Honey-Coated S-Class Guide — Chapter 8
“They’re from Noapi, right?”
“Pretty sure. They were with Noapi’s guild leader. Besides, I saw the guy beside him when that crazy bastard caused a scene last time.”
“Crazy bastard? Oh, the one who got the shit beaten out of him by an A-class and was banned? Hahaha. That was fucking hilarious.”
“Everyone in Noapi’s a nutjob.”
They began talking about them openly, their attitude making it clear they didn’t care whether they were overheard. What could someone like him do about it anyway?
“Shouldn’t they disband a guild full of bastards like that? They’re useless, and all they do is cause trouble. They don’t contribute anything.”
“Exactly. If they’re not going to work, wouldn’t they be better off making a living selling those pretty faces?”
Their smiles twisted even further.
“That’s what I’m saying. Look how scrawny he is. What kind of esper is that? I almost mistook him for a guide.”
“The guide next to him looks more like an esper.”
“Pfft. Is there a single one of them who’s normal? An esper who looks like a guide and a guide who looks like an esper.”
Flustered by the blatant insults, Jin Hyoseop looked up at Coda.
He himself didn’t particularly mind that kind of criticism, but Coda might be angry.
Yet Coda’s expression hadn’t changed at all. He wasn’t even looking at them. It wasn’t as though he were forcing himself to ignore them—he seemed wholly indifferent to their existence.
With no one stopping them, the two men grew bolder and doubled down on their insults.
“They won’t enter a dungeon this time either, right?”
“Come on. That’s not even worth answering. Have they ever gone into one?”
“True. They probably couldn’t even if they wanted to. They’re too weak. But they’re too embarrassed to clean up outside and collect scraps like the D-classes.”
Jin Hyoseop couldn’t understand what was so entertaining about mocking other people. Why were they so desperate to tear someone down?
As their voices grew louder, others nearby began glancing over. Yet no one intervened.
If anything, the disdain in their gazes suggested that they agreed. Their reaction reminded him once again of Noapi’s position at the very bottom.
“Come to think of it, aren’t they all orphans?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“Aha. Guess that’s why even their parents abandoned them. They’re pathetic and useless.”
Jin Hyoseop, who had remained silent through every other insult, spoke before he could stop himself.
“Don’t you think that’s going too far?”
He hadn’t wanted to exchange a single word with them, but he couldn’t contain the anger that suddenly surged inside him.
He glared at them, eyes wide.
Far from apologizing, they looked him up and down in disbelief.
“What’s wrong with calling an orphan an orphan?”
The esper with snake-like eyes stood with a hostile expression and a defiant slouch.
“It’s true that Noapi is useless, and it’s true that your parents abandoned every last one of you. Stating facts is going too far now? Unbelievable.”
“You should consider the people who have to hear you.”
“What? Who’s a lousy C-class to lecture me?”
“This isn’t a lecture. It’s common sense and basic courtesy.”
Perhaps because their voices had risen, everyone’s attention gathered on them.
The snake-eyed esper’s brows drew together in irritation. Instead of answering, he reached out to seize Jin Hyoseop by the collar.
But his hand never reached it.
At some point, Coda had moved closer and caught the esper’s wrist.
Jin Hyoseop looked at him, eyes widening slightly. With his expression unchanged, Coda spoke in an even tone.
“Nothing good will come of getting into a fight with an esper.”
It was the first time he had spoken to Jin Hyoseop. It was also the first time Jin Hyoseop had properly heard his voice up close.
“Oh, yes. That’s… true, but…”
Jin Hyoseop was a little stunned.
Coda’s voice was so pleasant that, for a moment, he forgot what he was hearing.
After briefly checking him over, Coda wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him closer. Suddenly, Jin Hyoseop found himself tucked against him.
It looked as though Coda were shielding him.
“Please stay by my side.”
“…Yes.”
Only then did Coda nod in apparent satisfaction.
They had spent about two weeks together, yet this was the first time Jin Hyoseop had heard his voice or seen his expression change.
As he stood blinking dazedly, the other esper gave a twisted laugh.
“Ha.”
Jin Hyoseop belatedly looked back at the esper he had forgotten about. The man was baring his teeth, apparently deeply displeased.
“These fuckers are flirting right in front of me. Fucking unbelievable.”
He violently jerked his arm, trying to wrench free of Coda’s grip.
But things didn’t go as he expected.
Despite his slender build and wrists that were slim for a man, Coda easily restrained the much bulkier, sturdier-looking esper.
However much the man struggled, his hand remained trapped.
“Hey! Let go! I said let go, you bastard!”
He shouted, visibly rattled, but Coda’s face remained perfectly calm.
“You fucking…!”
Then, just as the enraged esper pulled back with all his strength, Coda loosened his grip.
Crash!
The esper toppled backward and landed flat on the floor.
It was a pathetic sight.
The man beside him, apparently his colleague, stared in disbelief.
“…What the hell are you doing?”
“No, that bastard’s strength…!”
The snake-eyed man bit his lip, flustered.
Just then, someone nearby snickered.
His face instantly turned crimson. He looked like a ticking time bomb.
“You son of a bitch… You’re dead.”
Green light shimmered in his hand.
He was drawing on his ability.
With a trembling hand, Jin Hyoseop clutched Coda’s sleeve.
“E-Esper Coda.”
“It’s all right.”
Coda moved Jin Hyoseop behind him, then gently took his hand as though to reassure him.
Strangely enough, the warmth of that hand made Jin Hyoseop feel a little relieved.
Despite the other man appearing to be at least B-class, he somehow felt that he wasn’t in danger.
It was very strange indeed.
“All right? Ha.”
Meanwhile, the unknown esper’s anger continued to mount.
“I swear, you’re not going to be all right today.”
With green light wrapped around his hand, the snake-eyed esper glared at them.
As the situation reached its breaking point and every eye nearby turned toward them—
“What are you doing?”
A familiar face suddenly appeared behind the furious esper.
He had approached without a sound. Startled, the esper swung his power-infused hand reflexively.
“Wait…!”
Jin Hyoseop cried out in alarm, but the green-tinged hand was already flying toward Ahn Dante’s face.
“Ow.”
“N-Noapi’s guild leader?”
Apparently, the blow had been reflexive. The esper who had thrown it looked startled himself and stepped back.
Ahn Dante rubbed his cheekbone with his palm, his brows deeply furrowed as though it hurt terribly.
“Ah, that hurts. I think you’ve broken my cheekbone.”
Contrary to his words, however, his cheek looked perfectly fine.
It might have been slightly red, but only if one looked very closely. Even so, his expression suggested he was in agony.
“This looks like at least a month’s recovery, don’t you think?”
“Wh-what are you talking about? You look completely fine.”
“How could I be? A B-class hit a defenseless C-class.”
Glancing to one side, Ahn Dante continued.
“I suspect there’ll be some serious lingering effects. I’ll have to discuss this with your guild leader. You’re with the B-class guild CHESS, aren’t you?”
The esper’s face went pale in an instant.
Once Ahn Dante identified his guild, he became visibly anxious. It wasn’t because he was afraid of Ahn Dante, but because he understood the enormous difference between fighting a guild member and fighting a guild leader.
Trouble with a guild leader generally brought far more losses than gains.
Whether C-class or B-class, guild leaders had more connections with the leaders of other guilds than ordinary members did.
“Come to think of it, I hear CHESS’s guild leader is a stickler for rules and hates this sort of trouble… Ah, yes. He doesn’t look happy.”
Just as he said, CHESS’s guild leader, who seemed to have only just noticed them, wore a rigid expression.
The esper grew even more nervous. It was obvious that he was desperately trying to work out a way out of the situation.
Watching him, Ahn Dante chuckled.
“I’ll give you a chance. Run away with your tail between your legs right now, and I won’t make an issue of it. What do you say?”
The esper’s eyebrow twitched at the words run away, but with his guild leader watching, he didn’t act on any further impulses.
“…Damn it. You’ll pay for this.”
Grinding his teeth, he headed out.
When his companion followed, Ahn Dante clicked his tongue.
“He has no idea how lucky he is that we’re letting this slide. Honestly, stupidity ought to be a crime.”
Then he slowly approached Coda and Jin Hyoseop.
“Coda, everything all right?”
Coda nodded silently.
“Good. That’s a relief. Reliable as always.”
Jin Hyoseop’s heart was still pounding, yet the two of them acted as though the incident had already slipped their minds.
Apparently, they didn’t even consider something like that a problem.
“Guild Leader, is your cheek all right?”
“Are you worried about me?”
“He hit you hard.”
There had definitely been a dull impact.
Jin Hyoseop didn’t understand why Ahn Dante looked unaffected, but surely a C-class esper couldn’t be fine after being struck by a B-class.
“Haha. I’m glad you’re concerned. But I’m fine. It was about as bad as a mosquito bite.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Jin Hyoseop studied him closely, but he didn’t seem to be lying.
