Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The End of Everyday Life
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Han Se-rim was sitting in front of dozens of monitors.
The lighting was dim, and the only thing illuminating the room was the light from those screens.
Each monitor reflected different scenery.
Shadows over the blue sea, motionless meadows on mountain peaks, building rooftops in the city center.
Vehicles passing through tunnels, and empty lots devoid of a single person.
Her pupils swept over all those scenes with her eyes, expressionlessly compiling data.
The Recorder's Pen floated in midair.
It moved quickly above her.
At that moment.
Tok tok—
A short but rhythmic knock echoed.
Without pulling her gaze from the screens, Han Se-rim pressed the bell on the desk with her right hand.
Click.
With the sound of the lock releasing, the door slid open smoothly.
After a short while, her yellow-glowing eyes returned to normal.
Han Se-rim massaged her shoulders and slowly turned her head.
“…You’re here?”
Standing at the door was 8th Floor General Team Leader Kim Boram.
As always, she held a neatly organized stack of documents.
“Regular report.”
She spread the documents across the desk and continued in a calm tone.
“The total reported anomaly incidents up to this quarter number 17. Of those, 13 were successfully neutralized, with 4 failures. Follow-up deployments of second exploration teams and suppression squads achieved final neutralization.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Han Se-rim said with a sigh of relief.
Kim Boram nodded and flipped to the next page.
“Three failures stemmed from rule violations during on-site response, and one was classified as unidentified. Additionally, of the victims caught in anomalies, 21 have returned to reality. Nineteen chose memory erasure, and two are currently undergoing agent enlistment procedures.”
Han Se-rim’s gaze slowly detached completely from the monitors.
People who volunteered as agents usually had similar stories.
It was rarely about the money.
No matter how high the allowances, almost no one chose a job where they might not survive to see tomorrow.
Typically, it was revenge against anomalies.
Or destiny.
And finally—
“They volunteered?”
Her eyes sank low.
“Yes. They volunteered.”
“…Even so, immediate deployment would be too reckless. We have to enforce the minimum safety observation period. For the victims’ sake too. And—”
Anomalies that mimicked and concealed their true forms.
“—it could put our side at risk as well.”
Kim Boram nodded crisply.
“I’ll process it formally then.”
As Kim Boram finished the report and moved to leave, Han Se-rim called out to stop her.
“Boram.”
She halted at the brief voice.
“That ‘matter’ I mentioned last time.”
“You mean the member from Team 3?”
She nodded.
“I heard one dropped out for a marriage, and they’re still on standby?”
“That’s correct.”
Han Se-rim continued in a blank tone.
“Thinking it over, do you remember what I mentioned a few times? I need a smart aide to assist me.”
The implication in those words was unmistakable.
Kim Boram had come to the anomaly bureau as a child and was one of the few who had served under the research director the longest.
She sipped her packaged milk in silence, communicating with her eyes alone.
Hand them over.
Their gazes locked head-on.
A brief silence passed.
Authority over promotions and personnel rested entirely with Kim Boram.
She knew it too.
Who this incoming personnel was.
Through personal channels.
Her mouth opened.
“…Ah, that’s fortunate.”
Affirmative words.
A flicker of light crossed Han Se-rim’s face for an instant.
Assuming her request was granted without fuss.
“There’s interest from other teams, but I’ll screen for matching candidates and report back.”
She finished speaking, turned, and left the room.
A short sound of bewilderment trailed after the door’s click.
***
After leaving the fortune teller’s, the days that followed were utterly ordinary.
No issues had cropped up lately anyway.
I’d even gotten a firm confirmation from the shaman.
So I took it easy.
Really.
I tore into the cold chicken I’d ordered the day before while browsing the gallery. Cold chicken actually had its own appeal.
Around sunrise, when everyone else headed to work, I crashed alone.
Woke up, fired up some OTT, and dove into the canyon for a bit of cultural enrichment.
Days like that.
And—
Finally, the day I’d been waiting for arrived.
In front of a lavish birthday spread.
My parents’ gazes pinned to my face and wouldn’t budge.
It felt piercing.
I froze with the spoon in my mouth.
Slowly set it down and spoke.
“Um… Mom?”
My words drew an immediate reply, as if she’d been waiting.
“Yes, son. What is it? More food?”
Her voice flowed softly.
Which only made it scarier.
I knew exactly what she was hoping for.
“…Mom, I bought a car.”
“Huh? Out of nowhere? Where’d you even get the money?”
“It’s hypothetical, hypothetical. Just hear me out.”
“Alright, go on.”
To Mom, now primed to listen, I explained slowly and simply.
“It’s a Genesis GV80. Fully loaded. 3.5 turbo engine, 22-inch wheels, panorama sunroof, plus all sorts of add-ons, and it came out to about 200 million won.”
“…No way. Son? You bought a car like that? For 200 million?”
The conversation stalled midway.
She seemed pretty shocked.
So, before the shock could wear off—
I piled on an even bigger one.
To make her forget everything before.
“But on the drive back… I got into an accident?”
“—What?”
This time, Dad’s eyes went wide.
A look questioning if he’d heard right.
‘More than that, you were listening, huh.’
Fortunately, though, the shocks were all over now.
“You get it, I know. But it’s fine. The car’s totaled, but the son came out unscathed.”
Mom stayed silent for a long stretch after my words.
I capped it off.
“…So, isn’t that a good outcome?”
I got smacked on the back.
Before more could come, I pulled out the promised gifts I’d hidden behind me.
Beef and a gold necklace.
For some reason, in front of my parents, I always felt like pulling pranks.
Like turning into a kid again.
Only after they realized my story had been a fib did the atmosphere in the house slowly settle.
After the birthday meal wrapped up and some time passed.
As always.
The inevitable line at gatherings like this came without fail.
Mom, peeling an apple, spoke up.
“Son, didn’t you say you got a job last time?”
“…Job? Who said that?”
She wasn’t the type to bring it up first, especially if it might make me uncomfortable.
I’d just popped an apple slice into my mouth when the memory resurfaced.
“Ah… that.”
New Employee First Day Anomaly.
The call where I’d told Mom I’d landed a job.
The problem was figuring out what to say now.
‘Oh, that company vanished, Mom.’
‘Why?’
‘I burned it down.’
…I’d really be done for.
Karma from the prank earlier had come back to bite me.
Dad feigning disinterest from the corner.
But his eyes were already fixed here.
Mom was the same.
She speared a fruit piece with her fork and offered it to me, all while casting a subtle glance.
…Felt like I’d choke.
“So… where at?”
Ahem—
Dad’s timely fake cough.
My mouth opened on reflex.
“…Civil servant.”
“Yeah?”
A satisfied smile spread across Mom’s lips.
Dad nodded too.
“…What grade?”
“…One…”
My mind went blank.
What grade would an Anomaly Management Bureau agent be?
…Roughly 7th grade?
“…7th grade?”
At that, my usually composed dad shot up from his seat.
“Bring out that Valentine 30 from last time.”
“…Huh? Isn’t that your prized liquor?”
“Even so, today’s a good day. Ahem. Your birthday plus our son’s big news. Double celebration.”
Watching them chuckle and chat.
It really turned into a ‘good day’ now.
The decision was already set anyway.
Pretending a call had come in, I stood.
“Got a phone call… gonna take it.”
“Take your time, dear.”
“Yeah! Work comes first! You’re doing great, son!”
I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door.
Then immediately dialed Kang Su-ji.
…
That day at the restaurant.
On the way out after eating.
She’d hesitated a moment before speaking.
“Tell me your decision whenever you’re ready.
Our eyes met, and she smiled.
“I’ll handle talking to Seung-tae oppa.”
She twirled her finger lightly.
“It’s a big decision. Even now, honestly… I’m second-guessing a little.”
Her gaze dipped briefly.
But soon, she looked back at me.
“Still.”
She drew a short breath and went on.
“Something this important, you can’t rush it. If someone decided right away, I’d actually worry more.”
Her voice was soft but resolute.
I smiled faintly without thinking as I listened.
I could sense the meaning behind her words.
‘Someone I can be with for a long time.’
We’d gotten a bit closer, so my words slipped out casually for a moment.
“…Speaking human-to-human?”
She gave a small smile in return and nodded.
“Yes. Human-to-human… that’s how I see it. The team’s gonna chew me out big time, though.”
…
Right then, the call connected.
—…Hello? Alpha?
A groggy voice.
She’d been asleep.
“What you mentioned last time… I’ll do it.”
—Really?! Uh. Ahem. You’ve thought it over plenty?
After a brief silence, I confirmed.
“Yes. I’ve thought it through and decided.”
A tiny gasp of surprise and cheer leaked through the receiver.
Moments later, she spoke hesitantly, treading carefully.
—There’s something I didn’t mention that day, actually… I forgot too. Once you join, there’s basic new employee training.
Her tone was exceptionally cautious.
I shook my head to signal it was fine and replied.
“It’s okay.”
New employee training.
I had no real hang-ups about it.
Her voice perked up on the other end.
—Thank you! I’ll text you the location and time!
At her words, I immediately jotted it down using the Recorder's Pen.
This item’s more handy for daily life than I’d expected.
She continued.
—Just in case, here’s what to bring.
‘Clothes or toiletries?’
Some companies do multi-day orientations.
—Comfortable activewear, basic toiletries, sneakers.
About what I’d figured.
I nodded along for a bit—
Then she steadied her breath and went on.
—And lastly, the most important thing—
My nodding stopped.
—Your go-to weapon.