19
“I really, how much…”
Jihwan couldn’t continue his sentence. The word “scared” wasn’t enough to express what he had felt in that moment. Minjae pushed Jihwan’s arm away.
“You’re heavy.”
At Minjae’s words, Jihwan quickly moved back.
“Should I bring you lukewarm water? Should I help you sit up? Are you in pain anywhere? How about your chest? Your throat?”
Jihwan got up and fetched some lukewarm water. When he brought it to Minjae’s lips, Minjae took a few sips.
When Minjae tried to sit up, Jihwan supported his back with his hand. Minjae’s brow furrowed, seemingly from the effort.
“…Stop crying.”
Minjae said. What? Jihwan responded stupidly before realizing he’d been crying the whole time. His cheeks and chin were wet. He roughly wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Disappointed I didn’t die?”
Minjae teased with a slight smile. Senior! Jihwan called out to Minjae with a frown.
“…The situation?”
Minjae asked.
“What? Oh, yes! Well…”
Hiccup. Jihwan hiccupped. His throat felt constricted, probably from crying so much.
Jihwan tried to report without hiccupping. The terrorist is still alive, officially the rescue has been completed, and an investigation is proceeding secretly. As Jihwan continued, Minjae’s expression darkened.
“Senior, are you really okay?”
Jihwan asked. Minjae looked at him. Jihwan stared into Minjae’s black eyes. Thank goodness. Jihwan thought. How afraid I was that those eyes might never open again…
“By the way.”
Minjae opened his mouth. Jihwan focused on Minjae’s voice.
“Would you like to explain why you were at the scene?”
Jihwan, who had completely stopped crying, sat with his legs together primly and placed both hands neatly on his knees.
His lips unconsciously jutted out in a pout. He hadn’t expected praise or gratitude for saving Minjae, but he also hadn’t expected to be scolded right away. Jihwan felt a little wronged.
“Coming to the scene when told not to, and even at the scene, not following instructions.”
“About coming to the scene, honestly, I did go because I was upset. But if you’re talking about not leaving you behind at the scene when you told me to, I wouldn’t have listened even if I went back.”
“…Huh.”
Jihwan was resolute. Minjae stared at him quietly before letting out a small scoff. Feeling hurt by Minjae’s reaction, Jihwan tensed his eyes to keep from shedding tears. Minjae reached out his hand.
“Phone.”
Is he just going to let it go? Jihwan quickly took out the phone he had placed in the nightstand drawer and handed it to Minjae. Ah— Minjae groaned softly as he looked at the phone for a moment.
“Are you in pain???”
Jihwan asked urgently. Minjae looked up and stared at Jihwan with a cold expression. He thrust the phone screen in front of Jihwan’s eyes.
-SSS-class Esper Woo Minjae’s Personality.
-Park Jihwan, Woo Minjae’s Esper Pair. Has He Been Bullied?
-Discord Emerges Between SSS-class Esper and S-class Esper.
What… is this? Jihwan rubbed his eyes. But even after blinking and looking again, the same words were still there.
“This is…”
“How is it?”
Minjae asked. Jihwan shook his head. He had never given such an interview, nor had he ever said such things. No, Senior. Jihwan wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.
“I don’t do teamwork with someone who doesn’t listen to me.”
“That’s not it…”
That’s not it, but what? What should I say to make Senior believe me? Jihwan’s mind went completely blank.
Minjae’s finger pointed to the door. There was a needle inserted in Minjae’s hand. Untreated wounds were visible here and there on his wrist. Jihwan looked at them helplessly.
“Get out.”
Minjae said.
***
After sending Jihwan away, Minjae administered healing to his body to recover the remaining wounds. There was no time to lie around leisurely. Minjae immediately headed to Dr. Jo’s laboratory.
“I heard you nearly died? Are you okay?”
Dr. Jo asked.
“Mind your own business.”
“How can I? It’s about my colleague.”
Dr. Jo said in a drawling voice. He kept pushing up his glasses, which kept sliding down his face, greasy from who knows when he last washed it. Minjae quietly covered his nose with his hand.
“But is he really a terrorist?”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t seem to have the capacity for it…”
“Dr. Jo, did you mess with him before I came again?”
“I really didn’t this time. I only tied him up.”
I should have come before that crazy bastard got his hands on him. Minjae sighed.
“Open the door.”
Minjae gestured toward the door with his chin. Dr. Jo shrugged and opened it.
“For humanity!”
That slogan embodied their belief that all of this was being done for humanity. It was The Crow’s slogan.
The man was tied to a metal chair. It seemed like he had been restrained like this after regaining consciousness because he kept trying to commit suicide. A mouthpiece was also inserted to prevent him from biting his tongue.
The man appeared to be in a state without any noticeable external injuries, suggesting they hadn’t really roughed him up too much.
“Lift your head.”
Minjae said.
The man, who had been keeping his head down regardless of who entered, lifted his head, saw Minjae, and began to react intensely. Though it was impossible to understand what he was saying, he kept trying to speak and violently shook his body to break free from his restraints.
“Calm down.”
Minjae said, extending both hands to show them. At those words, the man seemed to calm down a bit. However, tears were welling up in his eyes. Fuck, what is this really. Minjae thought.
“If you promise not to bite your tongue, I’ll remove the mouthpiece.”
At Minjae’s words, the man quickly nodded. It seemed suspicious how readily he accepted, but without removing the mouthpiece, communication was impossible, so there was no choice.
Minjae carefully approached, undid the hook securing the mouthpiece, and slowly removed it from the man’s mouth.
“You’re Hero Woo Minjae, right? Please save me! Help me!”
As soon as the mouthpiece was completely removed, unexpected words poured from the man’s mouth.
“…What?”
Minjae asked. What the hell is this guy saying now. Minjae thought. But the man, seemingly terrified, kept crying and repeating his pleas for Minjae to save him.
The injection Dr. Jo had given to the previous terrorist was one that damaged the brain. After receiving that injection, it would be impossible to form such perfect sentences. So, Dr. Jo really hadn’t done anything.
If Dr. Jo hadn’t messed with him, then…
“I was suddenly captured. Please help me. Please. You’re a hero!”
The man pleaded with a desperate expression. Minjae looked into the man’s eyes. This was the same man who had refused Minjae’s treatment, saying he hated espers, but now his eyes were filled only with terror. Either he was a highly trained actor, or…
“My family must be worried about me. Please save me!”
The man wailed. Minjae began to massage his temples, pressing them firmly. Another wretched migraine.
***
After surviving the sinkhole incident, Minjae had been holed up for days in an office he normally wouldn’t even look at. Wooseok visited the Esper Department Director’s office to check on his friend’s condition.
Knock knock.
Wooseok stood in front of a door in the corner of the hallway and knocked. What. A gruff voice came from inside. Wooseok didn’t answer and just threw the door open.
“It’s you.”
Minjae said dully. Wooseok entered without replying and looked around.
It was an office with a large desk, a nice chair, and a small sofa. The nameplate on the desk read “Director Woo Minjae.”
“It doesn’t smell like a person’s been here.”
Wooseok said.
“Because I rarely come in.”
Minjae was sitting with his body practically buried in the chair. Used to seeing Minjae like this, Wooseok casually sat down on the sofa.
“Esteemed Director, are you okay?”
Wooseok asked.
“I fixed my smashed ribs right away, didn’t I?”
Minjae answered.
“So, have you talked with him?”
Wooseok glanced at Minjae, who was just staring at the ceiling, as he asked.
“I don’t have a hobby of talking with dogs.”
Wooseok’s “him” referred to Jihwan, but Minjae twisted his words sarcastically.
So childish. Wooseok wanted to smack his immature friend, but remembering that he had been carried in all broken recently, he refrained.
“He’s awake. I thought I should let you know.”
Ten days ago, Jihwan had informed Wooseok with a dying face that Minjae had woken up, then left the Guiding Room.
Before Minjae woke up, Jihwan had been constantly holed up in Minjae’s private room except for brief trips to his quarters, but after leaving like that, he never entered Minjae’s hospital room again.
However, he came to the Guiding Room every day to ask Wooseok about Minjae’s condition, then left with a face that looked like he might cry.
Wooseok felt awkward prying into what happened with the recovering Minjae, but after seeing articles plastered everywhere about discord between the two and questioning Minjae’s personality, he could guess.
While Minjae’s body was recovering, Jihwan was becoming increasingly haggard. Wasting away, you might say.
Wooseok found it quite troubling. Whenever he tried to subtly probe Minjae because it was weighing on his mind, Minjae always deflected. What’s going on. Wooseok gave Minjae a suspicious look.
You’ve got a message! You’ve got a message! Minjae’s phone rang loudly. Wooseok unconsciously glanced at Minjae’s phone.
-Senior, I’m sorry…
A message window, presumably from Jihwan, appeared and disappeared. Minjae put a hand to his temple, seeing Wooseok’s face that couldn’t hide his expression.
“Hey, he’s the one who saved you from there, so you should at least…”
“I’m tired.”
Minjae muttered. Then he pointed toward the door with his chin. This rude bastard is telling me to get out now. Wooseok frowned.
“Hey, you little shit. I’m busy too.”
“Then why did you come?”
“I have something to say.”
“Then say it.”
Minjae openly expressed his annoyance, as if saying “say it quickly and get out.”
Just not cute at all. Thinking that, Wooseok looked at Minjae for a moment. He had come to ask about the terrorist, but hesitated to actually ask.
After a while with nothing substantial to say, Minjae turned his eyes to glance at Wooseok. Wooseok sighed and continued.
“How’s the 977 situation going?”
Wooseok asked.
“Ah.”
Minjae said just one word. Ah? That’s it? Wooseok asked again.
“It’s fucked.”
Minjae said.
“What does that mean?”
Wooseok asked.
“He doesn’t remember me.”
“Is it Dr. Jo’s doing?”
Wooseok asked. Minjae shook his head. It’s not? Wooseok hesitated to continue.
Does that mean someone infiltrated the Center and manipulated memories or controlled minds? If not that, then—
“There’s a possibility that The Crow has a mental-type esper.”
Minjae said. Feels like this is getting extremely complicated. Wooseok muttered.
Minjae sighed, seemingly tired.
“…The report?”
Wooseok asked.
“Not yet.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Well…”
Minjae dragged out his words. Wooseok looked at him, then let out a big sigh.
“Be careful. You understand, right? Talk to me if anything happens.”
Wooseok expressed his concern. Considering recent events, he had a bad feeling.
You’ve got a message! You’ve got a message! Minjae’s phone rang again.
-Senior. I can lift the box now.
-Can you come see?
Minjae checked the notification with an expressionless face, then flipped his phone over and put it down.
I said, do you understand! Wooseok shouted. Yes, yes, grandpa. Minjae waved his hand halfheartedly as he saw Wooseok off.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
