“Is it because only Assistant Manager Woo has been running around here and there since morning?”
“I’m the only one hot? But really, everyone else is fine. Why am I so hot just from running around a bit?”
Ilkyung said while drinking coffee. Soon he’d be at the point of crunching on the ice in his tumbler.
“That’s why, Assistant Manager Ilkyung, I keep telling you to exercise.”
“Wow, even Section Chief is saying this? Where’s the time to exercise? Whenever I try to rest, I get called out. It’s better to sleep at home in that time.”
At Ilkyung’s words, Section Chief Kang shook his head but laughed. Ilkyung’s words were right. Just as ability users were dispatched at all hours, the Field Support Team, especially Ilkyung who handled matching work, also had no set hours.
If his team seniors hadn’t praised him saying he was doing well, doing well, Ilkyung would have quit this job with no holidays immediately.
“I wish a junior or something would come soon. No, why is Director Ha acting like that, not pairing up again?”
Ilkyung’s other recent hobby was directing all arrows at Director Ha. Recently, Director Ha had more of these tasks—analyzing cases, making contacts, dispatching Espers to sites—than time spent guiding, to the point where you’d think he’d changed his job to police officer.
When other things kept exploding and they looked for Director Ha for Esper guiding, he’d be at some police station, and when they looked again, he’d be at a site with Henry…… So far from the words “Please have formal skinship” that used to be constantly on his lips, even seeing his face was difficult.
“Ah, I’m losing energy. What’s the use of having an S-rank Guide? We can’t even use him. No, Team Leader. Why don’t A-rank and A-rank match even though they’re both A-rank? Who usually guided this A-rank Esper?”
“Who else? Director Ha who was used like an all-purpose Guide all the time.”
At Team Leader Park’s words, Ilkyung clutched his head. They say even dog poop is nowhere to be found when you need it for medicine—he resented him for being absent at the very moment he was needed.
“Assistant Manager Ilkyung, you’ve been looking unwell lately, are you okay? Weren’t you energetic last summer?”
“I don’t know. I must be getting old.”
“If Assistant Manager Ilkyung is getting old, I should get in a coffin.”
At Section Chief Kang’s words, Ilkyung smiled awkwardly, but in truth he really wasn’t feeling well. His condition was poor. Was his stamina originally this terrible? Or does the aftermath last this long after having sex with a man? Just what is the stamina of gay men!
“You should take some herbal tonic.”
“I should. Oh, it’s 6! I’m heading out first.”
“Okay, don’t leak anywhere else today and hurry home to rest well.”
At Section Chief Kang’s words, Ilkyung nodded and said goodbye. Ilkyung, who grabbed his bag and stood in front of the elevator, muttered while flapping his clothes.
“Ah, it’s hot.”
Then the elevator arrived and the door opened.
“Huh?”
Inside was a face that wasn’t really that long ago but felt like he was seeing for the first time in a long time.
“What are you doing? Get on quickly.”
Before Ilkyung’s foot could rise, Daehoon’s arm first pulled Ilkyung in.
“Are you sick somewhere? You’re standing there spacing out.”
“Hello.”
When Ilkyung greeted him like someone truly spacing out, Daehoon looked at him quietly.
“I’m fine, but it seems Assistant Manager Woo isn’t so much. Do you have a fever by any chance?”
Daehoon reached out and touched Ilkyung’s forehead. Ilkyung, who stayed still as usual, was startled less than a few seconds later and stepped back. But Daehoon didn’t particularly care and this time caressed Ilkyung’s cheek. Ilkyung glanced at the CCTV in the elevator with flustered eyes.
“What are you worrying about? Assistant Manager Woo is already hot, why are you running around panting so much? Your face has become a peach.”
Ilkyung, who stepped further back, touched his cheek with the back of his hand. It felt hotter than before. His condition had been continuously poor for several days—was it a cold? For that, his throat didn’t hurt and his nose wasn’t blocked either. He just felt like he had a slight fever.
“My condition just isn’t great.”
“Have you been to the hospital?”
“No, it’s not to that extent. I think I’ll be fine if I rest.”
With a ding, the elevator door opened. Daehoon gestured for him to get off first, so Ilkyung got off first and Daehoon followed.
“If you’re not feeling well, go to the hospital. Or should I call Dr. Ahn for you?”
Ah, this crazy person.
“Who calls their family physician for someone they broke up with?”
Daehoon stared down at Ilkyung while walking. Ilkyung, who had been grumbling while looking only ahead, looked up at Daehoon because it was strange. Ah, this person was always this tall, right. He suddenly remembered looking up for a long time even after wearing 5-centimeter heels to the matchmaking meeting. He really remembers all kinds of things.
“Why?”
Ilkyung asked because the gaze looking at him was strange.
“Nothing.”
Woo Ilkyung didn’t seem to know what words he’d just said or how.
“What? You say something then stop. But Director, are you on your way home from work?”
It was rare for Director Ha to leave work at this time. Unless he had an appointment, Director Ha tended to leave work late.
“Ah, dinner with Henry? But Director, why don’t you pair with Henry? The Explosion Team looks really busy right now, and at times like this how nice would it be if people with good abilities paired up and went around together?”
“……”
“Ah, right. Originally Director doesn’t pair again with people he broke up with. I forgot.”
Ilkyung was really spewing any words without going through his brain, whether it was because his condition was poor. Daehoon stared piercingly at Ilkyung’s crown and said.
“It seems you’ve become completely absorbed in playing both drum and janggu by yourself.”
“What?”
“Are you really okay? You seem out of your mind.”
At Daehoon’s words, Ilkyung made an expression of disbelief. Ah, what is he saying, this person?
“I’m perfectly fine except for being slightly hot. I don’t even have cold symptoms.”
“Should I take you home?”
“Director, you should listen to what others say. Don’t just say what you want to say.”
The problem with the two of them was that they only said what they wanted to say like this.
“And I’m really not sick. I’m telling you I’m fine.”
When Daehoon still looked at him with suspicious eyes, Ilkyung sighed.
“It’s because I ran around too much. Why are there so many Esper dispatches today? That’s why, Director, how nice would it be if everyone paired up?”
Even though Ilkyung knew better than anyone that one-on-one matching was realistically impossible, Ilkyung grumbled. Today, work poured in as if everyone had decided together to kill Woo Ilkyung. He’d attach a Guide, assign a guiding room, and turn around to find another Esper appearing in tatters. If he pushed them into the just-emptied guiding room, this time a pair would appear looking like they’d crawled from somewhere. At least pairs were better. He just had to assign them a guiding room.
“Stop talking and get in the car quickly. Can you drive?”
Director Ha was quite affectionate unlike his first impression. Ilkyung knew that now. That’s why Ilkyung’s feelings were more complicated.
“We broke up, but you can’t suddenly act affectionate like this, Director. What if it gets to Chairman Ha’s ears?”
When Daehoon just looked at Ilkyung without any answer, Ilkyung opened his already large eyes even wider.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t told him yet, that we broke up?”
Ilkyung, who had been holding the car door handle, dropped his hand with a thud.
To be continued in the next volume ▶
