Chapter 7: Esper Trainee
Perhaps she had already guessed that the time was nearly up. When I had begun the process of treating the wounds, Jena knocked on the door and came in. On Jo Hyun's handsome face, there were only a few bruises left.
"So fast? It looks like you really like pretty faces, huh?"
Jena smiled as she teased me.
I shrugged.
Those who had worked at headquarters for a long time all knew my preferences. After all, I had never hidden the fact that I really liked handsome men, and Jo Hyun was even more than that.
It was a pity that appearances could change, but age would not naturally skip ahead. You could not be a child who woke up one morning and suddenly was old enough to drink alcohol.
"I'm sorry…"
Jo Hyun lowered his head and muttered. I felt as if I were looking at a large, dejected Alaska dog. It was unbearably cute.
Damn it, maybe I had hit a little too hard and hurt this kid a bit?
"Jo Hyun, don't make such an end-of-the-world face, will you?"
I laughed and gently rubbed his beautiful cheeks with my palms, lifting up that pitiful, gloomy face to look at the pair of eyes that were still far too innocent.
"If that's the case… I'll let you be an Esper trainee on my team."
An Esper trainee was actually a system that was rarely applied, because Espers were always valued and would join combat after only two months of training following their awakening.
But if it was applied to protect minors from being forced into rifts too early, then it was perfect.
"An Esper trainee?"
Jena was also surprised. Only now did she remember this system.
"That means you are not allowed to become an official Esper or attack rifts before you turn eighteen and graduate from school."
I listed my conditions.
"Before that, you will only stay inside headquarters to undergo combat skill training, and you will only be allowed to enter rifts after being reviewed by your guardian, which is me."
After Jo Hyun proved that he was fully ready to become an independent Esper, a license would be issued to him.
"Hyung, I understand."
Jo Hyun nodded obediently and did not forget to carefully hold my hand.
"And Hyung, you'll be my Guide, right?"
Why was this kid so stubborn about this issue?
I sighed and patted Jo Hyun on the head.
"At the moment, none of the Guides inside headquarters have high compatibility with you, so you will definitely be assigned to me."
Jo Hyun happily hugged my arm like a child. I could only let him be. As long as he was happy, that was fine.
"Director, let me be Jo Hyun's guardian in the trainee records. He will intern in my Team 7. Min Seok will be a decent instructor."
Jena said, "Alright. Take him back to Team 7's office to get acquainted with everyone, then come back to complete the paperwork."
I took Jo Hyun with me and left. He clung tightly to me while looking around inside headquarters, seemingly very interested in the Espers and Guides around him.
"Hyung, how long have you worked here already?"
Jo Hyun suddenly asked.
I narrowed my eyes and tried to recall the past.
"It must have been a very long time…"
Then I was startled and blankly realized that it had already been ten years since I awakened and began working as a busy S-rank Guide.
"So long already? I've been in this place for ten years."
Only now did I realize how fast time had passed. The child who awakened at fifteen and wanted to become a hero to save humanity had now become a veteran office worker, drifting through each day like a zombie, clocking in and out, then looking for ways to slack off and avoid work.
I was amused by this sense of disorientation that bordered on bewilderment.
"Hyung is definitely the strongest Guide here!"
Jo Hyun was a child with very good perception. He probably saw that my mood had dipped a little and immediately stopped mentioning this topic.
"Hmm?"
I looked down at the hand that this kid was tightly holding.
"You like skin contact that much?"
Even if it was to comfort my emotions, there was no need to stick to me all the time like this, right?
"No, it's just that I really like it."
Jo Hyun's radiant smile made it feel as if I were melting under the sunlight. That damn beautiful face.
"Why? I'm not even Guiding you."
Jo Hyun's sparkling eyes curved slightly into cheerful crescents, like a small puppy looking at me sincerely with wet eyes.
"Hyung's hand is very warm."
Fine then, I sighed.
I really was weak against those damn beautiful faces.
And there was no need to be stubborn with a child anyway. Jo Hyun was probably just clinging to a highly compatible Guide out of Esper instinct.
Just like Cha Cha. She had very high compatibility with most Espers, so even though she was not particularly beautiful, Espers all liked to approach and flirt with Cha Cha. They were addicted to skin contact with her, like beasts searching for a mate during mating season.
As for me, I was famous for my pretty face and unpleasant attitude. The Espers who stuck to me were all guys who liked perverted experiences.
Min Ha Dong or Geon Do, all of them were Espers who left me speechless.
I had also paired with one or two Espers before, but after some time, I always discovered that they had their own issues and then canceled the pairing.
Sometimes I wondered whether all the men who came looking for me had something wrong with their heads.
"Don't be a bastard, Jo Hyun."
Jo Hyun said, "Hyung? What did you say?"
I laughed lightly.
Just a kid who had not even finished high school yet. I could not be that unlucky, right?
"Let's go. We're here."
I brought Jo Hyun to the office. Just standing outside the door, I could already hear Min Seok's loud laughter.
So they had already returned from the rift.
"Click."
As the door opened, I shouted excitedly into the room.
"Come on, everyone. Welcome the new trainee member of our team!"