Chapter 37
“Soo-young?”
The uncle called me with a puzzled expression as I kept my mouth shut.
When scenes I had deliberately tried to forget came to mind, it wasn’t easy to speak.
Huff, I let out an unnecessarily deep sigh.
I needed to calm myself down.
I put on a blank face instead, knowing how misunderstood I would be if I complained to someone who knew nothing about the situation.
“I’ve been living like this all along, so suddenly changing would be even more ridiculous. It makes no sense.”
“That’s true.”
I couldn’t say I had no personal motives.
It was a combination of my selfish desire not to die, the thought that these guys had pretty faces and would become famous later so building connections with them would be beneficial, and the strange belief that if we became close, they would try to save me rather than kill me.
They faithfully trusted me, cared for me, and I too had gone beyond mere tolerance to genuinely care for them as they became part of my life.
Considering my age after regression, I had been friends with them and looked after them for as long as I’d been alive in this timeline—how could I easily change that into romantic feelings?
I sighed deeply again, and the uncle burst out laughing.
“You’re just a kid with too many sighs.”
“Yet you once called me an old soul in a young body, uncle.”
“Huh?”
A sudden thought struck me, and I raised my head instead of slumping onto the table.
“Has there ever been a case where an Esper imprinted on a Guide who didn’t have feelings for them?”
Weren’t the examples the uncle explained all cases where feelings were mutual?
If imprinting requires the Esper to believe the Guide has some feelings for them, or at least the possibility of becoming lovers, then surely there must be cases of unrequited love.
“Espers don’t usually care much about others, but they’re surprisingly sensitive when it comes to Guides. Until now, cases of unrequited love have been rare.”
“If they’re rare, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist, right?”
“…Let me ask you something. If someone extremely handsome, pretty, or cute—basically your ideal type—stands in front of you, acts all sweet and tender, and shows their heart to you, who wouldn’t fall for that?”
I guess he’s trying to say that Espers have unfairly attractive appearances.
As I stared intently into the uncle’s eyes, he seemed to feel guilty and averted his gaze first.
This uncle must have fallen for the aunt late in life!
He said that even without imprinting, Espers often go straight for the Guide they’ve chosen.
Cases of imprinting afterward only happened after feelings were somewhat mutual.
Suddenly, I remembered something from before my regression.
‘The Guide’s wishes take priority. If the Guide wants to avoid or distance themselves, the Guide can evacuate and go somewhere alone first…’
There were cases, not none.
Cases of imprinting through an Esper’s unrequited love had happened at least a few times.
That’s why regulations had been created.
“Uncle, are you sure there aren’t any cases? Can’t you find out? Can’t you ask the Association?”
“Well? All the situations I’ve looked into and the cases where I refused were the same as mine…”
“I’m not an adult yet, so can’t I go to the Association for this? Can’t I request to view the documents?”
Before my regression, since I wasn’t affiliated with a guild, most of my tests and rank confirmations were managed by the Association.
Now that I’m temporarily affiliated with Calling, I’ve only been to the Association a couple of times.
Either way, to keep those guys safe, I needed to break the imprinting, and the only method I currently knew was to somehow change my feelings and reject them, so I needed to find alternatives.
But if the Association had regulations, and if my memory was correct, there might be some method.
“The Association… since they try to get involved with Esper and Guide matters before guilds do, they might have examples we don’t know about.”
The uncle’s response was positive too.
I readily nodded when he said he would send an official document to the Association using Calling Guild’s name.
After wrapping up our conversation and lounging around, I saw three people carrying loads of luggage.
“The strength of Espers is incomprehensible.”
“I feel the same way.”
Before my regression, I could just place a delivery order at the supermarket, but now such systems aren’t established yet, so we have to carry things ourselves.
Fortunately, the two guys who only had strength didn’t pass their luggage to me.
If they had, I would have beaten them with a pile of luggage.
I’m already troubled enough as it is.
* * *
The uncle said he sent the official document that very day, but I didn’t hear back until well into winter.
The uncle contacted me about visiting the Association.
Isn’t this way too late?
It was around the time most schools were starting winter break, but at the special school for ability users, it was the time to change rooms or prepare for the next grade level.
“These activity uniforms look comfortable.”
“Yeah. But I thought high school seniors didn’t have regular uniforms since they all wear activity uniforms.”
“Me too. The regular uniform is neat, but I’d probably wear the activity uniform more.”
“Hyung, you’re leaving me behind again…”
“I’m not leaving you behind; you’re just younger.”
While waiting for the uncle to arrive at school, Yoon Cheong and I were trying on the clothes we received for our high school promotion.
We had to check the fit of the clothes, request additional school supplies if needed, and apply for a convenient dormitory room, so things were a bit hectic.
Until middle school, Ji Yeohoon and I were on different floors, but we were coordinating the dormitory arrangements so that when Ji Yeohoon came to the high school dormitory the year after next, we could be assigned to the same floor.
“So here? But it’s such a low floor. Higher floors are better.”
“If we go any higher than this, there won’t be any rooms left.”
Why does everyone like high places so much?
Of course, I feel the same way, which is why I couldn’t get the room assignment I wanted.
“Hmm, Hyung, how about this one?”
“That’s almost the top floor, there probably aren’t any left.”
“There are two rooms available here.”
“Then what about you?”
I asked without thinking, and Ji Yeohoon chuckled.
Why, what, what is it, why are you laughing?
“Hyung, we’re not in the same grade, so I’ll have to wait a year.”
“That’s true, but…”
I forgot for a moment because we hang out like we’re the same age.
Feeling embarrassed, I glared at them, which just made Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon laugh more.
What strange kids—is my mistake that funny?
“So cute. Anyway, Hyung, a year will pass quickly.”
“What did you say before that?”
“Huh? What do you mean? I didn’t say anything.”
“Anyway, I’ll take this room, and you like the end of the hallway, so you can take that one. Then Ji Yeohoon, you’ll take the one across from me, right?”
“Yeah. When I apply next year, I might need to be quick if there are a lot of rivals. If worst comes to worst, I’ll ask my classmates for help.”
Since Ji Yeohoon’s class gets along well like mine, it seems they can accommodate each other.
Somehow, I felt relieved and nodded.
“Ah, it’s time for me to go.”
“Oh, you’re right. I’ll put in the order for your clothes in this size.”
“Thanks.”
I quickly grabbed my phone and coat and rushed out.
The uncle was in the car in front of the school gate, and I promptly sat in the passenger seat.
“Hello. Isn’t the aunt coming with us today?”
“Seon-young said she wanted to rest today.”
He added that she doesn’t really like the Association.
The Association is completely “pro-Guide” in its orientation.
Whatever they do, they prioritize and try to protect Guides.
Most cases where Guides visit the Association are to request help with paperwork, to be protected from Espers, and various other assistance, and the Association welcomes this.
That’s not a bad thing, but…
Conversely, when the Association contacts Espers, it’s mostly to request cooperation in transporting criminals or to draft them when problems occur inside Gates, so Espers generally dislike getting calls from the Association.
Of course, they dislike being contacted by regular Association employees, but if the employee is a Guide who mostly handles fieldwork, which is the majority, things usually go smoothly without any friction.
This visit was to check previous content and materials, so we would be meeting with regular employees, which is why the aunt avoided coming.
“How many times have you been to the Association now?”
“I came a year ago to open an account after clearing a Gate. And I came once more to submit Guide paperwork after transferring to the school.”
Of course, everyone is happy about the first Association visit after clearing a Gate.
That’s because they give about 1.5 to 1.7 times more than the standard reward for the first Gate clearance of that rank.
So when they’re giving money, of course you have to go.
The condition is that you open an account at an Association-designated bank.
It benefits the Association when ability users receive rewards and make transactions through those accounts.
Upon arriving at the Association, we met a regular employee with an ID badge around his neck.
“Guide Oh Chan-seok, it’s been a while. Hello, Guide Moon Soo-young. I’m Deputy Son Jong-hun.”
The Association employee mixed in honorifics without awkwardness despite clearly knowing I was young.
The same was true for me before my regression.
“Hello.”
After brief greetings, we were guided to a place filled with documents.
It seems I was given the authority to view the documents since I’m the party involved in this situation, despite my young age.
“These are foreign imprinting cases, and these are summaries of cases where imprinting was broken. Since these are materials from abroad, the translation took some time. I apologize. As long as you don’t take them out, you’re welcome to request a visit and come in to view them anytime.”
I take back what I said about it being too late—I didn’t expect them to provide such thorough information.
I was dumbfounded by his apology for the time it took to translate.
“Thank you.”
Now that things have come to this, I need to look more thoroughly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
