A Childish Adult
Power control.
"What exactly is this training for?" I asked Amy, lying in bed. Breaking the quiet silence of the darkened room, Amy answered, "It's training to help you and Shine use your powers safely."
I reached out my short arms. A blue light gathered at my fingertips. Starting as a thin line, the electric field gradually expanded. With a sharp *crackle*, a wide circle formed, the blue current flowing within it tracing a strange, mesmerizing pattern.
"It's pretty, Jeff." A smile spread across my face at Shine's compliment. But the blue current gathered in my hands quickly vanished. Thanks to the bracelet Victor had swapped for me, I could use my powers, but it felt as though most of my strength was being crushed under a heavy weight. Until this bracelet was completely removed, this suffocating sensation would persist.
"It's suffocating."
"Even if it's frustrating, you just have to bear it a little longer." Amy gently wrapped her hand around mine, lowering it. My chest felt strangely ticklish. I slipped my hand from her grasp and burrowed deep into the soft blanket. My long, overgrown hair tangled around my body as it scattered across the sheets.
"It's a new blanket, so it feels nice, right?"
I nodded blankly. The fluffy texture of the blanket wrapped snugly around me. The cool temperature seeping through my thin pajamas brought a faint smile to my face. The fragrant scent of herbs tickling the tip of my nose began to lull me to sleep.
Rustle. A soft sound of movement came from beneath the covers. A warm, soft touch crept up my hand.
"Shine."
Shine, who had slipped her hand under the blanket, held my hand tightly. Feeling her warmth, I turned to meet her gaze, only to find her staring back at me with a soft smile.
"Good night."
It was undoubtedly a very comfortable bed, but a small seed of anxiety and impatience lingering in a corner of my heart refused to fade. Troubled by that strange sensation, I buried my face deeper into the blanket.
"Good night, Shine."
The next morning, I woke up and was dragged along by Amy to quickly wash my face. Still half-asleep, I stumbled back into the room and sat down. I brushed aside my slightly damp bangs and let out a long, lazy yawn.
"Hurry up and change."
At Amy's urging from the bathroom, I stood up and changed. Once again, it was just a simple tracksuit. As I stood there scratching my stomach while waiting for Amy, Shine—who had been dragged in after me—suddenly bolted out of the bathroom as if escaping for her life.
"Shine!"
Amy's voice chased after her. Water was still dripping from Shine's face; she had clearly run out without drying herself.
"No! I'll do it myself!"
Shine stuck her tongue out in Amy's direction and scrambled onto the bed. She proceeded to rub her face directly against the blanket to dry off. Amy, emerging a moment later with a towel in hand, could only let out a weary sigh at Shine's antics.
After that brief morning commotion, we left our room. The familiar hallway stretched out before us, filled with a bustling crowd of people starting their day. Shine, Amy, and I naturally joined the flow. The wait was something we were used to by now. Once we arrived at the cafeteria, Shine and I sat quietly at a table, waiting for Amy to bring our trays. We exchanged brief waves with the few familiar faces we recognized, then dug into the food Amy brought us. Today's meal was just as satisfying as always.
Once we finished eating, Amy led us back to the gymnasium where we had met Victor the day before.
"You're here?"
Victor was sitting at the far end of the gym. He was wearing glasses, sorting through a stack of documents. His eyes looked as exhausted as ever, but the glasses gave him a slightly different air.
"Victor."
Amy still seemed angry with him. With a deep scowl on her face, she marched toward him with heavy, stomping steps. Victor took off his glasses and scratched the back of his neck, a look of clear embarrassment and regret on his face.
"I'm sorry..."
At his weak apology, Amy snapped, "You should be saying that to the kids."
Victor's hand flinched against his small desk. Letting out a deep sigh, he bowed his head and barked an apology at us.
"I'm sorry for forgetting about you!"
His voice was so incredibly loud that I jumped in surprise. Shine must have felt the same, because she immediately shrank back and hid behind me.
"How on earth could you just forget about the children?"
"Look... I'm telling you, I find it bizarre myself..."
As their bickering dragged on, Shine and I watched them blankly for a moment before heading over to sit on a soft mat spread out nearby.
"Shine."
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever played catch before?"
"Played catch?"
As I spoke, my eyes drifted toward a small rubber ball sitting in the corner of the gymnasium. It was the kind of toy young children often played with. When I was a kid, I couldn't even dream of having something like that. After briefly reminiscing about my past, I snapped out of it as Shine spoke up.
"I want to try."
Glancing over at Victor and Amy, it didn't look like their conversation would end anytime soon. They seemed to be discussing something serious over the documents. Leaving them to it, I walked over to the corner and picked up the squishy rubber ball. Truth be told, I didn't actually have any memory of playing catch either. The closest I had ever come was kicking a ball back to some researchers playing soccer while I was out for a walk near the laboratory. As I squeezed the soft ball in my hands, Shine's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she stood up. How do people usually play with this? I decided to bounce the ball on the floor. Shine's gaze darted wildly, tracking the ball's rhythmic thuds.
After bouncing it a few times, I tossed the ball toward Shine. It bounced off the floor and flew straight into her arms. Since I had thrown it at a gentle speed, she caught it without any trouble. Holding the ball, Shine mirrored me, running her fingers over its smooth surface. A faint, curious smile played on her lips. She then began to bounce the ball against the floor just as I had done. My eyes naturally followed the rhythmic *thud-thud* of the bouncing ball.
Shine looked back and forth between me and the ball, then tossed it back. Just like before, it bounced a couple of times on the floor before landing safely in my arms. A ticklish feeling bloomed in my chest. I felt a strange, warm resonance from this simple game of catch—something I was experiencing for the very first time in my life. I met Shine's eyes. She, too, seemed to be having a wonderful time.
"Catch!"
I threw the ball with all my might. But because I put too much force into it, my aim went completely wild. The ball bounced far away from where Shine was standing. Shine watched it go, then kicked off the floor and chased after it. A bright, genuine smile spread across her face.
"I got it!" Shine cried out, her voice ringing with pure delight as she scooped up the ball. Catching her breath, she threw it back with all her might, just as I had done. The ball flew wildly off-course, far from where I stood. I bolted after it, laughing as I caught it just like Shine had. We repeated this over and over. The smiles on our faces refused to fade. Clutching my pounding chest, I basked in this simple, profound joy.
Neither Shine nor I had much stamina to speak of. After only a few rounds of throwing the ball, we collapsed onto the mat, panting heavily.
"Are you two finished playing?" Amy asked, walking over to us as we caught our breath. I glanced past her to check on Victor. His conversation with Amy seemed to have wrapped up, and he was sitting with his chin propped on his hand, watching us. When he noticed me looking, he gave a small wave.
"Yes..." I mumbled, nodding as I avoided Amy's gaze. For a fully grown adult to get this excited over a rubber ball is pretty embarrassing. At least, that was how I felt.
"Don't worry, you can play with it all you want once your training is over," Amy said to Shine, who still couldn't take her eyes off the ball. Shine nodded quietly. She seemed to have taken a serious liking to it. Once our breathing finally returned to normal, Amy led us over to Victor. Two small chairs, perfectly suited to our height, had been placed near his desk. Shine and I sat down.
"I got your names yesterday, right?" Victor said, twirling a pen between his fingers. "My memory's been a bit fuzzy lately." He pressed the tip of the pen against his temple. Grimacing as if nursing a mild headache, Victor let out a soft sigh. "Right. How far did we get yesterday?"
"We practiced hitting targets," I replied.
"Just that?"
"Yes, sir."
"No abnormalities when you use your powers?"
I looked down at my hands. I had used my powers after swapping the bracelet, but it wasn't as if I felt any physical discomfort. "I know it still feels heavily suppressed. What I'm asking is if you experienced any strange side effects or symptoms while channeling your power."
I shook my head. There hadn't been any issues.
"And Shine?"
"I'm perfectly fine too," Shine answered.
"Good..."
Victor muttered under his breath and began writing on his documents. "In that case, we need to test the limits of your current state." He stood up, neatly stacked his papers, and gestured toward a large room situated in the corner of the gymnasium.
"What does Victor actually do?" Now that Victor was out of sight, it was the perfect time to satisfy my curiosity. Amy seemed to ponder my question for a moment before giving a casual shrug. "He's a weirdo."
"A weirdo?"
"Yep."
"Amy, I'm asking what his actual job is."
Amy looked slightly taken aback by my directness. A complicated expression crossed her face as she answered slowly, "Normally, he does the same kind of work I do. But right now, because of an injury..." She cut herself off. Meeting my gaze, she let out a soft chuckle. "Listen to me, rambling about this in front of a child..."
"I'm not a child."
At my deadpan, serious tone, Amy's smile only widened. She reached out with both hands and began to knead my cheeks. My face squished and distorted like soft dough. Horrified, I squirmed out of her grasp.
"Amy, Jeff doesn't like that."
Amy's hands immediately migrated to Shine instead, mercilessly pinching and squishing her soft cheeks. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, girls." Amy patted Shine's head and finally withdrew her hands. Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she added, "So, Jeff is an adult?"
"Of course. I'm an adult." I nodded firmly. That's why I was able to drink beer. Though, since Shine had forbidden me from touching it again, I couldn't drink anymore. It was a bit of a shame.
"But Jeff, I don't think real adults watch The Little Witch's Grand Adventure at nine o'clock every night."
"Ah..."
I instantly shut my mouth. My eyes darted left and right. Is that true? Adults don't watch that? But it's so good...
"Then... I'll become an adult next time," I squeaked out with great difficulty. Watching me struggle, Amy burst into a roaring laugh. She practically rolled on the floor laughing, which only made the heat rush to my face. I pressed my hands against my cheeks, feeling them burning. I was undoubtedly blushing bright red. "Amy... stop laughing."
Amy's laughter finally cut off when Victor re-emerged, carrying a massive piece of machinery in his arms. "What's going on? Why are you cackling like a madwoman?"