Chapter 7
Mom and Dad rushed over as soon as they got off work.
Mom looked at Ji Yeohoon’s parents with a face full of curiosity, while Dad was frozen, probably because he was seeing a key figure from one of the companies they deal with.
I might have felt somewhat similar to Dad if I had worked at a regular company, but I had memories of working at the Association before my regression, where I was used to dealing with famous S-class Espers in a professional manner. Plus, I’d encountered them several times now due to Ji Yeohoon’s constant invitations, so I could now converse with them calmly.
My parents entered with somewhat stiff movements, carrying a gift box containing bottles of drinks. Not long after, they seemed to relax once they realized that the aunt and uncle weren’t haughty like other high-ranking Espers or like those crazy Guide cases circulating on the internet.
Soon after, Yoon Cheong’s father arrived looking completely disheveled. As it turned out, he was a math teacher at a middle school near our elementary school.
That explained why Yoon Cheong was somewhat quick with numbers—it seemed his father had some influence.
“Thank you for inviting us.”
All five parents exchanged greetings, introducing themselves as so-and-so’s father or mother, and somehow they all seemed to be getting along well, sharing stories they could relate to.
“Right? Sometimes I wonder if our child is a genius, but then I think maybe they’re all similar.”
“Yes, yes! Our Soo-young is often like that too. So Ji Yeohoon is the same.”
“Cheong has had those moments too. I wondered if I had combined such words at that age, but when I thought about it, I definitely hadn’t.”
“Are kids these days faster learners?”
“Well, nowadays they can search the internet and use computers right away…”
Apart from the atmosphere reminding me of the phrase that would become popular later—”Back in my day…”—there was nothing bad about it.
Dad quickly grabbed the tongs and eagerly cut the meat with scissors. The uncle standing next to him helped sprinkle salt and placed the meat on plates, setting them on the table.
Yoon Cheong, Ji Yeohoon, and I sat at a separate table, eagerly eating the meat.
It felt happy to live the life of a young child who gets praised just for eating well.
“Oh right, Soo-young’s mother. Did you receive a text message? I got one today.”
“I saw it too. It said the day after tomorrow, right? Son, did your teacher tell you about it?”
“About what?”
“The physical examination.”
“Ah… They didn’t tell us in our class. But they said other classes were told.”
“Maybe that’s why they sent a text to your mom. Your teacher will probably tell you tomorrow, so make sure to write it in your notice book!”
“Yes~”
“Speaking of physical examinations,” the uncle’s eyes sparkled as he brought over some meat.
I hope he won’t say anything unnecessary, like about manifestation tests…
“Has Soo-young ever had a manifestation test?”
Bad premonitions never miss their mark.
Not even once.
What I feared finally happened. If I had been alone with no one around, I might not have been able to hide my frustration at the uncle’s question. But since I needed to stay in the role of an 8-year-old elementary school student who knows nothing, I deliberately averted my gaze and quietly chewed on my meat.
I focused on the conversation of the adults who were each taking a sip of alcohol, ignoring the two future Espers who had been bickering about what they should have done in the game earlier, who did better, and who did worse.
“A manifestation test?”
“Our Yeohoon has already taken a manifestation test and was diagnosed as a future Esper.”
“Wow, isn’t it said that it’s not hereditary or anything like that? An Esper has emerged from an Esper family?”
Dad was genuinely amazed, but somehow Mom had a slightly troubled expression.
“Cheong is also predicted to manifest as an Esper.”
“I see…”
Surprisingly, Yoon Cheong’s father knew that Yoon Cheong had been identified as an Esper.
I had no idea…
Looking at Yoon Cheong after hearing the adults’ conversation, I noticed that both Ji Yeohoon and Yoon Cheong had been listening with one ear and were nodding.
“Ji Yeohoon, you too?”
“Yeah, me too. You too, hyung!”
“…Why me?”
“Because it seems right no matter how you look at it?”
You’re wrong, you little villain kid.
I’m going to be a Guide who’s not particularly useful to you guys.
When I shrugged my shoulders, it was Mom who opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“So that’s why the two children took a liking to Soo-young. Our Soo-young is predicted to manifest as a Guide.”
Mom? Looking at her in surprise, I saw that Dad was also looking at Mom in shock.
What? Was Mom the only one who knew?
“Actually, when he was very young, we knew people who were Guides and Espers, though we’ve lost contact with them. Being affiliated with the state or guilds… they couldn’t live among ordinary people like us. So I was thinking if he turned out to be a low-ranking one, we’d just continue sending him to regular schools…”
As I stared at Mom, she reached out and gently stroked my head.
Before my regression, Mom had held my hand after my guiding ability appeared and asked if I really wanted to attend an Esper-Guide school.
At that time, I was a middle school student with good friends, and I shook my head because I didn’t want to part with them. Mom, with visible relief, told the staff from the Association that since her child wanted to attend a regular school, they couldn’t transfer him.
After I became an adult, there were times when Mom and I would occasionally sit face to face, have a drink, and she would share her true feelings.
Supernatural abilities are not passed down genetically. Since most parents of Espers and Guides are non-ability holders, they often rush to enroll their children in schools that provide education through routes guaranteed with high salaries, resulting in them living apart.
She said she had been worried about that.
Looking at it now, unlike Dad who simply seemed happy that his child might have a remarkable ability, Mom was asking for my thoughts first and appeared somewhat anxious.
“He got really sick once, so we had a health checkup, and the diagnosis came quite early. Even though it wasn’t a manifestation yet, it came early, so the Association suggested it might be better to send him to a Guide school… but then he’d have to enter a dormitory.”
“That’s true…”
“I know that they try to move things in that direction as much as possible because there are few Guides, and I understand that it helps the country and society, but when I think that our son might forget his mom and dad’s faces… it makes me feel a bit… uneasy. Is it inappropriate to say such things in front of an Esper and a Guide?”
The aunt and uncle, on the contrary, shook their heads.
Perhaps the parental hearts are the same—Yoon Cheong’s father was also quietly looking at Yoon Cheong.
It might be something like the negative effects of boarding schools.
Ability manifestation usually occurs around puberty. In some cases, it manifests as early as infancy when growth is most rapid, and in others, as late as the early twenties.
The later the manifestation, the more likely it is that social skills develop well, like other people. Conversely, those who manifest early and are managed by the state sometimes have issues among teenage Espers and Guides.
It’s not that boarding schools are inherently bad, but one reason is the reduced formation of attachments with parents and adults.
That’s not all. There were statistics showing that Guides who didn’t attend specialized Esper-Guide schools and went to regular schools for a long time, or those who manifested late around their twenties, often ended up joining the Association.
This meant they had sufficient social interactions not just among ability users but with ordinary people as well.
So there was bound to be a difference.
Yoon Cheong’s father and even Ji Yeohoon’s parents seemed to sympathize with Mom’s concerns, looking at us quietly.
“Yeohoon, do you like Soo-young?”
“Yes.”
“Cheong too?”
Both Ji Yeohoon and Yoon Cheong nodded.
I know it’s because I’m a Guide (though actually, for them, I’m probably more like a friend who’s really good at games), but seeing these cute little kids agree somehow made me feel good.
They’re noisy and troublesome children, but they haven’t transferred schools yet, and from their perspective, there are more adults around them than before my regression. If all else fails, there’s still me… With some effort, they might not turn into the messy hero and villain they became before my regression.
“Still, Soo-young is so mature… And since both our Yeohoon and Cheong are Espers, they’ll probably get a lot of help from him. If Soo-young is diagnosed as a D-rank or below Guide, do you plan not to send him to a specialized school?”
Mom looked at me thoughtfully before speaking, asking me what I wanted to do.
“I don’t want to be separated from Mom and Dad.”
I didn’t want to change schools differently from before my regression. Going to the same school might allow me to become closer with those guys, but I was still hesitant.
“If I become a high-ranking Guide, it can’t be helped. But if not… I want to stay with Mom and Dad.”
Mom and Dad nodded, saying they understood, but Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon looked downcast.
Since it was a boarding school, once you entered, you couldn’t easily come out.
“But I want to go with hyung!”
“If I get a high rank, I’ll go…”
“When I become an Esper, you have to guide me. I’d prefer if it was you.”
“There will probably be many kids better than me there. Besides, I’m not a Guide yet.”
I thought I needed to create an escape route.
Even now, I spent more time looking after these kids than having time to myself. If I transferred to the same school, it was clear that I would have even less time.
Plus, when I mixed in some truth, it sounded plausible.
I’m a D-rank, and these guys are high-ranking Espers who need quality guiding. Naturally, they would take matching tests with at least B-rank Guides, and if they matched better, they might even get dedicated Guides.
“Besides, going all the way to middle and high school to help with their homework is a bit…”
The parents, who were having a drink, burst out laughing.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
