TSCEIAB Ch. 12

 

“The center director says I can go out as long as I wear a hat and cover my face with a mask. He also said he’ll also send escort espers around. So I’m thinking of going to the movies with my dad this weekend.”

 

I think it would be fun if you came too.

 

Yi-seo’s cheeks were flushed with anticipation. Her brown eyes, which resembled warm tree trunks, sparkled.

Hugo was lost in thought as he admired the lovely sight.

 

‘Weekend…… The weekend…….’

 

The weekend was Yi-seo’s day off. No daily training, no pair candidates to meet on a rotating basis. A day just for Yi-seo.

Up until now, she had been confined to the dormitory or the center because of the crowd’s eyes.

However, it seemed that the center director had decided to let her go outside after much deliberation, as he could not keep the child locked up and hidden indoors.

That first outing was this weekend.

 

‘With me …….’

 

You’re inviting me.

 

Hugo’s heart was pounding. Of course, it wasn’t a date with Yi-Seo alone. Her dad, Eui-hyun, was going to accompany her, but still.

 

“…… Is it okay if I go?”

 

Hugo asked, studying her expression. Yi-seo nodded as if he was asking the obvious.

 

“Of course! Let’s go together. It’ll be fun.”

 

“…… Okay. Then I’ll go.”

 

Hugo’s answer prompted Yi-seo to exclaim, “Wow!”

 

“Let’s eat popcorn too. What flavor do you like? Oh, maybe you’ve never had popcorn before? I like caramel popcorn. Do you like sweet things?”

 

Her chattering voice was higher and clearer than usual. Hugo listened to Yi-seo’s laughter bursting with excitement.

 

‘What about motion sickness…….? I guess it’ll be fine if I take some medicine.’

 

I wonder if there’s a motion sickness pill that works for people too.

He thought to himself with such carefree.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The movie theater that Yi-Seo and her dad, Eui-hyun, chose was the smallest one near the Ohio Center.

It was old and shabby, and there weren’t many people there for the weekends.

Hugo noticed that Yi-seo had chosen this movie theater out of consideration for his sensitivity.

 

“Oh. Hugo. Your mask is crooked. Hold on.”

 

Eui-hyun adjusted Hugo’s mask.

Although Yi-seo had invited Hugo to family dinners a few times, this kind of casual contact was still awkward and embarrassing.

Though Hugo had been living under Gary’s care, Gary, who was not good at dealing with children, lacked this kind of attentiveness.

On the other hand, Eui-hyun was good at handling children as he was Yi-seo’s main caregiver…….

 

“Ugh, kid. Even with a mask and a hat, your handsome face is still visible. Haha!”

 

…… He would also say this kind of embarrassing thing with ease.

Hugo felt more like a normal seven-year-old than an S-class esper.

 

“Hugo! Let’s go buy popcorn! Hurry up!”

 

“…… Okay.”

 

At that moment, Yi-seo grabbed Hugo’s hand. Hugo, flinching as always at the touch of her warm, soft hands, followed her.

He could feel Eui-hyun’s pleased gaze behind him. He seemed happy to see Yi-seo holding hands and chatting with her friend like a normal kid her age.

 

‘The danger is…….’

 

Hugo ignored Eui-hyun’s gaze and quickly scanned the interior of the movie theater.

This is the guide he had acquired. He had to make sure there wasn’t anything dangerous.

He detected three Espers, who were assigned as guards.

The Ohio center director was fully prepared for Yi-seo’s first outing, and the escort espers were all B-class.

 

‘It’s not ideal, but.’

 

The situation with Espers in Ohio was not good.

For this reason, B-class espers were also precious, and the fact that they had put three as escorts seemed to at least show some sincerity.

Of course, with an S-class esper like himself around, those escorts were not necessary.

 

‘They’re probably keeping an eye on me also.’

 

It was dangerous if an S-class esper caused trouble. So Yi-seo’s escorts would likely also keep watch on the S-class espers who followed her.

 

Click-

 

Then, Hugo heard the faint sound of the camera shutter. He turned his eyes off the escorts and looked around with a frown.

Soon he noticed five or six suspicious individuals with large cameras hidden.

They were all covering their faces with hats, masks, or scarves.

 

‘…… Paparazzi?’

 

Even for Hugo, the youngest and S-class esper, the paparazzi were a familiar presence.

But this time, the paparazzi’s target seemed to be the little girl next to him.

Everyone knows that the little Asian girl staying at the center’s accommodation is the new S-class guide.

They probably followed her from the moment she left the dorm.

Hugo wondered if he would let Yi-seo and Eui-hyun know about the paparazzi. However, he gave up on the thought when he saw the camera lenses focused on Yi-seo and him.

 

…… Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just let the news go out like this.

 

Hugo stood close next to Yi-seo, who was picking out a drink.

 

“What’s wrong, Hugo?”

 

“…… It’s a little cold.”

 

“Oh, is the air conditioner blowing strong?”

 

Yi-seo clasped Hugo’s hand. Hugo easily noticed several cameras were capturing the moment.

 

Click- Click-

 

The sound of shutters from all directions quickened. Hugo took off his hat as if he was fixing his hair, then slowly put it back on.

At this point, they probably captured his face properly.

Hugo could easily foresee the community that would go crazy over his and Yi-seo’s photos.

Maybe this incident would make the competition fierce among the candidates.

 

‘That seat is mine anyway.’

 

He hoped that the reporters who bought the paparazzi photos would spread it widely, making it known that he was the one next to Yi-seo.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

[Scoop! The first S-class! Guide Sophia’s daily life captured (Comment+286)

 

(Full-body photo of Lee Seo secretly taken from afar jpg.)

 

-On Oth day of Oth month, Guide Sophia (6 years old/S-class), who had not shown her face since entering the dormitory of the Ohio Awakening Management Center, made her first public appearance since her awakening. Guide Sophia waswearing a white hat and a children’s mask with Disney characters on it…… (omitted)…….

 

└What? Is this really Guide Sophia ? 6 years old? She looks so small and young.

└Who’s the boy next to her? Looks like he’s around Guide Sophia’s age. It’s so cute to see two little babies holding hands!! ♡

└└Guide Sophia’s boyfriend!

 

 

 

[The youngest and first S-class guide on a date? (Comment+529)

 

(Enlarged photo of Yi-seo and Hugo holding hands jpg)

(Photo of Yi- Seo linking arms with Hugo jpg)

(Photo of Hugo taking off his hat and putting it back on jpg)

 

-The first S-class guide, Sophia Kang (6 years old), is garnering attention for displaying affection – walking while holding hands with a boy her age. The two were spotted in a movie theater, wearing differently colored couple hats and masks …… (omitted)…….

 

└That little baby is in a relationship?

└└You do it too:)

└└└ (crying emoji)

└But that picture of a boy with his hat off. When you zoom in, doesn’t he look familiar?

└└I can’t tell because the image quality is too broken.

└└└Wait and see.

└└└└ (image quality improved, enlarged photo jpg)

└└└└└ Huh??? Isn’t that Esper Hugo?????

 

 

 

[Subject: Guide Sophia is dating Esper Hugo!!

 

-The boy in the photo is Esper Hugo. A skilled person brought it after tinkering with the image quality. It seems they became close because they are of the same age and are S-class.

 

└It’s nice to see S-class people sticking together.

└Isn’t Esper Hugo still without a pair? I heard Guide Sophia is considering a pair. Maybe he met her as a pair candidate.

└I don’t know why it’s so cute and heartwarming to see them together. Precious little S-babies…… ♡

└└I like the word S-babies. It fits so well.

└It’d be nice if the S-babies became a pair. I’m rooting for them XD

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“The paparazzi caught up too fast…….”

 

At the office of the Director of the Ohio State Center.

Richard scanned the articles on his pad, looking puzzled.

From the moment he allowed Yi-seo to go out, he had expected the paparazzi to follow her, but he didn’t expect them to catch up on the first day like this.

The fact that they had been refraining Yi-seo’s activities outside the dormitory and the center under the pretext of protection seemed to have further ignited people’s curiosity.

 

“…… What did Guide Sophia say?”

 

Putting down the pad, Richard asked his secretary, Liam, who was standing in front of him.

Liam spoke, remembering Yi-seo’s reaction when they met during the day.

 

“She grimaced when she saw the pictures……. but after that, she didn’t seem to pay much attention.”

 

It can’t be a pleasure to have photos taken secretly. Yi-seo had also expressed her displeasure when she saw her photos in various articles.

But it wasn’t Liam’s fault, so she didn’t say much about it to him.

In the original story, there were several scenes where the male and female characters were chased by the paparazzi, so she was also prepared.

Richard, who didn’t know the situation, assumed that Yi-seo didn’t have any objections to this kind of thing.

In fact, he felt uneasy with these paparazzi shots because he couldn’t predict how she would react.

 

“Hmm, it was all right…….”