31 – TDG 31

“…Is ​it ​really ​okay ​to do it ​in ​Hyung’s ​car?”

Ji-hyuk’s ​breathing ​was a bit ragged. ​The ​forearm I was ​stroking had grown ​firm ​with ​tension.

“Of ​course. ​I ​already said we ​should.”

“But… ​I ​don’t have any ​experience… I might disappoint ​you, Hyung.”

I ​frowned and ​smiled at ​his uncharacteristic ​hesitation.

“Who’s ​good ​at it from ​the start? ​Everyone is clumsy at ​first.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry, Ji-hyuk-ssi. This ​is the kind of ​thing you ​learn ​faster by doing. Hyung will teach ​you the know-how to ​improve ​your ​technique ​quickly, ​so just do ​as I ​say. ​Got it?”

Only after ​receiving ​my sincere encouragement did Ji-hyuk’s ​expression slowly ​brighten. ​After a flicker ​of ​relief, ​clear ​excitement ​and anticipation ​filled ​his eyes.

Resisting ​the urge to pet him because [Read on Read BL Novels]he ​was so unauthorized copycute, ​I yanked open ​the driver’s side door.

“Now, ​please get ​in. Young Master ​Han ​Ji-hyuk.”

As I gestured ​politely inside with ​a sharp ​flick ​of my ​fingertips, ​Ji-hyuk chuckled ​and ​leaned over ​to ​settle ​himself into the ​car ​seat. After ​he ​managed ​to ​fold his long legs inside, the interior space looked quite cramped. I know it’s a compact car, but… it felt spacious when I was the one sitting in it….

It was a relief that Han Ji-hyuk had a slim, muscular build. If it had been Song Hyun-ho, he probably would have only been able to fit half his body in.

“Isn’t it stuffy?”

“It’s fine.”

Right. Let’s bear with it for a bit, baby. Since this is just a taste of things until he masters the basic skills, my ten-year-old piece-of-junk car—which is perfectly fine to dent or scratch anywhere—is the ideal choice.

Once you get your license, we’ll do your road training in your car.

I closed the door and walked around to the passenger side.

“First thing you do when you get in the car is fasten your seatbelt. If you get into a traffic accident without a belt, it’ll be a disaster….”

I stopped mid-sentence as I suddenly remembered something I had overlooked. That would be true for a normal person like me, but considering the physical durability of an S-rank Esper—which is basically high-alloy steel—a mere traffic accident probably wouldn’t even hurt him.

“…It’ll be a disaster for the other person, so you must wear your belt. Got it?”

Ji-hyuk nodded obediently, pulled the belt clip, and clicked it into the anchor below the seat.

In order to bring out the glittering steeds sleeping in the underground garage, obtaining Han Ji-hyuk’s driver’s license was the top priority. Because the difficulty of the driver’s license exam had increased under the current administration, preliminary practice was essential.

And driving was the only talent I could boast over Han Ji-hyuk, who surpassed me in ability, physique, and looks. Adding my experience from my previous life, I had a staggering ten-year record of zero accidents.

Driving is faster to learn by doing once than by hearing it a hundred times. So, on a honey-sweet holiday, I drove Ji-hyuk out to a local vacant lot.

“Now that the belt is secure, next you need to check the side mirrors and the rearview mirror. Be careful, especially since you might panic if you notice the side mirrors are closed while driving.”

After Ji-hyuk meticulously checked both side mirrors and the rearview mirror, he looked at me.

“I can see everything clearly.”

“Good. Now look at the bottom of the driver’s seat. No matter what, the one located under the steering wheel is the brake. To the right of that is the accelerator. It’ll be a disaster if you confuse them, so remember this well. For now, place your foot on the brake. Don’t press it, just keep it there.”

“Okay.”

“Now, set the gear to P and start the engine…. Press this button here.”

As I pressed the small protruding button under the steering wheel, the engine roared to life.

“In my car, the parking brake releases automatically when the engine starts. Most modern cars are probably automatic now. Let’s start moving slowly.”

Even without pressing anything, the car crept forward toward the target point. In the vacant lot, I had pre-arranged bricks in a semi-circle with gaps between them.

“That’s a gentle curve. Enter around here and pull the steering wheel. If you turn it once, twice to the right….”

Clunk!

The car came to a sudden stop, and our bodies lurched forward. If I hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, I might have kissed the glove box.

“…Did you just step on the brake?”

“Yes.”

There are novice drivers who, when told to keep their foot on the brake, unconsciously apply pressure and stomp on it. That was exactly the mistake Ji-hyuk had made.

“I-it’s okay. That happens. Driving is essentially multitasking. Your eyes, hands, and feet all have to move together, so it requires concentration. Let’s try again. I’m going to reverse for a moment, and for that, the gear….”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s simple. Grab the gear shift and put it here on R.”

Ji-hyuk shook his head.

“I don’t know. Hyung, hold my hand and teach me directly.”

He doesn’t know that? It’s incredibly simple. You just pull the gear lever back….

As I hesitated, speechless, Ji-hyuk gave me a prompting look toward the gear shift, as if asking what I was doing.

I was still a bit puzzled, but since the boy asked, I grabbed his hand. Even stretching my hand as wide as possible, I only reached the middle of the second knuckle of Ji-hyuk’s middle finger. It wasn’t that my hands were small. This guy’s hands were just larger than the standard size.

Anyway, I pulled Han Ji-hyuk’s hand, which was gripping the gear shift, and locked it into R before continuing the explanation.

“This is the reverse gear. When you want to go backward, put the gear here first. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

Now he seems a bit more relaxed. I guess he asked me to hold his hand because he was nervous. In that case, I’ll hold it as much as he wants. No matter how much of an S-rank superhuman he is, the first time driving is always nerve-wracking!

“Then I will contact you in three days when the repairs are complete.”

“Yes, thank you. Have a good day.”

As I left the auto repair shop, I let out a long sigh. I had just left my car there.

To wreck two cars in a single month—I’m actually quite impressive, aren’t I? I don’t keep a diary, but I should write this down.

Han Ji-hyuk, you little bastard….

Not only did he slam the brakes four times, but he also turned the steering wheel all the way during a curve and didn’t unwind it, making the car spin in circles, and he even stepped on the accelerator while in reverse.

As if that wasn’t enough, he stepped on the gas when he should have hit the brakes, charging full speed into a telephone pole.

Thanks to that, my car ended up with a smashed bumper and a crumpled, lifted hood.

I never imagined this result, so I am currently in a state of mild panic.

Han Ji-hyuk, you punk, you were like a ghost when it came to hunting monsters. You should be using the same motor skills for this…? To think that even an Esper who scored a perfect high score in the training center’s practical test could be this bad at driving. It was a surprising and new discovery.

Our Ji-hyuk-ssi… will he be able to… get a license?

“…….”

However, the noisy Inside Out in my head immediately faded visit our siteout the moment visit our siteI spotted Han Ji-hyuk leaning diagonally against a wall on the opposite side of the road. His profile, as he brushed back his visit our sitewind-swept hair with a sorrowful expression, was as beautiful as a painting.

Right…. So what if he’s a bit bad at driving? As long as he’s beautiful, that’s enough. If a person is perfect in every way, they lack human charm. Having a few clumsy traits makes a character’s appeal more three-dimensional, doesn’t it? Besides, this accident wouldn’t have happened if I had explained things more thoroughly and controlled him more carefully.

I brought the junk car specifically in case an accident happened. The situation escalated more than expected, but it can just be fixed. I can’t stand to see my baby looking gloomy.

I rallied my spirits and ran toward Han Ji-hyuk with a cheerful stride.

“Ji-hyuk-ssi! It’s done. Let’s go.”

“How did it go?”

“They said repairs will take three days, so we can pick it up then.”

Ji-hyuk lowered his head slightly with an apologetic expression.

“…I’m sorry, Hyung.”

“What are you sorry for? That’s why I let you use my car. If it doesn’t work out, we can just scrap it and buy a new one.”

Ji-hyuk mumbled for a while before slowly looking into my eyes.

“…Will you keep teaching me how to drive?”

Oho. This guy. That’s what he was worried about.

“Of course. I’ll turn you into a veteran driver with thorough 24-hour close-contact lessons!”

Because we had come here in an insurance company’s car, we had to use public transportation to get back.

I tried to take a taxi, but catching an empty cab in the middle of downtown Seoul on a weekend was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. My ride-hailing app had been unresponsive for fifteen minutes. Damn, what should I do? Should we take the subway….

“…Huh? Oh my, that person….”

“Right…? I think that’s him….”

Suddenly, people passing by began to look at us and whisper one by one. Someone took out their phone, acting as if they were confirming something.

“Oh… it really is him. He looks exactly the same!”

“Oh my god! It’s really that S-rank Flame Esper!”

What’s going on? The people who let out exclamations quickly swarmed around us. We were surrounded, and looks filled with a mix of curiosity and excitement poured over us.

“You’re Esper Han Ji-hyuk, right? You’re so handsome! So cool!”

“Is the person next to him a Guide Unni?”

“Kyaa, Oppa! Please hold my hand! I’m a fan! I’ve watched the video over a hundred times!”

Amidst the chaos, the word ‘video’ caught my ear.

“W-what video are you talking about?”

When I asked, a female student in a school uniform standing in the front row opened her phone and held it out.

On a familiar YouTube channel screen, a video taken from the sky was playing. I snatched it and brought it close to my face; it was a 15-second Short.

It was the battle scene from when the multiple gates appeared. How was this filmed? Was it a drone?

I immediately checked the owner of the YouTube channel. No matter how I looked at it, it wasn’t an official agency, but some random individual… This bastard filmed it illegally. The military and police had strictly controlled the perimeter back then; how did he break through and film this? He really sold his soul for views.

From the looks of it, the battle was nearly over. Monsters trapped in flames were shown screaming as they died. The camera, which had been secretly filming from behind a building, seemed to have hit something and fell helplessly, and the last thing reflected on the overturned screen was Han Ji-hyuk’s face engulfed in flames.