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The Guide Life of a Retired Special Agent 3

“What the hell…?”

“If you just tell me where to go, I’ll start the Guiding right away.”

The Team Leader, who had been staring at me like I had lost my mind, must’ve decided he couldn’t waste any more time. He turned on his heel and walked ahead.

“…We’ll talk after this. After. I mean seriously—who the hell forgets their own room?”

“It’s been a while, that’s all.”

“You had one day off. One. Day. Yesterday!

He practically ground his teeth into dust. I scratched my head and replied in a meek, half-mumbled voice.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing so much Guiding lately…”

“In over ten years of doing this job, I’ve never seen a Guide’s memory get fried from too much Guiding!”

“…You’ve only been doing this for ten years?”

“You little—!”

He stopped short and snapped his head toward me.

What was that about? I was just trying to be polite—wasn’t that supposed to sound respectful? Why’s he glaring at me like I insulted his mother?

Back when I was a Special Agent, I used to get chewed out for staying quiet. People thought I was looking down on them.

That memory had stuck with me, so I’d picked my words carefully, responding the way Hwang Seol-bin would. So why did he look even more pissed off?

‘Probably just overthinking it.’

I folded my hands and gave him the softest, most harmless smile I could manage. His face twisted even more.

“…Here. This room. The one you’ve been using all year, Mr. Hwang Seol-bin. Maybe try living with your head on straight for once!”

“Thank you.”

I gave him a polite bow as he turned around, grumbling the whole way. Once I was sure he had disappeared down the hallway, I opened the door and stepped inside.

“Not bad.”

I’d been expecting some cold, soulless office space, but the room looked more like a school infirmary. Soft curtains over the window. A desk, a chair, and a single bed.

“Guiding, huh…”

Could I actually pull this off?

I had read about it in the novel, so I knew how it worked. The more intense the physical contact, the more energy was transferred. In other words, skinship was mandatory. But I wasn’t too worried.

In the story, Hwang Seol-bin’s “contact” never went beyond holding hands or the occasional hug. And even that was rare—he was always so sickly, the Espers didn’t expect much from him.

They only came to him when things got bad. A temporary fix. Just a substitute.

I climbed up onto the bed and leaned back against the pillow, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

‘Do I just wait here now?’

I hadn’t even been sitting for a few seconds when the door burst open.

So much for being “busy.” That was fast. At the very least, a knock would’ve been nice. Do Espers here seriously not know how to knock?

“Took you long enough. What’s the holdup? You think the Espers waiting on you have time to waste?”

A man strode in, his expression twisted in irritation. No greeting, just a barrage of complaints. He moved toward the bed like it was second nature, but stopped short when he saw me.

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

“Sorry?”

“I asked—why are you sitting there?”

“Ah…”

So the bed was meant for the Esper.

I quickly slid off. The man, with his waist-length hair neatly tied back, muttered under his breath and climbed onto the bed in my place.

“Late, and you still act like you own the place. Let’s just get this over with. Not that it’ll make a difference, but something’s better than nothing.”

He held out his hand. I stared at it for a second.

“…Are you not going to start? I don’t have all day. Stop testing my patience.”

Is “I’m busy” some kind of local motto? I’ve only met three people since I got here, and every single one keeps saying it like it’s a prayer.

‘Life here must be rough.’

I cautiously took his hand.

‘Guiding. So this is what it feels like…’

I’d never done it before, so I was nervous. But the moment I touched his hand, something stirred—like my body instinctively knew what to do. Strange energy began to move inside me.

‘So I just… send this to him?’

His aura was completely different from mine. Where mine felt calm and stable, his was erratic and unsteady. Was this what a Guiding deficiency looked like? Was I supposed to stabilize it?

“What’s taking so long? I don’t have time for this. There are others waiting after me.”

“Ah, yes. Right. Just a sec.”

I answered absentmindedly and pushed out a small trickle of energy, just enough to feel things out. Then something unexpected happened.

The Esper’s tense expression softened slightly. His voice, which had been sharp and irritable, shifted.

“Huh. Your Guiding’s better than usual today. That break must’ve done you some good—your pathetic little skill’s improved a bit, huh?”

I blinked in disbelief.

All I’d done was barely nudge a bit of energy through—just enough to get a feel for it. And he was saying it was better than usual? Better than before?

I glanced at the Esper’s face, wondering if he was messing with me, but he looked completely serious.

Maintaining the same low level of energy, I continued stabilizing his aura. Once it reached a reasonably calm state, he let go of my hand and stood up.

“Not bad today. Try to keep this up. I’ll see you next time.”

And with that, he walked out without so much as a glance back. Not a single word of thanks.

In the novel, Espers treated their Guides like fragile treasures—full of affection and concern. But I must be just a background extra—nothing more than an afterthought.

Then—BANG—the door slammed open again.

“Hey! What took you so long!”

Another Esper. Seriously, is there a factory around here mass-producing rude people? At least the first one used formal speech—this guy went straight into casual banmal like we were best friends.

I ignored him and looked down at my hand. I still had energy to spare.

According to the novel, Hwang Seol-bin was a D-rank Guide—constantly on the verge of collapse, often passing out mid-Session from energy depletion. But right now, I felt completely fine. It didn’t even feel like I’d used one percent of my power.

Was Seol-bin’s body reacting to my presence? Had his Guiding ability changed because of me?

‘Should I test it? See how far I can push this?’

I turned to the man and gave him a subtle, knowing smile.

 

***

 

By the time the morning Guiding sessions were over—

“Seol-bin! You must’ve really rested up yesterday. You look way better today!”

I was in the break room, coffee in hand, staring absently out the window when a voice chirped beside me.

A guy with features so pretty they bordered on androgynous had appeared at my side.

I’d gotten sick of being holed up in that room and wandered through the Center until I stumbled across this break room. Finally, a little peace—and then this.

Who was he? Someone who knew me? Judging by the fact he was here, he was probably a Guide too…

Still, his tone was the warmest I’d heard all day. After a morning of nothing but irritation and shouting, I didn’t know people here could sound this friendly.

“But what about my coffee? I want some too~.”

“Help yourself.”

“I’m broke. You always get one for me.”

I blinked. Speechless for a moment.

‘What the hell is this now?’

After a short pause, I remembered I had to keep acting like Hwang Seol-bin. So I handed him my cup.

“Then please take mine.”

His pretty face twisted with annoyance.

“This is the one you were drinking. I don’t drink after other people. And it’s cold. Cold coffee’s gross. Go buy me a new one, yeah?”

Like I was his personal barista or something.

Still stunned, my eyes fell to the yellow name tag on his pristine white shirt:

[Yoon Yi-hyeon. A-Rank Guide.]

A flood of recognition hit me. Thank god—I knew this one.

He’d shown up in both the novel and Seol-bin’s diary—one of the major characters.

According to the diary, Yoon Yi-hyeon was a kind, caring figure—someone who looked after Seol-bin when the Espers gaslit and mistreated him.

But the version of Yi-hyeon in the novel? He couldn’t be more different.

‘A self-centered princess who thought the whole world existed to serve him.’

“What’s with you, Seol-bin? You’ve changed. You won’t even buy me coffee anymore? I thought I meant something to you. Was all that just talk?”

He started whining the second I stayed quiet.

If he had time to complain, he had time to get his own coffee.

I sighed silently and stood up. If I was going to keep pretending to be Seol-bin, I had to commit. No loose threads—nothing that would trip things up later.

Yoon Yi-hyeon was someone Seol-bin relied on. No reason to cause trouble where none was needed.

So I bought him a fresh coffee and handed it over. Only then did he finally crack a satisfied smile.

“Ahh, this is what I’m talking about. Nothing beats a cup of coffee after work. You had me worried there—spacing out like that. I know people call you slow, but don’t be like that with me, too, okay? Stay sharp, Seol-bin.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Honestly, Hwang Seol-bin was kind of pathetic.

Even from my emotionally-dense perspective, it was obvious Yi-hyeon looked down on him. Treated him like a servant.

And Seol-bin thought this was someone who cared about him?

“You should be grateful, you know. Who else goes out of their way to take care of you like I do?”

“Yes. Of course.”

I nodded along, feigning interest, sipping what was left of my now-cold coffee.

‘Yoon Yi-hyeon, huh…’

Unlike Seol-bin, Yi-hyeon wasn’t just a nameless extra. He was a proper villain.

A-Rank Guides were rare—highly prized. Naturally, they got the royal treatment.

Yi-hyeon was known among the Espers as their “princess.” With his delicate looks, strong Guiding ability, and sweet outward personality, he had everyone eating out of his hand—until he eventually started treating them like personal servants. This whole Center might as well have been his playground.

That is… until the S-Rank Guide—the protagonist—arrived.

Everything changed after that.

Not only was the main character more beautiful and kind, he was also ranked higher than Yi-hyeon. And someone like him, all pride and ego, couldn’t accept that.

He started scheming and sabotaging the protagonist the moment he arrived.

But no matter how clever the villain, the longer the leash, the more likely they trip on it. Eventually, his dirty tricks were exposed, and he was transferred out to another Center—erased from the story.

“Hey, Seol-bin. Can you grab that book for me? That novel—I’ve been meaning to read it.”

“Sure.”

“…Meh. Not that great. Can you put it back?”

“…Sure.”

“I’m feeling snacky. Wanna grab me something?”

I bit back a sigh.

I came here to unwind, but I somehow ended up even more stressed.

I’ve handled assassinations, interrogations, black ops—but this? Running errands like some office intern? A first for me.

Watching Yoon Yi-hyeon treat me like hired help made me seriously question Seol-bin’s social life.

And then—

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Just as I was seriously considering flipping the table and storming out, a deafening siren exploded through the room.

Both of us instinctively covered our ears.

We locked eyes, stunned.

An emergency alert.

Levia
Author: Levia

The Guide Life of a Retired Special Agent

The Guide Life of a Retired Special Agent

Status: Completed Author:
One day, former special agent Hwang Dae-heon ends up reading a novel titled "The Flower Garden of the S-Rank Guide" on the recommendation of a colleague—only to find himself suddenly possessed by the body of Hwang Seol-bin, a D-rank guide within the story. Though Hwang Seol-bin was once close to the novel’s protagonist, the S-rank guide Kim Yong-ha, he is eventually ostracized by those around him due to his D-rank status and ultimately dies at the hands of a monster—just a disposable extra in the original plot. Upon realizing who he has become, Hwang Dae-heon decides that the only way to return to reality is to follow the storyline of the original novel as closely as possible. But was it a mistake to offer guidance to the villain Kang Biso during a chance encounter? “…Hyung. I can’t give up. I’m going to come get you again.” After that day, not only does Kang Biso—who was supposed to become obsessed with Kim Yong-ha—fixate on Hwang Seol-bin instead, but an item never mentioned in the original plot appears: the Book of Wishes. Said to grant any wish, Hwang Seol-bin makes up his mind—he’ll gather the books and find his way back to reality… “…I like you. Ever since the first time I saw you. I like you so much… I think I’m going crazy.” Kang Biso, who desperately craves Hwang Seol-bin’s affection, and Hwang Seol-bin, who’s determined to find the Book of Wishes and return to his original world. How will their story end?

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TooAddicted_2leave
TooAddicted_2leave
1 month ago

Damn bro, I hope the mc realize his stuck there and start acting savage AHHHHHHH PLSSS BE A POWER BOTTOM IM BEGGING!!!

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