9%.
Yihun almost laughed when his compatibility rate with Charles Kang ca out.
It was the lowest of the entire compability test that he had taken so far.
"What a sha," Charles Kang said, smiling sadly, after seeing the result. "I wanted you to be my temporary Guide."
"Why, sir? You have Ni-ki," Yihun wondered outloud. "Isn’t he your Guide?"
"Is he now?"
To be honest, Yihun wasn’t sure.
Ni-ki is supposed to be an E-Class Guide like us, but sotis, I feel like I’m facing an Esper.
But he had a feeling he shouldn’t be too curious.
Hence, Yihun changed the topic.
"Sir, what am I supposed to do now? Taesan Hyung-nim has been released as my Esper. He’s getting ready to enter a dungeon after he got promoted to C-Class."
"You won’t guide any Esper for now."
"Then what am I supposed to do, sir?"
"You’ll master the technique that you’ve learned so far, Yihun-ah," Charles Kang said, smiling. "You don’t need an Esper to get stronger."
Yihun didn’t respond since he didn’t want that conversation to carry on, but he wondered...
Why do I need to get stronger?
***
"YIHUN-AH, you’re seriously hated by half of our class."
"Is that so?" Yihun asked indifferently, his eyes glued to the notes. For this month, the E-Class Guides were taught a sign language that only their class would understand. He didn’t know what for, though. "Thanks for telling , Janela Noona."
Janela was the oldest girl among the Top 12.
And the oldest boy would be...
"You should be careful, Yihun-ah," Erwan, the oldest boy among the Top 12, said in a calm yet worried voice. "I don’t know what’s happening, but it seems like Ni-ki is planning sothing against you."
Yihun raised his head.
For that month’s activity, the Top 12 were divided into four groups— three mbers for each group.
Luckily, he got grouped with Janela and Erwan.
They’re like the mother and the father of the Top 12— they’re both calm and reasonable.
"Yihun-ah, it’s suspicious how Ni-ki is leading half of our class."
The "half of their class" that Janela ntioned was the E-Class Guides who couldn’t make it to the Top 12.
Ni-ki isn’t a part of the Top 12, so he spends more ti with the other half of the class.
"I noticed it back then, but that kid really tried to kill you, didn’t he?" Erwan asked worriedly. "Yihun-ah, Teacher Kang is fond of you. Why don’t you ask him to protect you from Ni-ki?"
"Ah. I think Teacher Kang is showering with attention on purpose," Yihun said casually. "I believe he’s using to bring out Ni-ki’s full potential. So, I don’t think he’ll help even if I ask."
"Then what are you going to do?" Janela asked worriedly. "Do you want us to gather our fellow Top 12 E-Class Guides? We all want to protect you, Yihun-ah."
Okay, that was surprising to hear.
"You do?" Yihun asked worriedly. "I thought you all hate because I always top the class."
Erwan and Janela turned to each other, and then they laughed softly.
"Why? Noona? Hyung-nim? Did I say sothing funny?"
"Yihun-ah, we don’t hate you," Erwan said. "Admittedly, we feel jealous from ti to ti. But it’s normal, isn’t it? We use that jealousy to catch up with you."
Oh.
Yihun was relieved to hear that.
"But the others outside the Top 12 seem to hate your guts, Yihun-ah," Erwan said in a serious tone. "I think Ni-ki is manipulating them into hating you."
Right.
That seed to be a problem.
"Yihun-ah, don’t use your solo room in the anti," Erwan said. "How about sleeping in my room tonight? I’m afraid Ni-ki might ambush you in your sleep."
"It’s alright, Hyung-nim," Yihun declined politely. "I’m sure Ni-ki wouldn’t go that far."
***
YIHUN had always thought that his room was pretty big.
But now that Jacob, Bibi, Sara, Aron, Liz, Erwan, Warren, Janela, Ricky, Sven, and Nate were there, he thought his room had suddenly gotten small.
That wasn’t the issue right now.
"Why are you here, Noonas and Hyungs?" Yihun asked nervously. "In your pajamas, no less."
"What do you think, silly?" Jacob asked, wrapping an arm around Yihun’s shoulders. "We’re going to have a pajama party."
"Don’t complain, kid," the grumpy Nate said. "We brought snacks."
"Ta-dah!"
Pfft.
Yihun couldn’t help but laugh when every mber of the Top 12 pulled out snacks and drinks from their Inventory.
And most of them brought snacks and drinks that I often eat.
"Yihun-ah is laughing~"
"I think this is the first ti I’ve seen Yihun-ah react like a normal person."
"Right? I thought our maknae was a robot."
Aigoo.
I was a kid who never really blended in with my peers because of my difficult personality. But I’m responsible for this hyungs and noonas. They often get in trouble because of . So, maybe it won’t hurt to try and get along with them, right?
Maybe it was ti for Yihun to open up to his fellow E-Class Guides.
We’ve been together in this Lab for two years now, and I have a feeling we’ll be together longer. So, it doesn’t hurt to be friends with them.
Whew.
"Hyungs, Noonas, thank you for being patient with ," Yihun said shyly. "And I’m sorry for all the troubles I caused because of my sharp tongue."
His Hyungs and Noonas laughed as if Yihun said sothing funny.
"Self-awareness is good~"
"Let’s do better from now on, Yihun-ah."
"But, first, it’s ti to party!"
Aigoo.
Yihun smiled, that night easily becoming his favorite mont in the Lab.
***
"AWW. The power of friendship is cute," Yosef Lee said while watching the huge monitor sliced into several screens. "The Top 12 has gotten closer ever since the night they had a fun pajama party."
He was talking to Charles Kang, of course.
The two of them were in the ’Observation Room’— a room that only the two of them knew knew about.
"What should we do, Hyung-nim?"
"Noh Yihun is a genius— he’s almost as natural as Song Heejin when it cos to being an E-Class Guide," Charles Kang said, leaning against his seat. "It’s as if Noh Yihun’s Core is alive— it teaches him things that he needs to do in order to survive."
"The kid’s talent is desirable, but his ntal fortitude is too strong for a child his age," Yosef Lee said, sighing. "And Noh Yihun doesn’t trust the Lab. He doesn’t even hide the fact that he’s suspicious of us. Because of that, we can’t pull him to our side. The mont he realizes what we want to do with the E-Class Guides, I’m sure he’ll lead his peers and start a rebellion."
"We just need to break his spirit, don’t we?"
"And how do you plan to do that, Hyung-nim?"
"Ah, not ," Charles Kang said, smiling. "I don’t need to dirty my hands when I have that kid."
"Right— we have Ni-ki," Yosef Lee said. "The first ’Hunter’ we successfully created."
***
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