HLSEBT - 70

I wonder where he left his tie. His school uniform looked unusually light today. Even the jacket he always wore was missing.

“Nothing to say?”

Yoon Tae-ha, who had been observing his neatly rolled-up sleeves, replied indifferently.

“What is there to say?”

“You said you’d give me a ride.”

He, too, had already stuck a straw into his drink and spoke with a playful tone. She asked what he wanted as if taking an order.

“Where do you want to go?”

“We need to get good results in the evaluations.”

Cheon Geon-young whispered in a voice only she could hear.

“I’ve never done anything but come in first.”

The man acted as if he had just revealed some monumental fact, then straightened his posture after leaning forward.

Nodding as if impressed by his greatness, Yoon Tae-ha twirled her fork around the tomato spaghetti. The cheese was seriously lacking, but it was still the best dish this cafeteria offered.

After taking a bite of spaghetti, Yoon Tae-ha said,

“Kang Jin-ho warned me not to aim for first place.”

“Scary.”

“What about Yeo Pil-joon?”

“Yeo Pil-joon isn’t interested in the evaluations.”

“Then?”

Cheon Geon-young made a circle with his thumb and index finger. Aha. The working adult quickly understood.

“It seems Hwang Seong-bin asked him. Something like, ‘Could you partner with Kang Jin-ho?’“

“He could have done it himself.”

Cheon Geon-young answered calmly.

“It seemed like Hong Eun-soo caught his eye.”

“...Really?”

Cheon Geon-young, who had spread runny strawberry jam on a morning bun, confirmed it. Yoon Tae-ha recalled the murderous aura of the twenty-year-old who called Hwang Seong-bin a steamed bun squashed in a rice cooker and chuckled dryly.

“Eun-soo will like that. She’s quite ambitious.”

“A love triangle?”

“No. Those two are mutual, and one side...”

She trailed off, but Cheon Geon-young seemed to understand perfectly.

The two left the cafeteria and headed straight to the convenience store. It was part of the routine. Skipping it might earn them strange looks from other students.

While Yoon Tae-ha memorized the faces of students approaching the pen section, Cheon Geon-young bought two bottles of cold water and sour candies students loved for staying awake.

After purchasing everything they needed, they immediately left the store.

Thinking about the upcoming training, Yoon Tae-ha brought up the topic.

“Joint classes start in two days, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why I came to observe.”

“Figures.”

The sun set faster than in summer. They walked under streetlights that had turned on earlier than usual.

“Since when did you know I was in the control room?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Yoon Tae-ha replied matter-of-factly.

“Right after I entered. I watched properly from Kang Jin-ho’s turn.”

He knew exactly when she had taken her seat. While she spoke, Cheon Geon-young took advantage of the pause to sip from his water bottle.

“At that distance, things are visible without effort.”

“You could become a sniper.”

“I’ve heard that before. Seriously. But I find it hard to stay still.”

The autumn breeze gently pushed them forward. It was so refreshing that neither felt any resistance.

Wearing identical slippers, the two climbed a high hill.

They arrived at the fork where guides and espers always parted ways. After finishing their studies at the library, they always separated here.

Yoon Tae-ha had to go to the right path. She paused briefly before the road she was supposed to take.

There wasn’t much to say.

Yet, she felt like walking a little longer together. They hadn’t exchanged any profound conversations. Perhaps the pleasant weather had lifted her spirits.

They had said goodbye dozens of times in the same spot. Today wasn’t special. Yet, feeling as though they had arrived at the dormitory too quickly, she found herself extending the moment unusually.

“Uh...”

Yoon Tae-ha called out to him. Cheon Geon-young turned slightly.

She started to say something but stopped upon noticing two students approaching from behind.

The boy and girl were walking hand in hand, shoulders pressed tightly together.

A couple steeped in love squeezed between the awkwardly standing pair at opposite ends of the path. Judging by the books they carried, the girl was the guide.

“No, no, how is that your fault? I missed because I was looking at your face. Your ear almost fell off!”

“I distracted you. That’s why it misfired. So, I’m also at fault.”

“Don’t say that. It makes me sad.”

“Even if it’s sad, you’re cute, so it’s okay.”

“If I ever pierce your ear, I’ll pierce the other side right away.”

They passed the two as if they were stone statues at Jeju Airport, seemingly unaware of their presence.

Yoon Tae-ha averted her gaze from the students who likely broke hundreds of school rules and stared into the void.

Cheon Geon-young, having emptied his plastic bottle, decided to focus on the embossed patterns of the bottle instead.

The conversation brimming with hearts faded away. Yoon Tae-ha and Cheon Geon-young’s eyes met. Caught between awkwardness and embarrassment, they burst into nervous laughter.

Cheon Geon-young ran a hand through his hair once and deliberately spoke in a stiff tone.

“My ear isn’t happening.”

It was a reference to the girl’s words. Yoon Tae-ha shook her head and added another layer of humor.

“How can you be so cruel? You could at least consider it.”

Her tone was impressive. She couldn’t help but smile at her own joke.

Cheon Geon-young stepped over to the fork where she stood.

Three steps were enough.

“What were you going to say?”

Seeing him approach, Yoon Tae-ha smirked.

“I wanted to ask for your help during joint training. We’ll be doing various dangerous exercises.”

“If I visit the school I graduated from, I probably wouldn’t say that.”

“Why? Are the kids there also chaotic?”

“Not much different from here. They learn slowly over three years, so it’s even more hectic.”

“More chaotic than here?”

She looked slightly surprised. At that moment, the hair tie she was wearing snapped with a soft sound. Feeling her wrist, she realized she had forgotten to buy extra hair ties at the convenience store.

Coincidentally, there were none left in the dorm either.

“I need to go back. I forgot to buy hair ties at the store.”

A small sigh escaped at the thought of retracing the bothersome path alone. As she prepared to leave, Cheon Geon-young’s hand stopped her.

Dangling from his hand was a bundle of colorful hair ties, slightly more vibrant than the ones she usually used.

“This?”

“...Yeah.”

Cheon Geon-young placed the hair ties on her palm. Yoon Tae-ha stared at him blankly. He looked strangely pleased.

“You carry them around?”

“You break them often. If you don’t have one every time we eat, you look for it.”

She gripped the rustling plastic bag tightly.

Cheon Geon-young intended to send her back to the dorm first. This time, Yoon Tae-ha stubbornly resisted, even bringing up outdated agent protocols about not turning one’s back. She insisted he leave first.

After glancing at her twice, he finally gestured for her to go, and she completely turned around.

She stood still until his figure disappeared entirely from the road.

The winding path, now fully lit by streetlights, caught her gaze as she prepared to return to the dorm.

She looked down the road they had ascended together. Each light shone brightly.

________________________________________

The shelter’s convenience store had suffered a significant drop in sales since the beginning of the week. The shadow over the store owner’s face deepened.

There was no specific reason. Joint training had begun.

Two days later, Yoon Tae-ha participated in the very training that had caused all the students to stop buying snacks.

The joint training, which started with the graduating A-class and Z-class, had now come full circle and reached its final stage.

It was G-class and T-class’s turn.

Arriving at the swimming pool, which smelled faintly of disinfectant, Yoon Tae-ha stood beside Hong Eun-soo, who was solemnly warming up.

Seeing her approach, Hong Eun-soo softly exclaimed, “Oh.” Her gaze was overt.

Yoon Tae-ha frowned slightly.

“What’s there to see? It’s not much different from morning workouts. With gear on, only hands and feet will show.”

“You stand out too much.”

Hong Eun-soo raised an eyebrow once and resumed her stretches. Yoon Tae-ha joined her, loosening up her body.

In the middle of stretching, Hong Eun-soo noticed a group of boys emerging on the opposite side and muttered to herself,

“Thankfully, Gwon Min-gi isn’t there.”

“Thankfully?”

“Lately, I haven’t been able to work out, so my body isn’t toned enough.”

“You look fine to me.”

“Don’t lie. Not with that body.”

“Just be careful at first—it’s no joke. What about you?”

Though she spoke coolly, it didn’t faze Hong Eun-soo, who took a step forward and splashed water from the pool with her foot. Unable to use her powers, there was nothing else to do but accept the splash.

“...Eun-soo. There’s someone I want to introduce you to later.”

After dodging just in time, she brushed off the droplets clinging to the ends of her hair. Hong Eun-soo brightened.

“Who? Handsome?”

“Handsome and incredibly beautiful.”

“Does he dress well?”

“All of the above. Even his voice is nice.”

“Thank goodness Gwon Min-gi isn’t here...”

Yoon Tae-ha suddenly felt sorry for Gwon Min-gi, whom she hadn’t even had a proper conversation with. How does he manage living with this girl? From what she said, he seemed quiet and thoughtful.

Hong Eun-soo, excitedly twisting her waist, turned her head.

“Do you know what class we’re having today?”

“Underwater escape training.”

“Are you a good swimmer?”

“I know the basics.”

Hearing this, Hong Eun-soo muttered despairingly,

“I hate swimming the most. It’s like computers—water gets in and they break.”

At that moment, the pool water rippled threateningly. Hong Eun-soo resumed stretching with renewed vigor.

“There will be many instructors in today’s class. Nothing dangerous will happen.”

Yoon Tae-ha reassured her.

“That’s the scary part, and you don’t even realize it. By the way, you haven’t met Teacher Kim Doo-eon yet, right?”

“No, this is the first time.”

“You can look forward to it. Really.”

The two finished their stretches and headed to the assembly point.