Cool Amy
Amy picked up the iron doll's head from the floor and popped it back onto its neck. A creaking sound came from the iron doll, and the head even wobbled as if it hadn't fit properly. Amy slammed her fist down on the creaking head. Under the impact, the dented head seemed to lock firmly onto the body, no longer wobbling.
Only then was I able to take a closer look at the doll's body. The iron doll bore the clear imprints of fists that had rained down on it from all directions. It looked so battered that I almost felt sorry for it.
"Whoa..."
If Amy ever gave me a noogie, it felt like it wouldn't end with just a simple bump on the head. Instinctively, I rubbed my own head and turned around to sit down.
"Victor."
"What?"
"What is Amy's ability?"
"I don't know either."
Victor answered as if it were a chore, but he didn't seem to be lying. I understood. There were countless ability users in the world. Categorizing and subdividing every single power was practically impossible.
"She probably doesn't even know herself," Victor added quietly.
He conjured a small electrical field in his hand. "Anyway, both of you need to master the flow."
I nodded. The current flowing through Victor's hand felt more than just familiar—it felt comforting, which made it easy to understand.
"Until you master this, playing with the ball is forbidden."
"Ah!"
I jumped up in shock. No playing with the ball? Shine, who was sitting next to me, also seemed shocked, her eyes wavering.
"If you want to play, work hard."
With that, Victor fixed his gaze back on his desk. It was clear that further conversation was out of the question.
With a tearful face, I looked back at Amy. Amy, who was drinking from a water bottle, only offered me an awkward, apologetic smile.
"Sigh..."
I let out a sigh and raised my hand. I can do this. I began to recreate the flow Victor had just shown us.
A blue electrical field spread over my hand. The blue lines of light stretched out in all directions. My hair began to stand on end. This was where I stopped earlier.
I tried to guide the wild blue light into a steady rhythm. Sparks crackled in the air. The blue lines that had been thrashing in all directions began to gather into one. But they quickly slipped out of my control.
I had never attempted such a small, delicate method of control before, so I lacked the knack for it.
"Urgh!"
Grit my teeth, I drew out even more of my power. If it's too hard when it's small, I'll make it big—even bigger—and find the feel of it from there.
The electrical field expanding from my hand grew until it enveloped my entire body. It formed a spherical field around me. I focused on controlling the currents that were shooting out in all directions. Slowly, the wild, chaotic lines began to converge.
"Smaller," Victor instructed.
Following Victor's direction, I began to shrink the size of the field. My floating hair settled back down, and the electricity that had covered my entire body gathered into the palm of my hand.
Zap!
Immediately after, a bolt of blue electricity suddenly shot out. Streaking in a straight line through the air, the current struck the fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling.
"Ah!"
The ceiling was scorched black. The current that had escaped my hand had snuffed out the bright fluorescent light. The room plunged into darkness in an instant.
I wanted to cry. It was just too hard.
As if he were entirely used to this, Victor fetched a replacement bulb from the supply closet in the corner and began to change it. I slumped in my chair, dejectedly twiddling my thumbs.
"No one is good at it right from the start," Victor said.
He spoke while standing on the ladder, replacing the bulb. He hadn't even glanced my way, so how did he know I was sulking?
I realized that despite his gruff exterior, Victor was actually quite attentive to those around him.
"You're very kind, Victor," I said, looking up at him.
Victor's movements froze for a moment. He didn't say another word. Climbing down the ladder, he put it away with his usual annoyed expression, but I caught a glimpse of the tips of his ears flushing red.
"Can we not play with the ball today?" Shine, sitting next to me, asked.
I nodded weakly. If I couldn't master this, we couldn't play. Staring at the electrical field thrashing about on my hand, I puffed out my cheeks. I felt so stifled, as if my breath were caught in my throat.
"Aren't you going to practice, Shine?" I asked, letting the air out of my puffed-up cheeks.
Shine looked at me with a questioning expression.
"Practice?"
"Yeah."
"Jeff. Look here."
Shine raised her hand toward me. Her gently swaying hand drew my gaze, leaving me slightly dazed. My wavering eyes followed her hand as it slowly approached.
"I already succeeded."
I nodded as her hand gently caressed my cheek. Immediately after, a flurry of images flashed through my mind. The sight of the blue electrical field perfectly formed in Shine's hand was vividly engraved in my memory.
"Mmh..."
"Once you succeed, Jeff, we're done."
I pouted at her words. There wasn't a single thing I was better at than her. Studying, using my ability... everything was so hard. In contrast, Shine solved every problem with such effortless ease.
"Yeah..."
"It's okay, Jeff."
Her gentle touch continued, as if to comfort me.
"What? Shine, you succeeded already?"
Amy, who had been drinking water behind us, walked over and asked. Shine and I nodded.
"Amy..."
"Is Jeff not done yet?"
"No..." I mumbled.
"Why are you so down in the dumps?"
Amy grinned and gave my head a warm, thorough pat. My vision swayed slightly. I closed my eyes, leaning into the comforting touch of Amy's hand on my head.
"Mmh... But it's just too hard," I whined softly. It really was too much for me.
"I'll help you," Shine whispered.
She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. I didn't resist her gentle touch and let myself be drawn into her embrace. I felt a tiny pang of emptiness when Amy's hand left my head, but Shine's hand immediately filled the void, softly stroking my hair.
"How?"
"Like this."
The hand stroking my hair slid down smoothly to grasp my arm. Sliding further down, her hand gently wrapped over the back of mine. A shiver ran through me as her warm fingers slipped between my own. I found myself curling my toes for no reason, a ticklish sensation bubbling up in a corner of my chest.
"Mmh..."
Her breath brushed against my cheek from behind, tickling me.
"Focus."
"On... on what?"
"Right here, on your fingertips."
I did as she said.
Crackle—
Blue electricity sparked from my fingertips. It began to thrash wildly, completely different from before. Startled, I tried to pull away, but Shine held my arm firmly, refusing to let go.
"It's okay."
Her soft voice washed over me, soothing my panic. The warmth radiating from behind melted away my tension. My stiffened body relaxed. The electricity, which had been raging like a wild bull, began to settle down calmly. Following the rhythm of her breathing near my ear, the current's movements grew gentle. Smaller, and even smaller. The electricity blooming over my hand began to mirror the exact flow Victor had demonstrated.
"Just like this."
The blue current no longer tried to spark outward. It repeated a steady, rhythmic loop as if traveling along a well-paved road, looking so stable it almost seemed frozen in place.
"Whoa..."
My eyes sparkled, and my mouth fell open. Shine smiled softly at my reaction. Then, her hand slowly began to pull away. The gentle warmth that had slipped between my fingers gradually receded. I looked back at her, my face filled with anxiety.
"Jeff. Focus."
The current blooming at my fingertips began to fluctuate erratically, reacting to my sudden spike of emotion. But hearing Shine's voice, I focused on her words and nodded.
Zap!
But the blue electricity refused to listen. I pouted as it began to lash out wildly in all directions again.
"Shine..."
When I turned to her on the verge of tears, she gave me a bright smile and took my hand once more. The warmth that had vanished returned. Enveloped in that cozy feeling, a faint smile spread across my face. My anxiety evaporated in an instant. As if reacting to my emotional state, the blue current immediately calmed down.
"You're okay now."
I'm okay now. It felt like I could do anything as long as she was with me.
"What? You're done already?"
Victor, who had just returned after putting the ladder back in the closet, spoke as he stared at my hand. He blinked in sheer disbelief.
"Yes!"
I proudly held out my hand.
"Did you two do it together?"
"Is that not allowed...?"
"Hmm..."
Victor crossed his arms and slumped into his chair at my question.
"Of course you have to do it on your own."
At Victor's words, Shine's hand slowly slipped away. When I looked back at her with anxious eyes, she gave me a silent nod. It felt as if she were telling me to trust her.
As Shine's hand left mine and her body moved away from my back, the blue current flowing over my hand flickered unsteadily. I raised my hand, my eyes filled with apprehension. Concentrating with all my might, I tried to recreate the same flow. The movement wavered slightly. However, unlike before, it didn't lash out wildly.
"Good."
Victor nodded. At his approval, I let out a sigh of relief and let my concentration break. The blue current immediately dispersed in all directions, leaving faint trails of blue light that painted the air before vanishing.
"Can we play with the ball now?" Shine asked.
"Sure. Go play."
Victor nodded at Shine's question. She immediately grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the corner. However, her face quickly fell. There was indeed a ball in the corner—the problem was that it was a basketball.
Disappointed by the hard texture of the ball, Shine threw the basketball with all her might.
"It's too hard!"
Thud, thud. The basketball bounced weakly, rolled away, hit the wall, and rolled right back. I picked up the basketball she had thrown. It felt incredibly heavy and solid. It didn't seem suitable at all for Shine and me to play with.
"Victor! Are there any other balls?!" I called out.
"There should be some in the closet. Take a look."
Victor and Amy seemed to be discussing something important. They were huddled over documents spread across the desk, pointing at the papers as they talked. It didn't look like they were in a position to come over and help us find a ball.
With our small, fragile bodies, we couldn't possibly play with this ball properly. If we tried to kick it like a soccer ball, we'd probably break our ankles. If we tried to play basketball, we'd probably sprain our fingers. It was a terrifyingly solid ball. Grimacing, I tossed the basketball aside.
Just as Victor said, the closet was packed with all kinds of balls. Baseballs, soccer balls, and even bowling balls. Shine stared at the baseballs and bowling balls, which were even harder than the basketball, and declared:
"These aren't balls."
The one that ultimately won Shine's approval was, of course, a squishy rubber ball. It was a vibrant, appealing red, just like a ripe apple. Grinning brightly, Shine grabbed the rubber ball and dashed outside.