Chapter 25

Chapter 25. Welcome to the Special Management Bureau (6)

It was the first time.

The first time I had come out of a Special Zone in my right mind.

Until just moments ago, I had been walking while watching the barcode scanner’s mood.

But the place where I was standing now was some kind of hangar-like space.

On top of that, transparent partitions surrounded the area.

As I stood there dazed, a whistle sounded.

Whew—!

When I turned my head, I saw armed people beyond the partition.

The moment our eyes met, they began cheering at me.

“Cool!”

“Long live Otter!”

“We love you!”

I was puzzled by the applause and cheers of strangers, then soon realized.

These people were the rescue team sent from the Bureau.

They had deployed to rescue me, only to end up waiting at the entrance.

Then was this the entrance to the 「Trap-Installed Warehouse Mart」?

More importantly, what was with this passionate reaction?

As if I had become some triumphant general…….

No, not “as if.” I really had.

I had survived a Special Zone said to be impossible to escape from, and even found a way to endure inside it.

That itself was my victory, and the Bureau’s victory.

Only after realizing that did it finally feel real.

I lived.

In the relief that came flooding in, I looked at the people cheering.

It felt awkward to just stand there, so when I waved out of courtesy, an even louder cheer poured out.

Mm, it was a little burdensome, but considering the situation.

For now, I decided to celebrate too!

---

The next day.

Regrettably, my celebration did not last even a single day.

“Your back gave out.”

I lay there with a pale face and listened to Kim U-in’s diagnosis.

“It feels like your back’s going to snap when you try to get up, right? That’s because your intervertebral disc decided it couldn’t take this anymore and escaped.”

“Th-then what do I do now?”

“What do you mean, what do you do? You wait until it goes back.”

“My shoulder hurts a little too…….”

“That’s a muscle tear. You really climbed that rope well yesterday. Your legs don’t hurt?”

“Aaagh! Hrk, urgh……!”

“They hurt.”

When I writhed in stages, Kim U-in clicked his tongue while sucking on a candy.

I clenched my teeth to swallow my resentment.

Of course, this doctor had done nothing wrong.

All he had done was lightly poke my calf.

The one who could not handle even that much damage and got a leg cramp was me.

The one who flapped in surprise and twisted his back again was me.

For some reason, the one whose shoulder had also cramped along with it was also me.

Everything was because I was weak.

Even so, because a doctor takes the patient’s side, Kim U-in scolded Cha Si-eon standing beside him.

“You should roll him around moderately. What is this?”

“It was not a situation where moderation was possible.”

“Does that mean you can make a person like this? Is today the only day he needs to live? If he gets dragged in again in this state, he’s done in 3 minutes. What will you do then?”

“I will be careful going forward.”

“Be careful. I’m not telling you not to roll him around. If you’re going to roll him around, roll him with the intention of using him for a long time!”

But this conversation was a little strange.

No, very strange.

“Anyway, I’ll give you a painkiller injection, so get an IV today and wear a shoulder brace for a while. We’ll watch your condition for about two days before starting physical therapy. And your head……”

Kim U-in slightly lifted my hair and spoke.

“There’s no need to touch this.”

Fortunately, the wound on my head was not very deep.

I had thought I was badly hurt because blood had been pouring out.

Kim U-in fiddled with my IV line a little, then left the hospital room.

Once I was left alone with Cha Si-eon, the atmosphere rapidly grew awkward.

After a heavy silence, Cha Si-eon muttered,

“You really must not exercise normally.”

“Is that something to say to a bedridden person……?”

I objected, dumbfounded, and silence flowed again.

Just yesterday, Cha Si-eon and I had been a kind of partner, risking our lives and working in sync.

But look at today.

Me, carried here because I could not get up in the morning.

Cha Si-eon, pointed out as the cause of my bodily breakdown.

It was hard to call this occupational injury by negligence.

It was also hard to laugh it off by saying that since I had survived, it was fine.

In many ways, it was an ambiguous situation.

“Since it seems you will be unable to get up for a while, we will conduct the post-incident interview here in abbreviated form.”

Even in the middle of this, Cha Si-eon remained faithful to his role.

“As of yesterday, the 「Trap-Installed Warehouse Mart」 has been renamed the 「Membership Warehouse Mart」.”

The Bureau was intuitive as ever.

“The suspended exploration will also proceed again, and the reward for Mr. Seo Do-un’s exploration contribution will be paid within this month.”

Their incentives were thorough too.

“And regarding the end of Mr. Seo Do-un’s probationary period and your official appointment, there will be a separate orientation from the General Affairs Division.”

Was this good news?

I was not sure.

Official appointment. In other words, conversion to regular employment.

It was clearly a beautiful phrase, but I did not particularly feel happy.

Rather, the reality check I had temporarily put off surged in like a tsunami.

I had hoped that I would simply fill the probationary period without being dragged into a Special Zone again, then be dismissed.

My vain hope had collapsed.

With this, the road home had become infinitely distant, and my Special Zone roulette was confirmed.

When I let out a futile sigh, Cha Si-eon gauged my mood and said,

“And there is someone you should meet.”

“Someone I should meet?”

Knock, knock—

A perfectly timed knock rang out.

Cha Si-eon opened the door without even asking who it was.

Standing beyond it was a person wearing a Bureau work uniform.

He was a tall man who looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, with a good-natured impression.

Who is this?

At the appearance of someone I did not know, I forced myself to sit up.

Then that tall, handsome man approached me with an awkward expression.

“Just lie down. It must be difficult for you to move.”

Even his voice was gentle.

So I wondered if he was a priest, pastor, or some other clergyman.

Like how the military has chaplains.

“I’m sorry to suddenly visit when your body is uncomfortable. I’m Kwon Mu-seop, Head of Field Operations.”

But the identity the man revealed was completely different from my guess.

Field Operations was the department above the Response Teams and Exploration Teams.

In other words, this person was Cha Si-eon, Baek Sa-ra, and Kwak Jae-gyeom’s superior.

No, someone who looks this gentle?

“Ah, these are cookies. Please eat them when you rest. I felt awkward coming empty-handed.”

Even bringing cookies as a hospital visit gift?

The man with the mild impression, Kwon Mu-seop, held out his hand to me.

I took it in confusion, then was startled again.

What is this burdensome mass?

It felt similar to when I shook hands with Cha Si-eon.

At the unexpectedly heavy texture, I looked at Kwon Mu-seop again, and only then did I notice.

Manager Kwon Mu-seop’s ears were…….

Cauliflower ears.

The so-called symbol of a fighter.

Startled by the successive reversals, I turned to look at Cha Si-eon.

For some reason, Cha Si-eon was standing at attention in the corner over there.

“My greetings are very late, aren’t they? I meant to give you your appointment certificate today and introduce you to the family, but I heard it was difficult for you to move, so I came separately to greet you. It has been a while since I welcomed a new family member too, so it feels a little awkward.”

Kwon Mu-seop spoke with a good-natured smile.

But because of the sensation still lingering in my hand and Cha Si-eon stuck in the back over there, I could not readily smile back.

Then Kwon Mu-seop studied my expression and spoke even more carefully.

“Mr. Seo Do-un, you were officially appointed as of yesterday. I am not sure whether I should congratulate you on this…….”

So I instead grew puzzled.

Why is he watching my mood now, of all times?

Your psychopath subordinate congratulated me immediately yesterday.

“If you congratulate me, I will accept it gratefully.”

In truth, it was not something worth congratulating at all, but I answered out of courtesy.

Then Kwon Mu-seop smiled again as if relieved.

“I feel relieved to hear you say that. Truly, thank you in many ways. Thanks to Mr. Seo Do-un, our family’s morale has risen greatly.”

“Morale?”

“As the situation became prolonged, many of them had grown exhausted, but recently, the internal atmosphere has been good for the first time in a while. Thank you for becoming an example to our agents. I too was impressed by Mr. Seo Do-un’s wit and decisiveness.”

At the praise Kwon Mu-seop poured out all at once, I grew a little embarrassed.

What should I answer?

You flatter me?

I merely found a way for myself to survive?

As I was choosing a suitable answer, another unexpected line came from Kwon Mu-seop’s mouth.

“And I am truly sorry.”

All of a sudden?

“Mr. Seo Do-un, your situation is truly regrettable. I apologize for being unable to resolve the problem quickly for you.”

“I, Manager, do not think this is something you should apologize for.”

When Kwon Mu-seop even bowed his head, I hurriedly stopped him.

“It’s not as if I ended up like this because of the Bureau, and I’m receiving help in many ways instead.”

Kwon Mu-seop looked at me half in doubt.

Then he let out another sigh of relief and said,

“Thank you for understanding. I was worried because I heard you had filed a complaint before.”

“A complaint?”

“I heard that when you came out of the 「Railway Station」, you complained to Team Leader Cha. Was that not the case?”

I wondered what he was talking about and searched my memory.

Then I soon remembered a conversation that could be called a complaint.

“But why didn’t you come rescue us?”

“It was a response in accordance with the manual.”

“What kind of crazy bullshit is that?”

“If you display an uncooperative attitude, your return home may be delayed.”

“Are you threatening me right now?”

Right.

In the not-so-distant past, there had existed a topknot bastard who would not even reveal his name.

And how is that a complaint, Manager? It is just that your Team Leader Cha was in the wrong.

I wanted to say that, so I glanced at Cha Si-eon.

He was still standing at attention.

But the look in his eyes as he watched me was more melancholy than ever before.

If this goes well, will I get to see Cha Si-eon get chewed out?

“Ah, yes……. At that time, I was also not in my right mind, so I got a little agitated.”

Honestly, I did want to see it, but fine, I let it go once.

When I stepped back kindly, Kwon Mu-seop instead waved his hands.

“Ah, I did not mean it that way. Besides, compared to some, Mr. Seo Do-un, you were quite gentlemanly. We sometimes have people who wail or grab us by the collar and argue.”

The collar? Whose? His, Cha Si-eon’s?

There really exist people with anger management issues in the truest sense?

As I sat there dumbfounded, Kwon Mu-seop brought up something even more unexpected.

“And it is also true that our manual deserves resentment.”

……What is this, since earlier?

He is Cha Si-eon’s superior, right?

So why does he keep saying such reasonable things?

“Mm, you have the expression of someone watching a puppy speak human language……. We are not such an arrogant organization.”

Ah, I got caught.

When I covered my face, Kwon Mu-seop smiled bitterly and added,

“To make a bit of an excuse, we are not simply watching because we enjoy it either. Our positions may be different, but people’s hearts are all similar. When we see someone in trouble, of course we want to help them and save them.”

These people are aware that they are cold-hearted?

That is genuinely unexpected.

No, it seemed my expectations had been too low.

I had thought this was a group of psychopaths who cut everything off by saying that was the manual, whether people died or not.

Feeling a little sorry, I asked Kwon Mu-seop,

“The manual is like that because of a lack of manpower, right?”

“Yes, that is the biggest reason.”

“Then could you not increase the number of employees…….”

I did not know the market value of this world.

But even to the eyes of an outsider, the Bureau’s allowances were abnormally large.

It seemed there would be quite a few people willing to work for even half this pay.

So why were they short on manpower?

“We would like to do that too, but we are in a situation where we cannot.”

At my question, Kwon Mu-seop answered with a troubled face.

“The government has prohibited the Bureau from increasing personnel.”

Right.

This was the Special Management Bureau.

A world where the more you dug, the more ghost stories came out.