’t even blink.
Having joined the Association at a young age, they understood its workings all too well.
They had experienced it firsthand. They knew that no matter how impressive the S-class Guide before them was, the Chairman couldn’t abandon them.
No matter how great an S-class Guide might be, as long as they couldn’t guide all the Espers in the Association, the Association and Espers needed many Guides.
As evidence, even the staff member who had warned them by scolding and calling their names couldn’t take any further action.
The one called Han Jiwoo brazenly replied with an innocent face, as if wondering what the problem was.
“Deputy Manager, what’s wrong? We were just talking amongst ourselves. Surely we’re not forbidden to speak freely in front of the S-class Guide?”
His voice, full of mockery, was enough to provoke anger just by hearing it, but the staff member, addressed as Deputy Manager, couldn’t say a word.
If he upset them and they refused to perform Guiding, claiming they couldn’t do it, he would bear all the responsibility.
Especially Han Jiwoo, who was orchestrating the situation, was an A-class Guide.
He reigned like a king among the Guides and, until Hajin’s arrival, was the only Guide who could guide S-class Espers.
‘Damn. How does this Association raise these kids?’
The Deputy Manager inwardly cursed but kept his mouth shut. He quickly weighed the two parties in his mind.
On one side was a troublemaker who had been around the block, knew his advantages, and knew how to leverage them; on the other was Hajin, who, despite being S-class, still knew nothing and was just going for training.
Which one would be easier to appease?
The deliberation wasn’t long. The Deputy Manager turned around, put on the most apologetic expression he could muster, and looked at Hajin.
“I’ll apologize on their behalf. I’m sorry, Guide Lee Hajin. If you were offended…”
Before he could ask for forgiveness, Hajin shook his head.
“It’s fine. At that age, they can be like that.”
At Hajin’s words, Han Jiwoo’s face twisted into a scowl. Being so openly treated like a child—Han Jiwoo, who had never been treated that way since becoming a Guide, felt his face flush.
However, the Deputy Manager’s face brightened at Hajin’s response.
“Thank you for understanding. Let’s continue to the training center then.”
“Yes.”
Hajin had no particular reason for letting the situation slide. Partly because they were young, and partly because he felt sorry for the Deputy Manager, a man of the same rank as Hajin, who was panicking.
But the primary reason was that he truly wasn’t upset.
These things were common when peer groups formed. Not only had they gathered young children together, but they had also assigned ranks based on their powers—how could these adolescents going through turbulent times remain calm?
Those with higher ranks would act as if they held power, and those with lower ranks would have no choice but to submit.
This pattern was common even outside this place. Schools and companies were the same. Hajin had lost both parents before entering elementary school and was called “orphan kid” whenever people felt like it until he became an adult.
There’s a saying that children are pure, and that’s why they’re frightening. Some children mentioned the absence of parents without intending to hurt, but others knew exactly what it meant and used it to put others down.
At first, Hajin was deeply hurt too. It wasn’t like Hajin was born with an indifferent and resilient personality.
But he got used to being called an orphan. Life was too busy to care. As an orphan without a foundation to support him, how could he afford to worry about what others said?
Instead, Hajin spent that time reading more books and memorizing English words.
‘I’ve been grabbed by the collar and intimidated by the biggest kid among my peers, so when kids act like this…’
At least they weren’t making disrespectful comments about his family.
Compared to the insults Hajin heard when he was young, this level of grumbling was nothing.
However, what Hajin hadn’t considered was that the kids who bullied him were just students, and there were teachers who could stop them.
And the Guides were underdeveloped adults who had been raised preciously from a young age and thought there was nothing above them but the sky.
“That bastard…”
Han Jiwoo gritted his teeth as he watched Hajin turn away as if he wasn’t worth dealing with. For Han Jiwoo, who had never encountered someone better than himself in his twenty-three years of life, that dismissal was a huge blow to his pride.
But his anger couldn’t reach Hajin, who had turned away without any lingering attachments.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
