SBTGC 17

Chapter 17

I was grumbling to myself when Genzer leaned his arm on the back of the sofa and asked.

“Changed your mind?”

“…”

“If you have, feel free to say so.”

My mind… Well, honestly, Genzer was still secretive. And a little scary, too.

But perhaps it was because he’d shared his secret with me. I felt a sliver of trust forming, compared to before.

I thought back to the brief time I’d spent with Genzer. The fiercely brutal chase. The gun muzzle suddenly aimed at my forehead without warning. Appearing out of nowhere to startle people, shaking off the fanatics’ fierce pursuit.

I’d been caught up in it accidentally, but in the end, moments I’d escaped safely because of him.

I met Genzer’s gaze with difficulty, then slowly shook my head. And meeting his eyes as squarely as I could, I conveyed my thoughts.

“For 100 days… I’ll cooperate as best I can.”

After a long and complicated deliberation, the conclusion was simple.

For 100 days, I would take everything I could get from Genzer.

And at the same time, I would help him.

That was the final decision I’d reached.

Genzer gazed at me quietly with his characteristic cool eyes. His expression was unreadable.

After a moment, his closed lips slowly parted.

“I despise pity. It’s pathetic too.”

“…”

“But… I should have used that against you, Myeong Se-na.”

Wow. This was the first time I’d met someone who’d say that out loud… No, and ‘pity’!

“I never pitied you.”

“You didn’t. Your eyes were practically screaming ‘I feel so sorry for you I could die.'”

I’m telling you, that’s not it!

And this bastard… he’s been casually speaking informally to me since earlier, hasn’t he?

But since he was older than me both on paper and in reality, I figured there was nothing I could do about it. And the important thing wasn’t the honorifics anyway.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that.

“Wait.”

Genzer rose from his seat, walked over to the desk, and brought back a display device. He opened a window and handed it to me.

Filling the screen was the original contract I’d seen before.

It was the version with the new additions I’d just requested.

“Sign?”

Genzer asked, like someone setting a trap.

After looking back and forth between Genzer’s face and the contract before me, I took the device with a solemn feeling. Now that the time to decide had come, I was a little nervous… but it was only 100 days.

It’s not like I’d die during that time, right?

After a final check of the contents, I wrote my name in the signature field. It’s a bit of an otaku-ish thing to say, but I couldn’t help thinking it at this moment.

‘With this, the contract is sealed.’

Survive 100 days. Alright, let’s do this.

To explain the 100-day contract in more detail, it goes like this.

I ‘commute’—or rather, ‘attend’—the commercial building for 100 days. The attendance time is randomly set according to Genzer’s schedule, and I’m notified via message the day before.

When we meet at the appointed time, we attempt one form of contact at a time. The contact time is around an hour. Until then, I can be on my phone or laptop, or take a nap—it doesn’t matter.

And this is something Ma Ye-eun told me…

<If you’re bored, you can use the cafe on the first floor! We get all the coffee and desserts for free, so you should have some too, Sena!>

I should check it out sometime.

If we can’t meet due to unavoidable circumstances on one side, that day isn’t counted and is put on hold. But Genzer said it probably wouldn’t happen, so… I don’t think any holds will actually come up.

And so, on the first day of the contract, at 3 PM.

That room in the basement of the commercial building where I’d fainted yesterday.

“…”

I was now standing face to face with Genzer.

With Ma Ye-eun and Cha Seo-rok nearby.

Why were those two here if it was just the two of us making contact?

<Wouldn’t it be better to have more people around than to be alone with me?>

Apparently so…

Honestly, I felt more comfortable that way too, so I didn’t say anything.

The problem was that I’d been too complacent about it.

“For the 100 days, we’ll primarily examine five main areas: the average contact time and symptom relief duration, contact density, accuracy, exclusions list, and other possibilities.”

Today, Genzer was dressed in a suit similar to yesterday’s. He paced back and forth in front of me, seated on the sofa, with expressionless steps.

“As stated in the contract, contact methods may be repeated.”

*Tap.* His two feet stopped in front of me. I flinched involuntarily and looked up at him; he walked a few more steps and plopped down beside me.

“Let’s start with a handshake today.”

“Ah, yes.”

Genzer extended his hand.

I took his hand carefully. When I lightly clasped only his knuckles, Genzer let out a scoff and then squeezed firmly until our palms were fully touching.

…I felt a gaze from beside us.

Turning my head, I made eye contact with Ma Ye-eun, who had been watching us. Startled, Ma Ye-eun waved her hands frantically.

“Pretend I’m not here, just do your thing!”

How can I when you’re watching like that?

Fortunately, Cha Seo-rok wasn’t paying any attention to us. He was sitting in front of the desk watching a movie on his laptop, but looking closely, his eyes were half-lidded as he dozed off.

Why was he sitting in such an uncomfortable position…

“Gasp!”

Just then. Genzer interlaced his fingers with mine.

Startled, I quickly pulled my hand away, and Genzer looked at me with incredulous eyes.

How embarrassing.

I quickly spat out an excuse.

“Sorry. I mean, you did it suddenly so…”

“Ah… So I should give a warning first?”

Genzer shrugged.

“Fine.”

And he extended his hand to me again. When I clasped it like before, Genzer said in a tilted posture.

“I’m going to interlace our fingers now.”

“…”

Our fingers intertwined.

“Now I’m going to touch your wrist.”

“…”

And after he said that, he touched my wrist.

With a touch that felt more like an examination than mere contact.

Occasionally, he made requests of me too.

“Hold tighter. …No, tighter than that.”

Save me.

Having to hold hands like this in front of other people was torture. Even just holding hands was embarrassing.

And above all…

“Ignore me! Pretend I’m not here!”

Ye-eun. Please stop staring.

Just as my palms were getting clammy with cold sweat.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

Genzer released our clasped hands.

Even though it was winter now, cold sweat trickled down my spine. I felt several times hotter than before. Slumping onto the sofa, I checked the time.

…No way. Only 30 minutes had passed.

I rolled my eyes and looked up at Genzer as he rose from the sofa.

When our eyes met, I asked.

“Um… Is this really it for today?”

“I’d like to do another hour, but…”

Genzer gazed at me thoughtfully before answering.

“I don’t think pushing it on the first day would be good.”

Ah. So it’s because of me.

Fortunately, Genzer seemed satisfied even with the 30 minutes of contact. He said 30 minutes was fine for checking how long the stabilized state would last.

Genzer, who had been repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hand, checked his wristwatch.

“Time’s up.”

Those words probably meant it was time to return to headquarters.

According to Ma Ye-eun, their work hours fluctuated greatly. She said there were fixed tasks, like entering Rachazat several times a month and writing and submitting reports.

So usually, the team leader coordinated the overall schedule. Depending on the team leader’s personality, the way they handled work varied.

This was Field Investigation Team 1, so… then Genzer must be the leader of Team 1.

<What’s Genzer like?>

When I’d asked out of curiosity, Ma Ye-eun had just given a robotic smile.

And Cha Seo-rok… had suddenly started staring at the wall, I think.

“Myeong Se-na.”

I was lost in thought when I snapped to attention and turned my head.

Genzer, who had walked over to the desk at some point, was approaching me holding something. Looking closely, it was a device that looked like a glue gun.

Sitting down beside me like before, he flicked his fingertip.