IMPRINT 46

Looking at the previous videos, there was certainly a distinct difference from now. It was true for the impact and energy waves, but especially so in the way he approached training.

Since he was wearing special equipment that looked like goggles, I couldn’t see his expression or the look in his eyes, but the way he moved his body and the way he drove monsters into a corner was much more bellicose and relentless before.

The sight of the ceaseless, driving attacks and him brutally beating down even a nearly neutralized monster was enough to feel a bit scary, even though it was just a video.

“Wow…”

At that moment, an unknown exclamation was heard right next to my ear.

Startled, I turned my head and saw the Esper Kim Minjae, who was said to be a rookie on the Alpha Team. His gaze touched the tablet PC I was holding and soon wandered through the air, losing its way.

While the awkward air continued for a long while, Esper Kim Minjae cautiously broke the silence first.

“That training… it’s considered a legend among the combat-type Espers.”

Excuse me…? I was flustered just by the fact that he suddenly spoke to me, but the content of those words was even more bewildering. I didn’t know why he was telling me this, but it was interesting since it was information I hadn’t known.

“Is that so? Do Espers watch Mr. Kang’s training videos too?”

“Yes! Of course!”

It was a question I threw out lightly, but Kim Minjae answered as if he were a fish jumping up after biting a lure. Then, he soon sat down quietly while checking the reactions of his Alpha Team colleague next to him.

“…Because he’s such an amazing person. At the academy, it’s passed down almost like a textbook…”

I thought that being on the Alpha Team meant they wouldn’t like Kang Juha much, but is that not necessarily the case?

“I see.”

“I also refer to them a lot whenever I train. Of course, I’m not as good as Esper Kang Juha. But still…”

What is this? At this rate, it’s not just that he doesn’t hate Kang Juha, he actually likes him, doesn’t he?

“Then you must have watched a lot of the videos of Mr. Kang training over the years?”

“Ah… t-that’s true…”

“It’s not just a lot; he’s probably watched the publicly released videos dozens of times.”

I thought it was strange that Kim Minjae was hesitating and acting cautious. The fellow Esper next to him answered instead. So, his name was… Go Seonghyeon, was it?

“Even now, we could just leave, but the reason he’s staying here is to try and steal a peek at Esper Kang Juha training, even if just for a bit.”

“St-steal a peek! It’s nothing like that!”

Seeing Go Seonghyeon’s fed-up expression and Kim Minjae’s urgent hand-waving, I could more or less see the picture.

It was very unexpected that there was someone in the Alpha Team—not just any other Espers—who was more than favorable toward Kang Juha, almost to the point of following him, but it wasn’t a bad situation. Since Kang Juha would have to return to the Field Operations Department once his ties with the National Security Bureau ended, I had been concerned that he might live lonely and alone without anyone by his side like before.

I looked at him with an expression that said, ‘Our kid looks a bit violent and is inhumanly strong, but he doesn’t bite.’

And while I was at it, I was about to ask things I was curious about regarding the Alpha Team, but the words [Mission Success] flashed on the monitor and Kang Juha’s training ended.

At the same time, Go Seonghyeon stood up.

“We should go now.”

“Ah… we’ll be going first.”

Judging by the general atmosphere, I wondered if they had heard something from their superior to the effect of not contacting Kang Juha.

“See you again next time.”

So this time, I let them go without trying to hold them back. There was no need to act in a hurry for no reason.

The next day, as usual, I set out on the way to work with Kang Juha. If there was one thing different from usual, it was that the places where Kang Juha and I were going to work today were different.

“Do well with the investigation and let’s meet at lunchtime.”

Regarding Kim Kunwoo’s discipline, Kang Juha alone received a request to appear before the committee for witness questioning. Starting from that restraint he still wears on his neck to the annoying investigations. It was quite a nuisance to clean up the mess Kim Kunwoo left behind.

I was waiting for the elevator inside the National Security Bureau building alone, and I felt strange for no reason. Up until a few weeks ago, going to work alone was a matter of course. Why does the inside of the elevator feel so empty today?

Actually, right before I got on the elevator and the doors closed, I saw one of the members of the Information Team running urgently. I wondered if I should wait for them, but as soon as our eyes met, they came to a dead stop, so I just quietly pressed the close button.

Well, no one would want to ride the elevator with their boss from the morning. Especially if it’s a direct superior who even uses a separate office.

I let out a hollow laugh while looking at the numbers on the elevator dashboard going up quietly. Why feel this way now…

Ding— As soon as it stopped on the floor where my office was and the doors opened, Juyoung, who happened to be passing through the hallway, greeted me.

“You’re here?”

I stared at him blankly at the words delivered so normally. Thinking he had something on his face, he fumbled with his own face and made a displeased expression.

“Wh-why? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you glad to see me?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if you’re glad to see me.”

I asked out of pure curiosity, but Park Juyoung took a step back with a face like he’d seen a ghost.

“Wh-why are you being so scary. Is this a new type of workplace harassment?”

“Do you think I’d pour that much sincerity into harassing just you?”

“No…?”

“You know well. So, are you glad to see me or not.”

“If you’re like this, I’m not glad.”

An answer came back that wasn’t even worth asking.

“No, really, did something happen? Why are you like this?”

“Yeah, look at this. You even subtly drop the honorifics with me like this, don’t you?”

“…Sir.”

I gave a pathetic look to Juyoung, who timidly added the “sir,” and shook my head.

“It’s nothing much. I ran into a team member while taking the elevator downstairs.”

“Ah, did that person say they weren’t very glad to see the Team Leader?”

“As if that would happen? No one else but you would say such a thing to my face.”

“It might not be words, but a thought.”

“Do you think I’d waste Guiding just to find out if a team member is glad to see me or not?”

“Ugh, then that would be a bit creepy. It’s not like you’re some psychopathic boss…”

I stared at Juyoung silently. Juyoung shivered, saying it was creepy, and then after watching my silent reaction for a long while, he shut his mouth with a gulp sound.

“Juyoung.”

“…Yes.”

“Is it your dream to have a psychopathic boss once?”

“Hahaha, no way. I like the current Team Leader. The best, number one!”

Juyoung, holding up two thumbs, retreated with an awkward laugh.

Tsk, I clicked my tongue and was about to enter the office when I heard Juyoung’s voice from behind.

“Should I get you some morning coffee?”

“No, Mr. Kang will make… ah, brew me a cup.”

“Yes, sir.”

I had momentarily forgotten the fact that Kang Juha was at the main building today. No wonder I felt like my back was empty. It always felt like a wall was following right behind my back. Since there was just empty air behind me today, I felt strange for no reason.

…Forget it.

At that point, I brushed aside the useless personal feelings and picked up the documents I had stopped looking at yesterday. And as I was glaring at the ant-like black and tiny letters until my eyeballs felt stiff, a chuckle escaped on its own.

Why do I keep glancing at the sofa?

I stopped looking at the documents and kept making eye contact with the empty sofa; I was simply appalled. Normally, Kang Juha would be sitting there, and whenever I raised my head, our eyes would always meet, so I hadn’t felt anything strange. But even though Kang Juha wasn’t there, I kept glancing at the spot where he should be, and I vividly felt that the frequency was considerable.

“Why are you laughing to yourself again so scarily…”

Juyoung, whom I didn’t know when he had entered the office, was looking at me in a cowering posture.

“Are you curious?”

“No, I’m not. I’m not curious. Please don’t tell me.”

“Okay.”

“Here is the list of new guides you requested. I narrowed it down to only A-class and above, but for now, when running it through the machine, there’s no guide with a compatibility rate exceeding 30%. I’ll have to do a precise matching in person to be sure, but… with these numbers, I don’t think we can expect good results even with a precise matching.”

I flipped through the stack of papers roughly. As Juyoung explained, the compatibility was quite miserable. At this rate, I wondered if I really had to find a guide mercenary from overseas… but the procedures and costs for that weren’t easy either.

“It’s difficult…”

“It seems the Center tried this and that to attach a guide to Esper Kang Juha, but it all failed. Since he has no will for it in the first place.”

“Right. It’s rare for an Esper to be so indifferent toward a guide.”

“You’re like that too, Team Leader.”

“Because I’m a psychopath.”

When I replied crisply with the residue left over from the conversation we had in the morning, Juyoung’s expression became quite a sight.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“…No.”

“Then you can go.”

When I flicked my chin, Juyoung left the office looking like he had a lot to say.