Guide Me If You Dare
Chapter 90: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

Chapter 90: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

GONE WERE the days when Ki Gayoon could ignore calls from the National Guide Bureau and the Esper Association. So, despite being buried in paperwork, he took a five-minute break before answering the call.

I need to fulfill my duty as a part of the Top 5 to secure Noh Yuno’s position in the Awakened World, so I have to cooperate with these bastards.

"President Kwak, I only have five minutes to spare," Gayoon said, already tired. Talking to other people never failed to drain his energy quickly— especially if the person he was talking to wasn’t as fun as Noh Yuno. "Please condense what you want to say in two sentences— max."

<"Ah, sure. Then you must know that a serial killer might be after Noh Yuno.">

What the fuck?

<"Get your ass here if you want to hear the details.">

***

"HERE— this is for you, Yuno-kun."

Aww.

Yuno was pleasantly surprised when Haru handed a carry-on luggage to him.

Souvenirs from Japan!

After Ki Gayoon left for work, Yuno, Moon Noa, and Haru on the floor— surrounding the carry-on luggage that the dethroned prince pulled out from his Inventory.

And then Haru opened the luggage with a matching "sound effects."

"Ta-dah!"

Even without seeing his reflection, Yuno just knew his eyes sparkled when he saw his favorite Japanese snacks. Aside from food, there were also a dozen of blind boxes to add to his toy collection.

The character he had been collecting all this time was from a famous Japanese storybook. ’Rara’ was the main character, and it was a talking capybara. Its most notable feature was the bowl of ramen on top of its head.

"Thank you, Haru-nim," Yuno said. He might not be smiling, but he was really happy with the souvenirs that he got. "You’re the best."

"You’re welcome, Yuno-kun," Haru said, smiling. "Should we talk about work now?"

Huh?

Work?

"You look surprised, Yuyu," Moon Noa commented, obviously teasing him. "You probably thought Haruharu is only here to play, didn’t you?"

Yuno shook his head. "I actually thought Haru-nim decided to come here because he missed you, Sajangnim."

Now it was Moon Noa’s turn to look confused.

"You’re not wrong, Yuno-kun," Haru said while watching Moon Noa’s reaction. "But I need a legitimate reason to leave my country, so I actually need to work while I’m here. Which, of course, I don’t mind since I get to stick to Noa-san like glue."

"Look at Yuyu when you’re talking to Yuyu," Moon Noa complaining, grabbing Haru’s face gently before forcing the Japanese prince to turn to Yuno. "Stop staring at me."

Aigoo.

It’s funny how Sajangnim is usually playful. But he can’t handle Haru-nim’s flirting.

"Yuno-kun, I need you and Noa-san to be careful," Haru said in a serious tone, properly looking at Yuno now. "I’m chasing a serial killer who targets high-class Guides. According to my reliable source, the serial killer had just entered Korea illegally."

"What?" Yuno asked in disbelief. "The fact that this is the first time I’m hearing about this..."

"Yes, this information is highly classified," Haru said, nodding. "The serial killer first made their presence known in Japan— my homeland. They killed four of our A-Class Guides. Sadly, two of them were rookies who just awakened a year ago."

Yuno let out a gasp, shocked and horrified.

Four A-Class Guides were killed in Japan?!

"It happened when all the S-Class and A-Class Guides in our country gathered in Hokkaido for their annual summit," Haru explained. "The serial killer tried to kill our one and only S-Class Guide, but the other Guides risked their lives to protect her. When the Espers arrived, it was already too late. The serial killer had already escaped."

Yuno clenched his hands tight. "That bastard..."

"That bastard is a Guide."

Yuno almost choked on his saliva. "A Guide who kills Guides?"

"Yes," Haru said, pausing for a moment. "When my team traced the serial killer’s footsteps, we were led to China. But we were already too late when we arrived there. The serial killer had already killed five B-Class Guides and three A-Class Guides. Their sole S-Class Guide survived, but I heard he was heavily injured."

Aigoo.

"Now I know why Haru-nim is here," Yuno said, nodding as if he had just solved the mystery of the year. "You’re here to protect Sajangnim, right? If the serial killer is here to kill high-class Guides, then Sajangnim and Guide Bambi-ssi will be their first targets."

After all, Bambi and Moon Noa were the only S-Class Guides of Korea.

Yuno suddenly got worried.

Guide Bambi-ssi has Esper Ryu Sungbin-ssi to protect him. But Sajangnim doesn’t have an official Esper. Though, of course, Leehan Hyung will no doubt protect Sajangnim. Having said that, I’m glad that Haru-nim is here for my boss.

Now there was one thing he was curious about.

"Is this information so confidential that Gayoon Hyung can’t hear it?" Yuno asked, confused. "Why didn’t you say all of this when Gayoon Hyung was still here?"

Haru and Moon Noa then exchanged looks.

So, there’s more to it, huh?

***

A SERIAL KILLER who kills high-class Guides, huh?

Ki Gayoon couldn’t believe that his first joint mission with his fellow Top 5 Espers would be catching a serial killer.

And the mission pissed him off.

Guides are already fewer than Espers, so does that lunatic want Guides to go extinct?

He wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

The entire conference room was suddenly filled with heavy aura coming not just from Gayoon— but also from Ryu Sungbin, Lee Sarang, Matthew, and Jin Sooin.

It was understandable.

Our Guides are the most elite Guides in the country— obviously, the serial killer will go after the Top 5 Espers’ Guides.

"We didn’t summon your Guides here because we didn’t want to catch the serial killer’s attention. They’re already here, so they’re probably watching our high-class Guides as we speak," Kim Munhee said. "The serial killer attacked the Japanese Guides during their big gathering. We don’t want the same thing to happen to us."

What?

Japan is the first victim?

So, that was why Haru was here.

Gayoon clenched his hands tight.

That prince bastard didn’t give me a heads up.

"Be more vigilant, but don’t make it obvious," Kwak Hakjae said. "We have to act like we don’t know about the serial killer yet, in hopes that they would lower their guard a bit. But don’t take your eyes off your Guides."

Heh.

Gayoon covered his mouth with his hand to hide his silly grin.

Now I have the perfect excuse to bring Noh Yuno to my office. If this situation is this bad, I’m sure Moon Noa will extend his vacation.

As for Noh Yuno’s day job as an artist...

We have to talk about that.

"If we catch the serial killer, are we allowed to kill them on the spot?" Ryu Sungbin asked indifferently. "Or do we have to keep them alive?"

How violent.

That’s probably why I got along well with Ryu Sungbin before he went insane.

"You definitely have to keep them alive," Kim Munhee said. "After all, the serial killer is a Guide with the strength of an Esper."

What?

Gayoon and the rest were shocked by that revelation.

A Guide killing their fellow Guides?

"How did those Guides die?" Gayoon asked, making everyone turn to him. "No— how did that serial killer end their victims?"

"We don’t know the exact cause of their death yet because both Japan and China are keeping mum about it for now," Kim Munhee said, sighing as if she was frustrated that they had limited information about the serial killer. "But, according to one unverified report that I received, the Guides— apparently— died when their hearts just suddenly stopped beating."

***

"I’M SURE catching the serial killer will be the Top 5 Espers’ responsibility anyway," Yuno said when Haru and Moon Noa didn’t respond to him right away. "So, is there a reason why you didn’t want Gayoon Hyung to hear about this?"

"No, it’s not like that," Moon Noa denied while shaking his head. "The National Guide Bureau and the Esper Association will summon the Top 5 Espers later. They’ll probably inform the Top 5 about the serial killer. But we didn’t give Yoonyoon a heads up because we wanted to talk to you in private, Yuyu."

Oh.

That made him nervous.

"Yuno-kun, as we said earlier, the serial killer is a Guide," Haru said solemnly. "Noa-san and I suspect that they are an E-Class Guide like you."

"What?" Yuno asked in disbelief. The fact that the serial killer was a Guide was already shocking. So, hearing that the suspect might be a fellow E-Class Guide like him shook him to the core. "I thought I was the only E-Class Guide alive."

"You were the only E-Class Guide survivor from the Lab, but that doesn’t mean there are no other E-Class Guides who awakened after your generation, Yuyu," Moon Noa reminded him. "According to the report I received, this serial killer has several strange abilities— like Reverse Guiding, for example."

Reverse Guiding.

That’s one of my "weapons" as an E-Class Guide.

"That bastard," Yuno cursed under his breath. "I have to catch that serial killer myself."¹

***

"THEN SEE you later, Oppa."

Ki Gayoon raised an eyebrow when Lee Sarang tried to leave without saying anything else to him.

Only the two of them were left in the conference hall after the others left first.

"Lee Sarang."

"Yes, Oppa?"

"Noh Yuno said he can meet you at your convenience."

"Oh. About that, Oppa..."

"Yeah?"

Lee Sarang smiled apologetically while clasping her hands together as if she was praying. "I actually don’t remember why I want to meet Yuno-ssi, so can Oppa please apologize to him in my stead? I don’t want to upset Hanjin Oppa, so I can’t meet Yuno-ssi alone."

Aha.

Gayoon smirked bitterly when he realized that Lee Sarang had probably received Guiding from Mo Hanjin already.

The crybaby was back to being a pushover again, after all.

Yuno-ssi, the effect of your Guiding seems to have been overridden already by Mo Hanjin’s Guiding.

***

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