The Flower Garden of the S-Rank Guide
That was the title of the novel I had read.
The story followed an S-Rank Guide who traveled across dimensions. In that world, Espers were everywhere—but Guides were always in short supply. Before the appearance of the S-Rank Guide, the highest available rank was A-Rank. Since A-Rank Guides were constantly overwhelmed trying to manage S-Rank Espers, lower-ranked Espers were inevitably matched with Guides who ranked beneath them.
Getting guided by someone below your level was like dropping a single bead of water into a desert—it barely made a difference. That’s why Espers were always starved for Guiding.
Then came the first S-Rank Guide.
The protagonist—a newly arrived S-Rank Guide—was immediately pulled into a dungeon upon arrival and encountered the male lead, who was on the verge of going berserk. Acting purely on instinct, the protagonist activated his Guiding ability and calmed the rampaging S-Rank Esper with a single session.
An S-Rank Guide’s power truly lived up to its name. Normally, even a high rank was useless if the matching rate was low—but the protagonist, as expected of an S-Rank, had a compatibility rate of at least 50% with every Esper.
Espers coveted his ability. They all wanted to monopolize him. And so began his descent into hell—kidnapping, confinement, and worse. The kind and gentle protagonist eventually broke.
Once he turned dark, he used his Guiding powers to rise above the Espers, ruling over them like a king. That’s how the story ended.
***
I shut the diary. Now I understood why the names hadn’t felt unfamiliar.
Kim Hyun-joong. The names of various Espers scattered throughout the entries. And the name on my new ID: Hwang Seol-bin.
Hwang Seol-bin was a D-Rank Guide, but he had relatively good compatibility with Espers. So before the protagonist arrived, he served as a convenient Guiding supply—sucked dry and used up. And once the protagonist appeared, he was the first to be discarded—ruthlessly and without a second thought.
Hwang Seol-bin was so kind he was practically a fool. He gave so much of himself through Guiding that it interfered with his daily life. But all he got in return was cold-hearted betrayal from the Espers.
He and the protagonist had grown close while working together as Guides. Then, around the midpoint of the novel, a dungeon opened inside the Guide Center.
Inside that dungeon, the Espers protected the protagonist. But Hwang Seol-bin—who they resented for being close to him—was deliberately left behind. In the end, he was killed by monsters.
I got up slowly and stepped out of the bedroom. I remembered from the novel that Hwang Seol-bin lived alone, so I moved around without hesitation.
Two bedrooms, two bathrooms. A spacious and well-organized kitchen. Everything was clean and tidy—clearly he had a neat personality.
I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink.
“…Ah.”
Staring back at me in the mirror was a man with a pale, sickly face—likely from overexerting his Guiding ability—wearing huge glasses that covered half his face.
“…What’s with these glasses?”
I took them off, and thankfully, my original face was still there. My vision was perfectly fine—so why had he even worn these?
He already looked like an easy mark, and the glasses just made him look even dumber.
I considered tossing them but left them where they were.
By now, I had a solid grasp on the situation. I’d somehow ended up inside the novel—as Hwang Seol-bin.
If I’d entered this story, maybe I could go back the same way I came. Which meant there was no need to tamper with the plot.
‘Keep it simple.’
Luckily, I had read the entire novel, so I knew exactly how the story would unfold. The protagonist wasn’t set to appear for a while, so until then, I’d just flatter the Espers and offer Guiding like Hwang Seol-bin used to.
“…Still, I feel like absolute crap.”
My body was completely drained. And that pale, lifeless face in the mirror—repulsive. First things first: I needed to recover.
As a Special Agent, I was always acutely aware of my physical state. If I wasn’t in top shape, it could jeopardize the mission.
No way was I going to let myself die from excessive Guiding. First, stabilize the body. Take a nap. Then wake up for early-morning training like usual. Health comes first—always.
I collected my thoughts, returned to the bedroom, and lay down on the bed. It felt unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable.
Just think of it like another mission. I had to hold out until the protagonist arrived.
My role was destined to end in death, right? Then maybe I’d return to where I belonged.
My head was a mess.
‘Let’s just sleep.’
I forced myself to sleep, hoping it would help me recover.
***
‘That’s strange.’
When I first possessed this body, I felt completely powerless. But after just one night of sleep, I was back to my normal condition—like the body had realigned itself to match its new owner.
The muscle memory I had built up as a Special Agent had settled perfectly into Hwang Seol-bin’s soft frame, giving it a balanced firmness where there’d once been flab. I felt strong—strong enough to take on a mission right this second. This was peak condition.
Thank god. I’d been worried I’d need to retrain from scratch just to get my old strength back. But with a body like this, I wouldn’t be getting my face smashed in anytime soon.
…Well, this world does have Espers. So I could still get my face smashed in. Better stay cautious. These people aren’t just strong—they’re superpowered.
I stood up and started stretching to loosen my joints. Just like my original body, this one moved smoothly and responded well.
— Ring-ring-ring-ring!
“Huh?”
Right as I was mid-stretch, the phone I’d tossed on the desk next to the bed started ringing.
Should I answer it? …Yeah, I should. If I’m going to act like Hwang Seol-bin, I need to play the part.
I stopped stretching and picked up the phone. The screen showed the name: Team Leader.
Team Leader? Who the hell is that?
“Hello?”
—Hwang Seol-bin, where are you right now?
The voice was sharp and high-pitched—prickly even through the speaker.
“I’m at home.”
—At home?! Do you even know what time it is?! You’re way past your shift! The Espers are all waiting! How can you still be at home?!
So there was a set schedule. That wasn’t mentioned in the diary. Since I was at home yesterday, and Kim Hyun-joong had come by for Guiding, I assumed that meant work happened at home. Guess not.
“Am I supposed to go in?”
—Are you seriously asking me that right now?! You said you weren’t feeling well yesterday, so I let you skip—but if you miss today too, that’s a problem! Do you have any idea how long the Espers have been waiting?! Get here. Now.
“…Yes, understood.”
I hung up, my soul thoroughly shriveled by that shriek of a voice.
So yesterday was a day off. Which means Kim Hyun-joong showed up during my time off and had the nerve to act annoyed? What an ass. Even I didn’t take missions during my days off as a Special Agent.
I opened the closet and looked for something to wear. Black pants, a simple black shirt. I even put the glasses back on—reluctantly.
‘This should be fine.’
Enough to pass for the usual Hwang Seol-bin.
In the novel, he was the quiet, timid type. Barely spoke. No real presence. His only friend was Kim Hyun-joong. No one would notice anything was off.
I grabbed his wallet and stepped outside. Luckily, a cab pulled up right away.
“Where to, sir?”
“Uh…”
I froze. Where was I even supposed to go? How did I miss something that important?
I’d gathered some basic info about this body yesterday—but not enough to know where he worked. And Hwang Seol-bin was such a minor character in the novel, it never went into that kind of detail.
“…Sir?”
I glanced around cluelessly and mumbled,
“Uh… where’s the place where Guides work?”
***
The taxi dropped me off in front of a huge building with ‘Guide Center’ written across the top.
‘Damn, it’s packed in here.’
Inside, people who were clearly Espers were demanding Guiding, while the overwhelmed staff scrambled to hand out numbered slips.
So now what? Where was I supposed to go from here?
I stood there aimlessly, watching the chaos unfold— Until someone laid a hand on my shoulder.
Whap!
“Gah—ow! Wha… what? H-Hwang Seol-bin?!”
I reacted instinctively, grabbing the arm and twisting it behind the man’s back. His face twisted in pain, completely thrown off by my response.
I messed up. My body reacted before I even realized it.
I immediately raised both hands, signaling I wasn’t trying to start anything.
“Sorry, I was just startled… Are you alright?”
“N-No! Of course I’m not alright! What the hell was that?! You show up late, then twist my arm—ugh! Did you break it or what?!”
The guy I’d grabbed had messy brown hair and a sharp, irritable expression. No wonder his voice sounded familiar—he must’ve been the one on the phone earlier. The one labeled Team Leader.
“Fortunately, I stopped before it broke.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
The Team Leader looked at me like I’d grown a second head. I mean, it’s not broken—so why’s he acting like I committed murder?
He stared like he had a million things to say, then just let out a long sigh.
“…We’re swamped right now, so I’ll deal with you later. Go wait in your room. And if you even think about bailing again today, you’re dead.”
“Yes, understood.”
I nodded. Looks like he’s letting it slide—for now. Must really be buried in work. Alright… time to find that “room” he mentioned.
‘A room… sure. But where exactly is that?’
Well, I’ll figure it out.
I glanced around. Getting lost during missions wasn’t new to me—especially in unfamiliar territory. When you didn’t know the language or have a map, all you could do was keep walking. Eventually, the path connected, and you’d find where you were meant to be. The key was to stay calm. Stay steady. Stay focused, and—
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?! Hwang Seol-bin! Why are you heading in the opposite direction?! Are you trying to pick a fight right now?! I said we’re in a rush!”
A furious voice exploded behind me.
…Yeah. This wasn’t one of those “slow and steady” moments.
I turned back and retraced my steps toward the Team Leader.
“What? What’s with that look?! You got a problem or something?! What is up with you today? The way you talk, the way you move—it’s all weird!”
I thought I was acting normal, but I guess I’d slipped. Was I being too assertive? I’ll need to be more careful.
Dropping my energy, I softened my tone into something more downcast.
“…I’ve been Guiding so much lately… my memory’s been kind of fuzzy.”
“Your… memory? Fuzzy? Are you serious right now?”
The Team Leader shot me a look like I’d just confessed to being an alien.
Putting on my best pathetic face, I mumbled,
“…Which room was mine again?”
