Facing the Boss, who was letting out a wicked cackle, I adopted a venomous expression. ‘What’s so funny?’ ‘Does being the Boss grant you everything?’
“Is it… amusing…?”
Still chortling, the Boss replied.
“Indeed, it is quite amusing.”
‘Well… it does, actually.’ ‘After all, they are the magnificent individual who controls my snack allowance.’
Unable to truly express my anger, I could only shake my head.
Such was the nature of hierarchy; it had its benefits, but also its moments of profound sorrow.
“Oh, I’m sure you would be…”
“Heh heh.”
“I told you not to laugh like such an idiot.”
“Hwekh.”
‘Ugh, that Geumjjoki (TL Note: A Korean slang term for a child who is pampered and often misbehaves, similar to ‘golden child’ but with a negative connotation of being spoiled and troublesome.) Boss, seriously.’ ‘Haa, never mind.’ Truly, at times, they behaved more childishly than an elementary schooler.
A genuine concern began to gnaw at me. ‘Is this truly the leader of our organization? Can our group really endure like this?’
I was gravely concerned that I would end up in a ‘one-girl show’ scenario, where I’d have to grab them by the collar and single-handedly carry the entire organization.
‘Oh, wait… isn’t that already the case?’
“Ahem, Doctor. Let’s set aside the jesting for now and get straight to the point. The reason I summoned you is simple: there are a few matters I require your answers on.”
The Boss, after a prolonged fit of laughter, swiftly composed their features and began to speak in a lower, more serious tone.
“Ugh, what is it?”
‘Even with that lowered voice, they’re not scary at all.’ ‘It just sounds like a gruff, phlegmy old man from the neighborhood.’ ‘They look utterly foolish.’ ‘…I refrained from uttering such thoughts aloud.’ ‘After all, I had no desire to endure the torment of being limited to one cup of coffee every two days.’ ‘Morning coffee, in particular, was far too precious.’
“Now, take a look at this.”
In an instant, the Boss produced a single document and extended it towards me.
‘Huh. I see a familiar face on it. Ah, it’s a document for our male protagonist, isn’t it?’
“I’ve been informed you granted this new recruit permission to leave. What was your reasoning?”
The Boss took a slow sip of the tea placed before them as they posed the question.
The expression on their face as they spoke suggested, for some inexplicable reason, that they were in an exceedingly foul mood.
‘What is it? They’re not a sea urchin, so why are they so prickly? Did something unpleasant occur today?’ ‘Perhaps their stocks took a tumble?’ ‘No, that can’t be it; I’ve been subtly manipulating the Boss’s stocks to ensure a steady increase, so such a thing is impossible.’ ‘What could be the problem…?’
I simply shrugged.
‘I truly didn’t know.’ Deciding to be forthright, I prepared my answer.
“Ah, that…? They mentioned wanting to ‘eat’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘ttameokda,’ which can mean to take advantage of someone, often with a sexual connotation.) a hero, so… I sent them off.”
“P-pthw!”
A spectacular spray of tea erupted.
It spread thinly, like a delicate frost, over the head of the magnificent tiger-skin rug adorning the floor.
It even bore a slight resemblance to moss. ‘It must have been green tea,’ I mused.
Wiping the tea from the corner of their mouth, the Boss spoke.
“Well… that’s incredibly direct.”
“Hmph, whatever do you mean?”
An awkward expression on their face, the Boss scratched their cheek.
Their face conveyed a distinct message: ‘That last remark, no matter how I parse it, hardly sounded like a compliment.’
“It’s certainly better than beating around the bush, wouldn’t you agree? Unlike some people… like the Boss, for instance.”
I deliberately turned my head slowly, first sweeping my gaze across the door, then returning it to the Boss.
Next, my eyes flickered to the purring feline nestled in the Boss’s lap.
And then, one last time, I fixed my gaze back on the Boss.
I narrowed my eyes, holding their gaze with a prolonged, intense stare.
The Boss, who had been meeting my unwavering stare, eventually let out a faint “Ahem” and averted their eyes.
‘Good. My message must have been received by now.’ ‘Install a door closer, already! How many months has it been that they haven’t installed one?’
“You know… I’ve always wondered about something.”
Yet, the Boss completely disregarded my lingering stare, merely uttering what they wished to say.
What struck me, however, was the distinct air of hesitation in their voice, a stark contrast to the Boss’s usual demeanor.
“I truly don’t comprehend why someone like you chose to join an organization such as ours.”
‘What?’
“Hwekh, does that mean… you intend to abandon me…?”
As I began to tremble, utterly aghast.
The Boss, momentarily flustered with a bewildered “Huh?”, quickly waved their hand in dismissal.
“No, that’s not what I meant—!”
However, I continued my tirade, offering the Boss no opportunity to interject or explain.
“So, you’ve sucked out all the sweet essence, scraped up every last drop, and now that you think things will run smoothly without me, you’re going to ‘eat and discard’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘meokbeo,’ short for ‘meoktwi beorigi,’ meaning to ‘eat and discard’ someone or something, often in relationships or situations where one benefits and then unceremoniously abandons the other.) me…!”
“No, that’s not… Ugh.”
The Boss, abandoning whatever they had intended to say, let out a profound, heavy sigh.
It appeared they were finally beginning to grasp that I was merely toying with them.
‘They’re rather quick on the uptake today. They must be growing. I should definitely give them some praise.’
In my mind, I silently stamped a seal of approval.
“It’s just… I keep thinking that someone of your caliber could easily live a grand life, doing everything they desire, out in the open, under the sun…”
‘What in the world is that supposed to mean?’
“Huh? But I’m already living grandly.”
“No, that’s not quite what I meant, is it…?”
As I cocked my head in confusion and responded, the Boss continued.
“In this… ‘men’s bathhouse’ (TL Note: A Korean idiom referring to an all-male environment.), ahem, I apologize for saying this, but our organization’s methods are… a bit extreme, aren’t they? Perhaps even a little risqué, one might say. For a girl like you to be here…”
‘What? Was that the real reason?’
Interrupting the Boss, I replied with a sulky pout.
“Hmph. It’s perfectly fine, I assure you. I am a genius Doctor, after all.”
The Boss waved a hand dismissively, clearly exasperated.
“But that’s not the point—”
“The Doctor has no issues.”
“…”
“Because I’m a genius…”
“…”
Ultimately, the Boss found themselves utterly speechless.
Realizing the futility of reasoning with me, they simply stared blankly at the floor.
‘Seriously, why are they suddenly stirring up such a commotion with those words?’ ‘We’ve both diligently worked to nurture this organization until now, yet they’re suddenly fretting over every conceivable trifle.’
“Right… I suppose my previous comment was rather inappropriate, upon reflection.”
With a quiet sigh, the Boss finally conceded.
They had, quite literally, thrown up their hands and feet in surrender to my stubbornness.
Resting my elbows on the armrest, I gave a satisfied nod.
“So, you understand now?”
The Boss cleared their throat once more, then deftly shifted the subject of our conversation.
“Let’s move on to something else, shall we? Hmm, speaking of leaving the premises…”
“Yes?”
“Well… instead of just cooping yourself up in your room, how about you go out for a walk more often?”
“…Eh.”
The moment those words left their lips, I overtly scrunched up my face, my expression brimming with an emphatic ‘No.’
The Boss, observing my reaction, blinked in bewildered astonishment.
“Is it truly something to dislike *that* much…?”
“Ehh, I’ve told you countless times, it’s simply bothersome. Besides, it hasn’t been that long since I last went out for a stroll…”
The Boss furrowed their brow, delving into their memory.
“If you’re referring to that time you dawdled outside for ten minutes, claiming to test an umbrella, and then brought back some strange man…”
‘Hey, hey.’ ‘That “strange man” is the protagonist of this entire game, you know.’
“What do you mean, ‘strange man’? Regardless, I *did* go out, so please count it as having gone out…”
The Boss, observing my persistent contradictions, let out a small snort of amusement and muttered.
“Honestly, who do you take after to be so… like this?”
‘What are they even saying?’
I immediately shot back at the Boss’s remark.
“Take after whom? There’s a saying, isn’t there, that people who spend a lot of time together start to resemble each other? The Boss is the one who made me this way…”
‘The Boss always just plays with their cat in this gloomy room, yet they’re talking about others. What hypocrisy.’
At that moment, the Boss once again lowered their voice by a full tone, opening their mouth with an air of profound seriousness.
“Doctor.”
‘…Now what?’
I tilted my head, responding with a questioning hum.
“Whyyy?”
The Boss paused, taking a deliberate breath.
Then, with a solemn gaze fixed upon me, they continued.
“This… is an order.”
Their voice was incredibly grave, imbued with an undeniable solemnity.
“I will disobey…”
“Hoo, really now, Doctor?”
The Boss leaned back into their chair, a subtle, knowing smile playing on their lips as the corners of their eyes crinkled slightly.
“No, no. I was just joking. But seriously, why are you suddenly like this…?”
I shook my head from side to side, pouting in confusion.
I simply couldn’t comprehend it.
This was the same person who usually couldn’t care less whether I lazed about in the lab or ventured outside.
What sudden whim had seized them today to act this way…?
“Just because. Do I need a reason?”
At their brazen reply, I scrunched up my face and groaned.
“Ugh. Fine, I get it… I’ll go. I’ll just go…”
Only then did the Boss finally wear a relieved smile, adding softly.
“You should have agreed sooner. Oh, you’ll go for your walk tomorrow, won’t you, Doctor?”
“Ack. Tomorrow’s a bit…”
“Doctor?”
At that strangely drawn-out, suggestive tone, I hunched my shoulders and grimaced.
“Ugh, how utterly annoying. Fine, I get it…”
‘Honestly.’ ‘It’s as if the Boss can’t bear *not* to torment me.’
As I languidly dragged my feet, devoid of energy, and was about to exit the room, a sudden sound startled me.
BANG!
The door, once again, slammed shut with a resounding crash.
“Hgegekh!”
My heart plummeted in an instant, and my shoulders instinctively twitched.
‘Ugh, caught again.’ ‘This cursed door, utterly devoid of a door closer…’
After huffing, my lips pressed into a tight line, I found myself unable to suppress my anger any longer and delivered a forceful kick to the door.
THUD!
A satisfying thud echoed through the air.
“Hmph. That’s incredibly satisfying!”
It was a small, rather timid act of revenge.
Thus, I returned to my precious sanctuary.
Upon re-entering my laboratory, I harbored a faint hope that the main event might still be in progress, but…
“Ah…”
As expected, what greeted me was merely the desolate scenery of an empty park.
The CCTV screen displayed no mechanical arms, no captured heroes, and no protagonist burning with vengeful fury.
All that remained was a desolate and silent scene, with only a few leaves tumbling in the wind.
“It’s already over…”
The corners of my mouth drooped in disappointment.
‘I missed all the good parts!’
