Mechanical Skinship
Ilkyung pressed his forehead. Out of how many Espers at the Central Center, of all people Yoon Bomi and Lee Seonju Espers had to show up here. In any case, since he had called Director Ha, he had to take responsibility for this situation.
“Hello. Has the accident been completely suppressed?”
Ilkyung greeted the Espers first, pretending not to know.
“Ah, Assistant Manager Woo. Yes, as you can see, it’s all been suppressed.”
“That’s a relief. Still, it seems the fire didn’t spread too much because the Espers quickly brought the other Espers here.”
Ilkyung smiled and replied to Lee Seonju. Lee Seonju was a teleportation-type Esper and Yoon Bomi was a psychokinesis-type Esper.
“I am a bit tired from coming suddenly though.”
“But wait, is Director Ha doing the Guiding?”
Yoon Bomi interrupted and asked. This isn’t even a love triangle…
“Director, you can do the Guiding.”
Ilkyung turned his body slightly to the side and spoke to Director Ha. But Director Ha showed no intention of moving and openly let out a sigh. His expression said he was tired. Ilkyung pretended not to notice and pulled that Daehoon along.
“Just a moment. Please wait just a bit.”
Ilkyung asked for their understanding and dragged Ha Daehoon away from the Espers a little.
“Please Guide them quickly. Then we can go home.”
“Assistant Manager Woo.”
Daehoon just called his name, but Ilkyung, feeling guilty, started speaking rapidly.
“No, Director. You’re not going to refuse to Guide forever just because your pair broke up, are you? Why on earth are you being like this? Really, I just don’t understand.”
“There are reasons for not wanting to Guide a broken pair, aren’t there?”
Ha Daehoon hardened his face and replied stiffly.
“Assistant Manager Woo doesn’t seem to understand because you’re not an ability user…”
In that moment, Ilkyung sharply narrowed his brow. What Director Ha just said was a taboo phrase for the Woo family. The phrase Ilkyung really hated. Ilkyung gritted his teeth. Fuck. He told himself that calling Director Ha was a mistake and barely held back the curses rising up.
“Even if you’re an executive, you still have to do your work. They say Director just has to sit next to them and the Esper is healed, right? The rumors are quite famous. The way you’re acting right now, Director, anyone would think you dated and broke up.”
At those words, Ha Daehoon let out a snicker.
“No way! Don’t tell me you dated? Director, I heard you’re gay!”
“Enough. Let’s just hurry up and Guide, and do that ‘going home’ that Assistant Manager Woo loves so much.”
Daehoon showed signs of exhaustion and headed toward the Espers. What, he’s gay! But why is he reacting like that! It’s like he’s going to meet an ex-girlfriend he never wants to see again.
In front of Director Ha, Lee Seonju, Yoon Bomi, and two more Espers lined up. None of the four had rock-bottom matching rates. Director Ha exchanged a few words and then began Guiding. As Ilkyung watched from afar, seeing the conditions gradually stabilizing on the watches that measured the Espers’ conditions, he thought it was amazing. They were facing each other, holding hands and Guiding.
‘But I guess the rumor that guiding is possible without even holding hands was all just talk. Well, where would such a Guide exist anyway?’
Ilkyung glanced at Director Ha and thought. In any case, Director Ha’s expression while guiding looked bored to death, while Espers Yoon Bomi and Lee Seonju who were waiting kept observing him. Yet they couldn’t hide their gradually rising corners of their mouths.
‘Did something really happen?’
Ilkyung looked at them with eyes full of curiosity. The world of Espers and Guides was fascinating every time he saw it. Ilkyung once wanted to become an ability user too. Since his mom and all his noonas were Espers, he naturally believed he would become an ability user too. But seeing how there had been no changes up until now in his mid-twenties, it seemed he had no possibility of becoming an ability user, let alone an Esper.
‘I wouldn’t mind being a Guide either. No, no, then I’d have to go under Director Ha. Ugh, the thought alone is awful.’
Even now they clashed like this, so if he became a direct subordinate, they’d probably clash every other day. Ilkyung shuddered.
For a while when he was young, Ilkyung thought he was an ugly duckling. He cried a lot. Because it felt like only he wasn’t part of the Woo family. He wondered if they’d picked him up from somewhere and worried the secret would be exposed. His family paid more attention to him and loved him because of that, but even now, a wound remained in a corner of his heart.
When the guiding ended, Esper Lee Seonju acted like she had something to say, but Esper Yoon Bomi quickly interjected. Now only Esper Yoon Bomi remained.
“Director, I’m hurt much more than the previous people.”
It didn’t seem to be a lie. Since Esper Yoon Bomi was a telekinesis type, she used a lot of physical force. For example, at a fire scene, if another Esper controlled wind to block air, Esper Yoon Bomi would move objects or bring other things to cover combustible materials. It was pulling matter with her mind anyway, but it required that much energy, and sometimes when her coordination with other Espers was off, she’d get directly injured.
Come to think of it, compared to other Espers, her outfit was a mess and fatigue was plastered all over her white face.
Daehoon let out a sigh.
“Director, you need to work. Work.”
Unable to watch any longer, Ilkyung stepped forward and spoke, and Daehoon spread his arms to both sides as if he had no choice. Then Yoon Bomi smiled brightly and practically leaped into his embrace. Ilkyung unconsciously stepped back slightly. It was a well-known fact that guiding involved physical contact, but the current situation was a bit strange.
Daehoon was just spreading his arms expressionlessly, and Yoon Bomi hugged him a bit tighter. Yoon Bomi smiled as if there could be nothing better than this, and he could see the gauge on the condition measurement watch quickly stabilizing.
“Guiding complete.”
Daehoon spoke indifferently and stepped back first before Yoon Bomi could step away. Yoon Bomi made a regretful expression and Lee Seonju’s face contorted sharply. What is this? Is it really a love triangle?
Daehoon turned around just like that and walked deliberately toward where the car was. Ilkyung was confused about how to handle the situation unfolding before his eyes because it was a bit strange, and after hesitating back and forth, he eventually bowed his head to the Espers in greeting.
“You all worked hard today. See you at the Center tomorrow.”
Then Ilkyung quickly chased after Ha Daehoon. What the—why are his legs so long?
“Director, Director!”
Daehoon grabbed the open car door and only then looked at Ilkyung crookedly. He’d parked in such a secluded spot that there was no one around.
“I’ve been calling you since earlier, didn’t you hear?”
“As if I wouldn’t have heard.”
At Daehoon’s answer, Ilkyung looked at him with an expression of disbelief.
“No, I really didn’t know those two people would be there today either.”
Daehoon sighed and closed the car door. Ilkyung nervously gulped. If it were any other time and he’d rashly said “why did you do guiding again, I told you not to, can’t you understand what I’m saying,” Ilkyung would have lifted his chin and said something back, but no matter how he thought about it, the atmosphere just now was strange.
“It’s Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung’s job to check which Espers are there first and distribute the Guides. I can’t guide every single Esper.”
“Today there weren’t any seriously injured people, so for efficiency’s sake, I requested you, Director.”
Daehoon put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.
“That damn efficiency. So what’s the problem with going home after guiding? Why did you call me?”
At the stiff voice, Ilkyung bit his lip. In fact, since everyone’s work was done, it would be fine to just leave work as is. But somehow it felt like he shouldn’t go like that. Because there was something bothering him.
“How many times have we clashed for this same reason now? If you can’t understand what your superior is saying, isn’t that what it means to be unable to work?”
“If you’d explained the reason clearly, I wouldn’t be like this either.”
“Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung probably doesn’t know well because you’re not an ability user, but guiding is based on physical contact. And there are some physical contacts I don’t want to do.”
“No, it’s work. Director, you’re a Guide, so even if you don’t like it, you have to do it.”
At Ilkyung’s words, Daehoon took a deep drag of his cigarette.
