OMH Chapter 45
by VolareOh My Hero – Episode 45
45. Hooligan (9)
My business at the Medical Bureau was quickly finished. Other than Kim Hanjin, I didn’t run into anyone on the way in or out.
‘At this rate, a perfect crime isn’t impossible.’
I returned to the dormitory with a light step.
Because the mission ended early, the sky was still blue, and the cold wind blowing from the Siberian High swept past my head.
Rustle—
Rustle? I felt a sensation I’d never felt before on my head, carried on the wind.
‘And the back of my neck feels a little ticklish. What is it?’
The unfamiliar sensation made me feel awkward, so I scratched the back of my head.
Fluffy—
“……?”
What’s this? Why is there so much to grab in my fingers? I only asked Kim Hanjin to restore my eyebrows and hair, but my hair length feels different than before.
‘Well, at least I avoided looking disgusting, so it’s okay.’
I arrived at the entrance and vigorously opened the door.
“Cha Woojin, I’m back~! I looked hideous earlier, so you must have been surprised, right? I’m okay now~”
“……!!”
Kind Cha Woojin must have been playing with Cha Wooreen while I was briefly at the Medical Bureau. Cha Wooreen’s laughter, which could be heard from outside the room, stopped abruptly as I entered.
The two of them stared at me with wide eyes.
They stared at me silently for a long time, making me feel a bit awkward. Then, Cha Wooreen spoke.
“Hana *Oppa*, why aren’t you bald?”
“Being bald is too ugly. So, I tried growing it out. How is it, does it suit me?”
“Yeah, it’s cute.”
Cha Wooreen ran to me and showed interest in my hair.
There was no reason to be stingy with a child, so I lowered my posture and let Cha Wooreen touch it as much as she wanted.
Behind Cha Wooreen, who was gently patting my hair, Woojin approached.
I felt nervous for some reason, and my spine tensed up.
‘Is there something wrong with my hair? Should I have checked in the mirror before coming back?’
All sorts of thoughts ran through my head as Woojin spoke to me.
“Hana… your hair… no, that’s… is your body okay? Earlier, the monster… that….”
Kind-hearted Woojin was still worried about my body.
None of the nasty Association guys had ever worried about me this much.
Woojin must be an angel, not just like one. For starters, his appearance is like that of an angel left behind as artwork by numerous artists.
“……You must be an angel.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m very energetic~ Earlier, it was just that my hair melted a little. I changed my hairstyle because it was hideous, so how do I look? Does it suit me? I haven’t looked in the mirror yet because I rushed back, but it’s more comfortable to look at than melted hair, right?”
“Ah… yes. It’s cute… it’s not a wig.”
Woojin seemed curious whether my hair was real, so he started touching it like Cha Wooreen. He even touched my scalp, very professionally.
“It’s real hair… How did you make your hair like this in just a few minutes? Are your eyelashes real too?”
Kim Hanjin, the Restoration-Type Esper, used his ability generously after receiving a bribe of cocoa powder, but I shouldn’t say that carelessly, right?
If the higher-ups find out that I used the ability of a Medical Bureau Esper for cosmetic purposes, I’ll have to write a Statement of Circumstances.
‘Hmm, what should I say? I don’t want to lie to Woojin.’
While I was racking my brains, Woojin was busy touching my hair, twirling it with his fingers. He must like my hair.
Since Woojin likes my hair, I’m even starting to feel grateful to Kim Hanjin, who used his ability thoughtlessly and excessively.
Woojin, who was playing with my hair, stared intently into my eyes.
Pale winter sky, glacial, clear and desolate blue eyes that resemble a lake of ice and snow stared back at me from within a few inches away.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest.
“Your eyelashes are pretty, Hana-ssi.”
I felt a strong vibration.
But the vibration wasn’t coming from my heart.
The vibration was felt from my wrist. The phrase ‘Team Leader Gang Hana’ was brightly lit on my Smartwatch.
*
Team Leader Kim Hana summoned me to the Guide Team Leader’s office as if it were only natural.
Woojin was also asked to come along, so I brought Cha Wooreen along with us.
I didn’t have a place to leave Wooreen, anyway.
Team Leader Kim said as soon as she saw me.
“Field report.”
Team Leader Kim, who only uttered those words and stretched out a hand, was quite irritating. Seriously, isn’t this abuse of power? There’s a person in charge of receiving reports separately.
I had a lot to say, but I filtered them and said only the important things.
“I just got back, you know? Where would I get a report?”
“Then give me a briefing. Skip the trivial stuff and focus on that guy.”
Kim Hana pointed at Woojin with her finger and ordered me.
Woojin was startled by Team Leader Kim’s finger-pointing. Why are you pointing right in front of his face? That makes Woojin feel bad.
But the other person is the Team Leader, a bully with rank. In the end, I started the briefing.
*
My briefing was perfect.
I omitted everything that would make Woojin look bad and emphasized the parts where Woojin played an active role to Team Leader Kim.
His shooting skills, which subdued the hooligan from a distance, were truly excellent.
His assistance before I arrived at the scene and while I was dealing with the hooligan was truly amazing.
Ham Soyoung would never have purposely only subdue instead of fatally injuring the opponent, so of course, Woojin must have done it.
Although Woojin seems to have a tendency to ignore the mission details and make self-righteous decisions, so what?
The result was excellent anyway.
At least 40 people were saved this time.
Anyway, this kind of story could have a bad result, so I omitted the story about Woojin being stubborn.
After listening to my briefing, which listed Woojin’s achievements, Team Leader Kim said.
“So, that means this guy was the one who insisted on going to save people, right?”
Team Leader Kim once again pointed her finger at Woojin.
“Wow, how did you know, no, that’s not it, why do you think so?”
“You’re the type of guy who doesn’t even think about deviating from the given mission framework. And the rest are kids we raised here, would they be that stubborn? Of course, that guy did it.”
Kim Hana looked at me with a pathetic expression and pointed at Woojin.
‘Like an unnecessarily sharp old woman.’
Guide Team Leader Kim Hana is almost never wrong. But I was hoping she’d be wrong this time, but it didn’t work out.
Now, I can only pray that Kim Hana will be lenient towards Woojin.
‘Please… don’t send Woojin to the research center, Team Leader Kim….’
“Good job.”
‘Huh?’
“You saved people as a result and increased the number of Guides, so you should be praised. Why are you so surprised? I’m not that harsh.”
‘Wow, Team Leader Kim is actually praising me, what’s going on.’
I’ve known Team Leader Kim for 12 years, and I can count the number of times I’ve been praised on one hand.
In particular, what’s wrong with the person who hates actions other than orders so much? Is Team Leader Kim about to die?
Anyway, it’s a relief that Team Leader Kim didn’t send Woojin to the research center. It seems like he got off her bad side, so that’s good.
I waited for the time to leave the Team Leader’s office with a happy heart.
It was the timing to tell me to go now, but Team Leader Kim added.
“Gang Hana, write a Statement of Circumstances and submit it before you leave. Who told you to use your ability to grow your hair?”
“……”
Because of Team Leader Kim, who always gets everything right, I ended up leaving the Team Leader’s office in an unhappy state.
Was the length too long, so I couldn’t avoid getting caught?
Since I have to write a Statement of Circumstances, Kim Hanjin will have to write one too. I was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t the only one writing it.
*
We left the Team Leader’s office and headed back to the front of the Central Center.
It was because Jang Hana told me to come quickly since she didn’t know how to return the supplies.
‘Seriously, why can’t she just take it and hand it over to the supply management staff? She’s been in the EGA Association for quite a while, too.’
Ah, she lived trapped somewhere… that’s right. These guys are S-grade Espers, so they’ve only lived in the research center, so they might not know.
I decided to understand the kids and arrived at my destination.
The supplies were still there, moved by Haemi, and the kids weren’t guarding the place; they had been somewhere else and were gathering around, each holding a snack in their hands.
Seeing that, my understanding disappeared like snow melting.
‘Seriously, if it were me, I would have returned the supplies first on the way to buy something to eat. What’s so difficult about entering the Central Center. You’re amazing at going to buy snacks, but why can’t you find the supply management room.’
I was about to scold the kids because I was angry, but Jang Hana was faster.
“Wow…… who are you?”
“Your hair…… what did you do?”
“Did you abandon us and go to a hair salon?”
Led by Jang Hana, Ham Soyoung and Jo Yong showed interest in my hair.
“No, is that important right now? You can’t find the supply return room, but you can find the cafeteria just fine, huh?”
“Team Leader, did you go to a hair salon for an hour and get your hair and eyelashes done and get a perm too?”
“Leaving us here?”
“What do you mean abandon? All three of you have been living here for over three years, so you can go your own way. What’s so difficult about returning the supplies that you just leave them on the street and tell me to do it. You guys don’t even write reports.”
I just briefed and wrote a Statement of Circumstances after returning, so I was in a bad mood. And then these kids are making me do these chores, so I feel even worse.
“I’m the Team Leader, so I borrow the supplies myself. But do I have to return them too? All you have to do is just return them, and you’re telling me to do it? Am I everyone’s errand boy?”
The kids still had a conscience, so they each held the supplies in their hands and silently listened to me, following me all the way to the supply management room.
I don’t know if there will be another mission to go on next time, but now they’ll return them themselves after the mission is over. If you call me for this kind of thing again, you’re really in trouble.
I kept emphasizing until the moment I returned the supplies, and Jang Hana finally opened her mouth.
“Ah, I know. I called you because I didn’t know where to return the supplies. Now we can return them, right? But where did you get your perm, Team Leader? Where’s a place that does it like this in an hour?”
Why are these guys keep talking about the hair salon since earlier? I’ve never even been to a hair salon. I wrote a Statement of Circumstances, so I should say it proudly.
“I just grew my hair with Restoration ability.”
“Heol~ Is that your natural curly hair? Why didn’t you grow it out and lived with it shaved?”
“What are you talking about? I have curly hair?”
“Team Leader, do you really not even look in the mirror?”
“I was too busy to look earlier.”
Jang Hana, hearing my words, took a hand mirror out of her pocket and handed it to me.
In the hand mirror was me with elaborately wavy hair and prettily curled eyelashes.
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