Side Story 18
As an F-Class Esper, I can receive guiding from the Center about once or twice every two weeks. But I don’t even do that because I have Irene, an A-Class Guide, as a friend.
I’m so low on power that I don’t really need much attention, and I’ve even confessed to her that I feel a bit guilty about it.
〈Irene, thanks for looking out for me all this time. But I think I might try to get by with just the regular guiding from the Center from now on. It’s not that I find you a burden or anything, but since I’m just F-Class, I think the regular sessions will be enough! I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. Let’s grab a meal sometime!〉
〈Stop with the nonsense and just take what I give you when I offer it.〉
〈Okay, got it!〉
…And so, I’ve been meeting Irene twice a week for regular guiding sessions.
I’m already getting more than enough guiding from an A-Class Guide, which is far more than an F-Class like me needs, so there’s no reason for me to want another Guide.
Anyone would think that, but it seems Claude is the exception.
He ground his teeth so hard I could almost hear bones cracking.
“Rose, think this through carefully.”
“I have thought about it, and I still don’t think…”
“Hah, I didn’t want to have to say this, but… that woman is A-Class. I’m S-Class.”
His frustration was evident as he angrily ran his hand through his hair, revealing his perfectly masculine T-zone.
I mean, sure, I noticed from the beginning that he was incredibly handsome, but…
…Being handsome doesn’t make him any less scary.
“But I’m F-Class, so A-Class is already more than enough for me…”
“…”
“And since it involves physical contact, I’d feel more comfortable getting it from a friend anyway…”
“Fine, you say you’re comfortable with that… but aren’t you at least a little curious?”
“Huh?”
His huge hand came closer to my face. I tried to pull back, but his grip on one of my shoulders made that impossible. Instinctively, I flinched and closed my eyes tightly.
But instead of the rough touch I expected, his fingers brushed lightly as he gently tucked my hair behind my ear.
Lowering his head, he whispered sweetly into my ear.
“Aren’t you curious about me?”
It took me a moment to understand what he meant.
“Umm.”
“…”
“…Should I?”
A vein pulsed visibly at his temple as he leaned in even closer.
***
Guides usually have high self-esteem. Since there are fewer Guides than Espers, and Espers are absolutely dependent on Guides, the power dynamic is heavily skewed in favor of Guides.
But this wasn’t just any Guide—this was an S-Class Guide.
And I, a mere F-Class Esper, had just rejected him.
I figured there was no way he’d ever come looking for me again. Honestly, I just hoped he wouldn’t send more powerful Espers to harass me as revenge.
But the very next day, he showed up again, looking as furious as ever.
“Is there seriously no one else in Arteon?”
Claude growled, and every Esper around him froze in place, unsure of what to do.
When the only S-Class Guide in Arteon was openly displaying his displeasure, no one knew how to react.
And, of course, the person most anxious was me.
“I… I’m fine, though…”
I mumbled weakly, but no one paid me any attention.
Meanwhile, Claude began berating the other Espers, who looked like they were bowing their heads in shame.
Let me explain what happened.
Even as an F-Class Esper, I still get assigned support work by the Center. My abilities aren’t much more than what an above-average human could manage, so I was tasked with menial labor like moving rocks and other materials.
But Claude had come all the way to this unimpressive work site, not to provide guiding for the Espers, but to angrily scold them.
The reason?
Apparently, it was because they made me work.
Ridiculous.
“Do you really think it’s okay to make someone with such fragile wrists do hard labor just because she’s an Esper?”
“…My wrists are fine, though.”
Claude completely ignored me.
“Do you really have so few workers in Arteon that you need to exploit an Esper this small for such rough work?”
…Small?
I was beyond frustrated, but of course, I couldn’t complain. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding just because I was doing manual labor.
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