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Of course, it wasn't as if he were going to throw a resignation letter at Jeong Yi-heun's face and disappear immediately.
*Seeing as he brought up psychological counseling, one wrong move and I might get readmitted to the hospital.*
Perhaps because he had been severely injured in quick succession. Jeong Yi-heun seemed to have judged that Han Cha-su was not quite in his right mind.
For the time being, he needed to focus on recovery and watch how the situation unfolded.
[ Currently Active Constraints (2): Watch Your Tongue / Sufficient Sleep ]
He had no choice but to do so, if only because of these constraints.
Han Cha-su furrowed his brows at the system window flickering in the corner.
*Why on earth won't that thing turn off?*
At first, he wondered if he had forgotten to close the system window. But he soon realized that wasn't the case. No sooner did he close the system window than it sneakily reappeared at the edge of his vision.
As if warning him not to forget its existence.
*Good grief.*
A skill of all things was being so temperamental. Han Cha-su sighed and leaned his body against the headboard.
He then realized that Gi Tae-yeon had not yet left.
"……."
"……."
*Could he be staying because I didn't tell him to leave?* Han Cha-su swallowed a sigh at the gaze silently fixed on his cheek.
Last time, the man had been itching to pick a fight, so why was he acting like this now?
\
He was, after all, someone who would rise to the position of Bureau Chief someday. Han Cha-su filled a Post-it note with words of thanks and handed it over.
"Hmm."
Gi Tae-yeon's eyebrows rose as he took the Post-it. It was an expression of dissatisfaction.
"Mr. Han Cha-su."
"Huh?"
"Do you clearly remember what you were doing before you collapsed in the bathroom?"
Han Cha-su slowly nodded. *What was I doing? I drank poison and collapsed.* But the hand holding the pen spat out completely different words.
\
He added that he had gotten dizzy and couldn't remember anything after that. Half of that was him piecing together what the medical staff had said.
"Hmm."
Gi Tae-yeon looked at the small Post-it with a rather serious face. Wondering what there was to ponder so deeply, Han Cha-su grew puzzled.
*Is there something here worth thinking about?*
Anyone could see he had simply collapsed because he wasn't feeling well.
*Surely he hasn't noticed something.*
It was at the moment Han Cha-su's mind was working busily that someone rushed in and called for Gi Tae-yeon.
"So I think you need to go right away…."
The whispering voice, mindful of him, sounded ominous.
*Something must have happened again. Anyway, not a single day passes quietly in this damned world.*
Well, at least a building hadn't exploded right nearby like last time, so perhaps it was a small mercy. As Han Cha-su clicked his tongue silently, Gi Tae-yeon rose from his seat.
"You don't have anything else to ask me, Hunter Han Cha-su?"
Han Cha-su nodded promptly. He hadn't reached a dying state, but the bound item had been released, and from the moment his opponent didn't know that, the matter was already settled.
The situation had been wrapped up in the most advantageous way possible for him. He had no desire to complicate matters unnecessarily here.
So it was right to send Gi Tae-yeon off now. There was no need to hold him back and risk him growing curious about the item.
As he lowered his head once more in farewell, a sigh sounded from above.
"……?"
"If you want to bathe, refrain from doing so for the time being."
Gi Tae-yeon spoke with eyes that seemed worried. No, with eyes that looked at him as if he were pitiful.
"And don't drink too much water even if you're thirsty, and if you want to go out near the central courtyard, make sure you bring someone with you. Understand?"
*Why is this guy suddenly imitating Jeong Yi-heun?* A faint seed of doubt sprouted in his heart, but Han Cha-su didn't show it.
He simply nodded roughly as if he understood.
*This is hard to keep up.*
He only wished the constraint about watching what he said or whatever would be lifted quickly.
*I'm not even thinking of cutting my arm with glass shards anymore, and I won't drink poison either, so can't you cut me some slack?*
Since the skill seemed to react to his thoughts to some extent, he asked outright.
Then, a cheerful beep sounded.
[ Currently Active Constraints (2): Watch Your Tongue / Get Plenty of Sleep!! ]
The system window that had been floating in the corner of his vision appeared squarely in front of his eyes.
"……."
*It's telling me to shut up and focus on recovery.* Left alone in the hospital room, Han Cha-su pulled the covers over himself forlornly.
The sound of the second hand ticking echoed peacefully by his bedside.
***
Having left the hospital room, Gi Tae-yeon walked slowly down the corridor. The medical center, built in the early days of the Great Cataclysm, had a more complex structure than the main headquarters building. It was probably because so many additions had been made here and there through repeated expansions and extensions.
Walking down the blindingly white corridor, Gi Tae-yeon asked his subordinate.
"Hunter Han Cha-su was originally on the first floor, right?"
"Yes. His condition was so critical that they quickly set up a hospital room on the first floor and treated him there."
*This was a shame.*
The previous room had definitely been better for keeping an eye on Han Cha-su. A room with one-way glass. Wasn't that exactly what he needed right now?
*It seems the side effects have manifested after all.*
He had thought himself lucky not to have to face a fish head, but there had been a hidden snag. Of all things, it seemed mental side effects had appeared despite the slim odds.
And of all side effects, it had to be the most troublesome 'Water Ghost.'
*I've already told the center staff to keep an eye on him, but….*
If he were to drown in the bathtub while momentarily alone like this time, it would be disastrous. There was a need to watch over him closely. At least until the side effects disappeared.
"And I already have a hard time clearing my schedule, damn it."
"Sir?"
The subordinate following him leaned in and asked at the muttering.
"What did you just say?"
"Don't ask when you already know I'm talking to myself."
Pushing away the subordinate's head, Gi Tae-yeon changed the subject. The matter that had made him leave the hospital room.
"So, what did the Development Lab guys say?"
"Ah, they're saying the training system isn't a human-targeting version but a training version against monsters, so they're asking for more time."
"These guys have some nerve."
Gi Tae-yeon burst into a snicker as he went down the stairs. What they were doing was quite audacious.
If monsters absolutely had to appear, they could just deploy weak ones that even an F-rank Hunter could handle. The Development Lab probably knew that too.
*If they don't, they should write their resignations right now.*
Weren't they the ones with the best brains in the Awakened Management Bureau? Asking for more time probably meant they wanted something else.
For instance, the Demon Spirit Stones they had been dying to get their hands on for a while.
"I heard they got a few things from the gate we raided in Jeju Island with Cheon-ryeong last time—Demon Spirit Stones or Spirit Stones or whatever. Is the ownership dispute over those still ongoing?"
The eyes of the following subordinate widened before returning to their normal size. He had realized what Gi Tae-yeon meant.
"If you're referring to the crystals, the appraisal ended recently. There were two small ones and one large one, hmm. But all three are C-rank, so I'm not sure they'll be much help."
"For those bastards who got caught trying to sell equipment claiming they knew demon beasts, even that much is a godsend. First, ask them to give us one of the small ones, and subtly leak it to the Development Lab too. They'll be ecstatic."
"Shall I prepare the usage request form in advance as well?"
As they left the center building, Gi Tae-yeon nodded. It was Baekdam, who had tried to tear off the arm of the culprit on the grounds that the culprit had attacked him and his younger brother. By now, he must be itching to act.
"Contact Baekdam's side as soon as the approval drops."
He was the type of person who would kick down the prison door and tear off an arm if he got the impression there had been even a moment's delay.
"Then I'll file a usage request for a four-person party for now."
"Right. With just Baekdam, three others should be more than enough…."
Wait, come to think of it, hadn't Baekdam said he wanted to participate in the torture together with his 'younger brothers' back then?
"Chief?"
"I'll write the request form myself, so leave it. And I'll be doing desk work all this week. Turn away all raid requests coming my way to the Security Office."
"Sir? Wait, Chief! Are you ill? Surely you're not quitting? If you do, we're all dead!"
The staff member, his face turning pale, hurriedly chased after Gi Tae-yeon as he disappeared into the main headquarters building.
***
The food at the Awakened Management Bureau's medical center was excellent. Perhaps it was the taste of taxes well spent; from the main course to dessert, there was nothing to criticize.
"You cleaned your plate!"
However, the round of applause was a bit embarrassing. To think he'd be praised for eating well at his age. Scratching his cheek, Han Cha-su finished a simple examination and rose from his seat. It was because the medical opinion was that lying down too much was actually not good.
"If you're not tired, shall we go down to the central courtyard for a moment?"
The medical staff asked subtly as he gazed carefully out the window. Han Cha-su took his eyes off the lake-like pond and shook his head.
"Indeed, the sunlight is quite strong today. Please let us know anytime you feel like going."
It wasn't the sunlight he was worried about, but the system window that had suddenly plastered itself to the door… but Han Cha-su didn't have a voice with which to explain that.
Even if he tried to explain, he felt he'd just be treated like a madman.
Instead of clearing up the medical staff's misunderstanding, Han Cha-su took out a Post-it note. When he picked up the pen, the other person's eyes sparkled and he stood at attention. It was truly burdensome, but Han Cha-su pretended not to notice and passed the Post-it over.
The man who read the Post-it's contents tilted his head to one side.
"Should I really deliver it exactly like this?"
After a moment of thought, Han Cha-su added something. The staff member smiled brightly.
"Understood. Then I'll reach out to Exilis exactly like this for you."
And that evening, Geum Myeong-gyeol, who had woken up late as always, couldn't hide his confusion.
"What the hell, is Han Cha-su dead?"
Confusion filled his golden eyes.
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