“Are you that worried?”
Yu-won flinched at Jin-ha’s words, not even bothering to turn his head. He gave off the clear vibe that he didn’t want to deal with him, but Jin-ha had no intention of letting him off that easily.
People are so damn clueless.
Others said Yu-won was stoic and mature, but to Jin-ha, there was nothing mature about him.
If anything, he was just a kid trying hard to act like an adult.
“What’s there to worry about, really? Rion’s the strongest in this team. I heard from Min-hyeon earlier that he basically took care of the whole fight today. He’s not the Center’s poster boy for nothing.”
“You can’t clear a Gate with just one person. Just because today went well doesn’t mean tomorrow will too.”
Yu-won frowned slightly as he spoke. He always played nice in front of others, but with Jin-ha, he kept his guard up without fail.
Though that’s part of what makes him interesting.
“Well, I guess it’s because you like Rion a lot, huh?”
“…!”
Yu-won’s eyes widened a little. But almost instantly, as if nothing had happened, he masked his surprise with a blank expression.
“He’s my matching Esper and the strongest Esper ever recorded. Of course I’m going to be worried. You know how important every individual Esper is in an S-rank Gate.”
“Of course I know. But you worry about Rion more than anyone else, don’t you? Like… I’m a pretty crucial part of this operation too, but you don’t seem to care much about me.”
“I don’t know where you’re getting that idea.”
“I don’t know how everyone else isn’t seeing it. It’s so damn obvious.”
At this point, even Yu-won had to realize that Jin-ha was toying with him. Yu-won turned his head to stare at him directly.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but I have no interest in joking around with you, Ryu Jin-ha.”
“But I do. Can’t you humor me a little?”
His tone was borderline rude, but Jin-ha didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
“I want to be friends with you, Yu-won.”
“…With me?”
Yu-won raised an eyebrow, looking visibly skeptical. Even he knew he hadn’t exactly been a pleasant colleague to Jin-ha.
And it wasn’t just that he didn’t want to be friends—he didn’t like him, and he wasn’t even trying to hide it.
No, if anything, he hoped Jin-ha would pick up on the signs and stop talking to him altogether. But instead of backing off, Jin-ha was doing the opposite.
“I know why you don’t want to get close to me.”
“Oh, really? I’m curious to hear what that reason is.”
Yu-won didn’t bother hiding the edge in his voice. Still, rather than backing off, Jin-ha took a step closer.
“But you don’t have to worry. Rion and I are just friends. I mean, if you still hate me, then… I guess there’s nothing I can do?”
“What are you even—”
“You like Rion, Yu-won. I seriously don’t get how no one else sees it.”
The casual way he said it made Yu-won’s face flush with shock in an instant. He couldn’t even hide it as he stammered out,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course I like Rion-hyung… He’s… He’s a great person.”
“Yeah, he is. He’s an amazing guy. But if that’s the kind of ‘like’ you’re talking about, that excuse is way too bland to explain how you really feel.”
Jin-ha gave a cheeky smile. Yu-won instinctively glanced around, unable to control his expression.
Thankfully, they were alone.
“If you’re just going to keep saying pointless things, then there’s nothing left to talk about.”
“Don’t brush it off too hard. I’m serious—there’s nothing to worry about. We’re just friends, and I…”
“…Huh. Guess you’re leaving.”
Yu-won walked off, ignoring him completely. He tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, but it wasn’t working.
There’s no way I can go back just yet.
He let out a small sigh. His heart was pounding so fast that if he returned right away, he felt like everyone would hear it.
***
Spring. A month into his third year of middle school, age sixteen.
Yu-won’s school was thrown into chaos by an unexpected incident.
A Gate had opened right in the middle of the school field.
Just thinking about it was terrifying—but the students were far more distracted by something else.
“Over a week of canceled classes? Hell yeah!”
“Like it matters, it’s exam season.”
“Whatever. The nerds aiming for elite high schools can study all they want. Doesn’t affect me. Besides, the Espers will take care of it anyway.”
Reality had nothing on the joy of not having to go to school. That’s all that mattered to most students.
But not Yu-won.
If it had been the second semester, maybe he’d be okay with it. But first semester grades were important for high school applications.
He didn’t have a dream yet, or anything he had to do. But he at least knew that getting into a good high school would help down the line.
With exams pushed back a week, I’ve gotta redo my entire schedule. What a pain…
It annoyed him that a Gate—something he’d only seen on the news—had to appear at his school of all places.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
Still, just because school was canceled didn’t mean he couldn’t study. So for that week, Yu-won stayed disciplined at home.
It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in his grades, but he knew better than to let his guard down if he wanted to keep his top ranking for all three years.
“…Huh?”
While studying as usual, Yu-won suddenly froze.
Did I leave it at school? I put out the workbooks for two weeks ahead…
He was the type to plan everything down to the smallest detail. Before the school year even started, he’d already mapped out his study schedule and decided which books he’d use.
But no matter how hard he searched, one workbook was missing.
Most likely, it was still in his locker at school.
It had been a week since the school was sealed off due to the Gate.
He didn’t know the details, but apparently Gate clean-ups usually took about a week, so by now, the situation was probably under control.
Guess I’ll go grab it.
There were still two days left of the impromptu break. Not solving the problems in that book right now wouldn’t ruin anything, but Yu-won didn’t want to deviate from the schedule he’d set.
They were probably just being extra cautious, extending the break to make sure it was safe before letting students back in.
So sneaking in through the back to grab a couple of books shouldn’t be a big deal. Or so he figured, as he threw on a cap and glasses.
“Figures the front gate’s blocked off.”
From a distance, Yu-won eyed the adults guarding the entrance and muttered to himself. He’d expected this.
“Kids sneak in through here when they’re late, so make sure to check it. Anyone caught gets three demerits, not just one.”
He never imagined his time on the student patrol last year would come in handy like this.
The teachers had told them that info so they could stop students from sneaking in—but knowledge was power, and power was meant to be used.
Using a gap far from the main entrance, hidden from view, Yu-won slipped inside the school grounds.
He walked down the deserted hallways, eerily silent, until he reached his familiar third-year, class five classroom.
“Yup, just like I thought.”
The workbook was right where he’d left it—in his locker.
Since he was here, Yu-won picked up a few other things he’d left behind and zipped up his bag.
He’d never seen the school this empty before.
Glancing out toward the field without thinking, Yu-won’s eyes widened in shock.
“…The Gate’s still there?”
He’d come in through the back, so he hadn’t seen it.
The Gate still hovered over the schoolyard.
A chill ran down his spine. Yu-won quickly adjusted his bag and headed for the stairs.
“Damn it… scared the crap out of me.”
Still, nothing was going to come out of the Gate, right?
Trying to calm his nerves, Yu-won walked the first-floor hallway.
Thud.
A low sound echoed from the end of the hallway. He whipped around in surprise.
There was nothing in this school. Nothing should be here.
Maybe something fell over from the wind.
No, it has to be that.
Yu-won picked up the pace, tension coiling in his chest.
But the noise only grew louder.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
He couldn’t not turn around anymore. Swallowing dryly, Yu-won slowly looked behind him.
And what he saw was something he had never seen in his life.
Something so alien, so beyond comprehension, that it couldn’t possibly exist in this world.
And it was staring straight at him.
