Guide Me If You Dare novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169: CAUGHT OFF GUARD

"HOW CAN we be assured that this complaint was really from Esper Lee Sarang-nim?"

"Aigoo. Chief Kim, just because the National Guide Bureau forges official documents now and then doesn’t mean the Esper Association does the same."

"That’s a heavy accusation, President Kwak. Can you prove that in court?"

"Oh, you’re going to sue me? Go ahead. Let’s see if I have enough evidence or not."

Haaah.

Bambi quietly left the chief’s office while Chief Kim Munhee and President Kwak Hakjae were butting heads.

He may look calm on the outside, but he was quite panicking inside.

This surprise attack is ruining our plan.

Bambi headed to the VIP Lounge.

It was a common space for the Top 5 Guides to relax.

For now, I should hide Mo Hanjin to buy us some time. I need to tell him what exactly he has to say in case he gets summoned by the Esper Association. As long as we have Mo Hanjin, we can always take back Esper Lee Sarang.

"Bambi-ssi, you brought a guest with you?"

Hmm?

When Bambi arrived at the VIP Lounge, he saw Rebecca patching up Kim Jaeha’s bruised face.

Fortunately, Mo Hanjin was there.

As usual, he’s busy playing games on his phone without a care in the world.

Jin Sooin was also there, and it was Jin Sooin who asked the strange question.

"A guest?" Bambi asked, confused. "I’m alone..."

"That’s what I thought."

And, in the blink of an eye, Jin Sooin ran past Bambi.

Then...

BAAAM!

The ground shook when Jin Sooin seemingly punched the air.

However, Jin Sooin’s fist actually hit something hard.

It was a shield that seemed to be made of stones.

Ah.

There’s one famous Esper known for controlling rocks— a disciple of Ki Gayoon.

"Gu Inwoo, did you get lost?" Jin Sooin asked sarcastically. "This isn’t a dumpsite where you belong, you know?"

"Ah, it isn’t?"

The stone shield collapsed— revealing Gu Inwoo.

"It seems like I got lost, indeed. But you can’t blame me, Sooin Noona," Gu Inwoo said, flashing that annoying arrogant smile of his. "After all, it reeks in here."

"Wow. You’re really Gayoon’s slave," Jin Sooin said in disbelief. "Does Gayoon also teach sarcasm to his subordinates?"

"No, I’m a natural."

"Bastard."

"Yes, that I am."

Jin Sooin punched Gu Inwoo again.

Gu Inwoo quickly put a stone shield to protect himself, but that didn’t work since Jin Sooin’s punch went through and hit the male Esper.

As a result, Gu Inwoo was sent flying until his back hit the wall— causing a small crater.

"Don’t be arrogant, Gu Inwoo," Jin Sooin said coldly. "Do you think you’d win against me, huh?"

"Of course not," Gu Inwoo said while getting up, wiping the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. "That wasn’t my goal anyway."

"Yah!"

Bambi and Jin Sooin both turned to Mo Hanjin when Mo Hanjin yelled.

Gu Inwoo created a two-meter Stone Golem that grabbed and lifted Mo Hanjin by the waist. And, now, the Stone Golem had its arms around Mo Hanjin’s waist as if it would crush the Guide at any moment.

"Esper Gu Inwoo-ssi!" Bambi yelled angrily. "What do you think you’re doing?!"

Gu Inwoo couldn’t answer, though.

After all, Jin Sooin’s Mana had already manifested— and it was strangling Gu Inwoo.

Ah.

Now Bambi was confused about what to do.

If Gu Inwoo dies here, Gayoon Hyung would kill us all.

"Jin Sooin, let go of Gu Inwoo."

It wasn’t Bambi’s order.

"Gayoon-ah, just how do you raise your subordinates?" Jin Sooin asked, frowning. "They’re just as disrespectful as you."

"Then I raised them well," Ki Gayoon said, scoffing. "Let go of Gu Inwoo now while I’m asking nicely, Jin Sooin."

"Tell your subordinate to let go of Mo Hanjin first."

Ki Gayoon just glanced at Gu Inwoo.

It was enough.

Gu Inwoo clenched his hands, and then the Stone Golem collapsed.

Jin Sooin immediately caught Mo Hanjin before the male Guide hit the floor. Aside from that, Jin Sooin also created a shield to protect Rebecca and Kim Jaeha from getting hit by the falling rocks.

As expected, Esper Jin Sooin-ssi is really reliable.

"Are you alright, Gu Inwoo?"

Gu Inwoo covered his mouth with his hand when he coughed, but he nodded while touching his neck. "Fortunately, you arrived before Sooin Noona broke my neck, Boss."

"You did well surviving before I arrived."

"Thank you, Boss."

Bambi glared at Ki Gayoon. "Hyung, is it really the time to praise your subordinate? Esper Gu Inwoo-ssi followed me when he knew he was not allowed here. He even tried to harm Guide Mo Hanjin-ssi!"

"Gu Inwoo just followed my orders," Ki Gayoon said casually. "You know that we’re here for Mo Hanjin, right?"

"Since when did you become the Esper Association’s lap dog, Hyung?"

"It’s funny that you said that," Ki Gayoon said, smirking. "Espers are originally raised to be the Associations’ killing machines. I don’t like it, but it’s a fact that Espers belong to the Esper Association. And I’d rather be their dog than the National Guide Bureau’s."

Bambi clenched his hands tight. "Hyung, you—"

"Lee Sarang won’t be coming back here," Ki Gayoon said, cutting off Bambi rudely. "And, from now on, Lee Sarang won’t follow orders from the National Guide Bureau. Of course, she’ll still work as this country’s #2 Esper. But she’ll only be accepting job requests from the Esper Association. If the National Guide Bureau needs Lee Sarang’s help, then you have to send an official request to the Esper Association first. Once the Esper Association deems your request valid and reasonable, only then would they forward the request to Lee Sarang’s guild."

Bambi couldn’t say anything because it was the correct protocol.

It only changed when the National Guide Bureau got a hold of the (previous) Top 5 Espers by making them too dependent on the Guides that Bambi handpicked himself. Back then, the Esper Association couldn’t complain because the Top 5 Espers turned their backs on President Kwak Hakjae.

But now that Gayoon Hyung is acting like the Association’s dog, it will be difficult to blatantly bypass the Association’s authority.

"Hyung, Esper Lee Sarang-ssi still needs to come here because her Guide is here."

"We’ll discuss that later," Ki Gayoon said, snapping his fingers. "For now..."

"GAYOON!"

Jin Sooin yelled Ki Gayoon’s name angrily when Mo Hanjin’s body suddenly surged forward in Ki Gayoon’s direction.

When Jin Sooin ran after Mo Hanjin, a wall emerged from the floor— blocking her.

Mo Hanjin then remained suspended in the air, right next to Ki Gayoon.

It seemed like Ki Gayoon "tied" Mo Hanjin with his Mana because the male Guide couldn’t move.

Mo Hanjin looked terrified, but Bambi couldn’t do anything.

"I’m taking Mo Hanjin with me," Ki Gayoon said. "Don’t worry— we’ll follow the due process."

"Hyung, you’re going to regret this."

"Sexual assault," Ki Gayoon said bluntly. "Luckily for me, Noh Yuno is willing to stand as a witness. Moreover, I have plenty of evidence to prove that you assaulted me that night. Just the fact that you stole HoneyMoon’s aphrodisiac was enough proof, don’t you think so?"

Gayoon Hyung looks serious...

I thought I already destroyed the bond of the original Top 5 Espers...

***

Since he’s an Esper, he has sharp eyes, so he definitely saw something.

Dabin Hyung is a sand manipulator, so it’s normal that he can control dust, too.

’Yu Minju’ is Ahjuhyung’s subordinate who leads their Intelligence Unit. And she’s too busy to leave her office.