TSCEIAB Ch. 2 The First S-Class Guide! (2)

 

“Did it say ‘unmeasurable’?”

At the Awakening Management Center located in Ohio.

It was close to dawn when the director, who had been suddenly called in, asked with a tired expression.

“Yes, the manifestation fever has risen to nearly 43°C.”

“Hmm? Wait, wasn’t the highest manifestation fever for an A-class guide 40°C?”

“That’s right.”

At the response from his assistant, Liam, the director’s face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

Could it be…?

“…Maybe, just maybe… we might have an S-class guide. What’s the new guide’s name?”

“It’s Yi-seo Kang. A Korean immigrant, her English name is Sophia Kang.”

Flap.

Liam handed over the document that was on top of the stack he was holding. The director took it and flinched upon reading the information.

“Her age…?”

The guide’s age written in the document was 6 years old. She was far too young.

In the Esper community, there was already someone who had awakened at the age of 4, setting the record for the youngest. However, that person was not a guide.

Up until now, the youngest guide, Emily, had awakened at the age of 14.

“Huh… the first S-class and the youngest guide…”

Although nothing was certain yet, the director seemed pleased with his own words and smiled.

‘Maybe, a big shot will be born here in Ohio.’

“Well then. What is this little guide doing right now?”

“She was transported by helicopter an hour ago and went to the grade examination room. By now, she should be in the recovery room with a healing Esper.”

“The test results will be out soon.”

After pondering something for a moment, the director turned to Liam and asked.

“What’s your guiding level right now?”

Liam turned on the watch on his left wrist.

 

[Liam Hubert / Physical-Type Esper / B-Class]

 

Liam briefly glanced over his information on the screen and touched the guiding status icon.

“…It’s 52%.”

“Good. I’ll head to the inspection room, so you go to the recovery room. Check the guide’s condition, and don’t leave her side.”

The instruction to not leave her side carried a lot of implied meaning. Liam raised an eyebrow and asked a question.

“Should I check the radial guiding abilities?”

“If an opportunity arises, try to make some contact as well.”

“She’s still six years old.”

“Just a light touch. If she’s really an S-class, when will you ever get the chance to receive guidance from such a big shot?”

The director didn’t expect proper contact guiding from a mere six-year-old child. He was simply curious about the new guide’s guiding abilities.

“Understood. I’ll do that.”

Liam gave a light nod and made his way out.

Though tired from the unexpected extra shift, Liam couldn’t help but feel excitement at the thought of meeting the child who might be the first S-class guide.

‘S-class. An S-class…’

The sound of Liam’s quick footsteps echoed through the darkened hallway.

 

***

“Hmm…”

“Sophia, are you awake?”

My heavy consciousness slowly rose to the surface.

I grimaced at my throbbing head and lifted my stiff eyelids.

“Where am I…?”

“This is the recovery room at the Ohio Awakening Management Center. You suddenly fainted, so they transported you by helicopter.”

The person said, continuing, “The rank test is already finished, and we brought you here immediately for treatment by a healing Esper.”

“Do you feel any pain? Should I call the healing Esper again?”

My head was ringing, but it wasn’t too bad. I mumbled that I was fine and then asked,

“… By the way, who are you?”

“Oh, my apologies for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Liam, and I am the secretary to the center director here in Ohio.”

The director’s secretary?

My eyes shook for a moment.

In the U.S., each state has its own Awakening Management Center, and there are several center directors accordingly.

However, no matter how many directors there were, their ranks were still significant.

Especially for a common citizen like me, I’d never have the chance to meet a center director in person.

‘No way… the director came because of me?’

Without realizing it, my brow furrowed. I remembered the warning sound in my ears and Logan’s muttering about the “unmeasurable” reading.

“Excuse me, mister.”

“Yes?”

“What is my rank?”

Liam seemed a bit embarrassed at the unfamiliarity of being called “mister”. But he soon composed himself and answered sincerely.

“We haven’t received the results yet. However, it should be coming soon. Your parents have gone to hear the results.”

“I want to go too.”

“What? You still need more rest.”

Liam waved his hand awkwardly. I pouted for a moment and then shot him a glare.

It’s my test results, so I want to hear it myself.

‘In the original story, there weren’t any S-class guides before the female lead awakened to S-class. But…’

Strangely, I’ve been feeling anxious since earlier.

‘I guess I’ll have to go and check for myself.’

Liam was trying to stop me from the front, but it didn’t matter. There is a way in this case.

I’m six years old right now. Hmm. Let’s not think about my age in my past life.

“Ugh… I want to see my mom…”

Sad thoughts. Sad thoughts.

I squeezed out tears that weren’t coming out and made a pitiful face. Liam, breaking into a cold sweat, muttered,

“Suddenly asking for your mom like this…?”

I hadn’t even asked about my parents’ whereabouts until now.

I pretended not to hear his muttering. Liam tried to calm me down a few times but eventually threw up his hands in defeat.

“…I give up.”

His small, resigned muttering brushed past my ears with a sigh. I had won.

“Alright. But walking on your own is too dangerous. I can carry you and take you there, though.”

“Okay.”

I wiped my eyes as if I cried and stretched out my arms. Liam seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he picked me up.

“Are all kids these days like this?…”

“Mister, hurry up. The test results are coming out.”

“Hah.”

Liam sighed above my head. He lifted me once and then spoke.

“Rest your head on my shoulder and wrap your arms around my neck.”

“Like this?”

I rested my chin on his firm shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck as he instructed. At the same time, Liam stiffened and gasped for air.

“Wa-wait, hold on a moment. Cough! What’s with this guiding energy…?”

He coughed violently, pulling my arms down. Suddenly, I smelled a sharp metallic scent from him.

Was it just my imagination?

“I think it’s best not to have direct contact.”

“What?”

Why is that?

I looked up at him with wide eyes, and Liam seemed flustered. But he didn’t explain further and just avoided my gaze.

“Uhm… hold onto the hem of my shirt.”

“The hem… like, the collar?”

“Yes. As long as your skin doesn’t touch mine, anywhere is fine.”

If he said it was fine, I had no reason to refuse. I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

Liam looked around, wrapped me in a blanket he found, and then supported my head.

“Alright, let’s go.”

As soon as he said that, Liam shot forward like a bullet. In a blur, my surroundings changed rapidly.

“Ah, mis, ter, are, you, an, Esper?”

My body was shaking uncontrollably. Unlike me, who could barely speak a few words, Liam spoke calmly, as if he was used to it.

“I’m a physical enhancement Esper. Be careful, you might bite your tongue.”

It seemed like Liam had enhanced the muscles in some parts of his body.

I glanced at his tracksuit pants, which were stretched tight as if they might tear.

I had wondered why he was in a tracksuit if he was the secretary.

‘His thighs have gotten twice as thick, haven’t they?’

Meanwhile, Liam’s speed gradually slowed. I turned my head and saw the sign of the examination room in the distance.

“There it is…”

Liam stopped dead in his tracks. People were gathered in front of the examination room.

“It seems it will be difficult to get in.”

Listening to his muttering, I looked at the crowd with a stunned face. If the crowd is like that outside, it must be similar inside of the inspection room.

My mom and dad are there inside.

‘I wonder if my mom and dad got caught up in all this and got hurt…’

I shuddered as I thought about my rabbit-like dad and deer-like mom.

Perhaps thinking I was cold, Liam carefully hugged me, making sure not to let his skin touch mine.

“It seems the news slipped out. The appearance of the youngest guide is enough to be headline material.”

“Are those people reporters?”

Liam shook his head at my question.

“No. The entrance to the center is strictly controlled. Those are probably other Espers and Guides affiliated with the center.”

They say that reporters would usually get tips from people who know the story and then be compensated for it. It was a pretty lucrative side hustle.

‘Even so, is it okay for them to do that?’

It’s one thing for outsiders, but these are center-affiliated people. Aren’t there confidentiality clauses in their contracts?

I frowned in displeasure.

Bang! Crash!

Something seemed to have fallen inside the tightly closed examination room.

“The first… the first ever! The youngest and first-ever S-class guide!”

A man’s loud shout followed.

“Wha- what did you just say?”

“First… first? S-class? A guide, and S-class?”

“Oh, oh…?”

The people standing in front of the door immediately pulled out their phones.

“Scoop! It’s a scoop!”

“The youngest guide is an S-class!”

“No, not an Esper! A guide, guide! An S-class! First-ever!”

Amidst the chaos, I tightly grabbed the collar of Liam’s shirt.

Ah, why do my uneasy thoughts never turn out wrong?

‘Wasn’t the first-ever S-class guide supposed to be the female lead…?’

I had unintentionally stolen the role of the female lead.

Sorry, female lead. It turned out this way.

I closed my eyes tightly, thinking of the female lead, who must be spending her childhood somewhere in America.

 

 

***

[Title: Wasn’t A-Class the highest rank for guides?]

I heard from a reporter that there’s an S-class guide now. And apparently, they’re the youngest ever. I didn’t even know there were S-class guides. Isn’t the U.S. the first to have one globally?

 

└What nonsense is this? S-class guide? The youngest? Are you writing a novel?

└└LOL, the novel setting is too exaggerated.

└This isn’t nonsense, and it’s not a novel either. I heard it from a reporter I know. The article will be out soon.

└└(This comment has been deleted)

 

 

[Title: It looks like that the thing about the novel is true!!]

That thing about the S-class guide is real. The article is coming out now;; Is this for real? The youngest and the first-ever?

 

└OMG!!!!! (shocked emoji)

└The guide’s identity hasn’t been released yet, right? If they’re the youngest, how old are they?

└Emily became the youngest at fourteen, so maybe this one is around twelve? I don’t think they’re younger than ten though. That’d be too young.

└When’s the info coming out? When? When? When?

└└Please calm down, friend.

└I heard it’s from Ohio? All the flight tickets to Ohio are sold out now.

└└The impact is crazy;;;

└Does anyone know when the Ohio center director’s press conference will be?

└└No news yet.

└But anyway, if they’re the youngest, they must be a very young guide. I hope they’re not being put under too much pressure.

└└True.

└└└I agree.