Chapter 80: The Great Adventure of Tommy the Elephant

“I don’t think it will be easy. I’m uncertain how the situation will unfold.”

“…Is that so.”

Han Do-hoon bowed his head in unison with the somber Sa-yoon.

“I sincerely hope for your swift recovery. My apologies for the late hour. And this, I brought it along just in case.”

Han Do-hoon extended a luxuriously wrapped bakery bag. It was filled with an assortment of sweet treats that Sa-yoon particularly enjoyed.

“I shall take my leave now. Until next time.”

As Sa-yoon accepted the bag, Han Do-hoon offered a polite bow and departed. Sa-yoon leaned his head against the door, waiting. Only when the echoing footsteps of his shoes faded completely did he finally open the accommodation door and step inside his room.

Heading toward the kitchen, Sa-yoon tossed the food he had just received directly into the sink. He knew, deep down.

There was no reason to resent Han Do-hoon. As an Irregular Hunter, he had simply done what was required of him.

To compel Sa-yoon, who was currently in Korea, to voluntarily join the battlefield, Han Do-hoon had chosen the most efficient and astute method. Hadn’t Sa-yoon himself nearly accepted Han Do-hoon’s proposal?

Han Do-hoon was an exceptional Esper, and as an Irregular Hunter, he was highly capable—cruelly so.

The tears that welled up were merely from his own self-reproach, for having fallen prey to such a scheme.

“Your face is a mess.”

Chae-jun offered an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel. Sa-yoon placed it over his swollen eyes.

“What on earth happened to you? You suddenly took a day off, and now you’ve come back with eyes as puffy as a panda’s.”

“Pandas don’t have puffy eyes; they just have black rings around them.”

“Well, you look pretty similar, regardless.”

Initially, when Chae-jun pressed him, Sa-yoon had insisted he hadn’t cried. But after catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he had no choice but to concede Chae-jun’s point. Anyone could tell he’d been crying all night, leaving his eyes swollen and raw.

“You also went out yesterday. Did something happen outside?”

“Nothing like that. I just…”

“Just?”

“The movie I watched at dawn was sad, that’s all. Do I really have to say something so embarrassing?”

Sa-yoon grumbled his reply, shifting the ice pack to his other eye and pressing it firmly.

“What movie did you watch, anyway?”

“The Great Adventure of Tommy the Elephant.”

“Huh?”

“It was so sad when Tommy was separated from his mother elephant and cried in the cage.”

Chae-jun quickly composed himself, closing his mouth that had nearly dropped open in disbelief. Still, this was his team leader. With superhuman effort, he managed his expression and forced a smile.

“That’s… a bit sad, I suppose.”

“Exactly. Even thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes.”

The Great Adventure of Tommy the Elephant, however, was a happy ending where Tommy, kidnapped by poachers, reunited with his mother and lived happily ever after. A truly, unequivocally happy ending. Moreover, it was a classic children’s film, a timeless favorite that had been released over twenty years ago.

“Our team leader certainly has a rich sensibility. Ha, haha.”

“You’re just realizing that now?”

“Of course, seeing your usual whims, I knew… No, I’ve always known. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Sa-yoon, his eyes still covered, subtly smiled as he watched Chae-jun struggle to change the subject. He was a kind young man, considerate enough not to ask for details, even when faced with such an absurd story.

‘If only I could tell even Chae-jun the real reason.’ Sa-yoon’s heart ached with the bitter reality. If he were to be apprehended as an Irregular, Sa-yoon’s colleagues would also fall under the scrutiny of the Hunters. The less they knew about Sa-yoon, the better.

“Anyway, I was planning to take another day off to watch ‘The Great Adventure of Tommy the Elephant 2’, but the clueless headquarters director called.”

“I heard there’ll be a work reassignment soon.”

As Han Do-hoon had mentioned yesterday, some personnel from headquarters were to be dispatched to the battlefield next week. The Esper Alliance had drawn its sword, so to speak, selecting more individuals than usual.

Consequently, the remaining staff would have to divide and handle the newly adjusted workload.

“Headquarters will feel quite empty for a while.”

“It’ll be quiet, which is nice.”

Since all the overseas Espers would be returning, there would also be fewer peculiar individuals crawling around the training grounds.

“Still, it might feel a bit lonely at first. Team Leader Sa-yoon, you and Team Leader Han Do-hoon were quite close, weren’t you?”

“……”

“I often saw you two chatting together. I was worried since you usually dislike others, so I was glad you found someone you were close to.”

“We weren’t close. We were just entangled in a lot of work matters.”

Sa-yoon rose from his seat. This Han Do-hoon never seemed to disappear from Sa-yoon’s vicinity for even a day. His phone, which he had silenced, still held unread messages from Han Do-hoon.

‘It’s probably another attempt to persuade me to come to the battlefield, isn’t it?’ He felt like blocking him and never wanting to see him again. Yet, until Han Do-hoon departed, Sa-yoon had to act as if everything were normal. He had to pretend to be oblivious, to still feel comfortable around Han Do-hoon.

Sa-yoon turned on his phone and typed.

[Sa-yoon]

[Could we meet for a moment?]

The ‘1’ next to the message vanished instantly.

Sa-yoon sat in the coolest spot, where the air conditioner blew directly, crunching on ice. He had deliberately chosen a meeting place outside the base. Opting for a secluded café where few people ventured, Sa-yoon sat alone, taking another sip of his drink.

His anxiety had caused him to arrive well before the appointed time, waiting for Han Do-hoon.

‘What should I say when I meet Han Do-hoon?’ Though he had resolved to act as if nothing were amiss, he wasn’t sure how he would manage when the moment actually came. Still, Sa-yoon steeled his resolve.

He had already inadvertently dragged those around him into his mess. This time, he had to conclude things properly. He needed to perfectly deceive Han Do-hoon and ensure everything proceeded without incident until he left.

“You’re already here.”

Han Do-hoon appeared behind Sa-yoon. He gently brushed Sa-yoon’s startled shoulder, then noticed the almost empty cup.

“I’ll go get you a new drink and some cake.”

“It’s fine. What would two grown men do with cake? I’ll just have another drink.”

Smiling faintly, Han Do-hoon disappeared and returned with a tray holding two drinks and two cakes. Han Do-hoon wasn’t particularly fond of sweets. Like his preference for strong, bitter alcohol, the two cakes Han Do-hoon bought were both for Sa-yoon.

Instead of stubbornly refusing, Sa-yoon took a large bite of cake with his fork. The sweet cream and soft bread melted in his mouth.

The table they sat at faced the window, with two chairs placed side by side. Feeling relieved that he didn’t have to face Han Do-hoon directly, Sa-yoon stared blankly out the window.

“There are only a few days left now. Are your preparations going well?”

“I travel light, so there’s nothing specific to prepare.”

Only four days remained until Han Do-hoon’s departure. The days relentlessly flew by, unlike their abruptly ended relationship.

“Time certainly passes quickly.”

Han Do-hoon replied, gazing out the same window as Sa-yoon.

“It’s a shame.”

This was the best expression Han Do-hoon, a man of few words, could offer. ‘Just a shame.’ His voice was filled with genuine sentiment.

Han Do-hoon’s reaction was different from what Sa-yoon had expected. He had anticipated Han Do-hoon would be eager to persuade him to join the battlefield, but instead, he calmly sipped his drink, passing the time quietly.

It was a peaceful moment, where Han Do-hoon quietly spoke of his schedule and asked Sa-yoon about his daily life. It was Sa-yoon who felt an unwarranted impatience with such a leisurely attitude.

“Mr. Han Do-hoon, why do you keep trying to take me to the battlefield? In fact, I feel like I’ve heard that offer quite often.”

His voice seemed to tremble slightly at the end. He had wanted to ask calmly, but his emotions had inadvertently slipped out.

“Did I offer it that often?”

“You did. I remember at least three times, off the top of my head.”

Sa-yoon replied nonchalantly, yet he tried to soothe his uneasy mind. He didn’t even know what kind of answer he was waiting for. It was a question Sa-yoon had blurted out impulsively, not even understanding his own feelings for asking it.

For a moment, he wondered how he would feel if Han Do-hoon were to be honest. Would this troubled feeling subside if Han Do-hoon admitted, even now, that he tried to take him to the battlefield because Sa-yoon was an Irregular? Or would he feel an even greater sense of betrayal?

‘Of course, that wouldn’t happen.’

No one, unless they were a fool, would honestly reveal such a secret. No one would confess such a secret of their own accord, unless they were as idiotic as Sa-yoon.

“There’s no other reason I asked you to go to the battlefield.”

As expected, Han Do-hoon calmly lied.

“It’s just that I’ll have to return to the battlefield someday, and I simply wanted to spend more time with you, Sa-yoon.”

“I see.”

If anything, it was a relief. Even if Han Do-hoon had changed his demeanor and spoken honestly, there was nothing Sa-yoon could have done. It was more comfortable for Sa-yoon if he maintained the deception until the end. That way, he could pretend to be fooled.

Sa-yoon crossed his legs and leaned back comfortably.

“To be honest, I’m quite disappointed I can’t go to the battlefield. Being by your side, Mr. Han Do-hoon, was rather enjoyable.”

So enjoyable, in fact, that he might have been so lost he’d thrown everything away. Sa-yoon took a breath, composing the emotions that threatened to rise. He was being foolish. Why was he creating such a melodramatic atmosphere by himself?

“Still, don’t you think we got along much better than expected? Even at night, it was quite enjoyable, wasn’t it?”

He deliberately raised the tone of his voice. As Sa-yoon chuckled, Han Do-hoon, who had been listening silently beside him, hardened his expression.

“You speak as if you’re ending things.”

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