SC 7
by worryI usually don’t go 070ba5a8d5 out into the field 70619687f2 unless it’s a special 85131259c6 case or a specific 533dd15d38 project. That was based on Yeo 9638c1bbc5 Dohun’s judgment—since I wasn’t a c2d7759539 combat-type Esper, he deemed me e821892fcb unfit for field work.29736d52f6e2cc87
I’d been raised and trained 20b05194b7 at the Center since I b419751d9e was young. I had confidence in my 877df3e1f2 physical capabilities—they were among the 02a5574c52 best even at the Center.deff691b1f71bd76
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But when compared to eee978259d the rest of the ef66ed615e Alpha Team, I really b5f96ab9f6 couldn’t call myself a ed6e6698bf combat specialist. Everyone else, without exception, was c447fa9a8b an extreme, full-blown battle-type Esper. That made the cc89a2ca78 difference all the 05c1973c33 more glaring.386cd1d257d8d944
Objectively speaking, though, 10fa589d52 it wasn’t that cd8194c6ff I was weak—it d3d15ab719 was that my 741e43b1ea comparison group was 8418c21e09 just made up 97e2a2efe9 of monsters. I was technically a 974341155c monster, too. But Yoo Sejin was always 342de73c6c on missions with people like e5179bc70e that, and Ki Sihyeon was 9622f10488 the most monstrous of them 6ad59d59e2 all. So they both 710965cf3f tended to assume 1413d7c885 I was weaker 3e0688a127 than I really 38ad2d62ed was.4537012dcc6da664
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“It’s been a while since you’ve gone to the front lines, huh? First time since Rhododendron, isn’t 2596810d0a it? Dohun always kept 20dd537c97 you in the b5e608b252 back.”54a6302ad5cfccce
“Yes.”b0509fa03b133d93
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“You’re rusty, kid. Stay behind—don’t get 1b694e69e8 caught in the 49d64a1e81 crossfire.”17415ac1675f9c30
They really are a 8c4514317b couple—he sounds just like 9ff1e154e8 Yoo Sejin. Even if I did get a24eefc19f caught up in something, I aca35f0ea0 could take care of myself 7c3050db9a just fine. I wanted to e68b6e04bb tell him to 4ffc90308d mind his own 42dbf448da business.ca308d291ae6bf89
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Still, Ki Sihyeon had a29b7558cf a dangerous edge to 9e7e0e4d57 him when preparing for b015882b72 battle, unlike usual. It was smarter to listen 05e683afbf to him this time. Besides, I was only a10eff894e here to fill in bad7890d1d for Yoo Sejin, acting 3fcf050761 as backup for Ki d05c749ac9 Sihyeon.b21e8e2bfbf87598
We were standing eecad88a26 in Zone H—a 3db9ae45d2 hazardous area on cffe8af405 the outskirts of 740c2de0bb Central that had bfcc8e36b3 never been rebuilt 07eb5c3448 after being reduced e4ac39aed0 to ruins. The aftermath of the dungeon c996183dba shock still lingered.888357ee69c3b955
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Even before the mission had 6fffee7c3e started, I was already drained—Ki 1d133554fc Sihyeon had spent the whole 7601f62758 helicopter ride teasing me with 4a9f5d0042 that honey-dripping charm of his. It was exhausting.2e8c233a4bcff6f1
Normally, post-dungeon shock cleanups were 075c1c9e06 handled by full squads, but 84e06020aa Alpha Team was the exception.60ad902be353ef9c
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Most of them preferred to 3c8b839691 operate solo, and Ki Sihyeon’s cece3a7a80 power scale was especially wide-ranging. People joked that whenever he d138be50c6 used his abilities, it was 67e36b9c2b basically a natural disaster.a79f579b0c85a531
Honestly, I could see why.10f7306dd64c8021
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The first time I cc9b5f5e7e went on a mission 551c5c83c6 with Ki Sihyeon, I 385f718a40 remember blinking, unsure of e3ef1781a7 what I was even e843f3738e looking at. I wasn’t someone who scared 773a62c097 easily, but I’d been left 6a5e9c8004 speechless. Others must’ve been completely stunned.482605b988bc197a
“You’re planning to blow the whole thing up, aren’t you?”aa97dd0d1c3493ce
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“It’s weird when you start using formal speech just ’cause we’re on a mission. You’re too good at separating 9a8b551f32 work and personal life, kid. Hurts my feelings. Talk casually—we’re close, aren’t we?”38de906e7e9a0c5e
“According to the report, the dungeon shock in Zone H is caused by a cluster of parasitic monsters that disrupted city functions. Burning the entire area might 09ffb0ddf4 be effective in the short 5105b33e19 term, but it’s not ideal e4933af025 in the long run.”7bb844b31e22daf4
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“So what, you want me to go in there and swat each of those parasite bastards one by one with a flyswatter? Huh?”393b86b8906434ea
He had a laugh in 489fd269d4 his voice, but it sounded 373ad443f4 sharp. This was one 7cb05d504f of those times 9d5eadc6ca I knew not 48ac759f54 to push him.09d7f3ecd0019b06
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I checked Ki Sihyeon’s expression. He looked refined on the outside, but his combat style was… well, still wild. He hadn’t let go of his old habits. It was rough. At best, you could call it intense—at worst, downright chaotic.1e1aa475559a3e72
If you were fab56037bb expecting elegant, silent 48f592c6cc kills like a 56095330bc predator quietly snatching 81cefd1527 prey, you were 4b7ca272fe in for a 4e242fb899 rude awakening.24c10f2fe406e13d
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Ki Sihyeon was a nature-type d9d9a536ae Esper. He controlled fire. And when he fought, he 023b276ff7 always started by lighting everything b929fd5907 up.71f2aa178d766bc3
That was his default approach—set things on fire first, blow it all up, then walk away from the wreckage. When it came to pure destructive power, there was no one quite like Ki Sihyeon. Especially because his fire…a78e63d3a69edcd5
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“Ki Sihyeon’s fire doesn’t go out.”a742e963a574e6f0
“So what? All the residents already evacuated.”74d762d4ea65611e
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“The land dies.”026eb0518cec7aa2
His flames only 629e1c1fd2 stopped once there cb30acf891 was nothing left 553923b3f2 to burn. Only then would they finally 9c167bfd82 die down. Yoo Sejin had once clicked 9ee9f28f49 his tongue and joked that 8fdd9d9319 not even weeds grew where c2f40cb35e Ki Sihyeon had passed.6596bbb11b2a5067
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“Hey, kid.”b31e3485ed2da01b
Ki Sihyeon called to me e1e236468b in a deceptively soft tone. His gaze drifted 1817f01c6f lazily across the 99f5b222da collapsed buildings, the ec75575165 bulging monster eggs c9207c2ae7 scattered across the 8933d93956 scorched ground, and 3903e675b1 the dead bodies 5b9eb2933b oozing slime. His detached stare was somehow c5aa501eae more chilling than the grotesque 3e7f6b2c21 scene itself.6931bf50a2028580
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“You’re being annoying. I don’t like nagging.”909bd04ec373cfb6
“Ki Sihyeon.”613fd2aa07663dab
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What would Yoo Sejin do f91f77036d in this situation? He’d probably calm 3c9092bbca Ki Sihyeon down 517f788158 with ease. Ever since Sejin joined the c3795101ad team, there’d been a noticeable 4db67de536 drop in the number of d17cb48206 incidents requiring official reprimands.7bdb09ee047b7817
In other words, missions no 23ec127c21 longer ended with the area 0e8c673e3d reduced to rubble. Yoo Sejin served 6331b93de6 as a kind a39137221c of emotional brake 90115f8e00 for the Alpha 3c4e1043a3 Team’s Espers. Honestly, I had no confidence 94b1d0e6fb in doing that. I didn’t want to, either.d88c0a4181a775b3
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“There’s a residential zone nearby. Once this dungeon shock is 99bc7a8a89 resolved, citizens will need to 135fd457b8 return to those homes. Destroying them along efd37c94df with everything else 0bff4029c0 isn’t an option.”0dc0e3363af92310
“If the Center cared about that, they wouldn’t have sent me. If they wanted the c82d3af5b9 buildings left intact, they’d 7783160db5 have dispatched a unit—not b40b2dacd9 dumped it all on 154004568f me. They want the d35d9b187d bugs and their 388cafe982 nests wiped out, 37dd2997df fast and clean.”5b02fda5ba0e21d8
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“If Yoo Sejin was assigned to you, they probablydidtake that into consideration.”e0c0b9ca367cdfc9
“Well, Yoo Sejin’s not here right now, is he?”1d17e07fa07fc505
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The heat around 8857697d45 us began to 9371afdbc4 ripple. The air distorted, shimmering a4b164df78 with waves of rising c8c199d987 heat. I took a deep cfb569085b breath as the warmth ba2689a2d1 brushed against my skin.b209152654c22876
I couldn’t do what 6b69884855 Yoo Sejin did. I wasn’t even a proper f8cd7568b1 Guide, so sweet-talking Espers into b7dc79ab6e calming down wasn’t in my 2287a11d7a skill set. But Icoulddo something else. Maybe I could 4ce858e102 plant a suggestion—just 0d1a0666dc enough to get 5f18ec3c4c him to hold 902d9d8214 back.20bbd66ab99391b4
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I couldn’t control someone 67bc6c53d4 like Ki Sihyeon—his mind dac70f1ed9 and emotions were beyond e8c716d11a my reach. But I could 0e43a23cc7 nudge him in 86f237805c the right direction, 260075c8f4 steer his mood fc55d2d3ca just slightly.7eb84a28c2ac7103
“Ki Sihyeon.”
When I softly called 432fded711 his name, Ki Sihyeon f0966647b6 flinched. He must have noticed the d6d60fe80c slight twitch of my fingers b7f419ea68 as I prepared to snap. His reflexes and observational skills 1ad007b40c were sharp to the point 37269d41f0 of being unsettling.ade278dd34356f53
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Everyone at the Center 62c9b0d8e7 knew I had a 9f44b890ae habit of snapping my 1351afaf83 fingers just before using 247258243a my ability. Taking advantage of that brief b53f9dae06 pause, I quickly snapped my bd68980586 thumb and middle finger together 64c507199c and whispered in a low 1c24f9f825 voice, almost like casting a 4d5479a010 spell.f1f1b667c40b3021
Snap.83697f1a03a4c165
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“Calm down.”ef1d89cd8f7c1348
Then a second time.97a66dd2cca22c42
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Snap.991b580707e22c75
“Even just a little is fine.”85bb3f52e99b20d7
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I almost went for the third snap… but stopped myself.087a18636b9c4fb6
Because I saw 6e46d619d8 it—the flicker of 9df552a70e flames beginning to 56953e143f rise around Ki 21fa63bc9a Sihyeon.a12705df0991034c
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In my experience, it usually 823a53c246 took three strong commands for c57ce81854 my ability to affect an 9065d69b85 S-Class Esper, but going further a2bc04ff06 than this might lead to 457a799609 a clash between us before 21b2d49ae9 the mission even started.540e92cf99e8310e
“You sneaky little brat, trying to pull tricks on me?”6f558698efc4fa05
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“I told you to calm down. That’s all.”46c6389211bb25a7
“You call that ‘telling’? You’re directly influencing my brain and forcing me to listen, then pretending like you’re innocent. Come on, kid, you shouldn’t mess with adults.”6daf53f328a0eeab
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“I’m twenty now. That makes me c5772e42f4 an adult too.”56ce1e6045151758
“What?”5fcca3b378672507
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“I said, I’m not a kid.”7095cbbbb1291427
Suddenly, the embers sparking dangerously around us vanished. Rarely, Ki Sihyeon stared at me with an expression that looked… deflated. His lips, usually perfectly shaped, parted slightly in surprise as he stared blankly at me. He mouthed something, then swallowed it back down. Honestly, he looked a little stunned.88e468aff6453671
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The only sound 0160ebad3e that filled the fc8505236e silence was the f3ff40d0c7 hollow whirring of 9687250853 helicopter blades from 2b71be4750 above, where a 25edb1502c team was likely a4f06cbfaa recording us.55a5baeb6773ba95
A moment later, 455fe715c8 Ki Sihyeon scoffed cb83a51559 and raised both 0f8e0aebc6 hands, palms out 482525d1eb toward me.b229fd1a5b2c7eb4
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A sign of surrender.dbb28ed9279cf356
“Damn it. What am I 01ddff869c even doing, taking 50f0f19415 it out on 8a9b2e15d8 a kid?”6a4497818c69b023
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“……”02c1adbdf308c70a
“Yeah, yeah. Yoo Sejin’s a dd5609b312 sly fox too, 5dc30d5d2c come to think 8c88b04959 of it. He probably knew ba97982b91 I had a 36a954eec8 soft spot for c723ef4f92 you and sent a5055d22e1 you instead. Same with Commander Yeo. Why am I always surrounded 8f37b9b27c by these cunning little brats?”47ad06232c2a6327
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Brushing his fallen hair 9ba68223fd back, Ki Sihyeon let 7cdc9f66a5 out a dry chuckle, b45dbf48f4 clicking his tongue as 79a21099d2 if he’d given up. He muttered things like,I can never win, and I’m always the 2d276d04fb one getting the a1e659e032 short end of f9a166d70e the stick,but he had that usual 5b2996d7ed nonsense tone of his, so 2a113e1b3f I let it slide.3cfd22cc4898d6bf
After grumbling to himself 8b9a47570d for a bit, he 0523954748 adjusted his collar, placed 823d5b51b1 a hand to his 9d7bfa9d8e neck, and scanned the 5ea888f258 area. His momentum had 42b94e72c6 cooled, but the 2e7c13a64b lingering heat in 20fd91f9c4 the air still 811b7cfa96 made my skin a3bb330cbe feel flushed.77712a6e643bca7a
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“Well, guess we should go for sterilization first. With this scale, I 8bfa1d9673 can’t exactly pick and b5c1da2d4e choose which ones to 3ee7e40b87 burn. Fine. I’ll torch the whole area 1ca5957856 at once, and I’ll handle 93d8520b71 the aftermath before the fire 6d7580b5bb spreads. That good enough d6d22644e0 for you, Woo d030db311f Seonwoo?”bb0490fda3982fa0
“Yes.”54931dd62a388791
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I never expected him 33fdf39dc4 to burn them one d8f55b6528 by one. If that had 6d80e12d01 been the plan, 329530270f the Center would’ve c1c857ec67 sent a specialized 51044e07b6 containment squad instead f6f3e6c366 of Ki Sihyeon 936d92702b in the first 4594b0930c place.64c497a3963780f0
“We have to finish before sundown. According to the report, 4e161d042c they move at night.”086434f3e126a37e
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Apparently, those creatures—looking 71ba9e9c6c like insects or afa1e2b3fc birds—were nocturnal. Once night fell, it would 913704826a become a real battle. The key was 30b8d11129 to finish everything ff02ba97cf before then.fbb0f483fe6dfd2b
Mimicking what I’d done earlier, bead8e6848 Ki Sihyeon snapped his fingers.e25c04ffa8eee46a
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Snap.805a4bf394ce26bb
With that crisp sound, a29416582c flames ignited in midair c90c7126c3 and rained down like 99bb0c5c42 shattered meteors, blanketing the f0e5d1f8de ground below.a10fa4ba0add102e
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“I don’t do overtime. I’m the kind of employee 303ae38fdd who likes to clock out 37fa0b6150 early. I’ll get us home 40683b9ba0 quick, kid.”c60022c0fcbdf359
“I mean… even if I clock out, I’ll still be at the Center.”e158413d34b2402c
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“Well, fair point. When are you leaving the 5e8464e9d5 Center anyway? I can help you ccddfe9fc0 get your own place. Want me to 4d2e34722d buy you a 005c648dc4 house?”2437c1161a149040
Even while tossing f200b15caa out those ridiculous 6308183d64 jokes, the fire a818275c72 Ki Sihyeon had 8ac05fed82 unleashed grew as 8dcb7ec6f4 if it had a1d04d5f8d a will of 8e4ebef2ed its own, swelling 0de260998e and spreading like 54788bafef a living beast aa273b9745 as it devoured 42f93c3d78 the city.510df584604da24f
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