In the end, Hae-il opened his mouth first.
“What is this? Senior did it, right?”
“……Mind your own business.”
“No, my body just moved on its own, so how can I mind my own business? Why haven’t you used this ability until now?”
However, Moon Woo-shin walked out of the training ground with long strides without even answering. Only after being completely left alone in the large space did his body move properly.
Hae-il, who tried clenching and unclenching his hand for no reason and rolling his feet a few times, fell into thought looking at his body that was finally listening normally.
What was that reaction? He’s not an Esper who just manifested either….
‘Just manifested…? No way….’
Come to think of it, among various rumors about Moon Woo-shin, he’d never heard that he had this ability. Not only during training, but even in the Gate today, he hadn’t used the ability until the midpoint. The one time Hae-il experienced right before losing consciousness was the only one.
Looking at the door Moon Woo-shin had disappeared through, Hae-il’s eyes sparkled.
Maybe I can finish the practicum safely after all. If things work out well.
***
Moon Woo-shin walked down the long corridor finding a familiar path.
Though he’d often come and gone from his supervising professor’s office even normally, this kind of sudden summons was a first.
The timing wasn’t good either, so he had an ominous feeling.
[Professor Im Eun-myeong’s Office]
Moon Woo-shin, who confirmed the sign attached right next to the door, knocked with neat hand gestures. At the faint answer heard from inside the room, he opened the door expecting a familiar scene.
However, today there was one very heterogeneous presence inserted between the furniture he always saw and Professor Im Eun-myeong.
Seo Hae-il. The most irritating person lately was calmly sitting in an unexpected space.
“……”
“……”
Moon Woo-shin unconsciously looked him over.
Unlike yesterday, his expression isn’t bad. No, he seems to be in a good mood. The emotion discovered in his clear eyes doubled the ominous feeling.
Moon Woo-shin, who had been making eye contact while forgetting to greet, turned his gaze at the professor’s affectionate voice.
“Student Moon Woo-shin, hurry and sit.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Woo-shin, who belatedly bowed silently, slowly walked and entered inside the room. Seo Hae-il happened to be sitting in the chair he always sat in. The irritation grew in presence as if visible to the eye.
He, who sat in the seat right next to him, consciously fixed his eyes on the professor across from him.
“Want some tea?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay, then. I heard that mental-type ability manifested in student Moon Woo-shin. Is it true?”
Unlike usual when she’d go on at length about everyday talk at the beginning, Professor Im Eun-myeong brought up the main point right away.
Since I never said it directly, there’s only one culprit. His gaze naturally turned to the side.
Seo Hae-il calmly met his eyes while wearing a light smile as usual.
‘This bastard….’
Moon Woo-shin swallowed a hollow laugh.
He’d planned to thoroughly hide the suddenly appeared ability until he could properly utilize it. He would have reported it to Professor Im Eun-myeong at least after reaching a level where it could be used as a hidden card beyond a simple variable, but the timing wasn’t now.
It’s annoying that information that should be held in my hand and controlled leaked out arbitrarily by another person. Also at myself for being caught by Seo Hae-il and making it possible for him to act presumptuously.
But the plan already gone awry couldn’t be helped. Moon Woo-shin obediently admitted it for now.
“Yes.”
Im Eun-myeong, who had been asking various things with sparkling eyes about when it started, what range the ability had been confirmed to, whether control was going well, looked back at Seo Hae-il.
“This worked out well, student Seo Hae-il here gave a good opinion.”
While doing so, the appearance of the two facing each other and smiling looked quite friendly.
When did that kid who just stepped foot in a Gate for the first time a few weeks ago get so close with the practicum supervising professor?
Suppressing what was irritatingly strange, Moon Woo-shin asked back with a deliberately polite attitude.
“What opinion are you referring to?”
“As you already know from experiencing it, just because an ability manifested doesn’t mean you can use it skillfully right away. That much effort and practice is needed. Especially mental-type abilities have few precedents and are harder to practice since they target intelligent beings including people….”
The ominous premonition became reality.
“I’d like the two of you to continue practicum while supplementing each other’s current shortcomings. Student Seo Hae-il becomes student Moon Woo-shin’s ability practice partner, and student Moon Woo-shin controls student Seo Hae-il when he’s unstable in Gates. How about it?”
“Professor. We can’t drive an unstable Esper into a Gate. It won’t be good not only for other team members but for student Seo Hae-il himself.”
Moon Woo-shin deliberately spoke decisively. Because he didn’t want Seo Hae-il to go in and out of Gates going to such lengths.
However, Im Eun-myeong, who smiled broadly, didn’t seem like she’d easily bend her opinion unlike other times.
“When I was in active duty, I could commonly see Espers who developed trauma about Gates. In a way, that’s a natural aspect. Because going back and forth between death crises during missions is commonplace. Among them, some changed duties, some quit entirely, but others eventually overcame it. There are friends still on strategy teams even now.”
Seo Hae-il’s eyes particularly sparkled at hearing the words “overcame it.”
“Student Moon Woo-shin too, if you officially work as a Guide affiliated with the Special Abilities Agency, you’ll probably meet quite a few cases like student Seo Hae-il. If you’re not going to resolve it by cutting out and replacing team members each time, experiencing for yourself how to deal with it on this occasion will be helpful.”
It was sincere advice.
Nevertheless, he wanted to insist stubbornly. If he ultimately didn’t yield, Professor Im Eun-myeong would probably end up respecting Moon Woo-shin’s opinion as always. She has no choice but to do so. Because there’s a promise.
But….
“…I understand.”
In the end, Moon Woo-shin accepted. It wasn’t simply because of Professor Im Eun-myeong alone.
“Good. Then I’ll take it that student Seo Hae-il’s practicum will continue normally.”
Seo Hae-il’s face beside him brightened with an expression he’d never seen before.
“Thank you, Professor!”
Enough to make me naturally twisted with annoyance.
With Professor Im Eun-myeong smiling gently and seeing them off behind them, the two people came out side by side into the corridor.
“Follow me.”
Moon Woo-shin, who notified in a rigid voice, first walked the long corridor with long strides. Seo Hae-il followed beside him without much to say.
As soon as they reached the room at the end of the corridor that was always empty, Moon Woo-shin roughly pushed Seo Hae-il inside it.
Thwack! Along with the sound, Seo Hae-il, who hit the inner wall, was calm even while cornered. Without even a short groan, he only glared at Moon Woo-shin with a hardened face.
In the bright brown pupils, an emotion precisely opposite to the favorable gaze that had felt transparent until now was vivid. Either this or that, it’s irritating beyond measure.
Amid the chilly gazes exchanging, the sound of the door closing behind them rang coldly.
Moon Woo-shin, who approached exactly half a step forward, looked down at Seo Hae-il.
“You have a looser mouth than you look.”
Hae-il, who hesitated for a moment, shot back. Unlike until now, it was quite a sneering tone.
“I thought you’d naturally reported it to the Professor. Since you immediately talked about my matter yesterday.”
“That doesn’t mean you can go around blabbing about my matter.”
“Ah, were you trying to hide it? Not being able to properly handle your own ability is also a serious problem, but I guess you’re quite lenient with yourself.”
“Whether it’s monsters or team members, there’s no way it’s a problem if they suddenly move according to my will. I’m the team leader.”
Having nothing to say, Seo Hae-il’s mouth closed for a moment. Though he still met his eyes directly without avoiding them.
Moon Woo-shin, who suppressed his anger, checked the necessary information first.
“Anyone you disclosed to besides Professor Im Eun-myeong.”
“None.”
“Sure?”
“Yes. There’s nothing that would change even if I told other people.”
He scrutinized Seo Hae-il’s face thoroughly to gauge whether it was a lie.
Eyes looking up without wavering, hardened cheeks, lips closed in a straight line. The familiar face retains an atmosphere similar to old memories.
Is that why it keeps being irritating?
Even when trying not to pay attention, he keeps popping up to touch nerves, even in that health condition stubbornly trying to go in and out of Gates, finally finding a method by dragging me in.
I don’t like any of it.
“This is the last time I’m letting it slide.”
