Chapter 11: A Flight and a Fray

Jungwon casually turned their head, feigning indifference.

“Is it time for another Q&A session?”

“Hmm… what should we do?”

“You shouldn’t be asking me that.”

Seokjoo, after a momentary pause, chuckled as he reiterated the question, prompting a terse reply to escape Jungwon’s lips. Seokjoo tilted his head, his expression unperturbed.

“You’re quite sharp today, Jungwon.”

“…”

Jungwon conceded that their edge was sharper than necessary. Relaxing their strained expression, they quietly lowered their gaze.

“Do you have something you want to ask me? If so, I’ll answer your question first.”

“There was some unfinished business from back then.”

Just as Jungwon was about to deny it, they recalled their conversation during their drinking session. They had never received an answer to why Seokjoo worked for a national agency. Seokjoo, it seemed, remembered that exact moment as well.

“The one we talked about while drinking?”

“Yes. I recall never getting an answer to that.”

“But you fell asleep, Jungwon. I think we should consider that void. Don’t you have any other questions?”

A playful tone in Seokjoo’s voice brought a smile to Jungwon’s face as well. However, they continued speaking with a rather cynical demeanor, lacking the confidence to maintain a conversation like Seokjoo.

“Should I also ask personal questions like you, Kang Seokjoo? Things like your age, blood type, favorite music, or what you do on your days off?”

“I could answer all of them. But your expression suggests you’re not curious in the slightest.”

Though it wasn’t their intention, their words came out sounding sarcastic. Yet, when Jungwon looked back, Seokjoo showed no sign of anger. Seeing his eyes again, Jungwon’s stomach churned, a heavy sensation akin to indigestion. Perhaps it would have been less awkward if he had seemed offended.

“…Should I answer honestly?”

“From now on, you will answer all my questions honestly.”

Seokjoo’s words were a stark command. Since he had declared it himself, he surely wouldn’t get angry if Jungwon answered straightforwardly.

“Yes. To be frank, I’m not particularly curious.”

“I am curious, so please answer.”

An immediate reply came. Even a slight frown from Jungwon did nothing to crack his smile.

Turning their gaze from his eyes, Jungwon finally felt a breath of relief. Was he truly so curious as to why they hadn’t traveled abroad? Reluctantly, Jungwon answered.

“That’s right. I avoided it because I disliked it.”

“Are you afraid of planes?”

Confessing their reluctance to go abroad wasn’t the issue itself; Jungwon simply wanted to avoid questions about the reason. It wasn’t such a simple problem, but they suspected saying ‘no’ here would only complicate things further.

“Or, are you afraid of planes too?”

It was a question that seemed lighthearted yet carried significant weight. Jungwon hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

“Do I look like I’m afraid?”

Yet, they soon countered with a calm query. Seokjoo, surprisingly, nodded with a serious expression.

“Yes. To be honest, you look a little scared.”

“Why are you mimicking my words?”

“I think I heard somewhere that mirroring someone’s words helps build intimacy.”

“You certainly have a way with words.”

‘Intimacy,’ he said. Was such a thing even possible? Did Kang Seokjoo truly intend for that to happen in the first place? Jungwon’s suspicions towards him remained unchanged.

Just then, the announcement for takeoff preparation began to play. While this allowed Jungwon to escape awkward questions, tension caused their hands to clench tightly. Observing this, Seokjoo extended his hand.

“Give me your hand.”

“Why do you want my hand?”

“To help you relax.”

What exactly was this person trying to do? Jungwon maintained a calm facade.

“Kang Seokjoo, your holding my hand won’t make me relax. If anything, it will only make me more uncomfortable.”

“If you’re uncomfortable because of me, then perhaps you’ll be less afraid of the plane. You’re constantly on edge, aren’t you, because you’re nervous?”

There was no room for rebuttal. However, enduring the fear of flying felt less burdensome than holding Kang Seokjoo’s hand. Despite casting a displeased glance at him, Jungwon ultimately surrendered their hand.

Unless it was for guiding, physical contact with an Esper was avoided. The unique aura of an Esper was simply too overwhelming. This was especially true when the person was Kang Seokjoo, whose mere presence was intimidating.

A jolt ran through Jungwon’s fingertips. It was almost a relief that the plane was taking off.

Reflexively, they squeezed his hand with crushing force. Despite his gripped hand turning stark white, Seokjoo’s expression remained unfazed.

The initial discomfort was fleeting. It was overshadowed by the greater sense of stability that came from having something to hold onto.

Suddenly, Jungwon noticed that Kang Seokjoo’s hand wasn’t particularly cold today.

This realization only dawned on them after the plane had safely taken off and found a degree of stability. It was then that Jungwon abruptly came to their senses and released the hand they were holding.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…Yes, I apologize for the imposition.”

“You keep apologizing for such trivial matters.”

“It’s not trivial to me.”

After all, if they didn’t meticulously apologize for every perceived imposition, they would often be criticized. Seokjoo nodded, as if understanding perfectly.

“It’s clear what kind of people you’ve encountered in your workplace, Jungwon.”

“…”

“There are a lot of scumbags among Espers, aren’t there? That’s why I dislike team activities too.”

‘Was he trying to say he was different?’ Jungwon wondered. They didn’t know if he realized that, in their eyes, Kang Seokjoo was a far more uncomfortable person to deal with than all those ‘scumbag’ Espers combined.

However, these were words meant to acknowledge their feelings, and Jungwon had no intention of arguing. Instead, they decided to change the subject.

“You’ve traveled abroad frequently, Kang Seokjoo, haven’t you? It takes thirteen hours to reach our destination; what does one usually do during that time?”

“Watch movies, work, or sleep?”

“I should have brought something to work on.”

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep? I usually do.”

Jungwon nodded, agreeing to try, but found themselves utterly incapable of sleeping on a plane. Seokjoo, on the other hand, wished them a good sleep and then, instead of further conversation, truly closed his eyes and attempted to rest. The immediate, even breaths indicated he had fallen asleep quickly.

‘Did he not care where he slept?’ Jungwon briefly studied his sleeping face.

In truth, if Jungwon had to name the biggest reason for their discomfort around him, it wasn’t his aura or intimidation, but his eyes. Those yellow, pumpkin-like irises.

Perhaps because of this, Jungwon could observe his closed-eyed form with far greater peace than when he was awake. The oppressive aura of an S-class Esper, which usually weighed heavily on others, had also subsided.

His naturally disheveled black curly hair seemed particularly striking today. Gazing at the exquisitely sculpted face beneath it, Jungwon couldn’t help but wonder if he was truly human.

Unconsciously, Jungwon almost reached out a hand to check if he was breathing. Quickly retracting their hand, which had hovered a few centimeters from its original position, they swiftly turned their head away.

‘To even think of touching him first, no matter how fascinating he looked while sleeping,’ Jungwon thought. A wave of guilt washed over them, as if they had committed a transgression.

To divert their thoughts, Jungwon put on a movie they had no interest in. The unengaging plot only intensified their fatigue, yet sleep remained elusive. Jungwon spent the entire thirteen hours watching such a dull film.

****

Seeing Jungwon holding a luggage bag in one hand and their carry-on in the other, Kang Seokjoo commented.

“Your bags look a bit heavy. Give them to me; I’ll carry them.”

“It’s fine. I only packed what I could carry myself.”

Despite their words, Jungwon was already exhausted upon arriving at the airport. They hadn’t slept a wink, and sitting in the same position for over ten hours had left their entire body stiff. The bags that had seemed manageable when packing now felt impossibly heavy. With no free hands, even adjusting their posture was difficult.

Just as Jungwon was inwardly sighing deeply, someone rushed out from behind them and forcefully bumped into their shoulder. Reflexively groaning, Jungwon looked down at their arm, clearly witnessing the small bag in their hand being snatched away.

In that brief moment, Jungwon realized two things. First, that the culprit was a pickpocket who had deliberately bumped their shoulder to steal the bag. Second, that they were an Esper.

Observing the scene, Seokjoo watched the boy flee with Jungwon’s bag, commenting with a curious tone.

“A pickpocket, huh?”

“You’re remarkably calm. Is it because it’s not your luggage?”

“You’re calm too, Jungwon. Even though it’s your own luggage? Doesn’t it contain anything important?”

His voice was as nonchalant as if he were remarking on the clear sky. Jungwon, in response, mirrored his composed demeanor, just as he had suggested. As for important things… yes, it contained many.

“Everything essential is right in there.”

Seokjoo wore a puzzled expression. It was as if he was asking why Jungwon was so unhurried. Jungwon glanced at him, then turned their gaze back to intently watch the pickpocket’s retreating figure. Seokjoo then asked,

“Shall I catch them for you?”

“There won’t be any need for that.”

The moment Jungwon replied, the running pickpocket abruptly stumbled and fell flat. Witnessing this, Kang Seokjoo frowned, seemingly wanting to interrogate them.

Jungwon wasn’t usually one to relish such situations, but seeing Seokjoo’s slightly bewildered expression brought them a rather good feeling. Kang Seokjoo’s nonchalance must have stemmed from his confidence that he could catch the pickpocket even if they fled.

However, the same held true for Jungwon. With a slight smile, Jungwon changed the subject.

“Shall we go retrieve it before they get away?”

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