FETCH 52

Tens of cameras filled the interior of the training room. In preparation for a potential rampage, transparent barriers capable of blocking ability wavelengths had been erected in front of the cameras.

There was more than one invited broadcaster. There appeared to be at least fifteen cameras, ranging from those of various websites focusing on online streaming to those of terrestrial broadcasters frequently watched by the elderly.

Looking around at them, Jaechan let out a tense, deep sigh. He had been coordinating with Han Kang right up until entering the training room, but his breath kept quickening as he worried he might mess up due to nerves.

Beside Jaechan, Han Kang was warming up with a nonchalant expression. Fully clad in protective gear, he was showing off his flexibility by stretching his joints out. The cameras turned toward Han Kang. The cameras, persistently scanning the two of them as if determined to capture everything from the preparation stage, were quite burdensome.

“I feel like I’m going to get the hiccups.”

When Jaechan placed a hand on his chest and gave it a stroke, Han Kang smirked beside him.

“Cute.”

“I’m being serious right now, you know?”

“Sure, who said otherwise. Can’t I even call you cute? You’re my honey.”

“Hey… there are cameras right there.”

He was already used to Han Kang calling him honey regardless of who was listening, but he was still conscious of the cameras. When he showed a troubled face, Han Kang instead glared at the cameras with a look that said, So what?

That was also very like Han Kang, so Jaechan couldn’t say anything else. After grabbing and putting on the transparent goggles he had set aside, Jaechan rolled his neck, making his bones crack.

After turning the sensitivity of his watch to the maximum, the two of them joined hands. Following that, the words “Public Training” appeared in large letters on the electronic display. Several cameras aimed at them simultaneously.

Now it was really starting.

Entering the stadium, Han Kang and Jeon Jaechan’s fists bumped in the air. It was a silent greeting asking for a good session, and a bright smile bloomed on the lips of the two as they exchanged it.

Setting aside the rookie Guide Jeon Jaechan, who looked somewhat nervous, the Esper Han Kang looking at him radiated a gentleness that had never been seen before.

The cameras captured that persistently. As an Esper with countless controversies regarding his personality, Han Kang would have been perfect prey for the public if it weren’t for his great skills. Because of his skill and handsome face, his flaws were being covered up, but he was not very friendly to the point that if he made even a small mistake, people would tear into everything about him.

It was to the point that every time he held a press conference, he became a subject of gossip. People even wondered if supernatural abilities manifested according to one’s personality, referring to the fact that the cold-hearted Han Kang’s ability was Freezing.

The Center did not particularly restrain him. Why? Because he was a talented Esper. It wasn’t a job where he lived off public interest, and since he wasn’t committing crimes, it was something that didn’t strictly need managing.

The gaze Han Kang was showing was utterly puzzling. Who was this person that he was being so affectionate? From what they heard, he was just a rookie Guide who had joined the Center less than a year ago.

They were curious about Jeon Jaechan, who had won over Han Kang. The cameras simultaneously took turns capturing Han Kang and Jeon Jaechan, amplifying the public’s curiosity.

“Hand.”

“Yeah.”

At the same time the two joined hands, Bang, bang, bang! Large lights turned on in various places, brightly illuminating the interior.

The lighting and brightness were appropriate for training, but perhaps it was too dark for the cameras, as the Center had been extremely considerate of them.

Meanwhile, a voice from the coaching staff was heard through the in-ears the two were wearing.

— Since you need to be caught on camera, make your movements as large as possible. If you make them small, they won’t be seen, and then interest will drop and the public training effect will be lost. Use mainly large-scale techniques for your abilities as well. Today’s targets will be slightly faster than usual. Guide Jeon Jaechan’s Guiding will be important.

The words were incredibly annoying. Both Han Kang and Jaechan frowned slightly at the instruction, which was as good as telling them to just figure it out on their own.

Following that, Beep— beep— beep—.

The siren announcing the start of training rang.

Targets seen in numerous training sessions popped up one after another. Jaechan added sensitivity to his eyes as he monitored Han Kang’s condition and the electronic display.

Whirrr, with an eerie mechanical sound, the ceiling of the training room opened, and targets began to pour down from the sky as well. Although it was called “informal” training for convenience, the difficulty had increased with each session, and targets had begun to appear in the upper air as well.

The targets even lunged toward the person they recognized.

White ice granules began to form around Han Kang.

“Duck.”

Following Han Kang’s cue, Jaechan quickly bent his waist. Simultaneously, a target passed just above his back with an eerie Whoosh.

The goosebumps only lasted for a moment. Smash! With a loud sound, the target was destroyed and fell to the floor. Starting with that, the training ground began to be filled with the sound of Whish, cutting through the air, and Crack, thwack! the sound of targets breaking.

Breathless gasps quickly intertwined. Heat weighed down on the interior where a chilly atmosphere had lingered. No matter how hot the heat emitted by the two was, it couldn’t swallow Han Kang’s ability. Regardless of the surroundings, Jaechan was feeling the chill.

“Contact.”

Jaechan, opening lightly, applied strength to his hand and emitted his wavelength. Han Kang’s captured hand flinched for a moment before accepting the Guiding without issue.

At the same time, Han Kang’s Guiding figures on the display began to slowly fill up. From 87 to 88, to 90, 92, and 98.

Seeing the figures nearing perfection fill up in an instant, gasps of admiration erupted from the surroundings. He hadn’t noticed because he was focused on the training, but he saw team members around them, though he wasn’t sure when they had arrived. Since it was the rookies’ public training, it seemed everyone had come running.

As soon as they locked eyes with them, the Espers, who were used to cameras, let out cheers.

“Bravo, Han Kang!”

“Jaechan, fighting—!”

While it was embarrassing to receive such cheers for just training, his mood secretly improved, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward. Beside him, Han Kang looked at the team members with displeased eyes.

“Quiet down!”

He barked out at them, and after a brief moment of surprise at his tone, Han Kang suddenly pressed down on Jaechan’s head, forcing him to lower his body.

In that moment as he cried out “Aah!” at the suddenly lowered height…

Crack, snap! Thud, thud, thud!

The sound of targets shattering in succession was heard above his head. It was so chilling that he didn’t even think about unfolding his curled body. Jaechan, hit by the debris falling like rain over his head, felt Han Kang’s touch as strength drained away and slowly looked around.

“Con, contact.”

Announcing the start of Guiding again, Jaechan hugged Han Kang’s chest tightly. The chill billowing around was unusual.

As it was a training session to coordinate so that they could create a situation requiring Guiding and perform it at the appropriate time, Han Kang’s ability figures fluctuated wildly. Furthermore, given what the coaching staff had instructed earlier, Han Kang’s ability figures were rising and falling even more steeply.

Therefore, appropriate Guiding was necessary. Jaechan, holding Han Kang’s trembling body tightly, almost climbed onto his upper body so that he could move easily.

Then, he grabbed the steeply rising and falling back and smoothed it down, widening the area of contact as much as possible.

With his eyes, he quickly scanned Han Kang’s complexion and the figures on the display. The figures, which had been filling up well earlier, were not rising easily now. The figures of the ability wavelength being emitted were greater than the falling Guiding wavelength.

It was a failure.

But it wasn’t like he could kiss him in front of the cameras. Jaechan, hugging Han Kang with all his might, poured out as many Guiding wavelengths as possible.

Crack, snap—!

Along with a strong rupture sound, ice much larger than before began to gather around. The ice, raining down from all directions, precisely struck the targets simultaneously like bullets.

Others might have let out gasps of admiration, but it was different for Jaechan, who was in physical contact with Han Kang. He began to feel slight tremors from him. Knowing that he was slowly reaching a rampage, Jaechan hugged his neck tightly and ensured as much bare skin contact as possible.

At the same time, he tapped Han Kang’s shoulder. Thinking that he was putting in a bit more strength than usual for some reason, he spoke as if coaxing him.

“Adjust the ability intensity. It’s too strong.”

In a voice small enough only for Han Kang to hear. At that, Han Kang turned toward him. His clear whites were bloodshot.

The number of remaining targets was twenty. Depending on the situation, it might end quickly, but in other cases, Han Kang’s rampage might come first.

It felt like he needed to do mucous membrane Guiding, but the situation was not favorable. Even if it was Han Kang, who said he would cooperate so Jaechan could be recognized, the problem was whether he would accept mucous membrane contact since he was already prone to rejecting Guiding.

Still, if it wasn’t mucous membrane, it seemed like a rampage would come soon at this rate…

Just as he was anxiously biting his lip…

“You said you wanted to be recognized, honey.”

“Why are you bringing that up now.”

No way, is he intentionally accelerating the rampage to show off my Guiding ability? He glared with the intention of getting angry if that were the case, but Han Kang shook his head to say it wasn’t like that.

“I didn’t do it on purpose, but it’s now. Mucous membrane Guiding.”

Han Kang tilted his head back fully and kissed Jaechan.

At the same time, Cr-crack! With a massive rupture sound, the surrounding ice granules smashed dozens of targets all at once.

A commotion broke out over there. Whether they were surprised by Han Kang’s momentarily exploded ability, the sounds of the researchers in the safe zone moving busily were heard vividly before gradually starting to fade away.

As the lightly touching lips were about to pull away, Jaechan kissed him again.

“Mucous membrane.”

As soon as he pushed his tongue into the hot mouth and entwined the soft flesh, Boom, boom, boom! A roar echoed, and all the surrounding targets exploded simultaneously.