Chapter 8

　　You know that feeling you sometimes get? The sense of being watched by something unseen.

　　I’m sure someone was looking at me. I scanned my surroundings, trying to find the source of the stare, but no one stood out. Unsettled, I was about to turn back when Seonho, sitting beside me, asked another question.

　　"About you getting a pair… Is it because of Euni?"

　　It was a name I hadn’t heard in a very long time. His unexpected question caught me so off guard that all I could do was stare at him in shock. "Why are you suddenly bringing up Euni?"

　　"You said you weren’t forced or threatened. I just thought maybe you were interested because he reminds you of Euni."

　　"Who? Don’t tell me you mean Yoon Geonwoo?"

　　"Well, the situations are similar… Otherwise, there’s no reason for you to pair up with that guy. You’ve never even spoken to him before."

　　"Similar? How are they similar?"

　　How could that sullen jerk possibly resemble my adorable Euni? The idea was so absurd that my voice came out sharp and hard. The topic of Euni was a landmine for me. I didn’t want to be sensitive, but even after all these years, the subject still put me on edge.

　　"If anyone resembles Euni, it’s me. We were twins."

　　I fell silent after that. Seonho gently brushed my bangs away from my forehead, his touch surprisingly careful. Cool. His fingertips were chilly from holding the cold water glass, and the sensation was so refreshing it felt like it could chase away my throbbing headache. I wondered if this was what it felt like for an esper to receive guiding.

　　"Sorry," he murmured. "If you say it’s not that, then it’s not."

　　"It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize."

　　With my vision clear, I met his apologetic, brown eyes. I knew that kind soul was probably kicking himself for bringing it up. This was his way of apologizing. How could I stay mad at that? I gave a playful wrinkle of my nose to show him it was okay, and he finally let out a breath of relief.

　　"So, what were you looking at earlier?"

　　His direct question made me hesitate. He was already worried enough; if I told him I felt a suspicious stare, he’d freak out. I just shook my head.

　　"I didn’t eat much, so I was just seeing if there was anything else to eat."

　　"Want to go to the canteen, then?"

　　As we spoke, the strange feeling of being watched faded away. There was no time to dwell on it. The bell rang, signaling that our first morning class would start in thirty minutes.

　　"Let’s go after first period. It’s time for class now."

　　We quickly cleared our table and got ready to go. Break time at SAA was thirty minutes long. We had three classes a day, each lasting between an hour and a half to two hours. The campus was huge, so we had to hurry to get to our next location on time. If we dawdled, we’d be late for our very first class.

　　"What’s our first period?"

　　"Shooting, I think."

　　I’d already remembered the answer as I asked the question. I knew what the first class of the new semester was, and I knew what happened during it. A sigh escaped me just thinking about the accident. This was the day… the day of the accident.

　　In the upcoming shooting class, a guide from my class was going to be involved in a firearm accident. He would suffer a severe facial injury and be hospitalized for a long time. Although he would eventually return to school in the second semester, he would fail to readjust and end up voluntarily withdrawing not long after.

　　"Shooting for the first class of the new semester? Who the hell makes these schedules?" I grumbled, though I knew perfectly well that practical training was essential. After graduation, both espers and guides would be deployed to the appropriate Gates for their rank. Even those who excelled in support roles, such as hacking or system management, had to be proficient with various weapons and combat techniques while at SAA. Whether you were on the front lines or not, knowing the basics made a huge difference.

　　What can I do? I’ll just have to be extra careful and watch out for him today. I was about to nod in agreement when Seonho’s next words made me do a double-take.

　　"Wait, first period was changed to a cross class."

　　"What? With an esper class?

　　"Yeah, looks like we’re with Class 1 today."

　　As graduating students, it wasn’t unusual for guide and esper classes to have joint sessions, especially for practical training. But in my memory, the day of the accident was definitely a solo class for the guides. It wasn’t a cross class before… What’s going on?

　　I didn’t know why things had changed, but a sense of dread washed over me. It would be harder to prepare for the accident if the situation weren’t exactly the same. As a nervous dryness crept into my mouth, Seonho was fiddling with the smartwatch connected to his tablet.

　　"The shooting range is at the South Gate. Should I call a Butler?"

　　"We still have time. We can probably make it if we run."

　　We were currently at the North Gate, where the dorms and various amenities were located. The West Gate housed the elementary and middle school facilities. As high schoolers with a heavy focus on practical training, our classes were often held in separate, specialized buildings. Our destination was the South Gate, where all those training facilities were clustered.

　　"No, let’s just call one. I’ll get it."

　　"Because you’re full?"

　　"Yeah… I ate too much. It’ll hurt if I run."

　　I should have known when he went for a second bowl of breakfast. I nodded, and a much brighter expression appeared on his face as he booked the Butler. After that, everything happened in a flash.

　　Beep—Beep-beep—

　　While I was brushing my teeth at lightning speed, an alarm sounded, and the Butler Seonho had called arrived.

　　"That was fast."

　　Butler was an unmanned electric vehicle used for long distances across campus. There were several versions, but the only one available to SAA students was a four-seater with a white, rounded front. It wasn’t particularly fast, likely for safety reasons, but you could specify your destination, and it would arrive within five minutes, which was always useful.

　　"Here, take my hand."

　　"I’m fine. I’m not a kid."

　　The vehicle didn’t have wheels; it hovered slightly above the ground, so you had to step up a high platform to get in. While a tall guy like Seonho could leap in easily, someone of my average height had to use the handle on the side to pull myself up. Every time, Seonho would either playfully lift me up or offer his hand like he was doing now.

　　"Geumi, my right hand feels embarrassed."

　　"…You’re unbelievable."

　　When I refused, he started dramatically opening and closing his hand. He looked like an anxious puppy, so I gave in and took his hand as usual. He grinned, pleased with himself.

　　"Wait! Class prez, So Geumi—! Let us ride with you!"

　　Just as we were about to depart, a frantic voice called out. I turned to see a head of ridiculously dyed hair—red fading into black—bobbing toward us. The owner of that perpetually abused hair was Kang Yoon, a B-Class guide I’d shared a few classes with. He scrambled into the Butler, followed by his roommate, a classic bookworm type with a lanky frame and thick, horn-rimmed glasses. That was Park Hyeonseo, a C-Class guide.

　　"Thanks, thanks! I couldn’t get a Butler. I thought I was going to have to run," Kang Yoon panted.

　　"Hah… Thanks, prez, Geumi," Hyeonseo added, out of breath.

　　With all four of us inside, the Butler set off for the training facility. Even though a new semester had started, the break had been short, and the faces were all familiar, so it didn’t feel new at all. The graduating class had six esper classes but only four guide classes, due to fewer students. Since enrollment was limited from elementary school onward, the class rosters were pretty much the same every year unless new students transferred in. In a way, we were like family, having spent years together. Of course, that was also why Seonho and I were so often in the same class.

　　"Sogeum, what happened to your face? Did you fall on the street or something?" Kang Yoon asked.

　　I had expected the question. He was curious about the waterproof bandage on my lip. Not wanting to explain, I changed the subject. "It’s nothing. Anyway, did you oversleep again, Kang Yoon?"

　　"Do you even have to ask? My poor Hyeonseo here suffers so much because of his useless roommate."

　　"If you know that, why do you keep doing things you have to apologize for?"

　　"Hmph, you’re scary when you talk like that." At my rebuke, Kang Yoon let out a pathetic whine and clung to his roommate’s arm. Hyeonseo, who was half Kang Yoon’s size, swayed precariously.

　　"It’s… it’s okay. Yoonie always waits for me when I’m late, too…"

　　"See? Did you hear that, Sogeum?" Hyeonseo’s defense made Kang Yoon puff up his chest and look at me triumphantly. I couldn’t care less about his attitude.

　　"But you’re heavy, Yoonie…"

　　"Endure it, Park Hyeonseo. This is the weight of your roommate."

　　"Ugh… okay…"

　　My attention wasn’t on the loud-mouthed Kang Yoon, but on Park Hyeonseo, who was practically being crushed beside him. Because he…

　　That’s the guide. It was Park Hyeonseo.

　　He was the one who was going to get hurt in the gun accident today.

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