Approximal Guide

“I’m Kang Hajung. Your instructor and superior, Kang Hajung Colonel.”

“This is… this doesn’t make any sense… Hey, young man, I think you’ve lost it. I’ll introduce you to a psychiatrist, so you should go there…”

“Year, month, day!”

“Ahh, no! Stop saying that!”

When I mentioned the unforgettable date, Han Byeongeun screamed in horror. He looked at me with disbelief and said,

“K-Kang Colonel…?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

His face looked like a corpse had come back to life. Actually, it wasn’t wrong to say a dead person had come back, so I could understand why Han Byeongeun was reacting like that.

“H-How… no, this… This is unbelievable…”

Han Byeongeun kept wiping his face with his hand in shock. Yeah, I didn’t believe it myself, so I could imagine how hard it was for him. I spoke, trying to show I understood his confusion.

“I know it sounds impossible, but my body has changed, and that’s the truth…”

I was starting to get a headache, not knowing how to convince Han Byeongeun. He had always frowned at my beliefs in pseudo-science, thinking it was ridiculous. I had no idea how to make him understand this situation, which was beyond anything I had ever imagined.

Han Byeongeun buried his face in his hands, as if thinking about something. I didn’t push him and just let him think it through. I understood how his mind must be racing, but after some time, Han Byeongeun spoke up.

“No, it might actually be possible.”

“…What?”

He said it might actually be possible? I squinted at him, unable to believe what he was saying. Now I had a doubtful expression on my face.

Han Byeongeun seemed to have thought of something and quickly rummaged through the messy desk. After finding a mouse, he opened a folder and clicked on a file. When the title of the file appeared on the screen, I couldn’t help but gape in surprise.

“…What is this? Research and Considerations on Body Transformation Abilities?”

“Yes, this paper came out two years ago, but no one believed it. They kept asking if such an ability existed, why hadn’t it been discovered until now… But the waveforms here perfectly match the unique form of abilities, and there was a lot of commotion at the time. Theoretically, I thought it might be possible, and out of curiosity, I applied a self-developed algorithm and ran virtual experiments. While this was going on, the first author of the paper got caught in manipulation controversies, and when he didn’t respond, they started saying the paper was a lie, and…”

Han Byeongeun glanced at me after that. I, too, looked up from the screen, my head spinning with all the strange words I was reading.

“Really… Are you really Colonel?”

When I saw his incredulous face, something stirred inside me, and before I realized it, I nodded, a bit overwhelmed. My time unconscious was only about a day, but in his face, it felt like countless days had passed. At least I was relieved to know that someone believed this bizarre situation.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Ha, what is this…”

Han Byeongeun tried to calm down by washing his face, but he couldn’t quite manage it. He paced around the room for a while, and I decided to try to convince him faster by releasing the guiding wave. Han Byeongeun’s eyes widened. The familiar guiding wave that he knew started to float around the room.

“T-Teacher…”

His large eyes turned bright red. Despite being a grumpy esper who didn’t want to connect with anyone besides his fiancée, Han Byeongeun still perfectly remembered my guiding wave.

Guiding starts with willpower. Willpower is influenced by brain science. So, if I act and think like ‘Kang Hajung Colonel,’ I can still produce the original guiding wave even with ‘Kang Hajung Sergeant’s’ body.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I had heard that ‘Kang Hajung Sergeant’ was a D-class guide, but it seemed that his guiding capacity was actually quite large. I could easily manipulate the guiding energy stored in his body and release it in my own wavelength. It was as simple as breathing. Even if I weren’t in his body, if I were another guide, I would still be able to do the same. Guiding is governed by willpower, so as long as I think as ‘Kang Hajung Colonel,’ my guiding wave would align with the unique wave of ‘Kang Hajung Colonel.’

I had finished all these calculations by the time I reached Han Byeongeun’s lab, so I was confident. I was sure he would recognize my guiding wave.

Luckily, Han Byeongeun seemed to have recognized the guiding wave and was now certain that I was ‘Kang Hajung Colonel.’ Honestly, I had been a bit worried that he might not recognize it, since I hadn’t given him much guiding before, but now I could breathe a little easier seeing his face showing full trust.

Han Byeongeun still seemed stunned and said,

“How… How did this happen? Do you know what’s happened over the past… past time?”

He looked at me with a somewhat resentful gaze. I was just as confused.

“I should be asking that. I got hit with a rock in the chest yesterday, passed out, and woke up today trapped in a kid’s body. Do you know how that feels?”

“What… yesterday…?”

“Yeah, yesterday or the day before, whatever. I saw Kim Moohyuk’s out-of-control signs and guided him, but then I got hit in the chest with a rock and passed out. Now, I’m here.”

Han Byeongeun looked even more pale at that statement than when I said I came back from the dead. I wondered what was going on. Then, Han Byeongeun muttered something in shock to himself. He looked at me and said, almost shouting.

“Don’t panic!”

“You’re the one panicking.”

But even with my nonchalant response, Han Byeongeun was now grabbing his head in panic.

“Oh my god, how could this happen?”

“Oh, are you reporting this?”

Seeing him panic so much beside me, I realized that the chaotic situation I was in had calmed me down in a way. While Han Byeongeun was tearing at his hair, I looked around at the things on the desk. It was a simple thought—he still wasn’t living very tidily. It also reminded me that I should have asked how much time had passed, but I had completely forgotten about it.

I now asked Byeongeun, who had slumped down and was muttering to himself.

“Hey, Han Byeongeun. So how long has it been since I… well, you know, ended up like this?”

At my question, Byeongeun looked up at me in surprise. In that short time, his eyes had turned a deep red. I looked at him with a somewhat awkward expression because he seemed so distressed. Why is he like this… I died and came back to life, and now I woke up in someone else’s body, but Han Byeongeun’s face looked paler than someone who was about to die.

He sighed deeply and slowly stood up, taking several breaths before speaking.

“Don’t be surprised, Colonel.”

“No, you’ve been the one freaking out the most in this room.”

Ignoring my remark, Han Byeongeun wandered around a bit before saying something that seemed to trouble him greatly.

“Your original body is in the National Cemetery. It’s been five years since that day.”

“What…?! That’s really…! Oh, damn it! My stocks!”

“…Is that all you have to say? Stocks?”

I couldn’t help but worry about my stocks. I had no real family to leave them to, and my hard-earned investments were probably in trouble by now. Five years had passed—how many prime selling opportunities had I missed in all that time?

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Han Byeongeun asked, his voice full of disdain.

Then, something else occurred to me, and I looked at him.

“Wait, what’s going on with Kim Moohyuk? Why does he have such an odd aura? His wavelength is weird.”

“Ah, that’s the biggest issue right now.”

The biggest issue? I was more concerned about my stocks, but I didn’t want to be too heartless, so I nodded along. Han Byeongeun continued with a serious face.

“Since your… incident, Captain Kim Moohyuk has been suffering from a condition called ‘Marked Hypoperfusion Syndrome.’”

“…Marked hypoperfusion? Isn’t that something that happens when someone’s imprint is severed? Did that idiot meet another guide after I…?”

I asked in confusion. Marked Hypoperfusion Syndrome typically occurs when an Esper loses their guide after imprinting, causing a sudden drop in the guiding energy circulating in their blood, leading to localized anemia.

Imprinting doesn’t cause significant changes in a guide’s body, so it’s usually the Esper who suffers from this condition. Yet, Kim Moohyuk had apparently caught it. I thought he would have gone through a mourning period after I died, but it seems he found another guide and even shared an imprint with them… Then he lost that guide too? I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. But Han Byeongeun’s explanation was unexpected.

“He didn’t meet a new guide. He imprinted with you, Colonel.”

“…What?”

What is this nonsense? Me and him? I had never imprinted with any Esper, I was a virgin guide—wasn’t I?

Imprinting is a bond that can’t be severed, akin to a marriage. Why would I imprint with such a young, random student? It didn’t make sense. Furthermore, I had no memory of imprinted with Kim Moohyuk at all.

“What do you mean? Why would I imprint with him?”

“…I figured as much. Captain Kim Moohyuk claims that he was diagnosed with Marked Hypoperfusion Syndrome and when asked who his guide was, he got so angry, he nearly destroyed the center. He says that the only one he can imprint with is you, Colonel.”

“What the hell is he talking about? You know that it was just teacher and student between me and Kim Moohyuk.”

When I frowned, Han Byeongeun nodded and replied.

“The director and I thought the same—that you hadn’t imprinted with Captain Kim Moohyuk. But, as you know, the claim of the person involved always carries the most weight. So, for now, you’re listed as the guide for Captain Kim Moohyuk in the records.”

“What?!”

So, I wake up to find my body cremated, five years have passed, my stocks are gone, and I’ve somehow got an Esper wife who wasn’t even there before I passed out? I pushed the stool away, leaned against the wall, and closed my eyes, feeling the blood drain from my face. Han Byeongeun, seeing my state, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“…But Colonel, aren’t you… kind of… exceptionally good-looking?”

That was such an absurd comment that I almost felt like my head was going to explode. I frowned at him.

“What are you talking about now?”

“Well, your face looks so different from before… Before, you had this rugged, mountain bandit vibe.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“So, what do I look like now?”

“Didn’t you look in the mirror?”

I had. I had looked closely. Just as Han Byeongeun had said, my face was now too handsome to be someone who would join the Special Forces. It was the kind of look that young girls would love—slim and youthful with a pure aura. In today’s terms, it was the kind of face you’d expect to see locked in a basement, training to become a K-pop trainee.

Speaking of appearances, something else came to mind. The attitude of that officer, Ahn Changhyun or Ahn Changsal, seemed off. The people at the center had been looking at me strangely too.

“Han Byeongeun, why is everyone looking at me weird? What was the original owner of this ‘body’ like?”

“…Well, you see…”

Han Byeongeun glanced at my nameplate and seemed to hesitate for a moment, then, with a serious expression, spoke.

“The original owner of this body was… also named Kang Hajung.”

Han Byeongeun’s explanation went as follows:

This body, Kang Hajung, was a case where someone like Kim Moohyuk, who was over twenty, manifested as a guide. It seems that while walking down the street normally, he collapsed, and after losing consciousness, they performed a blood test. During the test, a positive result for a guide was detected. After that, he was essentially abducted by the military, but the problem was that Kang Hajung’s mental state wasn’t particularly stable.

“It seems he wasn’t particularly strong mentally from the start. But after being placed in the closed-off center, his condition worsened. He had a handsome face, and since he came into the military after Colonel’s death, being a namesake, there were unknowingly high expectations.”

Due to this, Kang Hajung underwent a public guide ranking evaluation. While such evaluations usually discourage public observation, anyone who could show up did. Surrounded by strangers, Kang Hajung was subjected to a ranking that primarily relied on mental strength. As expected, the result wasn’t good. From that point on, people who had set unreasonable expectations began to criticize him.

“But even so, it seems like Kang Hajung was a bit stubborn. One day, he got drunk and shouted at Kim Moohyuk, demanding they pair up, saying since his name was the same as Colonel’s, he could guide too.”

Because of this, officers who respected the fallen war hero, especially those who graduated from the military academy after studying the Battle of Haindaeng, began criticizing him. What could have been dismissed as drunken rambling was seen as a violation of the military’s cultural spirit, so he was referred to the disciplinary committee. Of course, this didn’t really affect the military’s culture and the case was dismissed, but after that, Kang Hajung lived much like an outcast in the center.

After receiving such treatment, Kang Hajung became despondent, but whenever he drank, he would cling to Kim Moohyuk and even forced guide sessions. Knowing how loyal Kim Moohyuk had been to me, the center staff must have found this behavior ridiculous.

“Well, even so, does that mean it’s okay to gang up on him like that?”

“Yeah. I think so too, but Kim Moohyuk has a temper when it comes to topics related to Colonel. If he had stepped in to defend Kang Hajung, it might have been less harsh, but it seems he didn’t stop him.”

A sigh slipped out of me. I covered my mouth with my hand and asked, “…So, because of that shock, did he attempt suicide?”

“…Well, not exactly. It’s more like a habitual suicide attempt. He didn’t actually want to die, but he sought attention. Psychologically, I think it’s called… Munchausen Syndrome?”

It was a situation that made me click my tongue. Still… I looked at the data window that Han Byeongeun had brought up about Kang Hajung. The photo showed a pale, sad-faced young man, with his personal information listed next to him. It seemed he was 24 years old. At that age, he should still be quite young. What kind of reason could there be to treat a child like that? I couldn’t help but sigh again. I finally understood the meaning behind all the glances directed at this body.

“After Colonel passed away, Kim Moohyuk worked himself to the bone. Even with the Guiding Blood Syndrome, he was only using substitutes and kept going on missions every day…”

That crazy bastard. A frustrated sound escaped me. I had never really thought about my own death, but I had always considered what life after retirement might be like. I wanted a life where I could grow vegetables or live in a quiet place enjoying nature. I wanted Kim Moohyuk, after my passing, to forget about me and find a good guide to share a bond with and live happily. That didn’t seem like too much to ask for. Yet he had been living like that for five years, unable to forget me. How pathetic.

On the other hand, although it had only been moments for me before losing consciousness, for Kim Moohyuk, five years must have felt long. The taste in my mouth was bitter.

“No wonder the kid’s energy felt weird. His waves were all tangled up… and he was holding out with just a substitute?”

Guiding substitutes are merely supplementary medications. They are like biscuits issued to soldiers; tasteless, and only providing the bare minimum nutrition. Likewise, a guiding substitute only provides the minimum amount of guidance needed to keep the person from starving to death. This was nonsensical when thinking of Kim Moohyuk’s level. High-level espers, like Kim Moohyuk, need a lot of guidance due to their exceptional abilities.

It’s like how swimmers have a higher basal metabolic rate and need about 2.5 times the calories of an average person. Similarly, high-level espers need consistent and frequent guidance. Yet here he was, surviving on substitutes. I rubbed my forehead with my palm.

“What the hell is wrong with that guy?”

Han Byeongeun, seeing how angry I was, gave me a look that said, “It’s all Colonel’s fault,” but still cautiously checked my reaction. As he expected, I was pretty pissed off. It wasn’t so much about my real body being cremated and buried in the national cemetery, or waking up in this young officer’s body—it was the fact that Kim Moohyuk had been living like that for five years.

“You should have stopped him!”

“Me? Kim Moohyuk? Do you think he’d listen?”

Han Byeongeun’s reply was full of question marks. It was clear he found the situation absurd. I didn’t understand.

“Just because he looks like that, he’s not the kind of kid who ignores adults. You all should’ve talked some sense into him. He’s just twenty-three—”

“Kim Moohyuk is already twenty-eight. And when Colonel was still around, Kim Moohyuk only listened to you. If he was the type to listen, he would’ve done something a long time ago.”

That was an absurd thing to hear. I thought Han Byeongeun was making unreasonable excuses.

“What are you talking about? Moohyuk never defied his superiors, and he listened well to Kim Inhak.”

In fact, I was somewhat uncomfortable with how Kim Inhak seemed to be pulling him around. I had always been the one to take the lead and handle things, especially when it came to anything that could involve my master. Though I sometimes subtly disagreed with his words, it was only because I was worried about him. He wasn’t a soft person, but he was still a good and kind guy, and it upset me that Byeongeun didn’t see that.

“Han Byeongeun, think about it. Just look at the fact that he’s been enduring by taking only substitutes for guidance. He must have been trying hard to remain loyal to the military. And on top of that, he’s suffering from imprinting ischemic syndrome.”

“…I think it’s just because he’s stubborn.”

“What did you say?!”

“Nothing.”

Han Byeongeun muttered something under his breath, but I wasn’t listening anymore. The thought that Kim Moohyuk was going through the depletion of his guidance this way…

“Then should I go right now and give him some guidance…?”

“That’s another problem.”

What kind of problems are there? I glared at Han Byeongeun, my curiosity piqued. Han Byeongeun looked a bit awkward and cleared his throat before speaking.

“After the Colonel’s situation, for some reason, the military kept sending clones resembling the Colonel to Kim Moohyuk.”

“What? What did they send?”

I frowned at the sudden words. What do you mean by sending? My confusion was clear on my face, so Han Byeongeun sighed and explained further.

“They sent clones with similar guiding waves to Colonel’s, and they kept saying, ‘I am Kang Hajung. I have returned.’ Can you believe that?”

“What?!”

What in the world is this? I was stunned. There was a reason Han Byeongeun wasn’t too surprised and believed what I was saying. He must have been used to such situations.

“But I’m the real one.”

“Yes, it seems so. The other clones claimed to have only fragmented memories of Kim Moohyuk, and they only mimicked the Colonel’s guiding wave, but they weren’t exact copies. The reason I recognized your wave right away was because I’ve been researching your guiding wave to spot clones.”

“Wow, this is just…!”

I could only rub my forehead in disbelief. Han Byeongeun sighed when he saw my reaction.

“That’s also why Kim Moohyuk distanced himself from Kang Hajung. After the clones made their bold claims, just having the same name as the Colonel probably bothered him.”

Worried, I asked with a nervous tone.

“…What happened to those clones?”

“They were more like modified protein dolls than humans, so Kim Moohyuk disposed of them himself.”

According to Han Byeongeun, there had been reports of biological experiments involving espers and guides from the Accent division. But creating protein dolls to that extent? My head was spinning even more.

“Do those dolls have intelligence?”

“They can’t speak anything other than set phrases, and Kim Moohyuk wasn’t in his right mind at the time…”

“…”

“And every time they went on missions, they deployed these dolls that looked eerily like the Colonel, and one time, he missed an attack and got severely injured. The wounds didn’t heal properly because of the lack of guidance…”

“Ha…”

I couldn’t help but sigh. I couldn’t reveal that I was Kang Hajung, and now, on top of everything, I was stuck in the body of ‘Kang Hajung’ at a time like this. I scratched my head and spoke to Han Byeongeun.

“…For now, gather some information about this ‘body.’ I need to at least be able to mimic Kang Hajung’s behavior.”

But Han Byeongeun suddenly put on a thoughtful expression and shook his head.

“Do you really need to do that?”

“What? Then what do you suggest?”

“There’s something useful for situations like this.”

Han Byeongeun said nonchalantly and sat down in front of a computer, clicking the mouse a few times before printing something out and handing it to me. I took the paper and read what was written on it, puzzled.

“This… a diagnosis report? Diagnosis: Amnesia… Han Byeongeun, you really are a genius.”

I looked from the diagnosis report to Han Byeongeun, stunned. If I just claim to have memory loss, I could probably get away with most situations. I realized how useful it was that Han Byeongeun was a military doctor. I had always thought that his medical license was just for giving me lectures, but I was changing my mind about that now. The memory loss card seemed incredibly powerful. I could just insist that I didn’t remember anything about publicly confessing to Kim Moohyuk, and continue to act oblivious.

Thinking this, my worries about the immediate situation lightened a bit. Han Byeongeun, however, went a step further and decided to directly tell the team leader, Ahn Changseol, about my diagnosis.

“Yeah, that should improve the treatment a bit. But the problem is Kim Moohyuk.”

“When are you going to tell the Center Director?”

“Well… I’m not sure…”

A sudden thought crossed my mind. Should I reveal the truth to Kim Inhak? It was something I needed to think through carefully.

“No, let’s keep it a secret from Kim Inhak too.”

“What? Why would we do that?”

Byeongeun asked in disbelief, but my reasoning was different. Kim Inhak had interfered a lot with my discharge. If he knew I was Kang Hajung Colonel, he might cling to me again.

It might be better to quietly serve as a D-rank guide and retire quietly. I was worried about Kim Moohyuk, but I thought it would be better to find a suitable guide for him without him knowing and never reveal my identity to him.

When Han Byeongeun heard my thoughts, he made a disgusted face.

“Colonel, are you a psychopath? After losing you, Kim Moohyuk completely stopped eating and drinking!”

“That’s what doesn’t make sense. Why is he so obsessed with me? I’m just Kim Moohyuk’s instructor. Clinging to one guide won’t do him any good either.”

Of course, if it were between an esper and a guide who truly formed a bond, that would be different. But that wasn’t the case with him and me. I was just his instructor. One who had repeatedly warned him that I’d be discharged in a few years. Yet, despite that, he clung to me, claiming that we had formed a bond I hadn’t even made, and was even suffering from imprinting ischemic syndrome. To me, it all seemed like an excuse.

It’s impossible for a guide not to know when they’ve made a bond. To make a bond, well, there has to be… some kind of intense physical contact, and between an instructor and a cadet? That’s absurd. I’m not some scoundrel who would touch my own student. Besides, he’s twelve years younger than me. Maybe if he were closer in age, it might be a different story, but I didn’t want to be a trash guide who bonds with someone so much younger.

So, I thought it would be best to shake off his obsession with me at this opportunity. I should just solve his imprinting ischemic syndrome somehow and then disappear quietly. That seems like the best course of action.