HLSEBT - 71

The clean water in the swimming pool rippled gently.

The glass ceiling, designed for teleportation training, allowed the morning sunlight to pour in. The vastness of the pool, reminiscent of a wave pool, was covered in blue tiles and boasted high ceilings.

As a result, everything visible was bathed in blue.

Yoon Tae-ha, who enjoyed being in the water, felt slightly more excited than usual.

She had spent a long time in underwater rehabilitation after a major injury, so water felt familiar to her.

“I hate underwater training the most... Teleportation training would be better.”

“Didn’t you break your nose doing that? And you call it fun?”

“It’s really satisfying when done properly!”

While Yoon Tae-ha listened to Hong Eun-soo and another esper’s conversation, she waited for the class to begin.

From the opposite entrance emerged ten instructors with impressive physiques. The seasoned-looking man at the front shouted,

“Everyone, go to your partner’s side!”

He seemed cut from the same cloth as Son In-chang.

Yoon Tae-ha looked around for Cheon Geon-young. She hadn’t seen him come out of that entrance earlier. Just then, a voice came from behind her.

“Who are you looking for so eagerly?”

Her skin prickled as if touched by cold water, though it wasn’t.

Cheon Geon-young, whose physique was undoubtedly the best here—even among the instructors—naturally approached her. He could easily pass for a young instructor rather than a student.

She acknowledged him briefly with her eyes before averting her gaze.

“It’s a great day for training, isn’t it?”

The lead instructor, Kim Doo-eon, greeted them with a booming voice.

He reassured the students standing stiffly not to be nervous, though his words were hollow. Only two students appeared calm—Yoon Tae-ha, who enjoyed water, and Cheon Geon-young, who was well-versed in training.

Kim Doo-eon carefully observed the two at the front and began speaking.

“Recently, there have been more cracks forming above the sea. Of course, predicting cracks is something the smart people upstairs handle.”

The nine instructors stood beside a massive steel set piece prepared in advance. It resembled the middle section of a plane divided into three parts.

“You’re all familiar with this, right? It’s a cabin.”

The instructors moved it with machinery.

“My job is to prepare for cases where predictions fail.”

The set piece was placed on the water’s surface.

Plop.

At the sound, like the overture to the training, the students grew uneasy. The nine instructors with muscular arms jumped into the water one by one.

As Kim Doo-eon explained, Yoon Tae-ha exchanged a brief glance with Cheon Geon-young. Today’s session included only instructors unrelated to amplifiers.

After discussing the risks of helicopter and plane crashes, the instructor pointed to the floating set piece. Its front and back were cut off, leaving gaping holes.

“In short, we’ve placed a set resembling the interior of a helicopter or plane in the pool, and you’ll practice escaping from it.”

The espers who disliked water shut their eyes tightly.

“Of course...”

As Kim Doo-eon paused dramatically, the students clung to hope. He shattered it with a refreshing smile.

“It’s designed to make escaping slightly harder than real-life scenarios. You’re in the graduating class and will be deployed to the front lines.”

Intelligence-type espers like Hong Eun-soo sighed audibly, but Kim Doo-eon remained unfazed.

“Anyone who can fly? Or perform free flight? Animal-types?”

Yoon Tae-ha couldn’t fly freely either, yet she felt Cheon Geon-young’s gaze on her.

“Actually, I’m a bird?”

Two students burst into uncontrollable fake coughs, trying to suppress their laughter.

“If no one qualifies, this will be useful training for everyone.”

Having outlined the overview, Kim Doo-eon picked up a waterproof-covered tablet to call the first participant.

Everyone prayed desperately, “Please, not me,” with all their might. To their relief, the entire class was spared—for now.

“Gwon Hee-seong? Where’s Gwon Hee-seong?”

Cheon Geon-young raised his hand. Yoon Tae-ha suddenly realized his alias started with “G.”

She had vaguely thought of Cheon Geon-young’s “C,” assuming he’d be last.

She had planned to watch the struggles of others and breeze through herself.

“It’s not strictly alphabetical. I saw a handsome name on the first page and decided to call it.”

Kim Doo-eon grinned, showing his white, even teeth, glancing at the two at the front.

“The name lives up to its worth!”

The students nodded in agreement. Hong Eun-soo seemed pleased that these two had been chosen as sacrifices.

“Partners, hold hands and come forward.”

Though Cheon Geon-young didn’t intend to run, he grabbed her hand.

He gripped it tighter than usual—firmly. Yoon Tae-ha stole a quick glance at his expression.

Nothing had changed, yet it bothered her.

The instructors handed out minimal equipment: helmets, protective goggles, and an emergency underwater breathing apparatus with limited oxygen supply.

“We’ll intervene in dangerous moments. Don’t worry too much.”

A young instructor spoke to her. She nodded. The sight of the massive scrap metal floating in the water wasn’t unfamiliar.

Kim Doo-eon asked which of the two would go first, referring to escaping alone. Cheon Geon-young immediately responded,

“I’ll go.”

“Good. We’ve cleaned the water, so get in.”

Yoon Tae-ha entered the pool under another instructor’s guidance. The instructor wore an oxygen tank.

“When I give the signal, dive in together and observe how your partner escapes. For now, we’ll share my breathing apparatus.”

She nodded.

“If there are deficiencies, compensate for them. If there’s something to learn, don’t miss it.”

Watching Cheon Geon-young board the set piece occupied by one instructor, she nodded solemnly.

Instructors held the floating set piece above the water, ready to pull it down at any moment.

She felt tense.

It wasn’t fear of the upcoming training—it was the fact that this man showed no signs of being different from usual.

Cheon Geon-young was a soldier trained for special situations. He must have undergone countless drills. Just as she was accustomed to everything about Shelter.

Still, something gnawed at her, like a small pebble in her shoe. Yoon Tae-ha kicked her legs underwater to relax as much as possible.

“Ready?”

Kim Doo-eon glanced at Cheon Geon-young and the instructor inside. When the instructor inside signaled, he gave the command.

“Begin.”

At that moment, the set piece with Cheon Geon-young flipped vertically. Its cross-section exposed everyone to the sight of his body upside down.

A startled student screamed.

“Kyaaah!”

Her partner quickly covered her mouth instead.

Kim Doo-eon didn’t reprimand the screaming student.

“It flips as it goes in? Like spinning a barrel?”

“Crazy. I’m already getting dizzy.”

“I want to leave early. I want to leave early.”

“Teacher, does everyone go in like that?”

Hong Eun-soo’s urgent question to Kim Doo-eon was audible.

“Should we customize it individually?”

Despite the commotion, Yoon Tae-ha focused entirely on Cheon Geon-young.

The set piece holding Cheon Geon-young spun several times before fully submerging, like a giant ship propeller turning underwater.

“...It’s not a hamster wheel, what is this?”

“Hamsters spin because they want to. This… this isn’t the same.”

“Are they spinning multiple times?”

“I thought they’d spin once neatly and go in. Cotton candy needs multiple spins to have enough to eat.”

“Cotton candy?”

“Don’t expect success on the first try. Relax and do your best.”

Amidst someone’s shocked voice, the instructor beside her signaled to dive.

Yoon Tae-ha bit into the breathing apparatus and sank below the surface.

Her ears immediately felt clogged.

For a while, her vision blurred due to the distorted water droplets. A world unfolded before her, like cellophane paper dyed blue.

Following the instructor’s directions, she swam closer to the bottom of the set piece. The depth here was considerable.

Cheon Geon-young waited for the instructor’s signal. As soon as the instructor lowered his hand, Cheon Geon-young began to move.

Calmly unfastening his safety belt and disconnecting the ring attached to the shoulder holster, he started opening one of the closed windows.

The instructor who had given Yoon Tae-ha the breathing apparatus raised a thumbs-up.

He’s doing well.

Reassured by the clear meaning, she relaxed.

No sooner had the instructor lowered his thumb than Cheon Geon-young found an exit.

The heavy-looking window opened.

With movements so smooth she couldn’t look away, he exited the set piece. Yoon Tae-ha thought it was the first time she had seen someone swim so beautifully.

An instructor waiting deeper for safety clapped underwater.

Lost in watching him, Yoon Tae-ha slowly sank downward, momentarily forgetting she was underwater.

The instructor signaled her to return. Seeing her approach, he pointed to the surface with his index finger.

Time to go up.

Yoon Tae-ha slowly ascended.

As soon as she surfaced, thunderous applause erupted. Still disoriented, she turned toward the source of the sound.

The students gawked in admiration. Even Kim Su-chan was clapping.

Kim Doo-eon lavished praise on Cheon Geon-young, who had already exited the pool.

“Highly impressive. Almost the shortest time possible. Seems like being a soldier suits you. Student Gwon Hee-seong.”

Thank goodness.

Thinking this, she emerged from the water. Cheon Geon-young, who had already dried off somewhat, approached and half-supported her as she staggered.

“Are you okay?”

Feeling she had answered the wrong person, Yoon Tae-ha nodded. Kim Doo-eon joked lightheartedly to her.

“Your partner seems like a veteran rookie.”

You’ve got sharp eyes.

“How about you try next, student?”

________________________________________

By now, Yoon Tae-ha was inside a set piece resembling a military helicopter. She checked the sturdy rings and the safety belts, which seemed difficult to undo all at once.

“Are you a good swimmer?”

The instructor, wearing a hat fixed with straps under his chin like those seen at resorts, grinned at her. In the center of the hat was an orange sun character wearing sunglasses.

“I completed advanced survival training.”

“That’s sufficient. It’s not the ocean.”

The instructor stood holding a long handle attached to the ceiling. With a stylishly grown beard, he gently pulled stray hairs caught in the straps as he spoke.

“You watched your partner escape underwater, right?”

“Yes.”

“To be honest, since he did so well, it might feel burdensome. I couldn’t move that smoothly until after ten tries myself.”

Yoon Tae-ha nodded. Though the sides were open, strangely, once seated, almost no outside noise reached her.

She glanced sideways to confirm that Cheon Geon-young, like her earlier, was floating near the pool wall.

“You’ll rotate twice.”

“Isn’t it five times?”

“Five times was actually us overdoing it under the teacher’s orders.”

Even knowing her protective goggles hid her expression, Yoon Tae-ha widened her eyes in surprise.

The instructor, feeling oddly apologetic, chuckled while shaking his beard.