Chapter 26: Growing Pains

A dissonance hit Seong Ji-woo the moment he looked at Yu Hee-ro’s bright, harmless smile sitting atop a body that had grown absurdly well-built. It was full-on cognitive distortion.

What… is he, a tree? How did he grow this much…?

He grew sincerely curious and asked,

“Did someone water you?”

“Water… sir?”

“Uh… wait, is it because you did photosynthesis?”

Yu Hee-ro burst out laughing as though he’d heard something extremely funny. Somehow even that laugh sounded handsome now. Clearly, this kid’s face was generating auditory hallucinations.

“Huh? Wait— You’re Yu Hee-ro? Damn, I kept seeing someone next to us earlier and wondered who it was…”

Hyerin suddenly jumped in surprise, staring at him. Yu Hee-ro scratched his cheek.

“I think… the photosynthesis part is kind of right.”

He could now respond to Ji-woo’s jokes decently well.

“You must’ve trained outdoors a lot, huh?”

“Mm… It’s a different kind of light, but… yes. I trained really hard outside too.”

Yu Hee-ro looked like someone who could step straight onto a magazine cover without feeling out of place. A man. Seong Ji-woo stared blankly at him, like someone seeing a cousin after a year who suddenly showed up on Chuseok having grown a head taller.

The joy and surprise of reuniting lasted only a moment before Yu Hee-ro started feeling unfamiliar. Even walking next to him, Ji-woo kept sneaking glances. As Yu Hee-ro grew, he was slowly resembling the future villain he would one day become.

If he didn’t flash that soft smile every time their eyes met, Ji-woo might have actually worried. But Yu Hee-ro looked nothing but genuinely happy to see him again.

“Geez, are you some puppy that only follows its owner? You like Ji-woo that much?”

Lee Hyerin clicked her tongue. Watching Yu Hee-ro willingly drag Ji-woo’s suitcase, Hyerin and Yoonjae could only shake their heads.

“How hard did you grill him that he only knows you now?”

“…Well?”

After thinking forever, Ji-woo managed only that one word: “Well.”

It stunned Hyerin, Yoonjae— and even Yu Hee-ro burst out laughing.

But Ji-woo was dead serious.

What do you mean how I raised him? I raised him WELL.

“I actually put in more effort than you think.”

He picked up trash for volunteer hours for the first time in his life, meditated to calm his mind, and supported Yu Hee-ro in every way possible.

“But… he grew even better than I expected.”

Ji-woo murmured vaguely, staring at the boy who now stood a whole head taller.

Any minute now, he’ll say he’s moving out to live on his own.

Was he really thinking of himself as Yu Hee-ro’s guardian now?

A stupid imaginary scenario popped up: Yu Hee-ro thanking him for raising him and declaring he would now leave “the nest” and explore the bigger world. But… wasn’t that what Ji-woo wanted anyway?

And it was a moment destined to come. Ji-woo had less than half a year left before graduation.

During the break, Yu Hee-ro said he trained hard and grew— and it turned out not a single word was exaggerated. His abilities, accuracy, refinement— everything had increased immensely. Ji-woo basically had nothing left to do in mentorship. All he did was watch him with pride.

“You saw that?”

Every time Yu Hee-ro finished something, he immediately ran to Ji-woo for confirmation and praise.

“You did great. Why are you even asking? You’re doing great consistently.”

Then Yu Hee-ro would blush, smile shyly, and return to training. Ji-woo rested his chin on his hand and watched.

Shouldn’t the quest be over by now?

Yu Hee-ro had grown enough. He didn’t look like someone who’d destroy the world anymore. Compared to when they first met, he smiled more, talked more, ate well, and looked genuinely happy. Like a baby bird hatching from its shell, he had already broken through the hard but thin layer that once surrounded him. Now all that was left was for him to fly.

What am I supposed to do here anymore?

His hair swayed as he trained, damp with sweat.

“…Your hair looks a bit darker than before.”

Compared to his lighter brown hair earlier, it had deepened slightly. The change was so subtle that Ji-woo hadn’t noticed until now.

“Huh…?”

Yu Hee-ro stopped mid-movement, chest rising rapidly. He grabbed a handful of his short hair, trying to inspect the color— adorable, despite the impossibility of actually seeing it.

“…Really?”

He tilted his head like he still wasn’t sure.

“Weren’t you naturally brown?”

“…Yes. I’ve never dyed my hair.”

“Well, it happens. Hair can darken as you grow.”

With a body that’d grown this much, what was one small change in hair color? Ji-woo shrugged. He was born with black hair so he didn’t relate, but plenty of people’s hair darkened as they grew.

“Your eye color changed too?”

He suddenly remembered how bright his eyes once were. When Ji-woo beckoned, Yu Hee-ro ran over immediately and crouched.

Ji-woo grabbed his chin and pulled him closer. It was a completely neutral, non-emotional gesture. Yu Hee-ro obediently followed the touch. His eyelids fluttered, revealing deep brown eyes. The right one, hit by sunlight, gleamed like transparent amber.

“Your eyes got darker too. Though they still look the same under sunlight…”

“…Did you prefer the old ones?”

“It’s not that. They sparkle like gems in the light. They’re pretty.”

Ji-woo released him. Yu Hee-ro wobbled and then slumped to the floor, knees hugged to his chest, panting lightly.

Maybe he ate too much because of today’s delicious lunch. The lingering summer heat made sleep pull at Ji-woo. He yawned without even covering his mouth.

His lashes drooped, heavy with the moisture of the yawn.

“I think… we’ll stop here today. I’ll nap a bit.”

He didn’t even wait for Yu Hee-ro’s reply. The boy’s soft laughter scattered like a lullaby.

“A mentorship performance review? The hell is that?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like.”

Right before dinner, an announcement told all mentors and mentees to gather in the audiovisual room— the performance review would happen in two weeks.

“That thing happens every year.”

Yoonjae understood immediately. Hyerin, meanwhile, was stunned.

“What, really?”

“Even regular students can watch.”

“…Why didn’t I know?”

“You never care about anything.”

“What?! Don’t do fun stuff without me! I’m going this time for sure.”

Honestly, Ji-woo was in the same situation as Hyerin. He hadn’t even known this event existed.

Still… unlike before, Yu Hee-ro was actually capable now.

“…It’ll be fine… right?”

The mentorship performance review was nothing like a normal practical test. Two teams— four people— had to defeat simulated enemies together. But it wasn’t really a team match, because each person’s score was calculated individually. Cooperation points existed but barely mattered.

It was basically a mini version of the hunter society.

Mentors could only interfere once per round. Their job was strategist and support. If the ability detector sensed any improper ability usage, they’d be immediately disqualified. So choosing when to intervene during the three rounds was crucial.

“Ji-woo! If you lose, it’ll be embarrassing as hell, so do well!”

As promised earlier, Hyerin showed up extremely excited. Even though the room was packed, her voice cut through everything loudly.

“Round 1 of the mentorship evaluation review will begin shortly. Audience members please take your seats, and participants please move to the waiting area.”

The announcement rang. Ji-woo knelt and tightened Yu Hee-ro’s shoelaces. The messy bow annoyed him, but it looked neat and secure after he fixed it.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Four people gathered in the waiting room. Though they’d be working together, they knew nothing about each other. And yet, someone immediately muttered Ji-woo’s name mockingly.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s Seong Ji-woo. How do you win a match with a handicap? They say he’s too stupid to use even one ability properly.”

A scoffing voice echoed. It belonged to their rival team— and unfortunately, their assigned teammate.

Kim… something…

Ji-woo had zero impression of him. He glanced with dull eyes at the big guy.

The kid next to him looks like he’s about to cry… can he even fight?

Indeed, the mentee beside the man was trembling visibly. Ji-woo could easily imagine how horribly the mentor treated him.

“Sunbae-nim…”

Yu Hee-ro called him softly when Ji-woo’s gaze lingered too long on the man. Ji-woo turned back.

“What?”

“I’m really nervous. What do I do?”

His body wasn’t shaking at all— not even a fingertip— yet Yu Hee-ro said it with absolute sincerity.