47
The demonstration took place in broad daylight. The weather was gloomy and gray with heavy cloud cover.
Jihwan looked up at those clouds before boarding the disguised vehicle. Since the Center had infiltrated once before, this decision was made out of caution, not knowing what kind of surveillance the group might have established.
Inside the car were Eunjeong, Hoyoung, and Seoyeon. Considering the children’s situation, Guide Lee Seoyeon, who had extensive field experience from frequent business trips, was deployed.
Since they had decided to use a compact car for easier access to narrow alleys, Jihwan felt somewhat cramped as he squeezed himself into the back seat behind the driver.
“Eunjeong, you can move your seat back more.”
“No, it’s fine.”
But seeing Eunjeong literally folded up, he couldn’t complain. Since Eunjeong had done her part by contorting her body, Hoyoung took the wheel.
“…Hoyoung?”
“I’m sorry!”
Hoyoung, who normally only drove himself around, was predictably not a very good driver. Every time he hit the brakes, Eunjeong called his name, and Hoyoung apologized with a pitiful expression. Jihwan quietly covered his mouth with his hand, suffering from motion sickness.
After what felt like an eternity in hell, the four of them got out of the car in an alley near The Crow’s headquarters. Breathing in the outside air made Jihwan feel somewhat better. He quickly guided the other team members.
The building was unchanged. Team 1 and Seoyeon bypassed the entrance and gathered at the side of the building.
The process of entering the building happened quickly and quietly. Hoyoung and Jihwan examined the windows, then Hoyoung entered through an unlocked one to check if anyone was inside. He then quietly removed the window from its frame and came back down.
Hoyoung and Jihwan helped Seoyeon and Eunjeong enter through the window.
“Was there no one inside?”
Eunjeong asked in a small voice. Hoyoung nodded. Did they go to the demonstration? Searching his memory, Jihwan guided the other team members to the secret space he had visited before.
Strangely, the building was too quiet. Team 1 didn’t encounter anyone during their entire movement.
“This is…”
When Jihwan opened the door, Eunjeong started to speak but squeezed her eyes shut. Contrary to Jihwan’s concerns, there was no one in the space where the children had been kept.
Is this acceptable? Leaving children in a dangerous state to attend a demonstration? As Jihwan grew angry, he noticed that of the six or so children that had been there, only three remained.
Seoyeon moved quickly. She fed the children emergency guiding medicine while simultaneously filling them with guiding by rubbing their backs.
Hoyoung quickly assisted Seoyeon. After feeding them the bitter guiding medicine, he naturally pulled candies from his pocket and placed them in the children’s mouths.
Jihwan examined the inner part of the space. It was an unremarkable room.
Are we too late? What about the rest of the children? Jihwan approached a child who seemed to have regained some strength after taking the medicine and receiving guiding.
“Hello, do you remember me by any chance?”
When Jihwan asked, the child nodded.
“Do you know where the other friends who were here went?”
“…The teachers took them.”
“Teachers? The person who was spraying water on you last time?”
The child shook his head.
“A teacher I don’t know.”
Taken by someone they don’t know? Why? Where to? Jihwan wanted to ask but couldn’t pose such questions to the child. The child tugged slightly at Jihwan’s sleeve as he was lost in thought.
“Yes, what is it? Are you hurting somewhere?”
In response to Jihwan’s question, the child opened his tightly clenched hand. In the small palm was a guiding pill.
“Didn’t you take it when that noona gave it to you earlier?”
When Jihwan asked in surprise, the child shook his head and closed his fist again.
“Isn’t the hyung who gave me this coming?”
“Huh?”
“This… he told me to take it when everything turns white in front of my eyes. He said I should endure well until then. I didn’t take it. Isn’t that hyung coming?”
Jihwan recalled Minjae speaking while unhesitatingly stroking the children in their dangerous state. At the time, he had only been desperate with the thought of rescuing them. But now he seemed to understand what it meant.
That person had been close enough to death to approach children at risk of going berserk without hesitation, to be able to explain to a child what symptoms precede a meltdown.
Sunbae Minjae did his best even when he first encountered this place. Jihwan enclosed the child’s clenched fist with his hand.
“From now on, we’re going to a place where that hyung will be. Want to come with us?”
“……”
The child shrank back slightly as if frightened. Then he nodded slightly.
“Let’s go.”
Hoyoung carried the three children, and Jihwan carried Seoyeon as they jumped out the window.
Eunjeong put the window back in place as if nothing had happened, then came out through the first floor. She seemed to be thinking about something as she mentioned that the first floor door wasn’t locked either.
To prevent any potential dangers, it was decided that Seoyeon and Hoyoung would take the children in the car. Jihwan and Eunjeong exchanged somewhat awkward glances. Jihwan slightly spread his arms in an embracing posture.
“Would you be more comfortable being carried like this, or piggyback?”
“…Do you carry your sunbae like this?”
Eunjeong’s face momentarily crumpled strangely. When Jihwan nodded, Eunjeong let out a small sigh.
“I’ll take the piggyback. Please.”
Jihwan carefully carried Eunjeong on his back and took flight. Eunjeong stayed quietly on his back.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah… Hey, how many kids were there originally?”
“…About six.”
“Where did they take the rest of the children? And why were those ones left behind?”
Eunjeong muttered as if asking herself. It didn’t seem like she was particularly asking Jihwan. But Jihwan was asking himself the same questions.
“What was the cult members’ attitude like when you went there?”
“…They seemed kind of sloppy. They seemed panicked when the child started acting strange.”
The children who remained when the team entered the space earlier were in very serious condition. They were all nearly unconscious.
Jihwan recalled the cult member who hurriedly headed outside when the child showed an abnormal reaction. Could it be that the remaining children were abandoned? Because their condition was too bad? Then where were the other children taken?
“That would explain why it was so easy to break in.”
Eunjeong’s voice was dark, suggesting she was thinking the same thing.
Does that mean they anticipated we would come to rescue the children? The thought that they had been seen through sent chills down Jihwan’s spine. Then do they also know that Sunbae Minjae is going to the demonstration?
The Center entrance came into view ahead. Jihwan increased his speed and landed near the Center entrance.
“Sunbae, you can return to the Center by yourself from here, right?”
“…Oh, yes. …But why?”
Eunjeong, now set down on the ground, asked in apparent confusion. Jihwan bowed at the waist.
“I think I need to go to the demonstration area. I’m sorry!”
“What? Hey!”
Leaving Eunjeong’s voice behind, Jihwan quickly took to the air.
***
“Everyone! We are now facing a crisis. Human rights are being trampled, and humans are being ostracized from the world! All of this is being done by human hands. How terrible is this!”
“Only people can save the world!”
“For humanity!”
The demonstrators’ cheers were thunderous. Those who normally hid within the boundaries of normalcy suddenly raised their voices when gathered in the plaza, becoming part of a great wave.
On the surface, it really seemed like they cared about humans, but listening to them revealed it was all nonsense. What they wanted was simply to eliminate all “non-human espers” or make them slaves so that “humans” could live in peace.
Minjae was indifferently watching the scene from a tent set up as a base camp. It was clearly bigger than last year. The end of the world is near, Minjae muttered.
At last year’s Crow demonstration, a total of seven police officers had died. Their demonstrations were more violent than expected. They not only breached the safety line but also used their fists and feet as a matter of course.
As a result, the current government announced that from this year, physically enhanced espers and police would form teams to protect demonstration sites.
The intention was to reduce casualties among ordinary police officers while not showing excessive suppression. It was also apparent that they were prepared to push it as a confrontation between espers and anti-esper forces if necessary.
Minjae had earnestly advised as soon as he arrived at the scene:
“If they hit you, take the hit. If you get really angry, just roll around on the ground. Then get out and come to the tent. Never raise your hands against them.”
“Yes!”
As the demonstration got into full swing, espers with minor bruises began to enter the tent one by one. Minjae treated their injuries, let them rest briefly, and then sent the espers back out.
“They keep leaving the safety line. It’s driving me crazy, Team Leader.”
“Those bastards are always like that.”
As complaining juniors increased, Minjae headed outside himself. As he approached the front of the demonstration and showed his face, the demonstrators began to act more wildly.
“You piece of garbage!”
“Die!”
Oh, come on. What did I do wrong? Minjae indifferently raised both hands and said:
“Announcement: If you continue to breach the safety line, the demonstration may end early.”
At that moment, the police officer standing directly in front of Minjae staggered, breaking the line. People rushed in all at once.
Minjae supported the police officer while blocking the incoming people with his body. In the process, he was kicked several times, and Minjae silently cursed.
“Are you okay?”
When Minjae asked, the pale police officer nodded. His presence was only making the demonstrators more excited. Minjae thought he should retreat when the time was right.
Just then, someone grabbed Minjae’s arm firmly from somewhere. Minjae almost threw a punch but restrained himself with all his might. The other person was an ordinary human.
“Save me, please.”
It was a small but clear voice. It was whispered close to Minjae’s face.
Minjae turned his head to find the source of the voice. But there were too many hands extended toward him.
Among the many hands, one small hand grabbed Minjae’s, as if trying to make its presence known. It had strength that seemed impossible for an ordinary human.
In that moment, Minjae met eyes wet with tears. Please. The expression mouthing the words was desperate.
Minjae thought about the current situation. In the midst of a violent demonstration, someone had waited for him to come and grabbed him. Was it coincidence? Or a trap?
But there was no time to deliberate. More hands and feet were coming for Minjae.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
