“Of course. Even if there are ability users in the family, there are cases where they don’t receive special treatment. The family atmosphere is just like that. It’s not discriminating against Ilkyung-ssi who’s an ordinary person.”
Ilkyung couldn’t answer right away. Because Ilkyung had thought that way his whole life. The differences, discrimination, and distinctions he inevitably felt as an ordinary person—he had lived feeling sadness and an inferiority complex that even his closest family couldn’t understand. It was just that if he revealed it, his family would worry, so he too had lived hiding it tightly wrapped up. But Daehoon would casually touch on it. Though he could have been offended, rather than feeling bad, Ilkyung was given an opportunity to think unexpected thoughts.
“So what about that arrowroot juice? Did you get angry again saying something about how you’re an ordinary person and your noona is an Esper so discrimination this and that?”
Even as Ilkyung pouted his lips, his eyes cursed that he was like a ghost.
“If you keep glaring like that, your eyes will roll to the side.”
“They won’t!”
“What won’t? That you didn’t get angry, or that your eyes won’t roll to the side?”
Ha Daehoon sometimes turned his insides upside down like this.
“They won’t! Both won’t!”
“Alright. Why are you getting so angry? If it’s not, then it’s not. Get out.”
“This isn’t the Center though?”
Ilkyung said, looking around. In front of his eyes, instead of the familiar high-rise building, cute cafes were lined up. Did this person lie about going to the Center too even though he clearly said so? Ilkyung rolled down the window completely and tried to stick his face out to look around when the back of his head was grabbed.
“Ack!”
“Didn’t you receive safety training? Where are you sticking your face out?”
“But the car stopped!”
Ilkyung said with a sullen face while rubbing the back of his head that had been grabbed. Daehoon unbuckled his seatbelt, stretched his body, and smoothed down the hair sticking out everywhere.
“This isn’t even giving disease and then medicine…”
Ilkyung grumbled.
“But really, this isn’t the Center. You said you’d take me to the Center but now…”
“Let’s eat something before we go.”
“What?”
Ilkyung stared at Daehoon blankly.
“Get out.”
“Huh? It’s okay…! Ack!”
Again, a loud rumbling sound was heard. Ilkyung held his stomach, his face turned red, and he stared at distant mountains. Watching Ilkyung like that, Daehoon laughed. Then he smoothly stroked his head with his large hand.
“We still have a little time, so let’s eat something. If I don’t feed you, you’ll rumble loudly the whole way there.”
“Ah, just pretend you don’t notice things like that!”
Ilkyung snapped with a bright red face.
“The sound is too loud to do that. And it’s fun to tease you.”
Looking at Daehoon’s back as he went ahead first, Ilkyung stomped his foot. Now it felt like heat was coming from his ears too.
Hurriedly getting out of the car and checking the time, Ilkyung stuck close behind Daehoon who was entering the cafe.
“Hot chocolate again today?”
Daehoon asked while keeping his eyes fixed on the menu.
“How did you know?”
“One hot chocolate with a bagel and one americano please.”
Without even answering Ilkyung’s question, Daehoon ordered. After finishing payment, Daehoon led Ilkyung who had been stuck close behind him and sat down.
“But Director, don’t you need to get to work quickly?”
He was in this state because his noona forcibly dragged him out, but Daehoon was clearly going to work at that time, so he wondered if it was okay to be drinking coffee here like this.
“The report won’t come in until the Espers finish the field investigation anyway, so there’s a bit of leeway.”
Saying that, Daehoon got up from his seat again and brought the drinks and bagel. Originally Ilkyung was going to go, but while he was fumbling around, it ended up like this again. When he was with other seniors, he moved first quickly with good sense, but when he was with Daehoon, he somehow ended up in a position of making Daehoon do things for him.
“I’ll eat well.”
“Ilkyung-ssi also starts at 9 o’clock anyway, so eat slowly.”
Daehoon personally spread cream cheese and handed the bagel to Ilkyung. Ilkyung bowed his head to thank him, then hurriedly started shoving it in his mouth.
“Is it tastier than arrowroot juice?”
“Of course.”
Ilkyung smiled and drank his hot chocolate.
“Drink slowly. I’m not going to steal it. You’re getting it all over your mouth.”
Daehoon reached out and wiped Ilkyung’s mouth with a tissue. Momentarily, Ilkyung remembered yesterday’s kiss and unconsciously squeezed his eyes shut.
* * *
Even though the two of them ate a simple breakfast and went to work, it was only 8:15. So you could tell how much of a fuss Minkyung had made from dawn. Ilkyung got out of Daehoon’s car and stretched as much as he could. Whether Woo Ilkyung did that or not, Daehoon didn’t really care.
“It looks like not many people have arrived yet.”
“Most will come to work by 9 o’clock.”
“My noona left really early though.”
“That’s because Esper Woo Minkyung is in charge so she was contacted. Actually, Assistant Manager Woo didn’t need to come to work this early. The Espers went there to do a field investigation, not to prevent an accident. It doesn’t seem like guiding will be particularly needed either.”
Daehoon said while lighting a cigarette. Ilkyung, who had been listening to those words quietly, stomped his foot.
“That’s right! Right! But why did noona wake me up too?”
He couldn’t understand. He could have slept at least an hour more. To Ilkyung who especially needed a lot of sleep, how big of a deal was one hour!
“I’m completely ruined because of noona.”
Ilkyung grumbled with a sullen face.
“Thanks to Esper Woo Minkyung though, we met in the morning, had a cup of coffee, and came leisurely, didn’t we?”
“Mm, well, that’s true. I ate well this morning. Thank you.”
Come to think of it, he kept getting fed and getting rides—it seemed like he only owed Director Ha favors. Daehoon put out his cigarette and came closer to say.
“Would I not be able to do this much for my lover?”
At those words, Ilkyung furrowed his brow.
“Even so, there’s less than ten days left now.”
“Is that so?”
Because of his scent wafting over strongly, Ilkyung suddenly remembered last night. Ilkyung, who was sensitive to sensations, was like that with body scents too. Director Ha’s unique scent and the memories he brought kept making Ilkyung strange.
“Yes. Don’t forget the date.”
Even though Director Ha wouldn’t know what he did yesterday, Ilkyung felt unnecessarily awkward and blurted out his words. Every time he met Ha Daehoon, he felt like he was losing his original self, so he wanted to return to his daily life as soon as possible, even by a day.
Whether Ilkyung spoke snidely or not, Director Ha didn’t care at all and patted Ilkyung’s back.
“Do you want to go up first? Or should I go first?”
“I’ll go first.”
Ilkyung was now sick of looking at Director Ha’s back. Because it made his heart flutter for no reason. Ilkyung passed Daehoon and walked quickly.
* * *
—Attention. The Explosion Team and Field Support Team, please gather in Conference Room 1 right now. Once again, attention. The Explosion Team and Field Support Team, please gather in Conference Room 1 right now.
As soon as the clock struck 9, a loud announcement echoed through the Center. Section Chief Kang, who was drinking coffee next to him, tapped Ilkyung who was sitting blankly.
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you sleep? Why are you so out of it?”
“I couldn’t sleep. Because of noona.”
Ilkyung made a tearful face.
“That noona must have come. Our team for a long time.”
“Ah! The meeting. But who calls a meeting right at 9 o’clock?”
Ilkyung filled his tumbler with coffee and grumbled as he trudged after Section Chief Kang. The day was already too long and tiring.
“But, Section Chief.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s the Explosion Team?”
“I guess they’re just calling it that for now. It’s always like that. Every time they form an Esper team, they slap on any random name. And yet the Espers don’t care about such things at all.”
“Where would they have time to care about names? They’re busy handling incidents and accidents. But seeing they named it the Explosion Team, I wonder if it’s a series?”
Section Chief Kang shrugged.
Actually, the Field Support Team always had a lot of work, but when a big accident like this occurred and a team was formed, there were even more things to worry about.
## 3. Last Date?
Conference Room 1, which they arrived at, already had the Espers who had been dispatched to the highway at dawn today and Director Ha who would lead the meeting. The Field Support Team members who arrived late hurriedly sat down.
