Survival Rules for D-Rank Guides 86

Lee Ju-yeon and I sat facing each other with a warm cup of tea between us. The kind lady had graciously served us tea.

At that moment, despite knowing it was a futile hope, I wished the lady would stay a little longer. Her presence helped ease the tension. However, the atmosphere quickly turned awkward as Lee Ju-yeon remained silent, despite having something to say.

‘Say something,’ I thought.

I struggled to find a topic to break the silence, but nothing seemed appropriate. Asking about the weather or his well-being felt like it would only make things more awkward.

Eventually, I decided to wait for Lee Ju-yeon to speak first. After all, what could we possibly have to talk about? Unless he wanted to discuss guiding Cha Jae-woo together.

But what would I say then? I had no reason to refuse… I couldn’t claim we were dating or anything. Not that it would matter; there’s no rule against seeking guidance from another Guide.

“It has surpassed 40 percent,” Lee Ju-yeon finally said, breaking the silence. I immediately understood he was referring to the matching rate.

“How… How can that be?” I stammered, incredulous. It seemed impossible. While Guide Association President Jang Gijun had hoped for a higher matching rate between Lee Ju-yeon and Cha Jae-woo, it was more of a vain hope than a realistic expectation. The chances were so slim that it seemed almost impossible.

More importantly, any increase in their matching rate should have occurred after they had guided together. But as far as I knew, Cha Jae-woo had never received guidance from anyone else.

Yet, here Lee Ju-yeon was, claiming a 40 percent matching rate.

“Indeed,” Lee Ju-yeon replied calmly, taking a sip of his tea. I wondered if he was lying, but his composure suggested otherwise.

“Does it matter how it happened?” he continued. “The result is what’s important.”

While the result was significant, the reason behind it was equally important. Before I could voice my thoughts, Lee Ju-yeon spoke again.

“Guide Association President Jang Gijun is aware of the result. He plans to entrust Cha Jae-woo’s guidance entirely to me.”

I was taken aback. ‘How dare he make that decision without consulting me?’ I thought, feeling a surge of anger. It was absurd that they were still considering replacing me as Cha Jae-woo’s Guide. Even with a 40 percent matching rate, I was confident that Cha Jae-woo would choose me over anyone else.

“Logically speaking,” Lee Ju-yeon said, leaning back into the sofa, his previously rigid posture softening, “a B-rank Guide would be more efficient than a D-rank Guide, regardless of the matching rate.”

“But─” I began to protest, ready to argue that my guidance was more beneficial to Cha Jae-woo.

“Of course, Lim Haeyul, your guidance is exceptional, far exceeding your D-rank classification,” Lee Ju-yeon interjected, his tone confident and assured. It felt like he knew something about my guidance, something that Cha Jae-woo might have shared with him.

‘Did Cha Jae-woo tell him about my guidance?’ I wondered briefly, but quickly dismissed the thought. Cha Jae-woo had been the one to insist on keeping it a secret. Lee Ju-yeon knew nothing about my guidance; I couldn’t let his words sway me.

I clenched my fist, staring at Lee Ju-yeon as he took another sip of his tea, his expression unchanged.

“I believe the method of classifying Guide ranks is flawed,” he said. “It shouldn’t be based solely on the amount of mana.”

I frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and determination.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked, my voice sharp with caution, afraid I might slip up. However, Lee Ju-yeon seemed unfazed.

“Every Guide has their own unique characteristics. I am no exception. The association should have classified Guides based on these characteristics from the beginning.”

His one-sided explanation felt more like a lecture than a conversation, one that was hard to follow. I struggled to understand his point. The idea that each Guide had unique characteristics was confusing enough, and I hesitated to ask for clarification, fearing it might reveal too much about my own guiding methods.

“I believe your unique characteristic, Lim Haeyul, is the ability to manipulate small amounts of mana freely,” Lee Ju-yeon said, hitting the nail on the head. He was indeed talking about my guiding method.

I shook my head, denying his claim. There was no evidence, just speculation. “That’s a strange thing to say. I don’t know what you mean by ‘manipulating mana freely.'”

Lee Ju-yeon shrugged. “Either way, you should be careful.”

He clearly didn’t believe my denial. “The number of Guides is growing, and those with unique characteristics will become more noticeable. Just like you and me.”

I listened silently, realizing that Lee Ju-yeon must have some unique ability of his own. Perhaps it was related to the increasing matching rate? I wondered if Cha Jae-woo already knew about Lee Ju-yeon’s ability and if that was why he had invited him over.

“Your ability will be discovered soon enough,” Lee Ju-yeon warned. “People already suspect that Cha Jae-woo’s improvement is due to your guidance. They just don’t know why. You won’t be able to hide it forever.”

I stared at him, unable to refute his warning. “That’s none of your business,” I finally said.

“It is my business because it affects both Cha Jae-woo and me,” Lee Ju-yeon insisted. “We’re in this together.”

His words caught me off guard. What did he mean by “together”? I knew Cha Jae-woo had some business with Lee Ju-yeon, but this implied a deeper connection.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, confused.

Lee Ju-yeon stood up, signaling the end of our conversation. “I’m sorry, but that’s all I can say for now. Ask Cha Jae-woo when he returns. He might give you the answers you seek.”

I was left speechless, frustrated by his cryptic warnings and abrupt departure. What was Cha Jae-woo planning? Was there more to his actions than just preparing for the gate expedition?

Suddenly, I remembered something Kim Sol had mentioned recently—a burglary at Guide Association President Jang Gijun’s house. I wondered if it was truly a burglary or if Cha Jae-woo had been involved, perhaps even altering Jang Gijun’s memories with the help of a Mental Esper.

The more I thought about it, the more questions arose. Where had Cha Jae-woo found that Mental Esper? He had claimed no involvement in Cha Seong-ju’s schemes, and the captured Espers had confirmed this. So, who was that Mental Esper working for?

As I pondered these questions, I realized that the answers might lie with Cha Jae-woo himself. I would have to wait for his return to unravel this mystery.

A flood of hypotheses suddenly overwhelmed me, leaving me confused. Some seemed implausible, while others felt strangely plausible—a jumble of chaotic assumptions.

As I stood there, lost in thought, a prolonged silence filled the room. Suddenly, the front door opened, and Cha Jae-woo walked in. His arrival snapped me back to reality, and I looked back and forth between Lee Ju-yeon and Cha Jae-woo.

“You were together,” Lee Ju-yeon said, rising from his seat as Cha Jae-woo entered. After a moment’s hesitation, I stood up as well. Cha Jae-woo approached me with confident strides.

“I asked him to stay because it felt awkward,” Cha Jae-woo explained, his voice calm and composed.

“Is that so?” I replied, my tone flat and unenthusiastic. Cha Jae-woo gently rubbed my shoulder, a gesture meant to be reassuring.

“It must have been uncomfortable for you,” he said, his voice soft.

Lee Ju-yeon seemed to fade into the background, his presence barely registering. I should have felt relieved, but the whirlwind of confusion left me struggling to even manage a faint smile.

Author: Levia