Bang! Bang!
The bullets tore through the air and struck dead center—right through the heart of the humanoid target.
Satisfied with the clean shots, I lowered the gun.
“Ha…! Not bad at all.”
The Deputy Commander’s eyes lit up, a flicker of surprise breaking through his obvious exhaustion. From the awed murmurs spreading among the trainees, maybe I’d drawn more attention than I should’ve. But it was too late to take it back now.
“…Thanks for the compliment.”
My performance must’ve lifted his mood—there was a spark of life in the Deputy Commander’s usually dull voice.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of you do. Let’s begin with Trainee Number 1.”
At his cue, the first trainee stepped forward with a confident smirk and raised his gun. But just as he was about to shoot, the Deputy Commander snapped.
“That’s not how you hold it! Fix your stance!”
Flustered, the trainee’s posture grew even worse under the harsh tone.
“Rest the barrel cover on your left hand. Press your right cheek tightly against the stock. If you don’t, you’ll hurt yourself!”
Bang!
The shot went off—and Trainee 1 landed flat on his butt. He must’ve ignored the advice, because the recoil had left his cheek red and swollen. The target? Untouched.
“What the hell was that?! With a stance like that, you couldn’t hit an elephant standing right in front of you!”
Red-faced, the trainee sheepishly backed away.
One after another, the rest of them stepped up—and one after another, they failed. Some looked cocky going in, but once the gun fired that close to their ears, they crumbled—flinching, shaking, too scared to aim.
Honestly? I couldn’t really blame them. Most of them probably never even held a gun before.
“Focus! Are you even trying?!”
Frustration bled through the Deputy Commander’s voice. The Instructor, who had been bragging about his trainees earlier, now looked like he wanted to disappear into a hole.
“This won’t do. I’ll go over everything from the top. This time, pay attention—and remember what I say.”
But even with clear instruction from both the Deputy Commander and the Instructor, the trainees didn’t improve. Maybe it was because they were still green, but damn—it was rough.
Seriously? I hadn’t expected them to be this bad. Back in Korea, you’d struggle to find an adult man who couldn’t shoot. Maybe this really was just another quirk of the novel’s setting. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Haah, Trainee Number 8. Something funny? Quit grinning and step forward.”
The Deputy Commander let out a heavy sigh and called me up.
I thought I’d be left alone after showing off earlier, but I guess not.
I stepped forward, raised my gun, and got into position. This time, the looks I got from the Deputy Commander and the Instructor were different—full of expectation.
Well, I was a former Special Agent. No doubt my stance looked impressive to their eyes.
“Everyone, memorize Trainee Number 8’s form. That’s the textbook shooting posture.”
Somehow, I’d become the model for the class.
I had overperformed earlier, but now that I knew the others’ level, I figured it was time to tone it down.
No point standing out on my own—it’d only bring trouble.
Bang!
This time, I intentionally shot without aiming properly. The bullet grazed the target, barely leaving a mark.
I fired a few more rounds, all deliberately off-target. The more I missed, the more the Deputy Commander and Instructor’s faces stiffened. But at this point, I had zero intention of actually hitting anything.
After enough misses, the Deputy Commander finally told me to stop.
“Weird… I was hitting just fine earlier.”
I tilted my head in mock confusion, pretending to be disappointed. The Deputy Commander stared at me for a long moment—then slowly curled his lips into a smirk. The look in his eyes said it all.
He knew I was faking it.
“Trainee Number 8.”
“Yes, sir!”
“How about a little wager?”
A bet? Out of nowhere?
“…A wager, sir?”
The word “wager” made everyone freeze. All eyes turned to me and the Deputy Commander.
“We each fire ten rounds. Whoever scores better wins. And if you beat me…”
“If I win?”
“I’ll grant you a wish. Anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“As long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen.”
“Anything?”
“Given my position, making one wish come true for a trainee isn’t exactly difficult.”
Anything I want…
If it’s the Deputy Commander, maybe he could get me out of here. This might be the quickest, cleanest way to escape.
“And if I lose?”
“Then you’ll have to grant me a wish. Don’t worry—it’ll be something easy. Something any trainee can handle.”
I barely held back the grin threatening to spread across my face. My face was covered by a black mask, but the fabric was thin—if I smiled too wide, they’d notice.
You picked the wrong opponent.
“…I accept.”
It was a low-stakes bet—if I won, great. If I lost, no big deal. So I agreed, and the Deputy Commander gave a knowing smile, gesturing for me to follow.
“Since we’re doing this, let’s make it fun. Static targets are boring—let’s go with moving ones. Ten shots. I’ll go first.”
Before he even finished speaking, a target shot into the air. Human-shaped dummies began launching unpredictably in every direction—up, down, left, right. The setup was impressive… but that was all. From a Special Agent’s perspective, this was child’s play.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Deputy Commander moved swiftly, striking each erratic target with precision and speed.
After landing the last shot, he stepped aside with a relaxed smile, clearly signaling it was my turn.
Not bad. He had solid aim. In my old unit, he wouldn’t qualify as a Special Agent, but he’d at least earn respect as a competent field officer.
Still… he made a mistake.
One bullet. Just one bullet had missed the heart by a hair.
It was a small deviation—probably invisible to everyone else—but I saw it clearly.
Which meant, if I could land a perfect ten, hitting every single heart, I’d win.
Calmly, I stepped forward, picked up the gun, and took position.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The recoil shook my body, but my aim never wavered.
“Is he even aiming?”
“Wh-What the hell?!”
“Holy crap. Look at that! Every shot hit!”
“No way… is he gonna beat the Deputy Commander?”
The trainees gaped in awe, their mouths hanging open behind their black masks. They all looked like stunned clones, which was honestly kind of eerie.
No matter how skilled the Deputy Commander was, he couldn’t beat someone like me—a guy who’d trained with guns since childhood.
“…N-No way…”
When my final bullet struck dead center in the heart, just like all the others, the Deputy Commander stared at me, stunned.
He must’ve thought this whole thing was just a fun little bet. Clearly, losing hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Watching the disbelief spread across his face, I smirked.
“Looks like I win. Don’t forget my wish.”
***
“…Trainee Number 8. You’re seriously something else.”
The Deputy Commander clapped, sounding genuinely impressed.
He’d been a bit rattled after losing the bet, but as training went on and I kept placing first, his expression changed. His eyes now sparkled with interest—borderline admiration.
Honestly? It was getting a little uncomfortable.
So… when am I getting out of here?
I couldn’t stay here forever. Who knew when Kang Biso might show up? And if the real Trainee Number 8 ever arrived, this whole disguise would fall apart fast.
“Next, we’ll do ability evaluations. Once that’s done, we’ll wrap up for today.”
The Deputy Commander had completely taken the reins and was now leading us through the day’s schedule.
“It’s simple—just show us your Esper ability.”
Esper ability… yeah, that’s gonna be a problem.
I was a Guide. A normal one. I didn’t have anything close to an Esper’s supernatural powers.
The place he led us to was the largest plaza yet. Seriously, how big is this facility? Why is there a plaza this huge inside a center? Every time I thought I’d seen it all, there was another massive space. It was starting to feel surreal.
“We need to see how effectively you can use your powers, so don’t hold back. There are Guides on standby—go all out. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!!!”
At the Instructor’s usual bark, the trainees responded in unison and began stepping up, one by one, to show off their abilities. Unlike with firearms, this was their element. And with Guides backing them, they gave it everything they had.
Meanwhile, my head was spinning.
I should’ve bailed earlier…
What now? What the hell do I do?
“Alright, last up—Trainee Number 8. Step forward!”
My turn.
“……”
“Trainee Number 8?”
“…Yes.”
I hesitated, stalling for time.
Maybe I should just make a move. Take down the Deputy Commander and Instructor before they activate their abilities, then escape in the chaos.
If I struck before anyone used their powers, there was a slim chance I could pull it off.
My body tensed, nerves sharpening to a razor’s edge as I stepped forward, one foot at a time.
The trainees wouldn’t be an issue. But the Deputy Commander and the Instructor? I had to neutralize them fast. That was my only shot at a clean escape.
You’ve done harder. You can do this.
I ran through the entire combat scenario in my head, calculating angles, timing, escape routes. I’d completed missions under worse odds—this was nothing new.
I was almost in range.
I shifted my weight, ready to strike.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!
A deafening siren blared across the plaza, loud enough to rupture eardrums.
“Ugh…!”
“What the hell?!”
Everyone staggered, clamping their hands over their ears as chaos erupted.
I did the same, then looked to the Deputy Commander and Instructor for clues—only to find them both looking more irritated than alarmed.
Like this was just another routine disturbance.
“It’s just an announcement. Stay calm and don’t panic!”
An announcement?! That’s your idea of an announcement?! It was louder than the Guide Center’s emergency alarms.
As the sound faded, a familiar voice came through the speakers—calm, chilling, and unmistakable.
[I’m looking for someone. A man, around 175 cm tall, with sharp features and red lips. Bring him to me, and I’ll reward you handsomely. He hasn’t escaped yet, so find him now!]
Kang Biso.
He was looking for me.
“Who the hell is that?”
“Who’s the guy they’re talking about?”
The trainees murmured among themselves in confusion. The Deputy Commander frowned and glared at the speakers.
“Sigh… Looks like I’ll need to report to the Captain. Trainee Number 8, come with me. Someone with your skills? You should get acquainted with him. Just… don’t screw up in front of the Captain.”
“…Yes, sir.”
I followed him.
I knew I shouldn’t.
I knew better.
But I had no excuse to refuse. Saying no now would only make me look suspicious.
Out of one fire, straight into another.
All I could do now… was hope Kang Biso didn’t recognize me.
