Guide Me If You Dare

E-CLASS GUIDES.

Exclusive Guides.

Elusive Guides.

Yihun's English vocabulary expanded a bit, thanks to the different meanings that Yosef Lee and Charles Kang kept attaching to E-Class Guides.

And, now, they gave the 'E' in E-Class Guide a new yet vague meaning.

"Extension Guide, huh?" Yihun asked. But he was more like talking to himself. "Sounds like another bullshit."

Yosef Lee and Charles Kang just glanced at him, and then the two old men ignored him as they started talking to each other.

They're so used to me that they can just ignore me and my filthy mouth.

"Bambi-ya, this person we said we wanted you to meet," Yosef Lee said, using a tone as if he were talking to a child. "His name is Noh Yihun."

'Bambi' then tilted his head and pointed a finger at Yihun. "Food?"

"No, our Yihun isn't food," Yosef Lee said, scolding the kid. "Our Yihun will be your role model starting today, Bambi-ya."

"Role model?" Bambi asked, obviously confused but interested. "Copy?"

"Yes, you have to copy our Yihun," Yosef Lee said. "You have to if you want to be a perfect Guide like him."

"Are you sure you're putting me in charge of that child?" Yihun asked, wriggling out of Charles Kang grasp. "Are you sure you won't regret it?"

"We're not putting you in charge of Bambi," Charles Kang said while shaking his head. "You'll be his role model, not babysitter. Someone else has already been assigned to that role."

As if on cue, the door burst open.

This time, Jacob and Erwan entered the room while dragging someone inside— the two hyungs holding the poor guy by his arms.

The poor guy in question was awake, but his eyes looked dazed.

It's as if he's under some hypnosis?

Hmm.

I think I've seen him before, though?

"Does he look familiar, Yihun-ah?" Charles Kang asked, smiling. "He must be. After all, Ho Jungwon gained his five-minute fame a few years ago."

Oh, even his name sounds familiar.

"I can't remember where I've seen or heard of him," Yihun said, shrugging. "But I can tell that he's a Guide like me."

Charles Kang nodded in confirmation. "You're right— Ho Jungwon is a Guide. He gained his fame a few years ago after he matched with Ki Gayoon."

Ki Gayoon?

Our country's #1 Hunter before the Top 5 officially disbanded.

"As you may know, Ki Gayoon doesn't match with our country's top Guides like Moon Noa. So, the government decided to send A-Class and B-Class Guides to Ki Gayoon out of desperation. But none of those Guides even reached a two-digit matching rate with him," Charles Kang explained. "That was until Ho Jungwon matched with Ki Gayoon. They had a 23% matching rate, the highest so far."

"That was freaking low."

"Even so, Ho Jungwon was the only A-Class Guide who pulled that number when getting a matching rate with Ki Gayoon."

Well, that was true.

It's a 'take it or leave it' scenario.

"Thanks to that "miracle," the government assigned Ho Jungwon as Ki Gayoon's Guide. But, as you know, that was short-lived," Charles Kang said, and then he chuckled. "Ki Gayoon got irritated by how Ho Jungwon acted like he was the boss, just because the government had his back. Do you know what Ki Gayoon did?"

"How would I know when I'm locked up here?"

Charles Kang ignored Yihun's sarcasm and answered his own question. "Ki Gayoon sent the half-dead Ho Jungwon back to President Moon Nam-il."

Ah.

That piqued Yihun's interest.

No, not Ki Gayoon's lunacy.

But he remembered that President Moon Nam-il, their country's President who established the Hunters Association with Kwak Hakjae, was the grandfather of Moon Noa.

President Moon is involved with the Lab.

Now Yihun got worried when he remembered that he had sent an S.O.S letter to Moon Noa in secret.

Was that why nothing was happening yet?

What if Moon Noa is as evil as his grandfather?

***

MOON NOA felt a shiver down his spine.

Actually, as soon as they entered the suspicious lab inside the dormant dungeon, he already got a bad feeling.

However, the Hunters around him seemed fine.

Is it because I'm a Guide?

Moon Noa didn't want to be a burden, so he didn't say anything.

Hence, he was surprised when Ryu Sungbin removed his jacket and draped it over Moon Noa's shoulders.

Oh, he noticed that I'm cold.

"Are you alright, Noa Hyung?" Ryu Sungbin asked worriedly. "You look pale."

"It's just dark in here, so you think I look pale," Moon Noa lied. It wasn't like he could pinpoint why he felt ominous. That was why he decided to keep it to himself. "I'm alright, though. Thank you for worrying about me, Sungbin-ah."

Ryu Sungbin smiled and nodded. "Tell me if you feel sick, Hyung. I'll get you out of here immediately."

Moon Noa was about to say that there was no need for that.

However, what greeted him as soon as they reached the center of the laboratory made him sick instantly.

There was melted candle wax everywhere…

… and it smelled rotten.

However, everyone else didn't seem affected except for Moon Noa.

Am I the only one who smells the rotten scent?!

Moon Noa thought he was going to pass out, but thankfully, it didn't happen because someone carefully and gently covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

And the handkerchief smelled so damn good.

This isn't Sungbin's cologne, though.

When Moon Noa lifted his head, he was surprised to see Haru looking down at him with a worried look in his eyes.

But we're not close…?

"Since we don't seem affected by whatever is making you sick, we can assume that it only affects Guides."

Hmm?

Moon Noa was surprised when Haru said that.

He noticed that something is making me sick here…?

"Hyung, what's happening?" Ryu Sungbin asked worriedly. "Is the air here making you sick?"

Moon Noa was about to answer, but Haru stopped him.

"Please don't open your mouth, Noa-san. I'll get you out of here with my teleportation skill," Haru said politely, and then he turned to Ryu Sungbin. "Continue with your investigation— I'll bring Noa-san out first."

***

WHEW.

Moon Noa thought he was going to die.

But as soon as they got out of the dungeon, he slowly felt better.

He still felt tired, though.

"Are you alright, Noa-san?" Haru, the one who took Moon Noa out of the dungeon, asked worriedly. "Should I call my Healer to check on you?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you…" Moon Noa trailed off when his phone rang. He wanted to ignore it, but it wasn't a call that he could simply not pick up. "Excuse me."

Haru just nodded politely, and then he turned his back as if to give Moon Noa privacy.

He's really a prince, huh? So gentlemanly.

Moon Noa shook his head, annoyed at himself for being fascinated with Haru.

To distract himself, he quickly answered the call from his grandfather.

Yes, his grandfather— Moon Nam-il, the President of South Korea.

"Moon Noa, return to Korea immediately— and stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Aha.

"I knew it," Moon Noa said, smirking bitterly. "Grandfather, you're really an irredeemable piece of shit covered in gold."

***

Please ADD <GUIDE ME IF YOU DARE> to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>