OL Ch 11

Chapter 11

“You’re back quickly.”

“Yeah. Not many students were at the cafeteria since lunchtime is soon.”

They likely avoided it on purpose. Regardless, Mookyeong tilted his head towards Choi Seonghan.

“Excuse me.”

“Huh? Ohh?”

“I’m feeling agitated, so could you please step aside?”

Choi Seonghan hastily nodded and retreated. Meanwhile, Hayun searched for his preferred bread among the various types Mookyeong had purchased.

“Take your time eating. I’ve arranged for your next class to be personal training time.”

For combatants, their physical condition sometimes made it challenging to control their impulses. To address this, they could request dedicated solo practice sessions. During these times, they would visit individual training grounds in the annex building to regulate their energy levels independently.

Naturally, there were instances of misuse for reasons such as sleeping, so same-day requests were usually not granted easily. However, Baek Mookyeong had no issues due to his strong support from the administration office.

Mookyeong moved to the annex building and entered his dedicated training area. Using psychic power, he subtly adjusted the CCTV camera angles before placing Hayun on a mat hidden from view.

“Don’t get too close with other kids. I might get jealous.”

“Hey, that’s not being friendly! You’re just picking fights.”

“Just ignore them. They’re harmless.”

“You don’t know me well enough yet.” Hayun gently stroked Mookyeong’s cheek. As he mentioned jealousy, Mookyeong’s eyes flashed aggressively upon entering the classroom earlier. Hayun was fully aware of what typically followed when Mookyeong’s eyes gleamed like that.

Contrary to his usual gentle demeanor, Baek Mookyeong occasionally displayed aggressive behavior.

“Those clueless bastards. If Kim Hayun does anything for me, I’ll have no regrets.”

“…..”

“Or I can do it myself. How about that? Will you allow me?”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

Instead of answering, Mookyeong gave a meaningful smile. Shaking his head, Hayun picked up a bag of bread. Just as he was about to open it, Mookyeong leaned closer.

“Hayun, I want more jelly.”

“…No way. Let’s go eat some pork cutlets instead.”

Hayun put down the bread and grabbed Mookyeong’s wrist, preparing to stand up. However, Mookyeong giggled but didn’t budge. Instead, he embraced Hayun tightly and whispered seductively into his ear:

“You…”

“All I can think about right now is…”

“This is why you brought me here, isn’t it?”

“Nope, I’m trying to put you to sleep.”

“I sense impure intentions.”

“Jell…mmph.”

The best way to stop nonsense was to silence his mouth. Hayun wrapped his arms around Mookyeong’s neck and kissed him. However, he refrained from deepening it with their tongues intertwining.

After barely managing to suppress his raging impulses, Hayun lay down on Mookyeong’s thighs. Contrary to his initial plan of catching up on sleep and having a snack, he turned on his smartphone instead. As soon as he opened a web browser, a breaking news alert popped up on the main portal site.

It reported that authorities had apprehended a group suspected of orchestrating a series of kidnapping-murder cases, and they were currently pursuing Kim (last name), believed to be the mastermind behind the organization.

“…..”

Hayun turned to look at Mookyeong, who seemed to have reached the same conclusion, meeting Hayun’s gaze. Simultaneously, both opened their mouths to speak.

“This article…”

“One more kiss won’t hurt, right?”

“…Uh, not allowed.”

“Just one. Then I promise not to bother you until we get home.” Mookyeong whispered as he playfully tweaked Hayun’s earlobe. The gentle touch reminded him of their early morning encounter. He swatted away his hand and glared at him, but Mookyeong nonchalantly wiggled his leg.

Hayun couldn’t help but chuckle at this uncharacteristic behavior from Mookyeong. After some hesitation, he held out his phone towards him. Mookyeong pushed it aside with his finger. Hayun pretended to move his hand away before swiftly bringing it back in front of his eyes.

“…What’s up?”

“They caught the group behind those serial kidnappings and murders, didn’t they?”

Finally, Mookyeong’s gaze shifted. Once he finished reading the article, Hayun searched for additional related news.

In that brief moment, several more articles had popped up on the screen. Hayun selected one of them and played its accompanying video clip.

[The Pinocchio gang responsible for kidnapping and murdering espers in Yangpyeong County has been apprehended. The police have applied for an arrest warrant for Geppetto Kim Deukcheol, who organized the group, while tracking him down with assistance from the Special Forces Unit. According to testimonies from captured members, Kim Deukcheol conducted shocking experiments aimed at creating new espers using the bodies of kidnapped victims. Let’s go live to the scene for updates.]

A composite sketch of Kim Deukcheol appeared on one side of the screen. He sported curly hair with significant gray streaks, a bushy beard, protruding teeth, and a jutting lower lip. His physique seemed average for his age; without the beard, he would likely blend in easily. Hayun clicked his tongue, realizing how difficult it would be to identify him.

“Oh boy, this crazy bastard. I had a feeling something like this would happen. Why do these lunatics always resurface just when we forget about them?” Hayun clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“How did they catch his tail?”

“They haven’t confirmed that yet.”

“Let me see.” Mookyeong took Hayun’s phone and started browsing through the articles. Hayun leaned over to watch what Mookyeong was reading. With espers mobilized for the pursuit, Geppetto Kim Deukcheol wouldn’t last long.

“That’s why you should choose decent nicknames or aliases. When it hits the news, your nickname appears alongside your age and real name. It sounds weird, doesn’t it? Like ‘Geppetto Kim Deukcheol, 45 years old.'”

“Well, as long as I don’t appear on TV, it shouldn’t matter. I’m not doing anything illegal anyway.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Mookyeong stared at Hayun before letting out a snort. It seemed like he was thinking it would be hard for Hayun to live without committing any wrongdoings. Feeling indignant, Hayun’s eyes widened towards Mookyeong. However, he refrained from responding further, not wanting to make matters worse and hear the saying ‘a thief shooting himself in the foot’.

“Should we wait until after the shortened school schedule ends or finish now?”

“Hmm… It might be better to catch him first. He’s already unhinged, and he has nothing left to lose.”

“But what if he gets captured willingly, hoping to fulfill his unachieved dream later?”

“He’s killed numerous people. Moreover, most of them were underage espers, so he can’t avoid harsher penalties. If sentenced, he’d likely spend the rest of his life confined in an underground shelter.”

“What if the government is interested in his research results? What if they fake his death and let him continue his work?”

“It sounds like you’ve watched too many movies, Hayun.”

Mookyeong teased him, but Hayun persisted.

“Or what if he escapes from the surveillance net?”

“The adults will handle it somehow. That’s why we pay them their hefty salaries with our taxes,” Mookyeong responded nonchalantly.

“Hey, it’s because there are adults like uncle and teacher who have to clean up the mess. Can’t I even worry?”

“There’s no point worrying unnecessarily. Instead, focus on me.”

“Why me?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Seeing Mookyeong’s perplexed expression, Hayun burst out laughing. When asked why he was giggling, he didn’t answer directly. Instead, he stood up, stopping just inches away from Mookyeong, and posed a question:

“What do you plan to do later if you keep acting like this now? You should behave appropriately as a student.”

“Just try something first. Give it a shot.”

“I won’t even attempt it.” Mookyeong leaned closer to Hayun, seemingly challenging his stance.

However, Hayun swiftly retreated and avoided his approach. As they danced around each other, Hayun suddenly draped his arm around Mookyeong’s neck. Sensing he might try to escape, Mookyeong wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. Instead of moving any further, he obediently closed his eyes. Hayun studied Mookyeong with his eyes shut before gently closing his own and kissing him. Their warm lips met softly, their breaths tickling each other’s cheeks.

Mookyeong tightened his grip around his waist, pulling Hayun closer so he couldn’t escape even if he tried to turn away from their kiss. With a soft sigh, Hayun cracked open one eye and asked:

“When are you going to let go of my lips?”

“I want to keep doing this.”

“You’re ridiculous.” He lightly smacked Mookyeong’s arm, producing a sharp sound despite not hitting him hard. Still locked onto his mouth, Mookyeong mumbled about the pain before looking at Hayun. Their proximity made it challenging for them to maintain eye contact without discomfort.

Eventually, Hayun closed his eyes first. Victorious in their unspoken contest, Mookyeong smiled softly and gently nibbled on his lips.

“Hayun.”

“……”

“Hayun.”

“What?”

“Can I confess my feelings now?”

“No, don’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I still prefer being just friends with you.”