RVN CH 3

The endless war of words grew sharper. Neither Megan nor Renault was willing to back down, both stubbornly insisting on their stance—as always.

“Stop nagging about useless things.”

“I’m saying this because I’m worried about you. You know just as well as I do that Espers can’t properly utilize their abilities without a dedicated Guide. That’s why everyone is desperately trying to secure one. So why are you like this? Do you really not understand that this could cause problems for your promotion?”

“Haven’t I already told you that I don’t care about promotions?”

“You little—! Fine, let’s say you don’t care about promotions. But that’s not the issue here. If you keep going like this, you might go berserk! Then what are you going to do?”

There was nothing wrong with what she said. For Espers, who constantly lived with the risk of going berserk, a Guide was like a lifeline. They needed a Guide whose class and matching rate aligned with theirs in order to fully wield their abilities and survive.

However, due to these strict conditions, many Espers struggled to find a Guide who was a perfect fit for them. It was common for them to barely scrape by with temporary guidance from Guides affiliated with the Guide Center.

Renault was one of them—an Esper who always lived with the threat of going berserk due to insufficient guidance.

“That’s why I’m making do.”

Renault casually uttered words that would make the head of District 13 clutch his neck and collapse if he heard them. Since there was no Guide who could provide him with perfect guidance, he had no choice but to conserve his abilities. In other words, he was intentionally slacking off. It was a truth he could only confess to Megan.

“Should I knock some sense into you? You haven’t been beaten lately, and it’s making you talk nonsense.”

“I’m joking.”

“Cut the crap and just read it properly.”

Unable to endure Megan’s nagging any longer, Renault grabbed the report and skimmed through it. The front page displayed his identification photo along with familiar personal details listed in fine print.

On the next page was information about the notorious S-class Guide he had been matched with. After quickly scanning the document, he irritably tossed the papers onto the table. The absurd number written on the report—98.7%—lingered before his eyes.

“Alright, fine. I get it. A 98.7% match rate, an S-class Guide who’s practically a national treasure—great. But I still hate that bastard. Bring me anyone else. If you insist, I’ll even accept a dedicated Guide. Just not him.”

Renault spoke firmly, making it clear that he wouldn’t compromise any further. If rejecting a dedicated Guide was no longer an option, then he would at least choose someone else. He could endure a lot, but he refused to put up with someone whose personality was rotten to the core.

“No.”

But Megan once again shook her head resolutely.

“For an A-class Esper like you to have a dedicated Guide, that Guide needs to be at least B-class, no, at least C-class, with a matching rate of at least 60%. But in the past ten years, not a single one has existed. No matter how hard we searched, not a single Guide even reached 50%, let alone 60%! Not one!”

Megan practically shouted. Renault’s abysmal matching rate was infamous in District 13. It was the sole reason he had managed to survive the past ten years without a dedicated Guide—because he simply couldn’t find one.

“And you’re still going to be stubborn when you know better than anyone how bad your matching rate is?”

He knew it well. That was why he hadn’t thought much of it when he was told he’d be taking a matching test with that bastard. After all, he had never once had a match rate above 50%, so he had assumed the result would be the same this time.

But then, the result was an unprecedented 98.7%. It was ridiculous no matter how he looked at it. It felt like he had been hit in the back of the head—hard.

To make matters worse, that bastard was even more of an outlier. Apparently, he had never scored above 10% with any other Esper. His matching rate was just as insane as his first impression had been. A rate so useless that it couldn’t be applied anywhere.

Given all that, how the hell did he get a 98.7% match with Renault? No matter how he thought about it, it felt suspicious. This couldn’t be real unless there was some kind of conspiracy at play.

“If you find a Guide who meets the conditions, I’ll replace him with that person immediately. But there isn’t one, is there?”

“And you really think it makes sense to assign me a brat eight years younger as my dedicated Guide? What, do you expect me to screw some snot-nosed kid? Everyone’s lost their damn minds.”

With nothing else left to argue, he finally resorted to bringing up age. Megan shot him a look that practically cursed at him without words.

“Oh, please. As if your conscience is so pure and intact. Coming from the legendary Casanova himself, that’s rich. Even a stray dog would laugh at you.”

“Megan, I’m serious.”

“He’s twenty-one. Even if he’s eight years younger than you, he’s already an adult. Even if you end up having guiding sex, it’s completely legal.”

At Megan’s blunt words, Renault scowled. The thought of guiding sex with that rude brat, who was even taller than him, made his skin crawl.

“I’ve never had guiding sex before. I don’t even meet or sleep with people who are more than five years younger or older than me. And I have absolutely no desire to screw a taller man.”

“Sure, sure. Good for you and your untouched conscience. But this isn’t about your love life. This is about having a Guide to keep you from going berserk. Who cares if he’s ten or twenty years younger? Whether he’s a man or a woman doesn’t matter either!”

Megan snapped at him.

“And if you don’t want guiding sex, then don’t do it. Who said you had to? With a 98.7% match, you probably won’t even need it. I bet just holding hands will be enough. Hell, with a rate like that, you might get guided just by making eye contact.”

A memory surfaced—the moment that brat had traced his fingers across Renault’s hand. The eerie current that had spread across his skin. It had been such a strange experience that he hadn’t noticed at first. But thinking back, that had been guiding.

That crazy bastard had guided him right then and there, running his fingertips over the back of his hand—almost like he was harassing him. Fuck. Just thinking about it made his teeth grind again.

Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Megan about what had happened. If she found out that just that little bit had surged through him with overwhelming energy, she might try to marry him off on the spot.

But the truth was, it had felt that way. Like a sudden downpour soaking into land left parched after a long drought. Whether it was because the guy was an S-class Guide or because their match rate was a staggering 98.7%, he didn’t know. What he did know was that the result was infuriatingly good.

“I’m telling you, that bastard and I will never get along. What’s the point of a high match rate if his personality is absolute shit?”

In the end, he had no choice but to bring up something he hadn’t wanted to.

The guidance that the bastard had given him with just a touch—it was something he couldn’t help but crave. Any Esper suffering from a lack of guidance, teetering on the edge of losing control, would feel the same.

And yet, he felt nothing but resistance. If just the brush of a fingertip had done that much, what would happen if their mucous membranes came into contact…? He didn’t even want to imagine it. That unbearably dizzying, intoxicating sensation—it felt like something he couldn’t handle. And that only made him want to run from it even more.

“How would you even know?”

“I met him. The guy’s a total asshole. I almost punched him. I don’t care how powerful he is; there’s no way I’m dragging around some insufferable brat.”

Megan’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected that. But soon enough, words spilled out of her mouth like a well-oiled machine.

“First impressions can be bad. Do you think finding someone you get along with is easy? You’re supposed to adjust to each other, little by little.”

“You think those news reports about Espers and their Guides stabbing each other come out for no reason?”

“If it ever gets that bad, I’ll separate you two myself.”

She was really pushing this hard. Megan was practically selling it now. Renault ran a frustrated hand through his fine golden hair, letting out a long sigh. It had been years since he’d quit smoking, but for the first time in ages, he seriously wanted a cigarette.

“…I’ll think about it.”

In the end, he reluctantly took a step back.

“There’s nothing to think about. He’s your designated Guide, no matter what.”

That, however, wasn’t going to fly. Seeing Megan’s unyielding stance, Renault let out a groan of frustration.

“Don’t tell me this is already set in stone?”

“With a 99% match rate? Do you really think they’d just let this slide?”

“Espers don’t have any human rights, huh? Not even a shred.”

“They’re assigning you a Guide precisely for your sake. And not just any Guide—the best one.”

“The best, my ass. More like the worst.”

No matter how much he argued, the decision had already been made. The higher-ups, blinded by that unprecedented 98.7% match rate, wouldn’t listen to a word he said. Megan’s firm stance made that painfully clear.

“If he ends up matching decently with an Esper of a higher class than you, they might replace him. He’s a rare S-class Guide, after all.”

“Are you kidding me? So I have to deal with him until some higher-ranked Esper comes along with a decent match rate? I heard he’s never even passed 10% with anyone before.”

Renault made no effort to hide his irritation, but Megan simply kept sorting through the papers in front of her, unbothered.

“This is an order from above. Don’t take it out on me.”

Letting out a long sigh, Renault abruptly stood up. If this was already decided, arguing any further would only exhaust him. He’d be better off heading to a pub for a drink.

“Get some rest. Before he’s officially assigned as your Guide, I’ll arrange for you two to meet at least once.”

“No need. I don’t want to see that bastard’s face.”

“He’s not some snot-nosed brat eight years younger than you, you know. If you just nurture him with a little love—”

“Megan, shut the hell up.”

Renault shot his longtime friend a cold glare and raised his middle finger. Megan merely grinned, waving him off. His mood was completely ruined. He needed a drink.

Just as he was about to open the door, a sudden thought made him pause and turn back. Megan was reaching for a pack of cigarettes on the table, completely ignoring the ‘No Smoking Indoors’ policy.

“By the way, what the hell is up with that guy’s name? Were his parents insane?”

Renault grumbled in irritation. Megan’s fingers stopped just short of grabbing the cigarette pack. For a brief moment, her gaze flicked up to meet his, surprise flashing in her eyes.

“Well… He didn’t have parents who could give him a decent name.”

Megan’s voice was quiet, indifferent, as it faded into the air.