By Zephyria 
Rubbing my face, which was full of fatigue, I pushed myself up from the bed.
“I understand… I won’t sleep either, so please stay awake as well, Esper Vasily.”
Sleep poured over me so heavily that I felt as if I would collapse the moment I closed my eyes, but it couldn’t be helped.
I climbed out of bed and flopped down onto the sofa. I frowned deeply as I watched Vasily sit on the opposite sofa as if it were nothing.
To think I couldn’t sleep despite having a plush bed right next to me. I glanced at the bed by the window, unable to let go of my lingering desire. I had vowed to catch up on all my missing sleep as soon as the Gate was conquered, but even after midnight, there was no news that the conquest was complete.
It seemed that Espers of a moderate grade, rather than high-grade ones, had been dispatched, so the conquest was taking time. If Vasily had participated in the conquest alone, it would have been over in an instant. Of course, I knew this was the normal speed, but to me, having grown accustomed to Vasily’s rapid conquests, it felt agonizingly slow.
Staring out the dark window with hollow eyes, I asked Vasily.
“Can’t I just get some sleep? You don’t usually sleep much anyway, Esper Vasily.”
“Do you think I’m doing this because I want to stay awake? I couldn’t sleep because of my ability.”
“You don’t seem very sleepy right now, so why do I have to stay awake too?”
“Because it’s boring to be awake alone.”
“Sigh…”
I could feel my nerves becoming increasingly frayed due to the exhaustion. We had decided to wait at the association until the Gate was conquered to handle any sudden emergencies, but at this rate, it looked like I would spend the entire night wide awake with Vasily.
As I pressed firmly on the bridge of my nose, Vasily asked.
“Are you sleepy?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go wake you up.”
Vasily stood up and looked back at me as if telling me to follow. Watching him with suspicious eyes, I followed him out of the private room. Whatever it was, it would be better than just sitting still.
The place we arrived at was the shooting range in the basement.
Since guns used in actual Gates were stored there, access was strictly controlled, but when Vasily tapped his ID card, the door opened with ease. Since it was the middle of the night, only Vasily and I were inside.
“Do you know how to shoot?”
“I do.”
“Really? Then try firing one.”
Vasily took a handgun from the storage locker and handed it to me. I took the gun, feeling its familiar weight.
It’s been a while. This was the kind of thing I always wore on my hip whenever I entered a Gate. It had saved my life several times.
Since it was a weapon made from Gate byproducts, it was slightly different from a normal gun, but the method of use was the same. Just aim at the target and pull the trigger.
As I unlocked the safety and aimed at the target, Vasily approached and corrected my posture.
“Raise your arm more. That’s it. Pull your head back.”
True to form, his way of correcting posture was exactly the same as before the regression. He didn’t miss a single word of what he always emphasized. Of course, his tone was a bit softer than before.
I chuckled inwardly and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out, leaving a heavy recoil, and pierced exactly through the center of the target.
“You shoot well.”
“This much is nothing…”
My lips twitched at the compliment, but I quickly snapped back to my senses. To think I was about to feel good over a single compliment. I must have become delirious from lack of sleep.
To clear my head, I fired several shots in rapid succession.
The crisp sound of gunfire echoed in my ears. Seeing my mind certainly clear up, it seemed Vasily’s choice to bring me here wasn’t wrong.
Thanks to the gunshots hitting my ears and the recoil shaking my body, the drowsiness vanished without a trace. I lowered my arm, thinking it would be a good idea to practice shooting until the Gate conquest ended, while also reviving my dulled senses.
As I was reloading after emptying the magazine, Vasily approached and asked.
“Want to make a bet?”
“A bet?”
“We’ll take turns shooting five times each. If you miss the target or stray from the center, you lose. If you win, I’ll let you sleep.”
It was a very tempting offer. Since there was no way I’d miss a stationary target, there was nothing for me to lose. I accepted the proposal with a smirk.
“You can’t go back on your word later.”
I gripped the gun again and took my stance. After carefully aiming at the target, I slowly pulled the trigger.
Gunshots rang out in succession, and all five bullets hit the center of the target cleanly.
“It’s your turn, Esper.”
Vasily took the gun I offered with a smile.
Since Vasily probably doesn’t have much reason to shoot guns thanks to his ability, maybe he’ll miss slightly. I secretly hoped so, but the bullets he fired hit the target perfectly.
“Here.”
I took the gun Vasily handed back with a disgruntled expression.
By the way, is it even possible to determine a winner? I felt like we’d just repeat this until the sun rose and end in a draw only after we ran out of bullets.
“Want to try shooting with one hand this time?”
Vasily suggested. Thinking there was no harm in it, I nodded and took my stance. As he watched me, Vasily pressed his body against my back.
A hand slid down my arm and covered my wrist. My body froze as cold fingers touched my skin. A low voice flowed into my ear.
“Hold it properly. You might get hurt if you do it wrong.”
Just then, one of his hands moved up over my waist. Startled by the sudden contact, my finger slipped.
Bang.
The bullet flew off, hitting a random spot instead of the target.
“Oh dear. You missed.”
“No, this is invalid! Isn’t this because you interfered, Esper Vasily!”
“I was trying to correct your posture, but you’re the one who fired the gun on your own, Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi.”
Scowling deeply, I fired the remaining four shots in a row. Except for the first one, all of them hit the mark.
When my turn ended, Vasily took the gun from my hand. The bullets he fired with apparent lack of effort all hit the center, as if mocking me.
“I won.”
I narrowed my eyes with a bitter expression. I lost by a single shot. And in such a futile way.
Vasily put the gun down and asked.
“I won, so isn’t there a reward?”
“There is none. You won by cheating in the first place.”
“Cheating? I was just trying to fix your posture.”
I put the gun back in the storage locker. I had intended to spend my time here until the Gate was conquered, but I lost motivation in an instant. I felt it would be better to just go back to the private room and lounge around.
“Forget it, let’s go back.”
“Are you really not going to do anything for me?”
As I tidied up, Vasily kept hovering around me and talking.
Damn, he’s persistent. He looked like he would keep asking until he got an answer. Too tired to deal with him, I pulled on his tie. Vasily leaned down and was easily pulled toward me.
Putting my emotion into it, I bit his lip hard. My own torn lip had been stinging and uncomfortable all day. I felt it was unfair for me to be the only one in pain, so I decided he should experience it too.
“Satisfied?”
Despite biting with all my might, only a little blood flowed from Vasily’s lip. Maybe I should have bitten harder. While I was erasing the squishy sensation remaining in my mouth, Vasily, who was blankly touching his lip, spoke.
“Want to do it one more time?”
“I don’t!”
I left Vasily inside and walked out.
The cool night air brushed against my face.
If I go back now, I’ll probably just struggle with sleep again; maybe I should buy some coffee.
Just then, a convenience store across the street caught my eye. I spoke to Vasily, who had followed me outside a bit late.
“I’m going to the convenience store for a moment. Go back first.”
“It’s dangerous, so let’s go together.”
“Do I look like a child to you?”
“Have you already forgotten that you were kidnapped?”
“…….”
Hearing Vasily’s words, a forgotten memory resurfaced, and I shut my mouth. No matter how bad my condition had been, the fact that I was kidnapped was true.
As I stood there speechless, Vasily stuck close to my side. I let out a shallow sigh and looked around. It was dark and there were no people wandering about, so it seemed fine to go with Vasily.
I took Vasily into the convenience store. The counter was empty, as if the part-timer had stepped away.
After circling the store, I stopped in front of the drink display and picked up an Americano. Since there was a ‘buy one get one free’ promotion, I picked one for Vasily as well and finished the payment at the self-checkout.
Coming out of the convenience store, I silently tossed a coffee to Vasily. As Vasily caught it reflexively and stared blankly at the bottle, I added a word.
“You drink some too, Esper.”
After saying that, I immediately opened the cap and gulped down the coffee. The cool liquid flowed down my throat. As the caffeine entered my system, I felt my mind become a bit clearer.