Power Overwhelming!
“Uncle Dae-gun!! Pull over! I'm gonna run from here!!”
“What kinda nonsense is that? We're still ten minutes out by car. And sit still, would ya!!”
The five-seater truck barreling down the country road carried four people in total. In the back seat, Ra-yoon was shadowboxing like a maniac, overflowing with energy from the mandrake juice and not knowing what to do with herself, while I just watched. Up front, the manager was driving and trying to rein in her antics. And in the passenger seat—for reasons I couldn't quite figure out—was his niece and Ra-yoon's friend, Lee Ga-eul.
The manager was supposedly the son of Ra-yoon's dad's close older brother or something. I didn't catch all the details, but they'd known each other since before Ra-yoon could even talk, so they were like family... Though they sure looked like your classic immature niece and exasperated uncle duo.
“……”
Even amid this chaos, the cool beauty high schooler in the passenger seat maintained her silence. I couldn't see her expression from right behind her, but she sat there calmly, like this was all par for the course.
We'd only met ten minutes ago, but from overhearing their chat, they seemed super tight. Total opposites, though. If Ra-yoon was a bubbly people-lover like a golden retriever, Ga-eul was... more like a cat, cool and aloof.
She was definitely Ra-yoon's friend, so once she crushes her college entrance exams this year and heads off next year, the guys won't leave her alone, that's for sure. From what I gathered, she'd tagged along because she was worried about Ra-yoon, but how'd she even know Ra-yoon was at my place?
A few more minutes of driving, and the concrete jungle started coming into view. It'd been about a month since I'd last seen a city. Tiny compared to Seoul, sure, but after all that time in the sticks, it felt refreshingly novel.
Takes about twenty minutes by car... Wonder if I could bus it? I'd spotted what looked like a bus stop on one of my walks. Never ridden it, but you never know when I might need to.
This time I hitched a ride with the manager out of necessity, but I can't keep relying on favors to get around. Maybe ask sis for a car? Nah... more importantly, I gotta relearn how to drive.
I got my license back when I was a guy, but it was basically a closet license—I'd never driven. Grabbing the wheel now would make me about as competent as a pineapple living deep in the ocean. Car shopping can wait.
As we neared the hospital, the manager spoke up.
“If it's no trouble, I can handle check-in for you. What do you say?”
“No, no! I'll do it myself. It's my fault anyway, so I should take responsibility.”
Can't be that shameless—gotta draw the line somewhere.
“Got it. I'll run some other errands in the meantime, then. Ga-eul, what about you?”
“I'll stick with Ra-yoon. You're Yoo Ji-na, right? Mind if I tag along?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Unni!! Hurry!! Let's get out!! I'm dyin' here!!”
Ra-yoon, bursting with energy the whole ride, beat us out of the car and bolted in the opposite direction from the hospital.
The manager, seeing this, jumped out and yelled, “Hey!!! Yoon Ra-yoon!!! Where the hell you goin'!!! Hospital's this way!!!”
Ra-yoon ignored him, sprinting full-tilt through the city streets. Wait, where the heck was she even headed?!
No time to stand around! I hopped out and prepared to chase after her.
“Hang on a sec? I'll grab her real quick!”
“……Huh?”
Lee Ga-eul, who'd been staring in disbelief, responded with a dumbfounded tone.
Ra-yoon was already out of sight. Been a while since I went all-out. I crouched low, channeling mana into the balls of my feet. Eased into it so I wouldn't crater the road—thwang—!!!
I shot forward, slicing through the air. One stride closed the gap to Ra-yoon's back in a flash. Went in for a romantic back-hug lift...
But she slowed and turned. Normally I'd match speed, but I was already at full acceleration. Uh oh, this is ba—
Splat—!!!
“Gack—!!”
Ra-yoon's body folded into a > shape from the impact, floating mid-air. Our romantic reunion turned into a pro football tackle.
# In the end, I carried the passed-out Ra-yoon to the hospital.
Since she'd fainted, they took her to the ER, but luckily nothing seemed wrong. They ran a quick CT scan and this awakener-specific “mana circuit scan”—fascinating stuff—with results pending a bit longer.
With all checks done, Ra-yoon lay on a bed in the corner of the ER. The manager had stepped out to run an errand for his wife at the market. So now it was just me and Ra-yoon's friend Lee Ga-eul, sitting in the folding chairs by the bed.
……Awkward.
Over thirty minutes of silence already. Across from me, she stared blankly at her vocab book. I fiddled with my phone, stealing glances at her.
As the adult here, I should break the ice first. Keep it light.
“Hey, want some coffee? My treat.”
“No thanks. I'm good. Coffee keeps me up at night.”
“Ah... okay...?”
Oof, strike one—total flop. But I'm Rose Crimson; I don't fold that easy. Straight to round two.
“Y-You're studying hard, huh? Got a college in mind?”
“……The National Academy.”
“Ah.... I see...”
National... what? First I've heard of it. Round two: communication breakdown.
Buuut... Korean special skill, third strike's the charm. One last shot! Gotta pick the right topic carefully this time. Hm... Ra-yoon's our common ground, right? She rushed here when her friend got hurt—she's gotta be the key to bonding!
Forcing a smile through cold sweat, I went for it.
“You and Ra-yoon must be really close~! How long you two been friends?”
“Since middle school, so about six years.”
“Oh? So different elementary schools?”
“Yeah. After graduation, my parents died in a gate incident, so I've been living with my aunt and uncle since.”
“Ah……”
Yeah, message received loud and clear. This cool beauty had zero interest in chatting with me. Never once looked up from her vocab book while answering—must not like me. Can't blame her; I knocked Ra-yoon out twice. (Okay, three times, but whatever!) If my friend got hurt and the perp was sitting right there, I'd be pissed too.
She was being impressively chill, honestly. But now I'm in the doghouse...
Thud—
Ga-eul finally closed her book and met my eyes for the first time. Took a shallow breath and said,
“Hey.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Feel free to drop the formal speech. It's easier for me that way too.”
“Uh.... sure...?”
“Yeah.”
What? Not mad? Telling me to loosen up means she's lowering the walls a bit.
“Cool, then I can call you Ga-eul?”
“Sure. And I can call you Na-unni?”
“Yep! Totally. You can talk casual like Ra-yoon too!”
“Nah, this is comfy for me.”
“Ah.... o-okay?”
Her firm tone deflated me instantly. Ugh... no read on her at all. Ra-yoon was an open book, but Lee Ga-eul? Total enigma. Big-hearted? Or just not into Ra-yoon that much? She came all this way, so they must be close...
Frustrated, I just asked straight-up.
“Ga-eul, you... don't hate me or anything?”
“Huh? Why would I?”
“Well... I knocked your friend out.”
“Oh, that. You probably got dragged into Ra-yoon's chaos and had no choice. Happens all the time—don't sweat it.”
Way more chill than expected. She knew Ra-yoon's patterns inside out. True besties, for real. Relief washed over me with an inner sigh—
Spring—
“Hiiik!!”
Ra-yoon shot up with a weird yelp. Ga-eul, back to her vocab, didn't even flinch—just kept memorizing.
Focus game strong. Explains her half-assed replies earlier. Whatever this National something-or-other is, it's gotta be brutal.
Grrrowl—
Ra-yoon turned toward me, eyes half-shut.
“Unni, got more of that health juice? Starvin'...”
This from someone who just woke up from passing out? How the heck did these two even become friends?