Chapter 19 Part 9: Ability Control

“What exactly are you training for?”

I asked Amy while lying on the bed.

Amy answered, breaking the silence that had settled in the darkened room.

“It’s training to help Shine and Jeff use their powers safely.”

I stretched out my short arms.

Blue light formed at my fingertips.

The electric field that started as a small line grew in size.

Crackle-

A wide circle appeared with a small noise.

The blue current flowing inside it drew a strange picture.

“Jeff.

You’re pretty.”

I smiled at Shine’s compliment.

However, the blue current that had gathered in my hand quickly disappeared.

I was able to use my powers thanks to the bracelet Victor had given me, but most of my powers felt like they were being weighed down by something heavy.

Until I completely took off this bracelet, this feeling would continue.

“It’s stuffy.”

“Even if it’s stuffy, you just have to endure it for a little while.”

Amy gently wrapped her hand around me.

Strangely ticklish.

I pulled my hand away from her grip and buried myself in the soft blanket.

My long hair tangled around my body and fell apart.

“Are you okay with the new blanket?”

I nod absently.

The soft, tangled texture of the blanket.

The cool temperature behind my thin pajamas makes me smile for no reason.

The fragrant scent of herbs tickling my nose starts to make me feel drowsy.

Swish-

I hear a small noise moving inside the blanket.

A warm, soft texture runs through my hand.

“Shine.”

Shine, who put her hand inside the blanket, holds my hand tightly.

When I look at her in the warm heat, she is smiling at me.

“Good night.”

It is clearly a very comfortable sleep, but the small anxiety and impatience I feel in a corner of my heart do not go away.

I bury my face in the blanket at that strange feeling.

“Good night, Shine.”

The next morning, I open my eyes and finish a simple wash while being held by Amy’s hand.

I return to the room with staggering movements without any drowsiness.

I touch my slightly wet bangs and yawn.

“Change your clothes quickly.”

I get up from my seat and change my clothes at Amy’s urging from the bathroom.

This time, I’m wearing a simple tracksuit.

While I’m waiting for Amy while scratching my stomach, Shine, who was dragged by her, runs out of the bathroom.

“Shine!”

Amy’s voice is heard from behind.

Shine’s face is still dripping with water.

It seems like she didn’t wipe all the moisture off.

“No.

I’ll do it.”

Shine sticks her tongue out in Amy’s direction and crawls onto the bed.

She wipes the moisture off her face by rubbing it on the blanket.

Amy, who came out late, was holding a towel in her hand, but she just sighed as she watched Shine’s actions.

After a small commotion, we left the room.

A familiar hallway unfolds.

A line of energetic people announcing the morning continues.

Shine, Amy, and I naturally join the line.

The wait has become familiar.

Shine and I arrived at the restaurant and sat quietly until Amy brought us our plates.

We exchanged small greetings with people we had become somewhat familiar with, and ate the food Amy brought us.

Today, too, was a satisfying meal.

After finishing the meal, Amy led us to the gym where we had met Victor last time.

“Are you here?”

Victor was sitting inside the gym.

He was organizing documents while wearing glasses.

His eyes still looked tired, but the atmosphere seemed a little different because he was wearing glasses.

“Victor.”

Amy still seemed angry at Victor.

She approached Victor with a frown and stomping steps.

An apologetic look appeared on his face.

Victor took off his glasses and scratched the back of his head.

An apologetic look appeared on his face.

“I’m sorry…” Amy replied to the feeble apology.

“I should tell the kids.”

Victor’s hand on the small desk twitched.

He sighed deeply, bowed his head, and apologized to us.

“I’m sorry I forgot!”

I couldn’t help but be startled by the loudness of his voice.

Shine must have felt the same way, as she hid her body behind me while standing next to me.

“How could you forget the kids?”

“No… I find that strange, too…”

The conversation between the two continued for a long time.

Shine and I stared blankly at the two of them before sitting on the soft mats nearby.

“Shine.”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever played ball?”

“Play ball?”

As I spoke, my gaze was directed at the small rubber ball in the corner of the gym.

It was a ball that kids often played with.

When I was little, I couldn’t even dream of something like that.

As I continued to think about my childhood, I got up from my seat at Shine’s voice.

“I want to try it.”

Looking at Victor and Amy, it didn’t seem like the conversation would end easily.

The two seemed to be discussing something while looking at the documents.

I looked at them and moved my body to pick up a soft rubber ball in the corner.

I said that, but I didn’t remember playing with a ball either.

I did kick a ball to employees who were playing soccer while walking around the lab.

As I was fiddling with the squeaky ball, Shine’s eyes lit up and she stood up.

How should I play?

I started bouncing the ball on the floor.

Shine’s gaze started to move wildly as the ball bounced.

After bouncing the ball on the floor a few times, I threw the ball to Shine.

The ball hit the floor and bounced a few times before flying straight to Shine.

Since it flew at a moderate speed, it was easy for her to catch the ball.

Shine, who had been fiddling with the ball, started bouncing the ball on the floor in the same way as I did.

A subtle smile appeared on her lips.

Shine, who had been fiddling with the ball, started bouncing the ball on the floor in the same way as I did.

My gaze started to move on its own as the ball bounced.

Shine, who was bouncing the ball on the floor, looked at me and the ball alternately, then threw the ball to me.

Just like when I threw it, the ball bounced on the floor a few times and safely landed in my arms.

My heart tingled.

I felt a strange resonance from playing ball for the first time in my life.

My eyes met Shine’s.

She also seemed to be having a lot of fun playing ball.

“Catch it!”

I threw the ball with all my might.

The force I put into my hand caused the ball to go off course.

The ball bounced far away from Shine.

Shine watched the ball and then kicked the floor and ran.

The deep smile on her face never disappeared.

“Caught it!”

Shine’s voice seemed very bright as she ran and caught the ball.

She caught her breath and threw the ball with all her might, just like I did.

The ball flew far away from my direction.

I also ran and caught the ball, just like Shine did.

I repeat that a few more times.

The smile on my lips doesn’t seem to disappear.

I hold my pounding heart.

I feel a subtle sense of joy.

Shine and I didn’t have much stamina.

After throwing the ball a few times, we sat down on the floor and caught our breath.

“Are you done playing ball?”

Amy approaches us, who are out of breath, and asks.

I turn my gaze to look at Victor.

He was sitting there, resting his chin on his hand, as if his conversation with Amy was over, watching us.

When our eyes met, he waved.

“Yes…”

I nod, avoiding Amy’s gaze.

It was quite embarrassing for a grown man to have fun with a rubber ball.

At least that’s what I thought.

“Don’t worry, you can play whenever you’re done with training.”

Amy tells Shine, who can’t take his eyes off the ball.

Shine quietly nods at her words.

He seemed to really like the ball.

When my heavy breathing subsided, Amy led us to Victor.

There was a small chair that was about our heights near Victor’s desk.

Shine and I sat on it.

“You heard the name yesterday, right?”

Victor said, rolling the pen over his hand.

“I’m a little weird remembering it.”

He pressed the pen to his forehead as he said that.

Victor sighed, frowning as if he had a slight headache.

“Yeah. Where did we end up yesterday?”

“We did some target shooting.”

“Up to that point?”

“Yes.”

“Is there anything strange about using your powers?”

I looked down at my hands.

I had used my powers since I replaced the bracelets, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it.

“It’s still stuffy.

What I’m asking is if you experienced any strange symptoms while using your powers.”

I shook my head.

There was no problem using my powers.

“Shine?”

“I have no problem either.”

“Okay…”

Victor muttered and started filling out the paperwork.

“Then I guess we’ll have to figure out what the limits are in this situation.”

Victor said and got up from his seat.

He neatly organized his paperwork and headed to the large room in the corner of the gym.

“What does Victor do?”

Now that Victor was nowhere to be seen, it was time to resolve my curiosity.

Amy seemed to hesitate for a moment after hearing my question, then answered lightly.

“He’s a strange guy.”

“A strange guy?”

“Yes.”

“Amy, I’m curious about what exactly Victor does.”

Amy looked a little surprised at my specific question.

She slowly answered with a slightly subtle expression.

“Usually he does the same thing as me, but right now he’s injured….”

Amy closed her mouth in the middle.

She met my gaze and let out a small laugh.

“What am I talking about in front of a child…?”

“That’s not him.”

Amy’s smile deepened at the words she had spoken so earnestly.

She reached out with both hands and began to caress my cheeks.

Her face twisted here and there like a soft rice cake.

I was startled and pulled away from Amy’s hands.

“Amy.

Jeff doesn’t like it.”

Amy’s hands reach out to Shine.

Her hands caress Shine’s soft cheeks without mercy.

“Okay, I’m sorry, guys.”

Amy takes her hands away, stroking Shine’s head.

Then she adds.

“Jeff, are you an adult?”

“Of course.

I’m an adult.”

I nod.

So I could drink beer.

But now that Shine told me not to, I can’t.

That’s a little disappointing.

“But Jeff, if you’re an adult, you don’t watch [The Little Witch’s Big Adventure] at 9 p.m., right?”

“Ah…”

I shut my mouth at Amy’s words.

My eyes moved left and right.

Really? Don’t adults watch that kind of stuff?

But it’s fun, right?

“Then… I’ll do it next time.”

I managed to speak with difficulty.

Amy, who was watching me like that, burst into laughter.

My cheeks started to heat up at Amy’s actions of rolling on the floor and laughing.

I touched my cheeks with both hands and felt a burning heat.

They must have definitely turned bright red.

“Amy… stop laughing.”

Amy’s laughter stopped when Victor appeared holding a large machine in his arms.

“What? You’re laughing like a crazy woman.”