Ordinary Person A

#4

Seong-jo pulled up the window that Ho-woo had tried to minimize and scanned the window filled with unsatisfactory results.

“But don’t you think there’s not much known about Espers to call them celebrities? They’ve made their faces and names public, but doesn’t it feel like they’ve only shared just enough to get by?”

This was something Ho-woo had also felt recently while searching the internet.

What floated around on the internet was just common knowledge that even ordinary people learned, or basic theories. The grades dividing Espers, the powers they use, the importance of Guides to them, how Guides purify Espers.

If you removed all of that, it was like parroting empty talk.

As if their world was perfectly separated.

Until two months ago, even Ho-woo had thought that the world Oh-yul belonged to had nothing to do with him. No, it had been like that until very recently. Until he moved in next door.

“But why foods that Espers like?”

Unlike Ho-woo, who was now worried about having an Esper neighbor, Seong-jo seemed to have asked without much meaning, turning his interest towards the search term Ho-woo had typed in the search bar.

“Oh? Just… I thought if they were special people, they might like special things.”

There was a plate he had to return to Oh-yul that evening. It would be awkward to return an empty plate, and he needed to put something on it, but he was still unsure what to give.

Moreover, the plate that had looked small in Oh-yul’s hands was actually quite large.

“Well, anyway, wouldn’t they like delicious things?”

Delicious things.

It was basic, but close to the correct answer. However, if the standard of deliciousness was Ho-woo’s own taste, he didn’t want to recommend it.

Ho-woo knew his own taste well.

Childish taste.

He liked ketchup and sweet things. Of course, instant foods were also a regular menu item. His cupboards and refrigerator were full of things that others might look at with disdain, wondering how he could eat like that.

Delicious things…

Eventually, as lunch time passed and work resumed, Ho-woo, with an expression of having made a decision, liberally applied pain relief patches to his fingers and enthusiastically typed on his keyboard again.

Ho-woo worked hard, exuding the smell of pain relief patches. His determination to finish as much work as possible today, with no overtime, was going quite smoothly.

The work coming in from other business partners was also not too significant, and there were many tasks that didn’t need to be handled immediately. It was quite a lucky situation for Ho-woo, who was facing an important battle.

The day unfolded strangely smoothly, and when the clock hands pointed to 6 o’clock for the first time in a while, Ho-woo grabbed his coat and stood up abruptly. He ran down the emergency stairs, almost flying, to avoid the flood of people leaving at the end of the workday.

His target today was a cafe near the company known for its delicious desserts. Especially famous for its egg tarts, if you arrived a bit late, you’d have to leave with tears in your eyes as they’d all be sold out.

If he hurried a bit, he could get his hands on the evening batch, so Ho-woo, breathless from running, soon opened the heavy cafe door and entered. There were still a few egg tarts with golden-brown tops left in the dessert display case.

Relieved that there were enough left to fill the plate Oh-yul had given him, Ho-woo approached the counter and bought all the remaining egg tarts. The person behind him let out a disappointed exclamation, but Ho-woo had a reason he couldn’t yield today.

Ho-woo carefully received the box handed over by the employee and, unlike his rushed arrival, moved carefully. He preciously protected the box of tarts from being crushed even in the packed subway.

I wonder when Oh-yul gets off work.

It probably wasn’t a regular 9-to-6 schedule like most office workers.

The tarts should be fine for a day or so. If he’s not home until late evening, I’ll put them on the plate and store them well in the refrigerator.

Ho-woo arrived at the entrance of the rundown apartment, the corners of his lips turned up pleasantly. As he walked across the parking lot, a habit from years of living there, a large black shadow quietly followed behind him.

“Ho-woo.”

Startled by the low call from behind, Ho-woo’s nape stiffened. Although he hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about, it was quite surprising that he hadn’t sensed the presence of the other person, so Ho-woo turned around with a start. Then, discovering Oh-yul, who looked just as surprised as himself, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“Are you coming home from work?”

“Yes, I was lucky today.”

Oh-yul quietly put his Esper calling device on silent mode. It was so natural that Ho-woo didn’t notice, making it look like he was just checking the time once.

The two walked side by side across the apartment parking lot. Although they were just walking together with an appropriate distance between them, the space between Ho-woo and Oh-yul had become a bit closer than in the morning.

Ho-woo was aware of the large man beside him but didn’t feel uncomfortable. This was partly because his mind was full of the egg tarts that would be neatly arranged on the plate Oh-yul had given him.

I wonder if he’ll like them.

It was quite a favorite snack of his. He had confidently chosen it based on the idea of “delicious things,” but he still wasn’t sure if Oh-yul would like it.

Afraid that he might get a response saying Oh-yul didn’t particularly like them if he asked first, Ho-woo pretended not to care even though they were for Oh-yul, left a brief greeting to have a good evening, and entered his home. Then he busily placed the bought tarts on the plate he had to return. His fingertips trembled slightly with nervousness. Ho-woo muttered to himself as if under hypnosis, trying to breathe slowly and deeply.

“Don’t be nervous, after all, even an Esper is human.”

Come on, does having some superpowers make a human not human anymore!

Ho-woo once again tidied his clothes and pressed down on his trembling chest. It was time to face the consequences of his choice. He couldn’t make these warm on the spot like Oh-yul had done, but these were delicious even when cold.

Ho-woo took another deep breath and firmly pressed the doorbell of his neighbor’s apartment.

“…?”

Why isn’t there any sound? Is it broken?

The first attempt made while extremely nervous lost its push due to the broken doorbell. Instead of the doorbell, Ho-woo lightly knocked on the firmly closed steel door.

“Oh-yul.”

Knock- Knock- Knock- At the third knock, the door opened so quietly that not a single presence was felt. Ho-woo thought that Oh-yul was quite a quiet man, both in the apartment parking lot earlier and now in front of him.

Even after opening the door, Oh-yul didn’t say anything special. He just looked down at Ho-woo, who had filled the plate he had given with egg tarts, for a moment, then slightly stepped aside as if inviting him in.

“Ah, I’m not trying to come in because you need to rest, Oh-yul. This is in return for the rice cakes from before.”

“Thank you.”

Oh-yul politely accepted the plate. What had seemed like a normal-sized plate to Ho-woo looked small in Oh-yul’s hands.

“Well then, get some rest.”

Ho-woo, who had been gauging the size of his hands, was about to turn around without hesitation. The original purpose of his visit was finished. Now he wanted to microwave one of the 3-minute instant meals in his cupboard, take a shower in water hot enough to scald, and bury himself in bed.

However, such wishes were stopped by Oh-yul’s low, soft voice that caught Ho-woo’s footsteps.

“Ho-woo.”

“Yes?”

“Have you had dinner?”

“I’m about to eat now.”

A simple instant meal for dinner was familiar to Ho-woo. His cooking skills were insufficient to prepare dinner, and as an office worker in this era, he lacked the energy to learn how to cook.

“I.”

Oh-yul pressed his lips together for a moment as if choosing his words, then opened his mouth again.

“I think I might make too much food.”

“…?”

Not ‘made’, but ‘might make’.

Ho-woo looked up at Oh-yul with his head slightly tilted at the strange word choice. The Esper in front of him wore a slightly troubled expression.

“So, would you like to have dinner together?”

Something was odd, but the conclusion was an invitation to have dinner together. The office worker who would have instant food for dinner even if he returned home fell into brief contemplation.

It was difficult to coldly refuse the invitation from the benefactor who had saved his life two months ago. Moreover, Oh-yul was a very polite and quiet neighbor. Except for when he came to greet yesterday, there had been no sound from next door, as if it were empty.

Ho-woo had to admit that this S-grade Esper, contrary to appearances, would likely be a very good neighbor. He didn’t know how long they would be neighbors. Since he had moved in needing a place to stay urgently, he might leave soon. But Ho-woo eventually accepted his neighbor’s invitation.

“Alright.”

Oh-yul’s eyes curved long at Ho-woo’s acceptance. It was close to a very satisfied expression.

“Please come in. It’s still a bit chaotic as I haven’t finished organizing everything. You’re my first guest since moving in.”

Oh-yul turned his body sideways to let Ho-woo enter. Ho-woo felt a strange tremor at being the first outsider to step into this Esper’s personal space.