Chapter 63
On the last day of December, there were definitely fewer people remaining at school.
Only the first-year high school students and third-year middle school students were left.
During last year’s break, so many students stayed that teachers asked why they weren’t going home, but this year, though there were fewer people, the dormitory was bustling because of our grade.
After getting permission from the teacher, I told Ji Yeohoon to bring any middle school third-years who were staying to the high school dormitory. Ji Yeohoon seemed to understand perfectly and brought Do Yoon-seo along.
The brightened expressions of Yoo Ji-ae and Baek Da-hyuk were a bonus.
“Hyung, didn’t you say you wanted to sneak in some alcohol?” Ji Yeohoon asked.
“Couldn’t do it. The teacher was watching like a hawk. I heard the Esper class and Guide class homeroom teachers aren’t even going home tonight.”
Ji Yeohoon nodded sympathetically when I whispered to him as he sat beside me.
When he said their teacher would also be at the dormitory, I felt obligated to take responsibility for sending these middle schoolers back to their dormitory too.
Being class president was definitely a troublesome position.
Though Ji Yeohoon often came to the high school building, it was his first time in the high school dormitory, so he said he’d been lectured for a very long time about precautions and not being too loud.
Since he would be coming up here soon anyway, it was fortunate he got permission to come for a look around.
Among the third-year middle school students, Ji Yeohoon naturally came, along with Do Yoon-seo and, surprisingly, Ye Han-seo.
“But didn’t you say he wasn’t being seen around? That’s why I applied for the ski resort trip, to check on him.”
“I don’t know either. When they asked who wanted to go to the high school dormitory today, most kids said they went skiing last year and were going home this time. I thought it would only be me and Do Yoon-seo, but just before we came here, he said he’d come along…”
Though he hadn’t appeared around us for a while, it seems he had been talking a lot with his brother.
As soon as he arrived at the high school dormitory, Ye Han-seo naturally sat next to Ye Han-dam.
Of course, he wasn’t sitting right next to him, but with a distance where one or two people could sit in between.
On the opposite side of Ye Han-seo, there was enough distance for four people to sit, so I guess this counts as being close.
If things continued like this, I was relieved thinking they probably wouldn’t end up killing each other.
After all, when people around you cause trouble, it makes for restless sleep.
I wanted to know what the kid was thinking now, but with so many people around, it was difficult to ask or check anything, so I decided to stick with the plan and confirm his feelings when we went to the ski resort.
“What? Then you’re not going to work as a Guide at all?” someone asked.
“Yeah. Since I’ve manifested as a Guide, I’ll have to be a freelance Guide, but officially I’m going to work as a freelance Guide. The school I’m going to next is a regular high school.”
The reason we gathered on the last day of December was because a classmate who was transferring before the new semester started was a D-grade Guide.
This student had difficulty controlling their power during guiding, and even with diligent exercise and improved physical strength, they really struggled with the exhausting sensation of bigar depletion after guiding.
Their matching rate with other Espers was generally good, so their affiliated guild seemed to value them greatly, but they couldn’t help it when their mental state deteriorated badly from being exhausted after every guiding session.
Even though they only guided one of the few Espers who barely used their abilities, they would return to the dormitory immediately after class and remain exhausted until late the next day.
Literally, it wasn’t efficient.
This situation was fairly common among Guides, which made the already small number of Guides feel even smaller.
It was also why the Association and guilds were desperately trying to recruit Guides.
“But just come to the ski resort this time.”
“I’m worried I won’t even be able to ski…”
The real problem was that they were too nice to pass by an Esper who needed guiding.
Instead of guiding out of necessity, they kept giving bigar to struggling Esper friends out of sympathy.
While having a good personality is nice, if you can’t think rationally, it’s not good for the Guide or the Espers.
They might miss helping an Esper in a more serious situation because they’re busy guiding an Esper right in front of them, unable to prioritize.
Additionally, if bigar was insufficient, Espers would demand guiding, and Guides would have to forcibly provide bigar, which could lead to reverse guiding.
“You’ll do well. You have a good personality.”
“Yeah, let’s definitely meet again after you leave.”
The atmosphere was warm.
Conversations flowed about what they would do later, how they would study, and which university they would attend.
Espers and Guides often don’t think about university, but I wondered if I should tell them that if they go separate ways after graduation, they might never see each other again, especially with friends they rarely meet.
Well, I just picked up a chicken leg that was set out as a late-night snack, saying, “Yeah, let’s meet again.”
“But, did you guys really just put in whatever food you wanted?”
“I ordered something normal.”
“Who crushed the ramen?”
“Me… Eating ramen this way is really delicious!”
It’s my fault for not setting proper standards for the menu.
I thought normal options like chicken or bossam would be appropriate.
I get why someone crushed the ramen, but…
“What’s with the tuna sashimi? Who has such expensive taste?”
“It’s toro!”
“I can’t eat raw fish.”
“Then why are you eating raw beef tartare?”
It was as if they were determined to conquer foods from every country; an array of cuisines from around the world was spread out.
“Why, you could have made bibimbap…”
“Huh? We have that too.”
“Who brought it?”
“Do Yoon-seo brought that.”
Well, these were kids who cooked pork belly with their abilities, so I shouldn’t underestimate them.
The desire to secretly drink alcohol had been preemptively blocked by the teachers, but there were plenty of soft drinks.
We spent time clinking paper cups filled with cola or cider, saying cheers.
I observed the brothers with brilliant hair colors occasionally talking with other students.
Ye Han-dam occasionally spoke to Oh Ji-hyun who sat next to him, but he was mostly busy providing his brother with various foods, and Ye Han-seo ate whatever was given to him without saying a word.
He didn’t look uncomfortable or unwell.
Though just observing with my eyes didn’t give me an accurate measure of his risk of going berserk, it didn’t seem like anything would happen right away, so I decided to leave them be.
“So are there only three people from middle school going to the ski resort?”
“Yeah. Since we’ll probably hang out late in the high school dormitory, I got permission on the condition that we pack our stuff in advance.”
“What? Then will you stay overnight in our dormitory?”
“Yeah.”
Ji Yeohoon calmly answered Yoo Ji-ae’s question.
Looking at them like this, Ji Yeohoon’s way of speaking definitely seemed strange.
He stood out being in the middle between Ye Han-seo, who indiscriminately used informal speech, and Do Yoon-seo, who used formal speech with everyone.
The kid who naturally used formal speech with me was casually using informal speech in response to questions from other kids in our class.
The informal speech actually seemed more comfortable, giving the impression that he wasn’t intimidated even among older brothers and sisters.
As I stared at Ji Yeohoon because of his speech style, he was about to drink from his paper cup but flashed an eye-smile at me.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
You’re pretentious too, not just Yoon Cheong.
“Hyung, can I sleep in your room tonight?”
“No.”
“I wasn’t asking Yoon Cheong hyung.”
“No.”
I instantly felt tired as the voices of the guys sitting on either side of me seemed about to get louder.
Since I could predict too well how this fight would end, I put down the chopsticks I had been holding.
Ji Yeohoon would grumble that since they weren’t in the same dormitory, it was difficult except at times like this, while Yoon Cheong would try to send him away using the excuse that I was tired.
“Are they fighting?”
“It’s not the first time.”
“Who wins?”
“I lose.”
“Huh?”
Ye Han-dam looked at me with a puzzled expression, and my head started throbbing.
Then Yoon Cheong, who would become childish after asking me if I was tired or not, asked, “What about me?”
“Ugh, damn it.”
“Hyung, they say using nice words is good for mental health. Are you really tired? I sleep very quietly, you know.”
“Did you really pack everything?”
“Ski clothes, underwear, change of clothes, toiletries, goggles, gloves…”
“Fine, I get it.”
“What about me?”
When I calmed one down, the other had a sulky expression.
“Did you pack too?”
“Yes.”
With their eyes wide open, looking at me innocently, I was the one who would ultimately lose.
When I nodded, both Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon’s expressions returned to normal.
Aegyo masters. Pretentious ones. Baek Da-hyuk, who had been watching me, patted my back.
I never thought the day would come when I’d be comforted by that naive guy.
“Ah, I wish they’d just leave me alone.”
“We didn’t bully you.”
It’s not bullying exactly, but it’s mentally harmful.
Just looking at them makes me think they’ve grown up well and should continue to grow a little more, but when I see myself weakening to their faces, I wonder if being pathetic might be better.
Of course, I know Espers naturally have good looks, but Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon’s appearances were a bit extreme.
I’d met all sorts of handsome Espers while working at the Association, but perhaps because I’ve raised these guys since they were young, my heart weakened when they used their faces.
Feeling somewhat resentful toward the now-behaved boys, I picked up some meat and put it in their mouths.
“Take care after you go to the other school.”
“You must call!”
“Contact me, contact. I don’t answer calls, so make sure to message.”
As it passed midnight, the teacher arrived.
We had planned to move to the triplets’ room and continue hanging out among ourselves, but we had to obediently clean up what we’d eaten under the gaze that suggested we should go to sleep soon.
Since everyone seemingly had coordinated to want only delivery food, it didn’t take long to clean up.
With their good appetites, there was no food left, and some were even disappointed, saying there was a bit too little.
The Espers seemed to digest well too, as they didn’t mind eating more even though it was almost time to sleep.
“Let’s ask for more tomorrow and eat separately. Is everything cleaned up?”
“I’m trying to wipe a bit with wet wipes here.”
“Give them to me.”
Though it felt like a forced get-together, I was somehow proud that everyone had come along well.
The place that had been full of food quickly returned to its original state.
“Let’s take the middle schoolers back.”
“No, hyung. They can go back well on their own.”
“Huh?”
I had wondered why Ji Yeohoon would spend the night in the high school dormitory when the others wouldn’t, but as soon as I looked at the middle schoolers, I understood it didn’t matter.
Do Yoon-seo looked awkward because of the two seniors who said they would escort her.
Especially Yoo Ji-ae, who couldn’t go to the ski resort this time, was burning with the desire to escort her.
Ye Han-seo was also shaking his head with a creeped-out expression after hearing Ye Han-dam say he would take him back.
“Well, I think I’d make the same expression if Yoon Cheong hyung said he’d take me back.”
“You don’t think I would?”
They’ve really grown up like brothers.
“Ji Yeohoon, you don’t have pajamas in your room, so go to Yoon Cheong’s room and wash up. You have new underwear, right?”
“Yes.”
There was also a need to check the location in advance.
Ji Yeohoon was determined to use the dormitory room in front of mine next time.
The room opposite mine was currently being used by a third-year student, so it would be vacated as soon as they graduated.
He’d wash up well on his own. After all, the probability of the two guys bathing together was almost 0%.
After sending the kids away, I slowly washed up in my room’s shower and opened the door wearing only underwear. These guys had already arrived and were occupying my desk and bed.
“H-Hyung!!”
“Why aren’t you wearing, clothes…”
“You’re the ones who came in first.”
Why did they wash up so early?
While drying my hair with a towel, I opened the wardrobe door.
“Hyung, just a moment. I’ll go get some water.”
“…I have water in my room too?”
“I have drinks in my room. I’ll be right back.”
“No, I also have…”
Both guys urgently opened my room door and left.
What’s going on with them?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
