11 – TDG 11

Clink.

One ​of ​the ​chopsticks ​slipped from Ji-hyuk’s ​hand.

“Hey, ​you ​dropped ​your—”

As ​I reached out to ​pick ​up the chopstick, ​a large hand ​caught ​mine ​first. ​At ​the ​same time, Ji-hyuk ​hopped ​over ​the table and ​slid into the seat ​right next ​to me. ​His eyes, ​reflecting my ​image, ​were ​shimmering with moisture.

“Really? ​Can I ​really go to Hyung’s ​house?”

His voice, expression, and ​gestures all radiated an ​unrestrained sense ​of ​excitement. I was slightly flustered and ​momentarily lost for words. ​It ​wasn’t ​like ​he ​was asking to ​go to ​a ​shopping mall or ​a ​baseball stadium; it was just ​my house. ​Was ​it really something ​to ​be ​this ​happy ​about?

“Of… of ​course ​you can.”

Before ​I could even finish the [Read on Read BL Novels]sentence, Han ​Ji-hyuk visit our sitethrew his ​arms around me ​in stolen contenta sudden, forceful ​hug.

“Hyung!”

The brute ​force squeezing my ​chest ​took my breath ​away.

“Ji—Ji-hyuk-ah… Hyung’s gonna ​die, I’m ​dying, ​you brat!” ​As ​I sputtered ​and ​struggled, he ​loosened ​his ​grip, though he ​didn’t ​let me ​go ​from ​his ​embrace.

“Are you that happy?”

‘Yes, I am.’ Han Ji-hyuk nodded vigorously, beaming like a child. Goodness, he’s so cute… so dazzling…

Fine. He’s this happy, so I can’t let him down.

I, Seo Joo-won, a man of my word.

I shall return with the superiors’ permission before this tea grows cold.

“Head of Department, it’s Seo Joo-won.”

At the word to enter, I opened the door to reveal a heavily decorated official’s office. A middle-aged man with a stubborn look on his face, wearing a tie, sat behind a mahogany desk.

“Sit.”

Kim Yoo-hwan. A man with a personality as conservative and fastidious as his appearance, he held the position of Head of Department for the Esper Management Bureau. He was the general supervisor overseeing the work management, placement, and various requests of all Espers and Guides within the department. To put it simply, as a low-ranking employee, he was a distant superior I wouldn’t even dare look up to.

“Is your father doing well?”

“Yes. He is.”

He was also one of the few people who knew that my father was Minister Seo Hyung-shik.

“I see. I’ve reviewed the outing request you submitted. I also received the formal complaint you sent the other day.”

My backside, which had been resting on the sofa, lifted awkwardly. He continued speaking without hesitation, as if he knew everything without even looking.

“Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against Esper Im Seong-joon. [unauthorized copy]I hope you understand even if it’s not Read on Read BL Novelsentirely to your satisfaction.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

It seemed Im Seong-joon’s counter-complaint had been dismissed. It was a natural result, as the CCTV clearly showed who started the fight. However, since a conflict had broken out between Espers and one had been seriously injured, the atmosphere couldn’t be great.

As he stopped speaking, a heavy, awkward silence filled the room. Tsk. I wonder what he’s thinking. His aura is definitely different from the Department 7 managers, whose desires were far more blatant.

“You’ve been very passionate about your work. I’ve been watching you since you entered as a field Guide five years ago.”

No way. No, actually, that’s possible. My father is the Minister of the bureau, after all.

“Thank… you.”

As I barely managed to respond in the suffocating air, he let out a short sound in his throat and pushed up his glasses.

“The reason I called you is that I have something to verify personally after seeing the outing request you submitted.”

“What is it?”

“The entire request exudes a very aggressive form of confidence. Esper Han Ji-hyuk’s control is still immature; how can you guarantee he won’t go into a rampage when faced with an unexpected situation under variable conditions like an outing?”

“…I cannot guarantee it one hundred percent. However, test results show that Esper Han Ji-hyuk’s skill control has become significantly more proficient than before and has remained stable. Above all, since he shows a high synchronization rate with me, I judged the possibility to be low.”

Head of Department Kim Yoo-hwan still looked dissatisfied.

“I cannot ignore even a one-in-a-million possibility. If he were to rampage, it wouldn’t end with moderate damage.”

He’s clinging to this even though he’s already seen all the results from the lab. But what can I do? This is just how civil servants are. They don’t want to take responsibility if an unfortunate incident occurs.

“Han Ji-hyuk’s stability is proven by the test results. He is already at a level where he can stand on his own, and even average Espers show this level of instability. He trusts and follows me and has complied with every test and examination without a single complaint, so I believe a corresponding reward is necessary. Above all, Han Ji-hyuk himself wants this. If we continue to only control him, the severe stress could actually cause side effects.”

So, please look at the things beyond the data.

Kim Yoo-hwan was a seasoned man. There was no way he didn’t understand the point of my argument.

“……”

He was a man who knew how to pressure an opponent with silence. Even a hint of displeasure leaked through his exhales.

If I were an ordinary employee, I would be breaking into a cold sweat and fidgeting by now. After all, some green rookie who normally wouldn’t even be able to face him was sitting there stubbornly, listing demands and something akin to threats.

But as I’ve said repeatedly, I have absolutely no intention of staying here long-term or climbing the corporate ladder. Therefore, I couldn’t care less whether he likes me or not.

“Fine. I permit it.”

“Thank you!”

“No, it’s because I trust my person.”

For someone saying that, his eyes aren’t smiling at all. I’ve heard many insincere words, but this was the first time they felt this cold. Ugh, it’s so chilling it makes my bones ache.

The weight contained in the phrase ‘my person’ felt like it was pressing down on my shoulders. He called him ‘my person,’ but the underlying meaning was clear: I’m trusting you with this, but if you mess up, I’ll crush you.

Kim Yoo-hwan jerked his chin toward the unauthorized copystolen contentdoor. It was a signal to leave. I Read on Read BL Novelsbowed deeply and left the office with a light step.

Ji-hyuk-ah, did you see? Hyung did it!

That day was busy from the morning.

I had to take the outing pass issued by the superiors, report it to the responsible department, and check if the outing permission form I submitted was properly filled out.

The world of civil servants is made of paperwork from start to finish, so if even one thing is missing, it’s an immediate rejection.

After experiencing that bullshit a couple of times, you find yourself checking with fire in your eyes to make sure no documents are missing… I had to handle the work with extreme caution so as not to ruin everything at the last second.

“Ji-hyuk-ah, are you all ready?”

A white T-shirt, a thin blazer, and black jeans.

It was a common outfit, but it looked different because our Ji-hyuk was wearing it. He was practically a walking pictorial, the ruler of the runway.

As we left the dormitory hall side by side after completing visit our sitethe formal [Read on Read BL Novels]outing procedures, [Read on Read BL Novels]Ji-hyuk stealthily draped his arm over my shoulder.

When I turned to look up, I saw a slightly flushed face.

Cute brat.

He’s excited.

I raised both hands and gave him two thumbs up.

“It’s going to be an amazing day, so you can look forward to it.”

For this day, I borrowed my father’s new sedan!

I have my own car, but it’s too crappy. I couldn’t put my precious puppy in a piece of junk like that.

“Hey, get in!”

After pulling the car right up in front of him, I rolled [visit our site][visit our site]down the window and shouted energetically. Ji-hyuk burst into laughter and opened the door.

“This is cool. Is it Hyung’s car?”

“…It’s destined to be mine soon.”

Sorry, Father. I was just saying. I’m definitely not coveting it.

Due to various safety laws, the center’s training facility was built on the outskirts, far from the city. To get downtown, we had to take the national highway.

Going straight home would make the effort of getting an outing a waste, so I decided to take a scenic drive.

Since it was a weekday afternoon, the roads were wide open, making it perfect for speeding.

“Ji-hyuk-ah, have you been to this park? The lake that opens up if you go straight that way is really wonderful…”

“Hyung, are you hot? You have sweat on your forehead.”

Ji-hyuk, the child. That’s not what’s [unauthorized copy]important right now. Look [visit our site]outside. A breathtaking view is passing by the window.

“…Hmm… the weather is a bit hot.”

“Close the window and turn on the AC.”

I laughed faintly and reached out to push his hand away.

“I kept it open so you could look outside. If I were going to turn it on, I would have already.”

Ji-hyuk, barely listening, opened the glove box, pulled out a tissue, folded it neatly, and brought it to my forehead.

His movements were quite delicate and gentle as he dabbed the sweat away, pressing only along the hairline so as not to block my vision.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to. Just look outside.”

“Yeah, I’m looking.”

You’re not! You brat, at least turn your head once before saying that!

“The scenery outside is nice, but I want to go to Hyung’s house quickly.”

Sigh… what am I to do with this direct aegyo. My heart is fluttering so much I might not live to my natural age.

He’s handsome, and on top of that, he’s kind, cute, and lovely—I don’t know what he’s lacking. Since he wants to go to my house that badly, there’s no other way. I’ll just have to escort him.

I let out a satisfied breath and turned the steering wheel.

“Alright, U-turn!”

Thanks to my father being the Minister, I live in a pretty nice apartment, but my home is a space that is empty more often than it is occupied. My father was always busy, and lately, I’ve been living a life without a clock-out time because of work, so it inevitably became that way.

Has it been almost fifteen days this time? Anyway, I think I returned after about that much of a gap.

I parked the car in the underground garage and called the elevator with iris recognition.

“Come on in. Father isn’t here, so no one’s home.”

The entrance is right there as soon as you get off the elevator. This is a space used only by our family. I heard it was designed this way for security. I unlocked the door and gestured for him to enter. While I took off my shoes and headed toward the living room, Han Ji-hyuk didn’t come in immediately and looked around the interior from the entrance.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just like it.”

Hehe, to think he likes it this much. I’ll make you feel even better, Han Ji-hyuk!

Since we were on the subject, I thought about talking about my father… but I decided it wasn’t an important conversation for right now.

I led Ji-hyuk to the living room, sat him down, and went into the kitchen to open the cupboard. Unfortunately, since I rarely came home, there wasn’t much to eat besides drinks. I made a glass of iced tea as best as I could and brought it to him. While Ji-hyuk drank it, I hurriedly found the remote and turned on the air conditioner. Before long, the damp humidity of the living room vanished, and the house became cool.