"Since you seem to have guessed, I won't beat around the bush. Have you considered joining the association?"
Indeed.
My ominous premonition had not been off mark. Just as I thought they were laying the groundwork, they pressed the issue as soon as they sensed my awareness. Coldly assessing, the person was indeed skillful.
"Scouting amidst all this? Is joining the association that easy?"
Snide remarks came from behind me. While keeping an eye on Ihae, Hamin's voice sounded contemplative, as if deciding to observe the situation for now.
With a deflated laugh, I frowned and dug my nails into Hamin's arm.
'What's with you?'
His chuckle in response to my scolding gaze seemed to indicate he didn't appreciate seeing talent poached, especially being blood-related to Hyuk.
Despite their fights, it seemed he cared after all.
Blood is thicker than water, or so they say. After briefly considering Hamin, I decided to address the situation.
"It's a tempting offer, but I've already committed to joining Redem, so a transfer would be difficult."
Declining politely but firmly, I saw Ihae's eyes return to a lifeless state. I had expected him to persist more, but he seemed quick to give up.
"It's a shame. The association's doors are always open, so we would be grateful if you'd contact us anytime. Especially now, as we're short-staffed."
...Not so quick after all?
Leaving room for future possibilities, I gauged his intentions as Ihae opened the door to the waiting room. Only then did I intuitively grasp the meaning behind the staffing shortage he mentioned.
Piles of documents, easily numbering in the hundreds, lay atop a long table.
"Wow, is all this for registration?"
"No, those are documents that need to be processed. The registration desk is this way."
His tone was nonchalant, as if dealing with such volumes was routine. Witnessing a civil servant casually refer to hundreds of pages as mere 'documents to be processed,' I momentarily swallowed my relief.
Dodging a bullet there.
I would have been drafted into this bureaucratic nightmare.
As tiring and strenuous as field missions can be, they were preferable to slogging through endless paperwork. Having lived as an Awakener for a year, my body had grown accustomed to physical activity. Now, the thought of mental anguish seemed worse than physical exhaustion.
Being among those who preferred action, I too had inadvertently adopted their mindset.
Ignorance shouldn't be contagious, but being wary of the same seemed unnecessary as Ihae led us to the back of the waiting room. He distributed forms to each of the eight kids from a box.
"You'll need pens as well."
"Yes!"
Haewoon's response was lively. Ihae reached back into the box, pulling out packs of ten pens each, as if the box were a magical pouch.
"Fill out the highlighted sections and submit. Originally, you would have been assigned numbers in the 80s for the rank test according to your registration order. However, the chairman has arranged for you eight to have a separate session at 3:30 PM."
"Is that really okay?"
"The chairman has taken a special interest, so yes."
His gaze, saying these words, was fixed squarely on me. The implication was clear, leaving me awkwardly scrutinizing the form handed to me.
It required basic information: name, birth date, address, contact number, registered class, and the year of awakening. Quickly completing it, I returned the form to Ihae.
"So, the rank test is at 3:30 PM?"
"Yes."
With his succinct reply, I checked the time: 9:20 AM. Too awkward to return now, especially since the guild had given us the day off for the test and to manage our condition. Hesitant to waste time with unnecessary travel, Ihae's presence intruded into my contemplation.
After a moment of thought, I spoke up.
"Could you recommend a place to rest until then?"
"A place to rest?"
"Yes. Since the test isn't until 3:30 PM, going back and forth seems quite cumbersome. I'm not feeling well and would like to rest. Could that be arranged?"
Mixing truth with a lie, I awaited his response. My blue eyes earnestly met Ihae's.
Surely, the association would provide us space to rest.
Among the awakeners this quarter, A-class kids, including myself and Haru, were the most anticipated. Being a Quadruple and with Haru's skills widely acknowledged, the association would likely accommodate my requests without much loss.
They were keen to curry favor, after all.
Not that I planned to join the association, but while positioned advantageously, I intended to leverage and exploit what I could.
While maintaining silence, Ihae finally pulled out a dark-colored phone from his pocket, matching his suit
, and made a call. After fiddling with it and seemingly communicating with someone, he sighed and consented. The script had gone as expected.
"What if they insist on us joining the association because of this?"
"Just ignore them."
"Can we do that?"
"Have you been too naive all your life? Well, you probably have."
Thanks to Ihae's generosity, we lounged on spacious sofas, enjoying the luxury. Despite Haru's concerns, Hamin's brusque reply did not seem to reassure him fully.
"Would you join the association if they asked?"
"Huh? ...No."
"Then just relax. The association knows we won't join. They're probably just showing goodwill in case. But just in case, let's enjoy the amenities they've provided."
Even if they couldn't sway us, they sought at least to gain some favor.
Haru tilted his head in confusion as I explained in a low voice. Looking at him, who seemed to understand neither the world's dampness nor its selfishness, I held back further words. Having lived like a protected species, I preferred to leave him untainted as much as possible.
"Anyway, just relax."
Glossing over, I patted the sofa, prompting Haru, still curious, to approach belatedly. Then, with a thud, someone else sat beside me, causing the sofa to dip. I turned my head towards the presence felt from the side.
Illuminated by the light, platinum blonde hair shone exceptionally bright, with eyes of a matching color piercing below.
The boy, composed of gentle colors, filled my view, causing my brows to furrow.
"What’s this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you sitting there?"
"You tapped for me to sit."
"When did I?"
"Just now."
After an overly simplistic exchange of words, I kicked Yoo Seowoo's foot in slight frustration.
"I didn’t mean for you to sit."
"Oh? Well, since I’m already sitting, just let it be."
Really?
His face, devoid of guilt for taking someone’s place, was too pure. Glancing sidelong at Seowoo, who was lightly curling the corners of his eyes, I nudged his foot again, this time with more force.
"...Greedy."
My comment, somewhere between reprimand and sarcasm, elicited a laugh from Seowoo. It seemed he guessed what kind of "greed" I was referring to. Turning my attention away, I signaled Haru, who seemed lost, to take the seat opposite me.
Reflecting on the absurdity of the situation, it was evident even to Haru, generally slower on the uptake, that my gesture was meant for him.
With his quick wit, Seowoo must have known but chose to pretend ignorance, either wanting to sit next to me or disliking the idea of Haru sitting there. Uncharacteristically so.
Hamin, having caught on to the situation, snickered, presumably finding the scene amusing though not fully understanding it.
"You know what you’re doing…"
After calling Haru back to sit beside me, whispers from the boy reached my ears. It was as if he had read my mind.
Responding to the murmurs, audible only to me, with a sharp glance, I inadvertently let the words slip out.
"I let it slide this time, but keep it moderate."
Allowing Seowoo to stay seated next to me was already a significant concession. Expecting more would indeed be greedy, I intimated as I met his gaze directly, only for his eyes to soften suddenly. Sensing danger, I instinctively retreated.
"You shouldn’t have let it slide."
"...What?"
"If you let it slide, I’ll think it’s allowed."
"……"
"Don’t be mad if I misinterpret it as permission for next time."
Essentially, don't get angry if I assume such behavior is acceptable again.
The shamelessness of the advance notice left me flabbergasted. How could his reasoning conclude that my tolerance was an invitation for repetition? Understanding Seowoo required a leap of logic; his knack for hearing only what pleased him seemed tailor-made for him.
"Don’t do it next time. We’ve talked about this."
"Do what?"
"This kind of thing."
"What’s 'this kind of thing'?"
"Hey."
Was he a walking question mark? His replies ended with a question, irking me into irritation, which seemed to amuse him, given how he shrugged nonchalantly. His tastes were peculiar.
The corners of my eyes sharply rose.
Considering some time had passed since 'that day' and Seowoo appeared halfway recovered, I pondered whether it was time to stop holding back.
"Bro."
Suddenly, Seowoo leaned closer, his voice flowing out softly.
My eyes widened in surprise, and seizing the moment of my stiffness, Seowoo closed the distance, revealing his playful side.
Aren't you jealous? he implied, adding a tease with a smile.
Hearing the jest laced with laughter, I ended up jabbing his head with the staff I was holding. "Ah," he uttered briefly before covering the spot with his clean, white hand.
"It hurts, Sihyun."
His use of formal address contradicted the informal tone, stirring more discomfort within me. Irritated, I jabbed Seowoo's head again, quelling my anger.
I deeply regretted it.
Being swayed by a moment of pity and sympathy to help him had been folly.
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