OMH Chapter 64
by Volare64. Guide (9)
There’s a reason why I’m not interested in holidays like Christmas or New Year’s Day.
It’s because they aren’t days off.
That doesn’t mean January 1st is meaningless, though.
It’s the day when the overall assessment of last year’s activities and the New Year’s meeting take place.
In particular, the New Year’s meeting is very important because it’s a policy meeting of high-ranking officials who decide the direction of the year.
What’s decided at that meeting determines this year’s workload.
Even if I made a name for myself last year by saving countless emergency patients at the Medical Bureau, if they emphasize field missions at this New Year’s meeting, I could be assigned to a field medical team.
Of course, the better my personal evaluation, the higher the chance of staying where I originally worked, but it’s hard to predict because the policymakers’ minds are so fickle.
Veterans know some of the confidential details and try to predict the results of the meeting, but that’s usually wrong.
The final decision-maker is the Association President, but no one knows what the President is thinking.
Still, because I got information from the Director, who has the most influence after the Association President, I was sure of one thing.
This year, the ‘field specialist Guide’ will be revived.
*
No matter how important January 1st is, what I have to do is the same as usual.
I just need to do my personal training from time to time and carry out my given tasks.
Today, I had one more task of moving Kim Sanghyuk to the next room, but that’s not enough to disrupt my daily life, so it’s okay.
I dropped off Cha Wooreen at kindergarten and went to Room 172 with Woojin as usual.
But there was something different from usual.
The S-grade Espers said they couldn’t come today because they’re doing New Year’s research evaluations.
“Then, is there no schedule for this morning?”
Woojin’s eyes lit up, and he looked happy.
Woojin’s winter lake-like eyes shone brightly and beautifully, as if receiving the morning sunlight.
“No. Woojin, you need to train. Go inside.”
“…….”
But I had to do what I had to do.
*
Even after the morning schedule was over, there was no news that the New Year’s meeting had ended.
Since it’s an important meeting, it usually takes a long time. I think it usually ended around evening, but I don’t know about this year.
I went to the afternoon schedule with Woojin.
*
Today, the S-grade Espers had vacated Room 172 due to research evaluations, but the research institutes on the opposite side of the building looked very busy.
The Ability Improvement Research Institute was so busy that they didn’t even notice that Woojin and I had arrived.
But there was someone relaxed even in that busy place.
“Woojin! You’re here? Happy New Year~ Gang Hana, Happy New Year too~”
It was Guide Lee Han-sae.
‘Why isn’t that person ever working?’
I was very curious, so I decided to ask.
“Happy New Year, Guide Lee Han-sae! It seems like the research institute is busy because it’s research evaluation day. Have you finished your evaluation?”
“Yes~ I’m a Guide, after all~ The research institute is studying movement abilities, so the Espers are busier than me. Haemi and Seon-i are all busy, so I don’t know if they’ll even have time for Guiding later~”
The smooth-talking Guide said that the Espers must be busy and tired, and even cheered me on.
It might be rude to Lee Han-sae, but I felt like I was with Kim Sanghyuk for a moment.
Of course, Kim Sanghyuk and Lee Han-sae are definitely different. Especially their faces.
Lee Han-sae looks like Woojin’s friend.
“Han-sae, I told you last time that you can wander around unless you’re going outside the Research Center building. If you have nothing to do now, do you want to come with us?”
Woojin suddenly asked Lee Han-sae to accompany us.
‘I don’t want to hang out with him, Woojin.’
But I didn’t have the courage to tell Woojin.
So refuse, Lee Han-sae.
“Shall I? Actually, I’ve hardly been outside the Ability Improvement Research Institute.”
Ugh, seriously, Lee Han-sae doesn’t suit me.
In the end, I took two Guides and trudged toward another research institute.
*
The place we arrived at was a breeding center that researches the improvement of sideburns or whatever those monsters are.
That’s because the researchers here asked us to come every time, if possible, every day.
Director Kim also thought it was okay to go to the breeding center that tames monsters often, so he told us to do so.
For that reason, Woojin, Lee Han-sae, and I put on the breeding center’s exclusive gloves, aprons, and boots, just like yesterday, and went into the breeding center to feed the monsters.
-Kkigigigigigi!
-Kkigik!
-Kkikkikki
Is it just my imagination? It seems like the monsters are crying louder than yesterday.
Still, they didn’t run at me today and just quietly accepted the food I gave them.
Since I was sticking close to Woojin, they didn’t run at Woojin today either.
But it wasn’t the same for Lee Han-sae.
“Ugh?! What is this? Don’t come! Why only me?”
Lee Han-sae seemed to feel uneasy about the monster jumping up in front of his eyes, but it was none of my business.
‘The improvement was very successful, so they aren’t even afraid of people. He’s just exaggerating.’
Woojin didn’t pay much attention to Lee Han-sae either.
I enjoyed the peace with Woojin, comfortably throwing feed at the monster sideburns.
*
“Cha Woojin! What is this?! You said it was safe?!”
“It was safe. You weren’t hurt at all.”
“Ugh, come on! Still, monster feeding experience is a bit much. My heart still races when I see a monster.”
Lee Han-sae complained as soon as he left the breeding center.
He must have a trauma about monsters, like most people who live here.
But the researchers at the breeding center didn’t care about such human peculiarities.
“But our Mireunae are so cute, aren’t they? Watch this video. Your racing heart will turn into a beating heart.”
[Kkigigi kyaaaa!]
The excited researcher played a monster video that no one wanted to see and pushed it at Lee Han-sae.
“Hahaha… They’re cute. But it’s my first time seeing them today, so I should say they’re unfamiliar, or something like that. I’m sure they’ll be lovely if I see them often.”
“Right? Our Mireunae are lovely, aren’t they? The safety of Mireunae should be widely known in our research today. Only then our research team will be able to feed Mireunae themselves.”
“But I’m not worried. It’s true that Mireunae are safe.”
“That’s right. If we only get the safety verification, we should start the training process in earnest from this year.”
“That’s right! Let’s start preparing for full commercialization within this year!”
Lee Han-sae was surrounded by enthusiastic researchers and heard a lot of irrelevant stories as a price for saying the wrong thing.
‘It’s like seeing myself yesterday.’
But it was fun to watch from a step away like this.
“So, Esper Gang Hana! Please take care of us in the future!”
Huh? Why is my name coming up?
“As a result of the observation, Esper Gang Hana is the only one who is still obedient to Mireunae. After receiving safety verification, we would like you to be in charge of training Mireunae.”
“Ah, that’s what you were talking about. But why are you talking as if it’s been decided without asking me?”
“We’ve already received permission from the Central, so just come comfortably like today!”
Why do you get permission without asking me first? The people at the research institute are really weird.
*
I finished work at the research institute a little early today.
That’s because the Central Center decided on my job duties without my consent.
The EGA Association pretends to respect the free will of its members, but in fact, they don’t care, so if you don’t immediately object, you’ll end up taking on a lot of work you don’t want to do.
‘Of course, objecting doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have to do it, but anyway, I have to do it.’
As soon as I entered the Central Center, I argued with the receptionist.
“Excuse me! Why was permission granted from the Central for a job that I never agreed to do?”
“Yes~ I see. What’s your classification number?”
“B9103960, Gang Hana.”
“Yes~ Esper Gang Hana~ Is this related to the newly assigned work for this year?”
“Yes. The breeding center work.”
“Yes~ I see. According to the search, there was an order from above. You know that you can’t disobey an order, right?”
“Yes?! Who on earth?”
“We can’t tell you the details. It’s showing up as an order from the Director level.”
‘Ugh, it’s Director Kim again.’
If it’s an order from the Director level, there’s nothing I can do. I don’t dwell on things I can’t change.
I left the Central Center counter and went outside the building.
Woojin, who came with me, was restless and comforted me.
“Gang Hana… Are you okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t help. But you’ll do well.”
Woojin gently stroked my head and made eye contact with me.
My reflection was in Woojin’s winter lake-like eyes.
Woojin’s face, as dazzling as the warm morning sunlight, came closer to me.
As Woojin closed his eyes, his eyelashes, like the wings of a black butterfly, elegantly descended.
I was so dazzled by the sight that I closed my eyes too.
The moment we kissed softly, the sky lit up white as if a fluorescent light had been turned on.
[Important announcement]
[Important announcement!]
[Finally, the New Year’s meeting has ended, and the direction of the EGA Association’s Korean branch has been decided.]
A noisy and dry mechanical voice echoed everywhere.
“…….”
The results of the New Year’s meeting are always announced so loudly.
The EGA Association has a barrier around a 5km radius, so the Central Management Bureau can display screens in the air inside the barrier.
Right now, holographic fireworks are decorating the sky, and it’s a mess.
‘I was waiting for the results of the New Year’s meeting, but why does the timing have to be like this?’
Director Kim is not helpful in many ways.
The noisy announcement continued.
[The biggest news is that the ‘field specialist Guide’ is scheduled to be re-organized from this year. According to the Guide Director, a well-prepared team leader will be newly appointed this spring.]
Director Kim publicly said that Woojin should be taught everything before spring comes.
[There were many concerns that the ‘field specialist Guide’ was wiped out three years ago and that its lineage would be completely cut off. However, the Esper Director saw a vision for the new team leader, so he guarantees the ability.]
The meticulous Director Kim even coaxed the Esper Director.
[Everyone knows that the Esper Director’s vision always hits 100%. Then we need to check if the story of the vision is true, right? At the New Year’s meeting, after projecting the image of the vision in the Esper Director’s head, we made it into a prize to confirm the truth. Now, let’s all check that image together.]
Paat-
With those words, Woojin’s appearance, which seemed to be performing a field mission, appeared largely in the sky.
‘Wow, seeing him on such a big screen makes our Woojin look like a celebrity.’
Wait, is it okay to sell someone’s face like this without permission?
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