44
Late at night, someone knocked on the door of Minjae’s quarters. Minjae thought of Jihwan, who had been acting strangely all day, pissing him off before being chased away by Wooseok.
Thinking that Jihwan might be coming to apologize or make excuses, and deciding that if he had been drinking again he would kick him out, Minjae opened the door.
“…What is it?”
Standing at the door was a haggard-looking Wooseok. Wooseok made an aggrieved expression at the unexpected cold reception.
“What do you mean ‘what is it’…?”
“No, why are you knocking? You know the password.”
“…Just. I thought it might be awkward if you were asleep.”
Who’s the one who always comes in and wakes me up when I’m sleeping? Wooseok seemed embarrassed by his own words and was unnecessarily inspecting the lower part of the entrance.
“Why? Afraid I might be dead?”
“Oh, come on!”
When Minjae hit the nail on the head, Wooseok glared at him with disgust. Now that they were finally making proper eye contact, Minjae gave him an impish smile.
Wooseok entered the doorway with an expression of extreme displeasure and closed the door. Minjae went back inside and sprawled out on the bed again. Wooseok naturally sat down on the edge of the bed and examined Minjae’s wrist.
“The guiding marks look fine.”
“Yeah, they do.”
Wooseok stared at Minjae with a serious expression for a moment. Minjae, facing that look, poked Wooseok’s side repeatedly with his foot.
“Ow! What’s wrong with you, you bastard?”
“What is it? What story are you trying to set the mood for?”
“Well, I do have something to tell you, but… I’m not sure if I should be telling you this right now…”
“If you came all this way, just say it, Director.”
Acting uncharacteristically timid, huh? After a moment’s hesitation despite Minjae’s words, Wooseok finally opened his mouth as if he’d made up his mind.
“Guiding drugs have been leaking from the Center.”
“…How?”
“I don’t know that yet… The ledger looked strange so I looked into it a bit. No, actually, Seoyeon found out for me.”
“Lee Seoyeon?”
Eunjeong’s guide? When Minjae asked, Wooseok nodded.
“She said they didn’t unload one box of drugs from the delivery vehicle. She followed it but lost track, but considering the direction the car was heading…”
Wooseok trailed off and wore a gloomy expression.
“When you went on that stakeout, the Center Director came looking for me.”
“The Center Director? Why?”
“He asked where you were. Said it would be dangerous.”
It was common for the Center Director to summon Wooseok and give him a hard time because of Minjae. But he gave a warning? That was a bit strange.
“So I tracked your location… and I have that location data from then, you know?”
“Was that the place where the drugs were being leaked?”
“Probably. Haa… I think I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have sent you there.”
“I told you I would go.”
Wooseok blamed himself, saying it seemed like Minjae was being targeted because of him. Minjae stroked the back of Wooseok’s bowed head.
“You didn’t tell Seoyeon that much, right?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“She’s good. The Guide Department Director is lucky.”
“Oh, please.”
Listening to Wooseok’s words, things started to fall into place. To think that the source of the drugs supplied to The Crow was the Center. Had they penetrated a supplier, or was someone inside delivering them?
Minjae had expected it to be large-scale, but it was even more extraordinary than he’d thought. He decided he needed to investigate further.
Wooseok raised his head and met Minjae’s eyes.
“Seriously, seriously be careful out there.”
“What?”
“You’re being targeted.”
Wooseok’s expression was serious. Minjae recalled the black feather he had seen when he was shot down.
That meant The Crow might have figured out that it was Woo Minjae himself who had infiltrated their headquarters. Then what about the children? Minjae cursed inwardly.
“I’ll try to find out more, so in the meantime, just keep a low profile.”
“……”
“Do you understand?”
“Got it, old man.”
Wooseok sighed at Minjae’s half-hearted attitude. What should I expect from you? As if lamenting this, Wooseok lay down next to Minjae.
“I’m sleeping over.”
“…Do as you please.”
Minjae saw the dark circles under Wooseok’s eyes, got up, and turned off the lights. Then he lay back down on the bed.
***
“Who the hell could it be?”
Eunjeong was pacing restlessly around the room. Several times she nearly collided with the wall, requiring Seoyeon to either call her name or grab her. This had been going on since Seoyeon brought Eunjeong to her quarters.
“Eunjeong, let’s sit down first.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Seoyeon gently pulled at Eunjeong, but suddenly found herself being pulled toward the immovable Eunjeong instead.
“…Eunjeong?”
Seoyeon looked at Eunjeong with a smile. Huh? Eunjeong was startled, looked at Seoyeon, nodded, and then sat down on the bed with her.
What kind of bold bastard would do such a thing? How long had it been planned? Eunjeong was shocked that she hadn’t suspected anything. And the fact that she still had no clue was even more troubling.
Eunjeong had been causing a commotion all day. She couldn’t sit still after hearing that Minjae had been shot down during a flight demonstration.
This damn Center kept talking about various possibilities and wouldn’t let Eunjeong deploy. Eunjeong had caused a scene in front of the Center Director’s office, tormenting the pale-faced Secretary Yoon, and then went around threatening to deploy alone until Seoyeon had to come and restrain her.
“I think I’m too stupid. I hate myself so much. Seoyeon…”
Eunjeong’s voice trembled. Seoyeon, with her much smaller frame, embraced Eunjeong tightly.
“Don’t say that, Eunjeong. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard all day, what if you get sick…?”
Seoyeon caressed Eunjeong’s cheek.
“Was Sunbae in bad shape?”
“…No. He was awake when I went in.”
Eunjeong recalled the sight of Minjae she had seen through the small window before entering the hospital room. Minjae had looked fine. He seemed tired, but appeared to have no problems moving his limbs.
Only his torn clothes in various places and dried blood stains all over revealed how many wounds his body had suffered.
“They must have known and targeted him specifically, right? This isn’t the kind of accident that could happen by chance.”
“…That’s right.”
Seoyeon nodded at Eunjeong’s words.
“What kind of bastard could be so bold as to do something this crazy? Shooting down a nationally representative esper from the air in broad daylight?”
“Maybe that was the purpose. To demonstrate.”
Demonstrate openly? Demonstrate what? Eunjeong felt dazed at Seoyeon’s words. It felt like having cold water dumped on her head.
So they were trying to show that they could bring down the Center’s representative esper?
“That means someone with that kind of ability has appeared. An individual or perhaps a group?”
“I’m not sure exactly what level of ability…”
“Do you have any suspicions?”
Eunjeong looked at Seoyeon, clutching at straws. Seoyeon made a troubled expression.
“But what I’m saying is just speculation…”
“I don’t care. I won’t believe any of it! Can’t you tell me?”
Eunjeong desperately needed some information right now. She couldn’t stand herself for being so stupid and useless all day. Seoyeon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“There’s a group that’s been showing strong hatred toward the Center recently. They’re also creating negative public opinion about espers. There was also that recent terrorist incident at the school.”
“……”
“I don’t think that group is just a religious organization. They seemed determined to do anything to bring down the Center. With the previous incident too, I thought it might be them. Especially since they specifically targeted Sunbae Minjae…”
“…That could be possible.”
“But again, it’s just my personal speculation.”
“No, thank you for telling me.”
Seoyeon smiled awkwardly. Eunjeong thanked her friend who had worked hard to help and calm her rampaging self all day, then told her to get some rest and escorted her back to her quarters. She was afraid that Seoyeon might detect what she was currently thinking.
Eunjeong returned to her quarters alone slowly and lay down on the bed. Her head was pounding.
The Crow. The place Seoyeon mentioned was a cult called The Crow. Eunjeong knew a lot about that place. More precisely, she had no choice but to know.
“It’s okay, Eunjeong. You can get better. Mom will make it happen.”
Eunjeong’s parents were believers in The Crow. Eunjeong, who was too tall and strong for her age, had led them toward the group called The Crow.
Until she collapsed on the way to school and entered the Center, Eunjeong had to curl up and sleep in a small wooden box every night. It was to prevent her from growing any bigger.
Eunjeong’s mother would recite strange prayers while tapping on the box where Eunjeong was sleeping.
“It’s because of you! This is for you!”
Eunjeong was always hungry. She couldn’t even cry much because her mother would get angry if she did.
After that, Eunjeong always thought any problems were her fault. It was a habit her mother had instilled in her. It didn’t disappear easily.
The person who taught Eunjeong that having a large body wasn’t a bad thing was Minjae.
Being a girl with such a tall height and large build, she drew a lot of attention even within the Center. Eunjeong couldn’t bear it.
“You’re really cute.”
The only person who treated such an Eunjeong as a peer of the same age, and even as a younger sister, was Minjae.
From a young age, Minjae treated Eunjeong, who was taller than him, like a real younger sister. Saying things like she was pretty or cute, or that Eunjeong was timid so she needed protection.
These would have been unpleasant words to hear from others now, but at that time, they were exactly what Eunjeong, who was treated as a monster by everyone, needed to hear.
Eunjeong found comfort in the normalcy of Minjae’s kindness.
“Why is that your fault?”
“It’s okay, Eunjeong.”
It was always Minjae who told her it wasn’t her fault, and who told her that things would be okay. To Eunjeong, Minjae was something between an older brother and a father, something even more precious than family.
Eunjeong’s parents still believe in The Crow. Even though she didn’t want to know, she had no choice but to know.
Because during the visits that came once or twice a year, they would always just babble about how they still believed and how they were praying for her, and then leave.
She didn’t want to receive visits, but she reluctantly agreed due to Minjae’s words that she might regret it later.
Did her parents know? Or did they agree? Or perhaps they led that plan? Will they continue to do such things? To avenge those who turned their daughter into a monster?
Eunjeong was scared. If anything happened to Sunbae Minjae, it would be because of her.
Did Minjae Sunbae know? And if he found out, how would he look at her? All sorts of thoughts tormented Eunjeong.
To stop thinking, Eunjeong curled up her body. She needed to try to sleep.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
