TG Ch 4 Part 2

After his first encounter with Sijin, Ham Geonwu made his way to the training grounds.

‘Doctor Baek… Baek Sijin…’

He couldn’t shake off the image of the man’s smile. Despite having barely slept, he felt strangely energized. He wanted to hear more of that soft, gentle voice. It was a shame that he had training to attend to.

As he walked, he levitated two small coins, spinning them in the air with his telekinesis. The stronger his energy waves became, the more difficult it was to maintain fine control, so he practiced whenever he had the chance. 

As he descended to the basement level, he felt a presence by his side.

“What did you talk about?”

It was Jeong Taeyul, his question, as always, lacking a subject. But Ham Geonwu understood. After ten years of working together, putting their lives on the line, they had developed a silent language. He knew Jeong Taeyul was asking about Sijin. 

Instead of answering, Ham Geonwu countered with a question of his own. “You first. Who is he?”

“That person is what the briefing’s about tonight. Don’t ask.”

“Ah, so he really was a target.”

Ham Geonwu sighed. If it was work-related, he would inevitably find out more about Doctor Baek, whether he wanted to or not.

He glanced at Jeong Taeyul, who seemed to be in a foul mood. He habitually patted his pockets, as if looking for a cigarette, but came up empty. Ham Geonwu instantly knew that Jeong Taeyul was already working on a mission related to Sijin. Jeong Taeyul never smoked while on duty.

Jeong Taeyul, sighing, pressed on, his persistence unusual. “What did you talk about?” 

“Hm? It’s a secret.”

“Tell me.”

“Hey, Jeong Tae.”

Ham Geonwu grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He raised the levitating coins higher, enjoying his newfound source of entertainment. The coins spun around Jeong Taeyul, who was scowling like he was ready to kill. 

“What do you think that examiner is, huh? Think he’s got a crush on me?”

“No. Don’t flatter yourself.”

“No, I’m serious! He’s a smooth talker, but he gets all shy whenever our eyes meet.”

Ham Geonwu chuckled. Jeong Taeyul’s expression remained unchanged, but Ham Geonwu didn’t care. He was used to it. 

As they stepped into the elevator, Ham Geonwu slung an arm around Jeong Taeyul’s shoulders, continuing his rambling. “Man, it was hard to even talk to him since I’d just woken up.” 

“…..”

“Maybe I have a thing for older guys.” 

Shk.

Jeong Taeyul suddenly grabbed Ham Geonwu’s wrist, his grip tight.

The spinning coins dropped to the floor. Ham Geonwu’s ability was temporarily disabled, his energy waves being absorbed by Jeong Taeyul’s guiding. He could feel Jeong Taeyul’s intense energy coursing through his arm, spreading towards his chest.

A B-rank Esper would have been panting, their energy completely drained, but Ham Geonwu only frowned, a slight tingling sensation spreading through his arm. “What was that for? Why are you getting all worked up?”

“…It’s nothing.” 

Ham Geonwu was about to press further, but seeing Jeong Taeyul’s sullen expression, he decided to drop it. Jeong Taeyul seemed lost in thought.

Jeong Taeyul was the first to step out of the elevator, his strides long and determined. Ham Geonwu watched him go, feeling a wave of suspicion.

‘What the hell is wrong with that bastard today?’

He shook his head, heading towards the training grounds. Experience had taught him that it was best to avoid provoking Jeong Taeyul, especially when he was in a bad mood. If he did anything to annoy him, it would only end badly.

And, as expected, the atmosphere in the training grounds was tense. Everyone knew that crossing Jeong Taeyul when he was in a foul mood would only lead to a brutal training session that would leave them begging for mercy.

However, there were always those who were unaware of the unspoken rules.

“Let me see what you’ve got. Show me your ability.”

“I-I’m a fire-type Esper…”

Seo Gyuho, was it? Ham Geonwu looked at the trainee standing before Jeong Taeyul with pity. Seo Gyuho, being a fire manipulator, seemed especially wary during training.

But Jeong Taeyul was unfazed.

“I know. Give it your all.” 

“Are you sure, sir?”

“About what?”

“I’m asking if… If you’re sure you’ll be alright, even if I lose control.”

“…..”

Jeong Taeyul stood there in silence for a moment before a smirk spread across his face.

It was the smile that had earned him the nickname ‘Shark Smile’ among the Center staff. Ham Geonwu simply called it ‘madness.’ It sent a shiver down his spine.

“Have you ever trained until you puked?” Jeong Taeyul asked, his voice deceptively gentle. 

“Huh?”

“I doubt a fire-type Esper has.”

Ham Geonwu, after hearing Jeong Taeyul’s ominous words, silently pointed towards another training ground, urging the other Ability Users to get out of there. He then watched as Seo Gyuho, left alone to face Jeong Taeyul, swallowed nervously. 

‘Poor bastard…’

He’d messed with the wrong Shark at the wrong time. 

Ham Geonwu witnessed the brutal beatdown of the fire-type Esper that day. No matter how much fire Seo Gyuho unleashed, Jeong Taeyul neutralized it completely, as if he were trying to extinguish the ocean with a lighter. 

The training session only ended when Seo Gyuho finally collapsed, vomiting from exhaustion. And then Jeong Taeyul, to add insult to injury, even made sure that Seo Gyuho didn’t choke on his own vomit. It was a bizarre sight. Ham Geonwu, unable to simply stand by, finally said, “Why are you being so hard on him?”

“What are you talking about?”

‘’What are you talking about?’ You practically destroyed him!’ Ham Geonwu rolled his eyes. 

However, his thoughts quickly drifted elsewhere. He couldn’t get the image of that gentle smile out of his head. 

He had said, hadn’t he? ‘Bring your favorite book when you come for your examination. I’ll read anything to you.’ 

Ham Geonwu chuckled to himself, staring into space. The trainees, who had sought refuge from Jeong Taeyul’s wrath, moved further away from him. Ham Geonwu, oblivious, continued to indulge in his delightful fantasy. Should he actually bring an erotic novel? What kind of expression would he make while reading it out loud in that soft voice of his? He was a Diagnostic Examiner, after all. Maybe he could pull a little prank on him as payback for tricking him earlier. 

‘Right, he tricked me first. Just this once.’

Having made his decision, Ham Geonwu triumphantly grabbed his tablet. He scrolled through a few screens, only to be met with security restrictions. He frowned, calling out to Jeong Taeyul, who was approaching to refill his water bottle.

“Hey, Jeong Tae.” 

“No.” 

He was immediately met with a flat-out refusal, but Ham Geonwu, armed with ten years of friendship, simply ignored him. 

“How do you read books on this thing?”

“Books? …You?” 

Surprise flickered in Jeong Taeyul’s eyes, a hint of amusement mixed with something that almost looked like awe. 

Ham Geonwu was puzzled. Was that really such a surprising question? He simply handed his tablet to Jeong Taeyul.

“Books. Teach me.” 

“You know, Ham Geonwu, this is actually kind of touching…” Jeong Taeyul said, accepting the tablet, his tone condescending, as if he were coaxing a child. 

Ham Geonwu scowled. Jeong Taeyul only used that condescending tone when he was mocking someone. 

With a few taps, Jeong Taeyul opened a bookstore app.

“This just proves that you haven’t been listening to me for the past ten years… You idiot.” 

“Oh, thanks.” 

Ham Geonwu, as always, ignored his insult, grinning triumphantly as he took his tablet back. Jeong Taeyul’s temper tantrums were nothing new. All he cared about was his plan to tease Sijin.

An erotic novel. What kind of face would he make if Ham Geonwu asked him to read one out loud? Ham Geonwu chuckled to himself, typing in the search bar. The search term ‘erotic novel’ yielded underwhelming results. After a moment of thought, he tried ‘teacner,’ ‘taechur,’ and finally, ‘teacher,’ which finally led him to the desired genre. 

[Capturing the Omega Teacher]

‘This is perfect.’

He grinned, impulsively purchasing the novel. It was a genre he’d never explored before, but it didn’t matter. Doctor Baek would be reading it to him in that soft, gentle voice. He couldn’t wait to see his reaction. Would he be shocked? He was so curious to see how the puppy-like, smiley man would react. The anticipation of seeing Sijin again was almost unbearable.

As the novel downloaded, Ham Geonwu said, “Hey, Jeong Tae, guess what?”

“What now?”

Jeong Taeyul snapped, his tone irritable. He was getting ready for his night patrol, a shoulder holster strapped across his broad frame.

“The other day, Doctor Baek said he didn’t wear a robe because he thought I wouldn’t talk to him if he did. Isn’t that cute?” 

Ham Geonwu chuckled, nudging Jeong Taeyul’s arm. Jeong Taeyul just sighed, heading back towards the training grounds. 

Ham Geonwu spent the rest of the day watching the A-rank Guide brutally crush Ability User after Ability User. He even overheard a trainee whisper that he wished a monster would just appear and put an end to their misery. Ham Geonwu shook his head.

What the hell was wrong with that Shark?

***