SOG (English)

#14

— I heard that the period from the late teens to the late 20s is the time when the second power is most awakened. You're exactly that age right now. Do you want to be a Multi-Guide?

— Yes. A little, um. Funny, isn't it?

The youngest member of Team 5 fiddled shyly with her long hair. -Vroom-. A soft car exhaust sound came from not far away. Against the backdrop of the calm noise, she continued with a quivering voice.

— To be honest, if it's something I can do with effort, I want to do it right away. Salaries and risk benefits are incomparably high... At the center everyone is hush-hush about it, but statistically, the death rate is much lower as an Esper. And also. This is the most important thing. The Esper is basically less ignored, isn't it?

The youngest member of Team 5 sighed heavily. Jae-Chan recalled her running around doing errands in the camp because she was the youngest.

— That's why... If everyone else could do it besides me, they all wished to be an Esper, right?

The face of the youngest member of the 5th Team who finished talking was flushed red again. She thought she'd let out too much about herself for nothing. Unlike herself, when in front of a Golden Spoon Guide who had not experienced any difficult situations. <What was she doing?> She should've only asked about the 1st Team Leader. Disappointed, she added defensively.

— Of course, a Guide who only worked with people like Esper Go Woo-Jin wouldn't understand. It was like that for me.

And then there was a moment of silence.

— …….

Ah. She shouldn't have added it. It was when the 5th Team Guide was frustrated as if she had committed a crime.

— No, I understand.

A subdued voice was heard. The youngest, who was fiddling with her fingers, raised her bewildered gaze.

— I seriously understand. There was a time I wished I was an Esper.

Honestly. Sun Jae-Chan's face was a little pale, muttering like that. For a moment, an overly cool wind blew. His face hit by the empty air looked as helpless as hers, when the youngest tried to ask his reason.

— …Sunbae? Where are you going?

While talking, Jae-Chan, who had consistently checked on Kim Geun-Won's side, whispered quickly.

Go Woo-Jin left his seat about 5 minutes ago. When he saw that he hastily pulled out his ringing cell phone, there was only one possible caller he could think of. There is only one phone call that Woo-Jin cares so much about and would keep out of people's attention, his stepmother.

For that reason, Kim Geun-Won, who was alone, stood up. He turned off the tablet PC from which the light was leaking out, and looked straight ahead somewhere outside the alley with a frown.

— Sunbae. Why are you like that?

Jae-Chan, who approached, lowered his voice and asked. He stood by Kim Geun-Won's side while killing the sound of his footsteps. Staring at the same angle.

A cluttered gap in the alley. A car was standing in the dark. It was across the narrow two-lane road where Jae-Chan and Kim Geun-Won had walked arm in arm earlier. While talking to the youngest, Jae-Chan remembered that he had heard a car sound.

A gray and white old station wagon. Weirdly, the headlights went out and only the exhaust sound was flowing dimly. Kim Geun-Won whispered.

— Inside there… There's a person.

It was a very tense voice. As if there was something wrong with having someone in there.

— Isn't there definitely a possibility that there isn't someone inside?