episode_0049

*****

“How is your internship going?”

“Well, I’m doing pretty well.”

“Okay. I’m glad. If they ask you to do something strange, just let me know. Because I will crush it with all my might.”

“It’s not you who is asking me to do strange things… .”

The words “I guess it’s you” rose up in my throat, but I barely swallowed them. I already understand from experience that no matter what I say to Seol-ah about this situation, it won’t work. Talking about it for no reason will only make me mentally tired.

As you can guess from the two words Seol-ah and this situation, we are currently chatting in the faculty bathroom. Talking to a naked high school girl while naked makes me have nothing to say even if I were arrested for red-handed. I hope you will at least take into account the fact that I did not suggest it, Your Honor.

“I’m not doing anything particularly strange. Ami, you say the same thing, but you’ve gotten used to it, right?”

“ugh. I feel resentful, but I have no choice but to admit it.”

There were also several secret meetings here. Now, I am so used to bathing with girls that I can talk to Seol-ah face to face without looking back. Of course, it was thanks to Seol-Ah saying, ‘I can’t see anything other than my own face.’

“Rather, I don’t quite understand why you’re so embarrassed. See, you have a very good ability to recognize signs, right? So much so that even if you fight with your eyes closed, it won’t cause much trouble.”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

After all, perspective is important. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though. Unless the enemy is quite strong, there will be no problem in fighting with your eyes closed like Seol-ah said.

“That is possible because you recognize the form of magical power in such detail. I think it’s really great. But after all, you’re always looking at the other person’s naked body, right?”

“… !? Now, wait a minute. Magical power flows even through clothes.”

“Still, there is a difference from what flows through the body. I think you can differentiate and accept that level. Then, if you wanted, it would be possible to recognize only the magical power flowing in another person’s body as a form?”

Is that what happens if you listen to something like that? It is the human mind to think like this. And my cognitive ability, trained over decades, instantly realized even such unconscious thoughts.

What that means is that I was able to see Seol-ah’s curved, rich silhouette in my vision, which was limited to words──

“──No, what are you ordering me to do!”

” Although I have never ordered it. But looking at the reaction, it seems like it was really possible. If you’re going to encounter naked people 365 days a year anyway, I just thought there wouldn’t be any difference in the bathroom.”

“It’s completely different!”

Who would be fascinated by the silhouette of a Coke bottle? No, maybe, but at least not me. So, when you look at someone else’s body with magic power, you don’t have even one millisecond of sexual thoughts.

I quickly picked up those excuses and Seol-ah chuckled. That smile made me realize that Seol-ah was playing with me.

“You… .”

“Hehe. Sorry, I wanted to talk about this with my friend at least once. Thanks to you, I was able to delete another list.”

“List?”

“This is a list of things I wanted to do if I had a friend whose words didn’t work. Now that I think about it, the last time I went to propose an internship, it was pretty good.”

Seol-ah triumphantly told the story of seeing me from afar while I was being questioned about my relationship with her. I guess it was a high point for Seol-ah to show off his friendship with me in front of my friends.

… There’s something very sad about it.

“I thought you knew something when you made a point of sharing harmless gossip with each other.”

“Stop it, don’t turn me into someone who says things like that after targeting me!”

“? Isn’t that what you were aiming for?”

“Of course! So there’s no need to make a list or anything like that. Even if you’re not conscious of it, if it’s something like being friends, you’ll get sick of it in the future.”

“… … .”

Seol-Ah stiffened for a moment at the words, which contained considerable true feelings. Did I feel something from what I just said? If possible, I hope he comes back as a cool, yet caring child who cares about his younger brother.

“The line you just said made me feel like a friend, so it’s okay. Can you say it one more time? I’ll record it.”

It was impossible.

“No no, that’s─”

“As expected, it doesn’t work for free. But no matter how hungry I am for friends, I only have one line. I can’t pay more than 1 million won.”

“… … .”

“Four, I will pay you three hundred.”

“Shall we do it?”

I was a little worried for a moment! This is why they are rich!

“Hehe. It was kind of fun. Now, let’s get back to the serious topic. You said there was something you wanted to ask, right?”

“Wait a moment. Because the transition was too fast and I couldn’t organize my thoughts.”

Since this was a question asked at the gym in the first place, it would have been better if the gym had answered it. Was it really necessary to come to the bathroom? … Well, think of it as an information fee.

Sia doesn’t say much, and Yangachi is reluctant because he feels like he’s going to talk about debt and all. Although Seol-Ah was chosen as the method of elimination in such a situation, she had more information than expected about her position.

As soon as I finished explaining, Seol-ah nodded as if she understood and opened her mouth.

“The relationship between Brother Seongshin and Team Galaxy. That’s probably because my brother is the team’s sponsor.”

“Seongshin brother?”

“The curly haired man you mentioned.”

In order not to repeat the mistake of last time, this time I called Seaweed Man properly the man with curly hair. By the way, Seaweed Man was that kind of name.

“But Team Galaxy is part of the hero service. But is it possible that the sponsor is attached to the team and not the company?”

“It doesn’t happen often. Could it be that they have signed a contract to supply ingredients for the medicinal monster? As far as I know, Brother Seongshin was in charge of the pharmaceutical and medical field. Otherwise, Brother Seongshin wouldn’t be able to be so powerful.”

Brother Seongshin’s ‘degree’, is it? Seol-ah called it that naturally, as if she wasn’t even conscious of it. Perhaps there really is that much of a gap between the two.

“I think my brother’s guess is probably right. Brother Seongshin is clearly plotting something. You wanted to confirm that fact, right?”

“Yes. But if you knew all that, why did you introduce us to the internship there?”

Work is work, so we do it sincerely, and of course it leads to Seaweed Man’s benefit. Is there any need to benefit the enemy, no matter how out of line it may be?

After hearing that, Seol-ah waved her hand as if it was nothing at all.

“The reason I asked you guys for an internship has nothing to do with Brother Seongshin. It was the first time I heard from you that the place was sponsored by Brother Seongshin. The person who asked you for a favor was the manager there. Why, there are people who look very suspicious to the naked eye.”

“Ah. It’s the manager’s side.”

“I accepted the introduction because I heard it was an internship in the hero service field. I didn’t think one of my brothers would be there. If you want to quit the internship because of that, please let me know at any time.”

Well─. I thought about whether or not to quit my internship for a while.

… Is there nothing to think about? Because we haven’t found out anything about Ganghwa or Mr. Rabbit, which we originally targeted. It’s not like there’s such a risk that you have to quit right away.

“Anyway, even if it is a risk, the trainer will feel uncomfortable.”

“I hope you don’t bother my younger brother.”

“He said he was your older brother?”

“Tell him that if he wins at least once in a mock battle, he will think about it.”

After that, Princess Bracon continued to talk about her younger brother’s history of defeat until she finished bathing. By the time I came out to wash my body, I felt a little sorry for him.

Well, what is pitiful is pitiful, and what is teased is teased!

***

“Thank you very, very much.”

In the hospital room, an ordinary man lowered his head several times. The gratitude expressed in his expression and tone of voice was so clear that anyone could recognize it.

The kids were each showing different reactions, as if they weren’t yet used to such blind favor. Raon and Mari are usually embarrassed, and Jeongyoung avoids eye contact, etc. Bobbin was even dazed, as if he was somewhat surprised. Although there were some guys who didn’t seem particularly interested, like the gangsters.

“No, we haven’t done much. It was Galaxy people who helped him, and we just cleaned up the surroundings.”

“Still, I heard that the Galaxy people can fight to their heart’s content thanks to everyone’s help with the evacuation of the surrounding area. Right?”

“Of course! If the Cheonmyeong High School students had not come, the number of people would have been dispersed and the suppression would have been delayed.”

Mr. Cat strongly affirmed the uncle’s confirmation. The man smiled and lowered his head again at the sight of Cat, who looked just as old as his daughter.

“Then I have no choice but to thank you again. Really, if I had hurt someone during my rampage, how would I have lived looking at those people’s faces… . And my life would have definitely ended there. You are truly my benefactors.”

“Now, please praise me more. That’s what these kids are doing during this internship.”

“That’s easy.”

After that, the other kids were quite tired of all the man’s rhetoric. The momentum was enough to make me think that it would have been better for this guy to go into the entertainment industry rather than the construction industry.

me? Have I ever received gratitude like this once or twice? The gratitude of an ordinary man is not even a snack.

“Little boy, your mouth is going to be torn apart for acting like that. I’m so happy with just one or two words of praise──Ugh.”

After punching the side of the bully who was talking nonsense, I also opened my mouth. From my experience, I didn’t think he would be in a very good position right now.

“Are you okay? Something like that happened, but the company… .”

At my words, Cat turned back and made a shh gesture. But the man’s face had already darkened slightly.

“Actually, it’s not that good. I’ll probably retire soon.”

“No way! A runaway is just an accident, right?”

“I think so too. But the way my colleagues view me has already changed. Even if this incident had been handled as a simple accident, the result would have been the same.”

Despite Raon’s consolation, the man said that with a bitter smile. This is a powerful awakener who can turn a construction site into a wasteland. From a normal person’s perspective, it would be scary.

I asked him if he would rather work as a hero. This was also the reason why I turned the conversation this way. If he had the potential he saw when he went crazy, he seemed like he could do well as a hero.

But the man shook his head at my suggestion.

“That is impossible. My potential judgment is F rank. Because he was an awakened person who could not even become the lowest level hero.”

“Yes? But at that time, at the construction site… .”

“Isn’t that because it was a runaway? I don’t remember exactly what happened at the time, but it was definitely huge. But originally, all I could do was move the debris flow slowly. At most, the only use I could make of my potential was to remove the bubble layer in asphalt.”

No, no, it is impossible for such a surge of potential to create a giant sand golem. Runaway water breaks the faucet, not the water tank itself.

Maybe this was another process of awakening? If the potential that originally failed to bloom properly for some reason was awakened through this incident, the extent of its growth can also be explained.

But even after hearing this hypothesis, the man shook his head.

“On the contrary, it is the opposite. Now the potential is weaker than before. This is another reason why it is difficult to remain at the company. The doctor said it would get better as time goes by.”

The man who spoke so calmly already had a look of resignation on his face.

Has there ever been a case like this? When he saw me thinking deeply, he opened his mouth.

“You don’t have to worry that much. Rather, I am lucky.”

“You’re lucky, right?”

“Yes. I also did a little research on the internet, but I heard that the Awakened’s rampage causes a lot of damage to the surrounding area? However, thanks to the fact that a hero happened to pass by, I didn’t do much damage to the people around me. As I said just now, I’m really glad that everyone else is safe.”

… This guy is a very good person.

Of course, from that perspective, you cannot be considered lucky. However, although no one was injured, there was probably a lot of damaged property and equipment.

Considering that you have lost your job and have to pay compensation for it, you may not be in a very comfortable situation. There wouldn’t be many people who would be considerate of others in this situation.

As expected, there is no way to do anything…

“Strengthen regulations on awakened people!”

[Strengthen it!]

──While I was thinking, I suddenly heard a loud shout from outside and was startled. The eyes of everyone in the room turned out the window.

“What, what’s going on?”

“People are gathered together.”

” Looking at them, it looks like they are a group of anti-awakened people.”

As Jeong Young-i said, people outside were holding signs such as ‘Strengthen regulations on non-hero awakened people’ and shouting various slogans. These are the so-called protesters.

“There are still people who do things like that.”

“This is my first time seeing you in person.”

These were people I was sick of seeing when I was at the peak of my hero activities, but the kids were frowning but looking at them as if they were a little curious. Certainly, if you look closely, the number of people appears to be smaller and older than I remember.

“Has it been like that for the past few days? Are you feeling okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I guess the goal is not me.”

“Now, the senseless hatred towards the awakened is being caught. Those people are not the uncle, but are raising issues due to Team Galaxy’s negligence in management.”

According to Mr. Cat’s explanation, the method is to make it a problem between the company and the customer by making the company called Hero Service the problem rather than the man himself. Now and then, there are people everywhere who make a fuss.

“But the Galaxy team has so far resolved the Awakening’s runaways without a single casualty, right? On the contrary, I can’t thank you enough… .”

“Did you say Cyclops? This is also an internship, so pay close attention. There aren’t always people who recognize our efforts. There are people who blame us for the rampage of awakened people, or perhaps just because we are awakened.”

A hero is someone who protects even those people. Mr. Cat said that while looking out the window.

“And don’t worry. Because I called someone to help me.”

“Someone who can help?”

What was heard instead of an answer was the sound of shoes walking quickly down the hallway. The narrow-eyed man who walked quickly into the hospital room took a deep breath and was embarrassed by the many eyes looking at him.

“Well, what is it? Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

“Ah, manager. I explained everything over the phone. Now, let’s go get him quickly.”

“Wait a moment. I came here to say no.”

The narrow-eyed man said that the method proposed by Mr. Cat is to move him to a research facility operated by a pharmaceutical company that is the sponsor of the Galaxy team. Since this is pharmaceutical research, there is a high level of treatment facilities available.

“It doesn’t really matter if that person is here, right? You probably know very well that the protesters can’t touch that person anyway.”

“But you still don’t know, right? This is a group that operates on such anachronistic ideas, so who knows whether there will be at least one person who turns around and turns away. If the protestors keep doing that in front of the hospital, won’t our image also get worse?”

“But does that mean they can push it into the sponsor’s facilities as they please!”

“Then you can check it out. That doesn’t mean you can’t do that, right?”

“… Check it and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Got it?”

Smiling said he would make a phone call and went outside. We, including the man, were just staring at it blankly.

“Am I okay? If it’s a lab, normal people can’t go in… ”

“Huh? It’s okay, it’s okay. Of course, I might write some pledges or something like that. Oh, while you’re on your way there, would you like to participate in a few experiments? Then, you will be able to earn a decent amount of pocket money until you find your next job.”

“I’ll think about it. It’s been a while since I gave thanks, but it seems like I have more things to be thankful for.”

There must have been some reason for Mr. Cat’s confident attitude. You can see the confusion on the expression on the face of the slit-eyed man who ended the call and said that it had been decided to move him to the research facility. Of course, for us now, we were even more glad to see an ending where the situation ended properly, so no one talked about that part.

The story of the commotion that took place on the first day of the internship ended neatly by showing the potential(?) of the senior hero.

… Well, I was thinking about it at the time.

*****