Chapter 15: The Unwanted Transfer

Jung Hanseol emerged from the Team 1 office only after everyone else had already departed for the day. Around five o’clock, Ryu Yishin was the first to leave, casually instructing everyone to dismiss themselves.

Once he vanished, the others scrambled to clock out, and by approximately five-twenty, Jung Hanseol was the sole person remaining in the office.

Leaving the profound silence behind, Jung Hanseol headed to the 11th floor, where Team 7’s office was located.

He nervously fiddled with the bandage wrapped around his left wrist as he rode the elevator.

Upon reaching the 11th floor, Jung Hanseol swiftly crossed the corridor and stood before the entrance to Team 7’s office. As always, he immediately scanned his employee ID badge against the security system.

However, only a repetitive warning sound echoed, and the door remained stubbornly shut.

“……”

‘Had he truly become a Team 1 member, with no way out?’

Jung Hanseol pressed his lips together in anxiety and scanned his ID badge once more. Yet, the result was precisely the same.

Another blaring warning siren resonated loudly through the corridor.

Considering it his last chance, Jung Hanseol flinched and halted his attempt to scan the ID badge a third time. He suddenly recalled that while two warnings were tolerated, a third attempt would trigger the company’s security team.

This would necessitate proving his affiliation and identity, a process that would undoubtedly summon Ryu Yishin, the team leader.

“Haa……”

Utterly dejected, Jung Hanseol leaned against the corridor wall and sank to the floor, sighing deeply.

His mind was a tangled mess, and his body ached everywhere. Being rebuffed by a mere security system only deepened his distress.

After a continuous string of sighs, Jung Hanseol’s eyes widened when he saw the firmly closed door swing open shortly thereafter.

“Hey, Jung Hanseol!”

“Jinwoo-hyung!”

At the sound of that salvific voice, Jung Hanseol instantly forgot his muscle aches and shot to his feet. He faced Jo Jinwoo with a chaotic mix of injustice, confusion, and relief etched across his face.

While Jung Hanseol felt a wave of relief at seeing Jo Jinwoo’s seemingly unharmed face, Jo Jinwoo, upon spotting Jung Hanseol’s bandaged wrist, immediately furrowed his brow and let out a torrent of harsh words.

“Damn it, did you break your wrist?”

“It hurts, but I don’t think it’s broken……”

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t think so’? Didn’t you go to the hospital? Did that bastard not even send you to a hospital? And why couldn’t I reach you?”

“Ah, I was asleep and only woke up today… And my phone was completely shattered… I’m sorry……”

“…Never mind. What do you have to be sorry for?”

Jo Jinwoo glared at Jung Hanseol, not bothering to conceal his simmering rage, but ultimately let out a short sigh and spoke with a resigned tone.

Jung Hanseol knew the anger wasn’t directed at him, yet he felt overwhelmed and instinctively stammered his reply, wary of Jo Jinwoo’s mood.

Swallowing hard, Jung Hanseol clutched Jo Jinwoo’s sleeve and began to speak in a rush.

“Are you alright, Hyung? And the Team Leader, the Vice Team Leader… what about the other hyungs? Kim Hyelim-nuna isn’t hurt anywhere, is she? She must have had a hard time alone without me……”

“Who’s worried about whom, kid? Everyone’s fine except you, so stop worrying and take care of yourself first. Understood?”

“Yes……”

Listening intently, Jo Jinwoo let out a disbelieving chuckle, then reached out and ruffled Jung Hanseol’s hair roughly.

Jung Hanseol finally breathed a sigh of relief at the assurance that everyone was fine. However, a nagging question still lingered, making him cautiously observe Jo Jinwoo.

Biting his lip then releasing it, Jung Hanseol took a quiet, deep breath before speaking again.

“Hyung… what happened to me?”

Despite his efforts to calm his breathing and suppress the emotions threatening to burst forth, a tremor inevitably crept into his voice.

No one had properly explained what had happened to him. Ryu Yishin was terrifying, and the other Team 1 members all wore such intimidating expressions that he hadn’t dared to speak to them.

If only it had stopped there, he wouldn’t have felt such profound sorrow. Instead, the Team 1 members ignored him, pretending not to see him or know he existed, treating him like an invisible man.

It was only natural for sorrow to well up, making his heart ache. Dragging his aching body to the Team 7 office, despite everything, was born from the hope that his former teammates might finally provide some answers.

“Why was I suddenly transferred to Team 1?”

At Jung Hanseol’s question, Jo Jinwoo’s smile instantly vanished, replaced by a heavy sigh. Jung Hanseol unconsciously swallowed, awaiting Jo Jinwoo’s words.

Jo Jinwoo didn’t hesitate long before speaking.

“Let me ask you something first. You guided those Team 1 bastards, didn’t you? What exactly happened?”

“Ah, well… there were circumstances. I suddenly fell into a deep pit, didn’t I? I think I lost consciousness while falling, but when I woke up, I wasn’t underground but outside……”

“Outside? Was there an exit from there leading somewhere else? Anyway, then what?”

Jo Jinwoo, his brow slightly furrowed as he recalled the events, nodded for Jung Hanseol to continue, giving him no time to ponder.

Wetting his parched lips, Jung Hanseol managed to recount that day’s events, which still sent shivers down his spine.

“So… I thought I should find you guys quickly and tried to move, but I was almost swallowed by a snake-like monster… Then, suddenly, Team Leader Ryu appeared and saved me……”

“What? Ryu Yishin saved you?”

Jo Jinwoo, who had been listening silently to Jung Hanseol, retorted with disbelief. ‘That bastard isn’t the type to save anyone…’ he muttered, a sound barely a whisper, yet clear enough for Jung Hanseol to hear.

Jo Jinwoo tilted his head, his expression skeptical. Seeing the earnestness in Jung Hanseol’s face, completely devoid of any hint of falsehood, Jo Jinwoo decided to accept it for now. He then reopened the conversation with a concise question.

“So?”

“Ah, that’s when I guided them. I don’t know why, but there wasn’t a Team 1 Guide at the time. The situation was quite severe, so I had no choice… I asked them to send me to a safe place if I passed out, and then I guided them……”

That was Jung Hanseol’s last memory.

When he next opened his eyes, he was in a bed. Amidst his confusion, Ryu Yishin appeared and casually informed him that he had suddenly become a member of Team 1.

Jung Hanseol swallowed the rest of his words, unwilling to mention that he had already introduced himself to the Team 1 members. In response, Jo Jinwoo opened his mouth, his expression rather grim.

“After you suddenly vanished like that, monsters swarmed our side, so we couldn’t go looking for you. We planned to stabilize the situation quickly and then find you, but Ryu Yishin crossed into our sector, wanting to claim the top performance spot, and completely laid waste to everything.”

“……”

“Then he started spouting all this nonsense about how a team that can’t even take care of its own members properly is this and that, and then he had the gall to say he’d take you because *he* found you?”

“……”

“Ultimately, that bastard got everything he wanted. He hit number one in performance, and he was the first to nominate and take you.”

“……”

“Saying they didn’t need Espers, just more Guides.”

Though seemingly calm, Jo Jinwoo’s voice was laced with an undeniable, unconcealed irritation.

Jung Hanseol, who had been listening silently, looked up, his eyes wide with bewilderment, and asked.

“…Is that allowed?”

“Of course not, damn it. Why would he poach a Guide?”

Finally, Jo Jinwoo’s patience snapped, and he let out a harsh curse.

Jung Hanseol knew the frustration wasn’t aimed at him, but Jo Jinwoo’s fierce demeanor still made him involuntarily flinch.

“But since his father is the Director-General, there’s nothing that bastard can’t do, is there?”

“…Ah.”

Only then did Jung Hanseol manage to piece together the scattered fragments of information and grasp the full story.

A large-scale battle, which would typically have dragged on interminably, had ended swiftly because of Ryu Yishin.

As a result, Team 1 had easily secured the top performance spot, and during the restructuring, they had inexplicably scouted him, a Guide.

Jung Hanseol could also easily discern that this was an abuse of power orchestrated by Ryu Yishin, whose father was the Director-General of National Security.

Naturally, his own will had no chance to be reflected in this process.

After all, he had been unconscious throughout the entire ordeal.

“Hyung… can’t I work with you, Min Yugeon-hyung, the Team Leader… and Kim Hyelim-nuna again? Guides weren’t even supposed to be part of the restructuring in the first place……”

Jung Hanseol clutched Jo Jinwoo’s sleeve even more desperately, pleading with him.

Regardless of understanding how events had unfolded, he simply couldn’t accept becoming a Team 1 member or bring himself to adapt there.

Ryu Yishin exuded a chilling aura, as if he were sharpening a knife beneath his smile, and the other Team 1 members seemed to have no intention of getting closer to him.

They were terrifying and daunting. It was only natural for Jung Hanseol to want to return to Team 7.

“Is there really no way to……”

Jung Hanseol, who had been clutching Jo Jinwoo’s sleeve so tightly his knuckles were white, his words trailing off as he sensed an inexplicable, chilling presence.

Simultaneously, the collar of his shirt at the nape of his neck was abruptly yanked upwards.

Jung Hanseol’s throat suddenly constricted, and he let out a series of choked coughs.

“Seeing you here, it seems you’ve truly lost your sense of fear.”

Like a mother cat carrying her kitten by the scruff, Ryu Yishin had grabbed Jung Hanseol’s collar from behind and lifted him.

Jung Hanseol, who had been flailing his legs, froze at the low, menacing voice, his eyes widening in shock.

Completely taken aback by the unexpected appearance, he fumbled, unsure of what to do.

Only when Ryu Yishin finally released his grip, almost tossing his collar aside, did Jo Jinwoo roughly pull Jung Hanseol to stand beside him.

“T-Team Leader… weren’t you… supposed to have left already…?”

Ryu Yishin did not answer Jung Hanseol’s breathless question. Instead, his gaze landed on Jung Hanseol’s slender wrist, which Jo Jinwoo was still holding.

Jung Hanseol, keenly aware of that gaze, pressed his lower lip tightly and carefully pulled Jo Jinwoo’s hand away.

He couldn’t quite explain why, but his instincts told him it was the right thing to do.