The tension was way too high. Eun-jo forced an awkward smile, recalling a scene from the novel.
Jung Young-soo—the Director of the Guide Center. The epitome of a middle-manager trope. Smooth with the media, did the bare minimum, and was always mysteriously missing whenever you needed him. He was so believable that readers often left comments roasting him.
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Ugh, do I really have to see my boss even after work?
Episodes with the boss: Ep. 15, 26, 36, 78…
That vague politeness is too real.]
Just like the comments said, Jung Young-soo was politely vague. Annoyingly self-serving, sure—but the way he looked after his Guides made him hard to outright hate.
He might do the bare minimum, but he still gets the job done.
He even reminded Eun-jo of the CEO he’d worked under before dying. When Eun-jo gave him a polite smile, Jung Young-soo suddenly grabbed his hand.
“I heard Guide Yeo Eun-jo played a major role in closing that gate. The news and media are all over it.”
His eyes gleamed.
“I’ve already lined up a few interviews—with good outlets, of course.”
“Interviews?”
“Of course. People need to hear it to understand the work Guides actually do.”
Say what, exactly…? Eun-jo’s face reddened as he tried to think of anything that could be considered “hard work.” Just then, Park Se-yul stepped in and peeled Jung Young-soo’s hand off him.
“You can talk to me about that.”
“No, no. It makes more sense to speak with the person being interviewed.”
Right? Jung Young-soo looked to Eun-jo for backup and added, “I also got in touch with his guardian.”
“…Guardian?”
Yeo Eun-jo didn’t have anyone you could call that. His only “family” were parents and a sibling who’d been leeching off his bank account for years.
If anyone fit the role of guardian, it’d be Park Se-yul, his team leader. Without thinking, Eun-jo looked up at him. Beyond the silver-rimmed glasses, jet-black eyes met his.
As cold and unreadable as ever. But Eun-jo knew—Park Se-yul wouldn’t let anyone else lay a hand on him.
He only gets mad when the wound wasn’t his to give.
It was just part of his sadistic nature.
He probably can’t stand seeing damage on what he considers his property.
Whether it was love or something darker didn’t matter. Right now, Park Se-yul was the only one standing between him and his so-called family. Firming his resolve, Eun-jo bit down softly on his lower lip. As it began to swell, Park Se-yul’s gaze sharpened.
Just as Eun-jo was about to bite harder, a large hand brushed his lip.
“I’m the only guardian he has.”
With effortless ease, Park Se-yul pulled his lip away, then tipped back the chair Jung Young-soo had been sitting in.
Creaaak— The chair tilted with a harsh squeak.
“Whoa!”
Jung Young-soo scrambled up in surprise, and Park Se-yul coolly sank into the empty seat. His expression was stone-cold and shameless.
“And that’s my chair.”
“Team Leader Park, have you lost your damn mind?”
Displaced in the blink of an eye, Jung Young-soo fumed. One hand on his hip, the other raised like he was about to start jabbing fingers—textbook middle-manager behavior.
“Do you even know who I am!?”
“You’re not my direct supervisor, are you?”
Park Se-yul jerked his chin toward Eun-jo.
“Guide Yeo Eun-jo reports to me.”
“Team Leader Park!”
“If you send over the official paperwork, I’ll handle it promptly.”
His tone couldn’t have been more smug. Then he turned his head, clearly signaling the conversation was over.
Park Se-yul stretched out his long legs and casually reclaimed Eun-jo’s hand. Then, with a light nudge of his foot, he pushed the drink set on the floor aside. The message was clear: Get lost.
“That guy, seriously…!”
And he’s supposed to be Team A’s leader?! Jung Young-soo shot a venomous glare at the back of Park Se-yul’s head as he walked away without so much as a glance.
As the Director of the Guide Center, Jung Young-soo practically held the lifelines of all Espers in his hands. Every team leader usually grovelled in his presence—but not Park Se-yul. The man had refused every interview request and turned down every offer to be the Center’s promotional face.
“This is all because the higher-ups are rotten…”
Shifting all the blame onto the Esper Center Director, Jung Young-soo stormed out of the hospital room. Screech! Bang! Unlike when he’d entered, the door slammed shut on his way out.
Left behind were the slammed door, the scattered drink set—and Park Se-yul. Eun-jo glanced over at him and finally asked,
“Was that really okay…?”
“What was?”
Park Se-yul looked completely unbothered, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“But… even if he’s not your direct superior, he is still a higher-up. A team leader and a center director aren’t on the same level.”
“And you don’t listen to me either.”
“When have I ever—”
At that moment, a flood of memories rushed through Eun-jo’s mind—countless times he’d disobeyed or ignored Park Se-yul. He pressed his lips shut, and Park Se-yul let out a dry chuckle.
“So you do remember things.”
“I was a good student, okay?”
“Sure. Let’s pull your grades when we get back to the office.”
He didn’t sound even remotely convinced. Eun-jo narrowed his eyes in protest, but Park Se-yul simply stood up.
“I told you not to bite your lip. Didn’t I?”
His voice was a little softer now. He pulled something from his pocket and tossed it onto the blanket.
The lip balm Jung Tae-seok had given him.
“Just lie down and stay quiet.”
A cold gleam flickered behind his silver-rimmed glasses.
“If I see your lips swollen again…”
“……”
“I’ll have to put something else in your mouth.”
Eun-jo pouted and mumbled quietly,
“…Chicken?”
Park Se-yul’s glare turned deadly. Eun-jo shut his mouth on instinct and quickly squirmed under the covers.
What am I even supposed to do with him? Park Se-yul stared down at the lump in the blanket, completely exasperated.
Even when he was clearly scared, Eun-jo had a way of blurting out the most ridiculous things—and for some reason, it kept getting under Park Se-yul’s skin.
As he stepped out of the hospital room, a staff member passing by quickly bowed.
“Good afternoon, Team Leader Park.”
The young man was visibly shaking. Probably a new hire. Thinking of Eun-jo, Park Se-yul offered a slight nod in return.
“Ah.”
He came to a stop. The rookie flinched hard.
“D-Do you need something, sir…?”
“Where do people order chicken from these days?”
The question came out of nowhere, and the rookie’s face went completely blank. Did I just hear that right? While he fumbled for a response, Park Se-yul casually turned away.
“If you don’t know, forget it.”
“A-Ah! These days, the Honey Lovey Combo from Grilled Chicken is really popular!”
“…Honey what?”
A deep crease formed between Park Se-yul’s brows. His expression screamed: What the hell kind of name is that? The rookie instantly regretted answering. Just a moment ago, he’d been thrilled to be spoken to. Now, he wished he could disappear.
“I see. That… Honey-whatever thing.”
Park Se-yul waved a hand, like the name alone was too absurd to say aloud.
“Order it and have it sent to that room.”
“The Honey Lovey Combo, sir?”
“Yes. I’m counting on you.”
With a final nod, he pressed a crisp 50,000 won bill into the rookie’s hand.
