“Esper Do Yunseong? Who… Ah, that Esper who did the matching test with Guide Kim Ian?”
“Right. The results came out today, and I was shocked because their matching rate was completely terrible.”
“Ah, really?”
Ilkyung was about to scoop another spoonful of rice but asked back in surprise.
“Yeah. It was totally the worst. To the point where I wondered if this was even possible.”
“What was it?”
“The two people’s matching rate? 35%”
“What?”
“Hurry up and eat. Don’t just hold it.”
Ilkyung ate small amounts like a bird, but anyway, the Center food was delicious. Every time Ilkyung ate lunch, he liked the menu so much he thought this taste was why he went to the Center, but now he stopped in surprise and the sausage on top of his rice rolled off.
“But wait, they’re both A-rank. How can two people of the same A-rank have such a low matching rate?”
“That’s why no one knows about Esper-Guide relationships. Everyone thought their matching rate would be high because they were so into each other. But when they actually tested it, it was like mortal enemies would be better than this.”
“But Section Chief.”
Ilkyung called Section Chief Kang but couldn’t speak right away and looked around. Only after confirming there were no people nearby did he continue.
“Aren’t those two dating?”
“Mm, that’s right. So… they came to hear the matching rate results and the atmosphere was completely murderous…”
That’s when it happened. Bang! There was a sound of something exploding and breaking.
“Ah! What, what is it?”
Ilkyung jumped up from his seat while holding his rice spoon. Section Chief Kang was equally surprised, as his eyes widened and he also jumped up from his seat.
“Did something explode? Is it the protesters?”
“Let’s go see. Let’s go out for now.”
Not just Ilkyung and Section Chief Kang, but everyone in the cafeteria went outside.
“Huh? Section Chief. The fountain, the fountain!”
Ilkyung, who was normally fearless and very curious, went near the fountain where something seemed to have happened. The area near the fountain was hollowed out as if hit by a bomb, and the fountain, which wasn’t running yet because it was still spring, was full of water.
“Assistant Manager Woo, come here. Don’t go close.”
“No, Section Chief. Why is this… Huh? Esper Do?”
Esper Do Yunseong and Guide Kim Ian, whom Ilkyung and Section Chief Kang had just been talking about, were in a standoff. What, is the Esper going to kill the Guide? The energy between the two was not normal.
“Assistant Manager Woo, come here.”
“Noona, do you think that makes sense? Who else should I get Guiding from besides you!”
Somehow having ended up in the middle of the two, Ilkyung looked back and forth from side to side. From over there, Section Chief Kang was saying in a small voice not to stay there but to come here, but there was no way he could hear that. What, I thought protesters had invaded, but it turns out it’s just a lovers’ quarrel!
“No, think rationally for a moment…”
That’s when it happened. The ground exploded with another bang, and the fountain water shot up with a whoosh.
“Aaaah!”
He thought he was going to get completely soaked like this. Today’s weather is freaking chilly! The sun hasn’t even come out and it’s been cloudy all day!
“Huh? Uh!”
“Can’t Assistant Manager Woo stay still for once?”
Why is the Director here? Looking at Director Ha soaked in water, Ilkyung couldn’t say anything.
He didn’t know when Director Ha Daehoon had been there. Honestly, Ilkyung was so excited watching the Esper and Guide’s lovers’ quarrel that he didn’t even know who was at this spot. Somehow he ended up positioned between the two people, and while blatantly watching from there, he got caught up in the fountain show.
Now the lovers’ quarrel watching just turned into love watching, and everyone ended up watching Director Ha Daehoon and Assistant Manager Woo Ilkyung. It was like a scene from a movie, so people were gaping and too absorbed in watching to think. Somehow, Ilkyung ended up looking like a precious lover nestled in Director Ha’s arms.
“Since when have those two been close?”
Someone’s whispered voice reached Ilkyung’s ears. At that, the tips of Ilkyung’s ears heated up hotly. Ilkyung lightly pushed Daehoon’s chest with his hand.
“D-Director. Everyone is watching.”
“I know.”
“S-so please take me out of your arms.”
Ha Daehoon stared down at Ilkyung. Why is this guy everywhere I go? Thinking such thoughts, Daehoon released his embracing arms. Ilkyung quickly stepped back.
“Let’s go in and change clothes first.”
“What? Ah, yes.”
Ilkyung was looking over Daehoon’s body when he jumped in surprise. Wait, why would you put your suit jacket over someone else’s head? Then what does that make him? What does it make him! It makes him a sexy man who got soaked. Geez. This is absurd.
Daehoon turned his body and trudged toward the building. The crowd that hadn’t dispersed yet split apart like the parting of the Red Sea, gauging the situation. Ilkyung followed behind him with his head deeply bowed, scurrying along.
Even though he got less wet than Director Ha because Director Ha had pulled him into an embrace, he was still soaked nonetheless. But where should he go? Ilkyung still had Daehoon’s jacket draped over his head like a veil and was mindlessly trotting after Director Ha when they stopped in front of the elevator, and he cautiously spoke up.
“But Director.”
“Yes.”
“Where am I going?”
He regretted it the moment he said it. Really, what was the point? What was he supposed to do by asking that? But Director Ha didn’t find Ilkyung absurd and just looked at him.
“Are you planning to go to the office completely soaked like that? So what are you going to do?”
“Then where am I…?”
“Let’s go to my room. Executive Secretary Min will come with clothes he’s buying.”
“What? Why my clothes…?”
“Then what are you going to do soaking wet like that? And why were you right in the middle of a fight? You’re not even an Esper. You have no sense of caution.”
Ilkyung pouted his lips.
“But Director, you were there to watch a lovers’ quarrel too, weren’t you? Don’t pretend you weren’t.”
“I was just passing by. Let’s get on the elevator first. Do you realize they’ve been staring at us like zoo monkeys this whole time?”
“No, I mean, this situation isn’t because I did something, it’s because Director…!”
“Yes, I get it, so stop whining and let’s go up.”
Daehoon was too tired to argue further here, so he grabbed Ilkyung’s wrist and dragged him onto the elevator. Woo Ilkyung had this thing about him. Acting on emotion without thinking things through. So even when he’s calm, he gets worked up and shows every form of emotion there is. At this point, he seemed a bit crazy.
“It’s a good thing it was the fountain that burst. What if a rock had fallen—why were you standing there gaping with your mouth open?”
“If a rock had fallen, my head would’ve cracked open.”
Ilkyung hugged his arms and stared at the elevator numbers, responding indifferently to Director Ha’s words.
“Are you cold?”
“A little.”
“Should I hug you?”
“You must be crazy.”
Ilkyung heard the sound that came out of Ha Daehoon’s mouth and blurted out words that didn’t pass through his brain.
“Even so, I’m your superior. Assistant Manager Woo’s superior.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. But Director, if you say things like that, it’s sexual harassment…”
“I don’t think that’s something Assistant Manager Woo, who looked me up and down soaking wet, should say. And hugging someone who’s cold can be done officially too. Without any emotion, like mechanical guiding.”
“Wow, petty.”
Ilkyung muttered. Then he turned his body again and glared at the elevator numbers. Ah, I want to get off. I want to go home. Why do I even come to work? Fuck. What’s so great about being a company employee anyway? Ah, why isn’t my dad a chaebol? When his thoughts reached that point, Daehoon, who was actually the grandson of a chaebol family, spoke.
“Are you spacing out again? I bet Assistant Manager Woo got scolded a lot in school.”
“I did not! I was a model student!”
“Well, I can’t know for sure, so let’s say that’s true. Anyway, why were you there? Is it Assistant Manager Woo’s hobby to be in dangerous situations?”
Section Chief Kang said that Woo Ilkyung resembled a meerkat. Not that he looked like one, but that the way he turned his head here and there with curious eyes was just like one, or something like that.
“Who has that as a hobby? It just happened to turn out that way.”
“You were just standing there in that situation without knowing what an Esper might do—what were you planning to do?”
