Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Incident Response Team
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Honestly, before getting caught up in that incident, overtime was something I did as regularly as eating.
There were days when the paperwork piled up so much that I spent the whole time just preparing and ended up with nothing done. On days when the Team Leader asked me to write a report for his briefing, I seriously wondered if I'd even make it home.
And that wasn't all. Payroll processing days meant overtime without fail.
That's why I had a bunch of sleep aids stocked in the warehouse, even though I don't use them anymore.
I gaze out the window at the darkened sky.
Memories of the old days come flooding back. Nice.
"Hit enter there."
"Yeah, enter."
"Good job."
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon hits enter just like I told her, and the cell advances.
"I did well."
"...I see."
We've barely moved to the next cell, but seeing her beaming proudly at me, I can't even think about scolding her.
I watch her hammering the enter key, then shift my gaze to Yoo Daon.
"Are you doing okay over there, Daon?"
"Oh, yeah. Doing fine."
Yoo Daon nods as she pecks at the keyboard like an eagle hunting prey.
Is eagle-style typing really 'doing fine'?
"Want me to teach you how to type properly?"
"Oh, uh. That might look a bit weird, huh?"
She scratches her cheek with an awkward smile.
"Sorry. I never really touched a computer properly when I was young... If you teach me, Jaeheon, I'll learn hard!"
"..."
Right. Of course you didn't.
I just said something I shouldn't have again.
I mentally punch myself and walk over to Yoo Daon.
"It's not hard. Just stretch your fingers out straight."
"Okay."
"Lay them on the keyboard."
"Okay."
"Now type."
"...This is hard, though?"
Of course it is. It was incredibly tough when I first learned, too.
"We'll do it together."
I stand beside her and place my left hand on the keyboard.
"Like this, fingers on home row."
"Ah, okay."
"Now type. Like tapping piano keys."
-Tap... tap...
The quiet office fills with the sound of Yoo Daon typing.
"...Better than before, right?"
"Yes. Much better than earlier."
She smiles faintly at my words.
"Then next we'll—"
"Over here."
"Yes."
I was about to tell her to try the paperwork again when Jang Chaeyeon calls me.
"What next?"
"Oh, coming right now. Hold on a sec, Daon. Just wait a bit."
"Sure!"
Yoo Daon replies brightly with a smile, and I head toward Jang Chaeyeon.
"What comes after enter?"
"Next you..."
Teaching Jang Chaeyeon took a long time.
*
I check the clock.
It's almost eleven at night already.
I'd love to head home right now if I could.
"..."
"Ugh..."
But I look at the two of them grunting and wrestling with their computers.
Doesn't look like we'll be going home anytime soon.
No helping it.
I head to the HR Team storage room.
The two watch me curiously.
"Heave-ho."
I pull out a dusty box and take out a simple mattress.
An essential item for any office worker who pulls all-nighters.
The Gangseo Branch used to have an on-call room, but after some incident, it's now under Management Team control.
That's why people working overtime now end up sleeping in the office instead of the on-call room.
And I'm one of them.
"What's that?"
"A simple mattress."
"Why do you have something like this?"
"Why do you think?"
I stare straight at Yoo Daon as I say it.
"...Ah."
She averts her eyes, mumbling as if she's figured it out.
"You must have been really busy..."
"Yeah."
I haven't done much overtime since switching to field work.
I pat the dust-covered mattress, and dust flies up, making me cough automatically.
"Cough, cough!"
-Rattle!
Jang Chaeyeon, who was watching me, flicks her hand to the side, and the window slides open on its own.
A cold wind blows in now, swirling the dust away.
"...That should do it."
After shaking off the dust, I pull out another mattress and dust it too.
The HR Team has three mattresses.
One for the Team Leader, one for me—that made two—but out of consideration (or not) for new hires who might show up anytime, there were three.
As I'm dusting the last one amid insane coughing fits, the keyboard sounds stop, and I look at the two.
They're not doing their work—just staring at me.
"What are you doing? Get back to practicing."
They hurriedly start tapping their keyboards at my words.
Do they have time for this? Do they all want to get kicked out of the HR Team?
Of course, even if their results ended up a total mess and they got dragged to the Containment Team, I wouldn't just stand by and watch.
I'd contact the Branch Chief or the Headquarters Chief or whoever it took to stop it.
But I don't say that.
-Tap... tap tap...
Keyboard sounds echo through the office.
Simple reason.
It's infuriating.
I'd thought my workload decreased because the other three were helping well, but no—Song Arin was the only one handling paperwork properly.
I can't let this slide.
Might as well turn these two into perfect HR Team members who handle paperwork flawlessly.
Before I knew it, while teaching them,
-Tick... tock...
The clock points to two in the morning.
"Wow, it's this late already?"
Yoo Daon stretches with a groan.
"I'll sleep here."
I look at the two.
Two a.m.
At first glance, time to go home, but no.
Getting home, prepping, thinking things over—it eats into absolute sleep time.
Compared to the Management Bureau?
No on-call room, sure, but there's a shower for overtime workers, and it's great for eating and sleeping.
Sure, there's the misery of sleeping at the office, but you get used to it quick.
"Uh, then me too..."
"I'll sleep too."
Yoo Daon raises her hand hesitantly, and Jang Chaeyeon nods with a confident expression.
"My place is far, hard to get back."
"M-Mine too, it's far and hard to get to..."
Are their places far?
Not within twenty minutes' walk from the Management Bureau?
Everyone's threshold is different; maybe twenty minutes feels far to them.
"Well then..."
I gaze contentedly at the three neatly laid-out mattresses.
"Let's sleep."
No sooner do I say it than Jang Chaeyeon heads to the right mattress, Yoo Daon to the left, naturally.
Like they'd planned it.
I'd thought about sliding to the side so I wouldn't be in the middle and make them uncomfortable, but looks like that wasn't necessary.
I turn off the office lights and head to my mattress.
City lights dimly illuminate the window.
"Ow..."
My back hits the mattress, and a groan slips out naturally.
Over time really wrecks you.
"Feels kinda exciting and nice!"
Yoo Daon says cheerfully from the left as she lies down.
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon silently turns toward me without a word.
Silence returns once Yoo Daon quiets.
"I have a question."
Then Jang Chaeyeon, who's been quiet till now, speaks up.
"Go ahead."
"What were you like as a kid?"
"Me?"
Me, huh.
"...Hmm."
What was I like as a kid?
'Honestly, nothing special compared to other kids. Not particularly smart, kinda mischievous.'
The kid's words float up in my mind.
"Pretty mischievous, I think."
"Figured as much."
Jang Chaeyeon mutters with a laugh in her voice.
That's unfair. What did I even do?
"What about you, Chaeyeon?"
"I was..."
She trails off.
"Violent? Clueless? No head for work?"
Yoo Daon chimes in from the side.
"..."
In the darkness, Jang Chaeyeon swings her finger.
-Smack!
"Ow!"
A sharp sound from the left, and Yoo Daon clutches her forehead.
Can't argue with that one.
"What about you, then."
Yoo Daon speaks up at Jang Chaeyeon's words, huffing.
"I was a good, obedient kid until I got sold off! Of course after that—"
"What should we have for breakfast tomorrow?"
Better change the subject before it goes further.
I cut Yoo Daon off hastily and shift topics.
"I'm good with anything."
"Same here—whatever Jaeheon likes!"
We chatted idly with the two until dawn passed.
This isn't bad.
*
The next day.
Song Arin taps my shoulder as she watches Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon standing there with determined faces.
"Why are they like that?"
"They put in their best effort, in their own way."
Short time, but I crammed in all the essentials.
Report writing, HR evaluation formulas, removing the deceased, etc.—I can confidently say I covered most of what HR Team needs.
Our safety training room is Office 103.
I look at the computers set up in front.
If they can just use the ones in front of them properly now—
"Hey, Kim Jaeheon!"
A hearty male voice rings in my ears.
"...An Sanghyeon?"
I turn to see where the voice came from.
A man approaches me with a grin.
A translucent window pops up above his head.
[Name: An Sanghyeon]
[Age: 31]
[Specialty: Rolling]
[Talent: Unaffected by interference while rolling]
[Background: This guy might roll all the way to space someday.]
[Weakness: If he doesn't roll everywhere, he's no different from any ordinary human.]
"Kim Jaeheon, of course you'd be here too?"
"Of course...?"
A few people follow him in.
Men and women in suits, even a guy with half his face burned.
They glance at us and sit in chairs.
This feels bad.
No, it'll be fine. Computers are right there.
I look at the monitor.
Soon, a dry voice comes over the speakers.
[Commencing safety training now.]
-Ding!
Text appears on the computer.
[Starting the test.]
Static crackles, the screen flickers,
and suddenly I'm standing alone in ruins.
"...What the hell is this?"
[Question.]
A mechanical voice booms from the sky.
[To survive, will you abandon your colleague?]