Chapter 38
“Ack!”
With a short scream, Chahun fell and looked up at the ceiling with a bewildered face. Despite falling from a considerable height, strangely, he felt no pain at all.
“I told you to tuck in your chin.”
As Chahun lay still, Yeonwoo approached, slipped his hand under Chahun’s neck, and lifted it up.
“Like this. Otherwise, you’ll crack your head.”
Chahun’s lips trembled at Yeonwoo’s calm, measured tone. First he suddenly throws a person into the air, and now what? Tuck in your chin?
“No, no.”
He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even form proper words. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo showed him how to move his arms and legs properly and then reached out his hand, telling him to get up. Chahun glared at Yeonwoo with a blank expression, but as soon as he grabbed Yeonwoo’s hand, his view shifted.
“Hyung!”
“Tuck in your chin.”
Chahun’s brow furrowed at Yeonwoo’s gentle tone. His words might be kind, but his training methods were nothing short of Spartan. Chahun should have known from the moment Yeonwoo stared at him in the middle of eating. He should have realized when Yeonwoo subtly drew a line—you there, me here—and offered to teach him something!
Maybe he’s not really my hyung?
In a center full of Espers with all kinds of abilities, couldn’t there be one who could shape-shift? What if he’d been completely fooled by someone pretending to be his hyung?! Huh?!
Chahun jumped to his feet and glared at Yeonwoo with narrowed eyes.
“Get up.”
When Chahun just stood there silently glaring, Yeonwoo extended his hand.
“If you fall with your waist first like that, you’ll hurt your back. You need to lift your legs too.”
The scathing content wrapped in a kind tone—maybe he really was his hyung after all. Chahun squinted suspiciously but reached out to grab Yeonwoo’s hand, and a familiar, warm sensation spread through his entire body from his hand.
Just as the familiar mana relaxed his body, his view flipped upside down.
“Legs.”
At Yeonwoo’s voice, Chahun reflexively lifted his legs. As soon as his back touched the ground, he got up and strode toward Yeonwoo.
“At least warn me before you do that!”
“Alright.”
Yeonwoo nodded obediently and extended his hand. After fuming for a moment, Chahun grabbed it.
“Is this all we’re doing today?”
“Falling safely is the most basic of basics. Now.”
As Yeonwoo warned per Chahun’s request, he used his ability. Chahun appeared from a pattern drawn on the ceiling, tucking his chin but flailing his arms and legs. Seeing this, Yeonwoo clicked his tongue.
“You clicked your tongue again!”
At Chahun’s widened eyes, Yeonwoo bit the tip of his tongue and approached him. A fall from this height should cause considerable back pain, but instead of complaining about pain, Chahun was just pouting. S-class Espers really do have good physical endurance.
When Yeonwoo extended his hand, Chahun grabbed it with an audible slap. Then he squeezed his eyes shut. Finding this somehow cute, Yeonwoo smiled slightly and gently shook their clasped hands.
“You said to warn you before using abilities. Let’s take a break.”
Chahun had been examining Yeonwoo with suspicious eyes, but at the mention of a break, he relaxed his tensed body. In that moment, Yeonwoo pulled his hand and swung a dagger.
“…Hyung?”
Chahun, too shocked to react, began to protest loudly when Yeonwoo withdrew the knife, demanding to know what he was doing. Yeonwoo apologized, though his face showed no remorse at all as he examined Chahun.
“Haven’t you ever fought with your friends like this? You have absolutely no basic defense mechanisms.”
Chahun’s forehead wrinkled as much as it could at Yeonwoo’s words. Isn’t that obvious? Normal fights involve some give and take, but who throws people around and swings knives? Especially with friends?
Moreover, Chahun was “THE Kang Chahun.” After winning a gold medal in the youth championship, no one dared to touch him. His body, especially his shoulders, was a part that even his parents hesitated to touch. He had never even put his arm around a friend’s shoulder, so who would dare throw him around?
“Now?”
Watching Yeonwoo extend his hand, Chahun let out a hollow laugh. Unlike his coaches who would cause a commotion if Chahun so much as stumbled, Yeonwoo’s attitude of “I’m going to throw you, so hurry up and take my hand” felt strange.
“How about learning to attack instead?”
Yeonwoo approached Chahun, who was sprawled on the floor, crouched down and corrected his limb positions again. Usually people would adopt the correct posture after one or two tries, if only to avoid pain. Maybe it’s because he’s S-class and lacks a sense of crisis? While Yeonwoo was pondering how to proceed, Chahun suddenly got up and shook his head.
As Yeonwoo had suggested, when Chahun created an ice dagger during sparring and attempted to counter-attack, he felt fear before pride. On the day he acquired his unwanted ability, Chahun had desperately wanted a piece of ice under the scorching sun. The ice that rose from beneath his feet at that moment had cut the cheek of a coach who had been fanning Chahun’s chest guard.
As he recalled the screams from all directions and the faces of people pointing fingers at him, Chahun’s fingertips trembled as he created ice. He had come to the Center to avoid seeing such reactions.
After seeing an Esper bleeding from his counter-attack, Chahun had turned around and gone to Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo had promised to teach him proper defensive techniques instead of attacking methods. He hadn’t expected that training would involve being thrown around.
Watching Chahun shake his head, Yeonwoo pressed the corners of his mouth. He had heard that newly awakened offensive Espers were extremely afraid of hurting others with their abilities. Even his military academy classmate, Seon Woogeon, had taken quite some time before he could properly attack. But he hadn’t expected this from Chahun.
He had thought Chahun would walk in proudly, declaring his successful counter-attack and seeking revenge for all the previous training. But Chahun’s shoulders were completely slumped as he entered the training room.
Could someone like that become the Center Director? Yeonwoo crossed his arms as he watched Chahun. If Chahun wouldn’t counter-attack, there would be no opportunity to showcase his abilities. If he only learned defensive techniques, the A-zone Espers’ perception wouldn’t change. They would just be happy to have a sturdy punching bag.
…Two weeks. If he couldn’t change Chahun’s perception of the Center within that time, Chahun might leave with the Round Guild Master who was scheduled to visit. Then countless futures would change, and Yeonwoo would face the boomerang of causality.
He wasn’t worried about other things, but Han Yeonhwa’s minor status concerned him. The Esper Association and several Guild Masters who would surely pounce at the first sign of Yeonwoo’s mistake flashed through his mind. Just three more years. He wanted to protect her until Yeonhwa became an adult.
Yeonwoo pressed his forehead as pain washed over him. Then he checked the time as he watched Chahun repeatedly falling and getting up on his own like a roly-poly toy.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
“Are you leaving already?”
Already? It was 20 minutes before the security system activated. Chahun’s face was sullen, as if he had forgotten being caught by staff at the entrance last time after dawdling.
“We’re practicing together after a long time. I thought you’d stay overnight…”
“Don’t practice too long and go to bed early tonight too. Don’t forget to check your mana core.”
“Just sleep here and leave after breakfast.”
Yeonwoo looked down at Chahun’s hand clutching his training uniform and extended his senses. Not far away, he detected mana reactions. Like being summoned by the Center Director before, there were too many eyes watching Chahun now too.
If asked why he kept coming and going, he would have no answer. Chahun kept insisting they tell the truth, but who would believe their story?
“Don’t come out.”
Avoiding the clinging Chahun, Yeonwoo folded space and left the training room. If he remained absentminded like this, the Round Guild Master visiting in two weeks might snatch Chahun away. He needed an excuse to frequent the A-zone to do something about it…
“Hey, you! C-class Esper!”
Yeonwoo was looking at the vine blocking his path when he turned his head toward the voice. Espers drenched in sweat were gesturing to him.
“You’re here on an errand, right? Take this with you on your way.”
Yeonwoo looked at a bag that seemed to need repairs and reached out. Training uniforms and bags began to pile up on his outstretched hand.
“What are the coordinates?”
An Esper who had taken off his training uniform and placed it on top of the pile gave Yeonwoo the coordinates, and suddenly Yeonwoo’s hand became lighter.
“Take this one directly. Well then.”
“Ah, this too.”
The Esper handing over a dagger with missing teeth opened his mouth when he saw Yeonwoo’s ID card revealed as the bundle disappeared.
“Uh…”
“Anything else?”
“Uh, no. You can go.”
As Yeonwoo turned away at the casual wave, he heard a surprised voice.
“Oh, shit. That’s Han Yeonhwa’s brother.”
“So what? He’s still just a C-class.”
That’s right. While some people respected him as Yeonhwa’s brother, many dismissed him as just a C-class Esper. It was Chahun who was strange for praising him. Because of Chahun, who often looked up at him with sparkling eyes, he had momentarily forgotten reality.
Yeonwoo headed to the supply room, placed the weapon on the shelf, and knocked on the door. The person who appeared when the door opened was someone very familiar.
“Yeonwoo!”
“Esper Jeon Dohyun.”
A classmate from the military academy whom he was meeting after 3 years in memory, but actually about 2 months in reality. A comfortable smile spread across Yeonwoo’s lips.
“What brings you here? Oh, I mean, what brings you here, sir?”
“Ah, I came on an errand with this.”
Jeon Dohyun frowned as he looked at the damaged weapon. Clicking his tongue and saying people never use things properly, he grabbed Yeonwoo’s arm as Yeonwoo checked the time.
“Good timing. Take this while you’re here.”
Jeon Dohyun released the bag clasp smoothly and attached a new auxiliary bag to Yeonwoo’s forearm.
“We got a lot of Liab feathers this time, so I made this with the leftovers. Take it and use it. You know how to open the inventory, right?”
Yeonwoo was surprised and tried to refuse, but Jeon Dohyun pushed him out without hesitation, saying the entry prohibition time was near. Leaving Jeon Dohyun behind, who was smiling broadly and saying how great school connections were, Yeonwoo left the A-zone and looked down at the auxiliary bag.
In his previous life, he had used only the basic provided items until right before his death…
After checking the contents of the bag, Yeonwoo wore a complicated expression. Just as Chahun’s future was changing, Yeonwoo’s future was also steadily changing.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
