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Kwak Jekang knew his soulmate was a liar.
But that’s alright. Because, so was he.
The first time that the words started appearing on his wrist, he hadn't really paid much attention. It was just a mild itch at first. He was a child then, with only minimal knowledge of these things apart from what was already taught in school. His own parents don't seem to find it important enough to tell him either.
The grayish spot soon turned a deep shade of black, like someone had tattooed letters into his skin. Finally, his parents had noticed and took it upon themselves to explain.
Soulmates. The concept of it had been so far away from him until he was told that he, too, supposedly had one.
It's difficult to know when you've met your other half, his mother explained to him seriously, glancing at her husband for a short while. That's because the words written on your wrist were set to be the final words that your soulmate will tell you.
In other words, it was a ridiculous premise.
What was the point of having a soulmate-identifying mark when you won't even know if you're met your match until it was too late? Even without witnessing it firsthand, he knew it must've been disastrous.
And he was right. As he grew up, he'd witnessed a couple break up because they believed they picked the wrong person, only to come back in tears when one person was already standing in front of their other half’s coffin. Others had stuck with their chosen half for the rest of their lives, until one of them inevitably died and they'd be faced with the realization that they weren't truly meant to be after all.
There were lucky ones, though, who'd picked well. Half of them would be happy with their soulmates. As for the other half, he knew they'd spend their days forcing themselves to be with someone that they realize they couldn't love forever.
It was like a cruel joke made to make people keep second-guessing themselves. That's why when he was old enough, he decided not to care about those useless things and just live his life like his soulmate doesn't exist.
Besides, he thinks he hates the words written on his.
‘I'll be back soon.’ It was pitch black and made in beautiful calligraphy. They say that the writing there was the same handwriting that the other person has.
Beautiful as it may seem, he'd always scoffed when looking at it.
The words written in soulmarks are the last one his other half would say to him.
They'll be back soon? What a joke.
That person won't return in the end.
Eventually, years of ignoring the words made him forget all about its existence. He usually wears a watch on the side where the words were written, so not many people had seen it and pointed it out to him. Kwak Jekang lived as if he never had a soulmate to begin with, studying so well that he became a top student in his university.
Just a few days before his graduation, his father died. Therefore, his mother, who had been consumed with grief after losing the person who was truly her soulmate, was unable to come to the ceremony to watch her son step into the world.
Not that it matters. In the end, both of them were ultimately just absent parents. Their presence or lack thereof makes very little difference to him. He moved into an apartment of his own as soon as he could, not even bothering to stay put while his mother stared blankly at their now-empty house.
As for finding a job, it hasn't been very difficult either. Companies were rather accepting of those who'd graduated top of their class. Kwak Jekang, who ticked all the items that was probably written on their checklist, was invited to a new hire orientation of a pretty big pharmaceutical company called Daydream Co.
He finds that it was not a pharmaceutical company.
The prospect of him finding a good deal during his first try was low already anyway. So perhaps he should’ve expected that the first one he ended up in was an unscrupulous one, where they use humans as some sort of sacrificial rats and throw them into various ghost stories in order to acquire the items they needed to make the supposed medicine that they provide to their business partners.
Kwak Jekang wasn’t a good enough person. At least, not enough to turn around and leave, nor the kind of person to report the situation to the authorities. Instead, as soon as he was accepted into the company, he did not even refuse and just went straight into working. The pay is pretty generous as well, so he’d be a fool to refuse.
He still ended up on the Research Team. One thing he’d willingly admit when asked, however, was that he definitely found he liked observing ghost stories more than he would’ve had it been an ordinary research job.
…Perhaps he liked it too much.
“...Isn’t that him?”
“Shh! Don’t stare too much, seriously! I don’t want to catch his attention.”
“Ah! You’re right, sorry.”
Kwak Jekang sneers inside his mind.
Isn’t it already too late for that?
He glances at them straight on, not even bothering to hide the fact that he clearly overheard their conversation. The moment their eyes met, the two people who had been whispering about him flinched, then scurried away while covering their faces.
It’s too late for that, too. He’d already seen and memorized their faces. After this lunch break, he’d make sure to look for their file in the Research and Development room and throw them inside the most annoying Darkness available at the time.
How annoying.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t aware of the rumors floating around him. In fact, he knew it far too well, because there wasn’t anyone that would bother to keep quiet when they were talking badly about his name. Every time he catches them, he’d just retaliate by making their lives harder in their next job, and they’d always barely come back cursing him for it. It was like a cycle.
Kwak Jekang didn’t bother doing anything worse, though. He knew that these people, as long as they weren’t from the elite squads, were just pure expendables who could drop dead at any time.
He sat down on an empty table in the cafeteria and began eating his meal. People made sure to steer clear of him, at least. This was the situation where having a bad reputation had its advantages. Since he’s already in a foul mood, it would be damaging had anyone come to talk to him.
He returned to the research lab as soon as he was done, since there was nothing more to do. Just as he promised to himself, Kwak Jekang looks for the file first and foremost, snickering when he’d finally held it triumphantly in between his fingers.
Squad G, huh? Both of them seem to be from the same team, both at supervisor level.
“I’d have to say, I’m a little shocked,” a voice from behind him suddenly spoke up. “I didn’t think someone like you would be so petty.”
!!
Kwak Jekang jerks back in shock. His hand immediately grabbed the nearest sharp thing he could get his hands on—which was just a pencil. He turns around quickly, snapping the files shut while he points the pencil at the intruder who’d just snuck up on him.
There was an unfamiliar person there, wearing a clean dark suit and his head combed well. He seems unphased about being threatened with a pencil. If anything, he merely glanced at it, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Kwak Jekang narrows his eyes. “Who are you? I don’t think anyone is set to enter a Darkness at this hour.”
“That’s right,” the other person agrees easily, nodding his head. “I was sent to pick up something. As a matter of fact, I have been knocking for a while now, but nobody was answering. I came in because I thought there was no one inside.”
…Was that really the case?
Well, whatever. Some of the other researchers told him before that he gets too absorbed when he is in the mood to the point where he just shuts out everything else anyway.
“Then go get it and get out of my sight quickly,” he says before turning back to what he was doing.
He sees the other person freeze at his words, so he couldn’t help but snicker to himself. What, has that guy never experienced rejection before? It’s a little funny to have someone react like that when they were told they weren’t very wanted around.
But, contrary to what he’d expected, he wasn’t left alone.
Before he knew it, that stranger had moved himself so he was leaning over his desk taking a peek at what he was staring at. He quickly moved the files away, frowning.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The other person smiles. “Oh, you’re as unfriendly as they said.”
“...?”
So this guy knew who he was. Did he come here to bully him? What a waste of time.
“I’ve got no time for you.”
“You know, it’s difficult to survive in a corporate situation when you’re as hostile as this,” he continues, his gentle tone adapting a more reprimanding one. “You have to learn how to be more sociable, unless you want to remain at the bottom of the barrel for the rest of your time here.”
Seriously!
What’s with this guy? Why is another expendable talking to him so insistently like this? His eye twitched in annoyance.
“Yeah, who asked?”
“This is exactly what I was talking about,” the weird man clicked his tongue. “I heard you’re a brilliant mind. It will be a shame if you get held back because of your relationship with your peers.”
Ugh.
He dropped the folders to the desk, crossed his arms, and stared with a displeased expression at the other person.
“What do you want?” he asks plainly.
“Ah?” And then the polite tone was back. The stranger blinked once, then gave him a small smile. “I told you I was just here to pick up something.”
“Then why are you bothering me?”
“That’s because you’re the only person in this room right now.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, though?”
There was another laugh.
“Yes, but I do.”
“...”
Wow.
This was the first time he had to deal with someone who could get on his nerves in an entirely different way. This insistence was surprisingly effective and ticked him off. Maybe he should try this strategy next time when someone annoys him?
Kwak Jekang shakes his head. “You’re wasting your time.”
“That’s alright. I don’t have to enter a Darkness anytime soon anyway.”
Ugh. What an uncomfortable situation.
Much to his dismay, that guy remained there, sometimes watching him, sometimes looking around the room in interest. He thankfully doesn’t say anything much, so as long as Kwak Jekang doesn’t look in his direction, he could just pretend this person wasn’t there in the first place.
The time allotted for lunch break slowly comes to an end. Some researchers started trickling back inside the room with their own satisfied expressions. Seeing a new face inside the room, however, seemed to have confused them.
“Oh? If it isn’t the very dependable leader of Squad B!” One of the senior researchers called out as soon as he spotted the intruder.
Hearing this, Kwak Jekang’s attention was successfully caught. His eyes moved subconsciously towards the man still leaning by his desk, but he quickly caught himself and pretended to be disinterested before he was called out for how he was suddenly paying attention after ignoring his existence.
The senior approaches them, so that weird guy—who was apparently a squad leader for an elite team—moves to meet him midway. At last, Kwak Jekang received the space that he was almost already starting to miss.
The leader of B Squad? Now it made sense why that guy was acting all-important and self-assured. Something about that pisses him off greatly.
“Maybe I should throw him inside a troublesome Darkness,” Kwak Jekang mumbles to himself.
Fortunately for him, he failed to notice the other person glance at him, having heard what he was telling himself. The leader of B team’s lips twitched upwards, like he was watching an entertaining show, before turning his attention back to the person who had called out to him.
But why the hell is this guy back here again?!
He even borrowed a chair and brought it up near his table. Now he’s spent his time just reading some papers while sitting in that chair next to him.
Some of the other researchers in the room were already casting him confused glances. For them, this was probably a strange sight, to have the man with the worst reputation in the company hanging out with someone who is apparently a well-loved worker in this place.
Just what is this situation?!
Kwak Jekang sighs through his nose and turns his chair to the team leader.
“What are you doing here again?”
Yellow-tinted eyes glance back at him, smiling warmly.
“I just wanted to come.”
“But why?”
“Wasn’t our conversation cut last time? I wanted to continue it at some point.”
No, it wasn’t that it was cut, but Kwak Jekang forcibly stopped it from continuing. He simply didn’t care about this person, team leader or whatnot.
“What conversation? There’s nothing.”
“Aigoo, I told you not to be so averse to interacting with your co-workers.”
“I don’t even—” care, was what he was going to say, but ultimately gave up because he knew arguing might just be pointless.
Besides, he could clearly feel the many eyes watching them talk to each other.
What a seriously troublesome person!
He goes back to ignoring that guy, so he, too, went back to reading his papers. The team leader only left when someone dropped by to call for him, saying they have a new job now. Said person stands up, bids Kwak Jekang goodbye with a chuckle, then heads out.
Now that he was gone, the eyes watching them moved away. But he could hear some of them buzzing around asking what happened there.
Tsk.
Out of annoyance, he finds himself browsing through every Darkness that is available but not properly researched yet. On the spot on his table just beside the thick layer of folders rested the file of the same man who just left, wearing a wolf mask on his face with that annoyingly calm smile that he always wore.
Just you wait, you nuisance.
His request was approved quite quickly. Kwak Jekang’s reasons for sending them to a Darkness with barely any manual was compelling enough. First of all, they’ve performed extremely well in various situations. Everyone knows just how dependable the squad leader is, as well. And lastly, he made sure to emphasize on all of said person’s good traits based on the file, making inferences here and there to make sure he would look good.
Much to his dismay, he runs into that familiar person again on his way back from lunch break. B squad’s leader recognized him even when they weren’t near enough each other yet.
“I didn’t realize you thought so highly of me,” he laughed when Kwak Jekang was already within earshot.
Tsk. Of course he came out scratch-free. How was that even possible? Shouldn’t it be difficult because there was no guide that could help him?
Much to his dismay, not even throwing him to more difficult situations hindered the other person from bothering him. Eventually, it came to the point that every time that the door is opened and the squad leader is seen standing, people will immediately go to check if Kwak Jekang was in the room or not.
The only positive about the situation is that he was conscious enough to not bother the researcher when he was in the middle of important matters. He would instead sit quietly around, sometimes standing up to interact with others before returning to his spot next to the hunched figure.
…Maybe he spoke too soon.
“Jekang-ah,” the squad leader starts, leaning against his table in a particularly pushy manner this time around. “Do you know? We came across those government agents this time around. They seem to be very annoyed.”
Right. Did that happen? Kwak Jekang didn’t care enough to pay attention. No, most importantly, why are you calling me like we are close? Who gave you permission to say my name like that?
“There was this one kid, though. He has good potential. Oh, do you know I’m an excellent judge of character?”
This guy…he’s not stopping, is he?
Kwak Jekang sighs and finally looks at the other person, his arms crossed.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s pretty accurate, too. Do you see that guy?” Yellow eyes move to the other side of the room, where another researcher was busy discussing something to a coworker. This time, the squad leader lowers his voice, as if trying not to be heard by any eavesdropper. “He has people-pleasing tendencies. He pays too much attention to others and tries to cater to what they want. The assistant manager in Squad K is a bit of a pushover, too. It’s miraculous for him to survive so long like that, but I guess lucky people are truly lucky.”
Kwak Jekang glances at the person that was pointed out. Thinking about his previous, limited interactions with said guy, it would…make some sense if he really was as he was said to be.
“You don’t believe me?” his conversation partner asked, an amused smile on his lips. “You can check the files and confirm.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You’re a researcher, and you have files on everyone, so it’s important to master this skill as well. In order to accurately judge someone’s personality, you have to be aware of everything they do and differentiate between the mask and what’s underneath.”
He raises an unimpressed eye at the older man.
“Then, what’s your judgement of me?”
“You?”
“Yes.”
The squad leader laughs at the question, like there was something funny about it. Tsk.
“Would you really like to hear it? You’re not allowed to hit me if I tell, though.”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
There it was again. That annoying, self-assured smile, as if he already had everything about Kwak Jekang figured out a long time ago.
“A crybaby.”
…
This bastard—
It was difficult to admit, but that guy’s advice had been very helpful.
Even with the kind of unsavory personality that he had, Kwak Jekang found himself making jokes and laughing along with other people over time. Annoyingly, it allowed him to stay on the good side of a lot of people, and he slowly got out of that outcast role that he was pushed into.
Of course the advice of a sunbae would be useful. He begrudgingly ends up trying his best to observe everyone closely as well, trying to figure out what lay behind the masks they’ve carefully constructed.
Yeah, that was easier said than done.
He got it wrong a lot of times, which ended him in rather tense situations. Still, since he was of better favorability for everyone this time around, it wasn’t such a bad experience.
The wolf-masked squad leader still comes to find him, though. When he first heard that Kwak Jekang’s reputation had been better, he nodded almost proudly.
“It’s good that my hoobae listens well to advice.”
Uhm, excuse me? We’re not even from the same department, quit hogging all the credit. This guy is seriously annoying.
As expected, Kwak Jekang disliked him even more since the day that he called him a ‘crybaby’. Although he would complain about a lot of things when they don’t go his way, it’s been many years since he actually last cried about anything!
Gritting his teeth, he forced out a laugh.
“Sunbae,” he all but spat out, the words leaving a bitter feeling in his tongue. “Isn't it past work hours? Why are you still here?”
The squad leader looked at him like he was trying not to laugh. “Is that really the question you should ask? Why are you here, Jekang-ah?”
“Please stop calling me like that,” he answers automatically.
“What's wrong with it? Aren't you younger than me? I think I'm entitled to say your name like that, yes?”
“Excuse me, Squad Leader,” he immediately rejects. “That might be so, but we're not close enough for that.”
“Haven't we been chatting long enough on multiple occasions?"
That's really not the basis of it.
However, as if ignoring his disinterest, the other person continues on.
“Come to think of it, I heard you always stay in the office even outside work hours. Don't you know that's not good for your health? Although a Wish Ticket can easily fix it, who knows just how long it would take to acquire one?”
“...” Is he usually this chatty late at night? “Maybe that's the case only for you.”
There was a pause.
Kwak Jekang savors the short time he has before a burst of laughter ruins it. The squad leader throws his head back, wiping away the tears that had quickly formed in the corner of his eyes.
“My hoobae has been learning when to talk back, is that it?”
Tsk. “No, sir. That's not it.”
“Aigoo, what's the stiffness for? It's a good thing because it means you're loosening up. Being too stiff in this workplace will make you age faster.”
Right. So this guy doesn't mind even if he cursed him right to his face, is that what he was saying?
There was the sound of a chair being pulled back.
The lean-figured man sits down on the chair just next to him, like he always does even during daytime. The difference, however, was that there was no one but the two of them in the near-empty office that belonged to the Research and Development Team. Kwak Jekang turns his head, an eyebrow raised as a silent question to ask what it was this time.
“Shall we get dinner after you're done with work?”
“What?”
“I told you it’s not a good thing to cage yourself too much into work, regardless of how much of a genius you see yourself as,” the other person began to nag. “That’s a sure path to self-destruction.”
What’s this? Kwak Jekang felt as if there was a fly buzzing around his ear, so he resisted the urge to wave his hand. There was a frown on his face. What’s with these lines that he never asked to hear?
“I don’t think that’s a big issue considering this line of work.”
“It is,” the other person insists. “You will be coming along, won’t you?”
“...”
“It’s an invitation from a sunbae, isn’t it?”
Tsk. What a way to make sure he won’t refuse.
Fine, then. He’ll humor this guy. Who’s to tell what might happen if he accidentally got on this person’s bad side. After all, he was someone that a lot of people in Daydream Co. liked a lot, so it was likely that he had a fair amount of influence. At least, compared to Kwak Jekang, who was only starting to give a favorable impression to everyone.
That was the reason why he ended up accompanying Team B’s squad leader to a restaurant that was open until the late hours. He didn’t eat much, because it was already night anyway. He prepared himself to deal with the other person, but much to his confusion, no pestering came.
They just ate, paid for the food, and parted ways. There was barely any conversation that happened.
…Huh. He didn’t think he’d ever know silence when around the other man.
He could say with confidence, however, that things have been a little different after that day. The wolf-masked employee still comes along to sit with him during times when he’s working late at night, but he doesn't insist on dragging him out anymore. The squad leader would instead bring some food along with him, which he won’t open until Kwak Jekang finally looks up from his papers.
He didn’t want to ask in case the other person takes that as him asking for the previous way they interact. He actually prefers that dynamic. When he’s not being overly pushy, this senior of his was actually a decent person to be around with.
That’s the reason why he ended up lessening the amount of work that he used to constantly propose to the higher ups to send Team B on. The squad leader points this out once, laughing slightly and asking if he was finally being a good hoobae, but he was promptly ignored.
He ends up being promoted. Kwak Jekang’s work was considered valuable enough to the company, so he ended up enjoying more benefits than he used to. Not to mention, it seems that the unsavory rumors about him has vanished as he takes on a more sociable mask that wasn’t very similar with the prickly one he used to have.
…That was only the case for everyone else, except for the guy who still likes to hang around him.
In fact, the amount of time that they spent around each other resulted in the Team B members themselves to be curious. More than once, he would find them lingering around the office, trying to get a glimpse of him and to strike a conversation.
“Aren’t you the guy that the squad leader has been around with a lot lately?” a man who looked around the same age as he asked, looking at him with a curious expression. “What’s going on? Why did he suddenly gain interest in you?”
“Yah, you idiot!” a female member of the team called out, grabbing her teammate by the ear and pulling him away from the researcher. “What’s with you? What’s the team leader’s business is his alone!”
“B—But aren’t you a little curious?”
“I told you no!”
She kicked him out quickly, and smiled apologetically at Kwak Jekang, who watched them with a flabbergasted expression.
“I’m sorry, that was because he looked up to the team leader so much and wanted to be closer.”
“Is that so?” Kwak Jekang chuckles slightly, quickly erasing his confusion. “I understand, the wolf leader is such a dependable person, after all.”
“Oh, you understand it so well!” She brightened up. “I should’ve expected that considering how close you too are, though.”
“Haha. I won’t necessarily call us close.”
“If you say so.”
She didn’t really sound like she believed him, but the woman eventually excused herself and left the office.
It was after a few hours when the door would open again, and the very same person that they had been talking about entered the room. He catches sight of Kwak Jekang and smiles.
“Even Jekang-ah sees me as a dependable person, even when he’s so harsh all the time.”
???
Hey, this guy is interpreting things in his own way again!
Moreover, Kwak Jekang promises to himself to get back on the female employee who dared to snitch about their conversation to this arrogant bastard.
“I only said that because I had to be nice to my coworkers.”
“But you’re never nice to me?”
“Because sunbae doesn’t make an effort to be nice either.”
The team leader felt amused by his response. “Again, you’re being so harsh.”
In his mind, he promised that if there comes an opportunity where he’s above this person, he would definitely be pushing him around so hard as well, as payback for all the trouble he’s given Kwak Jekang every time they meet.
His proposal doesn’t get approved again.
This was the fourth time this month. Kwak Jekang, who was used to people always agreeing with what he would suggest, was already frustrated with the situation. It came to the point where most of the other researchers would stay clear of him, wary about his attitude which was close to a ticking time bomb at the moment.
Naturally, some of his seniors ended up staging an intervention. He expected this, though. But the intervention…wasn’t quite what he thought it would be.
Sitting in the middle of a coffee shop, Kwak Jekang frowns at the smiling yellow-tinted eyes of an annoyingly familiar face by now. He gripped the handle of his drink so tightly he almost spilled the Americano that he bought for himself.
“Jekang-ah, you know things won’t always turn out as expected.”
Ah, here it goes. That annoying nagging that he never asked for.
“But throwing a tantrum like this won’t really change anything.”
“I wasn’t throwing a tantrum,” he denies.
“I’m not fooled. Didn’t I tell you?” the other person leans forward, a deathly serious expression in his face. “I knew since the beginning, so there was no need to hide it. That you’re a crybaby.”
The coffee was a little too hot for his tastes. For a moment, he debated throwing it into the smug expression of his senior.
He hated to admit it, but Team B’s leader was starting to grow on him.
His usual strategy now was to try to annoy the other person back and see how to tick him off, but said person always seemed to be ready for it. He would always calmly respond with an expression that seemed to be challenging him to do even worse next time. It makes for long bantering sessions that would exhaust him more than his research does.
Other than those times, however, the company wasn’t so bad.
It was in one of those late nights into the building when the other person brought up the question that he almost forgot actually existed.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen your soulmark at all.”
He paused midway into chewing, glancing at the person who was eating with him. “I don’t see how it matters.”
“Just call it healthy curiosity.”
“Ah? I didn’t take the team leader to be interested in other people’s love life! Are you like the aunties who like to gossip with their neighbors, too?”
He hears an unbothered chuckle. “You’ve grown up like this, too.”
And whose fault was that?
Still, he must be in one of those strange moods. Because in the end, he found himself humoring his senior, just for a little while.
“I have one.”
“Naturally, I never said you didn’t.”
“It just doesn’t matter to me.”
“Is that so?” The team leader adopted an interested look. “Why is that the case?”
“That’s because it’s an uncertainty.”
“Yes?”
He stares at his watch, knowing that underneath it rests the words that he hasn’t paid attention to ever since his life started to become busy. There was a smirk on his face as he thought about his response to the question.
“It’s an uncertainty. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the person you’re destined to be with will stay, nor if you would even meet each other.”
Besides, he still recalls his thoughts about the words written on his skin.
A liar.
“Ah. So Jekang-ah is a realist.”
“Seriously, team leader. Are you really trying to find topics about me to gossip to others about?”
He feels his shoulder get patted, which caused him to send a sideways glance to the other man. The team leader looked the same as he always does, though.
“So should I take that response as you giving up on the idea of soulmates?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
There was silence for a moment. Kwak Jekang, who thought he could savor this and eat, ended up breaking it first.
“What about you, wolf leader?”
The other person blinks once. “Me?”
“Yeah.”
“...I thought about it multiple times in the past,” the team leader admits easily. “I even tried to decipher their personality based on their words. Now…I guess it doesn’t matter?”
Hah. So they were the same in that case.
“I see.”
Well, he’s got nothing more to say about that.
It was the first and last time they talked about soulmates anyway.
Rumor has it that Team B’s performance was better than Team A lately.
They've been getting more challenging tasks lately, and surviving every single one of them. It was fast enough that people started speculating about the rate at which they're acquiring points for a Wish Ticket.
Of course, no one connected the dots so quickly, but it was thanks to Kwak Jekang, who had been tossing them to everything at every opportunity, who contributed to this.
It started with a passing comment. One particular time, he commented about lacking information on a certain Darkness because it was barely explored. He had a hypothesis he wanted to test, but unfortunately would have to forget about.
The team leader then leaned over, taking a look at the information that he was reading about. Normally, this would've not been allowed, but because it was that person, he found that he strangely didn't care enough.
“Then, why don't you send my team?”
“...What?”
“Hasn't Jekang-ah been soft lately? I thought you'd be throwing us into more Darknesses, but you've been quite kind lately.”
Wow, this guy. So his goodwill was being questioned like this?
“Besides, it would mean less people will have to uselessly die because they can't figure out what to do.”
So he understood it as the other person allowing him to use his squad to get the information he wanted.
Frankly, it was quite exhilarating. Kwak Jekang was able to confirm some of his random thoughts, further expanding the information they have on many Darknesses. Both of them, too, had benefitted quite well, considering the amount of points they're accumulating because of the role Team B has been playing in each one.
So when the next newly-acquired fairytale Darkness fell straight into his hands, Kwak Jekang was quite excited to send the same group over to investigate it.
The estimated grade was around A-class, which was a big thing, because it didn't really come often in the company. The higher-ups decided that they couldn't be reckless with picking who to go, so they would need a dependable group. They easily approved the proposal of sending Team B, which was quite stellar in their performance lately.
However, when the team leader saw the information they have about it, which really wasn't a lot, he frowned and answered in a straightforward manner.
“I refuse.”
“...What?” Kwak Jekang blinks in surprise. It was the first time that the team leader rejected a Darkness.
“For now, please refrain from sending us to a dangerous Darkness. One of my members is getting married soon, so it wouldn't be good for her to be in constant danger where it is uncertain if she survives.”
He recalls the girl who talked to him after dragging her teammate outside. She's getting married?
No, most importantly, he had to convince the team leader!
“No, isn't this an important Darkness? Possibly an A-class! Not just anyone could go!”
“...”
“It's a really important situation! Of course shouldn't Team B be sent as well? Didn't you tell that if I wanted information, I should just send your team there?”
“Jekang-ah, this isn't really a good situation right now.”
“I see,” he grins, a little annoyed. “Are you backing out, then?”
“...Wow.”
For a moment, the ever-so patient team leader’s eyes narrowed while looking at him. It was the first time his always calm expression had been distorted.
“Anyway, it really can't be done.”
No!
There really wasn't anyone else that could go! Kwak Jekang doesn't really trust the other teams enough, even if they were supposedly ranked one level higher than Team B.
So even if the team leader rejected, he stubbornly pushed forth the suggestion to the higher ups, explaining the situation of the squad thinking of refusing. If important people were to step in, then there was no room to refuse.
It was an A-class Darkness! This is a very important moment!
His disregard for the other person’s opinion, whoever, landed him on the wolf-masked man’s bad side. The team leader barely glanced at him during the time they entered the office to prepare to go into the Darkness. The three other members behind him, too, looked anxious. He could see the girl, who was supposedly about to get married, looking paler than he last remembered.
No, it will be fine. After all, this was Team B, the miracle-worker group. They'd give Kwak Jekang the information he wants, and they'd bathe in the rewards of clearing an important task.
There was a music recording distributed to each of the members. When he finally gave a copy to the team leader, he paused as their eyes caught each other.
“You didn't listen,” the other man noted, smiling although there was slight disappointment in his tone.
He was never one to take this without saying anything in response. “Logically, isn't this the best answer? Come in and finish as soon as possible.”
“Oh? Is an A-class Darkness really like such a playground to you?”
Now, he didn't like that tone one bit.
“But I never said that?”
“...No,” the team leader sighs. “You didn't.”
“Why are you making such a fuss about this? Just get out of my sight quickly.”
“...”
He finally takes the record and steps away. There was, again, a strange look in the other person’s eyes. Kwak Jekang spent enough time looking at other people’s emotions, from the slightest twitch in their features, to the most obvious one. But frustratingly enough, this guy was still someone he could never quite ready.
After casting one last glance at the researcher, he ends up saying what he wanted to say last.
Lips twisted almost bitterly, the team leader utters those words that made him stand still, staring at the door that closed in front of him.
“I'll be back soon.”
…
It was a coincidence, because surely it must be.
Although those words were ones that he heard on a daily basis, no one actually had to say it to him no matter the circumstance. That was why hearing it said to him was so shocking that he was unable to work for a few hours.
Be back soon?
That was a coincidence. It had to be. Or maybe he must've accidentally taken off his watch in front of the team leader, allowing the other man to have a glimpse of the words written on his wrist.
Soulmate? It was already a hilarious thing to think about.
But that person?
What kind of joke was that?
Even if they were disagreeing on their opinion before the task was finalized, it wasn't a fair thing to say those words to someone who had it literally branded on his skin. Kwak Jekang decides that once the team was out of the Darkness, he'd make things a little more difficult just because he was feeling petty.
…But.
…It's been three days.
There wasn't a record of any of the innocent civilians that got dragged there staying for more than a day. More accurately, there hasn't been anyone recorded to have escaped.
But things will be different this time. That's because it is Team B.
Half a month, then, quickly passed.
“It can't be helped,” a senior researcher speaks, finally tossing away a clipboard with the names of Team B’s members written on it. “There's no way they'd still be alive for this long. Especially in an A-class Darkness.”
Kwak Jekang stared at the words written on his wrist for a while, like it was a ghost that haunts his every waking moment. However, what was written there never changed.
Later, they recovered a person in the fairytale Darkness. But calling it a person might be too much of a stretch.
Seriously.
To come back like this?
…Surely, the ugly feeling in his chest was giddiness. That's because he now gets a new subject to study.
(It definitely didn't make him feel sick and angry, definitely not. Not even when he sees the words, ‘Just get out of my sight quickly’ written on the heavily contaminated wolf’s arm.)
It was the perfect opportunity. Now, he can kick him around gleefully much like how much this person used to play with him.
It was a little satisfying too. This way, he can't act all cocky and smug, pushing forward his seniority to make Kwak Jekang do whatever he wanted. Now, it was him who had better benefits and a better salary. He might even get his Wish Potion sooner!
(He was supposed to clear the Darkness! What kind of bastard gets contaminated and comes back in such a sorry state?)
(…)
-
end.