As I looked around, a child darting back and forth suddenly ran straight toward me.
Before we could collide, someone quickly pulled me into their arms, saving me from the impact.
When I looked up, it was Han-gyeol.
“I’m sorryyyy!”
“It’s okayyyy!”
The child, bowing deeply in a 90-degree angle, apologized earnestly, and Han-gyeol playfully mimicked the tone while responding. He was always warm and kind toward children.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel awkward. For such a small child, his quick reflexes to protect me, as if shielding me from grave danger, seemed like overkill.
I even sensed a faint resonance—he must’ve enhanced his body to rush over. Wasn’t that a bit of a waste of his talents?
“Aren’t you going to say you’re sorry too?”
Han-gyeol scolded me lightly, as if teasing, his face brimming with mischief.
The child, as if expecting an apology from me too, looked up at me with wide, sparkling eyes.
Their pure, innocent gaze almost made me lower my head to play along, but I hesitated.
“Hey, I told you not to run around! I’m so sorry!”
Thankfully, the child’s mother came over, grabbed their hand, and led them away, sparing me the need to bow.
When you think about it, the kid was the one who ran toward me first. Why should I be the one to apologize? I almost made a fool of myself because of Han-gyeol.
“Pfft.”
Han-gyeol, seemingly aware of my brief internal conflict, bit his lip to hold back laughter.
“Senior.”
“Yeah?”
“Stop teasing me.”
“Alright, alright. You used to be so polite and quick to apologize. What happened to you?”
“Oh, come on.”
“Anyway, don’t wander off like that. I was worried when I couldn’t find you.”
He lightly grasped my hand. Even after that, he continued to tease me like I was a child. “Want to take a photo with the dolphins?” “How about some ice cream?”
Of course, I refused all his suggestions. No matter how much he might have feelings for me now, old habits from the time we’ve known each other still surfaced from time to time.
Even when his behavior annoyed me, his casual touches—holding my hand or resting his hand on my shoulder—never felt burdensome.
“Or how about a photo with me? Excuse me! Could you take a picture of us?”
“Wait, no—”
“Sure thing!”
Before I could stop him, Han-gyeol handed his phone to a passing woman. We were standing in front of the aquarium’s iconic photo zone, a massive tank about 10 meters tall.
The area was packed with people either taking turns for photos or admiring the marine life.
Han-gyeol lightly held my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.
“Should we take off our masks for the photo?”
“Isn’t that a little risky?”
“We can pull our hats down.”
Seeing his slightly flushed expression, I reluctantly lowered my mask just a bit, exposing my chin. In contrast, he boldly took his mask off entirely and stuffed it into his pocket.
“I’ll count to three. Ready? One, two, three.”
“Yes.”
Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone recognized us. We posed for the camera awkwardly, my stiffness especially noticeable.
As a child, I used to love outings with my parents and taking pictures. But as I grew older, being photographed, especially with someone else, became rare. Paparazzi constantly tailing me whenever I went outside had only heightened my aversion.
“One more shot!”
“Why are you standing so stiffly?”
“It’s just… it’s been so long since I’ve taken a picture.”
“Should I give you a hug?”
“Just try it, and you’ll see what happens.”
Back then, Han-gyeol had a habit of fixating on taking pictures with me. Since I liked him, I wanted to leave behind photos of just the two of us.
Each time, he’d either sit me on his lap or lift me up with his arms. Considering I was eight when we first met, I doubt I was that light even then.
I could feel Han-gyeol’s amused gaze lingering on my face as he smiled faintly.
“Okay, ready to take the picture!”
“Senior, focus ahead already.”
I tried to caution him, but for some reason, he didn’t move.
“One, two, three.”
As the camera shutter clicked, Han-gyeol lifted the hand resting on my shoulder and gently pulled my head against his broad shoulder. My forehead nestled snugly against him.
“Oh, wow.”
The woman taking the photo exclaimed, and murmurs of surprise rippled through the small crowd watching us. Reflexively, I looked up at him in shock.
Tap. My hat brim bumped against his, causing his hat to tilt backward and fall onto the ground behind him. His face was suddenly exposed for everyone to see.
“Wow, that guy is really handsome.”
“Wait… Isn’t he someone I’ve seen before?”
Startled by the unexpected turn of events, I glanced around. The people in the small group helping us started murmuring among themselves as they recognized Han-gyeol.
“Same here! My sister’s a huge fan of that Esper.”
“Is the girl next to him also Awakened? She’s wearing a hat too.”
“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere as well…”
The whispers quickly shifted focus as they began speculating about me.
“Thank you,” Han-gyeol said casually, retrieving his phone and firmly pressing his hat back onto his head.
“We’re in trouble. Let’s run.”
Despite saying we were in trouble, his lips curved into a mischievous grin. Meanwhile, I was flustered, panicking at the growing crowd gathering around us. Grabbing his hand, I quickly led us away, weaving through the throng of people.
* * *
We found refuge from the crowd in the car. Having seen most of the aquarium already, we were now heading to Aqua Planet’s orca show arena.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my head so suddenly.”
“No, I should have spoken up or acted more carefully.”
Why was he so startled just because I leaned on his shoulder? Was it because of the crowd?
Guilt crept in as I thought about how uncomfortable the situation must’ve been for him. As Alpha Team’s captain, he was no stranger to public appearances, especially after breaking through high-ranking gates.
His sharp, defined features and a physique honed in the field had earned him the nickname “Han-gyeol Oppa” from the public, who practically idolized him. That name stuck, becoming almost like a proper noun.
Given his fame, being recognized could easily lead to a scandal.
“I don’t mind, really. It’s only an issue if you feel uncomfortable.”
How could he not mind? While I could brush off any gossip about myself, he carried the weight of being a representative figure for the Baek family, the center, and Espers as a whole. Even if he said it didn’t bother him, the Baek family or the center would undoubtedly step in to suppress any scandal.
‘Why is he so calm about this? Does he have something planned?’
Suddenly, I recalled something from before—a time when Song-yi had stirred up trouble. She’d claimed Han-gyeol had told his family he’d only date me and that Yu-geon had even approved it.
“Senior, I don’t think it’s true, but… please don’t take this the wrong way.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve heard something strange…”
“What strange thing?”
I hesitated, unsure how to phrase something so absurd. Han-gyeol, noticing my reluctance, studied my face closely. Swallowing hard, I finally spoke.
“Did you ever tell your family that you and I would date? Or… have you mentioned me to them?”
The traffic light turned red, and the car came to a smooth stop. His expression was almost unreadable, bordering on emotionless.
“Yeah.”
His answer, so direct and unexpected, caught me completely off guard.
“What? Why?”
When I first heard about it, I’d assumed Song-yi had made it up or the story had gotten twisted. Gossip often had a way of doing that.
I hadn’t pressed him back then because I believed it couldn’t be true. But now, hearing it from him, I was at a loss for words.
Rubbing his forehead with a troubled look, he began to explain.
“First off, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to bring this up in a situation like this…”
He pulled over to the side of the road, clearly intending to have a serious conversation.
“Do you remember when I told you there was a reason I couldn’t be with you?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been putting this off, but it’s better to come clean now.”
He seemed weighed down by his thoughts, his face clouded with worry. This wasn’t like the Han-gyeol I knew, and it made me uneasy.
I resolved to be patient as he gathered his thoughts and began to explain.
“As you know, whenever someone in my family gets married or has children, the public expects them to produce high-ranking Espers. My mother’s accident was related to that expectation.”
What followed was a story far more shocking than I’d anticipated. My earlier hunch about this being related to Cremons was partly right, but only partially.
Han-gyeol had previously told me his mother had been attacked and killed by a Cremon. However, that wasn’t the whole story.
Under pressure from the family and burdened by guilt for not bearing an Esper child, his mother had recklessly tried to summon a creature. Instead, she was bitten and turned into a Cremon herself.
She then attacked a young Han-gyeol.
Adding to the weight of this revelation, Han-gyeol confessed that discussions about our potential marriage had surfaced within his family when I first awakened.
When he said this, I instinctively frowned in discomfort, making Han-gyeol glance at me nervously.
It wasn’t that I disliked him—it was the absurdity of them discussing my future without my input that frustrated me.
“I told my father that if he tried to interfere, I’d reveal everything about our family. Who’d want to marry into a family like ours after hearing this?”
It was true. The public’s expectations differed greatly from the harsh realities and pressures within his family. That pressure had likely driven his mother to her extreme actions.
“So when there were rumors about us at the center, no one in my family intervened. If they weren’t wary of me, they’d have summoned you by now to demand answers.”
“What?”
“They’d have insisted we pair up, get married, and have children.”
Hearing that, I felt like the air had been sucked out of the car. Memories of his grandfather, the center director, and his father, the branch manager, suddenly felt more vivid. Their knowing looks during random encounters, the leniency I’d been shown during conflicts with Song-yi—it all began to make sense.
Han-gyeol, noticing my increasingly grim expression, looked even more pained.
“I’m telling you all this because I think it’s unfair for you to choose me without knowing. But if you do decide to be with me, I’ve already made plans to ensure you won’t have to carry this burden.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I’ve told them I have no intention of having children.”
“What?”
“I said it to prevent the family from acting rashly. They’re the kind of people who wouldn’t listen unless I made a statement that extreme.”
“Even so, that’s…”
“I know. Going to them and declaring that I’d be with you without even asking for your opinion was overstepping. But even if I had to do it over, I’d make the same choice.”
“…”
“My mother couldn’t withstand the pressure and ended up in tragedy. I watched her suffer and vowed never to let you go through the same thing. Just the thought of it happening to you is unbearable.”
What he meant was that from the moment he decided to pursue a relationship with me, he’d taken steps to ensure his family wouldn’t interfere.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d gone about it the wrong way. Making such decisions without consulting me first didn’t sit right, no matter how noble his intentions.
