Being A Full-Time Employee C7

Chapter 7

Yes. He had managed to talk that much in just the short walk from the door to his bed. I was mortified since a nurse was right behind us, but she only smiled faintly as if she had attained enlightenment—or perhaps had simply blocked her ears.

“Alright.”

Settling himself on the bed, Hyungmin forced a cheerful greeting.
“Thank you so much!”
“If you need anything, just press the button on the side, alright?”
“Yes!”

The nurse left, and silence fell—but only for an instant, broken as soon as the door clicked shut.

“He was convulsing so badly… It’s my fault he’s suffering, isn’t it? I’m unqualified, right? I should just quit, shouldn’t I…?”

Having two “Question Mark Killers” beside me at once made me feel like I’d lose my mind. I held my patience and finally replied.
“This kind of thing happens sometimes. He’ll probably be discharged even before you.”

“What’s your partner’s name?”

Wonu abruptly cut in. For the first time, Hyungmin met his eyes, though I knew he had deliberately avoided looking at him until now. Gazing cautiously at Wonu’s sharply handsome but cold face—one that didn’t lend itself to warm first impressions—Hyungmin stammered out the three syllables.
“Baek Jeongseok…”
“Baek Jeongseok…”

For a moment, stray thoughts flashed through my head: Yang Banjseok, Pyeongminseok, Baek Jeongseok… but I stopped myself. That’s exactly the kind of thing that marked the difference between me and Seunggyu—knowing when not to open my mouth. The difference that decided whether or not you could pull off cheap fake sunglasses.

“Oh, him.”

Wonu gave a little smirk that made people uneasy. Naturally, Hyungmin’s expression worsened.

“Huh—you know something about him?”
“His ability is to harden and reinforce whatever he touches. Including his own body.”
“Yes! Exactly, yes!”
“Then he should already be out of the hospital.”
“Is… is there anything else? Any advice? Something I should know…?”

Wonu paused, as if truly thinking hard. At least, he looked the part. I, meanwhile, opened the little fridge at the side and—without asking permission—popped open a bottle of juice. As the cap snapped, Wonu answered.

“I hate him.”
“…What?”

Both Hyungmin and I froze.
“I really hate him.”
“…That’s… helpful, sure.”
“So curse me out in front of him. You’ll become friends with him in no time.”
“…Why exactly does my partner hate you, Hunter?”
“Beats me.”

I deliberately chewed on the aloe bits in my juice, staring off into the distance. I think I knew why Baek Jeongseok disliked Wonu.
“Most people just don’t like me anyway.”
“…Because you’re handsome?”

I nearly spit aloe chunks all over Hyungmin’s face but managed to swallow them down. I stood up instead, realizing the situation wasn’t as dire as I feared.

Patting Hyungmin’s shoulder sympathetically, I offered some words of encouragement.
“You’ll be fine. You’ll do great.”
“Really?”

See? Instantly, he forgot all the worries he had been voicing moments ago. He really would do fine. With conviction, I nodded and added one more piece of advice.
“And… breathe when you talk, for god’s sake.”

But hey, at least with Baek Jeongseok able to harden his body, he wouldn’t have to worry about his eardrums shattering.

“What’s the real reason?”
“What is?”

At the vending machines, Wonu swiped his card as he asked. I mashed the cookie-stick button repeatedly on the machine beside him.
“Why Baek Jeongseok hates you.”
“I don’t know.”
“You really don’t know, or you’re just pretending?”
“I really don’t know.”

Cracking open a can of cola, Wonu leaned against the vending machine with one hand stuffed in his pocket, smirking—handsome enough to sting my pride. He wasn’t just good-looking; he was beautifully good-looking. I’ve said it before, but he was born in the wrong era.

I mirrored his stance, leaning back.
“Not many people like me.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“Why?”

The cola at the can’s mouth slowly rose, forming shimmering beads. Like strings of pearls, they arched upward toward the ceiling, drawing a rainbow curve, before trickling back into the can. It was Wonu’s ability.

Rebound was real, and yet here he was using such an ability so effortlessly, for something as trivial as a toy. As naturally as breathing, with such ridiculously fine control. My hand curled into a fist inside my pocket.

“Because not once—not a single time—has anyone saved me.”

The droplets spun now, orbiting in circles around my head, like Saturn’s rings. I tilted slightly and sucked one of the orbiting drops into my mouth with irritation. The enhanced cola burned nastily on my tongue. Wonu, eyes wide, gave a low chuckle.

“Hyung, want to sleep with me?”

…What the hell kind of nonsense was that?

I sucked away a few more droplets angrily. When powered by his ability, the cola had a filthy aftertaste—though it was probably just my mood.

“I’ve never tried it, but they say guiding like that feels incredible. Better than drugs, even.”
“That’s a load of crap.”
“Still, I want to know. Do it, hyung. You can. Do you hate me that much?”

I barked a dry laugh—short, flat, bubbling with anger even in my own ears.

“Now I see why hunters don’t like you, Hunter Chae.”

He ran his hand through his hair and tilted his head in a theatrical motion. I ducked beneath the orbiting beads, grabbed a big pack of cookie-sticks, and backed away.

“Hunter Chae, you’re annoying as hell.”

The brat was testing how far he could push me.

“Why can’t it be done?”

I raised my voice for once. But the administrative manager only shook his head with an expression like a stone wall.
“It’s already been decided. No spare rooms.”
“No spare rooms, my ass.”

Deep breath. Sounding agitated only made you look desperate, making enemies needlessly. I forced a polite smile.
“My floor alone has plenty of empty rooms.”
“All of those are reserved.”
“Sir… you know how ridiculous you sound right now, right…?”
“Let’s not make this hard for each other, Baekgyeom…”

The manager leaned in, dropping his voice conspiratorially. I scooted my chair forward, listening close.
“Orders from above. Do whatever the partner asks for.”
“What? Am I not the partner? I’m being discriminated against just for being a contractor?”
“You know that’s not it. In fact, the agencies hold the real power. We’re the ones under them.”

What a joke. In reality, the agency was the client, the Bureau could be higher—or lower—depending on circumstances, and me? I was the ultimate disposable pawn.

“Up until now, you’ve never once told me to share a room.”
“It’s a unique situation this time. Just endure it. Come on, you really can’t?”
“…It’s not that I can’t.”

Leaning far back in my chair, I tilted my head so far it felt like the whole world flipped upside down. I squeezed my eyes shut, only to hear the manager trying to soothe me. It felt like I’d been reduced to throwing a tantrum. That made it worse.

“Just act like he isn’t there. Hunters are like that—moody, strange… abnormal, really…”

At abnormal, I snapped my eyes open. Upside-down, I saw Wonu in the doorway. His hearing was not ordinary. As he stepped inside, the manager’s words rang out clearly—“They’re not really human, after all”—and Wonu stopped. Then, without a word, he turned.

…Shit.

“Sir!”

I jumped to my feet.
“Hm?”
“I’ll come back later. Thanks for your time. I’ll buy you a coffee.”

Meaningless pleasantries spilled from my mouth as I bolted from the office, spilling into a suddenly crowded lobby.

“Fuuuck…”

Wonu had heard it. I could see it on his face. Clutching my head, I hissed curse after curse under my breath. Overnight, I’d lost the higher ground—I’d fallen straight into the subordinate’s position.

That was when it happened.

The massive screens hanging from the lobby ceiling all flickered red at once in alarm. My wristwatch wailed too. I shoved the receiver into my ear, connecting to my assigned contact.

“Why’d the alert even reach me? My balance calibration isn’t finished; I shouldn’t be on deployment lists yet.”
―“That’s… the higher-ups want you out. Just once.”

Not “just once more.” But just once. A trial. A test. My teeth ground.
“This is an experiment, isn’t it.”
―“…Sorry, Baekgyeom.”
“They’re testing Wonu and me, aren’t they?”

I forced a polite smile though my face twisted with rage.

And then—there he was. Wonu stepped into view, already strapping on his belt and gloves, hanging goggles and a bandana around his neck. The shine suggested waterproof material.

He spotted me. We locked eyes. His head dipped, faint, almost sheepish. His face was becoming familiar enough now that I could tell whether he was being subdued, and yes—he was. His spirit had faltered.

That fact sickened me.

“No matter what happens, I won’t take responsibility this time.”

That said, I shut the receiver off and strode towards him. For the first time, he avoided my gaze. For the first time, he looked his age—just twenty, just a kid.

“I consider you human.”
“…”
“I said—I consider you human.”
“Lie. You hate me.”
“Ah, fuck. Fine. You’re right. It’s a lie. I don’t think you’re human.”

I raked my hand through my hair, agitated, then seized his shoulders tightly.