“Ugh…”
Mob’s gaze swept over my body.
The moment his sticky gaze settled upon me, I instinctively recoiled.
‘Ugh, why is he here again?’
I’ve always worked so hard to cultivate a good image.
I’ve always striven to present myself as a kind, cool, and brilliant Doctor, making sure to show only those facets of my personality whenever Mob was around.
Yet, my current state was…
‘I’m ruined. Utterly ruined.’
‘If I remain like this, I won’t be able to look Mob in the eye!’
‘Ugh, how did it come to this…?’
‘…’
I cast my mind back to a short while ago, to the memory of standing before The Boss’s door.
Tap, tap-tap.
Small, hesitant footsteps echoed down the corridor.
‘…Here it is.’
Arriving at The Boss’s door, I gazed up at it.
For some reason, The Boss’s door, which should have been exactly as it always was, seemed far more imposing than usual.
I swallowed unconsciously, a dry gulp.
[Is that The Doctor? Come in.]
Moments later, The Boss’s voice resonated from within.
It was a voice far deeper, colder, and more menacing than it had been over the phone.
“Ugh…”
A trickle of cold sweat snaked down my forehead.
‘Should I enter? Or perhaps… simply flee?’
As I wrestled with this internal conflict,
[…Come in quickly, Doctor. My patience has limits.]
As if perceiving my hesitation, The Boss’s voice, now tinged with impatience, urged me on.
“G-eep…”
I instinctively shivered, my body trembling, and instantly came to a decision.
‘Q-quickly, let’s go in.’
‘It’s truly been ages since The Boss was this furious…’
Creak.
I cautiously pushed the door open.
Fearing it might slam shut, I held the door with both hands, easing it open just enough to slip inside, tiptoeing carefully.
Inside, an unusual chill permeated the air, a stark contrast to its usual warmth.
Gone was The Boss’s usual playful glint; instead, their hands rested neatly on the desk as they glared intensely at me.
“Uhm…”
Feeling the immense pressure of their gaze, I subtly averted my eyes.
‘Was it due to nerves? Or perhaps just sheer awkwardness?’
Conscious of my hands, I subtly clasped them behind my back.
At that, The Boss’s low, weighty voice resonated through the room.
“Hoo. So you know what you did wrong, Doctor?”
“Ugh…”
I flinched, then slowly nodded, my face stung by the implication.
‘Of course I know. It’s obviously because my face was exposed outside.’
‘By the way, it’s quite a mystery.’
‘My face had certainly been exposed three or four times before, yet back then, they had simply laughed it off.’
‘What could possibly be so problematic now that they’re reacting with such fury?’
It was utterly incomprehensible.
Gathering my courage, I resolved to protest.
“B-Boss… Even if my face was seen once, to create such a tense atmosphere over it…”
My words, however, were cut short.
“No, you don’t understand at all, Doctor.”
“Huh, what?”
With a light flick of The Boss’s hand, a video began to play on a screen mounted on one wall.
On the screen was my own image—specifically, a recording of me during the hostage situation.
What’s more, it depicted me averting my gaze, seemingly in embarrassment.
I stared at the screen for a moment, then tilted my head in confusion.
‘That’s strange. I never made a face like that…’
‘Hmm. I’d briefly indulged in a fantasy involving Mob while I was captured. Could that be the expression I made then?’
As I stared blankly at my own face on the screen, The Boss suddenly clapped their hands, a sharp, cold sound, and then asked,
“Alright, Doctor. What do you have to say to me?”
Perceiving a momentary softening in their expression, I felt a flicker of relief and opened my mouth.
“Uh… that my pensive expression is cool…?”
“Doctor!!”
All at once, The Boss slammed their hand onto the desk with a resounding crash!
Startled by the sudden noise, I shrieked.
“Hiccup…! Wh-why the sudden outburst…!”
My body trembled uncontrollably.
I simply couldn’t fathom why The Boss was so utterly enraged.
‘No, why are they acting like this…!’
“Hmm.”
Observing my bewildered expression, The Boss let out a long sigh before once again gesturing towards the screen.
“Look closely, Doctor. See for yourself what the problem is.”
I forced my eyes wide open and re-examined the video.
It was only then that the realization struck me.
An orc with a wicked grin, and myself, held captive in its embrace, my gaze deliberately averted.
Solely based on its composition, it resembled one of those videos where someone might instruct, ‘Look into the camera and state your name and age.’
It was, to put it mildly, the kind of video that would typically require a mosaic censor over the eyes.
“It is… rather scandalous, isn’t it?”
“A bit?!”
When I scratched my cheek and responded with such nonchalance, The Boss’s face instantly contorted in a mask of fury.
“‘A bit’?!?”
The Boss, utterly speechless, launched into a rapid-fire torrent of words.
“Doctor. Do you have any idea how worried I was? Do you comprehend the extent of my concern after the informant sent me this video?!”
‘Wh-why are they acting like this again…?’
“Ugh…”
Before The Boss, whose fury was unlike anything I had ever witnessed, I instinctively shriveled, feeling myself shrink into insignificance.
“Listen up! Furthermore… even if I did tell you to leave, to then sneak out and stamp the official seal while I was briefly absent, and go out…!”
‘Th-that’s true, but.’
‘…Indeed, it would be quite startling to receive such a video unexpectedly.’
After all, they received a video of this brilliant Doctor, whom they cherish like a daughter, captured in an almost R-rated composition, on top of being outside without any prior authorization.
It was perfectly reasonable for The Boss to be shocked and concerned.
But…
“…So what?”
Instead, I responded with an audacious air, puffing out my chest defiantly.
‘Honestly, that’s not my fault. It’s the informant’s fault for handing over the video without knowing anything.’
‘I handled the situation quite rationally at the time, and ultimately, no harm came of it.’
“…What?”
The Boss’s eyebrow twitched, their expression one of utter disbelief.
“Wh-what? What are you going to do about it? Are you planning to punish me…?”
Yet, despite that peculiar gaze, I held my ground, boldly declaring my inner conviction, ‘The genius Doctor is not at fault!’
My tongue may have twisted slightly from fear, but it was, in its own way, a proud and confident declaration.
I had made a calculation.
Knowing The Boss’s surprisingly lenient nature, I believed that if I pushed back with such confidence, they would likely become flustered and let the matter slide.
There was, however, one crucial detail I had overlooked.
“…Alright, fine.”
“Huh?”
It was the undeniable truth that The Boss cared for me far more deeply than I had ever anticipated.
“It’s perfect timing, then.”
The Boss’s voice descended, low and heavy, sending a shiver down my spine.
A chill involuntarily ran down my spine.
“If you desire punishment so much, then I shall grant your wish.”
‘Oh.’
‘This… this seems rather different from what I had anticipated.’
“…Wait a minute?! Th-this isn’t…!”
“What do you mean, ‘this isn’t’? I had considered overlooking it, depending on your attitude of repentance. But it seems you’re intent on earning yourself a good scolding, aren’t you?”
“B-Boss. Please reconsider just once…!”
I frantically waved my hands in protest.
Yet, The Boss’s eyes were already set with an unyielding resolve.
“No excuses are needed, Doctor.”
****
‘…’
‘…’
And so, what I received was this very punishment: kneeling with my hands raised.
“Ugh…”
My hands hurt.
My arms hurt.
My knees hurt too.
But the most painful sight of all was Mob’s face, staring at me from a distance with an indescribably peculiar expression.
While this predicament was undoubtedly my own karma, I had desperately wished to avoid showing such a pathetic side to Mob.
Not only was I mortified, but recalling all the times I had teased him relentlessly in the past…
If he were to witness me like this, I worried intensely about just how much he would relentlessly tease me for this single incident.
“Pfft.”
‘Look at him.’
‘He’s already sneering at me.’
‘He’s clearly delighted, having found fresh ammunition to tease me with. It’s undeniable.’
‘He’s doing this now, trying to imprint every detail of my struggling, groaning efforts to lift my aching arms into his memory!’
‘You wicked scoundrel!’
‘Ugh…’
‘I was originally in the overwhelmingly dominant position.’
‘That’s why I didn’t want to be caught like this…’
‘Why did that idiot come looking for me at a time like this…!’
‘This is genuinely such an unfair attack (TL Note: 억까, ‘eok-kka,’ is a Korean slang term referring to unfair or baseless criticism/attack.)!’
I glared at Mob with a venomous intensity.
Mob, for his part, gazed at me for a long moment with a tender expression, almost as if he were observing an adorable pet.
Suddenly, The Boss let out a soft, amused chuckle and spoke.
“Doctor. Have you reflected enough?”
Their anger seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a noticeably lighter tone.
“…Yes.”
I nodded, utterly devoid of strength.
My arms were so profoundly numb that I lacked even the energy to stir.
“Pfft.”
Even then, the audacious Mob continued to chuckle at me from the sidelines.
‘Ugh…’
“Good. You may leave now.”
Finally, the command of liberation was issued.
“Yes…”
I laboriously pushed myself up, then offered a clumsy bow.
Perhaps due to cramps, my legs gave way, and as my body swayed precariously, Mob gently supported me from the side.
‘Hmph. His mind is undoubtedly brimming with intentions to tease me, yet he possesses surprisingly good manners.’
Grumbling inwardly, I offered a weary wave to The Boss.
“I’ll…, I’ll be going…”
“Alright.”
For some reason, The Boss watched us leave with a tender, almost doting gaze.
Creak…
With that, we departed from The Boss’s chambers.
This time, there was no startling slam to make me jump.
That was because Mob had deliberately closed the door with a gentle hand.
As he continued to support me, he flashed a bright, beaming smile, which…
“…Why are you laughing like that, you perverted Mob?”
For some reason, it felt subtly grating on my nerves, immediately souring my mood.
The man merely shook his head, responding,
“Oh, nothing. It’s just… I realized The Doctor is, after all, just an incorrigible child.”
‘What.’
“Wh-what…?”
‘What on earth is he suddenly talking about?’
Utterly dumbfounded, I puffed out my cheeks and began to lightly swat at Mob’s thigh.
My height was simply too inadequate to reach his chest.
Yet, the more I persisted,
“Heh heh.”
The less he seemed to suffer, and the more he appeared to revel in my irritation, which only fueled my anger.
