OMH Chapter 60

Okay, My Hero – Episode 60

60. Guide (5)

After hearing my reply, Park Haemi gestured for us to follow her and left the break room.

Like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I reluctantly followed Park Haemi.

As I trudged along behind Park Haemi, someone put their arm around my shoulder.

Turning around, I saw Cha Woojin’s white, slender neck, like a part of a sculpture.

Looking up a little further, I saw Woojin’s face, as calm and beautiful as a flower kissed by the morning dew.

In Woojin’s eyes, like a winter lake in a dark forest, only my face was reflected.

“Gang Hana, are you okay? If you’re really uncomfortable, you don’t have to do this. I’m fine on my own.”

Woojin, an angel without wings, was worrying about me.

As expected, Woojin is the only one who thinks of me like this.

“I’m fine too~ It’s only you, Woojin. You’re the only one who thinks of me like this.”

I turned to Woojin and hugged him tightly.

I wrapped my arms around Woojin’s slender waist and pressed my face against his chest, and I could hear Woojin’s heartbeat.

As I was listening to Woojin’s pounding heart, Park Haemi’s voice interrupted me.

“You’re up to your nose in trouble. Who are you to worry about someone else? The Guide Director used your life to reel in Gang Hana. How do you know what they’ll make you do here? You’re just a D-grade Guide.”

“Don’t talk to Woojin like that! It’s true, but still, don’t say things like that!”

I was furious and immediately snapped at Park Haemi.

But Park Haemi didn’t bat an eye.

“You should at least be aware of your surroundings when you do things like that, okay? Do you even need the Guiding room?”

“I wasn’t even Guiding?! If you’re going to talk so vulgarly, just leave!”

“I don’t take words like that as a joke. Answer me clearly. You don’t need me to guide you through the Research Center?”

“……Just give me the guidebook and go.”

Teleportation Ability User Park Haemi coolly used her ability twice to bring me a guidebook.

“You clearly told me to leave. It’s recorded here.”

“Ah, yes. I don’t need guidance, so Esper Park Haemi, please just leave. Is that good enough?”

“Okay. You two have a nice time together.”

Park Haemi, who had even recorded my voice on her Smartwatch, left quickly, using her ability for the third time, with a satisfied expression.

Now, Woojin and I were the only ones left in the Research Center hallway.

*

I opened the guidebook that Park Haemi had given me.

I don’t know why a guidebook about the Research Center actually exists, but since it does, I should use it.

The first page of the book described the overall structure of the Central Research Center. It explained that it was divided into Guide-exclusive facilities, equipment development facilities, and research lab areas, and warned us to be careful because the three entrances led to different areas.

I already knew that, so I just skipped it. What’s the point of reading a superficial explanation that doesn’t even mention S-grade Espers?

After flipping through a few more pages, I finally found the detailed map of the Research Center that I wanted.

I found our current location on it.

‘The Teleportation Ability Research Lab is the closest lab to the entrance, so this must be where we are.’

I looked through the labs closest to that location.

‘Where should we go? Pass on the Monster Breeding Center. People occasionally get eaten by monsters there. There are too many creepy people at the Mind Reading Research Lab, so that’s a no-go too. Weapon research also obviously has a lot of accidents…… Hmm…… Where should we go?’

I held the guidebook and pondered for a long time. I wanted to choose a place that was as safe as possible, but all I saw were places where they developed weapons or where you could get injured by monsters.

Woojin approached me as I was doing that.

“Are you having trouble finding your way?”

“Oh…… it’s not that, I’m just. I was thinking about where to go first. Ahahaha…….”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that I was looking for a safe research lab where no one would die or get hurt, so I glossed over the explanation with a laugh.

Woojin also skimmed through the guidebook and pointed to a spot on the page with his long, straight finger.

“Then how about we start here? Since we came because of me, a Guide, the ‘Guiding Research Lab’ would be good.”

Of all the places he could have chosen, he picked the worst possible place for himself.

That ‘Guiding Research Lab’ is known as the graveyard or hell for Guides.

‘He’d be shocked if I told him there was a place like that in this building, right?’

I tilted my head slightly to observe Woojin’s expression.

I didn’t want to see that serene and beautiful face turn to one of horror.

As I was quietly studying Woojin’s expression, I grabbed his hand and abruptly led him to the nearest research lab.

“Now that I think about it, this place seems to be the best. After all, the closest place is the best!”

And so, I ended up taking Woojin to the ‘Monster Breeding Center.’

*

The Monster Breeding Center is, as the name suggests, a place where they raise monsters, so the inside is quite spacious.

The ceiling on the first floor is as high as three stories, and it’s also connected to the underground research lab. The underground facility that Park Haemi took us to last time can also be accessed through here.

As soon as Woojin entered the Monster Breeding Center, he seemed slightly overwhelmed by the vast space visible beyond the railing.

The screens on the monitors installed here and there were broadcasting the status of each monster.

I took Woojin and entered the control room of the breeding center.

As expected, there were personnel in the control room monitoring the breeding center.

And the control room people, who were bored of doing the same thing every day, were the first to acknowledge us.

“You must be the errand boy that the Guide Director sent! Hello! Welcome!”

“Watch your mouth. How can you call someone an errand boy when the Guide Director directly dispatched them? Welcome. I’m Chae Seoyoung, a researcher at the breeding center.”

Chae Seoyoung offered Woojin a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m…… D-grade Guide…… Cha Woojin.”

When Woojin introduced himself while shaking her hand, the researchers’ eyes widened.

“D-grade?! The Guide Director sent a D-grade?!”

“What’s the point of a D-grade? He can’t not know that we only accept B-grade and above here, right?”

“If he’s going to send a Guide as a D-grade, he should at least send three of them. That guy has no sense of ethics.”

The rude guys were meeting Woojin while complaining.

“Why don’t you guys tone it down? We didn’t come here to fill in for Guiding personnel in the first place?! If we were, he wouldn’t have sent me, an Esper!”

“So you’re not a Guide either? I’m going crazy, really. We keep asking for Guide reinforcements and they just ignore us. Who are you, by the way? Tell us your classification number and name.”

“B9103960 ‘Gang Hana’.”

“Ha, and the Esper is a B-grade too? Doesn’t she know that the research lab requires a minimum output of A-grade…… Huh? Gang Hana?”

The researcher who was grumbling heard my name and his expression changed.

I think I know this reaction. I’ve experienced it three or four times already, so I’m used to it.

“Our little monk has converted? To Greek and Roman mythology, at that?”

Still, this one has a pretty fresh way of expressing it.

“I don’t believe in religion. Are there still people who believe in Greek and Roman mythology, though?”

“Cute~ I can’t believe hair like that was hiding inside that buzz cut?”

“Maybe it’s a wig, when you think about it?”

The researchers started to gather around me and try to touch my hair.

I was thinking of slapping their hands away, but Woojin grabbed my shoulder from behind and pulled me towards him.

It was a weak force, but I followed Woojin’s lead.

‘I should follow Woojin if he’s going to show this kind of powerful side.’

Woojin’s determined expression was so cool that I forgot about the squid-like researchers. I couldn’t miss the chance to admire this expression right under Woojin’s chin.

I quietly admired Woojin, just as he wanted.

“So, does that mean you don’t need our help? Then we’ll be on our way.”

Woojin’s hand, which was holding my shoulder, tightened.

Woojin must have been very upset by the rude researchers’ attitude.

If Woojin doesn’t like this place, we can just leave. There are many ways to find out about monsters, even if it’s not the breeding center. I can just go on a lot of monster extermination missions, that’s all.

I turned around, following Woojin’s lead.

“No, wait! Wait a minute!”

Chae Seoyoung stopped us.

“When did we say we didn’t need you~ We can use Gang Hana’s labor for free, why would we refuse~”

“It’s not free. I’ll calculate everything I do and get paid for every day I work.”

“Is that so? That’s a bit disappointing. But our research lab may not have hands, but we have money. We’re always happy to have you come work for us. Especially Esper Gang Hana.”

I felt even worse about the researchers’ blatant change of attitude. I also felt bad that they were subtly trying to pay me nothing. If it had just been Woojin, they would have used him like a slave without pay and then caused an accident.

Just as I was about to turn around and leave, Chae Seoyoung grabbed us one more time.

“Hey~ At least listen to us a little more. Don’t be so cold. Anyway, you came here because you wanted to get something from us, right? Like monster ecology information, or something. I guess the Guide Director is making some kind of field Guiding thing again?”

“It’s not worth it to collect information while listening to you guys being annoying, so we’re fine. We’re leaving.”

“Hey, hey~ Why are you being so upset~ I’ll give you the ecology data we’ve collected up to this month. Let’s work together.”

“I’ll do it if you transfer it to me right now.”

I didn’t miss Chae Seoyoung’s tempting offer.

Chae Seoyoung made a reluctant expression, as if she hadn’t been planning on doing this, but she immediately agreed.

Only after I had transferred all the ecology data to my Smartwatch did I go to start doing the work that Chae Seoyoung told me to do.

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