Ordinary Person A

#29

“Esper Moon Jin-hyuk, you may leave.”

At the cool dismissal, Jin-hyuk quickly fled the office as if escaping. Ho-woo startled at the emotionless voice, even though it wasn’t directed at him.

There was a considerable disconnect between the man who had been pouring out affectionate words to him and the languid figure now leaning against the desk. Oh-yul’s gaze, which had been fixed on the door Jin-hyuk left through with the same expression Ho-woo had first seen in the photo on the management complex’s website, now turned to Ho-woo.

Ah.

A short exclamation that couldn’t be fully uttered tickled near his slightly parted lips.

The face that had been infinitely cold softened with a gentle warmth. His tightly set mouth curved into a smile, and waves of emotion crashed into his previously dry eyes.

At the expression changing remarkably in just a few seconds, Ho-woo somehow felt his ears grow hot. Even though Oh-yul hadn’t verbally expressed his liking, it felt like receiving a confession more powerful than whispered words.

“If you want, I can handle it more perfectly.”

Ho-woo, who had been entranced by Oh-yul’s face brimming with all sorts of soft and tender emotions, realized he had been in a daze and closed his slightly open jaw.

“W-what?”

“I mean Esper Moon Jin-hyuk.”

A large question mark appeared over Ho-woo’s face. What did he mean by handling it more perfectly? Seeing Ho-woo’s expression of clear incomprehension, Oh-yul smiled slyly while rolling a small, sharp ice shard he had created at his fingertip.

“Um… Will he write more incident reports? Like a hundred pages?”

“That would be easy.”

Isn’t that an abuse of power?

Ho-woo wanted to ask but held back and replied, “Then please do that.” He had a feeling that whatever Oh-yul meant by handling it ‘perfectly’ would be worse than the hundred pages of incident reports he had suggested.

“Also, I hear the reporters have been dealt with.”

“So I can go home now… right…”

Ho-woo’s voice, which had started with enthusiasm, gradually became quieter. It was because Oh-yul’s eyebrows slowly drooped into a (八) shape, looking dejected. His expression, full of regret, looked like a pitiful puppy.

“……”

“…We’re neighbors, you know.”

It wasn’t like he was going far away; they were just next-door neighbors separated by a thin wall. They might even be able to have conversations by slightly raising their voices while sitting in their respective homes.

Given the soundproofing of that building, it might be possible. Considering the singing and gaming sounds he used to hear from next door every weekend, it wasn’t an impossible idea.

“And it’s uncomfortable sharing the same room.”

Ho-woo observed Oh-yul’s expression. While one night of poor sleep might not affect him much, faint traces of fatigue still lingered around his eyes.

“You should sleep comfortably.”

A belated sense of guilt pricked his conscience for having driven the bed’s owner to the cold sofa. Still, if asked whether he could have slept in the same bed with the man before him without any thoughts last night, the answer would obviously be ‘no.’

“I understand. When do you plan to return?”

“Now. Since we’re on the subject, I was planning to go.”

Even if it wasn’t an expensive or spacious home, having a safe haven to hide in was quite important for mental stability. Ho-woo wanted to go home right now, soak his entire body in hot water until his skin flushed, and bury himself in his bed filled with his own scent.

In fact, Ho-woo hadn’t slept very comfortably either, so his dry eyes were complaining of fatigue. Since the bed was Oh-yul’s, when he covered himself with the blanket, it felt like being completely embraced by him.

Because of this, he woke up several times in the early morning, unable to fall into a deep sleep, and greeted the morning feeling as if he were floating between reality and dreams, half-awake. As a result, his condition was at its worst.

After letting out a deep sigh, there was something he needed to do. Although he didn’t want to give more hope to the man in front of him, it would weigh on his mind if he didn’t keep his promise, so he couldn’t just leave it be. Ho-woo made up his mind. A very good idea to handle the promise all at once had occurred to him.

Although it was a very cowardly and regrettable thing to do, the urgent Ho-woo decided to go through with it.

“You’re on duty now, right?”

Oh-yul’s head tilted slightly at Ho-woo’s question, which was difficult to grasp the intention of.

“That’s correct.”

On the large, elegantly brown-tinted desk he was leaning against, thick black file folders were stacked. All were tasks he had to handle, including processing team members’ vacation requests, opinions on classifying newly appeared monsters’ grades and types, and accounting documents for handling the team’s expenses. If a field dispatch came up, he would go out to the site and then return to repeat the paperwork process.

It would be quite a heavy workload without an Esper’s robust stamina, but Oh-yul, now used to it, casually flipped through the black file folders waiting to be processed without much interest. The papers, always filled with similar content, remained the same from the beginning until now.

“Then… after you get off work.”

The gaze that had been indifferently lowered returned to Ho-woo.

“Do you want to have dinner and watch a movie at my place?”

Oh-yul’s eyes widened gradually at the unexpected proposal. It was clearly a surprised expression. The gaze that had been staring blankly as if in disbelief slowly regained composure. Beneath the seemingly calm expression, his eyes clearly showed joy.

“I’ll get off work at 6 PM.”

“…Do you prefer curry or black bean noodles?”

Ho-woo, trying to choose between his cooking skills and 3-minute instant meals, ultimately decided on the instant option. No matter how he thought about it, serving food made by his own hands seemed like it would be an insult to Oh-yul’s stomach. Ordering delivery food was an option, but it didn’t fit with his current goal. After all, this was an attempt to create distance.

“I like both.”

There was nothing to say to the man before him who was simply delighted with everything.

Ho-woo pictured the planned strategy in his mind. Although it was a regrettable act towards both Oh-yul and Do-hyun, he felt anxious about being alone with Oh-yul, fearing he would be swept away even more.

I’m sorry, Do-hyun.

He offered an inaudible apology to his friend in his heart.

***

A deep silence hung between the three people. Or rather, between two people. One among them was intentionally humming a tune to lighten the mood.

“What’s wrong with you two? Don’t you like 3-minute black bean noodles?”

Ho-woo, who had been humming, smiled brightly as he poured the microwave-heated 3-minute black bean sauce over the instant rice.

It was truly a thoughtless dinner hospitality, but since both Oh-yul and his close friend Kim Do-hyun had agreed to it, he prepared it without hesitation.

“…Hey, Lee Ho-woo.”

Ho-woo turned to look at Do-hyun with a clear face at his subdued voice. His expression, asking ‘Is there a problem?’, showed only pure curiosity without a trace of malice.

“Didn’t you say we’d have dinner together and watch a movie?”

“That’s what we’re doing, having dinner. You said you like 3-minute black bean noodles too. I’ve picked out a movie to watch and bought snacks.”

Even as he spoke, Ho-woo glanced at Oh-yul. He looked extremely depressed. His downturned mouth corners seemed to represent his current disappointment and bewilderment.

Although he felt sorry for Oh-yul, who must have had high expectations, Ho-woo wanted to avoid being alone with him as much as possible right now.

When alone with him, Ho-woo felt like a ship on the sea completely caught up in Oh-yul’s pace, unable to find direction. Of course, the time spent with Oh-yul was peaceful and pleasant. However, thinking about the future inevitably made him dizzy.

Ho-woo was old enough and had experienced enough painful relationships to not just cling to someone based on emotions alone, like a novice experiencing love for the first time.

Therefore, Ho-woo hoped for a stable future. Even though he didn’t have grand future plans, inserting Oh-yul into them only made the future seem more uncertain.

Could he even completely separate Oh-yul from being an Esper in the first place? In the end, they were the same person.

Ho-woo bit his lower lip to hide a bitter smile. Seeing this expression, Do-hyun let out a low sigh.

“I wondered what sudden wind had blown.”

Do-hyun, grumbling, reluctantly picked up his spoon and started shoveling the black bean noodles into his mouth. His spooning was rough, as if expressing his mood.

Oh-yul also stared at Ho-woo for a long while before finally taking a spoonful. Even though he could feel the burning gaze on his face, Ho-woo pretended not to notice and kept his eyes fixed on his own plate, unable to grasp how this strange dinner gathering he had proposed would unfold.

After finishing their meal, the three of them quietly gathered in front of the TV to watch the promised movie. The snacks laid out were barely touched, with only Do-hyun occasionally reaching for them.

No one laughed at the movie with its outdated comedic elements. Ho-woo observed the face of the man sitting below the sofa, resting his chin and staring boredly at the screen where the movie was in full swing.

In the dark room with no lights on, the only illumination came from the noisy light of the TV. His faint dark blue eyes gleamed, reflecting that light.

Suddenly, Oh-yul, who had been watching the screen, turned to look at Ho-woo as if sensing his gaze. Their eyes met silently in mid-air, gently intertwining. Reading a faint reproach in those eyes, Ho-woo finally let an awkward smile born from guilt spread across his lips.