For some reason, Jun-hwan was also hanging around the department, and he pulled coordinator Si-woo aside, asking what he truly thought about Seo-yul.
Coordinator Si-woo replied that he didn't know much, since they worked in completely different divisions, and questioned why Jun-hwan suddenly cared so much about an ordinary rescue team member.
Jun-hwan scoffed, saying there was nothing more irritating than an annoying pest right in front of your eyes.
The coordinator immediately caught on and asked whether that was the real reason he was pulling strings to exile the young man to the countryside.
Jun-hwan sharply warned the coordinator to watch what he was saying, calmly explaining that he simply wanted the boy to have plenty of quiet time to reflect on himself.
At that exact moment Seo-yul himself entered the room, casually asking whether the two of them had always been this close.
Jun-hwan smirked and said that his assistant manager Si-woo still seemed a little distracted, mentioning that he had heard a rumor that the boy was going to be sent to the countryside. He demanded to know whether it was true.
Seo-yul shot back with another question, asking how Si-woo already knew about it when the official transfer documents hadn't even been processed yet, and questioning whether he had been secretly spying on the department's affairs.
Then Seo-yul told him not to worry, since it was only a temporary six-month assignment.
Jun-hwan laughed at the situation, calling him incredibly naive and reminding him that the department normally only sends people at department head level or higher there. He mocked him by asking whether he truly believed he belonged in that rank, and told him it was time to face reality.
But Seo-yul smiled and replied that he had simply been waiting for the right moment to announce that he had been promoted, and that he was now officially a senior officer. A huge double promotion.
Naturally, both of them froze completely in shock.
Seo-yul looked at their stunned expressions and chuckled, commenting that judging by their faces, they didn't seem exactly happy about the news, and jokingly asking whether they had been hoping for his downfall.
Jun-hwan forced a smile and replied that of course it was fantastic news, but muttered that he was just wondering whether the department had started handing out high-ranking promotions on a whim.
Seo-yul confidently responded that it wasn't that at all. The department was simply desperate to keep someone as talented as him.
Seo-yul knew that Jun-hwan was completely furious because things hadn't gone according to his plan, but honestly, he couldn't care less.
The two exchanged tense glances for a moment.
Si-woo demanded to know what they were still doing there, and informed Director Baek Jun-hwan that it was time to leave. The director nodded, admitting that he had gotten a little distracted, and left together with Si-woo.
But Seo-yul threw one final piece of advice toward the older man, telling him that trying to ruin him by changing his work location had been a huge mistake, because no matter where they sent him, his job remained exactly the same.
When Seo-yul left, Jun-hwan punched the wall, completely shattering part of it, and growled that these damn pests just keep appearing.
Meanwhile, back in the director's office, the man reflected on the conversation he had had with Seo-yul.
At the time, he had told the boy not to worry, explaining that while it might look like a demotion or an exile on the surface, it was really just a six-month deployment. Of course, he would need to deliver results, as that was the only way to keep them from getting to him.
Seo-yul had responded by thanking him for looking out for him, but he had made one specific request. Since he was going to be sent away regardless, he would appreciate it if the director sent him somewhere that genuinely needed his help.
The director couldn't believe the kid was saying something like that given the situation, thinking to himself that man, this kid is truly worth every penny.
Later on, seeing the official announcement, the members of the rescue department were left scratching their heads, wondering how this was even possible, since Seo-yul had become a senior officer in a single day.
One of the members asked whether Lee Han had already known about it.
He fired back that of course he did. After all, he was the manager.
The group's real anxiety was handling rescues without Seo-yul around, but Manager Lee Han told them that they were just going to do their jobs, same as always.
Either way, the manager let them know that the punk had gotten a week off before deploying, and ordered them to call him up so he could join the team dinner.
One of the men grumbled, "Who on earth goes to a team dinner on their day off?"
But when they called Seo-yul, he was a bit tied up. His friend asked whether he was doing homework, and he replied that it was something like that.