Yejun was just coming out of the store with a plastic bag in each hand. I grabbed his arm and tugged him around the corner and down the street before past-Mina could see us.
“Where are we going?” Yejun said. “What happened to the milk?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, turning another sharp corner. I knew which directionI’dgone, but I had no idea where Jihoon had walked after parting ways and didn’t want him to spot us.
It wasn’t until I drew to a stop, certain we were out of sight, that I realized something strange.
My timesickness headache hadn’t gone away.
The banana milk loop had been caused by an organic Echo, just as Yejun had suggested, but the constant ache behind my eyes hadn’t lifted in the slightest. Did that mean I’d done something wrong and hadn’t really closed the loop?
“It’s honey butter chips, by the way,” Yejun said.
I flinched, thinking about the other Mina holding the chips as she crossed the river. “Huh?”
Yejun pulled a bag of honey butter chips out of his plastic bag. “My favorite snack,” he said. “The perfect umami blend of salty and sweet.”
“That’s not whatumamimeans,” I said distractedly as my phone buzzed. It was a reminder I’d set up in my calendar—my quarterly evaluation was due tonight.
“Crap,” I said under my breath, slumping against the wall. “I have to go back and turn in my report. Or finish it and then turn it in, actually.”
“Procrastinator,” Yejun said, poking my side. “Okay, let’s go back so Hyebin doesn’t skin you alive. You can even take a bag of chips with you.”
“My hero,” I said, taking Yejun’s hand. His fingers laced with mine, holding me tight as he carried us home.
Hardly anyone was working at headquarters this late at night. Lower-ranked office workers didn’t stay for night shifts, senior agents like Hyebin were out in the field, and the timeline architects rarely left their private wing. I sat alone in the computer lab, which was dark because I was too tired to stand up every five minutes to dance for the motion-activated lights. I pulled up the half-finished draft of my quarterly report from Google Drive, plugged in some moderately flattering scores for my self-evaluation, and printed it.
I prayed I didn’t have to actually see Hyebin and could just leave the report on her desk. I would have to give her extra Choco Pies tomorrow, or maybe the rest of the week, until she forgave me. As it was, I wasn’t expecting a good score from her.
I clutched the report to my chest as I knocked on Hyebin’s door, but the room was dark and the doorknob wouldn’t budge. I debated just sliding the report under the door, but something told me that Hyebin wouldn’t appreciate stepping on it as soon as she returned to her office. I sighed and went to the security desk to ask Seulgi.
“Hyebin was helping Sajangnim with something in his office,” Seulgi said. She must have noticed my stricken expression because she laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Sajangnim is in a meeting. He left Hyebin in there by herself.”
As if Hyebin is less scary than Hong Gildong, I thought grimly.“Thanks, Seulgi-nim,” I said, heading to the left wing, down the echoing hallway to Hong Gildong’s office.
You’re just handing her some paper, I told myself.This is not the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
I took a steadying breath and knocked twice on the heavy wooden door.
“Come in,” Hyebin’s voice called from the other side.
Cautiously, I opened the door.
Hyebin, still scrolling through something on Hong Gildong’s scrying pool, didn’t acknowledge me as I entered.
“Sunbaenim,” I said, shifting from foot to foot, “I just wanted to say—”
“Do you have the report or not?” Hyebin said.
“I… yes,” I said.
She gave me a cursory glance, then checked her watch and jolted to her feet. “Staple it, then leave it in the pile and go home.”
I nodded and bowed as she strode past me, slamming the door behind her like she couldn’t stand to be in my presence for a second longer. I sighed, trudging over to the desk.
Hong Gildong’s scrying pool reflected the overhead light like a golden halo, a ring around my own reflection. If only I were Hyebin, and Hong Gildong trusted me to leave me alone with his own scrying pool and all his files…
All his files, which were currently right in front of me, unguarded.
