The S-class Awakening

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Han Jonghyun woke up with a strange heaviness pressing down on his chest.

It wasn't exhaustion, nor the sluggishness of a bad night's sleep. This was different—something deeper, more unsettling.

His body felt… off.

As he sat up, running a hand through his silver-tinted hair, he tried to shake the sensation. His room was still dim, the soft morning light barely filtering through the curtains. The air was cool, yet a prickling heat lingered under his skin, like an itch he couldn't scratch. There was a tightness in his limbs, a stiffness that hadn't been there before.

Then his phone vibrated.

Han Jonghyun reached for it instinctively, blinking away the last traces of sleep. The bright screen illuminated his hand, and a new message flashed across it.

[Kim Seojin]: Your evaluation retest is scheduled. Check the location attached. Don't be late.

Han Jonghyun frowned.

A retest?

His thumb hovered over the screen as confusion washed over him.

That made no sense. He hadn't requested a new evaluation. His guide classification had been set in stone for years—low-level, barely worth notice. He had never even thought about a reassessment, let alone signed up for one.

And why was Kim Seojin, of all people, the one messaging him?

The last time they met had been… strange. Unsettling. That brief, wordless encounter still lingered in his mind—Kim Seojin's sharp gaze, the weight of his presence, the way the air had thickened between them as if something unseen had shifted.

Han Jonghyun shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought.

Another message appeared.

[Kim Seojin]: Check the file.

His hesitation lasted only a moment before he clicked on the attachment. A map popped up, marking a location he recognized but had never been to before—a government facility, used strictly for testing high-ranked guides and espers.

His stomach twisted.

Something wasn't right.

Still, ignoring it wasn't an option. If the system had flagged him for reassessment, there had to be a reason. And if he refused to show up, it would only raise more questions.

Han Jonghyun exhaled, rubbing his temple, then typed back.

Understood.

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The Facility

The bus ride felt unnaturally long.

Han Jonghyun sat at the back, his gaze fixed on the blurred cityscape outside the window. The streets were alive with early morning activity—shops opening, commuters rushing to work, street vendors preparing for the day. Everything looked normal.

But he didn't feel normal.

That strange unease from earlier had only grown, morphing into something heavier, something wrong. His skin prickled, awareness buzzing at the back of his mind like static.

By the time he arrived, the tension coiled so tightly in his chest it was nearly suffocating.

The facility was cold and sterile, exactly as he expected. Guards stood at the entrance, their expressions unreadable, but they barely spared him a glance before waving him through.

They were expecting him.

That alone made his stomach tighten.

Inside, the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and metal. The walls were lined with reinforced glass, high-tech monitors flickering behind them. A handful of guides and espers moved through the hallways, their steps brisk and purposeful, but none paid him any attention.

Han Jonghyun's fingers curled slightly at his sides.

Whatever this was, it wasn't a routine test.

And Kim Seojin had something to do with it.

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The Evaluation

"Han Jonghyun?"

Han Jonghyun turned his head. A woman in a sleek black suit stood by the entrance of the testing hall, holding a tablet. Her face was sharp, expression unreadable.

He straightened. "…Yes."

"Follow me."

Her voice was clipped, professional. Without another word, she turned, heels clicking softly against the pristine floor as she led him down a narrow hallway. Han Jonghyun followed, his pulse steady, but his mind was racing.

The room she brought him to was small, lined with equipment and glass-enclosed monitoring stations. Beyond the reinforced glass, several examiners sat behind rows of screens, their eyes flicking between monitors.

"Stand in the center," one of them instructed.

Han Jonghyun moved into position, exhaling slowly.

The test started as expected—measuring his guiding resonance, testing his responses to esper wavelengths, running through standard exercises. He had done these evaluations before. The process was familiar, almost mechanical.

Until it wasn't.

Midway through, the machines began beeping.

The lead examiner frowned, adjusting the settings. A murmur spread through the others, hushed but urgent.

Han Jonghyun's pulse quickened.

The lead examiner finally spoke. "You weren't previously recorded as an S-class candidate, correct?"

Han Jonghyun blinked. "No. I've always been classified as low-level."

Silence stretched.

The examiner studied the readings again, brows furrowing. "Your guiding resonance is exceeding upper thresholds. These results—" He glanced at his colleagues. "Run it again."

The air in the room thickened.

Another wave of energy pulsed through Han Jonghyun's body as the machines restarted. The static hum of the scanners filled the air.

Then—

The readings spiked.

Warning lights flashed across the monitors, red indicators flaring on every screen. The examiners exchanged looks—some startled, some wary.

One of them finally spoke, voice low. "He's not just compatible with S-class espers. He is an S-class guide."

Han Jonghyun's world tilted.

His mind scrambled for logic, for an explanation. This had to be a mistake. He had spent years believing he was nothing more than an ordinary guide. He had built his life around that fact.

And now—

His fingers curled into fists. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Then the door behind him clicked open.

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly, like the very air had been reshaped. The presence that entered was undeniable—powerful, commanding.

Han Jonghyun turned.

Kim Seojin stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his gaze sharp.

The weight of his presence pressed against the room, palpable even without active energy output. He didn't say anything at first—just watched Han Jonghyun, his dark eyes calculating.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"Looks like you're not as small as you thought, Guide Han."

His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it—something unreadable.

Han Jonghyun clenched his jaw. "What is this?"

Kim Seojin eojin tilted his head slightly. "Your results. Did you really not know?"

Han Jonghyun onghyun exhaled sharply. "Of course I didn't. I've never—" He stopped himself, frustration bubbling beneath his skin. "What the hell is going on?"

Kim Seojin took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. "That's what I'm here to find out."

Something in his gaze was piercing, like he was looking through Han Jonghyun rather than at him. The examiners remained silent, watching the exchange with interest.

Han Jonghyun forced himself to hold Seojin's stare, refusing to back down. "How did you know?"

A ghost of a smirk crossed Kim Seojin's lips. "Because I felt it."

Han Jonghyun froze.

Felt it?

Before he could question further, Kim Seojin turned slightly, addressing the examiners. "Send me his full results."

One of them hesitated. "Sir, this—"

Kim Seojin's gaze snapped to them. "Now."

The examiner swallowed before quickly complying.

Han Jonghyun watched the exchange with growing unease. Seojin wasn't just here as an observer.

He was involved. Deeply.

And Han Jonghyun had a sinking feeling—

That now, he won't be able to escape Kim Seojin Forever.

End of Chapter 6

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