Chapter 42

About half a month later, on the day of his return, Soram stretched his arms wide in the office. Although he looked slightly thinner with reduced muscle mass, his grinning expression was no different from someone who had just returned from a picnic. There was no trace of him being tied up in a narrow solitary cell for two whole weeks. Ayoung, who didn't know about what happened on the guard floor, seemed to be inwardly relieved to see him like that.

"I'm back!"

"Wow."

"Did you work hard on my tasks while I was gone?"

"I didn't do that."

"Why? Lee Ayoung, the hunter who said last night on the phone that I was actually the best team leader?"

"Ah, why are you mentioning that!"

It seemed like the headquarters had a lot of work in many ways during the detention period, but it didn't feel like much of a change to Soram, who had been here for a long time. The busy spring at the headquarters was a routine he experienced once a year, and the surrounding hustle and bustle was just a feeling of "ah, it's that time again."

Still, the sunlight after a long time was welcome. The cozy office, even Tae-un who was looking at him bluntly along with Ayoung.

"Han Tae-un ssi, weren't you lonely while I was gone?"

"... I wasn't lonely."

"Gasp, I secretly cried because I missed the affectionate hands that fed me bit by bit. That's too much."

"What on earth did you two do in there... No. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it after seeing Soram oppa's expression."

When Soram raised his eyebrows, Ayoung even shook her head in refusal.

"Ah, right, Min-ki oppa is at the Seoul branch now."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"What happened? It's just time for the public training."

"Already?"

"Time has passed like this while oppa was in jail."

"..."

"When is oppa's training?"

"I'm going to check now. Ah, it's the day after tomorrow."

"Who's the opponent?"

"Han Tae-un ssi."

Gasp. Of all people! Ayoung looked at the person present with wide eyes. Tae-un didn't have much of a reaction, as if he already knew.

"I'll have to go to the training room and stretch my body hard for the next two days. Call me if anything happens. You too, Han Tae-un ssi. I won't be coming back to the office much today and tomorrow."

"Should I change the date for you? My training is next week. If I ask Deputy Chief Song Yun-kyung, who is my opponent, they'll probably agree."

"Hmm. No. There's no need for that. It's a bit earlier than expected, but two days is enough for a rookie who has only been a 1st-grade awakener for a few months."

"Confidence is good, but oppa..."

Ha. Tae-un made a very small sound that could be heard. Soram picked up the jacket hanging on the chair and the takeout cup on the desk.

"Then I'll get going. Everyone, take care."

Soram waved the jacket like a handkerchief to say goodbye and left the office. The team leader who had been absent for two weeks disappeared again in just 20 minutes.

Seeing his consistent appearance, Ayoung felt somehow futile about the time she had missed him. Indeed, two weeks was a ridiculously short time for a person to change.

"Tae-un oppa."

"Yeah."

"Go easy on Soram oppa. His body will be stiff, and I heard he has a CF scheduled after the training."

Ayoung wouldn't dare say it to Tae-un, but Soram had been boasting that he was stronger than Tae-un during that time. Wouldn't he be upset and hurt his pride if he lost here?

Ayoung and Tae-un shared the office, which was just the two of them, for two weeks. They hadn't become close enough to be comfortable, but at least the time alone together wasn't as awkward as before. Tae-un had even helped Ayoung study Korean history, her biggest weakness, a few times.

From Ayoung's perspective, even though they were the same age, Tae-un seemed several times more mature than Soram. That's why she made a request to the relatively serious Tae-un instead of Soram, who had left fluttering, but he answered while looking at the door Soram had gone through.

"How can a rookie of a few months do that when the opponent is Jin Soram?"

He didn't actually say "rookie bastard." He said "rookie"... Even if corrected, Tae-un seemed to have already caught the competitive spirit.

"I'll be out for a bit too."

Watching Tae-un's back as he got up, Ayoung shook her head, thinking, "Sigh, why are men like that?"

* * *

After that, Soram and Tae-un often left the office empty. They faithfully responded to dispatch signals and had dinner together as a trio, but the time they weren't at their desks was longer for both of them.

Before Ayoung could complain, "You're both leaving me alone and going somewhere!" the D-day for the public training arrived.

The day of the 1:1 mock battle training between the two team members of the officially named Field Operations Bureau Team 7, also known by the nickname "Flight Team."

That day, Ayoung submitted an excuse note written by the headquarters and didn't go to school. Thanks to Soram, who freely wrote excuse notes as Ayoung requested, she had missed school for somewhat insincere reasons before, but today was a day when others would have stopped her even if she tried to go.

All public training times were at 12:00 PM. The training was assigned during lunchtime in the middle of work hours at the request of the public relations department. "Make it so that as many people as possible can watch it live." That strategy worked out very well, and some companies and schools would gather together to watch the video broadcast by the headquarters on a large TV during this time. It was natural for CFs featuring hunters to air before and after the training broadcast.

"Wow, Ayoung, 300,000 people have already joined."

"Really?"

Ga-eul turned the phone screen to show Ayoung, who asked back. The chat window was even more heated than during the regular press conference.

The public training of hunters that started this Monday, in other words, was a 1:1 match between superhumans. A fight between superhumans that appeared in reality without CG. How many people would there be who wouldn't find that appealing?

The main purpose of the public training was to promote to the public that they have such a powerful force. It was to provide a sense of relief by showing strong power. As a result, the standing of the headquarters became even more solid.

Ayoung pretended not to notice that the list of videos Ga-eul had been watching until just before were all videos of herself. This unnie must have been looking at comments and people's reactions all day again. She thought it was a bit amusing, just like what Soram would’ve thought.

"Ha, I'm nervous..."

On the other side of Ayoung, Min-ki was sitting. He was usually very sensitive for a 1st-grade hunter and had a bit of an anxiety index, but today even his legs were trembling slightly.

"Are you the one fighting? Why are you so nervous? You already did it yesterday morning."

"Seeing the arena and the cameras makes me nervous again..."

"Ah, that bas... I want to eat dumplings. Chinese restaurant is the way to go when spectating something."

Next to Min-ki, Busan Director Shin Gi-hyeon poked his head out. As a result, Ga-eul's words, which had the brakes applied, swerved in a strange direction. Ga-eul also thought that she should refrain from speaking roughly in places where there were many people watching, at least when she was with young Ayoung, even if it was okay when she was alone with her friends.

"Hmm, anyway, hey, where did you go with Jin Soram earlier?"

"He asked me for a favor... I'll probably go out again later."

"What favor?"

"... Sorry. I can't say. It's, um, privacy."

"Where does such a thing exist? Tell me. I even know his digital certificate PIN, so what are you hiding?"

"That's because you use the KakaoTalk chatroom as a notepad with just the three of us... While we're on the topic, don't proofread in the chatroom for letters to fans. I don't want to see you writing a bunch of laughing emoticons."

"No. I have to post it on KakaoTalk and view it on my phone to see if there's anything weird."

"You can just send it to yourself."

"Ah, that's only for really important memos."

"..."

Thus, Min-ki lost once again. Ayoung rested her chin on her knees between the bickering friends.

"I wish I had a same-age hunter friend too. Soram oppa even gained Tae-un oppa as a friend this time. I'm jealous."

"Ayoung's friend will join soon too. People in their 20s are still the ones who awaken the most. And Chief Han and Jin Soram seem distant, you know."

"No. They seemed to have gotten a bit closer even before he went to jail."

"Really? Well, considering that he came all the way there to see him..."

A sound of tapping on the microphone rang out through the large speakers installed in the arena. Soon, people's gazes focused on the two men who appeared at the entrance of the arena.

The arena had a spacious area below, like an indoor court, where two hunters would face off, and audience seats were installed around it with a difference in elevation. For safety reasons, only hunters, researchers, and a few filming staff from broadcasting stations could sit here.

Of course, the hunters sat in the front row of the audience seats, and the others sat behind the hunters. Some of the higher-ups would also be in the VIP room with bulletproof glass up there.

Soram and Tae-un entered side by side, shook hands while standing in the center of the arena. It looked like a soccer match with only one player on each team.

"2022 Regular Public Training Day 4 of the Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters. Chief Hunter Jin Soram, Chief Hunter Han Tae-un."

During the brief explanation, Soram and Tae-un turned around and stood facing each other at their designated positions at each end of the arena.

Today, they were both wearing black suits as well. In addition, Soram wore the short sword he favored across his lower back, and Tae-un held the long sword he had used since the previous measurement in his hand. Even though they were allowed to bring any weapons they wanted, their belongings were simple.

"1 minute before the start of training. Hunters, please take out your weapons and prepare to attack."

Since there was only one weapon, no special preparation was needed. They both drew their swords and threw the scabbards into the corner. Then they looked at each other with a more tense gaze.

The 1-minute timer started on the scoreboard floating at pillar height.

Ga-eul, who had been watching this scene for 8 years as someone born in the 90s, always felt something.

"Doesn't it look just like a Pokémon battle when you line up two people like that?"