“Noona, am I... a loser?”

I remembered what Joo Seunghyuk said yesterday and asked Jihui noona. Her face twisted in outrage.

“What kind of bullsh*t is that?! What bastard said that to our Yeonsu?!”

Her reaction was so intense that I was startled.

“No, it’s just...”

“Was it an Esper bastard?”

“...Yeah.”

“That psycho fcker. That filthy, fcked-up little sh*t, that motherf—!”

Jihui noona unleashed a barrage of vicious curses, then reached out and patted my shoulder as if to comfort me.

“Don’t pay attention to freaks like that. A Guide just needs to Guide well. Forget that trash.”

It seemed Jihui noona had completely misunderstood.

If Joo Seunghyuk was an “S-rank among S-ranks,” then—though it made me cringe to say it myself—I was called an “SSS-rank genius Guide.”

I wasn’t the main character, but as a major supporting role, I got a stat buff.

People referred to me, Joo Seunghyuk, and Park Geonwoo (a sub-lead in Swamp of the Guide) as the “Blessed Generation.”

There were two reasons I was known as an SSS-rank.

First was my perception ability.

I could see mana’s form.

Just by looking, I could grasp a user’s rank, elemental affinity, and mana condition.

The reason I could tell that Joo Seunghyuk’s mana had wrapped around my neck was exactly because of that perception skill.

Second was my guiding technique and mana control.

Normally, guiding begins the moment physical contact is made between a Guide and an Esper.

But I could Guide at will—without any physical contact.

Though society’s treatment of Guides had improved compared to the past, there were still Espers who saw Guides solely as sexual objects.

When guiding was insufficient, many would force unwanted physical contact just to extract more energy.

They exploited the fact that guiding began the moment any skin contact was made—regardless of the Guide’s consent.

The more intense the contact, the more and better-quality mana would be transferred to the Esper.

But I always insisted on “Level 1 Guiding”—just holding hands.

I rejected Level 2 hugging, Level 3 kissing, or Level 4 sexual contact.

If anyone tried to force it, I would immediately cut off the mana connection, halt the guiding, and call a Center employee or a nearby Esper for help.

It wasn’t because I simply disliked touching people.

In the past seven years, I had never once failed a guiding session. Level 1 was always sufficient, so I never saw a reason to go further.

Still, some Espers would push for deeper physical contact even after their mana had been fully replenished—using responsibility or dedication as an excuse.

It was nonsense. Not even worth acknowledging.

But even after explaining it clearly, some people still criticized me. Some Espers openly insulted me.

They said I lacked responsibility as an S-rank Guide, and that by refusing physical contact, I was setting a bad example for other Guides.

Jihui noona knew all of this well.

So when she heard I’d been called a “loser” by an Esper, she assumed it was because of another guiding dispute.

“Have you ever once failed to Guide someone properly? All they need is your guiding—who the hell do those freaks think they are?! F*cking perverts!”

...But that’s not what this was.

I considered correcting her, but I couldn’t exactly tell her about what happened with Joo Seunghyuk, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Noona.”

“Yeah?”

“That person who called me a loser... he must hate me, right?”

“Obviously. Yeonsu, don’t let bastards like that get to you. They can’t say anything about your guiding, so they’re just lashing out.”

Joo Seunghyuk and I had spent a night together.

He told me to take responsibility for his purity—but I thought it was just a joke to humiliate me.

But contrary to my expectations, Joo Seunghyuk came looking for me right after class, brought me porridge and medicine, and ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) even kissed me.

And then... he called me a loser.

What on earth did Joo Seunghyuk think of me? I’d spent the whole night agonizing over it, but found no answer.

But seeing Jihui noona explode in fury when she heard the word “loser” helped me see the situation more objectively.

Yeah, he was mocking me.

He acted kind for a moment, got me to let down my guard, and then laughed at how defenseless I became.

It was so obvious I shouldn't even have wasted time thinking about it. But the sweat that had beaded on his forehead despite the cold, and the softness of that kiss—those made me briefly wonder if maybe, just maybe, Joo Seunghyuk really liked me.

“Yeah. He said that because he hates me.”

That’s all it was. Now it was clear.

“What did you say back when that bastard called you a loser?”

“I was so shocked I couldn’t say anything.”

“Oh my god, you’re way too soft! If he says it again, snap back with, ‘Why am I a loser? You’re the loser, you fcking piece of sht!’”

“......”

Saying that might get me killed on the spot. Like, immediately.

Anyway, I’d been a little confused, but if it was just mockery, then honestly, that was a relief.

If that obsessive lunatic actually liked me, that would’ve been the real nightmare.

“God, those assholes. Who the hell do they think they are, calling you that?!”

Unlike me, who had reached a conclusion and felt relieved, Jihui noona was still furious. I tried to calm her down.

“Next time, I’ll talk back. So don’t get mad.”

“You have to stand up for yourself. You’re the face of Guides. If you let yourself get pushed around, they’ll look down on all of us. Got it?”

Being treated like the “representative” of Guides just because I was S-rank was honestly exhausting. But I knew Jihui noona didn’t say it to pressure me.

Whether I liked it or not, it was the reality.

“Yeah. I got it.”

Jihui noona gently ruffled my hair like I was her youngest sibling.

“Oh, right. Our guild started a gate raid. Like always, we’re short on Guides. Want to help?”

“Yes!”

I nodded enthusiastically.

After being tied up with Joo Seunghyuk and feeling so down, this was the first bit of good news in a while.

Jihui noona belonged to a newly formed guild founded by an older Esper. She wasn’t just a member—she was basically a co-founder.

The new guild, Changwi, had been formed by upper-rank ability users and drew lots of attention from the start.

Its freer, younger vibe and ambitious spirit had become something of an ideal for many.

But the reality was much harsher than their dream.

Money was the biggest problem.

Compared to corporate-run guilds, they had far less funding and constantly struggled with staffing.

They’d hoped ability users chasing dreams and freedom would flock to Changwi, but there weren’t nearly as many of those people as they’d thought.

So when raiding gates, they had to recruit unaffiliated “mercenaries.”

But mercenaries were mostly Espers. There were virtually no Guides who worked as mercs.

When choosing jobs, most Guides prioritized whether they had a safe and protective environment. Money came second.

Centers and corporations had strong systems in place to protect Guides from Esper abuse.

Mercenaries had none of that. With no organization backing them, there was no protection.

For that reason, unless there were extreme circumstances, Guides didn’t work as mercenaries.

As a result, Changwi Guild, which relied heavily on mercs, always lacked Guides.

Whenever that happened, Jihui noona would come to me for help—and I gladly accepted.

Students at the Ability User Academy weren’t allowed to participate in the economy. Job prep didn’t officially begin until fourth year.

While many academy rules had changed with the times, the “no economic activity” rule never budged.

The justification was that students should focus on their studies, and public opinion wasn’t exactly on our side either. Most thought: You’ll be rich beyond imagination after graduation—why should you make money now?

More importantly, even most Guides and Espers didn’t care enough to challenge that rule.

There was, however, one loophole.

Any contract made before entering the academy was valid.

Most upper-rank ability users were scouted by companies or guilds early, so once they entered the academy, they could continue working without issue.

Those set to join the Center had the government discreetly backing them.

Even high-ranking B or C1-rank users typically finalized their future path before college.

Low-rank users, on the other hand, were deemed unfit for fieldwork without academy training—so even without rules, they had no way to make money.

Some even wanted to strengthen the “no economic activity” rule to exclude low-rank students from making pre-entry contracts.

So except for rare exceptions like me—an upper-rank Guide unaffiliated with any guild—there weren’t many who had a problem with the rule.

Yeah, it’s my fault I haven’t signed with anyone yet. Can’t blame anyone else.

I’ve been flooded with offers ever since awakening, but I turned them all down.

It wasn’t because I didn’t like the terms, or because I had some noble desire to serve my country. I just wanted to delay choosing until the original story ended.

If I signed with anyone after rejecting Joo Seunghyuk’s exclusive contract, I’d be poking a bear with a stick.

Maybe I was being overly cautious, but anyone who read the source material would never say that.

Joo Seunghyuk was the kind of madman who could kill and imprison someone just for making eye contact.

Anyway, I needed money now, and the guiding gigs Jihui noona introduced me to were a lifeline. Of course, I had to go undercover as a merc, since it wasn’t exactly legal. Luckily, Jihui noona always helped me conceal my identity.

“Yeonsu, are you really going to do it?”

She looked at me with concern.

“Yeah. Why? Is there a problem?”

“You know how mercs are trash. Well, all Espers are trash, but at least the ones in guilds pretend to be civilized. Mercs don’t even try.”

Jihui noona absolutely loathed mercenaries among Espers.

She hadn’t always, but guild work had made her grow to hate them.

“I’ve seen all kinds of awful sh*t because of this stupid dream of mine, but you don’t need to go through that. If you need money, wouldn’t signing a contract be better? I know it’s banned while enrolled, but under-the-table deals exist.”

“I’ll think about it a little longer.”

According to the original story, Lee Yeonsu would die next spring. Brutally murdered by Joo Seunghyuk.

Until then, I planned to avoid even the tiniest bit of risk.

“You’re right. No harm in being cautious. Look at me—I passed up good contracts and joined a guild in high school on a stupid whim, and now I’m stuck suffering.”

She grimaced, probably remembering some guild nightmare.

“The gate raid’s already started, right? So they need a Guide right now?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Should I go straight to Changwi Guild after class?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll head over as soon as lecture ends.”

“Thanks.”

Noona cursed all the time, but she cared deeply about the guild. She looked visibly relieved when I agreed.

I wondered... would I ever find a job worth devoting my life to like she did?

As I smiled with her, my phone buzzed.

[Last class today, right? I’ll come pick you up.]

I jumped when I saw the name on the text.

—Joo Seunghyuk

Wait—how the hell did he get my number?!

I never saved his contact. When did he put his name in my phone?!

Was that something that happened that night too?

Fine, whatever. Maybe he could have saved his number. But the text itself was the real problem.

Why is he coming to pick me up?

Didn’t he call me a loser? Wasn’t that the end of it? Does he still have more insults left?

What do I do? I was supposed to go to Changwi Guild after class...

I hesitated, then typed out a reply.

[Sorry. I have a group project. I might be late.]

Just as I was about to press send, my finger paused.

Can I lie to a yandere?

No, it’s fine. He probably just wants to mess with me.

In the original story, he slept with tons of people. I must’ve seemed like a fun new toy. But there’s no need to break my promise to Jihui noona to play along.

Besides, I didn’t want to get involved with him no matter what.

Soon, he’ll meet Kim Jun. Their first meeting already passed, but there’s still a second chance coming.

I just have to avoid him until then. Once he meets Kim Jun, he’ll forget all about me.

I hesitated a moment longer, then hit send.