Chapter 84: Can I Attack You?

Gi-yoon had been quietly watching Chaewon recreate the shield the same way he had previously trained with Min I-hyeon.

Gi-yoon, too, had already coordinated with Ye-seon in advance about how much power he would use at each stage.

But now that he was seeing and sensing Chaewon’s power firsthand, he began to question whether sticking to that plan was really the right approach.

Chaewon’s power was by no means weak. The side effects seemed to manifest only afterward, in the form of aftereffects once his power had been used.

It was not common, absolutely not common, for someone to have enough force to make even Gi-yoon’s fingertips tingle like this.

He understood being cautious because of Chaewon’s various handicaps. But when Chaewon himself was willing to push his limits as far as he could, what was the point of striking his shield step by step?

Of course, Gi-yoon understood why the management team wanted to approach things conservatively when the backlash couldn’t be predicted with certainty. But he wasn’t part of the Esper management team. There was no need for him to follow their direction.

“Team leader…?”

Chaewon called out with a puzzled look when Gi-yoon didn’t begin attacking even after a long while of the shield being up. After a moment of contemplation, Gi-yoon gave him a cool smile and spoke.

“Take down the shield.”

“…Pardon?”

“Put it away for a second.”

Su-ha stepped toward them, and Ye-seon’s voice came through the microphone, “Team Leader Joo, what’s going on?”, but Gi-yoon ignored it, his gaze fixed solely on Chaewon.

Holding that gaze, Chaewon slowly withdrew his shield.

And at that very instant, an ice arrow, created at some unknown moment, shot toward him like a streak of light.

“Chaewon!”

“Joo Gi-yoon!!”

Su-ha and Ye-seon shouted at the same time, both moving as if to rush to Chaewon’s side. But they were forced to stop.

Partly because of the thunderous boom that filled the air, but more because of the unbelievable sight before them.

It had happened incredibly fast, yet everyone present had clearly seen it.

The moment Chaewon dropped his shield and stood seemingly defenseless, he saw the incoming ice arrow and, in a split second, thrust both hands forward, blocking Gi-yoon’s attack with his own power.

Everyone froze, unable to speak. Even Chaewon himself, who had blocked the attack, stood there stunned, unsure of what had just happened.

It wasn’t something he had consciously decided to do. The moment he saw Gi-yoon’s attack hurtling toward him at high speed, he had simply reacted on instinct.

His gaze slowly dropped to his hands. His palms stung, and for a moment his heart felt tightly squeezed. It meant Gi-yoon’s attack had not been light in the slightest.

“This is what you call training.”

Gi-yoon finally spoke, his voice deeply satisfied.

Ye-seon snapped out of it and raised his voice through the mic. “Team Leader Joo, this isn’t what we agreed on.”

Meanwhile, Su-ha hurried to Chaewon’s side, checking him over. “Are you alright?” he asked softly, concern evident in his voice.

Chaewon nodded and looked back at Gi-yoon.

Gi-yoon, looking completely unapologetic, if anything, confident, spoke calmly.

“Think about it. How is it training to just stand there with a shield up and have attacks poured onto it?”

“This is training, yes, but it’s also meant to test how much Chaewon’s side effects have eased and how much power he can endure right now,” Ye-seon replied firmly.

He understood what Gi-yoon was getting at, and he didn’t entirely disagree. But he didn’t think it needed to be rushed like this.

Gi-yoon simply shrugged.

“Do that when I’m not here.”

Then he shifted his gaze from Ye-seon and looked straight at Chaewon, who still seemed to be processing what had just happened.

“If you invite the best teacher around and ask him to teach you multiplication tables, wouldn’t that be a waste?”

The last move had largely been to test Chaewon. Even if Chaewon hadn’t blocked it instinctively, he wouldn’t have been injured. Gi-yoon would have intervened before that could happen.

But Chaewon had blocked it, even in such a sudden situation.

Even if Gi-yoon hadn’t used his full strength, it was an astonishing reaction speed for an inexperienced rookie Esper. A premonition stirred within him that this training would become far more entertaining than he had expected.

The battle instincts Gi-yoon possessed as an Esper responded to the potential shown by the fragile-looking Esper before him, the one who seemed as if even a slight threat might make him burst into tears.

Still staring at him, Gi-yoon continued.

“What do you think, Esper Lee Chaewon? Want to try some training with a bit more realism?”

If Gi-yoon hadn’t heard that Chaewon was undergoing combat training, he wouldn’t have pushed like this. So in his mind, this situation was one Chaewon had brought upon himself.

Chaewon could have easily earned applause by simply maintaining a public-friendly image, appearing at major disaster sites, using his flashy telekinesis to save a few people.

Even if criticized for not taking on dangerous missions, he had more than enough justification, given that his severe side effects were already public knowledge.

And yet, he had been the one to volunteer for combat training.

That was precisely why Gi-yoon hadn’t shown any displeasure or pressed him when their training together had been postponed.

Chaewon’s unexpected path amused him.

He’d noticed it back at the restaurant, when Chaewon had blocked his way and warned him not to speak carelessly to his guide. Beneath that frail exterior was no ordinary resolve.

So in truth, Gi-yoon was certain what Chaewon’s answer would be.

At last, Chaewon spoke.

“Then…”

“…?”

“Does that mean… I can attack you too, Team Leader?”

That answer, frankly, felt like being hit in the back of the head.

For once, Gi-yoon looked genuinely flustered, staring blankly at him. Su-ha, who had been listening with a worried expression, burst into laughter first.

Even to Su-ha, who knew very well how strong Chaewon was, it was a surprising response. But he also felt he understood exactly why he had asked.

After the day he had been caught up in that previous battle, one of the things Chaewon had struggled with was that he hadn’t been able to attack.

He knew the opponent was in the wrong. He knew others, including Su-ha, were in danger because of him. He knew he should land a decisive blow as quickly as possible to stop further harm.

And yet, he couldn’t overcome his aversion to directly attacking another person, focusing on defense until the very end.

Su-ha believed that trait would ultimately become Chaewon’s strength, but he seemed to have been troubled by it ever since.

“Attack… me?” Gi-yoon repeated, looking as if he’d been struck on the back of the head.

He had openly declared he would attack, and yet he was flustered when Chaewon said he would do the same. It might have seemed absurd, everyone present fully understood Gi-yoon’s reaction.

What Esper would ever boldly ask if it was okay to attack Joo Gi-yoon?

But Chaewon remained calm.

“Even if they’re criminals… I hesitated too much about attacking someone last time. I almost made a serious mistake.”

“Hmm.”

“Luckily, nothing major happened. But I don’t want to repeat that mistake.”

“So you’re going to practice attacking a person, using me as the target?”

“…Yes. If it’s you, Team Leader, you won’t get hurt or have a hard time even if I attack.”

With gentle eyes, as though he were saying something perfectly ordinary, Chaewon looked at him.

It was oddly refreshing, to see someone who looked like he couldn’t even harm an ant speak such words.

It hadn’t been an easy decision for Chaewon to say this. But having chosen the life of an Esper, it was something he had to do.

Every moment he hesitated in the field could put someone in danger.

That someone might be an innocent civilian. It might be a colleague. It might be Su-ha, the one he had to protect.

He absolutely did not want that to happen.

Almost reflexively, Gi-yoon glanced at Su-ha, silently asking whether he agreed with Chaewon’s words.

Su-ha answered with a small nod.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t worried. He was concerned about Chaewon engaging in aggressive training, especially against Gi-yoon. And he was anxious about the countless dangers Chaewon would face in future battlefields.

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