"So, Manager Jo said to us..."
"Should we head out now?"
After getting ready, Geonu continued the conversation, as if intending to make up for lost time, prompting Sihyun to intervene.
Since they would meet again, Sihyun hoped to save the rest of their discussions for the car ride to the association. Before they knew it, an hour had passed.
Given the instruction to register in the morning, it was clear many were slated for the rank test today. Arriving late would mean a long wait, so Sihyun persuaded the children, who reluctantly got up from their seats with a lack of enthusiasm.
One advantage of being a Redem Guild member was the privilege of traveling in a car driven by a chauffeur hired by Redem. Riding in a chauffeured car felt like being a wealthy young master.
This time, Sihyun split the group into four per car. Haewoon, Hamin, Down, and Jihye shared one vehicle, while the others took another.
"We're heading to the Awakeners Association for the rank test, could you take us there, please?"
Sihyun, sitting in the passenger seat to avoid crowding, buckled up and spoke. Turning to check if the others had boarded, he found the backseat empty, which puzzled him. Leaning out of the passenger window, he saw three boys awkwardly standing outside.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah..."
Geonu and Haru sighed in unison as if on cue. Yoo Seowoo, glancing between the backseat and passenger seat, suddenly shrugged his shoulders slightly and bowed his head, covering his mouth with his hand, apparently holding back laughter.
"Ah, were you trying to get in there?"
After a good laugh, Seowoo asked in a trembling voice that barely concealed his amusement. When asked where else they would sit, he shook his head. The three boys, looking embarrassed, belatedly climbed into the car.
The ride to the association was not filled with much conversation, a result of gathering individuals who were either naturally quiet or calm. Sihyun imagined the vehicle carrying Haewoon must be in chaos, considering Down, Hamin, and Haewoon were together, and the thought alone made him chuckle. Unintentionally, this arrangement made their car ride peaceful and comfortable.
Perhaps he should use this tactic more often.
By segregating the more active or noisy individuals into one space, Sihyun spared himself from being drained by their energy. While Hamin might emerge exhausted from dealing with Haewoon, Sihyun wasn't particularly concerned. After spending four years together through middle and high school, Hamin should be well-adjusted by now.
Even if it was a bit tough, so what?
If Sihyun expressed a desire for a comfortable ride, Hamin would grudgingly but lazily agree to join Haewoon. Recently, Hamin had been kinder, gentler, and more immature towards him.
...Perhaps this was also something he liked.
Whereas they used to bicker like friends, now their interactions were lighter, with Hamin occasionally checking Sihyun's reactions.
Unknowingly, Hamin showed delicate consideration. Maybe Hamin chose to go with Haewoon this time thinking of Sihyun, who quickly shook off the thought.
One shouldn't get ahead of themselves. It was mere speculation.
With the quiet ride leading to wandering thoughts, Sihyun leaned his head against the window. The sound of the car's wheels rolling lulled him into a light doze.
Sihyun awoke from his nap when Haru gently shook him, indicating they had arrived.
"...Are we here already?"
The brief sleep left him feeling more tired, regretting not staying awake. Thanking the driver with a nod as he got out of the car, Sihyun received a nod back before the car headed back to the guild building.
"How will we get back?"
"We'll call for a ride later. It seems too selfish to have them wait until our 4 p.m. test. Let's just call after we're done."
"Stay here until 4?"
"Thinking of resting at a nearby cafe. It'll take another hour to go back and forth, so it's better to stay close. If the association has a lounge, we'll use that."
"Sounds good."
Seowoo hummed briefly before agreeing. After consulting the others and gaining their consent, Sihyun waited for Hamin's car, which had left earlier but arrived later.
The slow approach suggested trouble had ensued during their ride.
"Ah, Kang Haewoon! You're crazy!"
"Uh? Call me crazy again, and I drop this?"
"Hey!"
Shouts could be heard from the approaching vehicle, signaling the tumultuous arrival of the duo. Sihyun was about to shake his head in disapproval when he spotted Haewoon waving something outside the window and gasped.
"...Really
crazy."
At this point, Sihyun's exclamation seemed more like an accolade. Haewoon was waving someone's phone, clearly Hamin's, outside the window.
Despite not being in the same space, Sihyun felt as though he had witnessed everything. After teasing Hamin with his phone, Haewoon finally stopped his mischief after a retaliatory hit.
"Brimming with energy this morning."
"If this looks like energy to you, where did we go wrong?"
Geonu casually praised, to which Hamin responded with a disgusted look. Following them out of the car, Down expressed relief at not having his ears blown off.
"Next time, let's switch cars. I can't bear the embarrassment of being with them."
"Hey, we're not embarrassed, you know?"
"What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"Where's your conscience? Wasn't it you who plucked Kang Haewoon's hair in the car?"
Upon seeing their faces, Hamin and Down fought like snarling beasts. Sihyun, accustomed to such scenes, made sure to take care of Jihye and entered the association with the children from his car. The lagging children eventually noticed and followed Sihyun, chiding him.
"Always a brawler."
Recalling Hamin once calling him a brawler, Sihyun tossed the phrase back at him. Hamin scoffed, mocking Sihyun for holding onto something said so long ago, dismissing him as petty.
"We've come to register for the Awakener rank test. Where should we go?"
Ignoring the ongoing squabble behind him, Sihyun approached the registration desk to inquire, where the consultant scanned his face and made a call.
After a brief exchange over the phone, the consultant ended the call and eyed Sihyun and the seven kids trailing him.
"Please head to the second floor. There's an archive desk there where you can inquire about registration."
"Thank you."
Sihyun thanked the consultant and looked for the stairs, with the kids trailing behind under his lead.
Kids will be kids.
Their awkwardness at managing on their own without an adult was obvious, making Sihyun chuckle. He felt like a mother hen leading seven chicks, although these chicks were bigger than him.
Perhaps they were more like newly hatched ostriches.
Adjusting his imagination to match the A-class kids' sizes, Sihyun headed to the second-floor registration desk. Upon presenting his ID card, the consultant seemed surprised and made another call.
"Yes, yes. As the manager mentioned.... Yes...."
The consultant nodded continually, glancing at Sihyun. Though something seemed off, Sihyun had thought it was merely due to the busy schedule until he met the person who came down to greet them, realizing the fuss was about him.
"You're here early. Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Ihae, the manager of the Korean Awakeners Association operations team."
A man with black hair, dressed in a neat suit, extended his hand towards Sihyun. His serious demeanor showed no hint of a smile, rather the face of a worn-out office worker.
Recognizing the operations team as the department that had sent them a message, Sihyun blinked. It was unusual for the team manager to personally greet them.
"...Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Sihyun."
Though skeptical, Sihyun couldn't refuse the handshake. Their palms met, rough against each other.
"You're a Quadruple, I hear."
"Ah, yes."
"I've heard a lot about you. Were you satisfied with the training room supported by the association?"
"Uh? ...Yes."
Remembering the association had expanded the training room for them, Sihyun nodded and followed the operations team manager who started walking inside.
"It's a shame we couldn't use it anymore due to the recent events. Ah, here, take this."
Continuing the dry conversation, the manager suddenly handed Sihyun some ginseng. Confused but accepting it, the man informed him that test registration would occur in the waiting room, offering to guide him. It was an overly kind gesture.
Feeling indebted, Sihyun suggested he could find his way there if shown, but the manager insisted it was fine, rejecting Sihyun's attempt to decline his guidance.
Sihyun found the situation baffling, not understanding why he was being treated this way.
Suspicious, he eyed the man carefully. Noticing Sihyun's wary gaze, the A-class kids clung to him more closely.
"I've heard about your efforts. Escaping the Shadow World on your own must have been tough."
"Ah, yes."
"And you even rescued a friend trapped there."
"Yes."
"Your record of defeating high-risk Irregulars alone and your support in rifts seem extensive. It must have been hard."
"Everyone's working nonstop these days."
"True. So, you're currently affiliated with Redem as a temporary guild member."
"Yes."
Responding thus far, Sihyun felt a sense of déjà vu and looked at Kang Ihae, who, under Sihyun's gaze, casually remarked with a face slightly more lined with dark circles.
"Being temporary means there might be changes in the future."
"......"
Sihyun felt it was better not to respond this time, staring uneasily at the man who seemed oddly interested in him.
He had seen such a gaze before.
Before the possession, when living as Yoo Sihyun, a professor at university had approached him with the same expression, asking if he had considered graduate school.
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