DB Vol 1 Part 9

Tata-tak, tak, tak.

Yoo Geon-young typed on the keyboard, and soon a printout came out. The document he handed over with a pen was the same as what Won-woo had seen at the hospital.

‘Long-term Leave Application Form’

“Sign it.”

“No. I intend to continue working here.”

Geon-young, who had been looking at the monitor, turned fierce eyes to Won-woo.

“You’re saying you’ll work here?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Ha, is there a problem?”

Geon-young let out a hollow laugh, turning his face to the side as if he was about to burst into profanity.

“Who the hell do you think I am for you to speak so casually?”

“You’re the team leader. The one speaking casually to team members.”

Won-woo replied, looking straight at him. Geon-young looked at Won-woo with disbelieving eyes and let out another hollow laugh.

“Wow, this is driving me crazy. Did your brain get scrambled when you hit your head?”

“I guess so.”

“No matter how crazy you’ve gone, you should still know who’s superior and who you should watch your mouth around, you bastard!”

With a bang! Geon-young slammed his fist hard on the desk. From the impact, a few items on the desk fell to the floor. Won-woo’s eyes scanned the floor.

“I may not know much else, but I can see that you’re not qualified to be a superior.”

“Hey, Ji Won-woo.”

“If you want to be recognized as qualified, show respect instead of trying to suppress with authority.”

“Damn it, what respect? Should I speak politely to you?”

“Yes. That sounds much better.”

At Won-woo’s calm voice, Geon-young was momentarily at a loss for words. He still wasn’t avoiding Geon-young’s eyes, but rather staring at him intently. Because he was so different from the previous Ji Won-woo, Geon-young’s anger cooled quickly.

“Did you really go crazy?”

“Think of it whichever way is convenient for you.”

Hearing casual speech again, Geon-young muttered to himself, cursing.

“Did he lose his manners along with his memory?”

[Yeah.]

Suddenly, a voice of realization was heard in Won-woo’s ear. No, Nani, why are you agreeing with that? They say you shouldn’t even cough carelessly in front of a child, and it was frustrating that Nani, who learns everything about people, seemed to have acquired incorrect knowledge. Geon-young looked at Won-woo’s expression pitifully, perhaps thinking he was nervous.

“Sign the long-term leave form and get out while I’m asking nicely. Then we won’t have to deal with you. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s an order.”

“I don’t mind transferring departments. I just need to stay at the center.”

At Won-woo’s request, disgust rose in Geon-young’s eyes.

“Ha, you think I don’t know your intentions? You’re trying to stay at the center just to see Seung-wook’s face one more time, aren’t you?”

“Who’s that?”

“Who else, the Esper you were stalking.”

Won-woo froze like a picture for a few seconds, then pointed at himself with his finger.

“Me? I did?”

“…Did you really become an idiot?”

“Why would I stalk someone?”

As Won-woo asked accusingly, this time it was Geon-young who was at a loss for words.

“Why? You followed him around because you liked Seung-wook.”

“You’ve got it wrong. There’s no way I liked him.”

When he firmly denied it, Geon-young let out a short laugh with a “Ha.” He really couldn’t help but laugh.

“Everyone knows that Ji Won-woo stalked Seung-wook. Are you saying they’re all mistaken?”

“There must be another reason.”

“What other reason?”

The other reason was obvious. In the original world, Won-woo had stalked numerous Espers. Of course, it was to kill them. Since he couldn’t give that reason now, he spoke casually.

“I guess my family ordered it.”

“Family? You… Ah.”

Geon-young made a sound of agreement for a moment, then immediately frowned. It might have been a random excuse, but with the Ji family, it wasn’t entirely impossible. Could it really have been like that? No, more importantly, was this guy always this articulate?

“No matter what you say, I don’t believe you anyway. Do you think you’re the only one who’s tried to hang around the center talking like that and then started stalking Seung-wook again?”

“You’re a good friend. From what I hear, this Seung-wook person can’t even take care of himself, but you look after him so well as a friend.”

Geon-young was momentarily at a loss for words. Is this really not an act? This guy who used to be like a doll but would at least react when he heard Hong Seung-wook’s name. That image looked so pitiful, like someone who still had lingering feelings. Even though they supposedly had a secret relationship, it was only for a month.

But now he’s criticizing that Seung-wook can’t even take care of himself. Has he really forgotten Hong Seung-wook?

“You really don’t remember Seung-wook, do you? Is that right?”

“Then can I stay now?”

“Don’t say such ridiculous things. Why should I keep a burden like you around?”

“If you don’t like that, then transfer me to another department.”

“Ha, hey, not a chance. Just take the leave. Damn it, don’t you understand?”

Geon-young leaned his upper body forward threateningly along with the curse. Won-woo calmly stared back this time too, but it was difficult to maintain composure due to the voice that interjected.

[He’s really barking like a dog.]

The indifferent observation sounded so much like a mechanical interpretation that Won-woo almost burst out laughing. Of course, Nani must have said it without knowing it was an insult.

“It’s an order, so understand that and please get out of the center.”

“What if I have no intention of following it?”

“Then consider it a threat.”

Geon-young said slowly, tilting his head to the side. Looking at him, Won-woo remembered what his ability was. It was probably the ability to concentrate power. Using the ability to gather the power of the atmosphere in one place, he crushes objects inside it. Not to mention fragile entities like humans, he can cut and burst even hard entities like minerals or monsters.

Some Espers take a characteristic action before using their power, which is called a startup action. Yoo Geon-young’s startup action was the habit of cracking his neck to the side until the joint made a sound. Like now. He really seemed to be trying to intimidate by revealing his power. But what surprised Won-woo wasn’t Geon-young’s threat.

[Dodge to the left.]

Following Nani’s quick voice, the sound of compressed air bursting rang out right next to his body. At the same time, the right metal frame of the chair Won-woo was sitting on creaked and distorted. It was only 1-2cm away from Won-woo’s arm. Won-woo wasn’t hurt, but he wondered as he looked down at the chair. How did Nani know the attack would come from the right? He only hears through the communicator, right?

“This is what I mean by a threat.”

He heard Geon-young’s threatening voice, but Won-woo’s attention was still focused on Nani. The fact that there was no further word from the communicator didn’t seem to be just because Won-woo was fine. Rather, it felt like Nani was wondering why Won-woo wasn’t surprised by the attack.

Am I treating Nani too much like a person and misunderstanding? Won-woo tilted his head slightly and met Geon-young’s gaze. He was looking at Won-woo, who wasn’t surprised, as if thinking ‘Is he really crazy?’ Right, he should resolve this first.

“Your threat is weak.”

“Ha, damn it, should I blow your head off for real?”

“Go ahead.”

What? Geon-young frowned deeply.

“If my request isn’t accepted here, I’m going to appeal to higher-ups. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go even higher, and if that doesn’t work either, I plan to go everywhere until it does.”

“Who’s going to listen to you?”

“Since I’m from the Ji family, someone will listen.”

Won-woo could clearly see the deep disgust spreading in Geon-young’s eyes. It was certain that he wasn’t favorable towards the Ji family. Well, who would like them? But no matter how terrible they were, if they had power, they could be quite useful to Won-woo.

Seeing the killing intent in Geon-young’s eyes, it was clearly effective. He seemed about to attack again as he was tilting his head to the side, but a phone ringtone interrupted him. Geon-young glanced at the phone screen and his eyes widened slightly. It must have been an important call, as he hurriedly stood up and ordered:

“Don’t move and wait here.”

And worried that the other person might hang up, he quickly answered the phone before even fully opening the door.

“Yes, what’s the matter?”

Along with a kind voice as if speaking to someone else, the door closed with a thud. Although there was an order not to move, as soon as he disappeared, Won-woo got up from his seat and went to Geon-young’s place. And without explaining what he was going to do, Nani’s warning was heard.

[It’s probably locked.]

Won-woo was about to grab the mouse and move it, but he kindly explained as if to a child.

“He just stepped out for a moment, so it’s unlikely. You don’t know people well yet, that’s why. The team leader sees me as a weakling he can subdue at any time, so he’ll look down on me and won’t have done anything.”

As soon as the monitor turned on when the mouse moved, a lock screen appeared asking for a password.

“… Hmm, I guess not.”

[I thought you knew people well?]

“I thought I did. Do you happen to know the password?”

[Why don’t you, who knows people so well, try to guess the password?]

“Are you being sarcastic?”

[Of course not. I guess you feel that way because I’m an early version.]

The sarcasm was at the level of a severe beating. Won-woo was newly impressed by Sang-cheon. To create such a human-like AI. As expected, Hwang Sang-cheon was the best in other worlds too. As Won-woo was about to give up on searching Geon-young’s computer and stand up, Nani’s voice was heard.

[0407ED.]

The password? On the off chance, he entered it, and the lock actually unlocked.

“How did you know?”

[By chance.]

“How can you know by chance? You only hear sounds, so you couldn’t have seen Yoo Geon-young typing the password from this seat.”

Unless you can see through sound. Huh? Wait a minute. Suddenly, some information about sound seemed about to surface. But it was blurry like fog and hard to grasp. What was it? Clearly, something… But there was no time to think more now. There was a more urgent matter at hand.

Won-woo stopped thinking and focused on the computer. He quickly clicked and checked through the complex center menu, finding and entering categories that were inaccessible from Ji Won-woo’s computer.

“You’re right. Espers can be searched, but Guides can’t be searched even if they belong to the center.”

Won-woo muttered as he typed the name of the person he was looking for into the search bar.

[…H Seo N?]

It seemed like Nani had just said the name he typed, but he soon thought he must have misheard. How could it know the name typed on the keyboard when it couldn’t see? So Won-woo focused on the monitor where the results were appearing.

‘Han Seona – Deputy Team Leader of Support Team 2, East Center affiliation.’

***

“Ms. Han Seona.”

Han Seona, who was just coming out of the personal training room, closed her eyes tightly for a moment when she heard her name from behind, then opened them. How long has it been since I became deputy team leader, why are they still not using my title, damn it. Who the hell is it? She turned around with fire in her eyes, but unfortunately, the person was someone with an awkwardly high position to express dissatisfaction to.

“…Department Head Park.”

The middle-aged man in front of her was a Department Head in a different department but still in management.

“Have you checked the report on the reconstruction status of Area 31?”

Why would I? Seona shook her head expressionlessly.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not my job.”

What? Department Head Park frowned, then tilted his head back with an “Ah.”

“Right. You moved departments. Where was it again?”

“…Support Team 2. And I was promoted to deputy team leader.”

You? The expression was clearly visible on Department Head Park’s face. His gaze immediately went to Seona’s ears. Seona was wearing five runaway suppression devices in the form of piercings, three in one ear and two in the other. They were called anti-rampage suppressors, but in reality, they were su/c/de devices that would blow the Esper’s head off if they detected a rampage. The purpose was to reduce damage by eliminating the Esper before they rampaged.

They say nowadays they come out pretty like accessories, but still, no one wants to carry a bomb on their body. But without proper Guides, there was no choice. Espers wearing rampage suppression devices were mostly either unable to afford private Guides or had extremely poor matching rates, or both. Seona was both. Her matching rate was extremely low, and even if she found a Guide with a matching rate of over 50%, she couldn’t afford to hire them.

“Do you go out to the field too?”

“The support team only works in the field.”

“Ah, so you don’t participate in actual combat, just clean up afterwards.”

“…”

“So Ms. Han Seona doesn’t know anything about Area 31? Weren’t you in charge of that area before? Or not? Haa, this is frustrating.”

No matter how much Seona mentioned her changed department and title, Department Head Park spoke as if he had earplugs in, then soon disappeared. In fact, Seona was the one who wanted to sigh. Damn Department Head Park, I hope all your abilities disappear, you get kicked out of the center, lose all your pension, and suffer in your later years.

Dreaming of a wish that wouldn’t come true, she approached the lounge where she could eat light snacks and drinks. But even that place wasn’t peaceful. She was just about to open the refrigerator inside the snack bar in the lounge when she heard voices from beyond the nearby vending machine.

“If Ji Won-woo took off all his clothes, spread his legs, and begged to be fucked, it might be a little concerning.”

Fuck. Seona cursed inwardly as she slammed the innocent refrigerator door shut. What kind of idiotic Esper would be spouting such nonsense again? It didn’t matter whether the person in the conversation was Ji Won-woo or not. Of course, there was an aspect of being sick of hearing insults about Ji Won-woo again, but she hated having to hear such disgusting conversations here.