An Unscratched Lottery Ticket

The ability measurement was identical to before, the only difference being the machine.

"Regarding that gate—how did the monster's material formation appear to you?"

"Hmm... it was liquid. Sticky but elastic, and it made this strange sound. I'm sure you've all seen the footage."

Woo-jin recalled the transmitted video. It had produced an extremely unpleasant noise, by all accounts. Every researcher in the room had gone red-faced watching it.

He didn't know why, but he supposed it was simply uncomfortable to listen to.

As for the sound itself, it hadn't registered with him at all. His eyes had been too busy devouring the sight of Seo-ah facing down the monster.

Most of all, he envied how close she seemed to be with her esper, Kang Eun-chan.

Would the guiding have matched the composure of her report? Judging by the surge in his ability readings, the guiding had clearly been more than sufficient.

With a rank that high, a mere touch would have been enough to stabilize him—so the fact that the camera had been turned off meant she must have gone further, performed guiding of a far more thorough kind.

So Seo-ah takes her duties seriously.

Woo-jin found that admirable about her. He had always loved the way she threw herself wholeheartedly into whatever she was responsible for.

She was nothing like the other high-ranks who lorded their status over everyone. Woo-jin stole a glance at Seo-ah inside the machine.

She tapped at the apparatus a few times with her fingers, then, once it hummed to life, obediently settled into position. The way her eyes rolled around in wonder inside the chamber was adorable.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring back a sample. It was my first time, so I was clumsy. I'll make sure to get one next time."

"Please, there's no need to push yourself. You matter far more to me than any sample, Seo-ah."

"You really are such a kind person, Woo-jin."

At her words, Woo-jin's ears burned. He fiddled with them under the pretense of casual adjustment, terrified the redness would give him away.

Kind. No one has ever called me that before.

"Do you like kind men, Seo-ah?"

"I do, actually."

Esper Kang Eun-chan seemed about as far from gentle as a man could get. But he was impressive in his own right—tall, powerfully built, handsome, and seemingly sociable besides.

Everyone at the center talked about Kang Eun-chan, so it was impossible not to know. He had a warm, easy smile that brightened even the days of those merely watching him, and a silver tongue to match.

He'd only just entered the center, yet he already seemed close with half the people there.

That was the one thing Woo-jin could never imitate. He couldn't wedge himself into other people's conversations, and he had no gift for small talk.

The only thing he was good at was research. Doing his utmost at his work and being useful to others—that was how he connected with people. The people at the institute recognized him for it, even if his contributions were modest.

Seo-ah probably likes Esper Kang Eun-chan more than someone like me, anyway.

That word—kind—was most likely just something pleasant to say. She was the kind one, after all.

"Woo-jin, let's work well together."

Seo-ah beamed at him. The moment he saw that smile, his mind went blank white.

She smiled at me.

Woo-jin squirmed a hand against the tingling in his chest.

"The measurement is finished. You may come out now."

At his words, Seo-ah carefully stepped out of the machine. He began reviewing the printed graph of her results.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

Her fingers brushed his hair aside, sweeping it gently to one side. The tips of her fingers grazed his forehead. The instant he registered that touch, Woo-jin scrambled like a machine short-circuiting.

"Ah, um... what do you mean? Bothered how?"

"Your hair. It looked like you couldn't see. I guess I was meddling, huh."

Seo-ah withdrew her hand with a soft laugh. Woo-jin touched his forehead, desperate not to lose even that small lingering warmth.

He had never cared about his appearance. He cut his hair only as far as his eyes, just enough. It was convenient not having his vision blocked, and it conveniently shielded him from other people's gazes besides.

"Meddling? Not at all."

"That's a relief, then."

"Your results show no abnormalities. Your energy wavelengths are stable and healthy."

Seo-ah suddenly leaned down to peer at the report. Her closeness sent Woo-jin's heart hammering like it would burst.

"It does look that way. Since the readings didn't budge even after guiding, I suppose it's safe for you to use your abilities. What a relief."

Seo-ah let out a breath of relief beside him. Woo-jin flinched, then composed his face to look unbothered and fixed his eyes on the monitor.

"...Still, you shouldn't overexert yourself. In case your body takes on too much strain."

"Guiding and ability use are separate things, though. Right?"

Their eyes met. In that instant, Woo-jin inhaled sharply. He was supposed to answer her question, but no words would come.

Her gaze was so dazzling he couldn't tear his eyes away. No—that wasn't quite right. His body had simply frozen solid, as if something in him had broken.

"Woo-jin?"

As the distance between them shrank, the sound of her breathing and her scent seeped into his nose. It was the fragrance of Seo-ah he had only ever caught from far away.

When she leaned in a little closer, his senses snapped back online. Woo-jin shot up from his seat and hastily put space between them.

"Th-they are separate. But it's still better to be... careful."

If I tell her to be careful, will she stop wanting to guide me? But for him, nothing mattered more than Seo-ah—not even the guiding.

"...I think that would be wise."

"I will. I won't push my body too hard. That works, right?"

At her words, Woo-jin slowly nodded. Once the measurement ended, there was no excuse left to keep her. Seo-ah studied her results for a long moment.

"I'll contact you if there's any problem."

"Don't just contact me for that—we should be in touch often from now on. We should get to know each other."

"...Yes. Often. I'll contact you."

Woo-jin felt as though both his cheeks were flushing crimson. He ducked his head to hide it from her, nodding over and over.

"Oh, right—your hair looks so much better swept back, Woo-jin. It's fine now, but before, it was poking your eyes."

After she bowed her farewell and headed back toward the Management Bureau, Woo-jin stood there watching her go, fingers running through his hair.

Seo-ah was in a great mood.

All she'd done was brush his hair aside with her hand, and yet—what a surprise. He'd exceeded her imagination. No, he was far better than she'd expected.

An unscratched lottery ticket! So that's what Shin Woo-jin was.

Naive, unsociable, refusing to mix words with anyone, absorbed entirely in his own work. Even when she dropped by the institute, his gaze was always locked on his monitor.

"How will it turn out, I wonder. I'll know by tomorrow."

She replayed the look in his eyes when he'd watched her. His reddened ears had been unbearably cute. The way he stammered whenever she spoke to him, the way his big frame went tense whenever she touched him or closed the distance—she kept thinking about all of it.

The center had been dead boring, but lately, going to work had become something to look forward to.

Being stuck with Kang Eun-chan for life had weighed on her mind, but now a second match had appeared. And according to Seo-ah's calculations, once he was all gussied up, the results would be gorgeous.

From their conversation, it seemed he wasn't opposed to guiding, either. He was a researcher, so he'd surely studied it extensively and understood its benefits well.

"Speaking of which, did Kang Eun-chan finish his exam?"

Seo-ah's gaze drifted toward the research building.

He still hadn't come out, so it must be taking a while. And once he did, he'd just nag her again—better to head over first.

She briefly considered waiting for Eun-chan and going together, but quickly turned on her heel instead.

Something told her he'd just yap in her ear the whole way.

"Hey. You were about to leave me behind, weren't you."

"You scared the hell out of me."

He'd appeared out of nowhere, soundless, somehow. Fortunately he seemed to be in no distress—his expression was calm.

"You're not a baby. You couldn't wait for me so we could walk together?"

"Fine, whatever. I don't know my way around here."

"...The hell you don't."

Seo-ah made a face of pure disgust. A giant grown man saying that? The audacity of this idiot.

"Hey, your face is an open book. You're totally thinking I'm disgusting right now."

"If you know, then don't say stuff like that. It really doesn't suit you."

Eun-chan pulled an exaggeratedly wounded expression. It was utterly unconvincing. Seo-ah scoffed—she knew better than anyone that this was not a man who got his feelings hurt over something so trivial.

"I'm hurt too, Lee Seo-ah."

"You? Over this? Don't lie."

This was the guy who hadn't so much as flinched when they called him a eunuch to his face—and he's wounded over being called gross? Who was going to believe that? Not even a passing dog.