Chapter 9
At the Section A Training Director’s words, the Section C Training Director looked around as if wondering if it would be alright. Naturally, not a single person objected. On the contrary, everyone seemed to welcome the idea.
The Guides unconsciously took a step forward, but when their eyes met each other’s, they felt embarrassed yet didn’t return to their positions. Seeing this, the Espers gave bitter smiles while sending eager gazes toward Kang Chahun.
Unlike Section C, where teams were assigned by the Center based on rank and ability, S-class members could choose their own teams. And Kang Chahun didn’t have a team yet.
Since Section A awakeners already had their teams established, Chahun would either have to join an existing team or create a new one. So the reason Chahun was observing other sections at this time was…?
Everyone seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as ability users with their employee IDs prominently displayed on their chests were about to rush toward the entrance.
“Alright, focus.”
The Section C Training Director clapped loudly to draw attention and distributed one mana ball to each team. Yeonwoo, who caught the ball flying toward him, deliberately swallowed a sigh.
This again? Complaints erupted from all around about how tedious it was. Ignoring all objections, the Training Director repeatedly lifted the mana ball into the air and caught it as he began to speak.
“Let me explain once more: this mana ball that you all dismiss so casually is the most effective tool for mana adaptation training. I understand your ambitious desire to fight monsters right away, having joined the Center with the grand aspiration of protecting the country, but first, you need to familiarize yourself with the mana of your teammates standing beside you.”
The Training Director, who had been looking at each ability user still pouting despite the explanation, approached Chahun, who was standing blankly, and tossed him a mana ball. Chahun, who avoided the mana ball by stepping sideways, glared at the Training Director.
“It was a souvenir for your visit… Well, if you don’t need it, feel free to throw it away.”
After glancing at Chahun, the Training Director clapped his hands. Even as they dispersed at this signal, the ability users couldn’t take their eyes off Chahun. Yeonwoo, who kept a reasonable distance from the other teams settling around Chahun, looked around at his empty side.
“Where’s Esper Park Seohyun?”
At the question, Choi Dongwon gave a crooked smile and gestured with his chin toward one side of the training grounds. Guides were gathered around Chahun. Jo Heeseo was among them, hesitating and unable to approach, and Park Seohyun stood beside her with an expressionless face, arms crossed.
“Um… should we practice by ourselves for now?”
Just as Yeonwoo, who was smiling awkwardly, was about to pour mana into the mana ball—
Something, an indescribable strange feeling, made Yeonwoo turn his body, and his eyes widened. Chahun was gripping the mana ball. As if… he was about to burst it…
That’s not how you do it.
Just as he felt this puzzlement, a shadow fell, and a piece of ice dropped from midair. Yeonwoo, who gasped, grabbed Choi Dongwon’s arm and folded the space. The moment his feet touched the ground, he quickly crouched down at the vibration that shook his entire body.
Then screams erupted from all directions.
A moment later, Choi Dongwon checked their surroundings as he lowered his defensive barrier.
“What is this.”
A chunk of ice taller than a person was stuck in the middle of the training grounds. Yeonwoo, who had just risen to his feet, also muttered, asking what it was. It was clearly ice created by Chahun’s ability, as it wasn’t the transparent color of normal ice but had a dull sky-blue tint.
“Hahaha!”
The Section A Training Director’s laughter broke the settled silence.
“Ah, our Esper Kang Chahun is still a bit awkward with handling his ability. Since he awakened recently~ You know how it is, right? When you go, uh, like that?”
At those words, the Espers who were getting up unsteadily made “ah, aaah” sounds and nodded. It was a sign that they all understood what he meant, having experienced unstable abilities at least once.
As everyone was trying to smooth over the incident, Chahun poured cold water on their efforts.
“Excuse me.”
“Hmm? Yes, Esper Kang Chahun.”
“Why am I ‘your’ Esper?”
Standing crookedly, Chahun spat out with an undisguised look of displeasure, and the Section A Training Director closed his eyes tightly with a devastated expression.
What terrible manners.
Yeonwoo, who was about to click his tongue reflexively, chewed on the tip of his tongue instead.
“And… everyone has eyes, so I’m sure they would have avoided it on their own, right?”
Even as a chilling silence fell at his words, Chahun looked around with an arrogant posture, chin raised, and added:
“They’re Espers, after all.”
Now not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the training grounds.
“Well, that’s true.”
The Training Director, who had extended his barrier to protect the Guides, stepped forward and tapped the ice.
“If you can’t avoid something like this, what kind of Esper are you? It’s not even small, and at this size, everyone should have been able to avoid it on their own. Everyone was already eager for some thrilling training, so they’re probably grateful to Esper Kang Chahun for holding this event.”
At those words, the Section A Training Director, who had been frozen, burst into laughter. “Huh, hehehe.”
“Uh… well, if that’s the case, that’s good. Well, shall we go now?”
Chahun, who twisted his body to avoid the hand pushing his back, gestured with his chin toward the ice in front of him.
“What about that?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. We’ll clean it up right away.”
As the Training Director looked up at the ice and around, his eyes met Yeonwoo’s, who felt a sinking feeling in his chest, thinking, Surely not…
“Esper Han Yeonwoo.”
At the call, Yeonwoo’s face turned pale.
He prayed that he had misheard, that the Training Director had called another Esper, but the Training Director was looking straight at Yeonwoo and gesturing.
Yeonwoo, whose eyes trembled, closed and opened them before looking down at his hands. No matter how much he practiced, his ability wouldn’t return to its original state. He couldn’t control his ability that jumped up and down unpredictably like the bouncing mana ball. He had thought that someday he would be found out, but he hadn’t expected to be exposed in such a public place.
As Yeonwoo walked forward, hiding his trembling hands, Jo Heeseo approached from a distance. There wasn’t even a sliver of hope that she might offer Guiding since they were on the same team. Sure enough, Jo Heeseo, with her hands behind her back, whispered as if to say don’t even dream of getting Guiding from her.
“Looks like you’re about to get kicked out, huh?”
Leaving behind Heeseo’s sneering voice, tinged with a bit of excitement, Yeonwoo stood in front of the ice. As he spread his arms to gauge the weight, he felt a clear, resonant mana when his hands touched the cool ice.
A smile unknowingly played around his lips at the clear energy that tickled his fingertips and dispersed.
“Move it over there.”
At the Training Director’s words, Yeonwoo erased his smile and looked at the corner of the training grounds. After mapping the coordinates, Yeonwoo bit his lip as he felt his heart pounding painfully, thump, thump. The moment he made a mistake here, the Training Director would become suspicious. It would be truly fortunate if he attributed it to nerves and let it pass, but Yeonwoo might have to undergo ability testing again. It would be good if it ended with expulsion, but in the worst case, he could lose his qualification as Yeonhwa’s guardian.
Even with Yeonwoo as her guardian, people were scrambling to read even a single line of Yeonhwa’s book. If he lost his qualification as a guardian who could protect Yeonhwa, whoever became Yeonhwa’s custodian would only exploit her ability.
Just like their parents had done.
His mouth went dry from the tension. He couldn’t back out by saying he couldn’t do it. For a spatial ability user, simply moving an object—if he ran away saying he couldn’t do it, it would be equivalent to advertising that he had no confidence in his ability.
Please. Please. Without any mistakes.
Yeonwoo sighed and poured mana into the coordinates. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sensation of the ice in his hands breaking down.
And then,
“Good job.”
Yeonwoo, who was still looking down at his hands despite the Training Director’s instruction to return to his place, smiled faintly. The repulsive force he usually felt somewhere in his body when using his ability had disappeared. As he steadied his breathing while looking at the ice that had been neatly moved to the coordinates, Yeonwoo smiled broadly. In response to the thrilling exhilaration he felt for the first time in a long while, Yeonwoo secretly clenched his fist.
Each step back to his teammates felt so light, it was like walking on clouds rather than in a training ground. As Yeonwoo was walking toward Choi Dongwon, who was giving a thumbs up, he stepped back half a pace. Something large was blocking his way.
Looking up, he saw Kang Chahun standing crookedly with his arms crossed, looking down at Yeonwoo. His face was already fierce-looking, making it difficult to approach him casually. Whether it was because of his tall height or his broad shoulders and physique, looking up at him felt quite intimidating. As Yeonwoo unconsciously backed away, Chahun extended his hand abruptly.
“I’m Kang Chahun.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I’m Kang Chahun.”
Yeonwoo blinked at the hand waving gently as if urging him, then extended his own hand to grasp it.
He had expected the hand to be hard with calluses and painful, but the hand he held was unexpectedly warm and soft. It was a bit silly to make such a comparison for a person’s hand, but it was even cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket.
“Yeonwoo-ya.”
Yeonwoo, who had been staring blankly at their clasped hands, was startled and tried to pull away, but Chahun firmly bound Yeonwoo’s hand and wouldn’t let go. Meanwhile, Jo Heeseo, who had approached with light steps, narrowed her eyes and extended her hand.
“Don’t you need Guiding?”
What did she eat wrong today?
Yeonwoo, who was looking at Heeseo with suspicious eyes as she spoke in an excessively gentle voice, turned his head to look up at Chahun. I’m just a smokescreen.
There was no need to accept it, but there was also no reason to refuse. Before Yeonwoo could nod, an excited voice was directed toward Chahun.
“Esper Kang Chahun, if you don’t need Guiding—”
“No.”
Despite being cut off mid-sentence, there wasn’t a hint of displeasure on Heeseo’s face. There was only disappointment, like “Ah, I see.” It was the complete opposite of her attitude toward Park Seohyun, whom she would only offer Guiding as if it were charity after Seohyun had whined for it several times.
Chahun, not giving any attention to Heeseo, who was glancing at him with eyes full of regret, lightly shook his hand. Suppressing the turmoil in his entire body at that gesture, Yeonwoo looked up as if to ask what was wrong.
“Name.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t catch your name.”
“Ah, I’m Han Yeonwoo, Auxiliary.”
At Yeonwoo’s answer, Chahun, who had been staring at their joined hands, nodded. The Section A Training Director followed behind Chahun, who was sauntering out. I thought I would never see Chahun again after that, but…
“Why did that person come again?”
At Choi Dongwon’s question, Yeonwoo inwardly responded, I was wondering the same thing, as he looked toward the corner of the training grounds. There, Kang Chahun was making himself a nest with a sullen face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
