The One and Only Guide - Chapter 1
“Hey, the person who just passed by, it’s Yeo Jian, the Bland Guide, right? You had a matching test with the Esper who came from Russia this time, didn’t she? How did it go?”
“How did it go? What can you say? Of course, she got a 0% match.”
“Really? How come, even though she awakened as an S-rank Guide, there isn’t a single person that matches with her?”
“That’s why she’s called the Bland Guide. What’s the point of being an S-rank? Everyone’s matching rate is zero with her.”
As if she was used to hearing comments like this, Jian let out a deep sigh. During the short time she spent at the Center, she had heard similar comments several times.
This is why she didn’t want to come to the Awakening Center… But she couldn’t refuse the Center’s call. After all, she was a Guide and a member of the Awakening Association. Moreover, for the first time in a while, an Esper who wanted to check their matching rate had appeared. She had no choice but to go and meet them.
However, the results were as miserable as always.
The matching rate with the Esper, Georgi Galayev, who came from Russia, was 0%. So what if she was an S-rank Guide? There wasn’t a single Esper that matched.
She was openly mocked as the Bland Guide, but there was nothing she could say. After all, it was all true.
Since awakening as a Guide at the age of fifteen, Jian had met numerous Espers. However, not a single one of them was a match for her.
Nevertheless, the Awakening Center never gave up on finding an Esper for Jian. After all, she was the only S-rank Guide in the country.
Finally, when they couldn’t find an Esper in the country who matched Jian, the Center called on Espers from not only the United States but also the United Kingdom, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa for matching tests.
The results were all the same: 0%.
Some Espers didn’t even realize Jian was a Guide, and even after making contact with her, they had to confirm if she was truly a Guide.
For Espers, just holding hands with a Guide made taking a fresh breath of air. They were known to come up with all sorts of excuses not to let go of a Guide’s hand.
However, the Espers who took Jian’s hand ended up saying something like this:
“Are you really an S-rank Guide? I don’t feel anything.”
Even the A-rank Esper Georgi Galayev from Russia said something similar:
“I don’t feel anything at all. Are you sure you’re a Guide?”
“I’m a Guide. Can’t you see the Guide tag of the Association hanging around my neck?”
When Jian retorted, Galayev’s face wrinkled.
“But… it really doesn’t feel like you’re a Guide.”
The next words were directed not at Jian but at the head of the research institute. The head of the research institute said,
“The Korean Awakening Center wouldn’t play pranks on a guest from Russia.”
“That’s true. But even so, can it really be that I don’t feel anything at all?”
“That’s… because of Yeo Jian’s unique nature. Unfortunately, your matching rate with her…”
“Is zero, right?”
Upon confirming Jian’s words, the Russian Esper couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“Haa. I came to Korea with some hope, but… damn it! What kind of special nature is this! Get me another Guide right now!”
As if he had caught something unpleasant, the Russian Awakening slapped Jian’s hand away.
Jian pondered what she could say in response to his rude attitude but decided to leave the examination room without saying a word. She regretted not letting go of his hand when the judgment was made, but she had no particular emotions towards him as he openly expressed his dissatisfaction.
Coming all the way to Korea to find a Guide, especially for an Esper with a high risk of going rogue, it was somewhat understandable for him to have such a dirty personality.
Espers without Guides were ticking time bombs, and their personalities, in general, tended to be quite explosive due to their heightened sensitivity from not having received Guiding.
There was nothing she could do. Being the understanding person she was, she could only tolerate it.
Jian walked out of the examination room, tongue in cheek. The head of the research institute didn’t try to stop her. This had happened dozens of times already. Jian didn’t mind it much, especially compared to the Russian Esper’s discourteous attitude.
Besides, if she became the subject of mockery or sympathy, what did it matter to her? She had lived as a well-paid unemployed person all thanks to the salary she received as a Guide under the Center. It wasn’t so bad compared to being a public servant. Wasn’t being a well-paid unemployed person the best thing in the world?
But in the past few years, not being able to meet a single Esper with a matching rate above 0% had been a source of some concern for Jian. She had awakened as an S-rank Guide, yet she hadn’t been able to guide anyone properly.
She was still receiving a generous salary as an S-rank Guide, but after several years of this, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off.
She pretended to ignore it, but the Center’s troublesome kid wasn’t exactly hiding it well.
