Runaway Esper [bl] by Passingbreeze

Actor Cha In-ho Manifested as a Guide... 'A Very Rare Case'"

[Asia Good Day - Reporter Kim Min-seong]

Actor Cha In-ho has manifested as a guide. According to his agency, Planet Day, on the 13th, Cha In-ho, who had been complaining of a fever, was found to have manifested as a guide following a hospital examination.

Manifesting at the age of 26 is a rare occurrence globally, leading to suspicions that Cha In-ho might have been hiding this fact until now.

It is still unknown what grade of guide Cha In-ho is.

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Comments (462)

"Hundred percent he was hiding it until now and got caught, lololololol."

"Cha In-ho, I enjoyed your movies! It's fascinating to see someone manifest as a guide after 20. Good luck!"

"Thank goodness he's not an esper..."

┗ "For real, if he were an esper, his acting career would be over."

┗ "Is it that serious? Aren't there espers who are active like celebrities?"

┗ "Only the useless D-grade ones or the elite SS-grade ones manage that. A- and B-grades are too busy with their duties, lol."

┗ "Nope, B-grade Jang Chan-hwi went viral with photos from the field on social media and appears on TV a lot."

┗ "Those cases are rare..."

┗ "A guide for espers… they're just people who sell themselves to espers to make a living."

┗ "Yeah, guides help espers because it's necessary. Guides hate going to the centre regularly and meeting their quotas; it's a hassle."

"I'm so jealous of espers. Fans dream of just touching their finger, but espers get all that and more for free, damn it."

"Cha In-ho is going to get so close with espers now, lol."

┗ "There's a moron here who thinks guiding is always about sex. Didn't you learn about non-physical guiding in school?"

┗ "What are you going to do now that you're not a guide? No one will ever have sex with you, lol."

┗ [Comment reported and deleted]

"Cha In-ho... My daughter likes you, so we watched your latest movie, Meteor, together... Haha. I think you played an esper in that one, right?"

┗ "Yes, that's correct."

┗ "Now that you mention it, he won Best Supporting Actor for an Esper role, lol. The irony is strong."

"Aren't there quite a few celebrity guides? Why is the reaction so intense?"

[Comment deleted]

"What happens to the movie he's currently filming?"

┗ "Since he's a guide and not an esper, it shouldn't affect it much."

"I'm a B-block staff member and saw Cha In-ho yesterday, lol. He's super handsome."

┗ "Really? What was his grade?"

┗ "Can't say, might get sued. There will be an article soon, but it's not very high.

"If I pretend to be an esper and hang around the centre, I could totally meet Cha In-ho and hold his hand or hug him, lol."

┗ "Don't underestimate the centre; it's not that easy."

┗ "2222, the centre isn't that lenient, lol."

┗ "333, Block B is strictly controlled for guide safety, unlike Block A with its gift shops and stuff."

"Esper monsters! If anything happens to our In-ho, even a scratch, I won't stand for it."

"Is it even possible to manifest this late?"

┗ "It's extremely rare, but it does happen. However, it's much more likely he was hiding it and got caught."

[Comment deleted by the author]

┗ "Nonsense, lol. Block C doesn't even exist, so how could he go there?"

┗ "Please, just ignore the trolls. It's obvious bait, why keep feeding it?"

* * *

The Esper-Guide Center was largely divided into two main sections: A-block, which had everything from museums to accommodations, and B-block, where numerous guides come and go daily.

However, within the centre's vast grounds, there was a lesser-known section—Block C. Hidden away, only a few were aware of its existence.

A long trek up an unpaved mountain path led to a checkpoint, beyond which was built a tall barbed-wire fence. The barbed wire, occasionally adorned with stray feathers swaying in the wind, enclosed a large grey building. Other than the climbing vines along its walls, the building was entirely monochromic, with barred windows on every side. Despite its aged and grim appearance, the structure was sturdy and secure.

This place, which resembles a prison, was the elusive Block C and also home to Joo-hyun. It's fitting, considering that Shin Joo-hyun was a runaway esper. Calling it a home was generous; it's more of a confinement, a place where living seemed more akin to being imprisoned.

* * *

"Don't say anything unnecessary or act suspiciously. Got it?"

Joo-hyun quietly looked down at the centre manager, who was half a head shorter than him.

He was a middle-aged man who loved money immensely and, for a civilian, wasn't particularly afraid of runaway espers. This might have been because he could control them with just a flick of his finger.

Joo-hyun briefly considered asking what unnecessary words and suspicious actions were, but he simply nodded instead. His black hair, slightly covering his eyes, swayed lightly.

Today, Cha In-ho was coming to the desolate Block C. Recently, there had been quite an uproar about Cha In-ho manifesting as a guide at the age of twenty-six.

It was said that Cha In-ho, an actor who often appeared on the only TV in Block C's lounge, was coming here to find a matching esper. When Joo-hyun and his colleagues first heard the rumour, they thought it was a ridiculous piece of gossip.

"No way! Did you really hear this?!"

"Who in their right mind would want to match with a runaway esper? Would you do it?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"See?! Beom-gyu, bring us some more plausible rumours next time."

"But I'm sure I heard it..."

Other espers clicked their tongues at Beom-gyu, who scratched his shaggy hair while insisting he overheard the staff talking. Joo-hyun, who had been quietly listening and flipping through pages, casually commented,

"If he's an actor, he probably has a lot of money. Why on earth would he come here? Only a truly crazy person would even think of it."

Everyone agreed, further berating Beom-gyu.

That had happened exactly four days ago. And now, Joo-hyun was heading to the guiding room to meet this "truly crazy person."

A runaway esper referred to an esper who had ran out of control.

An esper who overused their abilities without receiving proper guiding could, if extremely unlucky, became a runaway esper when their levels dropped to a critical point. Typically, they would fail to control their power, destroying everything around them and eventually themselves. In other words, once they went runaway, they were considered as good as dead.

However, on very rare occasions, a runaway esper could receive guiding and stop their outburst before dying. This was considered extremely unfortunate because the life of a surviving runaway esper was often so miserable that death might have been preferable.

Runaway espers inevitably caused casualties and property damage. They had to live with the guilt of actions they didn't even remember committing, and worst of all, the label "runaway esper" followed them for life.

The biggest reason runaway espers were avoided was their instability; once an esper went runaway, there was no telling when they might do so again. They were ticking time bombs, literal killers, and extremely dangerous beings that no one wanted to be near.

There was no way society could let such monsters roam the streets. This was why Block C existed. It was meant to isolate runaway espers who had somehow survived and make them atone for the rest of their lives.

Naturally, no guide volunteered to handle runaway espers. Those who came to Block C were mostly criminals sentenced to community service or guides with peculiar tastes.

There had never been a runaway esper with a dedicated guide, known as a matching guide. Even if an esper had a matching guide before they went runaway, the partnership ended the moment they lost control.

But then Cha In-ho came. With the absurd news that he intended to match with a runaway esper.

Joo-hyun's distinctively dark red eyes, typical of a runaway esper, sharply observed the grey corridor. The sunlight streaming through the barred windows cast eerie shadows on the floor.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and move along," a Block C staff member, always armed and ready, pushed Joo-hyun from behind with force. Joo-hyun, who could kill the man before he even pulled the trigger, quietly continued his stride.

Since he ran away at the age of fourteen, Joo-hyun had been living in Block C for eleven years. Although he occasionally went outside for missions, he never wandered around crowded places like everyone else. So, he had no idea who Cha In-ho was or how famous he might be.

Therefore, he didn't care about being sorry, interested in celebrities, or feeling shy like other people. He had no intention of cooperating with whatever this guy named Cha In-ho wanted.

"Follow the rules or you'll end up in prison," the staff member whispered in a low voice. It was a threat that didn't hold any weight for Joo-hyun, who was already living in a place worse than prison.

As usual, with an emotionless expression, Joo-hyun walked into the guiding room as the staff member opened the door. Despite the strong push, the runaway esper crossed the threshold with a leisurely pace.

Cha In-ho was seated on a worn-out chair. Despite the dreary grey walls surrounding him, he seemed to radiate brightness, illuminating the surroundings.

Not just handsome or pretty but truly beautiful, one could say. The man, praised for his beauty crafted meticulously by the gods, wore a look of surprise and confusion, a strange expression as if he were startled.

Thud. The heavy sound of the iron door closing echoed. Left alone with the guide who was no different from an ordinary person, the runaway esper slowly approached the table.

Cha In-ho sat quietly, looking at him. A familiar pager sticked out from his left fist. Pressing it would summon the staff to subdue Joo-hyun, so the safety precaution wasn't a bad idea.

"Hello-"

Creeak!

The high friction noise between the chair and the floor interrupted Cha In-ho's greeting.

Sitting on a squeaky chair, Joo-hyun crossed his long legs and looked at the guide with a bored expression. Cha In-ho's strikingly beautiful appearance was still surprising upon second glance. However, Joo-hyun's life was already difficult to act foolishly.

Even though Joo-hyun didn't have an actual label of a runaway esper, he knew he gave off quite a threatening impression. The height of 184 cm, a body full of actual muscles, not too rugged but solid, and the dark red eyes like a stigma of a runaway esper.

Due to his turbulent childhood, Joo-hyun was adept at intimidating others with just his gaze. He raised his chin slightly and tapped his elbow with his fingers meaninglessly.

Cha In-ho seemed tense, whether because of Joo-hyun's threatening demeanour or simply due to the situation of facing a runaway esper, was unclear.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Cha In-ho."

A scar-covered hand slipped into the pocket. The cigarette with a blue pattern on it, bought last night, was already half gone.

Mocking the fact that lighters were not provided, out of safety considerations, Joo-hyun exhaled deeply as he lightly teased the only shop in Block C that sold matches.

"I know. Cha In-ho. Twenty-six years old. Shall I list the movies you've been in?"

Two days ago, the staff had thrown a paper filled with Cha In-ho's profile and told him to memorise it. It seemed like they had managed to coax quite a few envelopes out of the Centre Director, who couldn't resist money.

"They said to memorise it dearly, warning that if I upset you or even touched a hair on your head, I'd be sent to jail."

The smoke emanated into the air covered Cha In-ho's face for a while, and then dispersed.

"I can't believe I'm going to jail because I hurt you a little. It's a scary world."

The runaway esper narrowed his dark red eyes, not bothering to hide his smirk as he revealed his pointed fangs. Usually, just that alone was enough to make people cower as if facing a ferocious beast.

But Cha In-ho didn't. Far from being intimidated, he calmly whispered in a soft tone, his gaze unwavering as he observed Joo-hyun's face, his fingers, and the cigarette dangling from them.

"Did they really say that? Seems like the staff members tend to exaggerate."

"Why did I get the feeling it wasn't an exaggeration?"

"I couldn't say."

As Joo-hyun shifted in his seat, the worn-out chair creaked faintly.

Silence followed. Cha In-ho, gazing at Joo-hyun with an expressionless gaze, soon sighed as if resigning himself. Even his face became a picture, yet it didn't evoke any sympathy from Joo-hyun.

"If you're tired, you can go back."

"No, I was just... surprised because it's just a little different from what I thought."

"What were you thinking?"

There was no answer, but it was obvious even without hearing it. Perhaps he was silently contemplating like a monster, bowing his head in guilt, or maybe he was unsure whether to be pleased by the guide's arrival.

Indeed, Joo-hyun—along with all the espers in Block C—suffered from chronic guiding deficiency. Because of this, he could feel his headache easing somewhat just from the faint radiation of guiding flowing from Cha In-ho.

However, Joo-hyun was too proud to acknowledge this. He was the type of person who would rather jump into the flames, knowing he would die, than be seen as a worm grovelling for a small favour.

His sturdy boots kicked the chair beside him, sending it clattering across the grey floor with a sharp noise.

"Sorry for not dying, being a runaway esper and all."

There was a loud noise, but the armed staff outside did not enter. The rule was not to open the door despite any noise or violent behaviour until the pager is pressed.

Without giving the fallen chair a glance, Cha In-ho's eyes softened as if nothing had happened. His annoyingly beautiful face looked even more attractive when he smiled.

"Not something you need to apologise for."

Once again, it was clear that no sane guide would willingly come to Block C. As Joo-hyun exhaled smoke, he reminded himself of this undeniable truth.

Although he didn't know what the guiding rooms in Block A or Block B looked like, they were probably different from those in Block C.

The guiding room in Block C consisted of an old table, old chairs, and an old but large bed. There was even a small attached bathroom, making the room resemble an outdated motel room, which Joo-hyun disliked. While any esper might have appreciated a guiding room, for the espers in Block C, it was akin to hell.

Sitting face-to-face with a guide and doing nothing in such a place was a new experience for Joo-hyun. He looked at Cha In-ho indifferently.

The guide had a deep, contemplative expression, his fingers twitching nervously, and he clutched the call button tightly. It was clear he wasn't here by choice. For some reason, he didn't seem like he was going to form a match. How could someone who was so reluctant meet regularly for guiding?

Relaxed by this predictable reaction, Joo-hyun leaned back in his chair.

Cha In-ho neither talked about the matching nor stood up to leave. He must have his own reasons for being here.

Of course, whatever those reasons were, they had nothing to do with Joo-hyun. It was inconceivable that he had come to actually match with a runaway esper. Eventually, he would leave, claiming the runaway esper was too dangerous and uncontrollable.

When the news got out, Mr. A, the runaway esper, would get all kinds of criticism, but it didn't matter since none of them really knew Joo-hyun.

Joo-hyun tilted his head back to look at the dull, stained ceiling and exhaled smoke, then closed his eyes without any hint of resignation.

Runaway espers, despite their duty to protect citizens as espers, caused casualties instead. Because of that crime, they were required to serve until death.

They undertook extremely hazardous missions and received a substantial risk allowance, but there was a law that required them to return a significant portion of it to society. It was almost half, but since they had little to spend money on, they managed to save some.

The probability of an esper to runaway was smaller than a speck of dust, and the survival rate among them was less than half of that.

Typically, younger espers, who were less adept at controlling their abilities, were more prone to going rogue compared to their more experienced counterparts. Consequently, there were no espers over forty in Block C. There used to be, but they had long since passed away. Many didn't return from missions, and some were found dead in their rooms.

Joo-hyun was currently the runaway esper who had been in Block C the longest, a full 11 years. He had grown so accustomed to these grey walls that he no longer felt any nostalgia for the outside world.

Even though he didn't watch TV often, the fact that he knew about Cha In-ho indicated that Cha In-ho was indeed a very famous celebrity. However, here, he was just an ordinary guide.

Joo-hyun, an esper whose life depended on guides but didn't particularly like them, stared unemotionally at the cracked table.

Eventually, perhaps out of boredom or a desire to pass the time, Cha In-ho started talking to him.

"You smoke, I see?"

When Joo-hyun glanced at him, Cha In-ho was wearing a surprisingly serious expression. It wasn't quite concern, but it wasn't displeasure either. Not understanding the reason behind that look, Joo-hyun pressed the filter of his cigarette with his thumbnail and replied.

"They don't sell alcohol here."

"Yet you cling to something that's bad for your health."

"I'll die before I get lung cancer, so it's fine."

A small puff of smoke quickly dispersed into the air. When he had first started smoking, it had made him dizzy, but now he felt nothing.

Cha In-ho, frowning perhaps due to the acrid smell, crossed his legs and spoke.

"Are you always so pessimistic?"

"You're more curious than I thought."

"Yes. I have a lot of questions about you."

"Why?"

Cha In-ho didn't answer. The bright face, seemingly untouched by hardship, didn't fit in with the grey walls of Block C. He likely wasn't here by choice, but then, neither was Joo-hyun.

"Normally, around this time, I'd be playing chess with Beom-gyu or Se-hwa in the lounge. Or maybe Gomoku. Or just lying around taking a nap"

The cigarette almost burned to the end. The shop in Block C only sold one type of cigarette. It was so strong and low-quality that no one would buy it even if it were stocked in a convenience store, but there were no other options.

Cha In-ho was staring at some point on the table with an inscrutable expression. He didn't seem particularly angry, but he didn't look pleased either.

In contrast, Joo-hyun's body was gradually feeling better thanks to the subtle radiating guidance from Cha In-ho. His body, always starved for guidance, was rejoicing even at this minimal level of it. Joo-hyun disliked himself for that and also disliked Cha In-ho for making him feel this way.

But Cha In-ho probably disliked Joo-hyun even more, so Joo-hyun simply waited silently for time to pass.

"How much of a performance would be necessary? Would it create more of a sensation if the runaway esper caused a scene? Enough to overshadow the suspicion that you've been hiding the fact that you're a guide all this time?"

However, Joo-hyun was not considerate enough to spend a week in custody for someone he saw for the first time.

He'd never meet Cha In-ho again anyway. Soon, Cha In-ho would leave with the gossip of having met a runaway esper, and Joo-hyun would continue living his days as he always had.

Having finished his thoughts, Joo-hyun stubbed out the burnt-down cigarette butt against his wrist.

To justify himself, it wasn't that he enjoyed the pain. Nor was it to draw Cha In-ho's attention. It was simply a habitual action. He couldn't even remember the first time he smoked; it was in his childhood. Initially, he did it to punish himself, and it became a familiar routine.

He got hurt so often that this level of in