# Chapter 27
“What? Do you have more to say?”
When I asked, Ha-min hesitated before speaking.
“Hey, what if we check our matching rate?”
“Matching rate? But you…”
Ha-min had already recorded a high matching rate with S-class, so checking matching rates with other Espers seemed meaningless.
No matter how high his matching rate might be with other Espers, Ha-min would continue to be the dedicated Guide for S-class Espers.
‘But maybe now?’
If Ha-min was both an Esper and Guide, with his Esper abilities certainly not low, and if his ability was the first of its kind in the world, then Ha-min might be given all kinds of choices.
Anyway, all the equipment was already set up, so we just needed to go and check the matching rate.
“I don’t need Guiding though.”
“Not now. But imagine later, you’re in a high-risk dungeon, engaged in fierce combat, and suffer critical wounds.”
Ha-min looked different from what I knew then.
I could see through his eyes that he wouldn’t back down this time, so I eventually nodded.
When we returned, many people were still there.
They seemed reluctant to leave, thinking it would be better to stay and hear people’s thoughts and opinions rather than go elsewhere.
Then someone who spotted us first said loudly:
“It’s Ha-min… no… Esper Ha-min…”
Ha-min.
Guide Ha-min.
That’s what he had been called until now, but his title would change.
Not just Esper Ha-min, but Mr. Esper Ha-min.
It was a tremendous change.
As we approached, the person measuring grades looked at Ha-min with visible confusion.
His attitude had clearly changed from when he first greeted Ha-min.
“E-Esper Ha-min…”
“I’d like to check matching rates.”
“What? But Esper Ha-min…”
We all knew what he was trying to say.
But we waited without explaining further.
We believed he could figure it out on his own without explanation.
He let out a small gasp and nodded.
He seemed to realize that the current Ha-min could do almost anything he wanted, and if he wanted to provide Guiding for others, the Center couldn’t stop him.
Ha-min actually providing Guiding for others might provoke backlash from S-class Espers and cause various problems, but he probably thought that just checking matching rates was something he could certainly do.
“Whose matching rate would you like to check…”
“Esper Seo Eunwoo.”
At Ha-min’s confident voice, the murmuring among those present grew louder.
What? Why!
I didn’t even ask for it. Ha-min asked, he begged to do it, and we’re just checking the matching rate!
I glanced at the Espers and Guides there with an expression conveying roughly that sentiment.
Among them was the Guide who had said he wanted to be the dedicated Guide for S-class Espers.
We only made eye contact briefly, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to nod and give me a fighting signal.
“Then please step up here together, face each other, and place your hands together.”
Following his instructions, Ha-min and I stepped onto the machine.
Why am I so nervous about this?
Looking at Ha-min, he seemed to be shaking about thirty times more than me.
At least I’m better than him.
What’s there to be so nervous about, this guy?
“Gasp!”
We were standing on the machine together, hands placed against each other, waiting, when a shocked sound came from the staff’s mouth.
The numbers were only visible to them and hidden from us, which was frustrating.
“What’s the number that’s making you react like that?” Ha-min asked.
Kyun In, who had already gone over to check the numbers, covered his mouth with one hand.
Tae-young and Woo-jin were there too.
I didn’t think these guys usually moved so quickly?
“It says ‘Guiding impossible.’ It says the Esper’s life could be endangered during Guiding.”
When Tae-young spoke, Kyun In nodded.
“I didn’t know such numbers were possible.”
“Isn’t 12 percent lower than rates with ordinary people?” Woo-jin added.
12 percent?
Ha-min’s face immediately became gloomy, and I got off the machine to go where I could check the numbers.
Tae-young had turned the machine off, but I caught the blinking numbers.
‘99.8 percent? Do matching rates like this even exist?’
It felt somewhat… chilling.
Ha-min also hurried over, but by the time he arrived, the numbers had already disappeared.
“What? Eunwoo, did you see it?”
“Huh? Uh…”
“Is it really 12 percent?”
“Uh…”
“Oh. I see…”
Ha-min said with a disappointed face.
I knew Ha-min’s Guiding method was different from others, but if he didn’t go around announcing his methods, people would already make their own assumptions just from the fact that someone was receiving Ha-min’s Guiding.
I wasn’t pleased to feature in such imaginings, and checking matching rates with a Guide was unnecessary to begin with.
While Ha-min let out a small sigh, I noticed the other S-class Espers looking at him with triumphant expressions.
Their faces, which had been deflated ever since hearing that Ha-min was an Esper who had awakened an off-scale ability, suddenly came back to life.
I don’t know why these people are acting this way, but I didn’t want to be involved anymore.
It had already been a tiring enough day.
***
Ha-min, the amplification ability user.
I was realizing day by day how much I could change by being with him.
Ha-min focused on developing his ability and declared he would no longer provide Guiding.
That was something no one had ever imagined, but when Ha-min said he wouldn’t provide Guiding, no one at the Center could force him to.
Even the S-class Espers, who were in a desperate situation, seemed to agree it was reasonable, which said it all.
As a result, matching rate checks were urgently conducted, and the Center asked Ha-min if he could continue Guiding until then.
Ha-min agreed to provide Guiding for a set period, not because he had ill feelings toward S-class Espers or wanted them to die without treatment, but because he needed to emphasize that he needed time to develop his abilities.
The matching rates of all Guides were terrible, and even A-class Guide Yoon I-jae, who had the highest matching rates, showed 38%, 22%, and 34% with Kyun In, Tae-young, and Woo-jin respectively.
The S-class Espers said it would be better to just take stabilizers, urged the development of better stabilizers, and decided to receive Guiding only when absolutely necessary.
Yoon I-jae couldn’t even properly Guide one person, let alone dream of becoming a dedicated Guide for S-class Espers.
“But since Esper Ha-min is also an Esper, doesn’t he need to receive Guiding too? I think he should check his matching rates with Guides.”
Someone’s cautious comment became a hot issue at the Center.
That’s right.
Since Ha-min is an Esper, he should need Guiding.
But whenever that was mentioned, Ha-min would bow his head with a bright red face and look at me.
Ha. Cute guy.
He seems embarrassed.
I can understand all that.
Hm? It’s a time of youthful vigor, a healthy body with a sound mind, right?
That’s how it is.
Especially in an Esper-Guide world setting.
When I smiled warmly with such thoughts, Ha-min would look at me strangely, shaking his head as if wondering why I was smiling like that.
Why does he keep doing that? So cute.
Whether reading the novel or seeing Ha-min, who had been a dense character in the story, these days felt like a reward to me.
I even wanted to shout to people about how well my kid had grown up.
***
A dedicated trainer was assigned to Ha-min, and a separate training center for Ha-min was created in the Esper-exclusive training facility.
Ha-min seemed to want to continue training the way we had been, but I thought the Center’s training methods might be suitable.
What I could offer him was limited to physical conditioning I had done in the martial arts game world.
Dealing with monsters appearing in dungeons was a different matter, and the programs provided by the Center would be helpful for practicing through simulations.
Ha-min seemed as nervous as a child going to kindergarten, but we both acknowledged and accepted there was no other choice.
He seemed to be training even harder, thinking that if he didn’t improve his skills quickly enough to tackle dungeons, he wouldn’t be able to help me.
Having devoted most of my time to overseeing Ha-min’s training, I now had an enormous amount of free time while Ha-min trained with his trainer.
‘What should I do?’
Normally, I had specific places to go according to the time of day, and plans for what to do when, but now I had to change all that, and I hadn’t yet made new plans.
‘Maybe I’ll go see Woo-jin? It would be nice to hear him play the violin again.’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
