Chapter 16: Training Begins With A Disaster

Director Im pressed him as if he had caught hold of a good opportunity, and Jin-yeop, sighing, turned his head toward Eun-ru.

“Guide Lee Eun-ru.

Would you mind waiting outside for a moment?”

“Ah, yes.

But, well…

I don’t mind waiting outside.”

“…..”

“It’s just that I’ve already heard everything you two were discussing.”

“…..”

“I’m not sure if me leaving would make much difference…”

Eun-ru smiled awkwardly, and at his words, Director Im and Jin-yeop simultaneously pressed their foreheads and dropped their heads.

Even though there was some distance, it wasn’t far enough that he couldn’t hear.

They just hadn’t expected Eun-ru to openly admit he’d heard everything.

Finally, with a tired face, Jin-yeop reached out and pointed to the seat across from him.

“…Please sit down, Lee Eun-ru-ssi.”

“Yes.”

Eun-ru obediently did as Jin-yeop asked, quickly came over, and settled onto the sofa.

As Jin-yeop, seemingly losing strength in his legs, slowly sank back into his seat, Director Im also trudged over and sat on the sofa.

It was a strange triangular arrangement.

As a peculiar silence continued with no one opening their mouth first, Jin-yeop lifted his head with a sigh.

“The re-assessment results couldn’t have come out already.

He might even turn out to be S-class after re-assessment.”

“Ah, yes?

That’s true, but…

Previously, Jin-yeop-ssi said that if I contacted Vibes, you could help me out.”

“To be precise, I said to contact me through the planner.

That I could help introduce you to an agency.”

As Jin-yeop rubbed his forehead and answered somewhat irritably, Director Im, who had been quiet, interjected.

“That means come to Vibes, doesn’t it?

Right?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“What’s wrong with our agency?

Vibes has good conditions.

We’re one of the top ten agencies in this industry.”

“So, Director Im, do you think it’s right for the person I had a blind date with to come here at this time?”

“If you hadn’t had the blind date, it would’ve been fine.”

“If I hadn’t had the blind date, there would have been no reason for Lee Eun-ru-ssi to come to Vibes.

Frankly, even if he’s S-class.

Would Baekdu just stay still?”

After snapping at Director Im, Jin-yeop turned his head and stared at Eun-ru.

“Didn’t you get contacted by Baekdu?

If you’re a Guide under re-assessment, you must have been contacted by Baekdu, Raipin, or Yungang.”

“Uh… no, I wasn’t?”

At the unexpected answer, Jin-yeop narrowed his brow.

Normally, even for A-class, recruitment offers come from multiple places, so hearing there were none at all was quite puzzling.

“He’s already signed.”

“…..”

“He signed, so that’s why he’s in training, right?

See, if I’d known he was your blind date like you said, I wouldn’t have signed the contract, would I?”

“…..”

“Frankly, even if I were to sign, would I have just signed it like that?

I would have added one or two special clauses.

I really didn’t know anything.”

Director Im continued defending himself as if wronged, but it wasn’t reaching Jin-yeop’s ears at all.

Anyway, since Eun-ru had signed a special contract with him, he probably couldn’t mention that he’d had a blind date with Jin-yeop.

Then, did Lee Eun-ru really walk into Vibes on his own two feet just because of Cha Jin-yeop?

But why would he go so far as to join the same agency because of him?

That day, Jin-yeop thought he had explained clearly enough for Eun-ru to understand and had left the cafe.

But now he wasn’t sure if Eun-ru had really understood anything at all.

Well, this young, green kid did have a history of suddenly dropping the shocking line that ‘an affair is fine’ on Jin-yeop.

“Director Im.”

“What?”

“Have someone else do the training.”

“…..”

“I already ruined the blind date.

Like you said, meeting someone ten years younger would only get me called a thief.”

Actually, that statement was a bit flawed.

You have to steal something to be called a thief.

Hadn’t he backed off early, thinking he shouldn’t even touch this from the start?

“Then it’s fine.

You two aren’t anything to each other now, right?”

“We never were anything to each other.”

“Then just do the training!”

Having blurted it out regardless, Director Im absurdly glanced at Jin-yeop’s reaction.

He didn’t know if Jin-yeop was possessed by a ghost or had taken some drug, but somehow he didn’t want to create friction with the current Jin-yeop.

Sure enough, Jin-yeop clenched his fist and shouted at Director Im.

“Do you need me to get labeled an adulterer on top of being a home-wrecker to come to your senses?

When I said I was going on blind dates, you asked if I’d lost my mind or gone crazy!”

“Yeah, you crazy bastard.

Am I the one labeling you an adulterer?

Exactly.

Why did you go on a blind date?

Who pushed you to go on a blind date?

You’re going to go on another one even after this, aren’t you?

Huh?”

I don’t know what’s in your head.

Director Im now recklessly pointed at Jin-yeop, and Jin-yeop, thoroughly heated, shouted back without backing down.

“Yes, I will go on more!

I’ll be very active in my remarriage efforts.

So I’m telling you to have someone else do the training!”

“No, you bastard!

You do it.

I’m telling you, you’re the only one lazing around!”

“I’m not lazing around!

I told you I’ll be active in my remarriage efforts!”

“What remarriage when you’re not even divorced!

Do you have a death wish?”

“Why would I die?

The one who should die is someone else!”

As the argument between the two reached its peak, to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if they grabbed each other’s collars, Eun-ru, who had been quietly watching them, spoke up.

“Um…”

“…..”

“I, I want to receive training from Senior-nim.”

***

Jin-yeop sighed as he looked at Eun-ru walking beside him with a bright face.

[Anyway, if what you say is true, Eun-ru signed a special contract, so he can’t even bring up the blind date, right?

So what’s the problem?

Gaee also agreed to keep silent.]

When Eun-ru stepped forward saying he wanted training from Jin-yeop, Director Im switched tactics and tried to appease Jin-yeop.

Honestly, it didn’t matter who did the training, but since Eun-ru wanted it, Director Im intended to send Jin-yeop regardless.

And that made sense.

He wouldn’t want to let him go.

Who knew that, although rare, Lee Eun-ru might become S-class?

‘Greedy old man.’

Jin-yeop harshly criticized Director Im, who had just passed forty, internally.

Yet, looking at Eun-ru’s clueless face made his chest feel tight.

“Usually, you don’t sign with an agency while under re-assessment.”

“Ye-yes?

Why not?”

“In case you turn out to be S-class.

During re-assessment, they usually have you sign a contract assuming A-class.

So the conditions are much worse than for S-class.”

“Ah…”

“Agencies usually bet on that one-in-a-million chance and push contracts first to re-assessment Awakeners confirmed as A-class.

They never lose out.”

“…..”

“But not the Awakener.

If the re-assessment result is S-class, being signed under A-class conditions is worse than just a loss.

There are only four publicly announced S-classes in our country.

Being able to employ one of the top five Awakeners at A-class rates, Director Im is that…”

Jin-yeop stopped mid-sentence, halted his steps, and turned around.

He himself was close to 180cm tall, but Eun-ru was so tall that to meet his eyes, Jin-yeop had to tilt his head back.

And with such a bright, clear face.

Director Im must have internally designated Jin-yeop as the trainer from the moment Eun-ru’s recruitment was confirmed.

‘He must have thought I’d lose my mind over that face and physique.’

He didn’t want to admit it because it was unpleasant, but looking only at Eun-ru’s face, Director Im was right.

If he hadn’t been the person from the blind date, this would have been a perfect refresh.

Right now, it was merely Director Im’s greed to somehow hold onto Guide Lee Eun-ru, who might become S-class, sticking Jin-yeop with him regardless of adultery labels or anything else.

“Anyway, show me the contract later.

Director Im has a knack for swindling people with his kind-looking face.”

“…Can I ask you something?”

At Eun-ru’s cautious tone, Jin-yeop immediately realized he was making a fierce face and quickly erased his expression.

If Director Im hadn’t deliberately brought him to Vibes, then Eun-ru’s actions were somewhat intentional.

From choosing to be part of Vibes to specifically pointing him out as his trainer.

But seeing him approach so timidly, Jin-yeop somehow felt sympathetic towards him.

As Eun-ru had said before, it could just be simple fan sentiment.

No, aside from all that, if he were truly sincere, then Eun-ru, who had taken a liking to a thirty-year-old like him, was just pitiful.

“Go ahead.”

“What is your relationship with Director Im-nim?”

“…..”

“No, that’s not…

I was just wondering.

You just seem so close.”

“…..”

“I was just asking if you were, you know, very close!

There’s no other intention.”

Seeing Eun-ru at a loss, watching his reaction, Jin-yeop laughed inwardly.

Yes, maybe he had over-sharpened his guard, prematurely assuming there was some impertinent intention.

But aside from his guard being slightly lowered, a mischievous thought suddenly occurred to Jin-yeop.

“Director Im is divorced.

About four years ago.”

“Ah…?”

“So I’m thinking it might not be a bad idea to try seducing him.”

“…..”

“Both divorcees, after all.”

“But…

Director Im-nim is an Esper, isn’t he?”

Contrary to Jin-yeop’s expectation that his mischievous words would make him sulk, Eun-ru sounded genuinely puzzled.

Then, faced with his pure expression following that, Jin-yeop felt oddly embarrassed and cleared his throat.

‘Acting my age…’

Jin-yeop rubbed the back of his neck and spoke with a small sigh.

“Well, that’s about what I’m looking for in a partner.

Someone similar in many ways.”

He meant someone who, like him, had been through a marriage once.

Jin-yeop then quickened his pace.

He intended to finish this training business as quickly as possible.

Another Awakener would handle the rest later.

Anyway, even though Jin-yeop had a long career and plenty of experience, he wasn’t a Guide.

But Eun-ru, seemingly with no intention of cutting the conversation short, matched Jin-yeop’s brisk pace and spoke.

“I, I think a younger partner is much better, actually.”