TG Ch 3(2) Part 3

Day 1 of General Examinations.

It was manageable. Although there were a few hiccups since they were working with a newly assembled team, everyone followed Sijin’s instructions diligently. Whenever an Ability User tried to disregard an examiner, the mere presence of Ham Geonwu or Jeong Taeyul was enough to quell any dissent. Rumors about Park Jaesung’s failed attempt to provoke Sijin had apparently spread, making Sijin’s job much easier.

Ham Geonwu had also been acting a little differently. He dropped off a large, fancy paper bag at the examination room late that evening. 

“Doctor, open this when I’m gone.” 

“Huh…? What’s this?”

Ham Geonwu just smiled, not answering his question. He then disappeared just as quickly as he’d arrived, reminding the Ability Users waiting in line to listen to the Doctor. 

Once he was gone, Sijin peeked inside the bag. It contained enough luxurious boxed meals from a fancy hotel to feed all the examiners. 

[Make sure you eat – From: Cutie Patootie]

A note, scribbled in messy handwriting, was attached to the bag. Sijin felt his fatigue melt away. The examiners were amazed, showering praise on the Killer Whale. Although his body was exhausted, Sijin couldn’t stop smiling. 

He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of warmth, as if his lover had sent a thoughtful gift to his workplace. He quickly shook his head, chastising himself for such a ridiculous thought. He then instinctively glanced around, checking to see if Jeong Taeyul was nearby. It had become a habit.

Day 2 of General Examinations.

One of the examination machines malfunctioned from overuse. 

Sijin called for a halt to the examinations and began repairing the machine himself. The other examiners wanted to wait for a technician, but thankfully, Sijin had been involved in the development of the machine and was able to fix it quickly, earning him the respect of his colleagues—as well as a double dose of exhaustion.

He continued working until late into the night, conducting examinations and consultations, oblivious to the black smudge on his forehead. It was Jeong Taeyul who, with a sigh, wiped it off. He scolded Sijin for being careless, then helped him with a few tasks before leaving.

However, by that point, Sijin was practically a zombie, his memory hazy. 

‘So warm…’

The only thing he remembered clearly was Jeong Taeyul draping a blanket over him as he dozed off at his desk in the examination room. Even in his sleep-deprived state, Sijin had acknowledged that although Jeong Taeyul was intimidating, he wasn’t a bad person. 

Day 3 of General Examinations.

‘Baek Sijin… The workaholic ant of the Center.’

Dark circles were evident under Sijin’s eyes. It was day 3 of relentless work, with barely any time for meals.

However, he had finally finished most of the general examinations, which meant he could finally get some sleep. It was only three hours, but it was precious nonetheless.

Just then, he heard Ham Geonwu’s voice outside the window. Sijin turned, a smile spreading across his haggard face. He’d been so busy that he’d had to turn down Ham Geonwu’s repeated lunch invitations. Even this brief glimpse of him was enough to lift his spirits.

“Something interesting out there, Doctor?”

His moment of peace was shattered. Sijin flinched, looking up.

“Oh, it’s only Ham Geonwu’s face.” 

“Guide… Jeong Taeyul.” 

Sijin had noticed that Jeong Taeyul had become more outwardly polite after the incident at his dorm. However, his prickly nature remained unchanged.

A subtle smile played on Jeong Taeyul’s lips as he asked, “Were you watching Ham Geonwu, Doctor Baek?” 

Sijin, as if caught doing something wrong, quickly answered, “N-No.”

“Then what were you looking at?”

“The landscaping… It’s very beautiful…”

“The flowers are all dead.”

Unfortunately, the flowerbeds had been completely scorched by Esper Seo Gyuho during a childish game of fireball tag. Examiner Shin Dayoung had ended up comforting him, wiping away his tears. Now, Sijin couldn’t help but resent Seo Gyuho as well.

Sijin let out an exaggerated sigh, emphasizing his exhaustion, to which Jeong Taeyul responded, “Must be tough. Want me to buy you a coffee?”

“It’s okay. I’m going straight to bed. I’m exhausted.”

Jeong Taeyul often offered to buy him coffee, or sometimes tea like Rooibos.

However, the drinks he brought were always overly sweet. Sijin, although he had a sweet tooth, always opted for black coffee out of concern for his health. He couldn’t figure out why Jeong Taeyul insisted on bringing him sugary drinks.

“Alright. Go get some rest.” 

Jeong Taeyul didn’t let Sijin leave until after Ham Geonwu was completely out of sight. Sijin practically fled from his watchful gaze. 

Sometimes, Jeong Taeyul seemed more than just mischievous; he was downright cunning. Ever since Sijin had gotten closer to Ham Geonwu, Jeong Taeyul had been subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) preventing them from spending time together. 

‘If I really ever quit this job, it’ll be because of Jeong Taeyul…’

Sijin thought miserably. His dark circles seemed even more prominent now. 

***

Day 4 of General Examinations.

By this point, Sijin felt like he had become an extension of the examination machines. 

Amidst the chaos, Sijin received a notification. He rubbed his tired, gritty eyes and checked the message. 

His eyes widened in disbelief.

‘The Director wants to see me…?’ 

The Director had summoned him, and he had absolutely no time to spare.

He groaned, massaging his temples. It would be unwise to ignore a summons from the Director, but his workload was immense.

After much deliberation, Sijin pushed himself away from his desk and stood up.

‘Right, better to get it over with quickly.’

Prolonging the matter would only lead to more stress and anxiety.

He set his work aside and trudged towards the Director’s office, his heart heavy with apprehension. Whenever the Director summoned an examiner, it was usually to either criticize their Ability User management skills, pressure them to lower the incident rate, or push for ability user promotions.

Sijin desperately hoped it wasn’t the last one. He had enough on his plate already. The Director’s office was inconveniently located on the top floor of the main building, far from the examination rooms.

When Sijin arrived, the secretary led him to a waiting area. “Please have a seat. The Director will see you shortly.” 

Sijin sat patiently on the sofa, the Director’s office right next door.

‘It’s strange that he’s calling for me now…’

The Director hadn’t summoned him until two weeks after Sijin had started working at the Center. Considering that they had three A-rank Ability Users on the verge of S-rank, Sijin had expected to be called in much sooner. The Director usually gave examiners as much grief as he did the Ability User team captains.

‘Is it because of my performance?’ 

Sijin’s anxiety grew. The examination room had been operating smoothly lately, but they hadn’t achieved any noteworthy results. Maintaining the stability of Ability Users was an achievement in itself, but perhaps the Director had higher expectations. 

Time dragged on, each passing minute adding to his unease. He was starting to fidget when the secretary’s voice broke the silence.

“Doctor Baek, the Director will see you now.”

“Thank you.” 

Sijin thanked her out of habit and entered the Director’s office. 

The office was adorned with a national flag and the Center’s emblem. Elegant bookshelves crafted from high-quality wood lined the walls, and a large, polished table sat in the center of the room.

The Director, who had been looking through a file, greeted Sijin with a relaxed smile.

“Ah, Doctor Baek. My apologies for the wait.” 

“Not at all, sir.” 

“Have a seat.”

The atmosphere was less tense than Sijin had anticipated, and he felt himself relax slightly. He took a seat on the leather sofa across from the Director’s desk. 

The Director returned to his paperwork. Despite the comfortable sofa, Sijin couldn’t relax. His gaze darted around nervously. 

[Director: Choi Homyeong] 

He spotted the Director’s nameplate on the desk. His eyes then shifted to the Director, who was now standing by a bookshelf, skimming through a document.

The Director was a handsome, middle-aged man with an air of authority. Despite being in his 50s, he was tall and well-built, his dark navy blue Center uniform impeccably tailored. His neatly combed hair and the national flag displayed proudly behind his chair gave him an air of old-fashioned discipline.

“Managing Ability Users isn’t an easy task, is it?”

The Director asked as he walked towards the sofa where Sijin was sitting. He had a slight limp, as if one of his legs was injured.

“It’s just as challenging as managing the Center itself.”

Sijin chuckled, offering a lighthearted reply. The Director seemed to appreciate his humor, letting out a hearty laugh. Up close, his brown eyes softened his features, giving him a friendly demeanor. The atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant.

“You’re telling me. Our Center isn’t exactly known for being easygoing.”

“Haha…”

That was an understatement. Having just escaped the hellish week of general examinations, Sijin’s smile wavered. 

He decided to get straight to the point. “I’m assuming there’s a reason you summoned me…”

“Ah, yes, there is.”

The Director replied casually, flipping through the documents in his hand. He might have seemed like a strict, by-the-books military man, but his relaxed demeanor made it seem like he had simply called Sijin in for a chat.

He then said, without looking up, “Your examination room performance has been excellent, and the Ability User incident rate has dropped significantly since you started two weeks ago. Honestly, I have nothing but praise for you.” 

“It’s all thanks to the Ability Users’ cooperation, sir.”

The Director chuckled, pleased with his answer. Sijin, despite the friendly atmosphere, couldn’t help but feel a bead of sweat trickling down his palm. He braced himself for whatever was coming next. 

“So, Doctor Baek…”

“Yes, sir?”

The Director handed him a document. It was a schematic diagram of the F12 Center. As Sijin accepted it, his brow furrowing in confusion, the Director continued, “Our Center boasts the highest performance rate in the nation, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, sir, I’m aware of that.”

“Which is why we’re planning an expansion next year…”

‘Here it comes.’

Sijin felt a wave of relief at the predictable news.

Center expansions were usually granted to high-performing facilities. While it wasn’t a common occurrence, examiners often referred to it as ‘being hit by a bomb.’

Because it meant double the number of Ability Users to manage.

“We’ll need to expand the examination rooms, and we’ll be bringing in new examiners. I’d like you, Doctor Baek, to oversee their training and management.”

“Haha…” 

Sijin chuckled awkwardly.

It wouldn’t be a difficult task, as long as they provided enough examiners. However, Sijin was still relatively young for a lead examiner. The F12 Center was already large, and expanding it would be like managing two Centers at once. He wasn’t sure if he was up to the task.

He decided to approach the matter cautiously. “Considering the size of our Center, we’ll need a significant increase in examiners. I think we’ll need at least six…”

“Indeed. We’re currently expecting at least ten new examiners.” 

“Oh…”

Ten examiners… That would be manageable.

The conversation flowed smoothly after that. The Director, as if he’d been prepared, agreed to meet all of Sijin’s demands. It might have been lip service, but even if he only fulfilled half of his promises, Sijin would be able to handle the expansion.

“In that case, I understand. Please let me know if there are any further developments regarding the expansion.” 

“Will do. You’re dismissed.”

Sijin felt a wave of relief as the meeting came to an end.