Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Invitation
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The meeting with the branch manager thankfully didn't last as long as I'd feared.
"But why did the branch manager call just you?"
The team leader looked at me while scooping up a big spoonful of the stir-fried pork that had come out for lunch.
He never looked this way when things got dangerous. Where the hell had he suddenly popped up from?
"Yeah, exactly. She called only Jaeheon out of all of us."
Yoo Daon nodded as she stabbed her fork into her salad.
"Right..."
I trailed off, glancing around subtly.
Everyone was too busy eating to notice.
Was it part of employee welfare? The Management Bureau's cafeteria was incredibly good.
At the very least, the fact that there was more than one menu option put it leagues ahead of most company cafeterias.
"Not good news, I take it?"
"Not exactly."
I shook my head at Song Arin's words.
"No, then what? Spill it."
"Uh... well..."
I started explaining to my colleagues.
*
Why is that guy here?
I pondered as I stared at the regressed man looking at me with a tired expression.
"Oh. Mr. Kim Jaeheon might not know him."
The branch manager smiled and pointed at the man.
He bowed slightly to me.
"This is Kim Wanwoo from the Management Team."
"I've heard the name a few times. And we've met before."
"Oh, you know each other?"
Know him? Every time I see him, I'm on pins and needles.
I shook my head at the branch manager's question.
"We've just crossed paths a few times on the job."
"Ah!"
The branch manager clapped her hands and nodded before continuing.
"First off... Mr. Kim Wanwoo here single-handedly managed the containment objects amazingly well, even when the basement flooded."
My gaze naturally drifted up to his head.
666th cycle.
Roughly 300 more regressions than last time.
"It's just because I memorized the management rules well."
"Impressive!"
The branch manager smiled at his words, and her gaze shifted to me.
"Honestly, I've been thinking I should call you in for a while now, Mr. Kim Jaeheon, but time just hasn't allowed it..."
"It's fine."
Not calling me was the best courtesy, but she still didn't seem to get it.
"Anyway, no need to beat around the bush. The team that's been doing the best work lately."
The branch manager smiled at me.
"So, I want to give the two of you a good experience."
A good experience, not a gift?
My mood soured already; it felt like she was dragging us into an incident.
"I'll pass..."
"No can do."
The branch manager's eyes widened slightly as she looked at me.
Her red-tinged eyes pierced right through me.
"Mr. Kim Jaeheon, please take a flight to the Gangbuk Branch on dispatch."
"...That thing from back then?"
That's not a good thing.
I narrowed my eyes, recalling how she'd spoken warily about the Gangbuk Branch manager.
Sensing my gaze, she laughed and shook her head.
"That's part of it, but also, I have a friend there."
"Ah."
"I asked her for a little favor, so just pick it up."
Then she turned to the regressor.
"Employee Kim Wanwoo... head to the Gangdong Branch. There's something you need to check."
"Yes."
"Do you know about the Cube at the Gangdong Branch?"
Cube?
My gaze involuntarily flicked back to the branch manager.
"...I do."
"Perfect. They want to ask you some things related to it."
"Yes, understood."
The regressor nodded, and the branch manager smiled at both of us again.
"That's it. Great work, everyone. Hope we meet again under better circumstances!"
That ended our talk with her, and I left the branch manager's office with the regressor.
While waiting for the elevator, I checked above his head again.
[Name: Kim Wanwoo]
[Age: 28]
[Specialty: Regression]
[Talents: -]
[Background: 666th Cycle]
[Weakness: Think of the Gordian Knot.]
Gordian Knot.
I knew the origin.
It was one of the riddles given to Alexander the Great, where the knot was so tangled he just cut it with a sword.
There was something more to it, but I couldn't quite remember.
The elevator doors opened with a cheerful ding, and I got on with him.
It began descending quietly.
"..."
"..."
"There's something curious."
What?
I'd been holding my breath to stay as quiet as possible, but he looked at me and spoke.
"People aren't machines."
"...Right."
What was this about?
"Depending on what I say in the same situation, people's responses change."
"..."
"If I say it's a good lunch right now, they'll agree. If I say it's a good dinner, they'll say it's lunch, not dinner."
"..."
He continued.
"But some people, even when talking about certain topics, give deliberately scripted responses or dodge them, like they've agreed to it beforehand."
"...Is that so."
Ding. The elevator doors opened, and he looked at me.
"Just saying."
"..."
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
But I couldn't show any agitation.
I stepped out, and the doors closed behind me, leaving him inside.
No one to tell about this, and it's a headache.
*
I relayed everything to the HR Team members except the conversation itself, and Jang Chaeyeon furrowed her brow slightly.
"Flight to Gangbuk Branch."
"...Sounds weird just hearing it."
Not overseas, so what reason would there be to fly to Gangbuk?
"You take a plane to the Gangbuk Branch. That's correct."
Song Arin wiped her mouth with a napkin and answered calmly.
"Song Arin, have you finally lost it?"
"You wanna die for real?"
"Yeah, our maknae's right."
The team leader nodded in agreement.
"You fly to the Gangbuk Branch."
"...How do you know that, Team Leader?"
"Hey, I've worked at the Management Bureau a long time too."
The team leader clicked his tongue.
"Gangdong Branch by subway, Gangbuk by plane, Gangnam by boat. That's how it works."
"That's right?"
I wasn't the only one out of the loop.
I realized it while looking at Yoo Daon, who had her eyes wide open too.
Not just me, then.
Oh, right.
"Daon."
"Yes?"
"Want to grab coffee after lunch?"
Yoo Daon's body stiffened up.
"...I'm done eating. Heading out first."
The team leader's face suddenly paled, and he grabbed his tray and vanished at the speed of light.
"Uh... me?"
"Yeah, you, Daon."
She set down her fork and glanced at the others.
"The rest of you too..."
"You two go ahead."
"..."
At my words, Jang Chaeyeon's expression hardened slightly, and Song Arin raised one eyebrow, but both got up with their trays without a word.
"Uh..."
"I'll get it."
I led Yoo Daon, who was shuffling awkwardly, and sank into thought.
I recalled how she'd grabbed my sleeve at my place.
As we walked the gloomy Management Bureau corridors, sorting my thoughts, Yoo Daon's voice reached my ear, small and hesitant.
"Jaeheon..."
"Yeah?"
"Are you mad by any chance?"
"...Me?"
Me? Why?
I looked at her with genuine puzzlement, and Yoo Daon hurriedly continued.
"No, I mean... back then, I was way too forward..."
"Too forward...?"
"I mean..."
She rolled her eyes like she had no idea what to say, grabbing her own sleeve.
"I'm sorry..."
"No... for what."
Coffee first.
Surprisingly, on the way to buy it, Yoo Daon didn't say a word to me. Or couldn't.
Her face paled, she grabbed her sleeve, sighed.
Seeing no positive reaction at all, I wondered just how badly her mind was spinning worst-case scenarios.
I checked above her head.
[Name: Yoo Daon]
[Age: 23]
[Trait: Immortality]
[Talent: Regeneration (Undefined)]
[Background: One who lived without knowing warmth will tremble in endless terror at the thought of that warmth being taken away.]
[Weakness: Treat her just like this.]
Treat her like this? What did I do wrong?
I stared at the translucent window in disbelief, and my eyes met Yoo Daon's as she looked up.
"...Jaeheon?"
"Ah, sorry."
I ordered two coffees, received them, and walked with Yoo Daon.
"..."
"..."
Suffocating silence.
I broke it first.
"About that time."
"I was really in the wrong then."
"No..."
"I... didn't know my place and treated you too casually, right?"
She gave a dry smile and bowed her head.
"That."
"I mean, I'm still useful in fights... Of course, nothing compared to Chaeyeon or Arin, but I can die well..."
"Listen..."
"And besides... there's got to be some use for me... really..."
"Daon."
"If push comes to shove, me..."
"Daon...!"
I urgently placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"I just wanted us to... get more comfortable with each other."
"Uh..."
A shadow fell over Yoo Daon's face as she looked at me.
"You haven't felt comfortable around me until now...?"
"No, that's not it."
If walking a minefield doing tap dance felt like this?
Every word I carefully chose still got interpreted fatally wrong somehow.
I took a deep breath and slowly continued.
"Just, sometimes I think you're too... uh."
For my sake? Too self-conscious.
"Self-sacrificing."
I tried phrasing it indirectly.
"Self-sacrificing...? Me?"
Pure confusion rose on her face.
"Yeah, like sacrificing yourself for others."
"No."
Before I could say more, her cold voice cut me off.
Completely different from her usual smiling tone.
"I don't sacrifice myself for others."
"..."
Yoo Daon stared straight at me.
"I sacrifice for you, Jaeheon. I've never thought about sacrificing for anyone else."
"..."
Her emotionless eyes pierced me.
"Of course, I sacrifice for our HR Team too... but that's..."
"Right."
No need to hear more.
I cut her off hastily and pressed on.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say please take good care of me going forward... yeah."
"No! I should be the one...!"
Seeing her expression brighten as she waved her hands frantically, I spoke.
"But, Daon, how long were you in the hospital?"
"...Huh."
Her movements froze for a moment.
She hesitated at my words, then forced a smile.
"Pretty long."
"I see."
That made sense.
"Anyway... she called me this time just to say take good care of me."
"...Ah!"
Me being the only uncomfortable one, worrying alone—that wasn't right.
Unlike before, a flower-like smile bloomed on Yoo Daon's face.
"Please take good care of me too, Jaeheon!"
*
Back at my seat, I turned on the computer.
"What'd you talk about?"
"The usual stuff."
"Not gonna tell us properly, huh."
"Privacy."
"And you had the nerve to ask me questions?"
Song Arin grumbled as she typed on her computer.
First, check email...
There was an email titled <Invitation>.
"...Invitation?"
"What?"
Song Arin heard my mutter, pushed her chair back, and came over behind me.
The inbox had only one email: <Invitation>.
"Gives me the creeps. Delete it."
"Yeah, was about to."
Already in a bad mood.
I right-clicked the email and hit delete.
[Bzzzz...]
But the mouse cursor moved on its own and double-clicked the email.
"You crazy bastard. I said delete it!"
"No, I was trying to delete it!"
The invitation opened.
I locked eyes with Song Arin.
"...Delete it?"
"You won't?"
As Song Arin spoke, mid-deletion,
A strange sensation stirred in my pocket.
I reached in, and felt the texture of stiff paper.
I pulled out a red invitation.
"..."
This isn't good.