"Is it possible that those employees who want more counseling initiatives… actually just want to get more Enkephalin from you?"
X's casual-sounding question was like a stone tossed into a calm lake.
"…Huh?"
Hod froze. A clear confusion flashed through her blue eyes.
"Probably… probably not?"
As if she had never thought from that angle before.
"Enkephalin… just for Enkephalin…? How could that be?"
"No way… right? Surely… not?"
Her voice grew smaller, and her confidence thinned.
"I—I'm helping everyone… How could it… how could it be only for… only for Enkephalin?"
Clearly, X's question had begun to shake her faith in her initiative.
"I'm only posing a hypothesis."
Seeing Hod truly hadn't considered this side, X didn't intend to crush her with the harsh truth. Instead, he guided her gently, intending for her to realize the issue on her own.
"You're the organizer and planner. Isn't this the kind of factor you should consider too?"
"Ah… mm… yes."
"Netzatch, you're probably one of those too… I'm not wrong, right?"
After raising the potential problem with Hod, X rubbed his slightly aching temple and looked to Netzatch.
"Net—my green-seaweed-head Director—I just pushed back against Angela's pressure and had a self-serve beer vending machine installed in your work area a couple days ago…"
"And you turn around and pull this on me?"
"…"
Netzatch averted her eyes and said nothing.
She knew her behavior was basically slapping her manager in the face.
"If I remember correctly, company regulations clearly state that both employees and department heads have strict standards for Enkephalin use, right?"
X sighed softly.
"I don't think you—or those employees who joined the initiative—have reached the threshold where Enkephalin is justified."
Then he waved his hand at Netzatch, signaling she could leave.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear about this today. Go back."
"…"
Click—
Bang!
The door opened and then quickly shut again.
In an instant, the Training Department office was left with only X and Hod.
Watching Hod still mulling over what he had said, X once again felt the weight behind Angela's remark: "They all have problems, big and small."
Malkuth of Control… calling her a reckless fool might be too harsh, but she was indeed clumsy—and stubbornly so, with a touch of obsessive fixation.
Yesod of Information was cold and rigid, with severe perfectionism. The warmth of familiarity hardly showed, and his daily conduct was notoriously strict.
And Safety's Netzatch… needn't even be mentioned—casual, lazy, world-weary.
She had even mocked herself to X before, saying she was "playing the role of a useless person."
As for the Sephirah in front of him—who ran counseling sessions every day and constantly wanted to launch more initiatives—she seemed to have no shortage of psychological issues herself.
"By the way, Hod."
Unable to watch her spiral into a corner any longer, X spoke softly, interrupting the dead-end loop in her thoughts.
"You counsel other employees all day. That's a lot of pressure, isn't it?"
"If possible, I also hope you can come to me and vent when the pressure gets too much."
He offered an encouraging smile, trying to ease her burden.
"After all, healers can't heal themselves. Maybe you won't notice your own problems—but if you talk with me, I might be able to help you see them."
"Don't judge by appearances—I even have a psychology degree from college."
"Ah… ah…"
Hod lifted her head in a daze. A few seconds passed before she processed what X was saying.
As her unfocused gaze gathered again, she gave X a polite smile—one that looked forced.
"Alright… Thank you, Manager. If there's an opportunity… I will."
The smile was distant, and her eyes carried a subtle, evasive flicker.
"Um… you still have things to do, right? How about we… end today's talk here?"
"Mm, sure."
X glanced at his watch and nodded.
"Get some rest too. Don't overthink. Goodbye, Hod."
"Goodbye, Manager…"
Hod waved lightly.
"See you another day…"
-------
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