Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 186.2

“Aigoo, long time no see. Not a word from our cold-hearted MZ Grapes the whole time you were off……”

Agent Choi, who was walking into Black-Tortoise Team 1’s waiting room with an Americano in hand, paused when he saw me.

“Did you go off training on some mountain while you were off? You look totally skin and bones! Hey hey, Jaekwan-ah. You agree, right?”

“Pardon?”

Agent Bronze, who was frowning as his superior pulled his arm and pointed at me, also froze and looked flustered as he realized what condition I was in.

“…Did something happen?”

I barely managed to answer.

“I didn’t, sleep, very well…”

“……”

“……”

It was the truth.

For five nights and six days, I’d worked day and night as a mascot at a ruined resort…

Agent Choi and Agent Bronze exchanged glances for a moment, then, as if coming to a silent agreement, quickly moved to sit on the nearby sofa next to me.

“You didn’t get enough rest?”

I looked at them with a feeble expression, saying nothing.

Ryu Jaekwan asked carefully,

“I heard you didn’t come in to recharge your dokkaebi flame lantern during your time off. …Are you all right?”

Ah.

“Yes, I’m fine… I guess I forgot since I didn’t need it.”

“……”

Phew.

For reference, the dokkaebi flame finally regained its energy after I coaxed and comforted it.

Apparently, something had gone wrong because it was overwhelmed by the mascot’s energy, but when I recharged it on my way to work this morning, it seemed to regain its usual cheerfulness as it returned to the form of my arm.

Though now, just mentioning the Security Team suit makes it tremble and give me a dramatic thumbs-down.

“I’m sorry. You even made sure I could use my vacation time.”

“That’s something you were entitled to anyway, wasn’t it?”

Agent Choi dropped his playful tone and continued comfortably,

“Hmm… Grapes-ie, you know there’s a really nice hot spring run by the bureau out by Seoraksan, right? How about we all go together next time we’re off? It’s pretty nice for an employee benefit.”

“……”

With coworkers… to a hot spring?

…But realizing what exactly that hot spring was, I quickly nodded.

I did want to see what the Disaster Management Bureau’s facilities were like at least once.

“Yeah. Good choice. …Still got some spirit, huh!”

“…?!”

Agent Choi ruffled my hair and patted my back.

“When you work hard and then suddenly rest, it all catches up to you at once. Physically and mentally.”

“……”

“But you still made it to work right on time. Good job.”

I only came to avoid getting exposed as a spy…

And after going through a ghost story under Daydream Inc.’s jurisdiction this time, the Disaster Management Bureau’s ghost stories honestly felt like fairytales in comparison……

Of course, I couldn’t actually say that, so I just nodded.

“Thank you.”

Then I leaned back on the sofa and spent the waiting time…

Except for the effort it took not to be startled when Agent Choi tried to suggest playing a board game—which I absolutely refused—there was nothing of note.

Fortunately, there were no calls for me either.

And in the afternoon, after lunch.

“Agent Grapes!”

I met Go Yeongeun from the Preliminary Investigation Unit, who had come by with some documents.

“Did you hear? You know, Vermilion-Bird Team 2’s… Agent Hwagak, who worked with you, Agent Grapes…”

Ah.

Go Yeongeun didn’t yet know about the theme park incident, but it seemed she’d learned about Jang Heowoon’s condition through other means.

“…No, this is the first I’ve heard. What happened…?”

Go Yeongeun’s face gradually lost its expression, and as if holding back tears, she continued speaking.

“Yesterday, he was found in a severely contaminated state, and I heard he’s now in the isolation ward. I heard he was transferred to Seoraksan…”

“……”

“They say he must’ve gotten caught up in some sort of supernatural… disaster while you were on break.”

“Are you two talking about our rookie?”

“…!”

Go Yeongeun and I both turned our heads at the same time. There stood the Vermilion-Bird Team 2’s leader, Jang Heowoon’s superior at the Disaster Management Bureau. He gave us a bitter smile.

Haa……

“Yeah. I guess for new agents, this could be a bit scary. When your coworker suddenly doesn’t show up to work, it’s unsettling, right?”

“……”

“But he’s all right, given the circumstances. That’s just how it is with people. If you look for a way, you’ll find one. What’s important is that we got him out.”

Behind the glasses of the Site Cleanup Unit’s Vermilion-Bird Team 2 leader, I could see that unique determination agents have.

But at the same time, there was a familiar sense of fatigue and sadness…

…As if remembering the agents they’d never managed to return to their original selves.

‘Damn it.’

I suppressed a sigh and the urge to curse.

In any case, the fact that Jang Heowoon was in a treatment facility and not a glass prison meant his cover hadn’t been blown. That was a relief…

“Still, it’s impressive that friend of mine brought him back. Hey, Haegeum-ie!”

“Huh?”

When the Vermilion-Bird Team 2 leader waved his hand, someone approaching from down the hall came closer.

It was the team leader-level agent who’d entered the theme park, Team Leader Haegeum from Black-Tortoise Team 3.

‘T-Team Leader…!’

I nearly choked.

“Ah. The rookies?”

“Ahh, right. These rookies entered in the same batch as our kid, and… this one’s the new hire for the Black-Tortoise Team this year.”

“Oh. The destroyer!”

……

Salt Goblin

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