Guide Me If You Dare-Chapter 189: NEW GEN INCOMING?

"JAEHA-YA, I’m sorry for neglecting you these days," Yuno said, his conscience pricking him, as he looked at Kim Jaeha. "Are you okay?"

Kim Jaeha had nowhere to go since his residence belonged to the Bureau.

And he has no family since he was sold off like I was.

Yuno wasn’t able to take Kim Jaeha home since he had been busy with Ki Gayoon these days.

In short, he had accidentally neglected the poor kid.

"Hyung, you have nothing to apologize for," Kim Jaeha said, gesturing to the VIP Room that looked like a hotel suite. "This fancy room makes me feel like I’m in a hotel instead of a clinic. Woonhak Hyung-nim lives upstairs, so he often checks on me. Plus, I’m safe here. Sarang Noona visits me, and Esper Ki Gayoon-nim’s subordinates take turn in acting as my bodyguard."

Yuno had figured that much.

In fact, he just met Gu Inwoo at the door earlier.

The last time we were here, it was Dabin Hyung.

"Woonhak Hyung-nim is also a good chef. He cooks for me all the time, and we eat together. We even have afternoon tea."

Oh.

That put Yuno’s heart at ease.

It seems like Kim Jaeha is well taken care of here.

Anyways, the ghost of Matthew refused to come with Yuno when he said he was going to visit Kim Jaeha.

Apparently, Matthew wasn’t ready to face his Guide yet.

But I think Esper Matthew-ssi also wants to spend time with Sarang Noona and Gayoon Hyung even though the two can’t see him.

"Moreover, Woonhak Hyung-nim said I’m healthy."

"That’s good to know," Yuno said, gently tousling Kim Jaeha’s hair because the kid’s enthusiasm reminded him of a puppy. "But you must be getting bored here. Woonhak Hyung must be busy with his work, and Gayon Hyung’s men don’t play with you, do they?"

"It’s alright, Hyung," Kim Jaeha said shyly, his face turning red. "I actually made a new friend recently."

It must be Kwon Hojun.

After all, only Kwon Hojun was allowed to visit Kim Jaeha.

Yuno was glad that the two were getting along well.

They’re the same age, so it’s nice that they have become friends.

"Yuno Hyung?"

"What is it?"

The shyness on Kim Jaeha’s face disappeared as he asked a serious question. "May I know what’s happening? I had a gist of the situation when I heard the Core in your heart actually belongs to Matthew Hyung. But, if it’s okay for me to know, I’d like to know what exactly is going on straight from you."

Right.

Kim Jaeha had the right to know since Matthew was his Esper.

And I have some questions for him anyway.

"Jaeha-ya, when did you meet Esper Matthew-ssi?"

"A few months after I awakened as an A-Class Guide," Kim Jaeha said, fiddling with his fingers as if he was suddenly nervous. "It hasn’t been a year since I was assigned as Matthew Hyung’s Guide."

The timeline...

"If you don’t mind my asking, how was your relationship with Esper Matthew-ssi when you became his Guide?" Yuno asked carefully. "You don’t have to answer me if it makes you uncomfortable, Jaeha-ya."

Kim Jaeha fell silent for a moment before he opened his mouth. "Matthew Hyung was grumpy. Actually, he acted like a tsundere then. He was cold on the outside, but he took care of me well when no one was looking. But even though he acted distant, he never laid a hand on me. He was rough even during our Intimate Guiding Session, but he never hurt me on purpose. But that changed recently."

"How did he change?"

"Matthew Hyung became verbally abusive to me when he started experiencing severe Mana depletion every now and then. I was confused back then because his Mana would suddenly drop even though he didn’t enter a dungeon."

Yep, that sounded suspicious as fuck.

That’s probably when the humanoid dungeon monster started to take over Esper Matthew-ssi’s body.

"That was when Matthew Hyung started to be violent during our Intimate Guiding Sessions," Kim Jaeha said, his voice cracking as his body trembled. He hugged himself as if he was reliving something that he didn’t want to remember. However, the kid didn’t stop sharing his story. "Every time I refused to sleep with him since I also needed to recover my Mana, he would beat me."

Yuno clenched his jaw tight, angry that a young Guide was abused by an Esper.

Again.

I know it’s not really Esper Matthew-ssi, but I’m still angry.

"Rebecca Noona and the others would help me hide from time to time, but Matthew Hyung would threaten to harm them. So, I just surrendered to him instead of running away."

"And what was Team Leader Bambi-ssi doing during those times?"

Kim Jaeha smiled bitterly. "They would turn a blind eye."

Fuck them all.

Yuno changed the topic or else he would explod from anger. "Jaeha-ya, do you remember when Esper Matthew-ssi started to become verbally and physically abusive to you?"

Kim Jaeha nodded. "It started two months before I met you at the HoneyMoon Convenience Store, Hyung."

Oh, so it was recent.

But it actually matched the timeline that the ghost told him.

Matthew’s ghost actually asked Yuno the exact date, and then he said: ["It hasn’t been long since my consciousness separated from my physical body. I think it’s one or two months ago since I’ve completely lost control of my own body."]

So, what happened was Matthew and the humanoid dungeon monster fought to be the host of Matthew’s body.

But, two months ago, Matthew had completely lost the battle.

Unfortunately, Esper Matthew-ssi doesn’t remember how his consciousness got stored in his Core.

It was a question that only Ryu Sungbin could probably answer.

"Yuno Hyung, have I answered your questions well?"

"Yes, you’re a huge help," Yuno said, pausing for a moment before he dropped the bomb. "Jaeha-ya, the real Esper Matthew-ssi is already dead— his body has been taken over by something else."

He couldn’t tell the kid that it was a humanoid dungeon monster.

It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Kim Jaeha— he just couldn’t share information with the kid when the said information hadn’t been verified yet.

Moreover, he didn’t want Kim Jaeha to be even more shocked.

"I thought so."

Hmm?

Yuno was surprised when Kim Jaeha’s tears suddenly rolled down his cheeks. But it wasn’t what shocked him, to be fair.

What shocked him was the fact that Kim Jaeha didn’t look shocked.

He’s sad about Esper Matthew-ssi’s death, but it seems like he has already expected it?

"The Matthew Hyung I knew wouldn’t have hurt me," Kim Jaeha said in a cracked voice. "It was a relief to know that it wasn’t Matthew Hyung who had hurt me all this time."

Ah, so that was how it was.

Yuno didn’t know how to console people properly, so he just rubbed Kim Jaeha’s back awkwardly and said: "Don’t worry, Jaeha-ya— Gayoon Hyung will kill them all."

***

"THIS KID?" Ki Gayoon asked, raising an eyebrow while looking at the kid that Lee Woonhak brought to him and Lee Sarang. "Yeah, that one is about to awaken."

Lee Sarang nodded in agreement. "This may sound like we’re bragging, but high-ranking Espers like us could tell if a Civilian is about to awaken. It’s hard to explain, but we kind of "smell" it when someone is starting to produce Mana in their body."

Yes, Lee Sarang was correct.

Hence, Gayoon was sure that the kid in front of them was about to awaken.

But it wasn’t only that.

This rascal would probably awaken as a high-ranking Esper.

"You’re Noh Yuno’s dongsaeng, aren’t you?" Gayoon asked, raising an eyebrow. "What’s your name again?"

He remembered that Noh Yuno had already introduced the kid to him.

But he had selective memory since he would only remember what he wanted to remember.

"My name is Kwon Hojun, sir," the brat said politely. "Uhm, Kim Jaeha also said the same thing. He actually wanted me to take the exam at the Esper Association. But I don’t want to be an Esper, so I refused."

"Well, your opinion actually doesn’t matter," Gayoon said, scoffing. And then he turned to Lee Woonhak. "Hyung, why haven’t you sent this kid to the Esper Association yet?"

"Gut feeling?" Lee Woonhak said, shrugging. "I feel like this kid’s awakening will be special, so I asked you and Sarang-ssi to check on him first."

Right.

So, even Lee Woonhak Hyung can tell that the kid is special. freewebnøvel.com

"Uhm, this is making me uncomfortable," Kwon Hojun complained lightly. "Can I go and meet Kim Jaeha and Yuno Hyung now?"

Gayoon grabbed the kid by the neck. "Let’s go."

***

IT HAPPENED so fast that not even Yuno could understand what was happening.

As soon as Kwon Hojun entered the room, his body surged forward until he bumped into the kid.

Fortunately, the kid didn’t fall backwards from the impact.

In fact, Kwon Hojun didn’t budge.

And then the kid wrapped his arms around Yuno’s body to keep him from falling.

Of course, someone reacted violently.

"What the fuck?" Ki Gayoon asked coldly, grabbing Kwon Hojun by the shoulder. "Let go before I break your arm, kid."

Kwon Hojun flinched, but he couldn’t talk back because of Ki Gayoon’s bloodlust.

"Hyung, it wasn’t me," Yuno explained, clutching his chest tight. "The Esper Core in my heart literally pulled me towards Kwon Hojun."

***

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