“What a dogshit day of the week.”
Bae Yeon-woo, clearly in a low-pressure mood, seemed even more irritable than usual. Whether he’d rested properly over the weekend was questionable—his bloodshot eyes and dry, rough skin told a different story. As if offended by Do In-ho and Ho-eun’s cheerful morning energy, he shot the two of them a nasty side-eye.
“Good morning.”
“Yeah. Shitty morning.”
When Ho-eun greeted him, Bae Yeon-woo responded like a sulking child. Ho-eun checked the time on his guide watch—8 a.m. Bae Yeon-woo, notorious for being terrible with mornings, was not equipped to handle this hour.
From the distance, Nam Woon-soo approached with takeout coffee and handed it out to everyone.
Only after sipping the americano did Bae Yeon-woo seem somewhat functional.
“We’re going to the HR Department today, right?”
When Ho-eun asked, Bae Yeon-woo tossed his car keys from his pocket. With sharp reflexes, Ho-eun caught the keys midair and looked between them and Bae Yeon-woo.
“Seoul HQ.”
Bae Yeon-woo began heading toward the parking lot.
“S-Sorry, Ho-eun. I do want to drive, but… for some reason, I always end up in an accident… People really hate it when I’m behind the wheel…”
“Oh, no worries! It’s only natural that the junior does the driving!”
Wearing a determined expression, Ho-eun quickly shoved the keys deep into his pocket, just in case Nam Woon-soo tried to take them.
He’d never actually ridden in a car driven by Nam Woon-soo before, but something about it screamed life-threatening risk.
“Shall I drive instead?”
Do In-ho leaned in close beside him and dipped slightly at the waist. His voice brushed right by Ho-eun’s ear along with his breath, making Ho-eun snap his head upright.
If he didn’t brace himself, he was going to make weird noises again—just like yesterday.
“It’s fine! You’re a ten-year senior, remember.”
“Senior, huh…”
“Well, even if Espers and Guides are technically different roles, you’re still a field veteran.”
Do In-ho seemed oddly pleased with the word senior, mumbling it to himself a few times. When they discussed the return trip, it was casually decided that he’d drive on the way back.
“Y-You two seem really close…”
“Sorry?”
Nam Woon-soo, walking behind them, covered his mouth and chuckled low. Maybe it was the long hair framing his face, but the laugh came off slightly creepy. Ho-eun quickly shoved Do In-ho away and waved his hands to deny it.
“Come to think of it, Team Lead Nam, have you been partnered with Assistant Manager Bae for a long time?”
Ho-eun still felt awkward around Nam Woon-soo. His clumsy, scatterbrained demeanor made him look like a pushover, but something about him felt… off, at least to Ho-eun.
It’s like… he’s hurting himself on purpose.
It was just a suspicion—no evidence—so Ho-eun kept it to himself. But that wasn’t the only reason Nam Woon-soo made him uneasy.
It was also because of why Bae Yeon-woo chose to be around him.
“Espers are the kind of bastards who get happier the more miserable I am. I want them to be even more miserable than me. That’s why hanging around Team Lead Nam is pretty entertaining. He’s like a magnet for every misfortune in the world.”
That’s what Bae Yeon-woo had said. That he stuck with Nam Woon-soo because he was so damned unlucky.
“About… four years? If we count from the HR Department…”
“HR?”
When Ho-eun asked again, Nam Woon-soo nodded. Ho-eun had vaguely assumed the two met through the Special Division, so the answer was unexpected.
“Team Lead, was the Special Division formed as a punishment department, like the PR team?”
“No, no, not at all. The Special Division isn’t like that. M-Members apply voluntarily…”
“Still, working together from HR to Special Division—sounds like you two go way back.”
Nam Woon-soo didn’t reply. As if he’d said something wrong, Ho-eun glanced over, only to see him lost in thought.
When they arrived at the parking lot, Ho-eun had no trouble finding Bae Yeon-woo’s car—he’d ridden in it a few times already.
As he got into the driver’s seat, Bae Yeon-woo was in the backseat, eyes shut. Nam Woon-soo slid in next to him, leaving the passenger seat for Do In-ho.
“Departing now.”
Glancing at the silent backseat in the rearview mirror, Ho-eun blinked slowly, twice.
Something’s off.
They hadn’t even stepped into HR yet, but the air already felt heavier than PR’s usual oppressive vibe. Feeling the weight settle on his chest, Ho-eun stepped on the gas.
***
Seoul HQ was different from the Incheon branch—more floors, sleek glass façades, an overall modern aesthetic. Even the Guides and Espers they passed looked like cold city elites.
“Ah! Esper Do In-ho! Guide Kwon Ho-eun!”
As Ho-eun stood in the main lobby watching people pass, someone ran toward them. His yellow-dyed hair fluttered with every movement.
“Team Lead Ha-jun?”
To enter the elevator area, one had to scan an employee ID at the security gates. Seeing Ha-jun enthusiastically waving from the other side, Ho-eun waved back and tapped his green badge to the reader.
Beep
Before seeing Ha-jun, everyone here had seemed cold and distant. But thinking about the Civil Complaints Division made him feel like maybe they weren’t so unapproachable after all.
“What brings you here?”
Ha-jun looked genuinely surprised to see the two of them in this unexpected place.
“We’re here for something with the PR Department.”
Before Ho-eun could answer, Do In-ho stepped in and took over the explanation.
“Ah, makes sense. The PR team works with a bunch of departments.”
“Yeah! You should come visit the Civil Complaints Division sometime when you’re free!”
At the mention of visiting, Ha-jun’s eyes lit up and he looked up at Do In-ho as if to ask, Will Esper Do In-ho come too? Do In-ho gave a reluctant little nod.
“Team Lead Ha-jun, I think we’d better get going.”
The chill in the air—yep, it was Bae Yeon-woo glaring daggers at them like lasers. If they were at the Incheon branch, he probably would’ve said something biting on the spot. But luckily, it seemed he’d spare them this time.
“Sorry I couldn’t visit you at the hospital.”
Seeing Ha-jun’s face, Ho-eun realized he’d totally forgotten the most important thing. He bowed in apology.
“Not at all. Espers collapsing from Ability Overload is pretty common. But thanks to you, Guide Kwon Ho-eun, I learned I could push past my limits. You should come to our team dinner sometime. I’d love to properly thank you.”
To Ha-jun, Ho-eun wasn’t just any Guide—he was the one who’d acknowledged the Espers of the Civil Complaints Division. That made him feel all the more familiar.
“A team dinner, huh? Now that I’m curious about. Oh—really gotta go now. Take care, Team Lead Ha-jun!”
The tension behind him was becoming unbearable. Ho-eun gave a sheepish smile and turned to leave. Ha-jun reached out to pat his shoulder in farewell, but Do In-ho subtly blocked the gesture, leaving Ha-jun’s hand hovering awkwardly.
“See you next time.”
Ha-jun’s hand floated in the air for a beat, then waved as if it had meant to do that all along. Ho-eun returned the wave and rejoined the PR team.
Bae Yeon-woo was pressing hard against his temple, like he was trying to keep his head from splitting. He looked so drained he didn’t even have the energy to scold anyone.
With Yeon-woo lagging behind, Nam Woon-soo stepped up and pressed the elevator button. The light for the 10th floor lit up, and the elevator rose quickly.
When the doors opened, a man with black hair tied back in a ponytail greeted them as if he’d been waiting.
“Hello! I’m Kang Him-chan, the HR department’s assigned Guide.”
With a blunt-cut fringe and deep-set eyes with heavy double lids, the man looked young—his dimples gave him a sweet, almost boyish charm.
Ho-eun, curious about his age, made a mental note to ask later and bowed politely.
“I’ll guide you from here. Follow me.”
His brusque, military-like tone made him sound rude, so Ho-eun checked on Bae Yeon-woo. His brows were raised, but he didn’t seem about to scold him for “kids these days.”
Yeon-woo’s foul mood seemed to be demanding enough attention already. Ho-eun let out a breath and slid over to stand beside Do In-ho.
Kang Him-chan scanned his badge at the office security reader. A soft click sounded as the lock released.
Being right behind him, Ho-eun was the first to enter the HR department.
He glanced around—it was significantly larger than the Civil Complaints Division.
Incheon’s branch had more land, so its buildings and interiors were spacious. HR, by comparison, seemed similar in scale to PR.
The office was quiet. Many desks were empty, and the only sounds were the occasional hum of a humidifier and typing on keyboards.
“Is no one else here?”
“Hmm… probably in a meeting. This way, please.”
One corner had a guest seating area: a large rectangular glass table with long sofas on both sides. The PR team split up and sat in pairs.
“Would you like coffee or tea?”
Kang Him-chan moved quickly. He disappeared into the pantry and returned with a tray. Since they’d already had coffee that morning, everyone asked for tea. The warm steam wafted up—freshly made. Ho-eun blew gently to cool it down.
He was about halfway through his tea when the frosted glass door of the conference room swung open.
“?!!!”
Ho-eun’s eyes doubled in size when he saw who walked out.
“I-It’s the interviewer?!”
That hairstyle—parted to hide half his face—was unmistakable. The man who had conducted Ho-eun’s interview spotted him too, and his eyes briefly turned from black to green before returning to their original color.
Ho-eun’s jaw dropped.
When Paul appeared right behind the interviewer, it finally clicked that this was indeed the HR Department.
Since the man had handled both the job interview and onboarding, it made sense that he was part of HR. Ho-eun glanced around for the man who had picked him up in the car—but didn’t see him.
The last person to exit the conference room was a middle-aged man with a broad frame and powerful presence. If not for the fine lines around his eyes and the white strands in his slicked-back hair, he could’ve passed for someone in his late 40s.
“……”
The man looked directly at their table. His gaze lingered in one spot. Following that stare, Ho-eun saw Bae Yeon-woo crushing his paper cup in a death grip.
“Assistant Manager?”
He called out quietly, but the only response was the sound of the cup being mangled even further.
“It’s been a while.”
The man strode forward on long legs, quickly reaching the table. Checking his badge, Ho-eun learned his name: Eom Tae-seok, Department Head.
“Yeon-woo. Aren’t you going to say hello?”
Still staring at the floor, Bae Yeon-woo bit his lower lip and slowly, reluctantly lifted his head.
