A Casual Ending
“Phew... So, does that mean we'll meet every Friday from now on?”
“For now, yeah? After all, there are other handlers too, and I have to keep an eye on their schedules. Let's start with Fridays.”
“...Tch.”
Baek Eun-hwa's last day.
I had no choice but to talk about her future schedule to some extent.
Even though I got a week off, she couldn't just take it easy because she had to handle requests from others.
The reason I suggested meeting on Fridays with Eun-hwa is simple. First, to give her a day off so she doesn't get too caught up in work. Moreover, thinking about Eun-hwa's personality... if I don't mention it periodically, she would definitely work on weekends, right?
“...I suppose.”
“Yes, I'm quite worried about Eun-hwa, and I can't help but worry about her.”
“Is it that bad?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“...”
“Phew...”
It was true that I had to worry, but it was strange that she still thought her daily life was normal and fine.
Moreover, when I pointed out her schedule, her expression became a bit gloomy, but I smiled.
“Anyway, I'm doing this preparation because I hope it helps Eun-hwa. Please accept it normally rather than worrying too much.”
“Okay...”
“Still, it's true that it's getting better than before. Don't worry.”
So far, I've come to understand that Baek Eun-hwa is more fragile than I thought.
It was natural that she had a weakness for someone like her, and wanting to help her was even more natural.
“Handler, then from now on, we'll meet every Friday, right?”
“That's right.”
“...It doesn't seem like I'll get used to it. I've been seeing her face from morning to night every day.”
“Phew... That's true too. But rather, it was unusual that we've been together every day so far. Please think of it as returning to a normal direction rather than feeling too sorry.”
It was unusual that we were together every day, as I told Eun-hwa.
Moreover, after a few days back to normal life, she would get used to it again.
I just spent the day reassuring her.
And......
“Hehe, now it's really time to return to daily life.”
The promised week ended, and Monday morning arrived, the start of real daily life.
It was much longer than expected, and on the other hand, it felt a bit short with Eun-hwa, but there wasn't just a sense of missing out.
Rather, as I start hero activities again, there will be things to learn.
After all, Eun-hwa was a hero, and I became her handler to solve problems in her hero work, so it was right that she would return to her own work someday.
“...Did you make breakfast yourself?”
“Yes, it was a rare last day, and as a hero, I can't just start without breakfast, right?”
Baek Eun-hwa looking at the fried rice on the table.
Actually... it's nothing special.
Her expression, as if feeling a bit of emotion from this part, was quite cute.
The way her fox ears twitched slightly while staring at the fried rice I made... honestly, it was adorable.
“Eek...”
“Hehe.”
“...Tucking her hair like that can't be done easily with others. You know that, right?”
“Of course. Since it's Eun-hwa, I do it like this.”
I spent the morning gently stroking her long white hair and ears right next to her.
It was a somewhat casual ending for living together with Eun-hwa for a week, but there was no reason to make it unusual in the first place.
We parted ways that way.
Eun-hwa went to the association to work on her hero duties, and I packed my things from her house and returned to my one-room apartment.
“Um...”
The house seems smaller.
After living in a house with a hallway, returning to the one-room, I felt anew how large Eun-hwa's house was.
Anyway....
“Haa...”
The week that started somehow ended.
I checked her condition, left her with various advice... it wasn't a bad result, right.
Not just burnout, but there was also something like good child complex, and even the suspicion that she was gaslit by her presumed deceased mother?
At least, it seemed like a pretty good harvest for only a week.
“Still, the house is more comfortable after all...”
People can't help but enjoy their own home the most, right?
Eun-hwa's big house was good, but seeing the different comfort of throwing my body on the bed in the one-room, that's how it is.
“...For now, I'll start working as a hero again and check the progress.”
Although I returned home, I couldn't just rest blindly.
After resting a bit in bed, I immediately started writing a report on Eun-hwa.
Although I lived in Eun-hwa's house, what I did during that time was just fooling around with her, so there were bound to be many things piled up...
-Ding!
“...Someone's calling.”
It was natural that I got a call from the two heroes I was in charge of, whom I hadn't been able to pay attention to for a week.
*
“Going on a week-long business trip... isn't that too black company?”
“Ahaha...”
“Even though the handler isn't the association's dog or slave... making them work like that for a week is a bit... a lot...”
“It was wrong.”
“Haha...”
Although I used the excuse of a week-long business trip to not meet the hero I was in charge of, during that time, Batori and Saran continued their normal hero work and mentoring.
And today... even though it wasn't originally a mentoring day, because we hadn't met in a week, we ended up meeting like this.
The three beautiful women are sitting in a corner of a small cafe having this conversation.
The topic of the conversation is just company stories at best.
Is it truly ordinary or absurd...
My thoughts are many, but since the ones asking me questions are really sincere, I can't focus on those thoughts.
“Should I tell the association separately?”
“No. Even if Saran doesn't do that, it's really no problem at all. After all, it's common for association employees to go on business trips to distant regions.”
“...Yeah, okay.”
“Sometimes heroes go to other regions for support, right? It's like that feeling.”
I had to give them a fake excuse and calm them down.
After all, it couldn't be revealed to the world that I was handling Baek Eun-hwa, the A-class hero Baekyeou. Even if the other party was a hero, I couldn't talk about it without her permission.
Since Baekyeou had come to the Welfare Bureau herself, there was no need to use such a method.
Special Agent.
A sudden position created by Baek Eun-hwa.
Actually, it was less about being special and more like a kind of freelance handler position, and the expression "home-based work" suited it better.
“Ah, but... Handler-nim, what does this mean that my position changed a bit this time? I heard about it last time... but I still don't understand it well.”
“I just became a home-based worker. After all, I'm in charge of Batori and Saran now? Because of that, it's becoming difficult for the association to always do paperwork. As home-based work... there's a bit of a special privilege too.”
“Is it a problem?”
“Yes? Of course? After all, I work really well. I worked well at the Welfare Bureau for two years... and my performance was always good. The association would evaluate capable employees well, right?”
“Um...”
I had already talked about becoming a Special Agent.
After all, I couldn't hide it from everyone, right?
I had to do association work, but if I didn't work inside the association, it would be suspicious somewhere, right?
So, I had boldly stated that my position had changed a bit.
Of course... I didn't reveal that the reason was Baek Eun-hwa and that it was because I was assigned to handle her.
“Understood, that makes sense.”
“That’s right.”
“So now, I won't go on business trips anymore and just live normally? Like before, meeting twice a week?”
“Yes, that's the plan. I'll attend the mentoring sessions with the two of you normally again... and the counseling sessions once a week will be normal too.”
“Then it's good.”
Unlike Batori, who was extremely worried and fussing, Saran immediately showed a relieved expression when she realized I would just perform the schedule normally.
It was a bit... worrying for a week.
It was regrettable, but there was nothing I could do.
“Ah, but could I change the schedule a bit? After all, my position has changed a bit. It would be good to rearrange the schedules for the two of you again.”
“No problem.”
“I don't mind either...!”
“Then... for now, can Monday be set as the mentoring day? Since both of you came to the cafe like this.”
I felt a bit sorry for not meeting the two of you for a week.
Although there was nothing I could do, it was true that I couldn't do the work I had to do?
So, as I couldn't help the two of you, I planned to make more effort to help the two of you even more.
“Handler-nim, then I... can I do it on Tuesday?”
“I was thinking of doing it on Tuesday.”
...It seemed more urgent to adjust the two's schedules rather than thinking.