SOG Ch 91

Woo-jin was also with the E-SOF unit members today. Jae-chan did not feel comfortable chatting in crowded places, so he asked to leave for a bit, and Woo-jin rose from his seat.

Jae-chan immediately asked upon entering the empty classroom.

“Did you request this training from the chairman?”

The high sun diagonally colored the unlit side of the classroom. The soft murmur of people rushing out for lunch came in through the closed window. Woo-jin, who was standing at that dazzling border and letting go of the commotion for a moment, answered.

“After hearing from Han Taehoon, I delivered your proposal to the Chairman’s secretary’s office. My father probably decided the size of the investment.”

Even so, it ultimately meant that Woo-jin was involved in this matter.

To Jae-chan, it felt like an extension of the skinship that occasionally took place. Woo-jin seemed to be continuously proving that he could function well as a sponsor.

“And did you also put people to follow me?”

As he asked, Jae-chan remembered Woo-jin, who had been coming to him so frequently for the past month.

Even though Woo-jin would have seen that someone was following Jae-chan at the time, the fact that he didn’t bother to inform Jae-chan led to the conclusion that Woo-jin was the one behind the follower.

“…”

Meanwhile, Woo-jin, who couldn’t positively affirm it, was thinking in his heart that it was only natural. The follower informed him of Seon Jae-chan’s whereabouts, but there was also a prior mission. Protecting him.

Over the past year, Seon Jae-chan has been caught up in all kinds of incidents and dangers. If it was that much of a coincidence, it could be considered an inevitability caused by his changed behavior.

Moreover, Jae-chan himself admitted that he often enjoys one-night stands. Go Woo-jin was not yet qualified to dissuade such actions, but he was merely taking the minimum measures to prepare immediately in case of emergency.

“Why did you meet Han Tae-hoon yesterday?”

Avoiding an indirect answer to the question, Woo-jin asked. Jae-chan laughed a little, feeling awkward. What’s with this guy? Now he openly revealed that he had been stalking, and even asking that question with confidence.

Go Woo-jin realized his mistake and tightly sealed his lips. No matter how curious he was, it wasn’t appropriate to pry into everything. They brought people to protect Jae-chan, not to restrain him.

“…We should work on the team assignment.”

In the end, Woo-jin chose to change the topic again.

“When are you available?”

The two of them were of course a team, and Jae-chan blinked a couple of times when he suggested that they set up an appointment time. Before leaving the classroom, he had seen a group of people snooping around Woo-jin. Of course, Jae-chan had no disagreement that Woo-jin would be the best team member for the current task, but it was surprising that Woo-jin also thought that way.

‘Maybe not. Is this just a sense of responsibility as a sponsor?’

Anyway, being on the same team with him was quite advantageous for Woo-jin as well. For the second assignment, Jae-chan knew most of the response cases. This time, it would undoubtedly be helpful for Woo-jin.

“Don’t change the subject. Are you really going to keep assigning people to me?”

Nevertheless, Jae-chan frowned as he felt it was necessary to address the follower. Go Woo-jin’s sharp yet decisive gaze stared intently at Jae-chan. Jae-chan, who was wondering why he was looking at him as to why he was staring at him as if he were working on a strategy simulation, did not back down and matched his gaze before his eyes widened slightly. It was because Woo-jin, who seemed lost in thought, made a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Then just until this training ends.”

Woo-jin spoke very softly while smiling faintly. As Jae-chan looked at the face that was smiling at him for the first time in a long time, he felt all the thoughts he intended to discuss fade away.

Yeah, what’s the big deal about the stalker? There won’t be any need to wander around like during the hostage situation for a while. Jae-chan vaguely realized that he was endlessly softening towards Woo-jin, but he nodded willingly.

Jae-chan, who had softened, allowed not only that but also something else. He nodded vigorously at Woo-jin’s next words, as he asked with another light smile.

“Shall we go to the mess hall in the evening?”

Jae-chan couldn’t refuse, given the relaxed atmosphere.

Woo-jin’s slightly curved eye corners and lip lines seemed to be clearly engraved on Jae-chan’s eyes. Jae-chan tried to calm his heartbeat, which was pounding as if it were racing in the middle of summer. Jae-chan felt the weight that was strongly swaying, or rather openly leaning towards Woo-jin, completely tipped over.

Why did he smile so beautifully? Really, sincerely, Jae-chan was going crazy with worry for Woo-jin.

*

“You already made a team? With Go Woo-jin?”

Gyeong Chang-hyun, who was eating lunch with Seon Jae-chan in the liberal arts center’s outdoor café that afternoon, opened his eyes wide. He put down the chili hot dog he was eating and protested with a complaint-like tone.

“Hey, do it with me!”

“The principle is to form teams with one Esper and one Guide.”

Jae-chan replied as he unpacked the thick sandwich he had just received.

“Damn, when have you ever followed such principles properly?”

Gyeong Chang-hyun swept his hair with exaggerated movements. Jae-chan was about to mention that garlic flakes were stuck to his newly dyed hair but decided to focus on eating his chicken sandwich instead. He added while mumbling.

“Then you shouldn’t be late.”

As a guy who lives as he pleases, Gyeong Chang-hyun had skipped the first day of response training and only showed up long after the lecture on the second day had finished. In other words, he was absent today as well.

Chang-hyun was a member of Guide Team 1, and whether or not someone checked on his work performance, the report would eventually be sent to Team 1 Leader Han Tae-hoon. Trusting that, he acted like a loafer.

“I’ll use the wish coupon? Okay?”

Chang-hyun did not give up and insisted.

“You already used a wish ticket to have lunch, didn’t you? Isn’t it a waste?”

Jae-chan pointed out. He was about to have lunch with Woo-jin to talk about the assignment when he received a call from Gyeong Chang-hyun. He reluctantly came to the cafeteria because of the constant calls chanting ‘wish ticket, wish ticket’ on the phone.

“…”

Gyeong Chang-hyeon, who had remained silent, narrowed his gaze. He vented his accumulated dissatisfaction.

“Do you know how happy I was when I heard you’d be joining  Guide Team 1? But let alone that, and now you’re forming a team with Go Woo-jin for the assignment, and you always have lunch with that Team 9 girl!”

‘Team 9 girl’ meant Park Yu-ram. Yu-ram was not here because she did not participate in this training, but it was true that she and Jae-chan had lunch together every time before training started.

“What’s so important about having lunch together? Real friends are those who give unconditionally.”

Seon Jae-chan said roughly something that Gyeong Chang-hyeon would like. e tried to soothe his sour feelings and remembered the talk he had with Yu-ram shortly before training began.

‘Our senior told me about a really interesting research. You too will be surprised when you hear it. I’m thinking of participating as a researcher there.’

Therefore, participation in the anti-terrorism training would be postponed until later. Jae-chan would have to listen to it later to figure out what kind of research it was.

Meanwhile, Chang-hyun seemed to be quite relieved by Jae-chan’s casual remarks. He appeared to have an appetite again, so he put another hot dog in his mouth. He then abruptly shifted the subject and began talking about something else.

“The apprentices are out of their minds. I heard they called me ‘a senior who lacks something’?”

Chang-hyun complained while chewing on the nachos he had been eating alongside. Jae-chan had also heard that the apprentices of Team 1 this year were becoming famous for their unruly behavior. Originally, another Guide from Team 1 was the senior of the apprentices, but the apprentices were so audacious that the lead escaped and was replaced by Gyeong Chang-hyun.

“They’re psychos. One of them even has obsessive-compulsive disorder and insists on walking on red blocks with only his left foot during the board block exercise.”

At that moment, Chang-hyun found one of his apprentices carrying trays of finished food. He squinted his eyes and motioned to his apprentice with nacho sauce-covered hands. He asked the only apprentice who approached him with a grim expression on his face.

“Hey, Cha Ye-jun. Do you think I’m still lacking in seniority?”

“I’m not Cha Ye-jun. Cha Ye-jun is over there.”

The apprentice then left after making fun of Chang-hyun. Jae-chan noticed that one of the apprentices skillfully stepped on only the red blocks with his left foot.

“See that? They’re leaving without even greeting!”

Chang-hyun shouted as if he felt unjust. Jae-chan merely gave a silent smile while sipping his fruit ade. Although Chang-hyun had just recently taken over the role from the previous senior who had escaped, it seemed a bit too much that he still couldn’t remember the names.

*

After saying somewhat irresponsible words like, “I’ll leave you too, I have an afternoon shift,” Chang-hyun cheerfully made a phone call somewhere. It would probably be the trio. Leaving the guy who acted like a loafer alone without worrying, Seon Jae-chan left the cafeteria.

By the time the lesson concluded that afternoon, he had completely forgotten about Chang-hyun. Jae-chan rushed to the official dorm early and began tidying up his room anxiously. That was because Go Woo-jin said he would come.

Jae-chan even stacked Jeong Noah’s belongings that were scattered all over the place on his desk and wiped them down to a smooth shine. He had time left, so he even took a shower. He didn’t know why he was showering.

By the time Jae-chan came out after drying his hair, there was a late-summer rain falling outside the window. Therefore, when Woo-jin arrived around 7 o’clock, he was carrying an umbrella along with a cross bag and a shopping bag.

It was the time when night was slowly approaching. Jae-chan found Woo-jin’s wet black hair under the dim sensor light that was blinking frequently these days.

At first, he thought Woo-jin got caught in the rain, but soon he realized that Woo-jin had also showered. A mild soapy fragrance was spread. The water that dripped from the tip of Woo-jin’s long umbrella created a round water mark.