IGWKE Episode 31

Episode 31

― Sunbae, you’re resigning? Didn’t you say you’re not losing your mind? What, are you planning to starve yourself to death?”

“Yun-young, you’re really pushing it. Watch yourself.”

The resignation notice had only been given to Manager Im, but within two hours, the entire center seemed to know. Messages flooded in from guides he was on decent terms with, all expressing some form of concern—though the tone made it hard to tell if they were truly worried. Even peers he hadn’t heard from in years sent him messages, their curiosity piqued. Apparently, while his social skills were lacking, his character had managed to leave a decent impression.

[Is it true? Jung Yoon-ui is resigning?]
[The rumor has spread everywhere.]
[Did your pension kick in already?]
[Won the lottery last week, huh?]
[Or maybe you’ve been secretly investing?]

Balancing his phone between his shoulder and ear, Yoon-ui typed away on his keyboard.

[If I could cash out my pension in a lump sum, I’d cut ties with this place altogether.]

The message carried all the sincerity of his pent-up frustration. His colleague, perhaps unsure how to respond, hesitated, the “typing” indicator flickering on and off multiple times. After a long pause, they appeared to give up altogether, leaving the chat silent once more.

“Wait, you said you were transferring to administration, but now you’re going home for good?”

Joo-min, lingering nearby after overhearing the news, chimed in with a half-joking remark. Her eyes betrayed her concern, despite her attempt at nonchalance. Yoon-ui chuckled and stood up. Seeing him smile, the others, who had been keeping their distance, cautiously approached with questions.

“Are you really resigning, Yoon-ui?”
“Why not talk to the director one more time?”
“Or maybe take the internal exam to stay here?”

The concern was genuine, as they offered bits of advice, urging him to reconsider. Some suggested he treat it as a temporary outburst and not submit the paperwork. But Yoon-ui, having reached his limit, was firm in his decision. After all, he had been seriously considering resignation long before transferring to administration was proposed. Now that the decision was out in the open, he felt oddly liberated.

“I’m done. I’m so sick of this place.”

His resolute response left no room for further discussion. Even Team Leader Kim, typically oblivious, hesitated to approach and eventually backed away. If Kim picked up on the mood, it was impossible for someone as perceptive as Heon-ju not to notice.

“Hello!”

Heon-ju’s bright voice echoed through the office as he entered, his sharp eyes scanning the unusual atmosphere. Instead of responding verbally, Yoon-ui raised his hand above the partition and gave a small wave. Taking that as a cue, Heon-ju smiled brightly and dragged a chair to sit beside him.

“Check this out! The report for last night’s training came in. Wanna see it?”

Without waiting for an answer, he eagerly handed over a sheet of A4 paper, practically glowing with excitement. It was a feedback report on his training session. With a disinterested expression, Yoon-ui took it and glanced through it.

“They’ve changed the format quite a bit.”

“Not the format—look at the results! Here, the progress chart and this one here.”

Heon-ju pointed enthusiastically at graphs and tables detailing his improved control, energy usage, and the destructive power of his abilities compared to previous sessions. Skimming through the report, Yoon-ui’s eyes widened as he took in the data.

“Wow. You’ve improved this much?”

“Right? Manager Park even praised me this morning. She attended the training observation.”

“…Did she now?”

The mention of Manager Park’s name soured his mood instantly. Suppressing his irritation, he handed the report back, but it seemed Heon-ju wasn’t done yet.

“Yeah! Before we started, she said my results from last night were great and to keep it up. She really praised me a lot!”

“And?”

“Hehe… This morning, since I didn’t get guiding from you, my progress rate tanked again.”

The image of Manager Park grimacing at yet another stagnant S-class Esper during her observation amused Yoon-ui, easing his irritation. Smiling, he gave Heon-ju a light burst of radiating guiding energy as a token of praise.

“And? Was Manager Park pissed?”

“She called me in after the session and asked if I was nervous because she was there. I told her the truth.”

“That she was distracting you?”

“Nope.”

Heon-ju’s expression lit up with confidence.

“I told her it was because I didn’t get guiding from you!”

For a moment, Yoon-ui was speechless, staring at Heon-ju’s beaming face. His wide eyes practically shouted, ‘Did I do well?’ It was as if an invisible wagging tail was attached to him.

That’s when it hit Yoon-ui—he had told Heon-ju to do exactly that. While guiding him previously, he’d flippantly suggested that he should credit any improvement to receiving guiding from him.

“Wow, you really follow instructions well.”

Reaching out to pat Heon-ju’s shoulder, Yoon-ui was surprised when the younger man ducked his head, presenting his hair instead. Caught off guard, Yoon-ui ended up awkwardly ruffling Heon-ju’s hair. As he quickly withdrew his hand, Heon-ju’s face fell slightly, as if disappointed by the lack of affection.

“I really hyped you up to her, you know,” Heon-ju declared.

“Good job.”

“And it’s true! After your guiding, I was able to make so much progress in training.”

Grinning ear-to-ear, Heon-ju carefully tucked his report back into his folder. It was clear he was elated by the rare praise. For someone who had been walking on eggshells since arriving at the center, it was a refreshing change.

Resting his chin in his hand, Yoon-ui studied the younger man’s face. Despite his broader jawline and heavier features, there was a softness to his youthful face that hadn’t yet matured with time. And his skin, practically glowing with vitality at twenty, made Yoon-ui envious.

The freshness of youth, the potential for growth, the unchallenged path ahead of him, and even the staggering expectations that left him stumbling—it was all enviable.

‘When was the last time anyone had expectations for me?’

Watching Heon-ju, radiant under the weight of everyone’s attention, filled Yoon-ui with a mix of calm admiration and an unsettling melancholy. He felt as if his purpose in the organization had run its course, leaving him adrift—a discarded tool.

He shook off the thought, unwilling to sink deeper into self-pity.

“So, what did Manager Park say when you told her you’d gotten guiding from me?”

It was shameless, but he wanted to hear praise about himself through someone else’s mouth. Heon-ju, sensitive to Yoon-ui’s subtle desires, leaned in eagerly, ready to recount every detail.

“She asked me why I was different from yesterday and whether you and I were close. So I told her we are.”

“…You did?”

“Yeah! You’re not mad, right? We are close!”

‘Not me—she’s probably the one who’s mad.’

If the enemy’s misfortune was a source of joy, then Manager Park’s frustration was a delightful thought. She had gone so far as to send Heon-ju to Busan to keep him from Yoon-ui, only to have him return and boast about receiving guiding from him.

But seeing Heon-ju’s bright, innocent expression, she probably couldn’t say anything.

Unaware of the amusement he was causing, Heon-ju chattered excitedly, detailing how he’d explained his condition to Manager Park and emphasized the specific improvements after receiving guiding. His voice bubbled over with energy, and he didn’t miss a single detail.

Finally, he looked around conspiratorially, then leaned in closer to Yoon-ui, lowering his voice.

“By the way, I have another thing to brag about.”

The sudden proximity made Yoon-ui momentarily freeze. The faint smell of smoke and the memory of that fiery scene flashed vividly in his mind. The suffocating heat, the blinding smoke, and Heon-ju’s blazing determination—it all came rushing back.

Heart pounding at the memory, Yoon-ui tried to steady himself as Heon-ju leaned in even closer, his breath brushing against Yoon-ui’s ear.

“You know, that guy…”

The warm puff of air stirred the hair near his ear. Without realizing it, Yoon-ui flinched slightly, his shoulders pulling inward. Trapped between the broad expanse of Heon-ju’s chest and his steady voice, he instinctively lowered his gaze. From his vantage point, he saw the curve of Heon-ju’s collarbone peeking out from his half-unzipped flame-retardant suit.

“Song… that guy,” Heon-ju murmured, his tone unusually low.

‘Has his voice always been this deep?’ The playful, almost flirtatious quality of his tone was unsettling.

Gripping the armrest of his chair tightly, Yoon-ui felt a wave of discomfort. He couldn’t shake the sensation that he was being drawn into something inappropriate.

‘Is this how kids these days flirt? Showing off their good looks, emphasizing their deep voices?’

The absurd thought flitted across his mind, making him feel like an old man. If this was Heon-ju’s way of expressing interest, Yoon-ui knew he had to put a stop to it before it got out of hand. Otherwise, Heon-ju might think this approach was effective and continue pulling such stunts.

Distracted by his own racing thoughts, Yoon-ui barely registered the words Heon-ju whispered next.

“You don’t like him, do you?”