GOL Ch 3

Lee Yeonsoo.

He had been a hot topic since he was young.

He was an S-rank Guide, a rarity with fewer than ten in all of South Korea. Not only was his rank high, but he also possessed exceptional abilities in various areas, including “emotional perception,” which allowed him to analyze mana by its form, guiding skills, and outstanding academic achievements.

Furthermore, his doll-like beauty and pure, clear aura captivated the public as well as Espers.

However, no matter how outstanding his appearance or abilities, if he were affiliated with any organization, he wouldn’t enjoy the popularity he currently held.

As soon as he awakened as an S-rank Guide, countless corporations, including the SeongHan Group, offered him exclusive contracts.

But Lee Yeonsoo refused every offer.

In the past, the government controlled all Espers and Guides.

While those who awakened with abilities in other countries became instantly wealthy, Espers and Guides in South Korea did not.

They were forcibly conscripted into the military simply for awakening, and even if they were injured or killed, the government offered minimal compensation and no other support.

Instead, Espers were treated like monsters and Guides were viewed as sexual tools and subjected to contempt.

Though discontent simmered among those with abilities, their complaints were dismissed as the ravings of monsters, and no one listened.

Then, a significant incident occurred in 1981.

Three S-rank Espers simultaneously acquired Italian citizenship.

The South Korean government, having lost three S-rank Espers in an instant, protested, but Italy didn’t bat an eye. Instead, they brought South Korea’s human rights issues regarding Espers and Guides to the world stage.

The government and the public were furious. The rage intensified when it became known that the S-rank Espers who had changed their nationality were living lavish lives, treated as VIPs.

People condemned them as traitors who had betrayed their country for money.

However, Espers and Guides thought differently, and despite the widespread condemnation, the exodus of those with abilities continued.

As a result of this series of events, Espers and Guides, as well as their families, were placed under surveillance, leading to further defections in protest.

The government, in turn, tightened its control over those with abilities.

By the 1990s, numerous social problems arose due to the shortage of Espers and Guides.

Not only were existing awakened individuals emigrating, but parents who suspected their children had awakened would secretly have them tested at unauthorized facilities and then contact foreign countries to escape the country.

The new government desperately sought solutions. Foreign criticism wasn’t the issue.

Espers and Guides were national power. Their departure alone represented a national loss. They had to stop those with abilities from leaving the country.

Furthermore, times had changed.

The military regime transitioned to a democracy, and foreign media entered the country. Public perception shifted, and Espers and Guides transformed from monsters into objects of admiration.

Instead of condemning those who emigrated, public opinion primarily blamed the government for creating this situation.

The government made efforts to improve the treatment and status of those with abilities.

By the mid-1990s, the mandatory conscription regulation for those with abilities was completely abolished.

They were no longer forced to spend their lives in the military simply because of their abilities.

In the 2000s, a government ministry dedicated to those with abilities was established, and centers for Espers and Guides were founded, rapidly improving their treatment.

The treatment of those with abilities improved to the point of international recognition, and the treatment of lower-ranked individuals, particularly those below C-rank, was considered among the best in the world.

The problem was the persistent dissatisfaction among higher-ranked individuals, especially those at A-rank and above.

High-ranking individuals in other countries received astronomical sums. They were practically walking corporations.

However, no matter how much the government wanted to improve the treatment of those with abilities, they couldn’t afford to pay such enormous sums to individuals.

Eventually, the government reached out to corporations.

Until then, the South Korean government had managed all Espers, Guides, and Gates. But now, Espers and Guides could join corporations or establish their own guilds.

While there was much criticism of privatizing the management of those with abilities and Gates, the law eventually passed, citing the need to follow global trends.

Corporations scrambled to scout Espers and Guides and establish guilds to conquer Gates.

News articles about the astronomically rising value of high-ranking individuals sparked both envy and jealousy.

More time passed.

It had been a while since private companies entered the guild business, and the astronomical value of those with abilities was no longer news.

For high-ranking individuals at A-rank and above, signing a contract with a large corporation immediately after awakening was considered the standard procedure.

The government-run centers weren’t even considered.

The centers struggled every year to recruit high-ranking individuals, but they couldn’t compete with corporations in a bidding war.

Public opinion was sharply divided on this phenomenon.

Older generations criticized young people for lacking patriotism and chasing only money.

Younger generations argued that it was a personal choice and there was no reason for criticism.

However, both sides generally held those who chose the centers over money in high regard.

In this context, S-rank Guide Lee Yeonsoo’s refusal of corporate offers became a major topic of conversation.

He had personally rejected the opportunity to become the exclusive Guide for Joo Seunghyuk, the youngest son of SeongHan Group, South Korea’s top corporation.

Lee Yeonsoo wasn’t what was considered “born with a silver spoon in his mouth”; in fact, his family was rather poor.

Yet, he chose his convictions over immense wealth and a comfortable life.

It was only natural for the public to be enthralled by Lee Yeonsoo.

However, with great adoration came envy and jealousy.

Park Jihee was one of those who viewed Lee Yeonsoo with resentment.

Everything surrounding him irritated her: the high-ranking officials who treated him like a sacred relic, the Espers who revered him as an S-rank treasure, and the followers and fans who blindly praised his every action.

She didn’t like Lee Yeonsoo himself either.

His rejection of corporate offers seemed arrogant and pretentious, and his excessive humility, despite having everything, felt fake. Furthermore, his seemingly naive unawareness of his own popularity came across as manipulative and contrived.

However, after meeting Lee Yeonsoo as a freshman at the Ability User Academy and talking to him directly, she completely discarded her preconceived notions.

Aside from his abilities and appearance, he was an ordinary young man.

He had a cautious personality, far from arrogant or boastful, and he didn’t revel in his immense popularity. Rather, he seemed burdened by the excessive attention and preferred a quiet life.

He was intelligent, diligent, and had excellent judgment, but he was strangely insecure and lacked self-awareness.

He exuded an aloof and calm aura that felt inapproachable, yet he was also so naive in some aspects that it felt impossible to leave him alone.

Moreover, his lack of common sense in strange areas sometimes made her wonder if he was from another world.

Park Jihee had grown to care for Lee Yeonsoo like a younger brother. She felt guilty for her previous resentment and tried to be even kinder to him.

༺♛༻

The Ability User Academy’s freshman welcome party was entirely organized by the student council.

Frankly, this year’s freshmen were an unprecedentedly poor crop. There were only three A-ranks among both Espers and Guides combined, and the talent pool was so shallow that even F-ranks were admitted.

Compared to the previous year, which saw the admission of two S-ranks, Lee Yeonsoo and Joo Seunghyuk, this year’s class felt even more underwhelming.

Alumni had been sending notices of their absence, citing various excuses.

The freshman welcome party was funded by alumni donations. The school provided the auditorium but otherwise offered no support, including financial assistance.

The student council president, sensing the imminent demise of this time-honored event, which had continued without interruption since the Ability User Academy’s independence from the Ministry of National Defense, resorted to a desperate measure.

He invited Lee Yeonsoo to the party.

The student council president, after forcing various titles like “student representative” upon him, managed to drag the reluctant Lee Yeonsoo to the event.

As soon as news of Lee Yeonsoo’s attendance spread, alumni who had previously declined suddenly changed their minds and started pouring in donations.

Lee Yeonsoo was an S-rank Guide who wasn’t yet affiliated with any organization. Many companies and guilds coveted him, and they were eager to make his acquaintance.

Those approaching him for recruitment or networking purposes were the more respectable ones.

“Yeonsoo, you have to drink the alcohol your senior is offering you.”

“Hey, are you looking down on us because you’re S-rank? Are you saying a B-rank isn’t worthy of being your senior?”

As Lee Yeonsoo finished his welcoming remarks to the freshmen and stepped down from the podium, senior Espers surrounded him and began forcing him to drink.

Their thinly veiled intentions to get him drunk and take advantage of him were disgusting. They weren’t usually this obnoxious, but this year, with many attendees present solely for Lee Yeonsoo, they were even more blatant.

“Your discipline is lacking. Lee Yeonsoo, in our time, we knelt and drank when a senior offered us alcohol.”

“How old are you to be talking about discipline? It’s been ages since the Academy became independent from the Ministry of National Defense. Senior Kim, you graduated last year.”

Jihee, unable to stand it any longer, spoke up, and the senior frowned.

“Park Jihee, you’re so clueless as always.”

Senior Kim grimaced, making it clear he wasn’t interested in her and that she should stay out of it.

‘I’m not interested in you either! Who’s being clueless and obnoxious right now!’

Jihee felt a surge of annoyance.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Lee Yeonsoo stepped forward, protectively pushing Jihee behind him.

“I’ll drink it.”

“That’s right, you should.”

“Yeonsoo, no. You’re already drunk.”

“It’s okay.”

Despite Jihee’s protests, Yeonsoo smiled gently and accepted the drink.

Instead of stopping, the seniors started piling on, offering him their drinks as well.

Lee Yeonsoo wasn’t a lightweight, but overwhelmed by the onslaught of alcohol, his slender frame swayed.

Just as he seemed about to collapse, a man caught him.

In that instant, the room fell silent as if doused with cold water.

The man was Joo Seunghyuk.

‘Just my luck! Of all people to collapse into, it had to be Joo Seunghyuk!’

Jihee was aghast.

During middle school, Lee Yeonsoo had refused Joo Seunghyuk’s offer of an exclusive Guide contract.

The incident, where an ordinary boy rejected an offer to be the exclusive Guide for an S-rank Esper, no less a chaebol heir, had become a huge sensation.

It was also the first incident that firmly etched Lee Yeonsoo’s name into South Korea’s consciousness.

And while this incident brought Lee Yeonsoo praise, it deeply wounded Joo Seunghyuk’s pride.

Joo Seunghyuk and Lee Yeonsoo were known rivals.

Lee Yeonsoo was always composed and dignified, wherever he was. Humble, but never subservient.

Yet, he conspicuously avoided Joo Seunghyuk and seemed reluctant to encounter him.

Academia had long debated whether rank or compatibility rate should be prioritized when matching Espers and Guides.

Countless research papers and heated discussions ensued every year, but there was one point of consensus regarding the guiding of S-rank Espers:

‘In the case of S-rank Espers, if an S-rank Guide with a compatibility rate of 50% or higher exists, prioritize rank unconditionally.’

As the conditional “if an S-rank Guide exists” implied, ‘S-rank Guides’ were rare.

The Ability User Academy emphasized practical training, and Espers and Guides of the same rank were often paired together.

And currently, the only S-rank ability users enrolled at the Academy were Joo Seunghyuk and Lee Yeonsoo.

However, the professors never put them in the same group. They even went so far as to adjust class schedules to prevent the two from encountering each other.

Joo Seunghyuk was an S-rank Esper, handsome, and a chaebol heir. He lacked nothing, except, unfortunately, he had a serious personality flaw.

He wasn’t just good at killing monsters; he also frequently injured Espers and Guides.

Therefore, even for the sake of protecting the precious S-rank Guide Lee Yeonsoo, they were never placed in the same group.

With the two rivals, who were kept apart even by the professors, encountering each other like this, the auditorium inevitably fell silent.

‘Is Joo Seunghyuk going to hit Lee Yeonsoo?’

‘What if he half-kills him?’

‘Shouldn’t we contact a professor?’

Such thoughts raced through people’s minds. But as everyone hesitated, Jihee spoke.

“Sorry…!”

She apologized on Lee Yeonsoo’s behalf and tried to pull him away.

But before Jihee could finish, Lee Yeonsoo suddenly threw his arms around Joo Seunghyuk’s neck.

“Wow, you’re really handsome.”

“…….”

‘Lee Yeonsoo, are you crazy!’

Jihee almost yelled.