OL Ch 10

Chapter 10

#2. Pinocchio – The End of the Liar

“You, don’t come closer. Maintain a proper distance.”

“Hayun-ah.”

“Shut up.”

“…..”

Hayun pretended to approach Mookyeong threateningly. With Hayun’s bag clutched tightly against his chest, Mookyeong took half a step back and feigned innocence. Despite his imposing physique, he looked quite pitiful, but Hayun didn’t relent. Sensing that Hayun might turn away if he retreated further, Mookyeong cautiously closed the gap between them.

“Oh no, not again!”

Hayun glared fiercely at Mookyeong, who immediately hunched over nervously, gauging Hayun’s reaction.

“We have school today. What will you do if we’re late?”

“So what? We’ll just be tardy.”

“And face the consequences?”

“Hey, I don’t care about punishments, but you should think about your situation.”

Mookyeong could easily withstand any physical punishment, and as a valuable asset occasionally deployed to active scenes, assigning community service within school wasn’t feasible either. Moreover, he had been assisting with student dismissals lately, so arriving ten or twenty minutes late wouldn’t warrant significant consequences.

In addition to his exceptional abilities, Mookyeong maintained relatively good behavior. He diligently attended practical training sessions and achieved excellent grades. The homeroom teacher would likely assume there was a valid reason if Mookyeong showed up late at lunchtime, possibly even buying him snacks from the cafeteria without realizing Hayun would be the ultimate beneficiary.

“S-stay away again.”

“Hayun.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll tell the teacher. Then we’ll both end up eating pork cutlets for dinner!”

“I just, just touched it briefly… I didn’t know you would get upset. Now that I understand, I’ll be careful.”

“Careful about what?”

Mookyeong suddenly approached and lightly nudged Hayun’s shoulder with his own. Perhaps caught off guard, Hayun lost balance and swayed. More surprised than Hayun, Mookyeong hastily grabbed him to steady his footing.

“Hayun!”

“Sorry.”

“…Y-you, go away! Get out of here!”

Hayun pushed Mookyeong forcefully, causing him to stumble back. Thinking about last night still made his face flush with embarrassment. When the ice cream fell on his chest, Mookyeong nonchalantly declared, “I guess I’ll eat the rest,” and proceeded to lick it off. That was where the problem began.

Mookyeong’s actions flowed naturally like water blending with water or alcohol mixing with alcohol, leaving no opportunity for Hayun to intervene. With anxious eyes, he kept glancing at Seo Iju and her husband’s room, hoping they wouldn’t wake up due to any noise.

The sensation of Mookyeong’s hair tickling Hayun’s chest and neck, along with his warm breaths, was vividly imprinted in his memory. Unaware that his heightened senses were due to nervousness, Mookyeong continued tormenting Hayun relentlessly, even licking his hand covered in melted ice cream.

While it’s true that Hayun also succumbed to impulse subtly, shouldn’t there be some restraint?

After finishing the ice cream, Mookyeong promptly led Hayun to their room. As soon as the door closed, they passionately kissed without hesitation. Their breaths intertwined just as their bodies did, embracing tightly and sharing each other’s warmth seamlessly.

Naturally, nothing significant occurred due to Mookyeong’s subtle hints, but Hayun still felt embarrassed about it. Nonetheless, since he had also succumbed to impulse, Hayun didn’t blame Mookyeong until early morning. Although his chest felt slightly sore, as there were no bruises or fractures, he paid little attention to it.

The problem arose when daylight broke and rational thinking returned. Hayun wondered how the ice cream had landed precisely on his chest. While accidents happen, was the angle such that it would specifically fall onto his chest? The answer was ‘no.’ If it had fallen naturally, it would have likely landed on his stomach. So, what force was at play here? There could be only one explanation: Mookyeong’s psychic power.

As Hayun pressed him, Mookyeong tried to brush it off with a bright smile. In retaliation, Hayun smacked Mookyeong’s back, punched his arm, and even bit his hand, but he remained irate. His sulking continued on their way to school.

Had he been truly furious, he would have flung open the school gate and stormed off, leaving Mookyeong behind, but he wasn’t that mad at his friend. Instead, he kept shoving Mookyeong away as if punishing him.

Mookyeong played along, feigning innocence, knowing well that Hayun would calm down once he felt heard. Despite trying to shake off Mookyeong and briskly walking ahead, Hayun got caught at a traffic light, allowing Mookyeong to leisurely catch up. As they stood side by side, Mookyeong subtly placed the back of his hand against Hayun’s.

Hayun’s eyes narrowed, but Mookyeong grinned and gestured behind them with his gaze. The morning sun shone brightly overhead, and he was signaling Hayun to step back into the shade while waiting for the light to change. Hayun complied, retreating one step into the shadow cast by a nearby building. However, Mookyeong remained quietly standing under the bright sunlight. Having misinterpreted Hayun’s earlier gesture as a command to stay away, now he seemed determined to guard his spot.

Hayun gently tugged at the hem of Mookyeong’s shirt.

“Why are you stubbornly standing there? It’ll be a while before the signal changes.”

This time, Mookyeong glared at Hayun, yet he subtly stepped back into the shade. With not a cloud in sight, even the shadows appeared tinged with the blue hue of the sky above. Pretending not to look, Hayun sneakily glanced at Mookyeong again.

Mookyeong thought Hayun wasn’t watching him and kept glancing at the traffic light. Under the shade, Mookyeong’s features were clearer than when he was under direct sunlight. His eyes might appear sharp due to their narrow shape, but they were actually quite large. When feeling sensitive or tired, his eyelids drooped slightly, revealing faint double folds. From the side, his nose had sleek lines, yet it still looked pleasant from the front with its well-defined shape.

Since Mookyeong didn’t have much facial fat, his jawline appeared distinct. Despite having sharp features due to his eyes and jaw, his gaze softened his overall impression. As Mookyeong noticed Hayun staring, both hastily turned away from each other’s gaze.

Mookyeong tended to smile often. Whether it was because the corners of his mouth naturally curved upwards or simply because he smiled whenever seeing Hayun, it was hard to tell.

‘I think he smiles even when I’m not around.’

Even when not smiling, Mookyeong’s face always looked relaxed, which sometimes annoyed Hayun. Hayun fidgeted with his fingertips, wanting to tease Mookyeong.

‘I’m a bit of an ass.’

As soon as the thought of smiles crossed his mind, it led him to think about something, and that reminded him of last night’s events. This brought back memories of their lips touching, causing heat to rise despite being under shade, warming the nape of his neck.

Perhaps due to this warmth, Hayun couldn’t resist another quick glance at Mookyeong.

The sparse shadows allowed patches of sunlight to illuminate strands of Mookyeong’s hair, making them shimmer like pebbles. Just as Hayun noted this, a gentle breeze blew by.

“…..”

As Hayun glanced sideways again, he noticed Mookyeong’s hair shimmering gently in the breeze. His heart fluttered once more, this time due to the wind. He unconsciously curled his toes inward.

The traffic light seemed to take forever, but they had already waited quite some time, so it would change soon. Without looking directly at Mookyeong, Hayun subtly took a step closer. Now close enough that their shoulders almost touched, he could faintly feel Mookyeong’s warmth.

When Mookyeong emitted an unclear sound, somewhere between laughter and a sigh, Hayun lightly tapped the back of Mookyeong’s hand with his own. In response, Mookyeong casually looped a finger around Hayun’s hand. Neither grabbing nor pushing away, Mookyeong eventually took Hayun’s hand firmly.

Feeling the warmth from the held hand, Hayun lifted and lowered his heels nervously. As soon as the signal changed, he quickly released Mookyeong’s hand and darted across the street.

Feeling self-conscious under prying eyes, Hayun glanced around furtively before quickly facing forward again. Mookyeong gently tapped him on the arm and whispered softly,

“Tired?”

Hayun lacked even the energy to respond. He stared at the board with drooping eyelids. The white writing contrasted against the light green chalkboard. The teacher continued lecturing, but Hayun’s hand remained still. His notebook contained only a few scribbled notes from the beginning of class.

Mookyeong silently chuckled as he saw the lines drawn instead of words. Pretending to be awake, Hayun busily held onto his notebook, so Mookyeong carefully took it from his grasp. After placing his own completed notes on Hayun’s desk, Mookyeong positioned Hayun’s pen where he had stopped taking notes. Familiarly erasing the straying handwriting, Mookyeong resumed note-taking.

When the chalkboard filled up, the teacher erased part of it to continue writing. However, Mookyeong seamlessly continued copying down notes, having already memorized the erased section.

Hayun’s eyes had been half-open but were now completely shut. Sensing his head drooping, Mookyeong skillfully adjusted Hayun’s posture. He ignored the tutting sound coming from behind them.

Just as Mookyeong finished transcribing all the board notes, the bell rang. Hearing this, Hayun immediately slumped over his desk. The exhaustion that had made him nod off during class vanished with the final bell. Feeling only slightly drowsy, he turned towards Mookyeong. Mookyeong retrieved his notebook from under Hayun’s head and quickly filled in any missing parts.

“Maybe I’m not doing well academically because of you.”

“Why? You’d still throw a fit if I helped.”

Hayun sighed as he admired his neatly organized notebook with its tidy handwriting. The previous period’s teacher was known for his extensive use of the blackboard. Whenever he turned to write on it, silence enveloped the classroom. This school didn’t strictly follow academic rankings for admission, resulting in a mix of diligent and relatively disinterested students.

The hardworking ones busily scribbled notes competitively, while those less focused found the experience akin to ASMR—the rhythmic tapping on the chalkboard and the sounds of changing pen colors. However, openly sleeping during class was rare due to the teacher being both the year-level head and a physical-type esper.

During the early part of each semester, students bled both physically and metaphorically due to his relentless scrutiny. This was because he conducted surprise notebook checks that contributed significantly to their participation grades.

Performance evaluations held great weight for these students. Since they were not ordinary individuals, their ability to adapt socially was assessed through institutional performance reviews.

Naturally, those with exceptional abilities were eagerly recruited by private companies or government agencies. However, whether heading off to university or entering society directly after high school, everyone else had to submit their high school performance evaluations when applying. These documents served as proof of their capabilities, detailing the tasks they had been assigned over the years and how effectively they utilized their powers.

“Aren’t you sleepy?”

“I’m tired but not sleepy enough to fall asleep.”

“Wow, tough as nails, Baek Mookyeong.”

“Should I grab some coffee?”

“And pizza bread too.”

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Mookyeong tousled Hayun’s hair before standing up. Nodding, Hayun turned his attention back to the front of the classroom. Just as he was about to doze off after Mookyeong left the room, someone kicked the leg of his chair from behind.

“Hey.”

“…..?” 

Hayun raised his head without turning around, already annoyed by the voice.

“Hey, deaf or something?” The obnoxious voice kicked at his chair again. As it shifted slightly, Hayun swiftly pushed away and stood up.

“Ohhh, look who’s mad now.”

The annoying voice belonged to Choi Seonghan, who dramatically retreated as Hayun stood up. His friends on either side snickered and joined in mocking him.

“Hey, are you crazy?”

“Yeah, he’s lost it~.”

Choi Seonghan laughed while shadowing Hayun. As soon as Hayun felt offended, doors appeared above their heads, ready to swallow Choi Seonghan’s gang at his command. Unaware of what they faced, the trio continued giggling.

“So what if we do this, you stupid bitch? Fuck off!”

“Hey, take it easy. What’ll happen when Mookyeong finds out?”

“What’re you worried about? Who is Baek Mookyeong anyway? That bastard always acts like he’s so great, but he’s fucking useless.”

Contrary to his words, Choi Seonghan felt uneasy around Baek Mookyeong. As a fire-type esper, Choi Seonghan was immensely proud of his abilities but lacked control over them. Despite this, he considered Baek Mookyeong as his rival in his heart.

However, Mookyeong paid no attention, having encountered numerous similar individuals before. In their presence, they always seemed insignificant compared to him. On the other hand, Hayun, classified as non-combat support, subtly attracted their provocations.

Similarly, Hayun disregarded these types, considering them akin to small dogs barking out of fear. Although noisy, he never felt intimidated by them.

Hayun turned away from the trio, attempting to leave, but they hastily chased after him and blocked his path.

“I’m talking to you! Where do you think you’re going, bitch?”

“Listen up.”

“You crazy bitch. Hey, fuck, what kind of man does that make you?”

“Hey, hey. Look at him. He ain’t no man.” Choi Seonghan chuckled and took a step forward. “Yo, what did you do to Baek Mookyeong for him to be so whipped? Did you give him something good? Seriously, I’m curious about it. Let me in on your secret. Then maybe he’ll fall for me too.”

Choi Seonghan made obscene gestures as if seeking approval from his friends. However, they didn’t laugh along with him like usual. Sensing something off, Choi Seonghan turned around and froze.

Baek Mookyeong stood there, staring at them intently while holding coffee, milk, and bread he had just purchased.