Chapter 349: How
I knew a day like this would come.
I know it too. That the things I've been doing are a bit—no, quite—unusual.
The fact that I run into isolation objects to a miraculous degree, and then survive them just as miraculously.
But I never expected it to go this far.
With a terrible sense of burden, I forced an awkward smile.
What I really wanted was to bolt from my seat and run away immediately, but the world of work isn't that forgiving.
You just have to smile and accept it from your place.
Thanks to that, everyone's eyes were on me, and I was stuck in my spot, wearing nothing but a socially-acceptable smile.
Even most of the spotlight was shining on me.
"The Gangseo Branch's Human and Isolation Object Incident & Accident Response Team has lived up to its name by resolving major and minor issues within the Management Bureau."
Before I knew it, I witnessed the miracle of the HR team's name being changed to the Human and Isolation Object Incident & Accident Response Team with my own two eyes, listening to the Director-General's speech without even being able to change my expression.
"And that's not all. There have been crises threatening the world that you weren't even aware of, which they have also thwarted."
"Wow! Gangseo Branch HR team is the best!"
The urge to throttle Ahn Sang-hyun, who was shouting joyfully next to me, surged wildly, but since I saw no way to win, I forced myself to hold back.
"Everyone! Therefore, the Management Bureau's Plaque of Appreciation for this term will be awarded to the Gangseo Branch's Human and Isolation Object Incident & Accident Response Team!"
"Waaaaah!!!!!"
In the quiet hall, applause erupted along with Ahn Sang-hyun's crazed cheers.
-Clapclapclapclapclap...!
Soon, others began clapping along with him.
"That mad dog from Gangseo Branch is happy as if it's his own achievement...!"
"How on earth did they manage to win him over?"
I just told him to roll. I said I'd take responsibility.
But even if they said that, who would believe it?
I let out a sigh from the depths of my heart and simply surrendered myself to the applause.
How long did the applause last? The Director-General, who had been looking at us with a pleased expression, kept his gaze fixed on us.
Why. What is he planning now?
As I stared blankly back at him, he tilted his head.
"You should come up and receive the plaque."
Ah, I have to receive a plaque too?
So it's a full-blown show, complete with all the bells and whistles.
I looked around for someone who could go up instead of me.
Song A-rin and Jang Chae-yeon avoided my gaze.
And Yu Daon was smiling brightly and starting to rise, but I hurriedly raised a hand to stop her.
Right. I should go. Who else would go if not me?
I slowly stood up and headed for the podium.
The Director-General looked at me with an approving smile, but I didn't particularly like that smile.
It wasn't that I disliked it, but I hated this feeling of having truly become the Isolation Team's errand boy.
But as if unaware of my feelings, the Director-General smiled amiably and handed me the plaque.
"Thank you, Mr. Kim Jae-heon. You have been the hope and the guiding light of our Management Bureau this year."
"...Ah, yes."
I wish he'd stop saying things like that.
I looked at the plaque the Director-General handed me.
A plaque inscribed with: <A gift for you who has toiled for the Management Bureau>.
"..."
As expected of a strange company, working people to death and then just handing them a plaque—
[Name: Plaque]
[Age: X]
[Specialty: Alarm]
[Talent: Alarm]
[Background: The Management Bureau does not let promising talent slip away. Primarily by using this plaque to make them come running when there's danger.]
[Weakness: Resign.]
"..."
As I looked at the plaque with a complicated expression, the Director-General grinned and looked at me.
He looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, 'You know, right?'
So he gave it to me knowing full well.
Then what can I do?
I have to accept it, that's all.
I accepted the plaque, bowed to the Director-General, and he waved back with a congenial smile.
Just as I was slowly starting to head back to my seat.
"Kuh-heuk!"
Someone grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me in that direction.
Judging by the strength, it probably wasn't the Branch Chief.
If the Branch Chief had dragged me, my arm would probably have been torn off by now.
I looked at the person pulling me through the darkness.
Tousled blonde hair fluttered, and Eileen, wearing a white dress, looked at me.
"I'll show you how to use that."
"Ah, thank you."
I wondered if it was necessary to follow me all the way to this corner to show me.
"Give it here."
Eileen held out her hand to me. When I placed the plaque on her palm, she tapped the top of it here and there.
-Fwip!
With a sound of something folding, the plaque transformed into a small badge. She then grabbed my lapel.
"Come closer."
I slowly leaned my body toward her. Eileen smiled and then pinned the badge to my lapel.
"There. Done."
"Where did you learn how to do this?"
"I learned it from the Branch Chief because you were receiving an award."
So the Branch Chief taught her this too.
"And... she said I received one a long time ago."
She muttered as if talking about someone else's story and flipped open her own lapel.
A slightly worn-out badge was pinned to her lapel.
"We match now."
Eileen gave a shy smile and tapped my lapel.
"..."
I looked at the badge, then at Eileen.
And before I could say anything, Eileen raised her hand.
"Don't apologize."
"...How did you know?"
"Because you always make a face whenever you're about to talk about things I can't remember."
So I do that.
"..."
Eileen gently placed her raised hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay. What I want to see isn't you being sad, but you being happy."
"...I'll try."
"Don't even try."
Tap. She tapped my shoulder and then looked up at me.
"I'll do the trying. You just have to watch from the side."
"..."
How is it that everyone around me is so magnificent?
Maybe I was really born with luck when it comes to people.
"Let's go back."
"Shall we go together?"
"I'm the only one from the Response Team here. It gets lonely by myself."
Eileen smiled softly at me.
"It's okay if we go together, right?"
The option to say 'no, it's not okay' simply didn't exist for me.
*
When I arrived with Eileen, the other three stared intently at me.
"No wonder you suddenly received an award and disappeared somewhere."
Song A-rin muttered with a sigh, while Jang Chae-yeon and Yu Daon stared fixedly at Eileen.
"What did you talk about?"
Jang Chae-yeon looked at me curiously.
"Ah, it's nothing."
I showed them the badge and waved my hand as if to say it was no big deal.
"I didn't know how to attach the badge, so Eileen did it for me."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three fell silent for a moment at my words.
Why? It's not a problem that she pinned the badge on me.
As I looked at them with a bewildered expression, Eileen laughed softly and placed a hand on my arm.
"That's right. I merely pinned on a badge. In matters like this, I am still your senior, after all."
Eileen smiled and looked at the others, while the three just continued to stare fixedly at her.
"...Tch."
Song A-rin clicked her tongue in apparent annoyance, and Jang Chae-yeon and Yu Daon also looked at me with seeming dissatisfaction.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
Song A-rin let out a deep sigh and pointed to the seat next to her.
"Just sit down. It's not over yet."
"Right."
I nodded and sat down next to Song A-rin.
"..."
"..."
People chatted busily, and Song A-rin and I continued to watch them.
Someone came up to receive an award, then another person came up.
Song A-rin muttered.
"I never thought I'd be the one coming here."
"Is this your first time being invited?"
"Surely you don't think this is my first invitation? I just... said I wouldn't come."
"Why?"
"Seeing people who were always around suddenly disappear, and then hearing their obituary... it's not a particularly pleasant experience."
Song A-rin gave a bitter smile.
"That's why I didn't come."
"So it wasn't because you're a nutcase from the Central Branch that you didn't come."
"Want me to show you what a real nutcase looks like?"
Hearing my words, Song A-rin glared at me with wide eyes, and I had no choice but to smile at her as if it were a joke.
"...Anyway, I never thought I'd come in my lifetime."
She muttered, looking at the person on the podium.
"Because of you, I ended up coming."
"Because of me?"
"Not a chance."
Song A-rin chuckled and stared intently at the person who had ascended the podium.
A person receiving an award from the Director-General with a joyful smile.
"When I saw that the person on the podium was you."
Song A-rin muttered in a low voice as she watched that scene.
"I started to worry."
"Worry?"
"Yeah. The worry of, 'What if you actually die?'"
"Well then... I'd die."
Frankly, if death approaches, what can I possibly do?
I'll struggle with all my might, and if there's still no answer, I'll just wait quietly for death, that's all.
"Don't say things like that."
Song A-rin shook her head.
"If you die, there will be plenty of people willing to die in your place."
"Like Daon?"
"You always think of the black-haired one first."
Song A-rin shook her head.
"There are others besides her who would die for you."
"..."
I didn't add anything more to that.
I didn't want to ask further, and I realized that asking would be meaningless anyway.
Song A-rin and I just remained silent, watching the people receiving awards.
"So."
Then, Song A-rin broke the silence and looked at me.
"What are you going to do about the white-haired one's confession?"