episode_0031

“Ugh! It’s my Saksin… .”

While looking at the hero profiles that pop up as holograms, I lie down on the comfortable chair in case I get bedsores.

“Ah~ Work sucks.”

The Director of the Hero Management Bureau is a major position in the hero industry and is considered to be the middle boss of the most shitty department.

This is a position that requires flexibility, as there is usually no work to do, so you have to create something in conjunction with hero marketing, but sometimes you have to rush in when the hero makes an accident.

Since you have to create work, you have to watch the higher-ups as above, and when the damage done by the hero is serious, you have to go to the media and apologize and take responsibility, so it is a very annoying position.

Although there is a separate ‘Hero Safety Department’ that is responsible for evacuation of citizens and has the power of the command and control room to issue orders to heroes, it is usually only in charge of supporting heroes against monsters, so the occasional incident of a hero stronger than Class A is required. In order to suppress riots, cooperation with our department is essential.

Well, hero rampages don’t happen often.

It is important for heroes who crave popularity to appeal to citizens with a favorable image, and they initially chose the profession of hero with the mission of protecting citizens.

However, recently, individualists have begun to overflow.

It is painful to see that there are people who flaunt their presence by intentionally destroying buildings or showing extreme performances.

The number of idiots who are obsessed with gaining popularity rather than quickly defeating the enemy has begun to increase.

It is no exaggeration to say that all of this started because a crazy person disobeyed the dispatch order and actually increased the wave of collapse caused by the monster’s rampage.

In short, it is because the number of people who admire this crooked appearance has increased.

“Ha… … Now just hearing Byeok-rin’s name gives me chills.”

It feels like I’m singling out one person and criticizing him, but that’s true.

Honestly, from my perspective, it’s a tiring subject.

If I had to defend myself as the Director of the Management Bureau, I would say that there is nothing we can do because there are many idiots who recklessly go wherever they go.

Moreover, that hot-headed person is so good at exterminating monsters that it alone cancels out his original sin.

In any case, I have to frequently warn these monsters who devastate the entire area when they get angry, and at the same time, I have to maintain a good image of them in the public eye.

If an accident occurs, there is no other mother who runs to you.

“Huuuu… … ”

Thinking about this, I was afraid that something would happen again, so I let out a long sigh and my body relaxed even more.

‘Today, I want to heal properly… .’

Once people realize convenience, they can never go back to the uncomfortable past.

Lately, whenever I feel uneasy, I keep thinking of that healing center.

It was a great feeling of satisfaction.

Without thinking much, I just went to work and have fun, but I found out that the service industry was better than I could imagine.

Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’ve ever received something authentic and the workmanship is good, or maybe it’s because the owner is quite cute. Anyway, it was a very pleasant time.

‘When I think about it, I don’t really prefer that type… ‘Why does it come to mind like that?’

Anyway, it keeps coming to mind.

To prepare for situations like this, the hero-only healing center (Hijeon Hill for short) reported to the higher-ups that there was still a lack of information.

I haven’t completed the report yet in order to take advantage of the opportunity, but I calmly crossed my legs to try to use that cunning trick today.

Just imagining going there now makes me feel at ease─

“Junis.”

“?! What a fucking surprise!”

As I was stretching and exhaling, I heard a call from the side.

From the low voice, he was not a subordinate.

The director’s office is a place with basic security in case of an enemy attack, and the fact that he was able to enter without saying anything means that it was either a surprise attack by the enemy or that he was not an ordinary person outside of our department.

“… … Galdin!

Are you crazy? Where am I? Where did I just come in?”

As soon as I see it, I swear.

While belonging to the Hero Science and Technology Department, I was annoyed that they had replaced the human invention called Knock.

Hero Science and Technology Director, Galdin.

He is a very tall man.

He lost his right eye a long time ago and replaced it with a cyborg prosthetic eye that he made himself, and his left arm is not just a hand, but a mechanical arm wearing a glove.

Overall, he is a human who smells more like oil than a human, and because of that, I am concerned because I don’t know what is inside that black suit.

It seems like she has a taste for plastic surgery and is obsessed with modifying her body, but her unique, unfavorable image, along with the hidden body, stimulates unpleasant imaginations.

To put it bluntly, this guy is just unlucky.

I don’t like him since he arbitrarily entered my director’s office like a ninja.

“I have a question for you who visited the ‘Hero Healing Center’. Didn’t Byeok-rin come and go in that direction?”

Galdin raises his disfavor even further by asking a question without making any flimsy excuses.

“… What are you talking about, that troublemaker, ‘Mugeuk’?”

“There is no need for unnecessary modifiers. Did you meet Byeok-rin in ‘Hihilsen’?”

“If you want to reduce it, ‘Hijeon Hill’ is right.

I didn’t see it. Because I simply went to manage the business.”

Shaking your shoulders,

“What does Byeok-rin have to do with that place in the first place? The owner there is a former B-class hero named Eun Ji-woo.”

“Ha, you say you are the director of the management department, but your information skills are poor.”

“Hang?!”

A gangster’s tone of anger.

I take a quick look at this irritated cross leg.

“Come and start a fight, you idiot.”

“I just said what I had to say.

Didn’t you know that ‘Mugeuk’, ranked 8th in S class, and ‘Kang Punch’, ranked 13th in class B in the past, were close friends?”

“… … Two people?”

There is no need to talk loudly, just touch the hologram displayed in front of you to scroll through it.

Since it is possible to view past data, it was not difficult to look at the profile of Eun Ji-woo’s past hero name ‘Kang Punch’ with my authority.

…

…

…

[Participated in hero activities for a long time with (former) B-class ‘little dragon’ Byeok-rin]

[Based on their partner activities starting from C-level and their school history, Byeok-rin and Eun-ji-woo are presumed to be old friends.]

These two lines can be seen among the annotated profile information in the bureau’s database.

Indeed, Galdin’s claim is factual, so I click my tongue.

If there is one thing that is a little unfair, it is that only grade A or higher is promoted through my report, so there is no way for grade B to advance to my level.

Moreover, it had barely been more than half a year since I was assigned to this important role, and Eun Ji-woo had retired from hero activities before that.

In other words, the grade was low, and they were not on active duty, so they were outside of major interests.

More than anything,

“What, why is the Director of Science and Technology curious about Byeok-rin?”

“ done. If you haven’t seen it, further conversation is unnecessary.

Please excuse me for wasting my time.”

“Hey! Crawl on your own and go somewhere?!

Why are you interested in ‘Hijeon Hill’ and why are you looking into Byeok-rin?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Your privacy has been violated, so you need to know?”

“… … .”

“… … .”

He stood up from the chair and his hands were filled with purple energy.

As soon as he took a fighting stance, Galdin’s prosthetic eyes also turned red─

“Junice!”

The friendly spirit between the two is hidden as soon as someone enters.

As the two of us stood there as if nothing had happened, my subordinate shouted.

“Ah, hello! Even Galdin… …

no! This is not the time! Junis, the S-class hero ‘Bullet Witch’ is currently running rampant in the city of the safety grade B area.”

“What?!”

The fur stood up.

I got goosebumps simply because the catchy hero name didn’t appear.

“Why is he ranked 2nd in S class?! That bitch didn’t have any major accidents! What happened suddenly without any warning?”

“I don’t know… They suddenly commit destruction, saying, ‘If you add destruction to a peaceful world, it will grow.’ .”

“What crazy bullshit! Is he even a villain!?

Gather all S-class nearby and stop them! In particular, ‘Dosa’, please hurry up and call the number 1 ranked Seohan!”

“The letter has already arrived first and is soothing. They are using all their power to prevent the damage from spreading… ”

“Good! I will go to the scene, so there must be no casualties or accidents! Soothe them through conversation until the end!”

I stood up quickly.

Galdin, who was listening, was laughing hysterically, saying it was nothing, but there was no time to deal with this irritable guy.

“Kkkk Attachment Manager is busy in many ways.”

“Shut up!”

Out of luck, I click my tongue and leave the director’s office.

***

“He said he would do business even on his birthday… ?”

Rin came by unexpectedly and asked that question in front of the counter.

What are you planning to do for your upcoming birthday?

It may seem like a difficult thing to say, but I just answered simply.

“My body is in good health, so I need to continue without a break as much as possible.

Business is just starting to do well, but you can’t take a break just because it’s your birthday.”

“On your birthday, are you going to make a business of touching other people’s bodies like kneading rice cake?”

“So, don’t say that.

I am satisfied. Every time people heal and go out, I feel rewarded from my work.”

“Hmph, I guess I’ll pay money when I go out.”

Of course that is also true.

Despite the impenetrable wall, Lin was persistent.

They kept changing their schedules and criticized the store for no reason.

“So, it’s okay for a day, at least for a day!”

“I heard it’s hard. I have no money.”

“I have the money!”

“Just because you make good money doesn’t mean you can get it every time… … ”

As I keep insisting like a leech, I naturally lean my upper body towards the counter.

A situation in which it seemed as if contact might or might not occur several times.

“… … ? Just stay still.”

“Huh?”

Sniff sniff.

Rin raises her toes and almost buries her face into my chest.

For some reason, he sniffles and gently frowns the corners of his eyes.

“It’s strange as expected… .”

“… … What, what?”

“The smell. smell.

Jiwoo, you smell different today than usual.”

“My, the smell?!”

I was embarrassed.

There is someone who has been tied up all day until this morning.

I don’t know if it’s directly related to the smell, but I cleaned and showered twice all morning to cover up the traces.

However, Lin sniffed like a drug-detecting dog and left a series of impressions.

“Strange. I don’t think I changed my shampoo… … Something is different.”

“… … .”

“My intuition says it smells a bit bad… It feels bad, like an ominous stench─”

“Ri, RiriRirin! You know, why don’t you hang out with me on my birthday?!”

“Uh, uh… ?”

“After listening, it seems like I’ve been busy with work recently.

It’s a weekday, but it’s also my birthday, so let’s play together!”

He suggested urgently.

He was flustered, but Rin just looked at him blankly and smiled shyly.

“Yes♥”

Rin grinned, showing his teeth.

“Well, that’s good then! I happened to have a movie ticket, so I guess I can watch it then… ♡”

I gently hold out the ticket over the counter.

I put a piece of paper on the counter that looked like a waste of toilet paper.

‘Lin… ‘You wanted to play with me.’

I was so excited that I couldn’t use my ticket because I was holding on to it so tightly.

The ticket looks difficult to use, wet with sweaty hands and crumpled like a rag from physical exertion.

‘after… … My heart is pounding… .’

Well, anyway, it was okay.

I made a hasty effort to change the subject.

Traces of past unpleasant events had to be desperately hidden from Rin.

I’m very dissatisfied with the current business, and it’s obvious how Rin will react if she finds out about this store’s shadow.

Since this unhealthy meeting could be used as an excuse to destroy the store, it must be kept strictly confidential.

“It’s been a while since I watched a movie, went shopping, and even had lunch… … ”

Anyway, I was glad to see Rin looking excited.

He muttered something to himself, probably because he was excited to play with me for the first time in a long time.

“Ah! If the Hero Association bothers to contact you, you should threaten in advance that you will destroy the headquarters.”

“No, that’s a bit… … .”

I wonder what it would be like.

Unlike me, who is retired, Lin is an active hero, so I hope he shows some of his hero spirit as a shield for the citizens.