Judgment led to action.
“Ugh, what the?”
The trainee whose neck was suddenly grabbed frowned.
Jeong Iro didn’t even put strength into his hand. He just lightly held the neck as if placing it there. The trainee who felt displeased tried to swat the hand away, but surprisingly it didn’t budge.
“Ah, getting angry because someone insulted your Guide? Sheesh, you’re like this because you were kidnapped and don’t know how the world works.”
Jeong Iro was puzzled by the trainee’s calm attitude even with his neck grabbed. To have no sense of crisis even when the most threatening part was grabbed. What kind of carefree world was he living in?
And one more thing. Even though he’d been continuously using his power, there wasn’t even a twitch. The energy that should have been condensing in his hand was strangely only scattering.
“Don’t fight from the first day a newbie comes in. If you guys bully newcomers, there are penalty points.”
“Ah geez, we didn’t do anything. This kid grabbed the collar first.”
Even the instructor who was looking after other trainees didn’t seem to know the seriousness of the situation and gave a warning to the existing trainee, not Jeong Iro.
What is this? Why does the power keep leaking?
When he stretched out his other hand toward the scarecrow and used his power, it was crushed as is and the burst straw scattered in all directions. Only then did the trainee’s face, realizing Jeong Iro’s intention, turn bright red.
“Th-this crazy bastard! He tried to burst my neck!”
“Calm down, trainee. I’ve told you how many times that such things don’t happen during training.”
At the instructor’s pathetic reaction after checking the training item with his eyes, Jeong Iro finally understood why the energy was scattering around the trainee.
When Jeong Iro tried to remove the watch and control device, the instructor finally realized the seriousness and held him back.
“Trainee Jeong Iro, removing items during training is grounds for expulsion. Will you still take it off?”
It was a device he couldn’t remove on his own in the first place, but the warning was clear.
However, the instructor’s words sounded like this to Jeong Iro.
So if I use my power like this, I’m innocent, right?
Jeong Iro’s hand instantly snatched the instructor’s neck.
“Kuk!”
The instructor whose neck was suddenly choked was greatly flustered.
“Wh-what are you… kkeok!”
Even with the additional control device attached, a precarious wave was felt through the neck grabbed by Jeong Iro.
The instructor had been conducting easy education thanks to specially developed items that prevented them from being affected by abilities. Even before the item development, limbs flew off each other during training so healers had to be permanently stationed, but after abilities stopped applying between trainees, it became very comfortable. Since they were no different from ordinary people overflowing with competitiveness, he could subdue them with just the instructor’s strength from building up his usual muscle power.
But now, for the first time, he felt anxiety about the item.
Cold sweat flowed as heat waves rose from Jeong Iro, who was still and calm enough while holding his neck. At the phenomenon of energy waves being visualized, the instructor reflexively tried to press the emergency call.
“I told you he’s a villain. He’s determined to burst his teacher and colleagues, totally.”
“Ry-Ryu Jaegeon Esper!”
The instructor, who would have been uncomfortable at the appearance of an Esper better than himself at other times, brightened and raised his voice. In reality, Jeong Iro didn’t even look back and was still only raising his energy output.
“Kheup, help me, kkeuk!”
“Uwah, isn’t that dangerous? The waves are crazy?”
Yu Haneul, disgusted by the anxiety that Jeong Iro’s wave energy seemed about to burst at any moment, hid behind Ryu Jaegeon.
“Right. Was it Instructor Tae Mugwan? If you leave it like that, everything will burst soon, so why didn’t you even report it?”
“Kkeuuk, th-then… don’t say that and help since you’re here.”
At the instructor’s obsequiousness, trying to smile while dripping with cold sweat, Ryu Jaegeon shrugged and entered the training room.
“Ha, really be grateful to my Guide. If Haneul hadn’t suggested touring the Center, all the sprouts’ necks would’ve been plucked.”
At the truth casually dropped, all the trainees stepped back covering their necks. The instructor only tightly held the wrist where Jeong Iro’s item was fastened and waited for Ryu Jaegeon’s help. In reality, Ryu Jaegeon stood next to Jeong Iro and looked around here and there, then started grinning.
“If we wait a bit, it looks like he’ll run wild. Rather than raising a dangerous element, isn’t it better to let him self-destruct? How about making Instructor Tae Mugwan’s heroic tale of noble sacrifice spread far?”
“Please, save me.”
At the trembling and pleading instructor’s attitude, Ryu Jaegeon, who had been calm, had his gaze linger in one place and clicked his tongue.
“Haah, why did he come out of the spectator seats again?”
The moment a bit of sincerity mixed into the light Ryu Jaegeon, Jeong Iro’s head, which hadn’t even twitched, moved. Where Ryu Jaegeon’s gaze was directed, Han Seoha, who had rushed out of the spectator seats and come down to the training room entrance, was looking only this way with a face full of worry.
Unable to even call out for fear of stimulating Jeong Iro, the moment their eyes met while he was restlessly anxious, Han Seoha, who smiled with relief and anxiety and clasped both hands as if praying, only stamped his feet.
“Ah, really, it’s annoying to help.”
Even at Ryu Jaegeon’s action of placing a hand on his head, Jeong Iro only looked at Han Seoha. Ryu Jaegeon was no different.
“I don’t want to show Han Seoha people bursting in front of him, so I’ll tell you just once, so listen carefully.”
Yu Haneul watched the scene while maintaining some distance. Though he trusted Ryu Jaegeon, it was just in case.
“I know you’re trying to burst everything by only outputting continuously right now, but since what’s already been released can’t be helped, at least collect what hasn’t fully escaped yet.”
“Can’t.”
“If you can’t do that, this place will burst. You know the feeling when you receive guiding. Suck it in from your fingertips.”
Even though the already released energy couldn’t possibly return, Ryu Jaegeon gave an absurd order.
“If you can’t, you die and I take Seoha.”
Gulp. Whether he came to stop him or provoke him, Ryu Jaegeon made Jeong Iro angry at every turn.
“Han Seoha is full of affection. He’s a kid who, if a bird with broken wings dies while he’s caring for it, doesn’t eat for days and suffers from guilt. But if an Esper he made his partner, even if temporary, bursts and dies before his eyes?”
He’ll be surprised. More than any other time.
He’ll cry. Very much.
That would be a joyful enough thing to make his heart race.
Yet it would also be painful enough to twist his stomach.
“Coaxing Han Seoha who’s become as weak as can be is a really easy thing. But what do you think is the real reason I’m trying to save you?”
“Because you’re a pervert?”
There were occasionally those who enjoyed two-timing or enjoyed passing their lover to others. At the words thrown out thinking he might be that type, Ryu Jaegeon smirked.
“Because I’m not S-rank yet.”
Ryu Jaegeon’s lowered voice, which had been chattering, conveyed his sincerity.
Jeong Iro also understood at once. If he existed, Han Seoha focused on his immature partner rather than S-rank Baek Uihyeon. Because he was that kind of good person.
The moment he slowly let go of the instructor’s neck, trying somehow to collect his power while thinking of Han Seoha’s guiding.
“Iro!”
Jeong Iro, instantly subdued by Ryu Jaegeon’s power, was smashed into the floor. With a roar loud enough to hurt the ears, the training room floor, famous for being sturdy, was gouged and cracked in all directions.
As soon as Ryu Jaegeon, who didn’t have the item worn to prevent power interference between trainees, separated Jeong Iro from the instructor, the scattering energy burst all at once.
If it had been normal, thanks to concentrating and inducing the energy that would have burned even Jeong Iro to one place, only the facility could be burst. Thanks to that, people were safe, but Jeong Iro’s hand burst off. Jeong Iro’s arm, which had turned pitch black and was pouring out blood, was a cheap price compared to what he was trying to do.
“Yu Haneul, come guide him.”
“Why should I? There’s a partner Guide over there.”
“Because Seoha isn’t enough. You really want to burst and kill the kid?”
“Geez, really, everyone’s so soft-hearted.”
Yu Haneul, who approached while grumbling, tried to touch Jeong Iro. Jeong Iro, who maintained an expressionless face even while suffering in pain, looked at Han Seoha, who had been running from afar but stopped upon seeing Yu Haneul. He had been running without hesitation even in a situation where energy was running wild out of worry for him, but stepped back as soon as a better option appeared for Jeong Iro.
What dwelled on Han Seoha’s face was relief. And resignation.
Jeong Iro’s complexion, recognizing that, turned deathly pale. Even knowing that Han Seoha wasn’t abandoning him, his waves became even more tangled up.
“Look at this bastard?”
Jeong Iro felt anxiety worse than the pain of his arm bursting off. At the waves that became unstable in an instant, Ryu Jaegeon retreated while protecting Yu Haneul.
When everyone was on guard at the waves rippling as if about to burst at any moment, Jeong Iro smiled brightly for the first time, taking in the person approaching instead.
“Seoha hyung.”
That person will die with me.
But he won’t let me die.
Ryu Jaegeon grabbed Han Seoha who was frantically running to Jeong Iro, but it was useless. In the brief gap when Ryu Jaegeon hesitated, thinking Han Seoha’s nails might break as he tried with all his might to remove the hand holding him and push him away, he escaped. Han Seoha, who always threw everything away for his Esper, jumped toward Jeong Iro without hesitation.
“Iro, my Iro.”
When everyone moved away, Han Seoha, who alone ran over and embraced Jeong Iro, a mass of energy running wild enough to hurt, pulled his face into an embrace.
“It hurts, right? Endure just a bit. I’ll do something about it somehow.”
“Okay.”
When Han Seoha, who always only held his hand, pressed their lips together without hesitation, Jeong Iro felt his burning hand become a bit cooler.
A kiss with Han Seoha is coolness. Having such an absurd thought, everyone was on guard at Jeong Iro who lost consciousness, but there was no incident of energy running wild.
Rather, as consciousness was cut off, the cracks and shaking of the floor that had been endlessly spreading stopped. The energy that seemed about to burst at any moment ended as if the power had been turned off. If the waves had become tangled and entered a rampage state, they couldn’t have disappeared this easily. As the oppressive feeling that had filled the scene, mostly consisting of Espers even if they were trainees, disappeared, they were bewildered.
“That’s impossible. He’s a C-rank Guide.”
“Don’t tell me… it wasn’t a rampage?”
Rather, everyone was surprised that the energy that seemed about to burst as soon as consciousness was cut off noticeably subsided. A C-rank Guide couldn’t calm an Esper on the verge of rampage this easily. It meant the energy that had been surging enough to be mistaken for a rampage was just a part that had overflowed.
When the suppression team and healers who rushed over clung to Jeong Iro and Han Seoha followed behind crying as if about to collapse, Ryu Jaegeon also disappeared with them.
“Cr-crazy, what kind of power…”
“Heuueok, we-we survived.”
The trainees and instructor who saw the devastated floor finally let out sighs of relief and wiped their cold sweat.
