# Chapter 17
As Hajin entered the classroom following his guide, an instructor-looking person greeted him.
“Hello. I’m Lee Suyeon, and I’ll be in charge of Guide Lee Hajin’s education from now on.”
“I’m Lee Hajin. Seems like I’m a bit late.”
“Haha, not at all. I just came early to prepare for the lesson. You’re right on time.”
After exchanging some light conversation to ease the atmosphere, Hajin took a seat in the front. Once Hajin was ready for the lesson, Suyeon also stopped the small talk and began.
“First, I need to gauge how much you already know… Hmm. But the Chairman instructed me to prepare the lesson assuming you know nothing, right?”
Hajin nodded. While he wasn’t completely ignorant, it seemed better to learn from scratch rather than claim to have patchy knowledge.
“Yes. Please proceed as the Chairman suggested.”
Suyeon looked at Hajin with curiosity for a moment, surprised that he so readily admitted to knowing nothing.
“Ah, I apologize. Shall we start the lesson then?”
Suyeon handed Hajin the prepared materials and began teaching.
“You’re probably not curious about when Espers and Guides first appeared, and the Chairman also instructed me to prepare you for fieldwork as quickly as possible. So I’ll teach you what a Guide actually needs to know in practice.”
True to her word, Suyeon skipped the mundane content about what Espers and Guides were, and instead imparted practical knowledge that Guides needed.
Things like how to handle aggressive Espers, or guidelines for the rare cases when Guides enter dungeons with Espers or face dangerous situations.
The knowledge seemed more useful than Hajin had expected, and the teacher’s enthusiastic attitude helped him maintain focus.
Though a considerable amount of information was presented, fortunately, it was mostly like learning new rules rather than concepts that required Hajin to rack his brains.
Moreover, thanks to Suyeon’s bold decision to exclude information that wasn’t particularly useful in real life, they finished the first lesson’s content more quickly than expected.
Suyeon thoughtfully rubbed her chin for a moment before asking Hajin:
“The first lesson finished sooner than expected. Should we end here, or shall we move on to the next topic?”
Most people would have preferred to end the class early, but Hajin, while seeking normalcy, was somewhat different from others.
“If it’s alright with you, let’s continue. I’d like to learn as much as I can, even if it’s just small details.”
“I wish all Guides were like you, Guide Lee Hajin. Others can’t even focus during lectures and are desperately waiting for them to end quickly.”
Hajin flinched habitually at being told he was different, but he didn’t intend to change his mind.
From now on, Hajin needed to change many things, including letting go of some of his attachment to being an ordinary member of society.
After all, his grade was far from ordinary to begin with.
“Well then. Before we continue with the lesson, let’s take a ten-minute break.”
Hajin welcomed the brief rest and nodded readily.
“Then I’ll go get some water.”
“Take your time.”
Hajin found a water dispenser and took a drink of cold water, rotating his stiff neck from sitting still for so long.
‘Age certainly doesn’t lie.’
Though he couldn’t possibly be considered old, there was a definite difference compared to his twenties. Despite maintaining his health reasonably well, just a few hours of concentration had stiffened his shoulders and neck.
As Hajin focused on loosening his rigid body, someone approached him.
“Hey, mister.”
Turning around, he saw the person who had been glaring most intensely at him among those he had encountered at the entrance. He had thought such types never moved without their lackeys, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
“What can I do for you?”
Han Jiwoo momentarily hesitated upon seeing Hajin’s cold impression, which he hadn’t fully noticed from a distance. Quickly, as if even that hesitation hurt his pride, he deliberately stepped closer to Hajin and spoke.
“Mister, since you’re new, you probably don’t know, but wherever you go, there are rules for that place. Don’t act all high and mighty just because your grade is high. Follow the rules.”
Typically, regardless of age, people tend to shrink back when entering a new place. That’s the normal response.
Han Jiwoo, who had disciplined new Guides this way, expected Hajin to react no differently from others.
“What rules?”
“What?”
But Hajin was slightly different. No, rather than different, he was smarter. Although Hajin was taking this basic course because he lacked knowledge, he was no fool.
Not knowing was just about information; he was well aware of his own value.
Besides, at his age, why would he fear the petty hierarchy game played by someone who looked at least ten years younger than him?
It wasn’t like actual punches were being thrown. Why would he fear some immature kid who had lived as the neighborhood boss?
“I asked what these rules are.”
Han Jiwoo’s lips pressed tightly together.
The rules he mentioned were essentially an implicit game they played among themselves. Everyone should watch out for A-class, and even among A-class, for Han Jiwoo who had the best abilities.
No matter how immature he might be, he wasn’t childish enough to explain this with his own mouth.
Until now, others had read the atmosphere with just a little pressure, but Hajin didn’t even blink, let alone pick up on the hint, making Han Jiwoo feel somehow insulted.
Moreover, though Hajin hadn’t said it directly, rumors about him being an S-class Guide were already widespread.
How could Han Jiwoo tell someone to be mindful of grades with his own mouth? Then he would have to defer to Hajin first.
Han Jiwoo recalled what the Chairman had told him the day before.
‘Guide Lee Hajin is an irreplaceable talent. Never go against his wishes. I’ve turned a blind eye until now, but with Lee Hajin, absolutely not.’
‘Shit… I have to bow to him? To someone who knows nothing?’
It was something his pride couldn’t allow. Though their grades differed, Han Jiwoo was also capable of Guiding S-class Espers. Why should he take a backseat just because Hajin was an S-class Guide?
The sound of teeth grinding could be heard from his clenched jaw.
Meanwhile, Hajin had simply asked what the rules were, but seeing Han Jiwoo glaring at him as if insulted and trembling with clenched fists, he carefully considered if he had done something wrong.
‘I suppose he wouldn’t look kindly on someone who’s taken his rice bowl.’
That was half right. Even if it wasn’t exactly the case, Han Jiwoo had now come to dislike Hajin without reason.
After waiting for Han Jiwoo, who gave no answer, Hajin realized the break time was over and spoke up.
“Sorry, but I need to get back to class. I’ll go ahead.”
It was an impeccably polite farewell, but once someone takes a dislike to you, everything about you becomes irritating.
Han Jiwoo couldn’t stop Hajin as he passed by dismissively; he simply stood there, glaring at Hajin’s back. His shattered pride lay scattered at his feet.
‘Just wait…! I’ll crush that proud nose of yours.’
Han Jiwoo left with angry steps, nursing his hollow revenge.
“You’re back. Shall we resume the lesson?”
“Yes.”
Han Jiwoo’s image had already faded hazily from Hajin’s memory.
“Next, I’ll teach you how to perform Guiding.”
Hajin tilted his head. Was there a specific method for Guiding? However, Suyeon was already continuing her explanation. Hajin decided to postpone his questions and listen first.
“Each Guide has a different total amount of Guiding capacity, so if you indiscriminately pour out Guiding, you’ll quickly reach your limit. Therefore, the Association has researched methods of Guiding that allow maximum efficiency within your capacity. Guide Lee Hajin will learn this starting now.”
‘Should I just tell her now?’
When Hajin had Guided the Alpha team in the dungeon, he hadn’t held back. Knowing instinctively how to infuse Guiding, he had simply poured it out to put them to sleep, as Suyeon described.
He had subdued all four of them that way, but Hajin hadn’t felt tired or even strained. He might have felt physical fatigue from running to avoid monsters, but he hadn’t experienced any fatigue from Guiding.
But hearing Suyeon’s explanation, it seemed that not all Guides were the same.
‘Let’s just do as instructed.’
There was no need to cause a commotion by speaking carelessly. He would do just as much as others did. Just that much.
“First, shall we practice sensing how an Esper’s wavelength is distributed?”
No sooner had Suyeon finished saying she would call an Esper to assist than the door opened and a man walked in.
“Alright, Esper Choi Donghyuk, please turn around, and Guide Lee Hajin, place your hand on Esper Choi Donghyuk’s back and let your Guiding flow. Don’t just let it flow aimlessly, but observe how the Guiding moves along the Esper’s wavelength.”
“Yes, understood.”
Hajin placed his hand on Donghyuk’s back and tried to infuse Guiding as weakly as possible. He didn’t want to accidentally put him to sleep like last time.
This caused Hajin’s brow to furrow for the first time, which Suyeon misinterpreted as him struggling, so she offered encouragement from the side.
“You can stop anytime if it’s difficult, but for now, try to at least get a general sense of how the wavelength is distributed.”
Perceiving how the Esper’s wavelength spread throughout the body wasn’t difficult. Hajin could sense that shortly after infusing Guiding. What was more challenging was sending out weak Guiding.
Hajin tried to move his Guiding as gently as possible, tracing it around the Esper’s body.
Given the Chairman’s greed, even if he had assigned Hajin to the Alpha team, he would certainly have Hajin guide other S-class Espers as well. That’s why he had set the salary so high.
So Hajin needed to learn how to control his Guiding…
THUD.
“Esper Choi Donghyuk?!”
Donghyuk, who had been receiving Guiding, suddenly collapsed forward. He fell headfirst, and though he was an Esper, the floor cracked like a spider web where he landed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
