OMH Chapter 27

27. The S-grades I Ended Up Raising (8)

“First of all, we need to produce results within a tight schedule, so we’re planning to go out on missions starting next week. It won’t be difficult. It’ll be hooligan-type missions. Until then, we’ll focus on building basic physical strength, and after that, we’ll work on honing our practical skills.”

“But, Senior, I have a question.”

“Oh, go ahead. What is it?”

“Can’t we just… not produce results? It’s just you who benefits anyway, Senior.”

I was secretly proud that Jang Hana, who always showed signs of rebellion, was asking a question, but today, Jang Hana acted like Jang Hana.

“Why is it just me who benefits? If these classes we’re doing are maintained as formal combat training and we go on regular missions, you’ll also earn income. All EGA Association members receive mission allowances when they go on missions. That goes for S-grades too.”

“Wow! Really?!”

“Awesome!”

The teenagers, who had been living confined in the Research Center without any income, cheered individually. Perhaps they thought they wouldn’t get paid because they’d been treated almost like lab animals.

‘I understand how they feel, but if they come out sideways, it’ll be tough on me.’

However, now that they know they’ll also benefit, the kids will probably show enthusiasm for my classes.

I agreed with the kids to go on missions starting next week, and decided to go to the Central Center right away to select and apply for the best missions possible.

Then, I ordered the kids to do strength training while I was gone and prepared to leave for a while.

Suddenly, I wondered what Cha Woojin was doing, so I turned my head.

Cha Woojin was sitting Wooreen on his lap, and they were whispering to each other. It was cute to see them exchanging whispers with such serious expressions.

With Cha Woojin next to her, Wooreen doesn’t even look at the Smartwatch.

The Smartwatch on my wrist, which I hadn’t worn in a long time, was clean without a single scratch on the screen. My face, reflected alone in the black screen, disappeared into the light of the screen that was turned on to check the time for a moment.

*

The Central Center wasn’t as crowded as I had expected.

However, there weren’t many missions left, so I struggled to pick out something suitable.

I found a suitable mission that I could go on next week, registered for it, and immediately returned to Room 172.

Cha Woojin wasn’t in Room 172 when I got back.

There were only the three S-grades who were skipping out again while I was gone, Wooreen standing in front of them, and a black cat at the child’s feet.

It didn’t seem like it took long to go to the Central Center and come back, but Cha Woojin had already left Room 172.

‘Cha Woojin has his own schedule, so it can’t be helped, even if it’s disappointing.’

I soothed myself and decided to do my own thing.

First, I need to get those kids, who immediately start skipping out when I’m not around, back to their places.

I scolded the kids, who were only thinking about goofing off like loafers, and walked towards them.

I treat the kids gently and don’t say things they don’t like, but if they’re this uncooperative, I can’t just treat them nicely.

Besides, training isn’t just for the Esper Guide Association, it’s also for the Espers themselves, but the kids, who only live inside the center, don’t know what’s important. In this world, you need to know how to protect yourself if you go outside the center.

Just as I was about to talk about the people outside the EGA Association, an animal sound interrupted me.

Meow-

I wondered where the sound was coming from, and it was the black cat at Wooreen’s feet.

This fearless guy kept making noises and approaching me, and eventually scratched my leg.

I don’t know how an animal got into the training room, but it would be right to return it to where it lived.

I grabbed the animal by the scruff of its neck and approached the window.

It probably came in through the window, so if I let it out again, it will live well on its own.

Even though it’s a third-floor window without a tree nearby.

‘Do cats climb walls these days?’

It’s been so long since I saw a cat that I don’t know.

Just as I was about to release the trespassing cat out the window, the kids screamed and grabbed me.

“Senior! What are you doing?!”

“Trying to let the cat out.”

“…Dropping it out the third-floor window?”

“If it’s not a person, does it have to die to get out?”

No, why are these guys looking at me like I’m a crazy sociopath? I’m just letting it out the way it came in?

Besides, the animal in my hands had been struggling and crying since a while ago, and my ears hurt.

In the end, I couldn’t overcome the noise and the kids’ dissuasion and stopped what I was doing.

Still, this black-haired animal didn’t stop crying.

My ears were so sore that I glanced at it, and the outline of an animal that looked quite luxurious was revealed.

Underneath the soft black fur, gray eyes like a snowy winter lake shone with radiance.

I was thinking that the sparkling eyes were beautiful like jewels when water dripped from those jewel-like eyes.

‘Cats cry too.’

I found out for the first time. I was looking at it in amazement when the kids made a fuss, saying that I was abusing the animal.

“Ugh, okay. I won’t let it out.”

I put the cat back down on the floor.

The guy, who finally gained freedom, waddled behind Wooreen with an ambiguous gait that I couldn’t tell if it was running or walking, and then immediately sat down.

*

Today’s ‘Special Training for High-Risk Ability Users’ was over, and it was lunchtime.

It’s time to vacate Room 172.

Of course, the furball friend has to leave here with us too.

While we were getting ready to leave, it remained crouched in the same spot where it had sat down earlier, without thinking of getting up.

Wooreen kept stroking it next to it, but it didn’t move, so it seemed like I would have to pick it up and carry it out.

When I found the curled-up guy’s wings and lifted it up, the black animal, like a furball, stretched out like a mollusk. It’s quite big when I look at it like this.

‘It seems hard for Wooreen to carry.’

I was about to grab the cat by the scruff of its neck like before, but Wooreen stopped me, so I decided to hold it in my arms.

The guy, who hadn’t moved at all, was in a state of deep sleep, so he didn’t even open his eyes until the end of this commotion.

Vacating Room 172 didn’t mean the work was over.

I had to find out what to do with this animal in my arms.

This is because I had a feeling that if I just released it outside, it would be hunted by a monster.

In the first place, the outside was occupied by monsters, so ordinary animals were all eaten and almost extinct. The world outside the center is not a place where an animal that can’t even run can live.

‘Then where did this guy come from?’

When I thought about it, the ecological conservation area, which is a place in the Research Center that preserves existing flora and fauna, came to mind.

‘It’s a bit of a distance, but it managed to get all the way here.’

I can take the cat to the ecological conservation area and go to the cafeteria.

I told Wooreen to take the cat home and immediately started walking towards the ecological conservation area. It’s a bit far, so I’ll have to go and come back diligently to be able to go eat.

But Jang Hana grabbed me.

“Senior, where are you trying to abandon the cat?”

“Abandon? Why would you say that? I’m just trying to leave it where it originally was.”

“…Do you know where it was originally?”

“It must have been raised in the ecological conservation area. Where else would its habitat be? If I take it there, they’ll take good care of it.”

“Wow! There’s a place like that here?! No, but it probably didn’t come from there! You can just leave it outside, right?”

“If I leave it outside, it’ll probably be eaten by a monster soon. It’s best to just raise it in the conservation area.”

What’s wrong with her? It’s really strange how suddenly she’s so interested in the cat’s whereabouts. When I was about to let it out the window earlier, she made such a fuss trying to stop me.

However, Jang Hana was completely obsessed with the cat, as if she didn’t know how her actions were perceived by me at all.

In a situation where such an uneasy suspicion was rising, Wooreen said.

“I’m going to live with the cat.”

Jang Hana and I lost our words at Wooreen’s sudden assertion.

In the meantime, Wooreen took the cat from my arms and kept talking.

The large cat couldn’t fit in Wooreen’s small arms, so the cat’s hind legs were dragging on the ground.

“I’m not going outside, I’m going to live with it. I won’t meet monsters.”

Before I knew it, the cat woke up and cried loudly. Jang Hana joined in and made a lot of noise.

“Hey, animals have to live in the wild~ People live at home, animals live outside~ Got it?”

“No! I’m going to be with it! You live outside!”

“This little one is saying ‘you-you’ to her older sister?!”

Jang Hana started arguing with Wooreen, going beyond just making a lot of noise. Wooreen got angry at Jang Hana and started hitting her with her fists.

I’ve felt it before, but this little kid doesn’t have a normal temper.

‘Ugh… I need to separate these kids for now.’

I picked up Wooreen and said goodbye to Jang Hana and the kids, telling them to enjoy their meal, and strode away.

*

I quickly ran out of the Research Center, holding Wooreen, who was yelling that she was going to be with the cat. I came out in a hurry to avoid the situation, but I don’t know where to go.

‘If I go to the ecological conservation area, Wooreen will freak out even more?’

I should put it aside for now and eat something while soothing the child. I headed straight to the Central Center cafeteria.

But when I went into the cafeteria, I was kicked out because animals weren’t allowed.

I had no choice but to order food with the condition that I would pack it and eat outside, and then I went outside.

Wooreen was squatting on a bench in front of the Central Center.

She still doesn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of the cat.

The poor furball had only its head and front legs caught in the arms of the young child, and its long torso and tail were dangling from the bench to the floor.

The guy, who had its white belly exposed because of the posture, unlike its black face and torso, cried loudly again when I appeared.

‘Were cats originally such noisy animals?’

Because the cat was crying so much, I was now beyond just feeling disgusted, and I became curious about what it was saying.

Come to think of it, I remembered hearing about a cat meow translator a while ago.

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