Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 57. Gangseo Branch Chief
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Staring into the branch chief's red eyes as she stared right back at me, I let my thoughts drift like a life flashing before my eyes.
How did things end up like this?
The incident had wrapped up somehow.
The escape had gone off without a hitch, and the whole affair hadn't blown up into much of a rumor.
In a city where threats putting it in peril cropped up every single day, honestly, one person going missing was downright routine, depending on how you looked at it.
But it didn't seem that way to the higher-ups.
"Honestly, I'm more surprised you haven't been called in sooner."
"Is that a compliment?"
"You bet."
The man in sunglasses shrugged as he replied.
"Someone like you? The branch chief's gotta be dying to meet you."
"You're not suddenly going to throw me into field work the second we meet, right?"
"...I doubt it."
He fell silent for a moment before speaking.
For some reason, that made me really uneasy.
"Why not call the other team members?"
I'd thought the same last time, but lately, it felt like only I got summoned after every incident.
The man gave me a knowing smile.
"You already know why."
...
"Management Bureau folks aren't idiots. We might be slow to notice when something blows up, but we sure as hell know who cleaned it up."
"Then why not handle things before they blow up?"
"That'd be everyone's dream."
He pressed the button for the top floor as he led me to the elevator.
Top floor—the Gangseo Branch chief's domain.
"Before we go in, I've got something to tell you."
He looked at me inside the elevator and spoke up.
"What is it?"
"All branch chiefs earn that title for a reason. Sure, the bureau's chiefs are pretty reasonable types, but..."
"But?"
"Just... play it safe. Oh, and."
The elevator doors opened, and he looked at me with dead seriousness.
"Don't mention her age. Ever."
"...Pardon?"
"It's important. I'm not saying it twice. No age talk."
"But—"
"Good luck."
In front of the ordinary office door, he stood there watching me.
"Just keep that in mind. See you on the flip side."
With that, he left.
The door swung open.
I sat facing the branch chief across from her relaxed-looking chair and calm lighting, ready to talk.
Or at least, I tried to.
That was all up until just now.
*
She let out a sigh.
"Kim Jaeheon from the HR Team."
"Yes."
"Do you know why you've been called here?"
Honestly, I had a pretty good idea.
"I've run into way too many problems in a short time."
"Close, but not quite."
She looked at me.
"The Containment Team handles three incidents a day. Running into trouble isn't unusual."
But I'm from HR.
I swallowed the words rising in my throat and met her eyes again.
As if refusing to look away, she smiled with her eyes and gazed at me.
"The key point is that you've survived every single one."
...
This is making me nervous. What if she suddenly says something like, "You're getting promoted. Field duty with Containment Team starting tomorrow."
"There are all sorts of people in the Management Bureau. Some join after getting swept up in the unnatural, others start as regular office workers and gradually get pulled into it like a trance."
Her face unreadable, she smiled.
"And Kim Jaeheon, you've posted results in all those incidents that even a rookie wouldn't believe."
...
"Is it because of those 'eyes' of yours?"
...
If this were a movie, drama, or novel, the plot twist where she suddenly covets my eyes and rips them out wasn't unheard of.
Reading my expression, the branch chief quickly waved her hand.
"Don't worry. I was just complimenting you."
"A compliment... you say?"
"No matter the intent, your efforts have saved countless lives so far."
She suddenly stood, bowing at a perfect ninety degrees.
"On behalf of the Management Bureau, thank you."
"...I only did what needed doing."
"So, I'd like to give you a little gift."
"A gift?"
She pulled four sheets of paper from her drawer and handed them over.
Four luxurious tickets gleaming gold.
"There's a luxury cruise next month. A partner company contracted it for employee welfare—rave reviews across the board."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Management Bureau cruise.
I'd heard rumors. Some agent from InfoSec who single-handedly covered up a major incident came back raving about it being the trip of a lifetime in the cafeteria.
And she's just giving these away.
I took the gleaming golden tickets.
"...But our team's got five people?"
"Ah... You mean Team Leader Heo Chan, besides the four from this incident."
She rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought with a hum.
"Only four tickets left... If I can snag one more, I'll let you know."
"Thank you."
Maybe she's not so bad after all.
"Well then..."
The branch chief clapped her hands.
"Good work. Take a break."
"...Ah. Yes."
What? That's it?
Nothing major.
I stood in a daze, and she waved softly with a gentle smile, murmuring.
"By the way, you didn't spot my age, right?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Nothing. Off you go."
"Ah, sure."
Whew, dealing with big shots is tough.
I slipped out the door quick.
*
She stared at the door he'd left through until a sound from behind made the branch chief sigh.
"Make some noise when you show up."
"Sorry."
"I've told you how many times? Sneaking in without a word isn't a good habit."
"Sorry."
The sunglasses guy who'd escorted him appeared behind her.
"How'd it go?"
"What's to say? A monster rookie who shows up like a comet when we need him."
"Those eyes of his are sharp."
"Eyes? Honestly, that's not the big deal."
The man went quiet at her words.
"We can still hide info from him for now."
"He seems blind to a lot still."
"But he's growing fast."
"Reminds me of you back in the day."
The man stayed silent at the chief's remark.
You can't fool what he sees. But obscuring the info itself works.
"The real key is how he applies it."
Seeing something is great, but pretty useless on its own.
What matters is the flexibility to infer what's needed from it, the execution to act on it right away.
The reasoning to deduce the unseen and close in on truth. Leadership to communicate smoothly and shape the board.
"At this rate, he could climb high."
The branch chief smiled, satisfied.
...
The man thought he'd bolt if offered a high position, but kept it to himself.
"Promote him special?"
"I'd rather give him more vacation and lighten his load."
"Hmm, that's the young folks' way these days? Work-life balance. I get it."
She nodded.
"Anyway, got it. Already gave him the cruise tickets."
"You did?"
"Of course. Gotta invest in our Gangseo Branch wild card, right?"
She nodded confidently with a chuckle.
"Besides, everyone's up there right now."
She looked to the sky.
"We need every hand on deck."
He followed her gaze upward.
Their eyes headed beyond the blue sky.
*
"Cruise tickets?!"
Song Arin yelled beside me, eyes wide.
"Four of them!"
...
"Tickets?"
Song Arin and Jang Chaeyeon beaming with huge eyes at the cruise tickets, Yoo Daon tilting her head like she had no clue.
And Team Leader, sulking with "Where's mine?" while glued to his phone game.
"You know it's famous, but is it that big a deal?"
"Dude, Management Bureau cruises are perfect performance bonuses—even reservations book out!"
Song Arin made a fuss, and Jang Chaeyeon nodded along with an "Mm-hmm."
"...Tons of people wanna go but can't."
"That serious, huh."
Nice.
Seeing them so thrilled, it had to be good.
Yeah. I could use a relaxing trip myself.
Incidents seemed fewer since vacation ended, but probably just my imagination.
I spaced out sorting the tickets, lost in thought.
This easy life...
Perfect.
The door burst open with heavy footsteps.
"HR Team?"
"Ah, yes. Who might you be?"
Team Leader stood to greet the visitor.
"Hello. From the Management Division."
Familiar voice.
I turned to find the source.
Skinny build, tall frame. Lifeless eyes.
[Name: Kim Wanwoo]
[Age: 28]
[Trait: Regression]
[Talent: None]
[Background: 402nd Round]
[Weakness: You have already received a warning.]
"Kim Wanwoo, newly transferred to the Management Division."
His lifeless eyes turned to me.
"I heard you found a containment object related to the turntable that HR's Kim Jaeheon handled last time..."
...
He blinked at me dryly before speaking again.
"Would appreciate your cooperation for work purposes."
"...That guy's eyes are kinda weird."
Yoo Daon whispered to me from beside.
"Agreed."
I had no choice but to whisper back.