Goal: Removing the First Obstacle (7)
Esper Lee Seong-rok and Esper Hwang Ji-hyun, who had been laughing and chatting in the break area, had somehow made their way into the training ground. The two naturally blended in with the personnel who were already training. I was watching Sa Hae-geon practice coordinated attacks with Esper Lee Seong-rok and Esper Hwang Ji-hyun when I shifted my gaze to Esper Yoon Seon-hoo standing beside me.
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo was also intently staring at the team members who were in the midst of training behind the glass.
“Doesn’t Esper Yoon Seon-hoo train with them?”
“Huh? Ah… no, since there’s no situation where a healing-type Esper would need to step in. We train separately.”
Now that I think about it, throughout my time working at the center, I hadn’t seen healing-type Espers directly participating in training except when treating injured Espers during training. I hadn’t particularly wondered about it either.
When I just stared at Esper Yoon Seon-hoo without saying anything, he smiled awkwardly and continued his explanation.
“Umm… it’s probably very similar to the training that Guides do.”
“Our training?”
“Yes. Don’t you do it with the Guiding machine?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
Guides not only provided Guiding to Espers who had completed training, but also did a lot of training by channeling power into Guiding machines. In particular, training using Guiding machines helped significantly improve Guiding efficiency since one could check their Guiding with precise measurements.
I had also benefited greatly from the machines. But I never expected healing-type Espers to train in a similar way.
“Espers training with machines… that’s interesting.”
“Other Espers say the same thing. But Guide-nim.”
“Yes.”
“I’m curious about something… is there a reason you’ve been coming to the training ground every day lately?”
“What?”
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo blinked as he spoke.
“Actually, Guides don’t really need to come to the training ground. Unless you’ve formed a pair like Team Leader Jong-hyeok and Team Leader Hae-yoon. And originally, you hardly ever came to the training ground.”
I was at a loss for words. Esper Yoon Seon-hoo was right. Most Guides don’t monitor team training. They stay in the Guiding room and only provide Guiding to Espers who come to them; there’s no particular reason to observe training. Unless they have a paired Esper.
Of course, Guides do visit the training ground when a new team member joins, like when Sa Hae-geon first came in. But even then, it’s just a one-time visit, lasting no more than thirty minutes.
I turned my gaze toward the training ground, avoiding Esper Yoon Seon-hoo’s curious eyes. That’s when I noticed Sa Hae-geon trying to imitate a golem that Esper Hwang Ji-hyun had crafted from earth, using water instead. Sa Hae-geon, who was moving transparent water around trying to create a golem, frowned as if it wasn’t going as he wanted.
“Guide-nim, did my question make you uncomfortable?”
Just as I was about to look at Esper Yoon Seon-hoo, who was asking carefully, I caught Sa Hae-geon’s gaze again. Perhaps due to using his abilities, Sa Hae-geon’s dark blue eyes were intensely rippling. He alternately stared at me and Esper Yoon Seon-hoo before making a strange expression.
“Guide-nim…?”
I had to turn my head at Esper Yoon Seon-hoo’s second call. Esper Yoon Seon-hoo was waiting for my answer with a worried face. I gave a slight smile to the restless Esper Yoon Seon-hoo.
“Ah… I’m not uncomfortable. It’s fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“And you were curious about why I keep coming to the training ground, right?”
“Ah, yes! But if it’s troublesome, you don’t have to answer. It was just a question with no particular meaning.”
“It’s because of Hae-geon.”
“Uh…”
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo seemed a bit taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected me to answer so readily. He flapped his lips, looking back and forth between Sa Hae-geon in the training ground and me, before finally bursting into laughter.
“Somehow I thought that might be the case. Since you didn’t use to come to the training ground often.”
“Yes. Hae-geon is quite shy, and I’m also worried he might not adapt well.”
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo nodded as if he understood, then suddenly looked at the training ground with surprised eyes. Following his gaze, I saw Sa Hae-geon who had approached the transparent glass wall dividing the training ground and the break area.
He was looking down at me and Esper Yoon Seon-hoo like a police officer at a crime scene. Sa Hae-geon’s face was full of betrayal directed at me.
“Why, why is he acting like that? Guide-nim, have we done something wrong…?”
“I wonder…”
Even as I trailed off, I couldn’t take my eyes off Sa Hae-geon. Seeing his sulky face strangely lifted my mood. But earlier, he hadn’t cared whether I was talking and laughing with Esper Yoon Seon-hoo or not, so what wind had blown to make him show such signs of caring now?
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo, who knew nothing about the situation, was just wiggling his fingers like a cute shrimp caught in a whale fight, trying to read the room.
* * *
After completing the training safely under the direction of Jong-hyeok hyung, who had joined us after finishing his conversation with the Esper Center Director, we returned home. Throughout the journey back, Sa Hae-geon chattered in a dissatisfied voice.
“Are you very close with Esper Yoon Seon-hoo?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Whenever I see you, you two are talking. Were you always that close?”
“How can you not be friendly with someone on the same team? It’s good to get along with everyone.”
“You take it too far. You have too many close friends. I only have you.”
Sa Hae-geon’s grumpy words made me feel strangely good. At the same time, I felt like teasing him a little.
“It’s all just social life. You should make close friends in the team too.”
“…What? Make close friends? How can you say something like that to me?”
Sa Hae-geon looked like he was about to jump out of his seat, forgetting that I was driving. I hadn’t said anything harsh, just a normal and common suggestion to get along with others, but Sa Hae-geon’s reaction was excessively intense.
He didn’t stop there and continued to press me with a voice mixed with unfairness, anger, and betrayal.
“You don’t seem to understand why I’m training so hard. It’s all to create time for just the two of us at home. And you were satisfied being confined together, weren’t you? That’s why I was working hard to remove all obstacles.”
“…Oh, were you?”
“Yes, I was.”
I almost burst out laughing at Sa Hae-geon’s sulky reply. If I did, it was clear as day that I would receive Sa Hae-geon’s piercing glare. Sa Hae-geon’s intention for pushing himself was quite impure. To create time to be alone with me. The clichéd advice to take care of his body first rose to the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it, considering his feelings.
Sa Hae-geon tapped the steering wheel with his index finger as if urging me to respond.
“Well, I didn’t know… I was just frustrated because I couldn’t understand why you were pushing yourself so hard. I’m sorry.”
“You might not have known because I didn’t tell you. It’s my fault, so you don’t need to apologize. I’m the one who was wrong.”
He mumbled in a more subdued voice. The flow of conversation had become somewhat strange, but it was fortunate that Sa Hae-geon’s mood seemed to have improved a bit.
The next morning, Field Team 1’s office was more chaotic than usual. All members of Field Team 1 were divided into a team heading to Shin Woo-jun’s base and a team remaining at the central center to prepare for any possible terror attacks by Shin Woo-jun. Everyone was busy reviewing their assigned roles and locations and coordinating with each other.
Sa Hae-geon and I were naturally assigned to the team raiding Shin Woo-jun’s base. To be honest, the team staying behind for preparation would probably have almost no chance of encountering Shin Woo-jun. So I had hoped for Sa Hae-geon to be assigned to this team.
I wonder what Sa Hae-geon had argued to Jong-hyeok hyung, and why hyung, who knew about his condition to some extent, had arranged the teams this way. That part was puzzling to me.
“Alright, everyone, don’t forget your positions and duties. Let’s work hard just for today.”
“Yes!”
With a resounding answer, the raid team left the office. Esper Kim Je-gon, who had been made the leader of the preparation team, saw us off from the front. I boarded the work vehicle, earnestly hoping that we would successfully subdue Shin Woo-jun without any mishaps.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
