Declaration of Extra Strike

Han Seo-jin looked at his team members and spoke out the words reluctantly.

“Like I told you at the beginning, during training, there’s no difference from the normal one. I don’t want you to say anything useless, but of course, I’m still forcing you to be a guide.”

“Hey, you have to do it anyway.”

“Joo Hohyun is an assistant guide. That means you don’t even have to make contact.”

At Han Seo-jin’s words, the team leader, who had been quiet so far, gestured and said,

“Han Seo-jin is in charge of training, so do as he says. Stimulate his brain until his memories come back…… Don’t cause unnecessary problems.”

The team leader’s eyes were on me for a moment. Glancing at Shin Yeon-hyung and Woo Hanse, who were reluctant to answer, Park Ga-in finally brought up what she was going to say earlier.

“……He’s ready to measure.”

The number 0 was written on the screen of the white machine that turned on the light. Watching the sticky gel hanging between her fingers, Park Ga-in said softly,

“At first, the current may flow through, so it may be a little awkward, but the feeling will disappear soon.”

“What’s the best score?”

“Huh? Umm…. Low-level Guiding usually ranges from 160 rp to 300 rp.

“What’s your highest score?”

Park Ga-in, who was answering softly, burst into laughter at my question.

“S-class Guides cannot be measured with simple numerical meters like this. We can only do this with the machine at the examination center. Umm… It would probably be over 3000 rp.

“Woah……”

If it’s 3000, isn’t it almost ten times higher than the Low-level Guiding? Since Han Seo-jin never mentioned whether he was satisfied with or thought I did well after receiving my Guiding, 300 rp must be my range. As expected, it has to be around 3000 rp so that you can easily handle the Senior Espers?

I was calculating in my head when I heard Woo Hanse’s sharp voice from the side.

“How long are we waiting?”

“Uh, we can do it right away.”

Park Ga-in took a peek discreetly and returned the machine to me.

“Hold the handle and start Guiding.”

“Omm.”

When I grabbed the handle, I could feel the cool metal feeling on my hand due to the gel. Park Ga-in, who confirmed that I had held it well, pressed the power button next to her. An electric current flowed through my palm the next moment.

“Ugh.”

“It’s going to disappear soon. Hang in there.”

The very weak current quickly disappeared, like what she said. Soon after, I felt like an energy, that is difficult to explain in words, was sucked into my hand, just like when I held Han Seo-jin’s hand. As the percentage slowly rose, the gauge next to it began to rise one step at a time.

While everyone’s eyes were focused on the machine, I glanced at Han Seo-jin who was behind me and said,

“Hey, what she has put on my hand is disappearing. When it’s all gone, will the measurement be over…….”

“Focus.”

“…….”

I grumbled inside and looked at the numerometer again.

78%…..

86%…..

The number that had been rising slowly reached 100%, and the machine finally showed the number.

<69 rp>

‘69…? Wait, the low-level guiding level is at least 160.’

Click.

Looking back at the sound from right next to him, Woo Ha-yoon, who had woken up some time ago, was taking a picture of the number with her cell phone.

“Woah. I’ve never seen such a ridiculous number before.”

“……?”

Starting with that, Woo Hanse got up, throwing a cushion next to him.

“69? 69? Is he even a guide? He’s no different from a normal person!”

“69…? I’ve never heard of such a number. Is that even possible to guide?”

“If the number is like this even after contacting…”

“Han Seo-jin, I told you to give him Guiding Training! Where did you put all of them?”

Park Ga-in nervously began to operate the machine again.

“I’ll-I’ll try again. Something must be wrong….”

“It didn’t come out wrong. The Guiding level is correct.”

Everyone looked at Han Seo-jin who spoke with a calm voice.

“Hey, what are you…….”

“Han Seo-jin. What are you talking about? You were definitely the one who said you’d make him possible to guide.”

The team leader’s cool voice rebuked Han Seo-jin. Han Seo-jin answered without blinking an eye.

“I made it possible.”

“I’m not playing with words.”

“He has only forgotten how to guide when he is used to controlling the Guiding. The body controls the Guiding, so I think it’s normal to have a low level.”

“……So I have succeeded in teaching Joo Ho-hyun now.”

Han Seo-jin stared at the team leader. The look in his eyes seemed to ask, ‘What else?’

The atmosphere between Han Seo-jin and the team leader became chilly.

Not having met him for a while, I forgot about that moment. The team leader over there is also a madman who hit me twice in a row as soon as I woke up. On the surface, he looked so inflexible, hard, rude, and upright, but his eyes were slightly turned. It was obvious by how I got caught and got hit hard again. I was so distracted by other events that I nearly forgot how painful it was.

Shin Yeon-hyung spoke with a smile.

“Just hand him over to me. I can make you wake up (the memories) in a day. Hmm? Hohyun, ah, what do you think about me?”

I stared at Shin Yeon-hyung, who leaned back and giggled. I’m already getting the creeps from the indescribable noises he’s making as his body shakes.

If it weren’t for having to walk on eggshells around the team leader as his expression was not good, I would have cursed and stormed out of the room already.

The team leader, who had been confronting Han Seo-jin for a long time, slowly opened his mouth.

“We’ll move on for now, but…”

“…….”

“Joo Hohyun, try to recover quickly. There’s no reason to have a Guide who can’t even go out to the scene.”

The team leader’s insensitive gaze turned to me.

“It wouldn’t be bad if I could clean this up as a public guide this time.”

All the team members looked at me at the mention of the ‘public guide.’ They probably thought I wouldn’t know what it means after losing my memory, but I had already heard the term ‘public guide’ from Yeon Seung-yeon. I glanced at Seo-jin and nodded softly.

“……Yes.”

***

I looked sideways as I lay on the bed with the lights turned off. It was dark, thus Han Seo-jin’s features could not be seen well.

“Hey, are you sleeping?”

Only when I thought that he must be sleeping because the answer hadn’t returned for a long time, the answer returned.

“…No, why?”

“You don’t feel good because you got dumped because of me, do you?”

“It’s not like that.”

“What do you mean no? It’s so obvious.”

I then heard a rustling sound and could feel Han Seo-jin turning around to face me. I said, looking directly at the ceiling.

“Don’t worry. Even if I’m not as good as S-level Guides, around 160 or 200…. I’ll get that much right anyway. I can do it.”

“…….”

Han Seo-jin went silent for a moment as if he were thinking about something. When he opened his mouth again, a name that belonged to me popped out, an occurrence that I still haven’t gotten used to yet.

“Hyung wouldn’t remember, but… there was someone called Kang Eui-jin.”

“Cough! Cough!”

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

I shook my hand and my head as I choked due to carelessness.

“No, it’s not. I swallowed the wrong way. Yeah, continue.”

Han Seo-jin slowly resumed the conversation.

“Kang Eui-jin is a potion maker, and he is the most famous hunter among the production awakeners. The center had asked him for a Guiding position. But not long ago, the news suddenly popped up that he was missing…….”

Play

Unmute

“Is he actually missing?”

“Given the circumstances, I believe he is dead.”

It was said in a dry tone, as if to say that the sun was rising in the east. It was natural since Han Seo-jin had no acquaintance with Kang Eui-jin, but it felt strange to hear that I died from someone else’s mouth.

My lips seemed to be dry, so I put out my tongue and wet it.

“Why did Kang Eui-jin die all of a sudden?”

“Hyung will also have a lot of opportunities to go to scenes. You’ll have to do more Guiding than ever before since we won’t be able to make a Guiding Potion anymore.”

What’s a Guiding Potion? I can’t seem to recall. There were so many studies conducted at the same time as the orders were received that it did not immediately come to mind.

“What’s a Guiding Potion?”

“It’s a potion that lowers Esper’s runaway levels. If you have it, you can prevent Esper’s runaway even in the absence of a Guide.”

“Oh, that explosion…….”

I quickly closed my mouth, which I had been muttering without realizing it. Han Seo-jin’s words reminded me of the outline of the contract I received. The requested group was anonymous, and it was a project that had not yet been properly touched. I can’t believe it was a state-commissioned potion.

“He said he could do anything but save people with his potion, so everyone had high expectations, even if they didn’t say out loud. Like asking if there was finally a Guiding Potion without any side effects. It’s all in vain now.”

It must be more important than I thought for Espers. I hesitated before opening my mouth.

“What do you mean it’s all in vain? Why are you giving up already? Someone else can make it. There are a lot of researchers at the center.”

Han Seo-jin smiled softly at my remark.

“The first task of national production awakeners is to create a Guiding Potion. Even now, no one has even found a single clue on how.”

“What? No one……?”

No one has ever succeeded. a request that is impossible.

Two cheeks flushed with excitement. The First. The Best. Perfect. These were all words I liked.

Those words flew in front of my eyes, and my temperature went up.

‘Crazy, idiots. You should’ve told me that it’s a potion with no success! Then it would have been the first priority.’