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What happens if you put a book in someone’s mouth?

Typically, a person’s mouth isn’t big enough to eat a book.

But if the mouth is large, then it might be different.

“Well done!”

The Branch Chief quickly let go and threw an uppercut at the Director’s chin.

“Urk!”

The Director mumbled with his mouth closed.

“Huh, uh, huh…?”

Soon, a puzzled expression appeared on the Director’s face.

“W-What is this…!”

He began shaking his head while staring into the empty air.

“No. No, no…!”

“…What is it?”

“Overload.”

At my words, the Branch Chief shrugged her shoulders.

“Kim Jae Heon.”

“Yeah.”

“The manual is like the library of the Management Agency.”

“Gah, cough…”

The Branch Chief looked at the Director, who was clutching his throat and screaming weirdly.

“In other words, we’re currently contaminating that thing’s brain with the history and information of the Management Agency.”

“Contamination?”

“Dangerous information. Information that can break your mind if you know it.”

“Gah!”

The Director opened his mouth and shoved his hand inside.

“There’s just too much dangerous information for individuals to know.”

“Gack!”

As the Director twisted his body,

“Urgh!”

He vomited out the manual.

-Splash!

The manual unfolded.

[Manual for Office Staff]

1. You truly cannot be forgiven this time.

2. This is for real.

3. I’m not kidding.

He must be really angry.

I picked up the sticky manual, closed it, and looked at the Director, but,

“…Huh?”

The Director had suddenly disappeared.

What? Wasn’t he just here a moment ago?

“…Phew.”

The Branch Chief next to me sighed in relief.

“What happened? Where did he go?”

“He’s gone back, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Ah.”

After clapping her hands, the Branch Chief nodded.

“I’ll explain it later.”

“Later?”

“Look at my body.”

The Branch Chief turned around and showed me her appearance.

She was covered in bite marks, her clothes half torn, and blood was flowing from her skin.

The Branch Chief looked at me with a frown.

“Do I really have to ask someone like this?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright.”

As if she hadn’t been angry at all, the Branch Chief smiled at me.

“Shall we talk tomorrow?”

Then she plopped down on the floor.

“Well then. I’ll rest until the Isolation Team arrives.”

“…”

I looked at the Branch Chief.

Had she always been in such fights?

“I respect you.”

“Yeah?”

The Branch Chief’s eyes widened.

“Suddenly?”

“I just thought that you’ve been doing this all along.”

For quite some time too.

“Ah…”

The Branch Chief chuckled awkwardly.

“I have been doing this for a long time.”

And then, as if she hadn’t said that, a serious voice escaped from her lips.

“I have taken on so much, will take on more, and will continue to bear this weight.”

“…”

“Of course, I’m human too, so sometimes it gets really heavy and tough.”

Her gaze turned towards the far distance.

“But still, I do it because it’s what I have to do.”

“Branch Chief.”

“And frankly, I was somewhat relieved.”

“Yeah?”

As if she hadn’t said that before, the Branch Chief smiled at me innocently.

“Kim Jae Heon eased my burden.”

“Me?”

“That’s right.”

The Branch Chief nodded with a smile.

“Of course, you can’t carry all of my burdens…”

Hmm, she rested her chin on her finger.

“But just the fact that someone acknowledges my burdens is always something to be grateful for.”

“…”

Seeing my face, the Branch Chief sighed.

“Go see Yu Da On.”

At her words, I looked at Yu Da On.

She was staring at us with a blank expression.

“Taking care of fellow workers is also something Kim Jae Heon should do.”

“…Thank you.”

I slightly bowed my head, and the Branch Chief waved her hand.

“Alright, go. Quickly. I’m fine.”

“…Okay.”

I turned away from the Branch Chief and walked towards Yu Da On.

“Da On.”

“…Jae Heon.”

Yu Da On smiled softly.

A relieved smile spread across her face.

“Did you really discharge me?”

“Of course.”

“You said you only need Kim Jae Heon.”

“It’s even better to discharge you.”

“That’s true.”

Yu Da On laughed out loud, then,

“…Thank you.”

She looked at me with a serious expression.

“I just did what I had to do.”

“Isn’t helping and saving me part of what you have to do?”

“Well… I guess so.”

At my words, Yu Da On hung her head low and muttered in a very small voice, barely audible.

“You always do that, Jae Heon.”

“What?”

“No, I’m just grateful.”

As if she hadn’t said that, Yu Da On looked at me with a gentle smile.

“I want to help you one day too, Jae Heon.”

“You’re already helping a lot now.”

“Not this kind…”

Yu Da On shook her head.

“I want to be the one who stays until the end, even if I’m not there at the start.”

Her serious expression made her mutter,

“So now, we get to rest, right?”

“I guess so…?”

“Right. We promised to eat separately together, remember?”

Yu Da On nodded her head while looking at me.

“Ah.”

“…You didn’t forget, did you?”

“Oh no, I absolutely didn’t forget.”

I had completely forgotten.

The catastrophe that Park Ye Eun blew into my life. I had to resolve it.

“I’m first.”

And then, suddenly, Jang Chae Yeon appeared next to me, diverting Yu Da On’s attention.

“W-Wait, I did…?”

“We did rock-paper-scissors.”

When did we play rock-paper-scissors again?

Jang Chae Yeon looked at me.

“Tomorrow. Evening, is it okay?”

“…Hmm, what? That’s fine.”

“A date within the hospital, how scandalous, right?”

And then the thorny words of Song Ah Rin.

“Those who lost in rock-paper-scissors should be quiet.”

“…”

At Song Ah Rin’s words, Jang Chae Yeon shut her mouth and wore a sulky expression.

Thus, the Gangbuk Hospital incident came to an end.

*

The next day, the Branch Chief, wrapped in bandages all over her body, was looking at me.

“Indeed, it’s Kim Jae Heon.”

“Yeah?”

“I thought for sure you would get caught.”

Smiling happily, the Branch Chief looked at me.

“This has dealt a truly catastrophic blow to the hospital. The out-of-their-mind Director, and both Gangseo and Gangbuk Hospitals have completely crumbled.”

“…”

The Branch Chief smiled at me.

“Still, you’ve achieved something big with this.”

“All thanks to you, Branch Chief.”

“Employees struggle, you know. And it might be a selfish thing to say…”

The Branch Chief answered with a wry smile.

“The Human Resources Team is already too important within our Gangseo Branch.”

“…”

“So, we have to do our best to help.”

The Branch Chief smiled.

“Of course, more than that, it’s something we should naturally do!”

The Branch Chief clenched her fist and laughed.

“The Director’s…”

“Must be out of his mind.”

The Branch Chief grinned.

“Having seen the library of the Management Agency, he can’t possibly be sane.”

What on earth is this manual?

“By the way.”

The Branch Chief stared at me intently.

“Is the manual well cleaned up now?”

“Uh?”

Why is the manual topic coming up here?

“I mean, did you clean it up and make up already?”

“Um…”

What did I do yesterday?

After it all ended, I was in so much pain that I had just put everything, including the manual, right on the dining table and slept.

“No.”

“…”

The fear returned to the Branch Chief’s expression.

“Let me tell you what you need to do today.”

“Yeah?”

“Dry the manual. Right now.”

“Uh…?”

Then the Branch Chief started pushing me out of my seat.

“Wait, Branch Chief…!”

“Get it dried! Now!”

Of course, I couldn’t defeat the Branch Chief with my own strength.

With a bang! the door closed,

And only the sticky manual and I remained.

*

It took exactly my entire working hours to clean the manual.

“…Oh boy.”

“Finished?”

And then, at some point, Jang Chae Yeon had been helping to clean the manual beside me.

“Thank you, Chae Yeon.”

“No big deal.”

She smiled gently.

“Just because I wanted to help.”

Actually, Yu Da On and Song Ah Rin had also said they would help clean the manual until the end.

But Jang Chae Yeon had said something to the two, and soon they left the office grumbling.

The Team Leader said she was going to the Medical Team for scalp care before clocking out, and I think Park Ye Eun said she was going to receive some training from Aileen.

What did Jang Chae Yeon tell those two…?

Ah.

“…Come to think of it.”

“That’s right.”

Before I could finish, Jang Chae Yeon nodded.

“We’re having dinner together today.”

“…”

“So I was waiting.”

“Ah.”

“But.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded and looked at me.

“I wasn’t waiting to have dinner with you.”

“What?”

“I just wanted to help, so I was nearby.”

I’ve always felt this way, but Jang Chae Yeon’s words seem to leave room for people.

“So, if you’re feeling tired today, it’s okay to postpone.”

She certainly didn’t say that she absolutely wouldn’t.

“No, it’s fine.”

Anyway, if I go home, I’ll have to cook for myself.

It’s better to eat out. With Jang Chae Yeon just along for the ride.

“Alright.”

And then, suddenly, Jang Chae Yeon turned around and pulled something out.

“What are you doing?”

“Lunch box.”

And what she pulled out was a lunch box, and,

“…Soju?”

It was soju.

“Weren’t we eating out?”

“Sore muscles.”

“Yeah?”

“From yesterday’s incident, I have muscle pain.”

“…You figured it out?”

Ever since Song Ah Rin moved my leg yesterday, I had actually been suffering from serious leg muscle pain.

Probably because I had forced myself to run faster than usual.

“I figured it out by watching you walk.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded, handing me the lunch box.

“So I brought it. Just in case walking would be hard.”

“…Thank you.”

Jang Chae Yeon smiled slightly.

“Let’s eat together.”

“Where?”

“Here.”

Jang Chae Yeon pointed to the office.

In the now-dark office, the city view was illuminated.

Jang Chae Yeon opened the lid of the lunch box.

“…Did you really bring all this for lunch?”

Inside the lunch box was various Western dishes.

It definitely looked like it would pair well with whiskey.

“Yep. I wanted to give it to you.”

Jang Chae Yeon smiled, her face slightly flushed.

“…Thank you.”

In the end, I could only nod my head without meeting her gaze.

For a long time, we ate silently together.

Sometimes sharing glasses, sometimes eating.

“…It’s hot.”

And then, Jang Chae Yeon murmured as she sat with her back to the window.

“…Phew.”

“Kehlok…!”

Suddenly, Jang Chae Yeon removed her tie and unbuttoned her shirt.

Then she looked at me.

“Is it good?”

She stared at me expressionlessly.

Honestly, I had nowhere to look.