Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 184

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Survival Rules for an Editor, Episode 184

ep26. Bodies Switch (2)

“If Agent Seo just puts in the effort, we all live, right? Yeah?”
Yeon Ga-ram’s voice was quite casual.
His thin eyes and smiling expression, viewed charitably, seemed nothing but playful.
But considering Yeon Ga-ram’s track record, this too had to be taken as provocation.
I found this endless, baseless quarrel simply ridiculous.
But at least I maintained courtesy in my answer.
“I don’t think that’s something I can manage alone.”
“What, take responsibility and save us. You’re the Management Bureau hero, right? Keep working, Otter.”
An endless, baseless task—just like the provocation itself.
I ran out of words, and Yeon Ga-ram smirked at me.
His smiling face was composed enough that it only made things more absurd.
Truth be told, I’d anticipated something like this to some degree.
When the monitoring of Type 5 Special Zone ‘Small House’ was assigned to Control Team 4’s duties.
I’d recalled that Yeon Ga-ram was in Control Team 4, and thought it couldn’t be.
But I never thought it would actually play out like this.
His behavior matched my expectations, yet I found myself bewildered anyway.
Why on earth was he doing this?
More than that, what meaning did this conversation have? None.
Was any meaningful information being exchanged? No.
Was there any benefit, personal or professional? No.
Did the remark actually help Yeon Ga-ram himself? No.
There wasn’t a single positive angle to any of it, so why exactly was Yeon Ga-ram doing this?
Just as I was pondering the operating principles of Yeon Ga-ram.
Satisfied that he’d silenced me, Yeon Ga-ram added with another grin.
“Or do you just pick the easy wins to brag about?”
“Uh, hold on.”
That was when Gwak Jae-gyeom, standing beside me, couldn’t take it anymore and jumped in.
“You guys aren’t even going into the field anyway. What’s your business with this?”
“Hey, I’m still your senior. What’s with the ‘hold on’?”
At Jae-gyeom’s meddling, Yeon Ga-ram’s brow furrowed.
A markedly different attitude from how he treated me.
But Jae-gyeom didn’t seem to mind much, waving his hand over Yeon Ga-ram’s shoulder.
“Oh, Sara, noona.”
“……!”
Yeon Ga-ram startled and spun around.
But there was no one behind him—certainly not Baek Sa-ra.
“Oh, I must’ve been seeing things.”
“…….”
At Jae-gyeom’s cheeky move, Yeon Ga-ram’s expression hardened further.
Jae-gyeom waved his hand dismissively at the stiffening Yeon Ga-ram and spoke.
“Don’t start needless trouble. Just head out, yeah? If Sara actually shows up, you’re in real trouble. And if you want senior treatment, maybe act like a senior.”
Shoo, shoo.
With a hand gesture like swatting away a fly, Yeon Ga-ram’s face flushed red as he stared at Gwak Jae-gyeom.
Then he smirked and turned back to me.
“Convenient, isn’t it? Having someone fawn over you like that. Must be nice, your esteemed self.”
“Come on, cut it out already.”
At Yeon Ga-ram’s words, Jae-gyeom frowned and muttered.
Yeon Ga-ram glanced at Jae-gyeom’s expression once, then clicked his tongue.
He turned slightly and spoke to me again.
“But don’t get too pleased with yourself. While you’re playing hero here, people inside are still dying.”
With those words, Yeon Ga-ram turned fully away.
Then he left the lounge, leaving us behind.
“That guy just came here and talked nonsense.”
Jae-gyeom tracked Yeon Ga-ram’s retreating figure with his eyes and muttered.
Then he spoke to me as well, sounding exasperated.
“That’s obviously provocation, but why are you just taking it?”
“Ha ha…….”
“Geez, you’re happy to lecture me, but when it comes to other people, if you’ve got something to say, just say it. You just laugh and brush things off, and that’s why people keep pushing.”
“……?”
Hearing Jae-gyeom’s words, I found myself bewildered again.
I’m not the type to stay silent when I have something to say.
Ah, Jae-gyeom doesn’t know.
What happened with the Team Leader and the director above him.
Don’t worry, Jae-gyeom—I know how to push back too. Especially with your Team Leader.
I was about to say this, but I simply laughed out of regard for Cha Si-eon’s reputation.
But it seemed Gwak Jae-gyeom misunderstood, growing even more animated.
“I’m going to tell our Team Leader about this. This guy, it’s not even the first time.”
So he was going to report it to Team Leader Cha.
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“Sir, normally other teams don’t pick fights like this. Everyone knows it’d cause a fight. But that was completely out of line.”
“It was just thoughtless. Let it go.”
Gwak Jae-gyeom looked at me as if he didn’t understand.
Watching Jae-gyeom, more wronged than I was, I spoke calmly.
“That person has his own context too.”
Just like your Team Leader.
I’d been reflecting, actually.
On how I’d treated Cha Si-eon as a psychopath without understanding his situation and context, setting myself against him.
Team Leader Cha Si-eon had Lee Sol as a context, and he was stewing alone because of it.
Once I understood that, Cha Si-eon’s arrogance made its own kind of sense, so I decided to be more generous.
“Control Team probably has their own grievances too.”
Control Team isn’t deployed on dangerous operations.
But that doesn’t mean we should belittle what they endure.
Even if only through monitors, the Control Team members had probably witnessed the most deaths.
“They’re doing tough work just like we are, so let’s move past it.”
I tried to understand Yeon Ga-ram’s sensitivity too.
Though of course, that wasn’t easy.

* * *

CCTV was installed in Type 5 Special Zone ‘Small House’ as well.
Thanks to that, my privacy was also gloriously invaded.
This meant Control Team 4 could see right through the interior structure of our house.
But well, I’d cleaned everything already, and we weren’t even using the house now.
What did it matter if the inside was visible?
Thinking this way, I tried to shake off the discomfort.
But an unexpected problem arose.
And that problem was, of course, Yeon Ga-ram from Control Team 4.
“I never knew you lived in a place like that.”
“You could move to a bigger place now, since you got paid well.”
“Are you looking at houses? The Management Bureau hero should have a reputation to uphold—’Small House’ is a bit…….”
“First time I’ve seen someone dragged into a Special Zone and enjoying their fortune.”
“Oh, you worked at a small publishing house before, right? Publishing especially pays poorly, I hear. So I guess you had no choice.”
Those are the things I heard from Yeon Ga-ram over the past week.
What the hell is this guy……?
Why is he fixating on my house’s square footage and my old job, obsessing over mentioning it?
And he was discussing someone else’s private life learned through work.
Using the kind of phrasing you’d find on anonymous office worker forums.
Moreover, this wasn’t something said while sharing a meal or working at adjacent desks.
Because our work was completely different, we had no real reason to be near each other like that.
Yet whenever Yeon Ga-ram spotted me in the corridor or lounge, he wouldn’t miss that brief window—he’d rush over, whisper something to me, and leave just as quickly.
So I’d stand there vacantly, like someone caught off guard, having to ruminate over Yeon Ga-ram’s remarks.
If I’d seen Yeon Ga-ram’s behavior online, I would’ve scoffed at it too.
Where in the real world would you find someone who actually talks and acts like that?
Turns out, it exists.
Surprisingly, there really was an adult man—a skilled tradesman no less—in this world who would charge toward a target from far away just to say those things.
As this went on for more than a week, I too began to feel heat rising in me.
And Jae-gyeom was accumulating resentment.

* * *

The dawn air at the end of July was humid from the tropical night.
So after finishing my early morning run, I was more exhausted than usual.
While I was catching my breath with the Response Team agents I’d run with.
“Agent Do-un!”
From the Exploration Team column following behind the Response Team, a man waved toward me.
It was Jung Jin-u.
Jung Jin-u, who’d finished the run easily in shorts, unlike me.
He came up beside me, still breathing hard, and suddenly jabbed at my side the way he had before.
“Getting bullied at work, huh?”
“Where did you hear that……?”
“While getting my hair cut yesterday. Gwak Jae-gyeom was telling Baek Sa-ra?”
Jae-gyeom, I’ve got a reputation too…….
Gwak Jae-gyeom and Baek Sa-ra, going to the same salon.
They must have been sitting side by side at a mirror, talking about me.
“Is it real bullying? What happened?”
“No, it’s not bullying so much as…….”
I paused while answering Jung Jin-u, searching for the right word.
“……chirping?”
“Chirping?”
Nod—
I could only express it that way.
Yeon Ga-ram was literally flying in like a sparrow, chirping at me, and flying away again.
It was irritating in a subtle way, but it wasn’t causing direct harm.
Though he was definitely crossing the line.
But it was so trivial that it felt odd to press the issue.
It was like he was begging for food, so maybe the better approach was to keep ignoring him.
Or, more honestly, I didn’t want to respond in kind and become the type of person who petted him back…….
“Want me to help?”
“Pardon?”
“Just say the word, Agent Do-un!”
“Then in an emergency, please stop Baek Sa-ra for me.”
“Hmm, that’s a bit too much to ask…….”
He was acting like an older brother until Baek Sa-ra’s name came up, then suddenly shrank.
I laughed despite myself, and Jung Jin-u also chuckled before continuing.
“Jae-gyeom said you told him not to tell the Team Leader about this.”
“Yeah, well.”
“Why are you letting it slide? Jae-gyeom’s all wound up by himself, so are you maybe enjoying it?”
“That’s not it at all…….”
“Then maybe it’s time to settle it?”
“Settle?”
At my question, Jung Jin-u smiled slightly.
Then, in a more serious tone, he spoke quietly.
“You don’t know because you’re unaware, but there’s fierce tension between our teams too. It doesn’t look good if you keep getting pushed around like that.”
“…….”
I’d momentarily forgotten.
That the Special Management Bureau was a kingdom of hierarchical animals.

* * *

That’s what Baek Sa-ra had said.
That touching me was the same as touching her, since she was my instructor.
Apparently, me taking constant jabs wasn’t just stress for Jae-gyeom—it was a matter directly tied to his role.
Knowing that, I couldn’t let this situation continue.
Though Gwak Jae-gyeom hadn’t minded my reputation, now I decided to mind his—and I sent Yeon Ga-ram a message.

-Agent Yeon, do you have time to talk for a moment?

But there was no reply even after ten minutes.
So I sent another message.

-If you’re busy, please reply when you have a chance.

Still no reply.
When five hours had passed with no response, I finally understood.
The very man who’d been picking at me every day had ignored my message.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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