Chapter 9

　　It was obvious just by looking at him that Park Hyeonseo was terrible at anything physical. He tried hard, but his talent just couldn’t keep up with his willpower. In short, if he hadn’t come to SAA, he would have been the type to end up with a desk job at the Guide Administration Bureau. His clumsiness was one of the reasons for the accident that was about to happen.

　　He was just unlucky. A combination of poor handling and a defective gun.

　　Shooting practice began in the high school division of SAA, meaning we’d been learning it for two full years. Yet even as a graduating senior, Hyeonseo’s posture when holding a taser gun was still awkward. To make matters worse, the new model taser he was issued that day was defective, and he couldn’t react in time.

　　Of course, the primary responsibility lay with SAA for their negligent management of student-issued firearms. But in the end, he was the one caught in the accident when the faulty taser overloaded and half-exploded, leaving him with severe burns on his face. In his panic, he had fired wildly, injuring several other students and the instructor, which delayed his own treatment.

　　The injuries were so severe that he lost sight in his left eye. He spent the entire first semester in rehabilitation but never fully recovered and eventually withdrew from the school.

　　I have to stop it.

　　Knowing what was coming, I decided to focus all my energy today on protecting Park Hyeonseo.

　　"By the way, prez, Sogeum. What class are you guys in?" Kang Yoon asked belatedly as I was replaying the past and keeping a close eye on Hyeonseo. We were already on our way to the shooting range together; wasn’t it a bit late to be asking about class assignments?

　　"Geumi and I are in Class 3," Seonho answered before I could, ever the perceptive one. He must have noticed my grim expression.

　　"I… I’m in Class 3, too. Looks like we’re in the same class again this year."

　　"Ah, what! How come I’m the only one in Class 2?" Kang Yoon roared in frustration at Seonho and Hyeonseo’s words. I’d been so preoccupied that I’d forgotten—if Kang Yoon was in Class 2, why was he on this Butler with us?

　　"What’s first period for Class 2?" I asked.

　　"First Aid Practice."

　　"We’re on our way to the shooting range," Seonho pointed out. "It’s at the South Gate, same as us, but the medical lab is pretty far from the range."

　　"Are you serious…? You’re right." Seonho’s pointed question seemed to finally dawn on Kang Yoon, and his face fell in despair. But he also seemed to realize it was too late to turn back. "Ah, damn it."

　　"Should I stop the Butler?"

　　"No, it’s still faster this way. I’ll just run from where you guys get off." Shaking his head at Seonho’s offer, Kang Yoon immediately pulled out his tablet from his bag, likely calculating the distance between the shooting range and the first aid lab. "Oh, it’s closer than I thought!"

　　His scowl instantly vanished, replaced by a bright smile. He must have figured he could just barely make it on time if he sprinted. Simple-minded fool. It’s written all over his face.

　　Beep— Beep-beep— Beeeep—

　　Amidst a bit of static, the Butler announced our arrival. Since it was a cross class, several other Butlers were already parked in front of the shooting range.

　　"Looks like we’re here," Seonho announced.

　　Kang Yoon shot up from his seat, unable to sit still. He kept glancing at his watch, clearly antsy. Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer and prepared to jump out of the still-moving Butler.

　　"Prez, Sogeum, I’m getting off here! Park Hyeonseo! Good luck with your practice!"

　　"Ugh… Y-yeah… You too, Yoonie."

　　Before dashing off, Kang Yoon slapped his roommate on the back a couple of times. For a friendly gesture, it was surprisingly forceful, nearly knocking Hyeonseo’s glasses off his face. As Kang Yoon leaped from the Butler, I shouted after him.

　　"Kang Yoon!"

　　He turned immediately, his flamboyant hair whipping in the wind. His eyes were filled with confusion. Right, he’s in a hurry. I got straight to the point.

　　"First Aid Practice… you don’t have to do it in the lab, right?"

　　"Uh…? I guess not?"

　　"Can you ask the teacher? See if about half the class can come over to the shooting range for the lesson."

　　Even as I said it, I knew it was a long shot. But you never know, right? The same accident could happen again, so it was better to have some insurance.

　　"Actually, it’d be great if everyone came!"

　　"What are you talking about?"

　　Kang Yoon looked conflicted. My tone was far too serious for him to dismiss it as a joke.

　　"Sorry, I know it doesn’t make sense! But please… just ask him. You have to!"

　　My unusual behavior seemed to startle Seonho and Hyeonseo as well. Kang Yoon looked like he wanted to say more, but a glance at his watch reminded him of the time. He gave a short nod.

　　"Alright. I’ll ask, but… Sogeum, if this is some weird prank, you’re gonna get it later!"

　　With that, he sprinted off toward his class, his red hair fluttering in the harsh winter wind. Soon, the parking chime stopped, signaling that the Butler had come to a complete halt.

　　"We’ll be late. Let’s go." I grabbed the still-confused Seonho and Park Hyeonseo and led them into the training facility. And, of course, I decided to keep Hyeonseo glued to my side until shooting practice was over.

　　"Park Hyeonseo, you’re sticking with me today."

　　"Huh… wh-what? Okay." He jumped in surprise when I proactively linked my arm with his. Sorry, but you’ll have to bear with it. You’re stuck to me like glue for the day.

　　"What’s going on? This isn’t like you, Geumi," Seonho asked immediately, his suspicion piqued. Hyeonseo, being dragged along by my arm, also blinked at me from behind his thick glasses.

　　"I had a really bad dream… I’m feeling anxious. I need to stick with Park Hyeonseo today."

　　"Why Hyeonseo?"

　　"Uh… today’s lucky item for Gemini is horn-rimmed glasses. And Hyeonseo wears glasses."

　　"That’s your reason?"

　　It was a mistake. I, who usually couldn’t care less about horoscopes or even personality types, was using this as an excuse. Hyeonseo, being dragged along, smiled innocently and said things like, "Oh, Geumi, you’re a Gemini?" but it didn’t work on Seonho. My flimsy excuse only made him stare at me with even more confusion.

　　"A bad dream? Geumi, you were sleeping just fine, like always."

　　"I just don’t show it. Anyway, why are you secretly watching me sleep, Han Seonho?"

　　"Secretly? Your bed is right next to mine when I open my eyes."

　　To my joke about him spying on me, he replied that he was watching me openly. He had a point, but… why was he so confident about it?

　　Anyway, bickering with Seonho, we entered the practice hall, which was already filled with a mix of familiar and new faces. They’re all here already.

　　The number of students from Guide Class 3 in their cream-colored activity uniforms and Esper Class 1 in their dark navy ones seemed about even. Unlike our school uniforms, which only differed in color, the activity uniforms varied by department. espers were given custom-fit, navy blue outfits suited to their abilities, while guides received identically designed, light-colored ones. Not that anyone complained; they were high-quality clothes provided exclusively for SAA students.

　　As I scanned the shooting range, I spotted an unexpected face. He never showed up to cross classes before, and I’d never cared enough to know which class he was in, so I’d missed it.

　　Yoon Geonwoo was in Class 1?

　　Seeing him for the first time since that night, in such a bright, open space, felt strangely new. He was standing in a corner of the range, staring at something, and he looked like he’d lost more weight in the past few days. His already sharp jawline was even more defined, making his cheeks look hollow. He looked better than he had that day, steeped in a critical level of contamination and potent Helper Killer drugs, but… was he even eating? The only things scattered around his room had been countless medicine packets and water bottles. A guy who abused his own body like that wasn’t likely to eat proper meals.

　　No, why am I worrying about him?

　　As I shook my head to clear my thoughts, Geonwoo, who had been staring off into the distance, suddenly turned his head. Our eyes met head-on. I was so startled that I flinched and looked away, my reaction painfully obvious. He didn’t see that, did he? If he did… damn it, an S-Class probably has perfect vision.

　　A cascade of thoughts tumbled through my mind, and my heart began to pound like a drum. I kept my head down as Seonho and Hyeonseo, who I was still clinging to, asked if I was sick or if I was okay to attend class. I just shook my head vigorously, staring at the floor.

　　Then it occurred to me—I hadn’t committed some unforgivable sin. Why did I need to avoid his gaze? At this point, I felt like I was making a huge fuss over nothing. Right, now wasn’t the time to worry about a gaunt-looking Yoon Geonwoo. I needed to focus on getting through today’s gun accident safely. Just as I steeled my resolve, the bell rang.

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