SOG Ch 52

“…Are you guys talking trash about Guide Seon?”

Nam Hae-sol intervened belatedly. The three who were dissatisfied with her recommendation of Seon Jae-chan as the mentor did not respond and instead continued the conversation.

“Some say that he has changed, but people change don’t so easily.”

“He might learn a lot about the center if he’s focused on in-house tasks…”

“Isn’t his brother quite something too?”

Although the charges were dropped belatedly, it was when they were whispering about Seon Jae-chan’s older brother, Esper Seon Eun-soo, who had been engulfed in gossip.

“Speak to your heart’s content. In particular, spreading rumors about my brother is more welcome.”

Seon Jae-chan walked in without a hint of presence.

The apprentices cowered as if they were surprised and turned to the open door. At the same time, a bundle of blue string necklaces tied together flew into the apprentices, who had just spoken about Seon Eun-soo. It was the ID card Seon Jae-chan received from the team leader.

Seon Jae-chan looked around at the shocked apprentices.

Unlike Espers who were deployed to state institutions due to their abilities being manifested with only a small number of people, to become an official Guide, one had to pass the national Guide examination. The procedure for obtaining eligibility to take this exam was divided into two main categories.

The first was for those who received a guide manifestation judgment in the national psychic test at the age of 14 and then completed the guide training program for 6 years instead of the regular education curriculum.

The second was for those who, due to certain circumstances, did not undergo the psychic test at the age of 14 or manifested their abilities after that, and had to pass a sort of qualification exam supported by the center, similar to an entrance examination.

Seon Jae-chan belonged to the first category, and Nam Haesol belonged to the second. Moreover, in the first category, there were many young kids, while in the second category, there were very rare cases of elderly people also becoming apprentices.

Judging by that, it seemed that many newcomers this year belonged to the first category.

They all looked like typical twenty-year-olds. Some of them had been assigned to Team 2 in the past as well.

However, since their names didn’t stick in his memory, it was unlikely that any of them remained in District 1.

“As everyone knows, Guides who do not perform well in the probationary Guide evaluation after one year will be sent to other Districts.”

Seon Jae-chan’s voice turned cold. Although there was a generous number of appe, becoming an official Guide in District 1 was a tough process.

Unless there’s someone like me or Nam Haesol who can hit the wavelengths of the rare and difficult S-class Espers. Compared to the very few Espers, there were many people who manifested as Guides. In addition, many Guides with excellent experience and abilities from other districts also applied to District 1.

In reality, only Seon Jae-chan survived in his group. That was why he was the sole youngest member of Team 2.

Except for Hae-sol, the three of them were gripped by anxiety as they listened to Seon Jae-chan’s sullen expression and explanation. The mentor seemed to be as expected, unfriendly. On the first day, wouldn’t encouragement and support be more appropriate than confronting them with reality?

Seon Jae-chan also clearly read the apprentices’ reluctance. Since the age difference wasn’t much, the apprentices would naturally be more resentful

“I’m going to register the wavelength now. Follow me.”

Either that or not. Seon Jae-chan opened the soundproof room door. Apart from looking cute, he wasn’t a gentle senior.

The place he was heading to was the Wavelength Research Center in the center’s research building.

Due to the national esper-guide wave screening conducted at the beginning of each year, there were already a large number of people waiting. If you are late for no reason, you may have to wait longer than this, so coming a little earlier is a way to buy time.

Seon Jae-chan immediately took a numbered ticket. He gave it to the apprentices one by one before slipping his own into his pocket. After telling them to sit in the empty seat, he headed for the central station.

“Hello. I have a question.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

The researcher who was organizing the paperwork nodded.

“Can I get the results of Gu Ji-eun’s esper wavelength test?”

Esper Gu Ji-eun was Seon Jae-chan’s aunt.

“… Are you the Guide for that Esper?”

The tips of the lab staff’s glasses flashed suspiciously.

“No. I’m a family. I’m her nephew.”

“…”

“I was wondering if my aunt had a good wavelength checkup. Is it really not possible?”

“If that is the case.”

The cold-faced employee turned the chair and quickly ran her fingers on the keyboard. After a couple of clicks, she answered neatly.

“Esper Gu Ji-eun has already undergone a checkup. If you would like to receive the results of that esper’s examination, please come with her.”

Seon Jae-chan was satisfied inside and stepped back.

“Understood.”

He never expected to find out his aunt’s screening results from the beginning. He was simply curious about whether his aunt had properly undergone the wavelength screening this year.

It was five years later that Seon Jae-chan’s aunt, Esper Gu Ji-eun, showed abnormal symptoms. The Esper specialist had advised that if she had sought medical attention more quickly, she might have found a better solution.

‘I hope my aunt gets a regular checkup starting this year.’

However, there was a problem.

Esper Gu Ji-eun was an unexpected outlier in a lineage that had been producing Espers for generations. She was like a wanderer, traveling freely and often disappearing somewhere on a whim. She enjoyed solitude and had a free-spirited personality.

It was unlikely that someone like her and the Seon Jae-chan of this period would get along well. His aunt despised Jae-chan these days. Their relationship started improving later on due to Jae-chan’s softened disposition, his aunt gaining some understanding of his situation at home and the various incidents they faced together.

Now, it was clear that a cold gaze awaited him if he appeared before his aunt. If he wanted to take her to the hospital, he would have to get closer to her somehow.

‘How am I going to take my aunt to the Ross Clinic?’

It was when he walked back to the waiting room.

Seon Jae-chan raised his eyebrows. It was because his apprentices were arguing.

“Because it is not!”

The three, excluding Nam Haesol, closed their mouths as they glanced at him. It was obvious. It seemed like their discussion was heating up over him again.

Unlike the discomforted trio who avoided eye contact, Nam Hae-sol still glared at them with an angry look. Seon Jae-chan thought she had become more proactive than she was on the island. Demanding to have him as her mentor Guide was one example. She was gradually getting closer to the version of her he knew.

However, the change seemed to be a little too aggressive.

“You’re misunderstanding. Guide-nim even helped my father. Isn’t that right, Guide-nim?”

She asked Seon Jae-chan, who approached him as if asking for his answer. Since her father had forbidden her from talking about what happened on Mentosa Island, her statement omitted a significant part. As a result, her protective words sounded somewhat childish.

Seon Jae-chan opened his mouth with a somewhat troubled expression.

“Nam Hae-sol.”

“Yes, Guide-nim!”

“From now on, call me ‘Sunbae’. Song Se-in, Han Myeong-gyu, Choi Kang-man, and you too.”

While the other apprentices nervously nodded, Nam Hae-sol shouted with a brightened face.

“Yes, Sunbae-nim!”

Seon Jae-chan, who received the greeting, was not very happy inside.

It was just.

Apart from feeling sorry for Nam Hae-sol and acknowledging her.

He wanted to put some distance between them. Although he went through a huge event called ‘regression’ that overturned his whole life, she was a person he hated very much just a year ago. Embarrassingly, he had even felt jealous.

Nam Hae-sol was much more uncomfortable for Seon Jaechan than Nam Myung-seong, her father. Every time he saw Haesol, it felt like he was facing himself who hated her. That’s why he wanted to maintain some distance.

The three apprentices who had become Hae-sol’s peers also seemed uncomfortable in the situation.

They were looking at Nam Hae-sol and Seon Jae-chan alternately. One of them had their mouth open, another’s eyes widened, and the last one’s nostrils flared. It was a clear expression of ‘What’s going on? Were these two have a connection?’ just by looking at them.

Even before the wavelength checkup, Seon Jae-chan felt a bit tired.

*

The next day, Jae-chan took the apprentices to the Emergency Guiding Center. It was to fulfill his basic duties as their senior. He had a good relationship with Emergency Team 9, who was on duty today, and he often helped with their work, so he easily secured a spot to join them. Emergency guiding duties were one of the apprentices’ favorite parts.

“Let’s start from the basics.”

Seon Jae-chan first showed the apprentices how to use the wavelength measurement device. When Han Myung-gyu, who was feeling dizzy and unsteady on his feet, wandered around, he volunteered to lie down on an emergency bed and even attached the pad. After completing guiding practice in an empty corner, they approached the Espers who were sparsely filling one side of the emergency center in earnest.

“You should know this already, but you’ll need an amplifier when the matching rate indicated by the guiding app is lower than 40%.”

Seon Jae-chan explained. At that moment, the clattering sound of ballpoint pens enthusiastically interrupted. It was the sound of Nam Hae-sol diligently taking notes on a notebook the size of her palm.

Oh, I like that attitude.