Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Record-Breaking Heavy Rain
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"...So, what should I do?"
After pulling Song Arin into a corner, I asked her about Yoo Daon.
What I was worrying about, and how I should treat Yoo Daon. And what her opinion on that was.
...
Song Arin's expression soured more and more as she listened to me, and by the time I finished speaking, she was glaring at me with narrowed eyes.
-Thwack!
Song Arin's fist slammed straight into my back.
"Ow!"
...
"Damn it...! Why'd you hit me!"
...
Without saying a word, she started pounding my back with her fists.
"Ow. Wait. Hold on! Use words! Hold on! Don't use hypnosis!"
Enduring the throbbing headache, I desperately blocked her fists.
"You!"
-Thud!
"Ow!"
"I'm the one who! Rushed to! Stop you from! Wearing those clothes! And fixed your! Hair!"
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Hold on, stop! I don't know what, but I was wrong...!"
Only after taking a few more punches and kicks from Song Arin, who was now kicking me while snarling, did she finally start to calm down.
"You... next time you talk to Whitey, say it exactly like that."
"Not 'don't say it like this,' but 'say it like this'?"
"Make her eat shit for once."
Song Arin huffed as she leaned against the wall and looked at me.
"So. You and Blackie have been getting kinda distant lately, right?"
"More precisely, it's just me feeling that way."
"Why? There must be a reason you think that."
...
Should I tell her this?
While I was pondering, Song Arin waved her hand.
"Forget it. I get it without you saying. You probably freaked her out with some inhuman bullshit again."
...
"From the start, whenever she says something crazy, you and Whitey just stand there like 'oh, that's normal,' so of course she didn't notice anything weird."
"Did I do that?"
"Yeah."
Song Arin sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
"But there's nothing we can do. Her way of thinking is just totally different from ours."
"Because she's not afraid of death."
"Right."
Song Arin nodded and met my eyes.
"But that's not her problem. She has no sense of self."
"No sense of self..."
Doesn't Jang Chaeyeon lack a sense of self too?
"Whitey does have a sense of self."
As if reading my expression, Song Arin shook her head.
"She has a strong one, but she sets it aside for you. First time I've seen someone that full of themselves do that in life, but anyway."
...
"Blackie doesn't even try to think for herself. She acts like thinking for herself is a crime. That's why she has no opinions at all."
...
"She says random useless stuff sometimes, but ask her twice or dig in, and she gives up right away."
"...Yeah, that's true."
"So what can you do? You just gotta encourage her more and praise her."
"You think that'll work?"
"It wouldn't mean much from me, but from you, it would."
I nodded at Song Arin's words.
Yeah, we're pretty close, the two of us.
"As expected, you're the only one I can consult about this. Thanks."
"...Ahem, well, yeah, I'm the only one."
The earlier image of her beating me up was gone; Song Arin cleared her throat vigorously, looking pleased.
"Anyway, that's it?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, then maybe..."
Song Arin muttered while twirling her hair.
"...wanna grab some coffee...?"
"Found you."
A voice drowned out her mutter, and Jang Chaeyeon appeared.
"Oh, Chaeyeon. Late because of the rain?"
"Yeah."
"But you're not wet at all?"
"Blocked it."
Kinda jealous of that ability.
Jang Chaeyeon looked at me, proudly showing off her completely dry clothes.
"Want me to walk you home?"
"Oh, can you?"
"Yeah."
"Great. Song Arin, you too..."
"No."
Song Arin, now with a crumpled expression again, stomped past us.
"Why's she like that?"
"...She's young."
Jang Chaeyeon smiled as she watched Song Arin leave.
It was less a soft smile and more like one corner of her mouth twisting up.
"Coffee?"
"Sure."
An office worker without coffee? Either crazy or superhuman stamina.
I'm neither.
*
I came back to the office with five cups of coffee, but the Team Leader was gone.
"Where's the Team Leader?"
"Sick."
Song Arin replied curtly while sipping her coffee.
Now I'm worried.
Lately, it feels like something bad happens whenever the Team Leader gets sick.
"I'm suddenly worried. What do we do?"
"Why, 'cause he's not here?"
I nodded, and Song Arin scoffed in disbelief.
"Then go crash at his place and sleep together."
"What kinda horrific thing is that?"
"Worrying won't fix it. And he's just out sick."
"Still, I'm worried..."
"Enough. I got a feeling it'll be fine."
What makes you say that?
Yoo Daon, who had been quiet until then, nodded with a smile.
"Yeah! It'll be fine, so don't worry too much!"
...
Song Arin and I exchanged glances for a moment, and she let out a low sigh as she stood up.
"Whatever. No work anyway, so let's tour the Management Bureau."
"Tour?"
Song Arin nodded at Yoo Daon, who had wide eyes.
"Yeah. Research team or... whatever, just walk around."
"But... is that okay? We still have work."
"Honestly, they send us to the forest yesterday and expect paperwork deadlines today? I'd go kill them for real."
We all stayed quiet at Song Arin's sharp words.
Less out of fear and more because we deeply agreed.
We filmed Midsummer Night's Dream and then straight to the forest—showing up to work is already above and beyond, right?
And so, the four of us ended up wandering around the Management Bureau again.
"The Management Bureau interior is bigger than I thought."
"'Cause it's huge."
Jang Chaeyeon answered flatly as she walked.
"Outside looks like a normal building, but the Management Bureau expanded it."
"How?"
"Dunno."
She shook her head.
I look out the window as we walk.
-Shoooo...!
Rain pours endlessly.
"Wow, it's pouring like crazy."
...
Jang Chaeyeon stares out the window with a serious expression.
"Why?"
"My place is first floor. Hope it's okay."
"Uh..."
Hearing that, Yoo Daon also looked out the window with a serious face.
"Mine's first floor dorm too..."
"Dorm?"
Yoo Daon works at the Management Bureau—why a dorm?
Catching the implication in my words, Yoo Daon spoke up.
"My house exploded, remember?"
"Oh."
Right.
I recalled the hospital incident.
"How's the dorm?"
"Not as good as my old place, but..."
"So why do you all live on the first floor."
Song Arin said smugly, puffing out her chest.
"I live on the 12th. No way it'll flood."
"I live high up too."
At least not first floor.
"Oh, Kim Jaeheon, right?"
In the middle of chatting as we walked, I looked down at the familiar voice.
Eileen, with her still-dull eyes and faded blonde hair, waved up at me.
"Eileen. Long time no see."
"Not really, just lots of incidents."
Eileen smirked and stared at me.
"Heard you pulled something off in the forest too. Came to work today?"
"Couldn't get vacation."
"Sheesh. Management Bureau's no different from a trash company."
She clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"Heard HR Team staked the east wedge. That right?"
"Oh, yeah. Correct."
"We handled support for the north wedge."
"Oh, didn't know."
Response Team was involved too.
"We're field agents in the Management Bureau, after all."
Eileen shrugged.
"Heard some Containment Team guy caused an accident."
"Accident?"
"Yeah, forgot the name, but memorable face. Guy with a burned face."
...
I know exactly who.
"Thanks to him, that guy's disciplined, and Response Team's workload doubled."
"No casualties?"
"Nope."
Unlike her usual self, she smiled softly.
"HR Team's doing personnel training these days."
"...What's that...?"
Sounds offensive just hearing it.
"Throw 'em in moderately dangerous spots, survivors go straight to the next."
...
I look at the other three.
All wearing the same expression.
"...What, you didn't know? Common Response Team lingo."
"Would appreciate it if you didn't use it. Kinda offensive."
"It's a compliment. Means you're badass. Have fun with it."
Despite being way younger than me, she slapped my shoulder with a hearty laugh, waved, and walked past.
"That's how good you are. Gotta run to a meeting."
Then she vanished like a storm.
"...Should we head back."
...
What do they think HR Team is?
*
As soon as we sat down and turned on the computers, the broadcast started.
[Ahem,]
"See? Another incident!"
Knew it.
I was pulling out my pistol from my pocket to prepare when there was a tap-tap on the mic, and the broadcast continued.
[Ahem, this is the Management Bureau Broadcast Team.]
A deflated male voice.
Broadcast Team exists?
While scanning around with pistol in hand, the deflated voice continued.
[Due to excessive rain, leaks and flooding reported in first floors of some Management Bureau apartments and dorms.]
[Affected apartments are as follows: Happiness Dorm...]
"My dorm!"
Yoo Daon opened her eyes wide.
[...Building C Apartments. That's all.]
"...My place too."
Jang Chaeyeon muttered in a dazed expression.
"Ahahaha!!!"
And Song Arin clutching her stomach laughing at them.
"Look at your faces! Ahahaha!!"
[Recovery work by Management Bureau Housing Team planned for one to two days. Stay at other employees' places or book a hotel.]
Click, broadcast ended.
That's it? No sudden voice distortion saying we're all gonna die or anything?
While looking around frantically, someone taps my shoulder.
"Hey."
"...Oh, yeah."
It was Jang Chaeyeon.
She looked up at me, blinking.
"Can I crash at your place?"
"Ahaha! Ahahaha! ....Aha.....?"
With Song Arin's manic laughter suddenly stopping as background music, Jang Chaeyeon stared at me.
"I'll stay over."
Wait, she's so young...
"Parents' house..."
"No family."
I was momentarily speechless at Jang Chaeyeon's reply, and she stared at me.
"Worried? Bring her too."
"...Me?"
Yoo Daon, suddenly targeted, blinked and pointed at herself.
"Yeah. Wanna stay over?"
"...Uh, um. ...Sure!"
"She says yeah."
"Wait, what about my opinion—no... Daon, don't you have family..."
"All dead!"
Lost for words at her bright reply, meanwhile Jang Chaeyeon stood up, grabbed Yoo Daon's arm, and started walking.
"Pack your stuff."
"Wait, hold on! Be right back!"
And the two rushed out the door like the wind.
As I stared blankly at the door, Song Arin spoke to me.
"...My place is fine, so I'll sleep there."
"What? No, of course. Why would you sleep at mine."
Song Arin's place didn't flood.
...
Song Arin glared at me with narrowed eyes, then turned and booted up her computer.
"Work?"
"Shut up."
Prickly again.
*
[With record-breaking heavy rain continuing, sewage systems overwhelmed; national authorities request avoiding outings and staying on higher floors.]
The TV news drones from the living room.
I stare blankly out the window.
Rain so thick I can't see ahead.
Never seen rain like this in my life.
"It's pouring buckets!"
Yoo Daon mutters behind me with wide eyes, and clattering sounds come from the kitchen where Jang Chaeyeon is making food.
...
My head hurts.