Chapter 2
A momentary silence passed between them. A cold wind swept through the space between Dohyun and Chan. Chan blinked, his expression confused.
“Your ability… what? You don’t know? Did I hear that wrong?”
“You heard correctly. I don’t know what my ability is.”
Chan was at a loss for words. Is that even possible? No, can it happen? Does this actually happen? Seeing Chan’s dumbfounded expression, Dohyun looked up at the empty sky with a face of total resignation.
If it were someone else, he wouldn’t have bothered explaining. Even though Awakened ones conquered dangerous gates and the byproducts from these gates helped people live more prosperous lives, the society of Awakened ones was like another world entirely.
But Chan was planning to join the Awakened guild where his mother worked after graduating high school instead of going to college. Since he knew a lot about Awakened society, Dohyun thought he’d understand the situation better, but even Chan seemed completely unable to comprehend what Dohyun was saying.
“What? What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that!”
“You think it’s ridiculous too? I also find myself ridiculous right now…”
Currently in Korea, S-class Espers could be counted on ten fingers. Dohyun, who had manifested as such an incredible being, actually didn’t know his own ability. Naturally, he couldn’t answer any questions from the guild people who came to scout the high-class Esper that had appeared after about 10 years.
‘Not a combat type? Then, Esper, do you perhaps feel any urge to create music or writing? Our guild also supports non-combat Espers who manifest in arts and physical education fields… Oh, you don’t have such thoughts?’
‘Um… if you don’t know your ability… do you perhaps sense something moving in empty space, any sensation like that? No… ne?’
‘Didn’t you say S-class? I don’t particularly feel anything… I can’t see energy flow either…’
‘Don’t you feel like something is being created in the air? Or something touching you…?’
‘Like, a feeling that you need to heal someone or… oh, you said you’re not a combat type, right? Or maybe some kind of creative urge…!’
Dohyun had already been diagnosed as likely to manifest as a high-class Esper during his elementary school second-grade physical examination, but his actual manifestation came much later than others.
Many guilds had offered support since he was young. But Dohyun had too little to blindly trust people, and he was skeptical about how they would care for someone like him who didn’t know how he would manifest. So he refused to join any guilds and only received management from the Association.
It was natural for Korea’s top-ranking guilds to rush to Dohyun, who had no affiliated guild or intended guild. As everyone expected, Dohyun manifested as that precious S-class Esper, and amidst people’s congratulations, he had to click his tongue, knowing his life as an ordinary citizen was over.
However, he couldn’t answer any of the numerous questions they poured on him.
From the beginning, Dohyun, who had never joined a guild, didn’t know what intentions lay behind the countless questions directed at him, and he didn’t want to get trapped by saying anything carelessly, so he just kept his mouth shut and shook his head.
The graph that converted Esper ability into numerical values clearly crossed into the S-class range. But unlike normal Espers who break things or experience embarrassing incidents due to energy when manifesting, Dohyun didn’t even know his ability had appeared, so he couldn’t explain the graph that appeared for him.
After asking various questions for a while, the guild people shook their heads and left when they saw Dohyun couldn’t provide any answers. Even the Association employee who was clapping to congratulate his S-class manifestation lowered their hands with an embarrassed face.
It would be awkward. An S-class Esper not affiliated with any guild. And a non-combat Esper who couldn’t even tell what his ability was!
“So it’s possible to not know your ability…”
“My life is ruined…”
“Hey, hey, Baek Dohyun. You really don’t feel anything at all?”
“Yeah…”
“Well then, how did you know you manifested?”
“That’s… I went to the Association for my monthly regular checkup on the weekend, and they discovered the change in my numbers. I didn’t even know I had manifested…”
The employee who pointed at the numbers with a surprised face also added that the graph looked stable enough to indicate it had been at least three days since manifestation.
Usually, right after manifestation, an Esper’s energy isn’t well-controlled and spreads out in all directions. That’s why they need to contain their ability so it doesn’t harm others, and receive Guiding from a skilled Guide within a short time to control their power.
But Dohyun had never felt his energy spreading, didn’t know the feeling of moving energy, and had no idea how to use what was described as an already stable power.
“I’m seriously beyond dumbfounded… I feel like I’m dead…”
A definite non-combat S-class Esper. One who didn’t know at all what his ability was.
That was the title attached to Baek Dohyun, who had just manifested at the end of his nineteenth year.
## 01. If you think you might make a mistake, write it in pencil. At least you can erase it.
I say this because I couldn’t do it.
Early morning, Dohyun turned the key and opened the door. Even though he had passed nineteen and turned twenty, his routine of coming home from his night shift job remained the same. The air in the room had grown colder, probably because Dohyun had been away all night, though it was never particularly warm to begin with.
How fortunate it was to become an Esper before winter. Even though he was an Esper who didn’t know his ability—perhaps one might call him half an Esper—it was at least fortunate that he stopped feeling the cold after manifesting.
“What? The water pipes are frozen?”
“Yeah.”
“The other rooms too?”
“Seems like it.”
Dohyun’s place was the cheapest studio apartment in the area. Although close to school, it was so run-down that no one would consider living there unless they were really desperate or had no money.
Though called a studio apartment, there were only three rooms on the first floor. The other two rooms were empty, and Dohyun lived in the relatively decent one for a very low price.
Because of this, he had to endure all sorts of hardships every winter. Boiling water to thaw frozen pipes was commonplace, and he used his blanket to wrap the boiler before himself. He thought this year might go better, but apparently not.
“Hey. Just let me talk and try submitting an application to our guild once? We have good support too.”
“If you bring that up again, I’m hanging up.”
Sounding frustrated, Chan’s sigh was audible through the phone. Anyway, he would soon bid farewell to this room with its poor heating. So there was no need to join a guild. He wouldn’t be of any help anyway.
When the year ended and winter break began, Dohyun found a part-time job. He worked carrying cargo at a logistics center.
Though classified as non-combat, having manifested as a high-class Esper meant he had good stamina and strength even if he couldn’t use abilities. His height, which had been relatively small among his peers, grew a bit after manifesting, exceeding 170cm.
After a month of this, working every day except weekends, the employees who moved cargo with him had started asking personal questions, which was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
“Isn’t it a bit much to quit just because you’re uncomfortable making small talk?”
“They keep asking things I don’t want to answer.”
“Haa… Baek, what happened to your social skills, seriously? Stop putting up walls like that.”
“Should I hang up?”
“No~. But if I’d known you’d be like this, I would’ve just told you to apply for college.”
He was already feeling regretful about that. By the time he graduated high school, he didn’t have enough money even for application fees, let alone tuition. He hadn’t even taken the college entrance exam, but if he had known things would turn out like this, he would have at least taken it. He didn’t even try because he had no money, but if he had done part-time work at the logistics center like now, he could have easily saved enough for both living expenses and tuition. …Though it would have been a bit tiring.
He didn’t go out much because he disliked standing out, but he hadn’t studied hard either. His memory seemed to have improved after becoming an Esper—if he studied now, what kind of grades might he get? While contemplating this, Dohyun shook his head.
If he couldn’t awaken his ability, it wouldn’t be bad to look for work like he was doing now.
“I regret that a bit too.”
“So you’re going out after 5 again today?”
“I’m resting today. I got a request to stop by the Association at 2, so I’ll go there and then just stay home.”
“Go out and have some fun… it’s your day off and you’re just staying home again?”
“You go out and have fun.”
“If you were a combat type, I was going to ask if you could get me into the guild’s gate assault team…”
“Why are you changing the subject?”
Dohyun was dumbfounded by his friend’s obvious disappointment that could be felt even through the phone.
“Even if you really say no, I’m asking because I’m genuinely disappointed, okay? You really-“
“Rejected. Stop it. I’ve heard it so much my ears might bleed.”
“Guild… I haven’t even started talking about it yet?”
He’s probably going to talk about the guild where his parents work again. Dohyun abruptly ended the call, cutting off Chan’s words. Such conversations made him uncomfortable, even with a friend. How many new people did they expect him to meet? Didn’t they know that a life where few people knew him, living moderately and inconspicuously, was the best?
Seeing that the steady stream of contact from the Association since his S-class manifestation was finally decreasing a bit, Dohyun interpreted this favorably, thinking that the Association might be slowly giving up on him.
‘What? You must receive Guiding!’
‘I haven’t been sick or anything since manifesting. Besides, I don’t even know my ability.’
‘But as an Esper, something terrible could happen…!’
After manifesting, he had lived well for over a month without any issues. He didn’t feel any energy or sense his ability moving, and there were no abnormalities from lack of Guiding. There were no other special incidents except for not getting drunk at his first drinking party right after the new year, when he was dragged out by Chan and other friends, and safely taking all his friends home.
While other Espers apparently needed Guiding, he didn’t. Doesn’t know his ability, doesn’t need Guiding. It was strange in many ways, but it was convenient to live like this, so unlike when he first found out he didn’t know his ability and thought poorly of himself, now he had no complaints.
With a strong body, he wouldn’t have to worry much about medical expenses in the future, and since he wasn’t very sensitive to cold or heat, he didn’t need to worry about heating and cooling costs either. These days in the middle of winter, he wore normal coats when going outside, but when alone at home, he could wear light clothing without any problems. Even now, he was just wearing a casual short-sleeved shirt.
It wouldn’t be bad to live like this. That’s what Dohyun thought.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
