Being A Full-Time Employee C24

Chapter 24

“Wash up. We’ll meet on the 4th floor.”

As I stripped off my utility belt, Wonu just stood there frozen, unmoving.

“If you run from this again, you’d better be ready for the consequences.”
“…Are you really that mad?”
“You asking me that means you know what you’ve done.”
“Hyung.”
“Want to tell me why?”
“…No.”
“Then don’t.”

Nothing else to say. I unclipped the buckles of my military vest.

“I… I don’t want to tell you. Because if I do, maybe you’ll leave me.”

We stood in the hall outside the communal bathrooms. One hunter walked past completely naked, another half-undressed Guide glanced our way. I thought bitterly of earlier misunderstandings in Euljiro—this looked exactly like that.

“Just wash.”

I shoved the door open hard enough to hurt my palm. I felt his eyes lingering, wet and guilty, even before the door shut between us.

Later, back at the entrance where we’d first shaken hands, damp hair and all, I stood waiting. This was where Wonu was registered, the place that existed but was rarely spoken of: his handler’s domain.

To me, he always felt like two contradictory things at once: hothouse flower, delicate; or else naive troublemaker, thrown too early into the world.

I studied my own hand idly. Checked the broken arm, picked stray hangnails, thought about dragging myself to the infirmary. Persistent, dull pain gnawed through the morphine fog.

Still—time cooled temper. Less chance that poking me now would make sharp words fly.

“Hyung.”

He said it again—the word my lips had heard too much in a single day. Thought of my raw, swollen lips. My drugged, aching arm.

“Hunter Chae.”

I leaned back on the wall, watched him like a boss might an unruly subordinate. His posture was stiff.

“Who’s your overseeing researcher?”
“Senior Researcher Seon Jiyeon.”
“I’m a contract worker, I don’t get assigned fixed handlers.”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go meet her.”
“…Why?”
“Because a hunter with an assigned Guide just took accelerant drugs. One of two things: you don’t trust me. Or I wasn’t good enough.”

“….”

“So let’s go report. Either way, that’s what accountability means.”

No sarcasm in my tone, though even I could hear how much I wanted to push guilt into him. Did he even have guilt? He was an alien creature to me.

“…Fine. Let’s go. It’s my responsibility either way.”

Exhaustion pulled at me. I only wanted this over—see the researcher, see the infirmary, collapse. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“…Hunter Chae?”

He said nothing. Because he couldn’t. His lips pressed tight, tears rolling heavy and noiseless. Big eyes meant big tear ducts. They plopped down ferociously, silent but heartbreaking.

If we paused to ask who should feel ashamed, who had been insulted here—truth was, I was the wronged party. But faced with that pitiful crying, any words shrank down my throat.

“Hunter Chae…”

“Can I… can I be the one to explain first?”
“Fine. Explain.”

He lifted his head. Wet lashes clumped, eyes red.

“The truth is…”

But his words cut off—the researchers rounded the corner behind him, intent on their chart. Serious. And I knew: we mustn’t be seen like this. I grabbed him quick, dragged him into the emergency stairwell. Door shut just before their footsteps reached us.

“…”
“…”

He still hung head down, crying. I slumped, watching him weep, hair dripping from the shower.

“Your power’s water… what, are you draining yourself dry right now?”

No sarcasm this time. I only felt drained too.

He wiped his eyes with a knuckle, trembling.

“…I thought… I thought I might kill you.”

His voice quavered with sincerity. Even if I hadn’t known—Wonu could never lie. Always naked, instinct on his face.

“That pill forcefully balances power. I only ever took it at night. Only then. I was afraid… that in my sleep, I’d hurt you.”

He meant that night. When we’d eaten ramyeon together. I’d started to forget; he had chewed on it every night since. Even swallowing drugs for it.

I exhaled heavy. Good intent didn’t equal good results. My back met cold concrete, shivering up my spine.

“That drug collides with my guiding. It chemically mimics it. That’s why.”
“…I didn’t know… I thought since I’d always taken it before, it was safe.”
“But you hid it because you knew I’d be angry.”

He hesitated, then shook his head. Honest boy.

“I just… didn’t want you to think I was a monster.”

“Who’s calling who a monster? Back home, I’m the freak. Especially to the old ones, who don’t understand.”

I laughed dryly. He stepped closer. Almost like asking, Are we okay now? I let him.

“One mistake alone is enough. See what your ‘white lie’ and your pill caused? Your vitals in freefall. Your stabilization tanked. They might’ve judged me unsuited to you. I might’ve been thrown out.”

“Would you leave me…?” he asked.

“You phrase things bizarrely. But yes. Might’ve been forced.”

He inched closer. I, drained, didn’t want to lift a hand. Checked my monitor instead—high fever, pulse fast.

“Will you keep taking it?”
“…No.”

Quick answer. I dropped the screen, seized his cheek. Petty vengeance—slapping lightly. Chak, chak. Then grabbed the short hair behind his head, pulled him close.

“Open.”

His lips parted, wet from tears. My laugh bubbled despite myself, low in my throat.

His hand found my waist, tugging closer. I sat slouched, legs extended—our heights warped. He bent deep; I pressed my mouth to his, breathed sharp.

“Uhn—”

Startled, he pulled back. I tightened, twisting fingers in his hair, and slid tongue deep against tongue. Wet inner skin, sensitive—perfect guiding conduction.

My broken arm rested across his shoulder, the other checked vitals behind his head. Fever slowly abating. Stabilization chart evening. Yet pulse—still racing faster.

Sudden, he shoved me back.

“We—we were kissing.”

Flushed, gasping, glaring like a kid. I licked lips, answering evenly:
“No. That was treatment.”
“Even if treatment… doctors don’t look away from patients like that.”
“I’m not a doctor.”
“…But you’re mine. My Guide. Legally.”

For once, I had no comeback. Because denying it would mean this truly was a kiss between me—just me, the man Yang Baekgyeom—and him.

Right now, only answerable move:

“Fine. As you say.”

I hauled him in again.

“For exactly 1 minute, 27 seconds more. Then I’m getting my arm treated.”

Footnotes

¹ Accelerant drug – A banned pill suppressing Hunter flare-ups, forcibly stabilizing power. Interferes with Guide resonance dangerously.
² Legal bond – In Bureau regulations, Guide-Hunter partnerships bear temporary but binding designations, akin to guardianship.