Chapter 431: Nursing Home
The Director-General, who had been watching the Branch Chief with her head stuck in a bottle cap, turned his head toward us.
"He's an old fossil. Though I suppose most of you have seen me before, so you probably know..."
"Oh, no, not at all, Director-General. It's an honor to meet you."
"You've had your hands full, looking after such a deficient subordinate."
"What are you talking about? You're my benefactor, the one who saved my life."
And the first one to speak up was Sunglasses.
As expected, his seniority was different. He knew exactly how to converse without ruffling the Director-General's feathers.
"And..."
The Director-General's gaze turned to me.
"Mr. Kim Jae-heon. How are you... feeling alright?"
"Ah, yes."
The Director-General smiled a kindly smile.
But when I thought about the fact that this was the person who had just been bombarding the Branch Chief (268 years old) against a bottle cap right in front of me, it was a bit... no, it was pretty frightening.
I nodded awkwardly, and soon he looked at the others.
"And the Gangseo Branch HR team members... and even Ms. Eileen, the Response Team Leader."
At his words, the three of them bowed their heads slightly, while Eileen looked at me as if she had no idea what was going on.
I could almost hear her question, 'Who is that old man?' but I just shook my head while looking at Eileen without saying a word.
Thankfully, Eileen was quicker at reading the situation than our team members, so she didn't say anything.
Of course, the Director-General would know about Eileen's condition, so even if she acted rudely or treated him like some strange old man, I doubted he'd say anything.
"Get up."
"Yes, sir!"
The Director-General, who had been smiling kindly, looked at the Branch Chief. Hearing the response, the Branch Chief hurriedly lifted her body up.
"Did you finally find it?"
"...Yes, I found it."
The Branch Chief answered his question calmly, and the Director-General let out a small sigh.
"Not everything becomes easier just because you uncover the truth."
"But you're the type who can't sleep unless you find the truth yourself, Director-General."
"Whether it was a hundred years ago or now, your way of speaking has always been impudent."
Hearing the Branch Chief's reply, the Director-General shook his head and looked at me.
"Hey, Mr. Kim Jae-heon."
"...Yes, me?"
Me? Why all of a sudden? I thought the scenario was that those two would chat happily and then reluctantly let us go. Why am I being called?
"Please take good care of our Lee Ha-neul."
"...Well, of course I'll do my best."
Why me?
I looked at the Director-General with that feeling in my eyes, and he laughed heartily.
"Mr. Kim Jae-heon, you are the most fascinating person I've ever met in my life."
Saying that, the Director-General looked off into the distance.
"Not just because of your achievements, but you often act very much like a veteran agent."
"..."
I suddenly remembered what the Manual had said.
That I was part of a riverside-specialist team.
The fact that I sometimes acted like a veteran agent... wasn't it because in a previous cycle, or in the timeline the Manual knows, I really was a veteran agent?
Of course, since it's from a point I don't remember, it's rather meaningless.
"Anyway, our Lee Ha-neul sometimes... no, often acts out. Please keep a good eye on her."
"Don't worry. I won't take responsibility, but I'll keep an appropriate eye on her."
"But it's Mr. Kim Jae-heon who causes more trouble in the first place...?"
At my words, the Branch Chief muttered as if it was absurd, and the Director-General glared at her again.
"Anyway, this old fossil will be on his way now."
It seems he held a grudge.
The Director-General muttered as he left. We watched his back until he disappeared from view, and then Yu Daon muttered.
"He felt... a bit strange."
"Strange?"
"Yes."
Yu Daon stared fixedly at the spot where the Director-General had vanished.
I looked at Jang Chae-yeon and Song A-rin, but the two just shook their heads.
"I don't know."
"...Me neither."
Jang Chae-yeon answered calmly, while Song A-rin bit her lip slightly as if her pride was hurt.
"What was strange about him? His smell?"
"Uh, well. The smell was strange, but strange in a different way."
Yu Daon spoke without tearing her gaze away.
"He had no smell."
"What?"
"It's more like there was no smell at all. If he were human, there should always be a smell. Even if he wasn't human..."
Her gaze remained fixed on the spot the Director-General had left.
"What could it be, really?"
"...No wonder people say you should be a Team Leader."
"That's right."
I watched her and listened with one ear to Sunglasses and the Branch Chief whispering to each other.
Since Yu Daon had already said she didn't want to become a team leader, I didn't think anyone would ignore her wishes.
"Well, I'll be off for a bit then."
"Ah, to register?"
"Yes."
Saying that, the Branch Chief walked off into the distance.
I watched her go, then turned my gaze to the others.
"Are you really sure about this?"
Worried that something might happen again.
Hearing my question, the four of them exchanged glances for a moment before Eileen spoke.
"It's fine."
"But Ms. Eileen, you're from a different team—"
"There's no rule saying I can't help you just because I'm on a different team."
"W-well, that's true."
Her voice was quite sharp, so for a moment I didn't know what to say.
"They're all just worried about you."
"Please don't forget that I worry about the others, too."
Under the gaze of the four of them, I slowly turned my head away, feeling the pressure.
Weren't they all people who had been good to me?
And eventually, I would have to give them an answer.
"..."
For now, it seemed we had reached a silent agreement not to bring it up, but someday the time would come when I would have to answer them.
"...Phew."
I secretly hid the sigh that escaped me and took out the Manual, whispering.
"What should I do? Huh?"
-Chwararak!
The Manual opened.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[ã ]
Yeah. My mistake for asking you.
I closed the Manual calmly, and Sunglasses approached me.
"You look troubled. Is something wrong?"
"...It's a bit hard to talk about."
"Dear me."
At my words, he glanced at the others for a moment before looking back at me.
"If something happens, I'll try to help."
"...Yes, well. Thank you."
I had no idea what kind of help he could offer, though.
I nodded slightly, and he walked away with a satisfied smile.
Not long after, the Branch Chief returned holding a few sheets of paper.
"I mean, really. They said it would be good for you to register too, Mr. Kim Jae-heon, but I told them absolutely not."
"Why would they register me?"
That's terrifying.
"Exactly. I think they see you as a subject for monitoring, too."
The Branch Chief slowly shook her head.
"I said no. You're under my command, after all. I have to protect you."
"That's very reassuring."
I nodded calmly, and we all started walking toward the parking lot together.
"Ah, then the car..."
"Seven people can't all fit in one car..."
She muttered and looked at the others.
"What should we do?"
"Well..."
It's a bit awkward to say who you'll ride with.
As I pondered this, Sunglasses raised his hand.
"We can just go as we came."
"Ah, but the route..."
"We can tell you the way."
"Shall we do that then?"
The Branch Chief nodded, and the others also nodded as if they didn't really care.
"The location is about a two-hour drive from here."
"Is it another mountain this time?"
Song A-rin muttered as if annoyed, and hearing this, Sunglasses shook his head.
"No. This time it's not a mountain, just a building."
"Just a building?"
"A hospital?"
"A theater?"
The others spoke in unison.
Everyone's trauma is acting up, I see.
"Well, first of all... it's a nursing home."
"But this is also a nursing home?"
"This place is a nursing home in name only; we don't actually care for elderly people here."
Aren't we currently housing a 268-year-old and an old man who looks even older than that?
"But isn't the Branch Chief a grandmother?"
Yu Daon raised her hand and spoke, and the Branch Chief, hearing this, smiled softly.
No, only the smile was soft. She seemed angry.
"Ms. Yu Daon, do you have multiple lives?"
"They're infinite!"
"..."
Right. She can come back to life even if her head gets crushed, so she can say things like that.
Sometimes I wonder, who does Yu Daon take after to talk so recklessly?
I'll never say that out loud.
Thinking that, I watched Eileen and Sunglasses exchange addresses and then headed to the parking lot.
Three of us, including me, got into the car, and it set off immediately.
"Mr. Kim Jae-heon, do you think I'm a grandmother too?"
"Oh, heavens, no. I just think of you as a young person who's weathered quite a few storms."
Should I say she's a youthful elder?
"Hehe."
The Branch Chief laughed, and Sunglasses nodded at me.
Reading people is also a skill.
*
"Why do you always keep provoking the Branch Chief like that?"
"Me?"
At Song A-rin's words, Yu Daon's eyes widened.
"You just called her old."
"W-well, isn't over 200 years old considered old...?"
"No, you're right about that, but... Ugh, forget it. Let's not talk. The way you talk is exactly like that guy."
"Jae-heon does speak somewhat similarly sometimes."
"Right. Sometimes when he teases me, I want to punch him."
"That's why I pinch his side."
Listening to the three of them talk, Eileen muttered softly.
"...He doesn't tease me, though."
"That's because you're not close enough. Know your place."
"Ms. Eileen isn't on our team!"
"..."
Eileen stepped on the accelerator, thinking, 'Should I just crash into the guardrail and have us all go to the hospital together?'
With a Vroom!, the car sped off toward the nursing home.