"Actor Cha In-ho Manifested as a Guide... 'A Very Rare Case'"
[Asia Good Day - Reporter Kim Min-seong]
Actor Cha In-ho has manifested as a guide. According to his agency, Planet Day, on the 13th, Cha In-ho, who had been complaining of a fever, was found to have manifested as a guide following a hospital examination.
Manifesting at the age of 26 is a rare occurrence globally, leading to suspicions that Cha In-ho might have been hiding this fact until now.
It is still unknown what grade of guide Cha In-ho is.
Likes 485 | Support 1,125 | Shocked 2,359 | Sad 863
Comments (462)
"Actor Cha In-ho Manifested as a Guide... 'A Very Rare Case'"
[Asia Good Day - Reporter Kim Min-seong]
Actor Cha In-ho has manifested as a guide. According to his agency, Planet Day, on the 13th, Cha In-ho, who had been complaining of a fever, was found to have manifested as a guide following a hospital examination.
Manifesting at the age of 26 is a rare occurrence globally, leading to suspicions that Cha In-ho might have been hiding this fact until now.
It is still unknown what grade of guide Cha In-ho is.
Likes 485 | Support 1,125 | Shocked 2,359 | Sad 863
Comments (462)
"Hundred percent he was hiding it until now and got caught, lololololol."
"Cha In-ho, I enjoyed your movies! It's fascinating to see someone manifest as a guide after 20. Good luck!"
"Thank goodness he's not an esper..."
┗ "For real, if he were an esper, his acting career would be over."
┗ "Is it that serious? Aren't there espers who are active like celebrities?"
┗ "Only the useless D-grade ones or the elite SS-grade ones manage that. A- and B-grades are too busy with their duties, lol."
┗ "Nope, B-grade Jang Chan-hwi went viral with photos from the field on social media and appears on TV a lot."
┗ "Those cases are rare..."
┗ "A guide for espers… they're just people who sell themselves to espers to make a living."
┗ "Yeah, guides help espers because it's necessary. Guides hate going to the centre regularly and meeting their quotas; it's a hassle."
"I'm so jealous of espers. Fans dream of just touching their finger, but espers get all that and more for free, damn it."
"Cha In-ho is going to get so close with espers now, lol."
┗ "There's a moron here who thinks guiding is always about sex. Didn't you learn about non-physical guiding in school?"
┗ "What are you going to do now that you're not a guide? No one will ever have sex with you, lol."
┗ [Comment reported and deleted]
"Cha In-ho... My daughter likes you, so we watched your latest movie, Meteor, together... Haha. I think you played an esper in that one, right?"
┗ "Yes, that's correct."
┗ "Now that you mention it, he won Best Supporting Actor for an Esper role, lol. The irony is strong."
"Aren't there quite a few celebrity guides? Why is the reaction so intense?"
[Comment deleted]
"What happens to the movie he's currently filming?"
┗ "Since he's a guide and not an esper, it shouldn't affect it much."
"I'm a B-block staff member and saw Cha In-ho yesterday, lol. He's super handsome."
┗ "Really? What was his grade?"
┗ "Can't say, might get sued. There will be an article soon, but it's not very high.
"If I pretend to be an esper and hang around the centre, I could totally meet Cha In-ho and hold his hand or hug him, lol."
┗ "Don't underestimate the centre; it's not that easy."
┗ "2222, the centre isn't that lenient, lol."
┗ "333, Block B is strictly controlled for guide safety, unlike Block A with its gift shops and stuff."
"Esper monsters! If anything happens to our In-ho, even a scratch, I won't stand for it."
"Is it even possible to manifest this late?"
┗ "It's extremely rare, but it does happen. However, it's much more likely he was hiding it and got caught."
[Comment deleted by the author]
[Comment deleted by the author]
┗ "Nonsense, lol. Block C doesn't even exist, so how could he go there?"
┗ "Please, just ignore the trolls. It's obvious bait, why keep feeding it?"
* * *
The Esper-Guide Center was largely divided into two main sections: A-block, which had everything from museums to accommodations, and B-block, where numerous guides come and go daily.
However, within the centre's vast grounds, there was a lesser-known section—Block C. Hidden away, only a few were aware of its existence.
A long trek up an unpaved mountain path led to a checkpoint, beyond which was built a tall barbed-wire fence. The barbed wire, occasionally adorned with stray feathers swaying in the wind, enclosed a large grey building. Other than the climbing vines along its walls, the building was entirely monochromic, with barred windows on every side. Despite its aged and grim appearance, the structure was sturdy and secure.
This place, which resembles a prison, was the elusive Block C and also home to Joo-hyun. It's fitting, considering that Shin Joo-hyun was a runaway esper. Calling it a home was generous; it's more of a confinement, a place where living seemed more akin to being imprisoned.
* * *
"Don't say anything unnecessary or act suspiciously. Got it?"
Joo-hyun quietly looked down at the centre manager, who was half a head shorter than him.
He was a middle-aged man who loved money immensely and, for a civilian, wasn't particularly afraid of runaway espers. This might have been because he could control them with just a flick of his finger.
Joo-hyun briefly considered asking what unnecessary words and suspicious actions were, but he simply nodded instead. His black hair, slightly covering his eyes, swayed lightly.
Today, Cha In-ho was coming to the desolate Block C. Recently, there had been quite an uproar about Cha In-ho manifesting as a guide at the age of twenty-six.
It was said that Cha In-ho, an actor who often appeared on the only TV in Block C's lounge, was coming here to find a matching esper. When Joo-hyun and his colleagues first heard the rumour, they thought it was a ridiculous piece of gossip.
"No way! Did you really hear this?!"
"Who in their right mind would want to match with a runaway esper? Would you do it?"
"No, I wouldn't."
"See?! Beom-gyu, bring us some more plausible rumours next time."
"But I'm sure I heard it..."
Other espers clicked their tongues at Beom-gyu, who scratched his shaggy hair while insisting he overheard the staff talking. Joo-hyun, who had been quietly listening and flipping through pages, casually commented,
"If he's an actor, he probably has a lot of money. Why on earth would he come here? Only a truly crazy person would even think of it."
Everyone agreed, further berating Beom-gyu.
That had happened exactly four days ago. And now, Joo-hyun was heading to the guiding room to meet this "truly crazy person."
A runaway esper referred to an esper who had ran out of control.
An esper who overused their abilities without receiving proper guiding could, if extremely unlucky, became a runaway esper when their levels dropped to a critical point. Typically, they would fail to control their power, destroying everything around them and eventually themselves. In other words, once they went runaway, they were considered as good as dead.
However, on very rare occasions, a runaway esper could receive guiding and stop their outburst before dying. This was considered extremely unfortunate because the life of a surviving runaway esper was often so miserable that death might have been preferable.
Runaway espers inevitably caused casualties and property damage. They had to live with the guilt of actions they didn't even remember committing, and worst of all, the label "runaway esper" followed them for life.
The biggest reason runaway espers were avoided was their instability; once an esper went runaway, there was no telling when they might do so again. They were ticking time bombs, literal killers, and extremely dangerous beings that no one wanted to be near.
There was no way society could let such monsters roam the streets.
This was why Block C existed. It was meant to isolate runaway espers who had somehow survived and make them atone for the rest of their lives.
Naturally, no guide volunteered to handle runaway espers. Those who came to Block C were mostly criminals sentenced to community service or guides with peculiar tastes.
There had never been a runaway esper with a dedicated guide, known as a matching guide. Even if an esper had a matching guide before they went runaway, the partnership ended the moment they lost control.
But then Cha In-ho came. With the absurd news that he intended to match with a runaway esper.
Joo-hyun's distinctively dark red eyes, typical of a runaway esper, sharply observed the grey corridor. The sunlight streaming through the barred windows cast eerie shadows on the floor.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and move along," a Block C staff member, always armed and ready, pushed Joo-hyun from behind with force. Joo-hyun, who could kill the man before he even pulled the trigger, quietly continued his stride.
Since he ran away at the age of fourteen, Joo-hyun had been living in Block C for eleven years. Although he occasionally went outside for missions, he never wandered around crowded places like everyone else. So, he had no idea who Cha In-ho was or how famous he might be.
Therefore, he didn't care about being sorry, interested in celebrities, or feeling shy like other people. He had no intention of cooperating with whatever this guy named Cha In-ho wanted.
"Follow the rules or you'll end up in prison," the staff member whispered in a low voice. It was a threat that didn't hold any weight for Joo-hyun, who was already living in a place worse than prison.
As usual, with an emotionless expression, Joo-hyun walked into the guiding room as the staff member opened the door. Despite the strong push, the runaway esper crossed the threshold with a leisurely pace.
Cha In-ho was seated on a worn-out chair. Despite the dreary grey walls surrounding him, he seemed to radiate brightness, illuminating the surroundings.
Not just handsome or pretty but truly beautiful, one could say. The man, praised for his beauty crafted meticulously by the gods, wore a look of surprise and confusion, a strange expression as if he were startled.
Thud. The heavy sound of the iron door closing echoed. Left alone with the guide who was no different from an ordinary person, the runaway esper slowly approached the table.