Chapter 54
The day seemed quite hot.
I touched my ear wondering why I felt this way, then lowered my hand.
Summer had just begun, and I sighed thinking about how I’d endure later if I was already suffering from the heat.
“By the way, have you not heard from Ji Yeohoon today either?”
“No. He usually texts me every break time, so it feels a bit unsettling when he’s silent.”
At this point, I was in serious condition too.
Since he’d never missed contacting me, I felt a bit anxious when there was no communication, like I’d been brainwashed.
Rather than me raising those guys that way, I wondered if they had brainwashed me to feel anxious when they didn’t contact me since they always talked to me.
They’d ask me about everything and tell me stories, so when communication was sparse, I’d reach for my phone.
That was how I found myself when Yoon Cheong wasn’t in touch, and now it applied to Ji Yeohoon too.
“You both always come to talk to me about everything. You too.”
“Am I making you anxious too?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
What did he eat today? He asked such an obvious question.
Wondering if he was sick, I reached out my hand.
Yoon Cheong naturally lowered his head, so I placed my hand on his forehead.
“You don’t have a fever.”
“I’m not sick.”
“Well, you keep asking strange questions.”
Yoo Ji-ae and Baek Da-hyuk had already arrived, and it seemed Ji Yeohoon was walking toward us from a distance, probably because I hadn’t shown up yet.
I removed my hand from his forehead and turned my head.
“What’s wrong with his face?”
At Yoon Cheong’s words, I couldn’t see clearly with my eyesight that was less than 1.0.
As Ji Yeohoon came a bit closer and I narrowed my eyes, I could see a little better.
Wait, what’s wrong with his face?
Ji Yeohoon’s eyes darted around as if he was nervous.
“Come over here quickly.”
I spoke somewhat quietly, but it seemed the Esper heard me well even from that distance, as Ji Yeohoon ran over as soon as I finished speaking.
Espers heal faster than ordinary people when injured.
Minor scratches heal without a trace soon after wiping away the blood, as if nothing had happened.
Bruises are the same – unlike normal people whose bruises stay blue for days, Espers heal in a day or two.
So if he had bruises like that, it meant he’d been injured quite recently.
“Hyung.”
“What happened to your face?”
“Um…”
Who told him to color on his handsome face?
Is there anyone who doesn’t know the difference between blue and red?
I looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer, but Ji Yeohoon just fidgeted with his hands.
Acting cute only works when you’re smaller and cuter than me.
Though his face is still unfairly handsome.
“You’re not going to tell me properly? We’re heading to the third-year classroom anyway.”
“Hyung, weren’t you coming to see me…?”
Ji Yeohoon made a disappointed face, but I headed toward the third-year classroom.
He hurriedly followed after me.
Normally, of course, I would be going there for Ji Yeohoon, and even now, I was going because of him.
If this guy wouldn’t tell me the reason, I’d have to make him open his mouth.
“Ah, hyung, Soo-young hyung, I’ll tell you.”
Only then did I stop walking.
Since I was originally going there to guide him anyway, if he explained well, there was no need to go to the third-year classroom.
There weren’t Espers like Ye Han-dam in their class who needed special guiding help like in our class.
“It’s nothing serious. A transfer student came in with a twisted personality, that’s all.”
“Twisted personality? You fought with the new kid?”
“Yes…”
Ji Yeohoon wasn’t the type to start fights, neither in personality nor appearance.
If anything, Yoon Cheong was the one with the fiercer eyes.
That’s why unless he deliberately opened his eyes wide and made an effort to look gentle, his face always appeared somewhat angry.
When he first transferred to the third school, he said there were occasional arguments because people thought he was glaring at them when their eyes met.
Plus, since he tended to respond rather than initiate conversations, misunderstandings often accumulated.
After talking a few times, those misunderstandings would clear up, and people gradually realized he was actually gentle despite his appearance.
But this wasn’t about Yoon Cheong – it was Ji Yeohoon?
I raised my hand, grabbed his cheek, and turned his face from side to side.
“Yoon Cheong, with this much bruising left on his face, how severe do you think the injury was when it first happened?”
“If it just happened and this is what’s left, he probably exchanged a few punches. If this is what remains from an injury earlier… he might have had a broken nose?”
“How long has it been?”
At Yoon Cheong’s analysis, Ji Yeohoon averted his eyes, pretending not to know.
Look at me properly, you overgrown little brat.
He kept avoiding my gaze as I looked up at him, but when both Yoon Cheong and I stared at him, Ji Yeohoon nodded in understanding.
“About ten minutes…?”
“Can you hit his back for me?”
“Sure.”
When Yoon Cheong flexed his wrist, Ji Yeohoon urgently put his hands together and begged for forgiveness.
Making a tearful face saying he was sorry, he then came closer and hugged my waist.
Ah, give me some space. You’re saying sorry but hugging me again?
Yoon Cheong grabbed the back of Ji Yeohoon’s neck and pulled him off.
As they grew, they became stronger, and even though I was only trapped for a moment, I felt like Ji Yeohoon’s embrace still lingered, so I rolled my shoulders.
Of course, unlike Yoon Cheong who was in the same grade, Ji Yeohoon was separated from me during class hours, so hugging was convenient for quick guiding, but he clung to me even without needing guiding, which was tiring.
Plus, the weather was getting hotter – was he trying to cook me to death in this heat?
Ji Yeohoon was lifted by Yoon Cheong’s telekinesis, and I comfortably took Ji Yeohoon’s hand to do the guiding.
“Ah, hyung. Isn’t it better if I hug you? The guiding happens faster, right?”
“You don’t let go even after the guiding is done, so it’s too hot. No.”
“You let Yoon Cheong hyung do it…”
“He lets go as soon as we’re done.”
There he goes using his face again.
He drooped the corners of his eyes and made a puppy face asking “Can’t I?” but I quickly turned my head away, afraid of giving in to his handsome face.
“Hyung, why won’t you look at me?”
“I’ll look when you put your eyes back to normal.”
“These are my normal eyes.”
“Like you look at your classmates.”
“How can I? You’re different.”
He was unexpectedly firm on this point.
I had nothing to say to Ji Yeohoon, who looked absolutely determined not to change, and Yoon Cheong, who was nodding as if he somehow understood.
Could you please stop using your face like that?
“Hyung, put me down now.”
“When you stop clinging to him.”
“That’s up to me?”
“His expression doesn’t look good.”
Their voices were getting louder.
I stepped in first, knowing this would turn into an argument if left alone.
“It’s because I’m hot. When you two were younger, you didn’t even like sitting close to the computer when it was hot, but after becoming Espers, it seems you can’t understand that anymore.”
“Ah, the weather is like that now. The Guide students in our class have been lethargic these past few days too.”
As soon as Yoon Cheong put Ji Yeohoon down, I headed to the classroom, curious about the guy who had colored Ji Yeohoon’s face.
Deciding to skip over Yoo Ji-ae and Baek Da-hyuk, who had already arrived and were chattering with Do Yoon-seo, I approached the unfamiliar face.
Since he was a student in his growth period who had just Manifested, he was definitely smaller than Ji Yeohoon who had Manifested earlier, and his height was similar to mine.
And what was surprising was that his face looked very familiar.
“…Ye Han-dam?”
“How do you know that bastard’s name? Who are you?”
What do you mean who am I? I’m your senior.
Annoyed by his confrontational tone, I turned my head away.
Before the guy could grab my shoulder, Yoon Cheong sent the middle school student flying.
Wow, it seemed like he’d gone easy on Yoon Seong-jin before, judging by how far this kid was thrown.
Despite the height difference, they looked alike, so they might be brothers. Though he had just arrived, he seemed to have used his abilities quite a bit, as his eyes were a mix of yellow and brown.
There was a split mark near his lips, confirming he had fought with Ji Yeohoon.
His body seemed fine, but his clothes were wrinkled and stained with dust marks.
You won, Ji Yeohoon.
“What’s his ability?”
“Close-range attack type. But his movements are extraordinary compared to other kids.”
Ji Yeohoon’s enhancement, when used on himself, usually manifests as strength or muscle enhancement.
Though it’s weaker than a typical physical enhancement Esper, it’s still quite strong, so judging by how well the kid moved, it seemed they didn’t fight to the death.
“What’s your name?”
“Shouldn’t you tell me who you are first? Why should I tell you first?”
“Why do you keep talking like that?”
Do you think you’re some tsundere boy with middle school syndrome from a novel?
If I openly got angry here, I’d just look foolish, and with Ji Yeohoon standing next to me getting irritated like this, I’d look like an evil senior bullying the protagonist. So I waved my hand dismissively.
“First off, I’m one grade above you, and I’m in the same guild as him. I don’t particularly want to get to know you, so I don’t plan on telling you my name. I only know who you are because there’s a Ye Han-dam in our grade.”
“Ye Han-dam is there? Really?”
Ah, judging by the fire in his eyes, this might lead to family issues, what he did, and so on.
Not wanting to get involved in that, I waved my hand.
“He is. But I’m not interested in who Ye Han-dam is in our class, what your relationship is with him, or anything like that. I just want to hear what happened with your fight, have you apologize if you need to, or receive an apology if that’s what’s needed.”
“What?”
“Looking at your face and his face, it’s obvious. I just want to know what actually happened.”
“Why are you—”
“Not to me. To him. I didn’t say I’d be receiving the apology.”
I’d heard people talk to me confrontationally before when I was older, so I didn’t care about that, but I felt I needed to see my kid get an apology.
My mood was quite soured.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
