Ordinary Person A

#37

No matter how many times he touched his head, that guy’s emotions always went in circles. He was very persistent. It was a miracle that Oh-yul didn’t strangle him right away when he read the fragments of his memory. If Ho-woo hadn’t been in his arms, he would have done it.

He had considered killing him in an “accident” more than once or twice, as it was irritating to see him sticking around as Ho-woo’s only friend. He had held back for Ho-woo’s sake, but he should have gotten rid of him earlier.

Oh-yul’s face contorted with anger as he thought about it again, his head throbbing with rage. Now it was too late to drop him as he had become too entangled with Ho-woo, forcing Oh-yul to keep him around even though he didn’t want to see him.

Oh-yul closed his eyes and focused his hearing. The sound of wet footsteps, small mutterings about what to eat today, the clattering of dishes, and humming.

Soon, as if the TV had been turned on, a fairly loud sound tormented his eardrums. Yet, even through that noise, Ho-woo’s laughter came through more clearly.

He had endured all this time just for this one step.

And he only needed to endure a little bit more to go further. That short time drove Oh-yul even crazier. Impatience settled over his heated body.

“Ho-woo…”

The voice that escaped him as if in pain was filled with deep heat, but the one who should hear it was laughing cheerfully on the other side.

Oh-yul smiled bitterly as he listened to the giggling laughter coming through. The monster that had swallowed seawater growled through its parched throat and squeezed its eyes shut. Tonight was going to be an exceptionally long night.

A languid breath flowed slowly between his slightly parted lips.

***

“Boss, you’re unusually late today.”

At Han Seong-won’s words, Oh-yul sat down with a displeased face. His office wasn’t small, but it wasn’t spacious enough to accommodate five large men and one Guide.

The cracks in the wall and red bloodstains that Ho-woo had pointed out were still there, and the work he had to handle was piled up like a mountain. Meanwhile, the new official document that had come down was not at all welcome.

If Choi Seon-woo hadn’t given him a heads up yesterday, he would have spent the entire day in a terribly bad mood from the morning. Of course, knowing in advance didn’t make him particularly happy either.

He wasn’t keen on gathering the team from the morning, sharing future schedules, and giving orders.

“Sigh…”

At Oh-yul’s sigh that clearly revealed his low spirits, Moon Jin-hyuk’s body stiffened. The ‘punishment’ inflicted on him that day for his insolent words to Ho-woo was working as an excellent social life treatment. Unlike Jin-hyuk, who was watching his behavior, the rest of the team members were sprawled on the sofa.

“Boss, what is it?”

Woo Tae-sik scratched his nape with a face still not fully awake. He yawned widely, propping his chin. Since Choi Seon-woo and Woo Tae-sik had been with Oh-yul since he was young, they often behaved casually around him, so only Moon Jin-hyuk was frozen stiff.

“Are we having a ritual from the morning after calling us here?”

Yu Hee-eun grumbled, checking the pager on her wrist. None of the five Espers blamed her for acting like a cat with its fur standing on end. They knew she was struggling to Guide Team 1 alone.

“I’ll probably be away for a while. During that time, Esper Han Seong-won will be the leader, so proceed with the team leader duties.”

At Oh-yul’s announcement, Han Seong-won’s expression collapsed dramatically. As the deputy leader of Team 1, he would have to take over all the work Oh-yul had been doing.

“Will you be away for long?”

“Well…”

As he needed to humor the Management Corporation for a while, Oh-yul lazily tilted his head, briefly glancing at Choi Seon-woo before carelessly withdrawing his gaze.

“It depends on how long they keep me there.”

It was clear that he would have to do matching rate tests with the Minister’s precious daughter and be dragged around as a promotional doll. The situation wouldn’t be different for other S-class Espers, and they must have received the same summons.

“Even though we’re in the same corporation, we’ll only see your face on TV for a while.”

Choi Seon-woo looked at Oh-yul and artificially frowned as if looking at the most pitiful thing in the world. However, no one was oblivious enough to miss the faint smile thinly overlaid on his face.

“Well, if there really is a God, it’s about time He gave the boss a Guide with a high matching rate.”

Right?

There’s nothing as annoying as acting maliciously while knowing everything, so Oh-yul’s eyes naturally narrowed.

“I’ve said all I needed to say, so you’re dismissed. From now on, if team leader support is needed, Esper Han Seong-won will handle it.”

Moon Jin-hyuk was the first to stand up at Oh-yul’s cold dismissal. He bowed so deeply his waist nearly folded in half, then quickly fled out of the office. Han Seong-won rose with a deflating laugh at the attitude so clearly different from before when he used to linger around Oh-yul, sending looks of pure admiration.

“Boss, have a good trip.”

Following him, Han Seong-won, who had taken on the most troublesome task, left with a brief greeting. Yu Hee-eun, with a face liberated from the biggest burden she had been carrying, grinned and delivered a somewhat inappropriate and cheeky farewell to her superior: “Please come back as late as possible.”

“Aren’t you all leaving? Is there honey spread here or something?”

And before leaving, she made a very strange expression towards Choi Seon-woo and Woo Tae-sik, who seemed to have no intention of getting up from their seats. It was a look that said who likes staying in their boss’s office.

“I have something to say to the boss. Hee-eun, go and enjoy your freedom.”

“Same here, so Guide, please go and rest.”

At the words of the two oldest men in the team, Yu Hee-eun turned away without hesitation. The sound of her shouting “Freedom!” from beyond the closed door pierced the Espers’ ears.

“The boss is going to be a balloon in front of a gas station, is that so great?”

“The Guide has been working hard until now. It’s tough with just the boss, let alone with us around.”

At Woo Tae-sik’s words, Choi Seon-woo lifted his lips in a smirk. It was a mischievous expression that fully showed his bad personality while agreeing with his words.

Oh-yul, who had been listening to their brief conversation, narrowed his eyes slightly, as if dealing with a troublesome task.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly and go.”

“I have something to discuss in private.”

Choi Seon-woo yielded his turn to Woo Tae-sik, telling him to go first. Having received the opportunity first, he pondered for a moment and then glanced at Choi Seon-woo. He clearly looked conflicted about whether he should speak or not.

“Umm… Have you also met and held hands with them?”

“Who?”

As there was only a one-year age difference between Woo Tae-sik and him, Choi Seon-woo casually asked back.

“The boss’s guest who came to the corporation last time.”

“You mean Lee Ho-woo?”

At the sudden mention of Ho-woo’s name, Oh-yul, who had been looking indifferent, gently raised his body from its slanted position. The dark blue eyes hidden under long black eyelashes glimmered with wariness. He stared intently at Woo Tae-sik, not expecting Ho-woo to be brought up suddenly.

“I shook hands with Ho-woo when greeting him.”

At Choi Seon-woo’s words, Woo Tae-sik finally opened his mouth hesitantly.

“Didn’t you find him a bit unusual? The energy pathways in his body are open, but he doesn’t have his own energy like an Esper, nor does he naturally draw in Esper energy like a Guide. The feeling is so subtle that you’d probably need to be at least A-class to notice it even with contact.”

“I didn’t notice anything?”

Choi Seon-woo shrugged his shoulders slyly, avoiding a direct answer. He was too scared of Oh-yul’s gaze from across the desk to ramble on.

‘Look at those crazy eyes.’

He inwardly clicked his tongue, hoping that his long-time friend Woo Tae-sik wouldn’t say anything more unnecessary. When it came to Lee Ho-woo, his superior tended to become excessively violent and particularly cruel in his actions.

“It felt like something I’ve sensed before.”

“So you remember?”

Oh-yul, who had been quietly listening to Woo Tae-sik’s words, stared at him expressionlessly. His gaze slowly scanning for any sign of recollection on the questioning face was like that of a predator hiding its claws.

“Hmm… No. I thought you might have felt it more clearly, boss, so I wanted to ask. Do you know anything?”

“All I know is that Ho-woo is an ordinary person. I didn’t receive any particular sensation.”

At Oh-yul’s words, Woo Tae-sik awkwardly fiddled with the back of his neck and stood up, saying this was all he had to say. Only after he left the office and all presence completely disappeared from the surroundings did Choi Seon-woo open his mouth.

“Boss, did you touch Tae-sik’s head by any chance?”

He wasn’t particularly angry or anything. His tone was closer to just asking, “Did something like that happen?” To that nonchalant question, Oh-yul also answered casually.

“It seems it’s impossible to erase completely even for an A-class Esper. I put quite a bit of effort into it. I might have been a bit unskilled since I was young then.”

Oh-yul smiled leisurely and tilted his head. In response to his attitude that showed not even a hint of guilt or apology, Choi Seon-woo muttered softly, “I knew you were devious even from a young age.”