IGWKE Episode 17

Episode 17

Since Yoon-ui insisted he was fine, Heon-ju had no choice but to sit down at the café table. However, it was clear he had no intention of drinking the coffee; he didn’t even pick up the cup, leaving it untouched on the table.

“I’ll buy you coffee from the café out front next time. We can go outside.”

“You’ve already bought me coffee once, that’s enough.”

“But I ‘want’ to buy you coffee.”

“What’s with a kid like you buying me things all the time?”

It wasn’t as if Yoon-ui couldn’t afford his own coffee, especially not from someone twelve years younger. More than that, he simply didn’t want to venture outside the center for coffee. Still, seeing the determined look on Heon-ju’s face as he prepared to insist again, Yoon-ui sighed and admitted the truth about himself.

“I don’t really go outside the center much.”

“Why not?”

“I just… I don’t like going out.”

Heon-ju looked like he was about to ask, ‘Why not?’ again, but seemed to realize his persistence, so he closed his mouth. Still, his curiosity was written all over his face. Yoon-ui, uncomfortable under his gaze, averted his eyes and awkwardly explained further.

“I’ve been here since middle school, so I guess it’s just habit.”

“Didn’t you go to school?”

“Back then, training for Espers counted as mandatory education, so I did my schooling here.”

“Oh…”

The arrival of Espers and gates had forced the government to come up with many trial-and-error solutions, and Yoon-ui had been one of the results of those early policies.

Not that he thought it was a bad thing. He didn’t attend a regular school, but he spent almost all day, every day, with other Espers his age, and as a top student, he enjoyed the respect and pride that came with that. In fact, for someone like him, who was naturally a bit introverted, the small circle of Esper peers was easier to handle.

The problem came after his mandatory service ended, and his friends began to leave, one by one, returning to civilian life. About half of the guides he knew chose to retire at that point.

Of those who remained, another quarter died in action. The remaining few, traumatized, also left. Now, there were barely five of his peers left in active duty, and even those had mostly lost touch over the last five years.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t appreciate good coffee or socialize, but with such limited interaction with civilians and never having ventured farther from the center than the gates since middle school, a café across a four-lane road felt too far for someone like him.

‘Did I mess up again?’

The atmosphere had grown a bit heavy, and Yoon-ui mentally scolded himself for bringing up such somber topics in front of a younger person. Just as he was about to fall into self-loathing, Heon-ju, scrunching his face in disgust after taking a sip of coffee, broke the silence.

“When I was in middle school, I got assigned to a school that was far enough away that I had to take the bus. Back then, the school assignments were completely random.”

“Mine was random too. What do you think I am, some fossil from the 1980s?”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Yoon-ui responded, rolling his eyes as Heon-ju let out a bright laugh that didn’t quite match his broad frame.

“So, my mom used to give me bus fare for the whole month at the start of each month. Back then, there was this huge trend for brand-name sneakers. I really wanted a pair, but my mom refused to buy them because she said my feet were growing too fast.”

“Sounds like your mom was being practical.”

Predicting that Heon-ju might pout, Yoon-ui purposely teased him with that response. As expected, a brief flash of disappointment crossed his face before he smiled again like a happy puppy and continued his story.

“So, guess what I did?”

“Stole them?”

“No way! I’m not that kind of person!”

Heon-ju protested, his honesty and indignation so clear that Yoon-ui couldn’t help but enjoy the moment, even forgetting the bitter taste of the coffee. He grinned as he propped his chin on his hand.

“Okay, then what did you do?”

“Well, I used all my savings, allowance, and bus fare to buy the shoes.”

“And?”

“I ran to school.”

“How long did it take you to run?”

“About 30 minutes.”

“…If it were me, I’d just wear straw sandals and take the bus.”

“What’s a straw sandal?”

Amused by the sheer youthful energy of his middle school story, Yoon-ui shook his head in disbelief. Meanwhile, the unfamiliar term “straw sandals” seemed to have struck a chord with Heon-ju, who slapped the table, laughing uncontrollably.

Once he’d had his fill of laughter, he gulped down the awful coffee, grimacing, before turning to Yoon-ui with a suddenly serious expression.

“Anyway, I’m the kind of person who’s really passionate about getting what I want.”

Suddenly, there was something very ‘S-class Esper-like’ about his face. Yoon-ui was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. He wasn’t used to being hit with such direct declarations and wasn’t sure how to respond.

For a moment, he found himself staring at Heon-ju. The young man, who usually seemed soft and harmless, now appeared with a strong jawline and prominent Adam’s apple. He realized that, at least in terms of romance and handling people, Heon-ju was far more skilled than he was.

Sensing the impact of his words, Heon-ju quickly shifted gears and lightened the mood.

“Once I get better at controlling my powers, we’ll go to that café I mentioned earlier. Deal?”

He mixed a bit of his usual charm into his request, giving Yoon-ui an easy way out of the conversation. It was comforting, having the choice handed to him, even though it was clear what answer Heon-ju hoped for.

Somehow, this young man, despite being much younger, handled social interactions with a finesse that made Yoon-ui rethink his initial assumptions. With a slight nod, he gave in.

“Alright. Though I’m not sure if that café will still be around by the time that happens…”

“Come on, it won’t take that long!”

“Better make sure you wish the owner good luck in business.”

“I’ve really been improving in training, you know?”

Heon-ju said, his voice a bit louder as he grasped Yoon-ui’s hand lightly, his eyes shining with sincerity.

“Thanks to you, sir.”

Caught off guard by the sudden touch, Yoon-ui awkwardly let some guiding flow through the palm of Heon-ju’s hand. It was his way of setting boundaries while still showing some care as a senior to his eager and adorable junior.

“Ah…”

Clearly not expecting the guiding, Heon-ju’s fire abilities flared up for a second, a small spark igniting on his flameproof shoulder, before his face turned a bright red. Yoon-ui chuckled as he gently withdrew his hand.

“I saw that spark just now.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“No, really, you didn’t.”

Despite his embarrassment, Heon-ju stubbornly denied it, which only made Yoon-ui laugh more. Teasing him further, Yoon-ui repeatedly tapped Heon-ju’s hand, sending short bursts of guiding through him like an electric shock. Finally, Heon-ju gave in, laughing shyly as he surrendered.

“I’m seriously going to go to that café every day and keep their business afloat.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’ll take my friends there, buy them all coffee, and make sure they get good sales.”

“Sure.”

Responding playfully, Yoon-ui watched as the confident, masculine demeanor of Heon-ju faded, replaced once again by the familiar, youthful face of a 20-year-old rookie Esper. It was a face that Yoon-ui had grown used to, and it made him feel more at ease.

However, their brief moment of peace didn’t last long.

“Oh? What are you doing here, Heon-ju?”

The voice that came from behind belonged to another Esper.

While Heon-ju’s face lit up at the sight of familiar faces, Yoon-ui’s smile disappeared instantly. Judging by how they approached, the Espers had already figured out that it was Yoon-ui sitting across from Heon-ju. Standing beside him like guards, the two Espers didn’t bother hiding their displeasure.

Completely unaware of the tension, Heon-ju greeted them cheerfully and tried to introduce them to Yoon-ui.

“These two are also Espers. They’re my seniors who help with my training. Their names are—”

“Who do you think knows more people here, me or you?” Yoon-ui cut him off with a light scolding, preventing any unnecessary introductions. He had no desire to exchange pleasantries with these Espers, especially when their dislike was so obvious.

The Espers, for their part, seemed equally uninterested in making friends with the notorious back-office guide. They shot Yoon-ui a disdainful look before one of them placed a hand on Heon-ju’s shoulder.

“…How do you know ‘that’ guide?”

‘That guide? What the hell kind of tone is that?’

Yoon-ui almost lost his temper right then and there, especially considering that this Esper was at least five years younger than him. But he held back, unwilling to start an argument in front of Heon-ju, particularly with people he barely knew.

Completely oblivious to the tension, Heon-ju answered the question with his usual brightness, seeing it as just innocent curiosity.

“Oh, I went into a rampage during night training a while back, and Mr. Jeong saved me when they sent out an emergency response.”

“Ah, right.”

But even though Yoon-ui had literally saved this precious S-class Esper’s life, the two Espers still looked at him as if they’d caught him red-handed trying to lure an innocent child away. They continued to question Heon-ju, as if trying to uncover some hidden agenda.

“So why are the two of you together now?”

“He guides me every morning before I go to training, so I wanted to thank him and offered to buy him coffee.”

“Ah, I see.”

Yet despite Heon-ju’s straightforward and cheerful response, the hostility lingered. The Esper standing to Heon-ju’s right, arms crossed, stared directly at Yoon-ui with suspicion.

“Jeong Yoon-ui, the guide, giving personal guidance to ‘our’ S-class Esper, huh?”