Chapter 29: An Unexpected Encounter

Ryu Yishin recalled the face he had been observing for the longest time recently. His large eyes often curved, blinked frequently, widened in surprise, then drooped sadly. Even he, who lacked interest in others and especially in their emotional shifts, could easily discern Jung Hanseol’s expressions and feelings, as the younger man was incapable of concealing them. Though Ryu Yishin had no interest in others, he couldn’t help but be aware of Jung Hanseol’s emotions, as they were so clearly displayed.

Perhaps it was because he had never encountered such a person before. He found himself inexplicably wanting to observe him, to watch him.

‘He certainly looks timid,’ Ryu Yishin thought, a short, involuntary chuckle escaping him as he remembered Jung Hanseol, trembling and utterly intimidated, yet earnestly continuing to speak in front of him. Reflecting on it now, he felt a touch of pity, and a hint of amusement at how excessively frightened Jung Hanseol had been. Simultaneously, a subtle irritation crept in, wondering why Jung Hanseol had only just caught his eye, feeling the timing was belated.

“……”

‘This won’t do,’ he decided. Ryu Yishin rescinded his plan to take a full day off, shifting his body to find a more comfortable position.

It seemed he would have to go to work in the afternoon, driven by the intermittent headaches that plagued him and the strange compulsion to observe Jung Hanseol once more today. The only person who could control the pain that had tormented him for so long was at the company.

‘If I go to work, I’ll have to keep him by my side until I leave.’

Ryu Yishin, smiling contentedly at a resolve that would surely make Jung Hanseol jump in fright if he knew, gently closed his eyes. He dismissed the feeling that merely recalling that clear, innocent face provided him with guiding, believing it to be nothing more than a placebo effect.

****

Upon hearing the news of Ryu Yishin’s half-day leave immediately after arriving at work, Jung Hanseol remained at his desk, unable to suppress the corners of his lips from curving upwards, enjoying a leisurely morning. He tried his best to hide his expression, but having never felt so at ease recently, his facial muscles felt as though they were dancing independently.

“Senior. The team leader won’t be coming today, will they?”

“I don’t think so? He went to the site yesterday, and he did say he might just take a full day off.”

Yoo Gyeongjun, who had already consumed three cups of instant coffee—one right after arriving, another an hour later, and now a third as lunchtime approached—stealthily moved towards Kang Seungmin’s desk, unable to conceal his excited expression as he asked.

Jung Hanseol, who had been sharing jellies with Woo Chanhee at the next desk, involuntarily pricked up his ears, listening to their conversation. Noticing Jung Hanseol’s attention was fully drawn to Kang Seungmin and Yoo Gyeongjun’s discussion, Woo Chanhee smiled and spoke.

“When the team leader takes a half-day off in the morning, they usually don’t come to work at all that day. They just say they’re taking the whole day off.”

“Ah…”

“They haven’t taken a proper vacation recently either, so I have a feeling they won’t come in.”

‘So, if he takes a half-day morning leave, it’s safe to assume he won’t come to work at all.’ Jung Hanseol nodded, engraving Woo Chanhee’s somewhat confident words into his mind.

‘My only job is to guide the team leader, but if he’s not coming in… can I relax a bit today?’ Chewing on a bear-shaped jelly, Jung Hanseol relaxed his body, this time not bothering to hide his rising smile as he beamed.

“Senior, how about a team lunch today then?”

“That’s right! Let’s have a team meal!”

“We haven’t even properly held Hanseol’s welcome party, so let’s do it together!”

“Let’s eat meat!”

Seongbin, who had suddenly stood up, drawing everyone’s attention, proposed the idea, and everyone else chimed in, expressing their agreement. Though the plan seemed to have shifted slightly from a simple team lunch to his welcome party, the genuine care they showed touched a corner of Jung Hanseol’s heart.

The team members certainly seemed to get along well and showed great camaraderie, confirming that Ryu Yishin was indeed the source of all their problems. While overcoming Ryu Yishin, the ‘final boss,’ would be ideal, Jung Hanseol’s hopes grew that he might eventually blend naturally into this atmosphere. It seemed they had managed to endure thus far precisely because they had united against Ryu Yishin as a common enemy.

“We’re back!”

Just then, Choi Jiho and An Heeseong, who had been out on site, returned without incident, announcing their arrival with boisterous greetings. It was fascinating for Jung Hanseol to witness this new side of people who, in Ryu Yishin’s presence, would suppress even the smallest breath.

“Everyone’s here, so shall we go now?”

Kang Seungmin rose from his seat, gathered his belongings, and addressed the team members. With Ryu Yishin absent and lunchtime approaching, it was time to leave the office for their team meal and welcome party.

As if they had a regular spot, the destination was quickly decided: a grilled meat restaurant near the company, without any prolonged discussion. Jung Hanseol had also been there a few times for team dinners while working in Team 7.

“Hanseol, you seem to come in early every day. Is your home close to the company?”

“I live in the house the company provided. It takes about… 15 minutes to walk, I think.”

“That’s right. Guides get a house when they join, don’t they? I wish the company would give me a house too…”

“I thought I heard Senior lived in a dormitory…”

“Oh, Hanseol. ‘Senior’? That’s too formal, it’s creepy. Just call me ‘hyung’ comfortably. But only when the team leader isn’t around, okay?”

As they walked down the corridor towards the elevator, Jung Hanseol engaged in casual conversation with Yoo Gyeongjun, who had approached him in a friendly manner. Contrary to his initially unapproachable impression, Yoo Gyeongjun was a thoughtful person who enjoyed looking after others, possessing a warm and amiable personality that put people at ease.

From his consistently friendly greetings to his efforts to strike up conversations to prevent awkwardness, Jung Hanseol felt grateful for the attention Yoo Gyeongjun seemed to show him. Jung Hanseol responded with a smile to the man who had first suggested the affectionate term ‘hyung’.

“Senior, no word from the team leader yet, right?”

“Hmm, not yet.”

As they all stood gathered before the elevator, their spirits high, An Heeseong, who had been silently standing still, abruptly asked Kang Seungmin. Jung Hanseol, his clear face beaming with excitement, stood beside Yoo Gyeongjun, watching the elevator doors slowly open on the 5th floor.

Just then, the arrow on the display above the stopped elevator changed from pointing up to pointing down, and everyone clustered around it.

“Surely… he wouldn’t suddenly come in, would he?”

“If he were, he would have contacted us much earlier…”

The doors fully opened at that very moment, and Woo Chanhee, who had been about to step into the elevator faster than anyone else, froze solid like a stone, blocking everyone’s path, unable to move forward or back. Ryu Yishin was inside the elevator, which they had naturally assumed would be empty.

“…Team Leader, you’ve arrived.”

As everyone stood rigid and speechless, it was Kang Seungmin who first regained his composure and offered Ryu Yishin a silent bow. Ryu Yishin casually ignored Kang Seungmin’s greeting and swept his piercing gaze over the clustered team members, as if trying to ascertain their intentions. His most intense and ardent stare, of course, settled on Jung Hanseol’s face.

“We’ll quickly have lunch and return.”

As if attempting to salvage the situation, Kang Seungmin swiftly took the initiative, acting as a shield, and spoke in a calm voice. Unfortunately, Jung Hanseol couldn’t help but notice a trickle of cold sweat running down Kang Seungmin’s temple. Even amidst this, Ryu Yishin’s eyes remained fixed solely on Jung Hanseol.

Only belatedly meeting Ryu Yishin’s gaze, Jung Hanseol hastily bowed his head and held his breath, finally understanding the source of the unusually cold atmosphere.

‘Hanseol, I’m sorry for pretending not to know you all this time. It’s not that we dislike you at all. It’s just… we’re a bit wary because of the team leader…’

Therefore, their shock and frozen state weren’t merely because they had encountered Ryu Yishin.

It was because they had been caught together with Jung Hanseol, right in front of Ryu Yishin, who had asserted his claim over him.

“……”

The moment Jung Hanseol fully realized he was the cause of this awkward situation, his lips began to feel parched. He even felt a pang of guilt that these grateful people, who tried to look out for him even under adverse conditions, were now suffering because of him.

‘How on earth can I safely get the team members out of this situation?’

Even as tension choked his throat, Jung Hanseol frantically racked his brain. ‘What should I do? How can I fix this?’ Jung Hanseol, fidgeting nervously and deep in thought, finally spoke with a feeling akin to carving words from his own flesh and blood.

He had concluded that there were no other suitable words to divert Ryu Yishin’s attention.

“Team Leader… I, uh, I’m going to… lunch now…”

Jung Hanseol took a step forward, widening the distance from Yoo Gyeongjun and, in doing so, narrowing the distance to Ryu Yishin.

“If you haven’t eaten yet… would you like to… join me?”

Hoping this offer would be a direct hit to Ryu Yishin, he forced a smile, pulling up his twitching lips. His heart, which had been rapidly pounding since some unknown moment, now fluttered as if it would leap out of his chest.

Eyes filled with alarm simultaneously latched onto Jung Hanseol before scattering in a scramble, while Ryu Yishin simply stared at Jung Hanseol without a word.

In that volatile situation, the first person to create a subtle crack in the solid tension was none other than Ryu Yishin.

“Jung Hanseol, aren’t you getting in?”

Ryu Yishin reached out and pressed the button, and as soon as the elevator doors opened wide enough, he stepped inside. Jung Hanseol, who had been staring blankly at his seamless, precise movement, reacted belatedly to his words.

“Ah, yes!”

Ryu Yishin’s sharp gaze, which had seemed ready to dissect everything moments before, had softened slightly. The team members, astonished once again by this unfamiliar sight—the first they’d encountered since joining the company—couldn’t properly watch Jung Hanseol follow Ryu Yishin into the elevator, instead lowering their eyes and holding their breath.

A short while later, with a dull thud, the doors closed, and the elevator carrying Jung Hanseol and Ryu Yishin quickly began its descent.

“…What do we do about Hanseol?”

Woo Chanhee’s voice, laced with regret and worry, briefly filled the quiet space but was quickly swallowed by the heavy atmosphere, vanishing without a trace. Kang Seungmin, regaining his senses belatedly, let out a sigh he had been holding in and muttered.

“We can only pray that nothing happens…”

Long after Ryu Yishin, who had instantly turned everything into a wasteland, had departed with Jung Hanseol, the team members finally caught an elevator and headed to the company cafeteria. The team meal and welcome party had already fallen through.