Chapter 37: An Unexpected Encounter in the Corridor

“Why do you look like that?”

“Hmm. No, it’s just that I feel like I made a small mistake.”

“You did?”

The Director looked at Sa-yoon with a strange expression. That guy was notoriously brazen, never admitting fault even after causing significant trouble.

He was the type who would hit someone on the back of the head and then claim it was unavoidable because their head was so perfectly round and inviting a smack.

“Whatever it is, if you’re calling it a mistake, it must be a big one. Try to handle it well.”

“It’s not that serious. Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

Sa-yoon felt a tiny bit guilty for avoiding Han Do-hoon due to unnecessary worry. Just a tiny bit.

Perhaps he should treat him better next time they met. Still, admitting it honestly would be too embarrassing, so he decided to simply act as if nothing had happened and take a little more care of him.

With a light heart, Sa-yoon rose to his feet. As he was leaving the room, the Director’s voice echoed from behind him.

“Don’t forget to guide the overseas Espers!”

“Ah, he didn’t miss it.”

He had tried to subtly escape, but he was caught. Sa-yoon grumbled at the Director as he picked up the list of overseas Espers.

“Hmph, hmph.”

Standing in the deserted corridor, Sa-yoon cleared his throat. He glanced at his reflection in the glass window, tidying his clothes for no particular reason.

It truly was a striking face. He was accustomed to Chae-jun’s frequent compliments that he was perfect as long as he kept his mouth shut, but today, those words felt particularly apt.

‘Did I put too much effort into this?’

Usually, he would just let his hair be, or tie it down out of laziness, but this morning, he had styled it meticulously and dressed without a single wrinkle on his sleeves.

Sa-yoon stood in a building opposite his own office. His visit, in the middle of the day, to a building he rarely frequented, had a specific purpose.

This was where Han Do-hoon, the Team Leader of Esper Team 1, had his office.

Normally, Han Do-hoon would have called Sa-yoon until it became annoying. However, during their last meeting, Sa-yoon had stated that he would speak up first once his condition improved, causing the incessant calls to cease entirely.

Now that the misunderstanding with Han Do-hoon was resolved, Sa-yoon needed to suggest they meet again. Yet, simply sending a message felt like a slight prick to his minuscule remaining conscience.

And since he had resolved to treat Han Do-hoon better after the misunderstanding, he felt this much effort was necessary.

Determined to tackle the issue head-on, he had come all the way to the vicinity of Han Do-hoon’s office. Sa-yoon slowly walked down the corridor at a leisurely pace.

The empty hallway was devoid of any presence. Was it like this in all the other buildings? The building Sa-yoon usually occupied was always bustling with Espers and staff, yet this one was eerily quiet, not just in the corridors but even in the garden.

“…You can’t do it right away?”

A voice carried from a distance, low and resonant in the deathly quiet space. It sounded new, yet strangely familiar.

“I will rectify it.”

The voice of the person opposite followed, and only then did Sa-yoon grasp the situation. It seemed someone was scolding a subordinate, and the atmosphere was truly bleak.

The person doing the scolding remained unseen beyond the corner, but the one being reprimanded stood at attention, rigid and stiff.

“Step away from this task. I’ll handle it.”

“No, sir. I will do it.”

“Don’t be stubborn. You’re just getting in the way.”

“My apologies.”

Wow. Impressive. Sa-yoon whistled inwardly, marveling. It had been a long time since he’d seen someone so disciplined.

Despite being ostensibly a military organization, the free-spirited nature of the Espers gathered here often blurred the lines of hierarchy.

To be so frozen stiff… whoever the superior was, they must be incredibly strict. But why did the voice sound so familiar?

“Who is it?”

The other person, sensing Sa-yoon’s presence, asked. Only then did Sa-yoon recognize the owner of the voice. He hadn’t realized it because it was so different from usual, but it was Han Do-hoon’s voice.

He had never seen Han Do-hoon speak to someone with such high-handed authority, making it difficult to recognize. Could it be that even Han Do-hoon presented a different persona in front of his subordinates?

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. Should I come back later if you’re busy?”

A moment of silence descended between them, time seemingly paused for a few seconds. Han Do-hoon pushed past the subordinate standing before him and rounded the corner.

As if he had never been angry, he smiled and approached Sa-yoon.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? It must be quite a distance from Team Sa-yoon’s office.”

“No, I just happened to have some business nearby, so I came. My condition has also improved significantly since last time.”

As he spoke, Sa-yoon glanced back. The subordinate, who had been thoroughly scolded, rolled his eyes, unsure what to do, looking between Sa-yoon and Han Do-hoon.

Their eyes met, and the subordinate quickly bowed his head. Sa-yoon returned the silent greeting.

“What are you looking at… Ah.”

Han Do-hoon turned around. He gestured to his subordinate.

“You can go back.”

“Yes. I am truly sorry for this matter, Team Leader. Please, if you grant me one more chance, I will complete it with my life.”

“There’s no need to risk your life. I’ll trust you one more time, so handle it yourself.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The subordinate bowed at a 90-degree angle and hastily retreated, scurrying away. Sa-yoon thought of his own team members.

There was Chae-jun, who called him ‘Team Leader’ but acted like he was in charge, and Kang Ah-jun, whose thoughts were always a mystery. It was a starkly different atmosphere from Han Do-hoon’s team.

“Did I come at an inconvenient time?”

“You needn’t worry about it. I was just about to send him away.”

Just moments ago, the atmosphere suggested he would have demoted his subordinate even if he clung to his pants. Before Sa-yoon could say anything, Han Do-hoon subtly pulled on Sa-yoon’s shoulder, guiding him.

“Since you’ve come all this way, would you like to come to my office?”

“I suppose so.”

The corridor Sa-yoon had been standing in was right next to Han Do-hoon’s office. Perhaps it was because he was visiting another team leader’s office for the first time, but upon arriving, Sa-yoon looked around with unfamiliar eyes.

Compared to Sa-yoon’s, Han Do-hoon’s office was as stark as a blank canvas, almost entirely empty. Even considering he hadn’t been in the country long, it was excessively bare.

A vacant bookshelf and a few scattered documents were all that filled the office. It was a far cry from Sa-yoon’s cabinet, which was always stocked with all sorts of snacks.

In this space devoid of any trace of its owner’s personality, Sa-yoon awkwardly settled onto the sofa.

“I don’t seem to have any beverages to offer. I’ll call for some now.”

“It’s fine. I only gave you water too.”

Sa-yoon himself had given Han Do-hoon only water, despite having a cabinet brimming with various tea bags and drinks. Ignoring a slight twinge of conscience, Sa-yoon smiled nonchalantly.

“I didn’t come for any particular reason. My fatigue has cleared up, and I felt a bit bad about before. I just thought it would be better to visit instead of just sending a message.”

“Even a message would have been perfectly fine.”

‘Even a message would have been fine,’ he said. Even Sa-yoon wasn’t that rude. Still, some things were better resolved face-to-face.

Han Do-hoon poured water into a clean white cup and offered it to Sa-yoon.

“It’s also the first time you’ve contacted me first, Sa-yoon. That alone would have been enough.”

…It seemed he really had been quite impolite. Sa-yoon reflected on his past behavior. He felt like he might have reached out first once, but he couldn’t recall a specific instance.

“Ahem, but it’s always better to talk face-to-face, isn’t it? Messages limit what you can say.”

“That’s true. So, do you have any new mission schedules for the time being?”

“No missions. Just catching up on backlog… Oh, wait, there is one.”

There was one mission he’d been saddled with after visiting the Director’s office recently. It was too trivial to be called a mission, yet it was incredibly bothersome.

“Do you know that new personnel will be arriving in the country soon?”

“If you’re referring to the overseas Espers, then yes, I am aware. I participated in organizing the list.”

As expected, Han Do-hoon, who had spent a long time working overseas, had already been given a heads-up.

“I’m in charge of guiding them.”

“You are, Sa-yoon?”

A subtle furrow appeared between Han Do-hoon’s brows. He stroked his chin with a finger.

“It doesn’t seem like a task for you, Sa-yoon. Come to think of it, you also managed our team when we first arrived.”

Reflecting on it, if he hadn’t fallen for the Director’s trick back then, perhaps he wouldn’t even be having this conversation with Han Do-hoon now. Or perhaps, they would have become entangled anyway through a joint mission.

“This doesn’t seem like appropriate personnel placement. If you consider it an unfair assignment, I will petition with you.”

“It’s fine. It’s not a difficult task.”

“It’s not a task for an S-rank Esper.”

Han Do-hoon’s reaction was exactly like Sa-yoon’s initial one. Indeed, without knowing the reason, it would sound strange to anyone.

“The Director said that it’s better to have a strong one go first to establish discipline and keep things quiet. When you think about it, it’s not wrong.”

“This time, I’ll just go, establish the hierarchy, and put them in their assigned accommodations.”

Unless they were as unusual as Han Do-hoon, most wouldn’t challenge Sa-yoon. It was essentially a simple task of classifying them upon arrival and neatly putting them into their rooms.

Despite his explanation, Han Do-hoon’s expression remained unyielding.