Chapter 44
Activating gates and conquering dungeons is done to prevent dungeon breaks, but that’s not the priority. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that raid parties are formed for the items obtainable after dealing with dungeon byproducts and magical beasts.
From simple mana enhancement items to various weapons. You have no idea how much the awakened fought over dungeon conquest rights to obtain various items. Only after numerous legal amendments was an implicit rule established that the first to discover has the right, but because of that, Yeonhwa was terribly harassed. People hunted that child down like mice, asking her to reveal gate locations.
Her parents might have earned a lot of money through Yeonhwa’s ability, but all she gained was distrust of humans and trauma.
Anyway, shortly after Yeonwoo was hired, a major jackpot hit at a discovered gate. Not only did swarms of the expensive Liab magical beasts appear, but a transformable weapon was also found. Sangwon, the leader of the raid party, naturally claimed ownership, but the Center Director, who was keeping Sangwon in check, wouldn’t allow it.
Saying the weapon belonged to the Center and everyone should have a fair chance, he offered it as a reward for the shooting test. Despite the Center Director’s scheming, Sangwon won the shooting test and became the weapon’s owner.
Yeonwoo’s plan had been to win the shooting test and snatch the weapon…
“Hmm.”
“Ah, I told you not to look, hyung!”
Turning his gaze at Chahun’s voice, Yeonwoo tried hard to suppress a sigh. Chahun, who had been confident until he stood in front of the target, turned to Yeonwoo with a bewildered expression the moment he pulled the trigger. Seeing his face pleading for help, Yeonwoo let out a short laugh. Since then, Chahun had been yelling at him not to watch.
Yeonwoo could tell from the moment he stood there proudly, despite claiming he’d never held a gun before. His posture was so terrible that it was admirable he could withstand the recoil at all. After pulling the trigger a few more times, Chahun took off his headset and looked dejected.
As Yeonwoo tried to approach such a Chahun, a hand grabbed his shoulder.
“Yeonwoo. What brings you here?”
“Esper Seon Woogeon.”
Woogeon, who had been greeting him happily, made an awkward expression at Yeonwoo’s response.
“Ah, being called ‘Esper’ by a classmate feels really strange.”
It’s like when I first received my Esper card, he said. Hunching his shoulders and making a fuss, Woogeon put his arm around Yeonwoo’s shoulders. Leaning against him, Yeonwoo whispered quietly.
“Can you teach me how to shoot?”
At Yeonwoo’s words, Woogeon glanced at Kang Chahun approaching and stiffened his expression. Observing Woogeon’s reaction, Yeonwoo let out a small sigh. During their time at the military academy, whenever a student fell behind, Woogeon was the first to help. Does that mean even someone like Woogeon finds it difficult to teach Chahun something as long as he belongs to the A-zone?
But he couldn’t give up on Woogeon.
“I have my circumstances…”
At this polite refusal, Yeonwoo tilted his head.
“Why? Because I’m an Esper from a different zone?”
Woogeon looked back and forth between Yeonwoo, who raised his voice as if for others to hear, and Chahun, who stood beside him, before narrowing his eyes with an “Ah…”
“You’re asking me to teach you, right?”
Smiling at the nodding Yeonwoo, Woogeon muttered that he was already concerned. He said he would request a private shooting range because there were many watching eyes, and moved away. Chahun, who had been following Woogeon with his eyes, grabbed Yeonwoo.
“Wait, weren’t you going to teach me? Why is that person saying he’ll teach you? And who is he anyway?”
“My shooting skills aren’t good enough to teach anyone. And you shouldn’t grab someone holding a gun so carelessly.”
Carefully pushing away Chahun’s hand, Yeonwoo slowly disassembled the gun. As Chahun awkwardly tried to copy his obvious demonstration, Woogeon approached with his headset hanging around his neck.
“Uh, um. You do this like this, um.”
Woogeon fidgeted awkwardly next to Chahun. Watching this, Yeonwoo quietly swallowed his laughter.
They could have practiced shooting in Chahun’s training room. The reason they came all this way was because of Woogeon. As Yeonwoo had told Chahun, his shooting skills weren’t that good, and Woogeon was known for his shooting skills since their military academy days. On top of that, he was such a busybody that it was obvious he’d teach Chahun all sorts of things just by placing them side by side.
Sure enough, while being mindful of the people around, Woogeon diligently taught Chahun the basics of shooting. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo gestured lightly toward Chahun.
“Take your time. You said this is your first time shooting.”
He meant to calm Chahun down because he seemed too nervous, but Chahun paused in assembling his gun and grumbled quietly.
“It’s not my first time.”
“Oh~ So you have experience. I thought your posture earlier—”
“No, wait. It’s not your first time?”
How could someone who had grown up as an ordinary person until now have shot a gun? At Yeonwoo’s question, Chahun hesitated for a moment before rubbing his reddened ears and muttering quickly.
“At the arcade.”
Hearing Chahun’s answer, Woogeon let out a small sigh.
“I’m jealous… How is it? No, I mean, I’ve never been able to go. Is it fun?”
As Woogeon said, military academy students were prohibited from entering arcades and any place that could stimulate emotions. In fact, it was practically the same as being confined to the academy.
It made sense. Even officially recognized Espers from the Association were still mindful of society’s gaze, so what if newly awakened children got excited and used their abilities? Due to various speculations and restrictions, students’ outings inevitably decreased.
Various entertainment was provided for the children’s freedom, but they couldn’t even touch gaming consoles in an effort to reduce violence. Sighing with envy, Woogeon leaned against Yeonwoo.
“They guaranteed we could go anywhere once we got our Esper cards, but what is this? We’ve been training non-stop since being hired.”
At Woogeon’s words, Yeonwoo recalled his memories and nodded. The military academy teachers had promised that once they got used to their abilities and were hired by a Center or Guild, their freedom would be guaranteed. But he had only worked until his death.
Well, maybe he could rest a bit when Chahun becomes the Center Director. As Yeonwoo was thinking, he noticed an employee gesturing.
“Geon. Looks like they’re calling you.”
Yeonwoo called for Woogeon, but it was Chahun whose eyes widened. Geon? Chahun, opening and closing his mouth, watched Woogeon rushing toward the employee. Yeonwoo gestured to such a Chahun and picked up a training magazine placed on one side of the shooting range.
“After you’ve collected it, put your employee ID here—”
As Yeonwoo was explaining and swiping his ID, he realized Chahun wasn’t beside him.
“Esper Kang Chahun.”
At Yeonwoo’s call, Chahun slowly turned his head and approached with a dejected face. Yeonwoo explained again and collected the magazine. Seeing Chahun swipe his ID with a sullen expression, Yeonwoo looked around the shooting range. Was he uncomfortable because someone was watching? Or did he dislike practicing at the shooting range?
“Is something wrong?”
Chahun, collecting the magazine, looked at Yeonwoo, moving only his eyes.
“What’s your relationship with that person from earlier?”
“Who? Ah, Esper Seon Woogeon? He’s my classmate from the military academy. His shooting skills are excellent, so if you just watch and follow him, your posture will improve a lot.”
“Ah, just a classmate?”
Chahun, who had been happily assembling the gun as if he had never been dejected, suddenly put on a serious expression and looked at Yeonwoo.
“If he’s just a classmate, why do you call him by a nickname?”
“What?”
“You called him ‘Geon’.”
At those words, Yeonwoo calmly closed his eyes. He understood what misunderstanding Chahun was having. He might think that as an Esper, one would naturally want to pair with a Guide, but in most cases, Espers dated other Espers with whom they had good chemistry.
But of all people, Seon Woogeon! Yeonwoo was an Esper with eyes too.
“His name is Geon. His surname is Seon.”
“Were you talking about me?”
Approaching, Woogeon looked back and forth between Yeonwoo and Chahun, but neither answered. What’s going on? Tilting his head, Woogeon told Yeonwoo the coordinates of the shooting range. As Woogeon moved away, Yeonwoo extended his hand to Chahun.
“Since there are people watching, we’ll pretend to return to the A-zone, then go back there.”
Understand? After explaining the plan to Chahun, Yeonwoo folded space to avoid people’s gazes.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Leaving Chahun, who was gesturing for him to come back quickly, Yeonwoo moved to the previous location. Then, after a time delay, he entered the shooting range. By then, Woogeon was already helping Chahun with his posture, handing him a gun and telling him to try shooting like this. Leaving Chahun, who immediately focused on the target, Woogeon approached Yeonwoo.
“I’m sure you’re handling it well, but you know there are many eyes watching Esper Kang Chahun, right?”
Yeonwoo nodded at the concerned advice and watched as Chahun pulled the trigger. Chahun, who had been staggering from the recoil until just a moment ago, was now shooting with a clean posture. Yet, something seemed to displease him as he stood awkwardly, glaring at the target.
“Wow. Is this what being an S-class means…?”
Woogeon, who had been quietly admiring, leaned toward Yeonwoo.
“Aren’t you annoyed?”
His whispering voice was full of resentment. To that question, Yeonwoo shook his head. “I’m envious. It annoys me,” Woogeon muttered quietly, burying his face in his hands.
As an A-class offensive Esper, Woogeon was one of the few students who received special treatment at the military academy. After receiving such treatment and then being hired, a reality different from his imagination must have been waiting for him. He seemed annoyed by that reality. He must also feel inferior when compared to other Espers.
Yeonwoo was also naturally annoyed and felt inferior. But this level of inferiority was an emotion he had felt intensely since his military academy days, so it didn’t bother him much. It’s not like he would suddenly become B-class because he felt inferior.
Other Espers were the same, so instead of feeling inferior, they worked hard to build their skills.
But there were exceptions.
“Can you change my team member?”
It was Jo Heeseo.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
