What Ji Sanghyeon meant was that they should supply the goods needed for the event from Onyul’s convenience store.
It wasn’t the answer Onyul, who hated working, had hoped for.
However, it was an interesting proposal for Onyul, who had been searching for a way to secretly infiltrate the Management Bureau. If he used delivery as an excuse, he could naturally enter the Management Bureau.
“Moreover, Manager, you’re an avid Alpha Team fan. It’ll be an opportunity to see Alpha Team’s activities up close.”
Ji Sanghyeon winked with one eye.
At the sudden wink, Onyul smiled awkwardly as his head began to fill with thoughts of Gu Baekyoung. When he mentioned Alpha Team’s activities, he thought of Gu Baekyoung.
Gu Baekyoung had been regarded as the esper who stood out the most at that event over the past few years. It was a position that didn’t seem to suit him, but he appeared without fail every year.
And Onyul had also watched his activities. Even at the last event he attended before dying.
Gu Baekyoung soared through the air with psychokinesis and melted the monsters he encountered.
Without a single weapon, he dominated the surroundings with just the extension of his hand. He had psychokinesis that could destroy targets without even touching them, and a powerful erosion ability that melted his targets.
The power Gu Baekyoung possessed wasn’t all there was, but he didn’t particularly use other abilities.
That alone was enough to make people enthusiastic. Not just ordinary people, but ability users like Onyul as well.
‘My baby, you’re doing so well.’
Onyul watched Gu Baekyoung with such feelings.
When he, selected as the event’s MVP, pretended to be unable to resist the reporters’ requests and even made a V sign, he would burst into laughter.
The V pose placed on his distorted face was somehow funny and also cute.
Onyul would use his therapy energy like broadcast guiding for the espers who had worked hard. No one broadcast Onyul’s invisible activities, but it didn’t matter.
It was enough just to see Gu Baekyoung’s subtly distorted expression soften.
“……”
It was definitely a happy memory, but the more he recalled it, the more Onyul’s mood sank.
Thinking about a past he could never return to was always depressing.
He didn’t know it then, but those times seemed to have been quite happy.
Rubbing shoulders with people he shared affection with, peacefully facing people without anything special happening… Even though he found the ability users who stuck to him persistently annoying, he didn’t view them badly.
At least there was nothing like almost becoming a wanted person as now, being distressed from having the money he saved in his past life stolen, having trauma, or having to question his own death.
Even if he became close friends with Gu Baekyoung again, it felt like he could never return to being Kang Onyul from back then, who had been only innocent.
“Manager?”
Ji Sanghyeon called out to Onyul again, who hadn’t answered for a while.
Onyul barely pulled his mind out of deep depression and forced a smile.
“Ah, yes. That’s right. I’m not quite an avid fan, but I do like Alpha Team.”
“The public bidding notice just happened to be posted.”
On the phone screen Ji Sanghyeon smoothly presented, there was a document titled ‘Ability Management Bureau Public Bidding Notice’ displayed. As he said, the Management Bureau was accepting bids from companies to supply goods for an event coming up soon.
“How did you know about something like this in advance, Sanghyeon-ssi?”
Ji Sanghyeon’s shoulders shrugged. He spoke confidently with a rather arrogant face.
“Did you forget, Manager? I’m a rich family’s young master.”
Wow… his self-praise is no joke.
“Do you remember what kind of business my family does?”
Of course he remembered.
“Did you say it was convenience store-related? The son of a large mart or department store owner?”
“Similar. My family also does work related to supply. We happen to have goods we supply to the Management Bureau.”
“Oh, so that’s why you know this kind of information well?”
“Yes. I’m constantly receiving business education.”
Having a capable part-timer was truly a great blessing. Thanks to Ji Sanghyeon, it felt like he could see a little clue to solving the difficult matter.
“I’m really capable, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
Before he knew it, Ji Sanghyeon had come inside the counter. He walked until their knees could touch and quietly looked down at Onyul.
An ecstatic smile hung on his handsome face that would make many women’s hearts flutter.
“If we become closer, Manager, I think I could help you more.”
He lightly grabbed Onyul’s wrist while talking about friendship. It was such a natural motion that he didn’t feel like shaking it off.
“I think we’re already quite close… How can we get closer from here?”
It was a pure question. Literally, Ji Sanghyeon was a talent who had nothing bad about keeping him nearby. So, strictly as a part-timer.
However, Ji Sanghyeon’s face, which seemed to have over-interpreted Onyul’s purity, brightened.
“Will you try calling me hyung? I’m one year older than you, Manager.”
As far as Onyul knew, Ji Sanghyeon was twenty-seven. Kang Ian’s age might be twenty-six, but Kang Onyul was twenty-eight.
Hey, dude. If we’re going by original age, I’m the hyung, you know?
He answered coldly as if he had never offered his wrist to Ji Sanghyeon.
“No thanks. I’d rather just stay as we are now.”
When he even pulled out the wrist that had been grabbed, Ji Sanghyeon’s lips parted slightly. It was a face that showed he didn’t expect to be rejected like this.
Yu Wooyoung, who had been quietly watching them, giggled. Ji Sanghyeon glanced over and glared fiercely at Yu Wooyoung.
It was a look that meant ‘You’re dead if you interfere.’
“Ah, I’m sorryyy… I have a habit of laughing when I see someone get rejecteddd…”
“Who got rejected?”
When a clueless answer came back, Ji Sanghyeon let out a shallow sigh.
‘Isn’t he normally supposed to say let’s get closer?’
Even though he was openly seducing while offering help, Kang Ian looked around with a face that knew nothing, which was absurd, yet Ji Sanghyeon let out a snicker.
It was because he didn’t dislike Kang Ian’s clueless appearance.
Rather, it was strange because he looked cute.
“No, Wooyoung-ssi must have had a strange misunderstanding.”
“Yesss, I sometimes say strange things.”
“Haha, you two must be close enough to joke around like that.”
“……”
Ji Sanghyeon and Yu Wooyoung smiled awkwardly.
“Manager, you can get off work nowww.”
At Yu Wooyoung’s words, Onyul belatedly prepared to leave work.
“Yess. I need to check the bidding notice too, so I’ll get off work now.”
“Yes!”
“And if you’re hungry, feel free to eat anything. I’ll pay for it, so eat as much as you want. Usually people give things that are about to be disposed of… but I’m really grateful to you both these days.”
Well, how much could two people eat anyway? There were no customers anyway, so there were more than enough items to be disposed of.
“Manager… you’re so kindd.”
“Hey, it’s nothing! Then I’ll really get going. Wooyoung-ssi, work hard, and Sanghyeon-ssi, see you tomorrow!”
“Yes, get home safely.”
Onyul’s steps as he left work were light. Perhaps thanks to his reliable part-timers, his mood had improved much more than when he’d coincidentally met his aunt.
***
Meanwhile, there was someone watching that scene with displeasure.
It was Gu Baekyoung, watching the convenience store’s internal CCTV on his phone from the Alpha Team members’ room.
Hacking the convenience store’s internal CCTV was easier than entering a gate. He made a request that was like a threat to an esper with hacking abilities who belonged to the Esper Center.
As a result, checking the convenience store daily had become routine.
Onyul dozing off, chasing customers away, organizing items… All those appearances were lovely.
How could a person be so lovely? Wasn’t he an existence born to be loved?
As Gu Baekyoung thought, everyone who visited the convenience store liked Onyul. Even the convenience store part-timers he’d recently hired acted friendly toward Onyul.
Especially the cunning part-timer who looked like a scholar was quite bothersome.
He would put his hand on Onyul’s shoulder at every opportunity or smile with his eyes at him. As if he’d gotten a job at the convenience store to seduce Onyul.
His name was Ji Sanghyeon, wasn’t it? Gu Baekyoung didn’t like him and was investigating him too.
‘That spot… was supposed to be mine.’
His teeth ground at the reality that he couldn’t freely visit the convenience store because of Park Hanil. If only he hadn’t spouted nonsense about wanted persons or whatever, he would have been the convenience store part-timer.
Then neither Ji Sanghyeon nor the gloomy glasses-wearer, those strange riffraff, would have been able to hover around Onyul.
Onyul had forbidden him from directly harming Park Hanil, but Gu Baekyoung wanted to take Park Hanil’s head right now.
The Management Bureau Director wouldn’t be okay, but it seemed like it would be fine to handle someone like Park Hanil with his own hands…
His deep contemplation only broke after another person’s voice was heard.
“Gu Baekyoung, that’s stalking.”
