"Is it possible that the employees who want to participate in more counseling programs… are actually just trying to get more Enkephalin from you?"
X 's seemingly casual question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
"…Huh?"
Hearing this, Hod froze. A clear look of confusion and bewilderment flashed across her blue eyes.
"That… that shouldn't be the case, right?"
It was as if she had never considered the issue from that angle before.
"Enkephalin… just for Enkephalin…? How could that be?"
"That can't be it… right? Definitely… not, right?"
Her voice grew softer and softer, her confidence draining away.
"I—I'm helping everyone… how could it be… how could it just be for… just for Enkephalin that they participate?"
Clearly, X 's question had begun to shake her faith in her own program.
"I'm only proposing a possibility."
Seeing that Hod truly hadn't thought of this aspect, X didn't intend to bluntly state the cruel truth. Instead, he chose a gentler approach, guiding her step by step so she could realize the problem herself.
"After all, you're the organizer and planner. Shouldn't these factors be taken into account as well?"
"Ah… mm… yes."
"Netzach, you fall into this category too… don't you?"
After addressing the hidden issue with Hod, X rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and turned to look at Netzach.
"Net, my green-haired department head, I just pushed back against Angela a few days ago to help you install a self-service beer vending machine in your work area…"
"And this is how you repay me?"
"…."
Netzach averted her gaze, remaining silent.
She knew very well that what she had done was essentially slapping her own manager in the face.
"I remember that company regulations clearly state that both employees and department heads are subject to very strict standards when it comes to Enkephalin use, right?"
X let out a quiet sigh.
"I don't think you—or the employees who participated in the programs—have reached the threshold that would allow its use."
Then he waved his hand at Netzach, signaling that she could leave.
"I'll pretend I didn't see this today. Go back."
"…."
Click.
Bang!
The door opened, then quickly shut again.
For a moment, the Training Department office was left with only X and Hod.
Watching Hod sink into thought over the issues he had just raised, X once again clearly felt the weight behind what Angela had said—that they all had problems of varying degrees.
Malkuth from the Control Department… well… calling her a scatterbrain might be a bit harsh, but she really was clumsy—and on top of that, showed signs of mild obsession.
Yesod from the Information Department was cold and inhuman, with severe obsessive tendencies. Any bond formed through daily interaction was faint at best, and his handling of matters was extremely strict.
As for Netzach from the Security Department, there was no need to say much—casual, lazy, and world-weary.
She had even self-mockingly told X herself that she was "playing the role of a useless person."
And the Sephirah standing before him, who spent her days counseling employees and constantly thinking up new programs…
It seemed that she, too, had no shortage of psychological issues.
"Oh, right, Hod."
Unable to watch her spiral further into her own thoughts, X couldn't help but speak up softly, interrupting what seemed to be an endless mental loop.
"You spend all day counseling other employees. That kind of pressure must be pretty heavy too, right?"
"If possible, I'd also like you to come talk to me whenever the stress gets too much."
He gave her an encouraging smile, trying to ease her burden.
"After all, doctors can't treat themselves. Maybe there are issues you can't notice on your own, but after talking with me, I might be able to help you see them."
"Don't let appearances fool you—I actually have a degree in psychology from university."
"Ah… ah…"
Pulled out of her thoughts, Hod looked up in a daze. It took a few seconds before she realized what X was saying.
Once her unfocused eyes regained clarity, Hod gave X a polite—but noticeably strained—smile.
"Alright, thank you… Manager. If there's a chance… I will."
The smile carried a sense of distance, and there was a faint, hard-to-notice evasiveness in her gaze.
"Um, you probably still have work to attend to, right? Maybe we should… end today's talk here?"
"Mm, sure."
X glanced at the time on his watch and nodded.
"Then you should rest early too. Don't overthink things. Goodbye, Hod."
"Goodbye, Manager…"
Hod raised her hand slightly and waved as she said farewell.
"See you another day…"
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