IMPRINT 57

As soon as I returned to the office, I rapidly lowered the air conditioner temperature. Usually, I tended to keep it set at 26 or 27 degrees Celsius out of consideration for the planet, but—apologies—today I lowered it to 17 degrees.

“The weather is hot…”

I muttered to myself unnecessarily while rolling up my shirt sleeves, and as I took off the tie I had dressed up in quite strictly for the disciplinary committee meeting, I also unfastened a few top buttons.

Doing that didn’t exactly cool down the burning heat, but it was better than remaining hot.

Nevertheless, the fact that the look in Kang Juha’s eyes from when we were in the hallway kept coming back to me was not something I could control. The human brain is naturally weak against stimulation, and it’s prone to feeling attraction when it sees something aesthetically beautiful… Forget it.

I completely ignored Juyoung, who stopped by the office for a moment to deliver some documents and muttered, “Ugh, why is it so freezing in here?”

“What’s this? Why is it like an icebox in here? Aren’t you cold?”

However, I couldn’t ignore the words of Director Shin, who came looking for me after hearing the news that the disciplinary committee meeting had ended. I naturally raised the air conditioner temperature again and fixed it at 26 degrees.

“Why is a kid who doesn’t even get hot easily staying in such cold? You even have air conditioning sickness. You usually take a separate cardigan whenever you go to the main building conference room.”

Since the years we’ve known each other are so long, there was nothing Director Shin didn’t know.

“Well, I suppose it’s enough to make your blood boil. I heard the disciplinary results and I’m so dumbfounded I’m speechless. Not that I expected much… but honestly, isn’t it true? After treating Seong Yihyeon, the most outstanding talent among his peers, like that, why do they shield such a good-for-nothing guy? I really don’t think I’ll ever understand those Medical Bureau people in my life.”

Ah, because of what happened with Kang Juha, I hadn’t been thinking about that side at all.

“Mm, I suppose so.”

“As a fellow person from the center, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

I said it was fine because it truly was fine, but Director Shin’s expression became even more serious as she stepped right up in front of me.

“This won’t do. Yihyeon, I’m going to the Center Director’s office right now to flip everything over…”

“It’s really fine. And in the first place, this disciplinary matter wasn’t opened because of me, but because of Mr. Kang Juha.”

At my words, Director Shin shut her mouth tight. Then, she suddenly reached out her arm and placed her palm against my forehead.

“You don’t have a fever. So that means you’re being serious?”

“Yes.”

“Just in case, can I read your mind a bit…?”

“Go ahead.”

“Fine. I don’t need to read it. It seems you’re really okay.”

For some reason, a laugh leaked out. When I laughed inanely, Director Shin also scolded me, asking what was so funny, but ended up laughing along.

“I guess time really is the medicine.”

“I don’t think that’s something for someone as young as you to say yet, but I’ll let it slide this time. It looks like the annual leave processing for the team members is all done, but what about yours?”

The person in charge of processing my annual leave was me. And I hadn’t submitted an annual leave application to myself yet, while I had already finished signing the applications for all the team members, including Juyoung.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it… I didn’t use it much originally anyway.”

“That’s why it’s about time you used some. I’m planning to take a proper rest this time too.”

“You can’t go outside the center anyway.”

“In principle, that’s true. But there are anomalies.”

To use the word “anomaly” here… surely.

“Are you going out on guide security duty?”

“Correct. Perhaps the guide who has been in charge of me for ten years felt a bit sorry for me living locked up in the center, so he said he’d take me out. You should try asking the S-class kids too.”

To ask the S-class guides. No, how can I go when I don’t even know them?

“You know. I have no connection with guides. Who would want to attach someone they barely know as security?”

“That’s probably not true. If you say you want to go, most of them would say yes. S-class guides can’t go out without security anyway.”

“Still, I have no intention. I don’t see any reason why I should bother going out.”

“When on earth is that reason going to appear? Anyway, fine. I’m sure you have your reasons. I won’t disturb your work any further. Good luck.”

“Yes. You too, Director.”

Looking at Director Shin’s back as she left the office, I thought. What is that “reason to go out” I always mention like an excuse? Even though they were words I spoke, even I didn’t know the proper meaning.

S-class Espers belonging to the National Security Agency are strictly forbidden from going outside the center. However, it’s not as if there are absolutely no ways, like Director Shin did. If one set their mind to it—and wore the appropriate shackles—they could go outside.

In the first place, no one is born and raised in the center. Everyone lived outside and then awakened as an Esper or guide at different ages to be gathered at the center, so it was natural to miss or yearn for the outside. It was like a homesickness that most humans possess.

But that only applied to people who had a place to return to.

Since I have no place to return to, I had no place I particularly needed to go. It’s not like there was anyone outside I particularly wanted to see.

If my mentor were still alive, I might have gone to visit at least once, but since I heard the news of his passing before even graduating from the academy, it’s not like I could exchange greetings or talk even if I went out.

If not for the center, I had nowhere to be.

“Mr. Kang Juha, what are you going to do about this summer vacation? I think I need to speak with the Field Operations Department.”

In fact, even calling it a vacation, it was nothing grand for the current Kang Juha. It would just be a day or two of rest without training or missions.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never received a vacation before.”

“It’s not about… receiving a vacation; you just have to submit for annual leave, right?”

Even for an S-class Esper, while going outside the center was impossible, it didn’t mean vacations themselves didn’t exist. There were center law clauses based on labor laws here, after all.

“I’ve taken a break from training for a day or two to manage my condition when there was a mission, but I’ve never submitted for annual leave… Is there such a thing?”

“…It seems the center needs a labor union after all.”

What on earth is this talk in the 21st century?

It’s called center law, but in truth, I know it’s a law with far more classified clauses that aren’t officially written down. To think that Kang Juha was the one who fell into all those exceptions. I knew he received special treatment, but I never imagined he was being singled out even in this regard.

“Well, since I’m supervising the training schedule, Mr. Kang Juha can just rest according to the days I take my annual leave.”

I had intended to just let it pass this year like previous years, but because of Kang Juha, I became determined to definitely take at least two days of annual leave.

“Then am I going to be with Teacher?”

“That’s right.”

“All day long?”

Whether he was excited, Kang Juha’s eyes sparkled.

“…I suppose so?”

Why am I feeling anxious?

“For several days in a row?”

“It won’t be several days; it’ll probably be about a day or 두. At most, two…”

“Ah, that’s so great.”

Why is it that those eyes, which are smiling at me until they curve, don’t look like those innocent eyes of the Kang Juha I know?

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Could it be that his gaze reads that way because I keep having impure thoughts? It could be that Kang Juha is just genuinely excited for the first vacation he’s ever received with a heart like a pure child, right?

“Then can I stay stuck to Teacher the whole time?”

“…May I ask what you mean by ‘staying stuck’ to me?”

“Just like it sounds. I want to be right by your side. Or, can’t I just hold you?”

“You, me, Mr. Kang Juha?”

“Yes. After all, Teacher, your physical strength is too weak for you to hold me.”

Ah, did “holding” really mean lifting my body up and holding me? Not hugging?

“Who on earth does that at home? I refuse.”

“Then a kiss—”

“Absolutely not.”

“I haven’t finished speaking yet…”

“That thing back then was just… an accident.”

“You said you didn’t hate it.”

Kang Juha is quick-witted. And sharp. I know he doesn’t have mental-type powers, but when I meet those eyes that stare straight into me, it feels as if he could see through my inner self that even I don’t know.

“That doesn’t mean you’re my lover, Mr. Kang Juha.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

“…”

“I’ll be Teacher’s lover. I want to do it. Please let me.”