SWNOVELXO 45
45
Jihan was first in line for the guiding test.
They deliberately put Jihan first to help Siwoo relax. The secretary felt a bit relieved seeing Siwoo talking comfortably with Jihan.
Geonho and Seojun were watching the examination room situation with the secretary through a magic mirror.
Inside the cozy examination room, like other general guiding rooms, there were a small table and two chairs. Siwoo was already seated, waiting. He said he didn’t care who went first.
His expression looked prim, as if he was in a bad mood. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear he wasn’t displeased but nervous. It wasn’t obvious at first glance, but a slight examination of his pretty features revealed it.
“Relax. Just relax.”
Jihan, who had just entered the examination room, smiled brightly at Siwoo.
“You heard the explanation, right? There are safety personnel watching from behind that mirror, so don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried.”
Siwoo replied coldly, lifting his chin. His attitude towards Jihan seemed to have become colder.
Jihan wanted to joke about Siwoo already trusting him, but he held back. If he annoyed Siwoo any more, it seemed like Siwoo might leave the guild because of him.
“How’s your condition? Are you okay?”
He probably hadn’t eaten properly, would he have the strength for guiding? Even if it was radiant guiding, it would still consume energy.
Ignoring him, Siwoo pressed the green button on the table. It was the signal to start guiding.
Along with the machine sound signaling the start of the test, a guiding voice was heard.
The guiding time was exactly 10 minutes.
How much guiding was absorbed in this short time greatly affected the matching rate. Esper rampages always happened in an instant. Guides had to lower their assigned Esper’s levels and calm them down in a short time.
The higher the matching rate, the faster the guiding effect. High efficiency could be achieved even with a low contact range.
Jihan closed his eyes lightly and absorbed the guiding permeating his body as much as possible. As he absorbed more, the guiding poured into his body at an even faster rate.
As he felt last time, it was painfully obvious that Siwoo still didn’t know how to regulate his guiding. Recklessly pouring out a lot of guiding without considering his own stamina was a typical characteristic of inexperienced guides.
But still, this energy is something else.
If it was this good with just radiant guiding, what would it be like if they hugged or increased contact even more? The mere thought gave him chills. In a good way.
“Is it bad?”
Jihan opened one eye at Siwoo’s question. Siwoo was intently watching him while diligently emitting guiding.
“I asked if it’s bad.”
“Huh?”
“…You seem to dislike it.”
“Me?”
Siwoo nodded. Jihan, with his eyes calmly closed, was slightly shifting his body as if the chair was uncomfortable. Even though he was receiving guiding, he didn’t look comfortable at all.
“No, I love it.”
Jihan leaned his arms on the table with a deep smile.
“I was in awe because it’s amazingly good.”
Even though he had only narrowed the distance slightly, Siwoo’s guiding was transmitted even more deeply. Although the expected matching rate was higher than average, he didn’t expect it to fit his body this well. It exceeded expectations.
“Then why do you keep moving?”
“When something’s too good, it’s hard to stay still, you know.”
Jihan leaned back in his chair, widening the distance from Siwoo. If he increased the absorption rate any more from here, it might be a bit challenging to maintain his composure.
“Nonsense…”
Siwoo frowned and shut his eyes tight. Despite his distaste, he emitted guiding more passionately, like a child who had been praised.
The smile didn’t leave Jihan’s face as he watched Siwoo. He felt regretful that the time had already decreased to 6 minutes.
With guiding like this, he could receive it for ten more hours. Even without holding hands, his mind was so stable that he craved more time with him.
“You don’t have to respond, just listen.”
Jihan murmured softly while inhaling Siwoo’s wavelength mixed in the air.
“I really wasn’t teasing you earlier.”
Siwoo’s closed eyelids twitched slightly. But he didn’t open his eyes.
“I’m naturally smiley, I laugh a lot, and I’m quite playful. So sometimes even when I speak seriously, it might sound like a joke.”
Though he was rarely serious. But being human, he wasn’t entirely without serious moments.
“I’m sorry if I offended you.”
Jihan’s gaze on Siwoo became more intense. He looked quite serious now. His calm smile didn’t seem as light as usual. Perhaps because it was filled with sincerity.
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Leaving that promise, Jihan closed his eyes again. At the same moment, Siwoo opened his eyes and stared at him. If he had opened his eyes a little earlier, he would have seen Jihan’s serious face. The timing was off.
“…”
However, Jihan’s serious voice alone was enough to surprise him. Siwoo emitted guiding even more strongly, double-checking if the person in front of him was really that glib Yoo Jihan.
There were 3 minutes left. 10 minutes had felt long, but once they started, it felt absurdly short.
He couldn’t get a sense of how much he could lower the levels in 10 minutes. Moreover, contrary to appearances, Jihan’s wavelength was quite tangled, making it even more difficult.
He thought the wavelength would be carefree like its owner who always went around grinning, but it wasn’t. He could feel a subtly stubborn energy.
The more he tried to approach the wavelength that was messily tangled like intertwined lines, the more strangely the lines entangled. The tangled wavelengths welcomed the guiding, but didn’t unravel easily.
It felt like it was pulling Siwoo in, as if saying, “Let’s get tangled together.” Siwoo tried to maintain control while keeping his body tense to avoid being dragged in by him.
If he let his guard down even a little, he felt he might be swept away by him. He would need to be more careful in the future.
Startled by the guiding voice echoing in the room, Siwoo withdrew his guiding. He had been so focused on Jihan’s wavelength that he hadn’t even looked at the time towards the end.
“Good job.”
Jihan slowly opened his eyes and massaged the back of his neck. His complexion had brightened even more, as if the guiding had really suited him well.
“The matching rate comes out right away. We just need to wait a bit.”
As he said, the results were calculated on the spot. Jihan recalled the expected matching rate, certain that it wouldn’t be lower than that. Even though he had only received 10 minutes, his body felt a bit lighter.
He was about to get up from the chair after hearing the matching rate, but thinking Siwoo might be uncomfortable, he stood up. He decided to be more careful not to upset Siwoo for a while.
“Is this level of guiding okay?”
Siwoo suddenly asked. Jihan, who was about to turn towards the door, sat back down in the chair.
“Yeah, it’s good. It would be fine even if it was less than this.”
“Should I reduce it then?”
“No.”
Jihan shook his head along with his answer.
“This is just right.”
Honestly, it was at a level that needed to be properly adjusted, but that could be fine-tuned gradually. Siwoo’s guiding talent was at an amazing level. It was already palpable how he was trying to grasp and handle the characteristics of Jihan’s wavelength.
“Then that’s fine.”
Just as Siwoo crossed his arms and turned his head, the guiding voice flowed out again. The matching rate was already out.
“What was that?”
The secretary asked, cleaning his ear. He rushed to the examination room staff to check the judgment result again.
He hadn’t misheard. It was indeed 74%. It had risen by 7% from the expected matching rate of 67%. Usually, it comes out similar to the expected matching rate, and cases where it rises more than 3% are very rare.
“Wow…”
Just how good was his guiding skill?
“Can it rise this much even without contact guiding?”
“It’s very rare. It’s not easy with just radiant guiding, this is impressive.”
The examination room staff agreed with the secretary, showing signs of admiration. The most important thing was that Siwoo was a rookie who had only recently manifested.
Because guiding, like an Esper’s ability, needed time to become familiar and proficient, rookies couldn’t demonstrate their full capabilities. A guide’s skills usually matured most after 2 years.
“He’s a guide to look forward to in the future.”
The secretary nodded with a pleased smile. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed they had found a proper guide.
“Um… Brother Geonho, should I go first?”
Seojun, standing next to Geonho, asked while looking at the magic mirror. On the other side of the wall, Jihan was giving exaggerated applause, while Siwoo was pretending to flip the table, telling him to get out quickly.
It was a scene that looked very intimate. How long had they known each other anyway?