When I turned to look, I found Chae Nayun standing there, arms crossed and a curious expression on her face. Her eyes alternated between me and Yeonha, as if she were trying to piece together an invisible puzzle.
Chae Nayun was the opposite of Yeonha in many ways. Her presence was straightforward, without the layers of calculation and ulterior motives that the other carried.
"We were just discussing some details about the test."
I replied with a shrug, showing that I had nothing to hide.
Yeonha, however, quickly composed herself, assuming a more rigid posture, as if Nayun's arrival were a warning signal.
Yeonha asked, her voice clearly showing a hint of caution. She was afraid that Nayun had overheard our conversation. After all, if something like her agreeing to go on a date with another guy reached Jonghak, any chance or hope she had with the young chaebol would end immediately.
"Me? Nothing much. I just got here."
Nayun said with a light smile, though her eyes betrayed her, shining with a mix of curiosity and caution.
"And your conversation with Jonghak? Did it go well?"
I asked, watching her closely.
She replied, hesitating for a moment. Her shoulders tensed slightly, and the smile disappeared for a brief moment before returning, this time more forced.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."
I said, trying to ease the tension.
"N-no, it's not that I don't want to tell you…"
She replied quickly, waving her hands in a nervous gesture.
"It's just that he… Jonghak called me to talk about you. That idiot came to tell me to be careful because you might be getting close to me just to use me."
For a moment, silence fell, broken only by the distant sound of voices in the background. Then, suddenly, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!! That guy really needs a good lesson about life…"
My laughter echoed through the space where the three of us stood, sending small shivers down the girls' bodies.
Nayun stared at me with a mix of concern on her face, while Yeonha just crossed her arms, silently observing the scene. But I knew she was feeling a discomfort she couldn't explain. It was a bad feeling that told her to stop Jonghak from doing anything stupid.
It was then that Instructor Kim Soohyuk appeared suddenly, calling all the cadets to line up in ten rows in front of him. Nayun, Yeonha, and I were no exceptions, promptly following the order along with the others.
"Now, without further ado, I'll get straight to announcing the teams, since I'm sure all of you know what this class is about."
At the word "team," the cadets grew restless. Everyone was anxious and excited for the chance to be placed in good teams.
"Each team will have a total of 4 members. The formation will include two warriors, one elite shooter, and one support. Unless something special happens, your teams will remain the same until the end-of-semester exams. As for the…"
As the instructor spoke, one of the cadets in the front raised his hand.
Asked the instructor, slightly furrowing his brow.
"About the team distribution…"
"That's what I was about to say if you hadn't interrupted me…"
Replied the cadet, shrinking slightly.
Without showing irritation, Kim Soohyuk continued his explanation.
"Continuing… The team distribution will be fair. Lower-level cadets will be placed with higher-level ones. This way, we ensure balance and equal opportunities for everyone."
He paused for a moment, allowing everyone to absorb the information, before tapping on the tablet in his hand.
"Remember what I just said, so there's no confusion later. Now you can check your teams."
After his words, a large floating screen appeared beside him, showing the composition of each group.
I heard someone complain beside me.
I asked, turning to Nayun, who was quietly huffing.
"No, I just wish we could have teams with anyone."
She complained, not because of the team she was on, but because she couldn't be on the same team as me. She was very curious to see me in action.
"M-me? Well, I'm not sure if having a weapon user is a good choice."
Yeonha, standing next to Nayun, replied with a dark expression, clearly unhappy about being in the same group as Kim Hajin.
"Theo, what about yours?"
"I don't know anyone on my team."
I replied, furrowing my brow.
"Except for one name that sounds familiar, but I can't remember who it is."
I hadn't heard of any of the names on my team. Except for one, which was somewhat familiar, but even then, I couldn't recall who it was.
After memorizing each name, I decided to go find my teammates.
"Good luck to you two as well."
Nayun also said her goodbyes and began heading toward two people who were waving at her from another row.
"Look, the members of my team seem to be close to yours."
I said, approaching her and showing the glowing points on my smartwatch. They were in the same direction as the points on her smartwatch.
Yeonha looked at me incredulously. Seriously, she couldn't figure me out. One moment I was treating her coldly, and the next, I was talking to her as if we were best friends.
After seeing that I was telling the truth, she raised her head and found me standing very close. Her gaze involuntarily ran over my face and torso.
She swallowed hard, averting her eyes in embarrassment.
"Alright, but… step back a little."
As she tried to step back, her shoe was stepped on by a passing cadet, causing her to lose her balance and nearly fall backward.
A muffled scream escaped her lips as she instinctively stretched out her hands to grab onto something.
With quick reflexes, I caught her before she fell. My firm hands held her by the waist, stabilizing her in one swift motion.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! An aspiring hero was about to fall just because of a little stumble."
I said, with a hint of sarcasm but also a touch of implicit concern. After all, it was strange for someone with superhuman abilities to almost fall over such a trivial incident.
I didn't hold her for long. Seeing that she was fine, I let her go, stepping back a few paces.
She murmured, her face slightly flushed from the embarrassing situation. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, and a small sigh accompanied by a whisper escaped her lips.
'Sigh! Good thing no one saw.'
It wasn't that no one saw. The problem was that none of those who saw wanted Yeonha to know about it. They were afraid she might do something to them.
I laughed casually, crossing my arms while giving her a teasing look.
"Just buy me a drink when we turn 18."
"Hey, you idiot, that's illegal…"
"Ah, right… I forgot. You guys are born walking here, huh?"
Yeonha huffed, her eyes narrowing in a mix of irritation and disbelief. If there was one thing she hated more than being caught off guard, it was dealing with comments like that, which left her without an immediate response.
"Let's go, the others are probably looking for us…"
Instead of responding to my joke, Yeonha chose to go find the members of her team.
Walking side by side in soft steps, Yeonha and I followed in silence until we reached a more isolated part of the field, where we finally saw the other members of our teams. I exchanged a few brief words with Yeonha before we parted ways to greet our respective teammates.