“Though it may seem procedural, something feels a little loose. I mean, right now, 7496 – KR is tagged behind me, isn’t it?”
“Haha… That’s… true. Yes.”
Kim Cheon-soo awkwardly laughed and replied to Han Seori’s muttering.
It was as if he could clearly see what the agents Han Seori had criticized might be thinking.
He then realized anew just how different their perspectives were.
Even though they were working under the same name, there was a significant gap between her, who belonged to the upper echelon, and himself, who was akin to just an agent.
Upon reflection, the current situation itself was quite unusual.
Ordinarily, they would rarely meet unless Han Seori called him.
That she had become entangled with him in the first place was by chance, but he could never have anticipated that this chance would become so significant.
…His vague assumption that hiding would lead to leisure had definitely been mistaken.
Nevertheless, his obscure hope that he could get a little closer to Han Seori had, indeed, come true.
Still… if he were to ask whether this was what he truly desired, it was somewhat delicate.
Although they had grown closer, it felt more like a familial bond.
Of course, when a relationship between a man and a woman deepens, they often become family-like—but it skipped over this and felt oddly familiar.
Rather, like siblings.
…This shouldn’t be happening.
Although transitioning from a romantic relationship into a familial one would be a welcome development, it was problematic for it to feel like a brother-sister tie.
Because that wasn’t what he wanted. Somewhere out there, there was… something.
Nonetheless, Kim Cheon-soo decided to adopt a positive outlook.
He knew best that, if things had followed the original course, such an opportunity to grow close wouldn’t have occurred at all.
In this light, he was grateful for the Jelly Girl currently nestled within Han Seori’s clothing.
He did recall awkwardly reacting the first time they met due to being covered in her mucus-like substance, but aside from that, not much had truly bothered him about her…
Until memories of tidying up after Jelly Girl resurfaced in his mind.
Even recently, she had transformed the bathroom into a sea of foam and slime.
Recalling the effort spent cleaning it all up made Kim Cheon-soo sigh.
It felt akin to what it might be like having an disobedient, energetic little sister.
Especially since this “little sister” was physically stronger than him. Though she didn’t use physical force, he knew he’d lose if they ever had a real fight.
A wrestling match wouldn’t go in his favor either; she’d clearly win within three seconds.
Of course, he knew Jelly Girl wouldn’t act so improperly and she did listen when told, so she wasn’t too much of a troublemaker.
It was just that the scale of her mischievousness was somewhat out of the ordinary.
If she stuck to ordinary mischief, they could have lived peacefully.
But then, had that happened, they wouldn’t be in this situation now.
Anyway.
Kim Cheon-soo parked the car, his thoughts intertwined with these reflections.
His driving skills were good enough that he could park perfectly even with his mind preoccupied.
He turned off the engine and took a deep sigh.
As mentioned earlier, the circumstances surrounding him now were far from ordinary.
Though he worked in a place somewhat detached from reality, by anyone’s measure, his situation was extraordinary even by those detached standards.
He had gained an opportunity to grow closer to the woman he admired, but…
…he had also been burdened with responsibilities he previously wouldn’t have needed to concern himself with.
A quick example—ordinarily, Han Seori, a doctor, wouldn’t typically join such gatherings, even if she did, it would be in a role like a bodyguard handling mundane chores.
But, today was different.
“So, shall we go?”
“Uh… yes.”
Kim Cheon-soo responded to Han Seori’s calm voice, his saliva audibly swallowed.
His expression seemed stiff enough to lock up.
Today, instead of a mere lower-ranked assistant, he was a trusted aide staying close by Han Seori’s side.
It might not feel like a big difference to some, but it was quite significant.
Ordinarily, he would’ve simply trusted orders handed down without truly understanding or relied on whispers circulating among others.
But following Han Seori was different.
She would lead him to situations where knowing more caused suffering.
Such knowledge was the last thing Kim Cheon-soo desired, making this perhaps a dreadful prospect.
Yet, he couldn’t step back now since Han Seori was with him and so was Jelly Girl.
He didn’t wish to reject a request from Han Seori.
Although he couldn’t fathom what Huang Bo-yul, silently following behind, might be thinking, she certainly remained composed, proving to be notably different from him.
Hmph.
Could I be the only one nervous?
As Kim Cheon-soo followed Han Seori with his suitcase, he unknowingly drooped his shoulders.
Then, Huang Bo-yul, who had been trailing quietly, lightly tapped his shoulder.
It wasn’t a call to him.
It felt more like a gentle gesture, as if telling him to relax.
Realizing this, Kim Cheon-soo felt faintly surprised before suppressing a small smile.
Looking back at this person, this was who she truly was.
The one who had mourned losing the people she worked with.
The one who would criticize but only out of genuine concern.
Kim Cheon-soo felt his heart settle at her small pat.
As his gaze met Han Seori’s when she turned around because he had lagged behind, he sheepishly smiled.
In reply to her unspoken question, ‘Are you not coming?’, he affirmed and relaxed his expression a bit as he quickened his pace.
Come on, what could go wrong?
No matter how you slice it, it’s just work.
Our Han Doctor isn’t an infallible human being either, is she?
With a slightly calmer heart, Kim Cheon-soo eventually pushed the door open with the group.
It wasn’t long until he realized how dangerously complacent he had been.
“Were you not just saying this was safe? Care to explain what went wrong?”
“So, has 7496 – KR returned? Placing such a dangerous entity in such shoddy equipment is why…”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to hand that over to us if it were going to be managed like this?”
“How do you intend to take responsibility for this?”
“Hmph.”
A barrage of crap statements pelted the group.
Accurately speaking, they weren’t targeting the group, but Han Seori specifically.
Poor Kim Cheon-soo thought to himself.
Just moments ago, he had been too complacent, and now he tightened his grip on the suitcase, noticing the torrent of criticism and rumors directed her way.
He feared she might be hurt under such scrutiny, but Han Seori appeared unfazed, maintaining an extremely calm and cold expression.
Looking at them like people who didn’t matter, Han Seori spoke lowly.
“Is this a market floor or a lab? If you want to speak, wait for your turn. You gathered here for that, didn’t you? Or do you not have the confidence to claim your turn? Goodness, a Singularity isn’t a cat boxed and sold on some market floor.”
“Erm…”
“That’s too audacious for someone who caused this mess…”
“Sigh.”
With Han Seori’s cold retort, the people who had lost their words began muttering as they returned to their seats.
As she said, the chaotic market-like space fell silent suddenly.
Though still silent, their gaze remained on Han Seori.
Despite this, Han Seori coolly located her designated seat and sat down, gesturing for Kim Cheon-soo and Huang Bo-yul to join her.
Having followed her lead, both took their seats by her.
Watching this, Kim Cheon-soo found himself admiring Han Seori once more, albeit surprisingly.
…He had thought she was a mere eccentric who was solely focused on research, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.
Recalling her sullen expressions when she failed at cooking and when Jelly Girl had ignored her, Kim Cheon-soo felt a peculiar sensation.
Is this what they call a hidden charm?
It seemed Kim Cheon-soo didn’t realize how his perception had already been warped.
Anyway.
The previously noisy space was extremely vast.
Much like a university lecture hall, this space was surrounded in obsessive white, as their sort of place tended to be.
In the center stood a large podium for presentations, around which seats were arranged in a semi-circle.
As Kim Cheon-soo observed the room and noticed the gazes directed at him, he tensed but soon relaxed after recalling Han Seori’s poise moments before. Pretending not to care, he fiddled with the suitcase.
The gaze—whether curiosity or suspicion—quickly subsided, and Kim Cheon-soo exhaled silently.
Meanwhile.
Han Seori’s faintly amused voice reached his ears.
“Acclaimed doctors can be quite childlike, don’t you think?”
“Ho ho ho… Doctor Han isn’t like that, right?”
“…Hmm, last time when making fried rice, didn’t you look like a child?”
“Th, that’s…”
Because the Doctor was trying to make coal, not fried rice!
Unable to articulate a reply as Kim Cheon-soo stumbled, Han Seori chuckled and reassured him, then looked back at the podium.
…To make a joke at a time like this?
Definitely not the culprit.
While Kim Cheon-soo slowly shook his head, Han Seori glanced at the time and muttered softly.
“It seems like it’s about to start.”
“…Is that so.”
With his soft reply, the door beside the podium opened, and a group of people entered.
