“Is someone there?”
My body froze at the sudden presence. On the screen, Geum Na-ro’s expression stiffened visibly too.
It wasn’t the director’s voice. It belonged to a younger man.
Who is that?
I was caught off guard. I thought only a handful of personnel had access to this part of the Bureau?
When I’d entered the data center with the director, I hadn’t sensed a single other presence nearby. That’s why I’d let my guard down and started copying the database so casually.
Yeah… it was going too smoothly.
The director had suspected me before the guide re-evaluation results came out. Wondered if I was connected to Hyun Je-ha.
So it wouldn’t be strange if she brought someone else from the Bureau as a backup to secretly monitor me.
The only frustrating part was that I’d been naïve enough to not expect it.
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
The man’s voice came again—closer this time, with footsteps. The distinct click of polished leather shoes—the kind Bureau employees typically wore.
Judging by how he wasn’t announcing himself properly, he probably didn’t know who was inside the data center.
Either that, or he was already in this level before the director and I came down.
The Bureau didn’t discriminate between ability users and non-ability users, but the vast majority were Espers. So odds were high that this guy was one too. Probably someone with a stealth-optimized ability.
Geum Na-ro mouthed something silently from the screen:
“You can’t get caught.”
He was right. The database copy still had a long way to go.
[Copy in Progress]
[Current Progress: 13%]
Geum Na-ro mouthed again:
“Just buy time until it’s done. You’re an authorized guest, officially approved by the Bureau. Don’t panic. Keep your cool—act slick and unbothered.”
He was absolutely right.
If I lost my cool here, I’d only look suspicious. That’d be amateur hour.
I squared my shoulders and boldly spoke up to the man.
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking who you are?”
My voice made him tense up.
“I haven’t heard your voice before… Who are you, and what are you doing in there?”
Judging by how cautiously he was approaching, he probably wasn’t a spy planted by the director. That was a small relief. If I mentioned her, he might back off.
Let’s stay calm.
I couldn’t sense the director’s presence anywhere—maybe she’d gone up to another floor entirely. That left only me and this guy on this level.
So all I needed to do was keep him occupied until the database copy finished.
I subtly signaled to Geum Na-ro that I’d handle things from here. His face blanked out for a second.
What was that look for?
I didn’t know, but I didn’t have time to wonder. The guy was practically at the door.
I quickly moved to block the entrance, positioning myself so the giant screen wouldn’t reveal Geum Na-ro—the government’s most wanted Baekho Unit member—in plain sight.
Yeon Yu-jin’s listed height… It’s average, right? Should be fine.
I silently prayed the shoe inserts my manager had given me were doing their job to make me look the correct height.
The man finally stepped into view.
“I asked who you are.”
He looked like a fresh-faced guy in his mid-to-late twenties, dressed in a clean-cut suit. Soft features. Average height. Nothing intimidating.
He was even holding a stun gun—looked like he’d mistaken me for an intruder.
So he’s not a combat-type Esper?
The way he carried himself gave off the feel of a stealth ability user—someone easy to overlook.
I decided to play the frightened civilian.
“Ack! A g-gun!”
“I asked who you are! If you don’t answer—”
“I-I just came in with an employee! I was granted one-time access to the database, that’s all!”
I raised both hands and gave him a distressed look, but he still eyed me with suspicion.
“…But there’s no one else here. Why are you alone?”
“How should I know?! I came in with some female employee—she said she had other business and told me to look around by myself. She said to just ask Alice the AI if I had any questions.”
I made a show of being totally offended and held out the temporary access card the director had given me.
“See this? This is my issued card!”
“…That is an official Bureau-issued temporary card.”
All Bureau-issued cards retained the ID number of the employee who vouched for the guest. That was rock-solid proof—most likely, the number on this card was the director’s.
The man’s tone lost its edge, and he tucked the stun gun back into his pocket.
He bowed politely.
“My apologies. I didn’t realize you were a permitted guest.”
“Hmph. Good to know.”
I glared like I was properly offended, and he started sweating bullets.
“I truly am sorry… This area is one of the highest-security zones in the Bureau, so I was concerned you might be an intruder. I meant no disrespect.”
“I heard. If you mess up here, you could get dragged to the interrogation room. The employee said that jokingly… but I guess it’s not a joke, huh? I didn’t think someone would actually pull a gun on me.”
“…I really do apologize.”
Hearing him repeatedly apologize made me feel guilty.
If you knew who vouched for me to get in here—and who I’m working with—you’d want to personally throw me into that interrogation room.
I forced a smile and motioned for him to leave.
“There’s nothing going on here, so please just go back. The employee who brought me said she’d come get me once I’m done.”
I was basically giving him the boot.
Fresh recruits always try to impress someone, and they’re a pain. Better to get rid of him quickly.
I didn’t dare look back, so I didn’t know whether the database copy was done. But I was done playing this nerve-wracking balancing act.
…Except he didn’t leave.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’m currently on patrol of the Bureau’s lower floors. I can’t neglect my duties. I’ll need to take a quick look around the data center before I go.”
“Wait, hold on—”
Before I could stop him, the man pushed past me and stepped into the room.
…He pushed me aside that easily?
Yeon Yu-jin’s body had regained all the strength I’d had as Ahn Ga-hyun. It shouldn’t have been possible to just push me aside.
Potato was impressed.
[He might look dopey, but he’s got strength. No wonder they assigned him to patrol the lower levels.]
Yeah, but—wait, no, hang on!
What about Geum Na-ro? Did he get caught?
More importantly, what about the USB?
I spun around in a panic.
The transparent screen no longer showed the tired-looking man—it had returned to the AI, Alice’s beautiful face.
–Welcome. How may I assist you?
The man glanced around the room and then finally turned to leave.
He seemed solely focused on checking for intruders. He hadn’t noticed the tiny lighter-shaped USB stuck into the system.
“Everything seems fine.”
“That’s what I told you….”
“Still, protocol is protocol. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Riiight. Have a good day.”
The sound of his shoes faded into the distance.
Phew.
I sighed in relief internally and approached the screen.
Alice’s image flickered out, and Geum Na-ro reappeared.
[Copy Progress: 100%]
“Thank god that worked out.”
–Barely. I had to override the system and fake Alice’s appearance to pull it off.
“If he’d spotted the USB, we’d have been screwed.”
We got lucky.
Geum Na-ro told me I could safely remove the USB now.
–I also hacked the room’s CCTV and altered all the footage, so you’re in the clear. Zero chance of being dragged to the interrogation room.
“I’ll contact Je-ha and send the USB directly to him.”
After I take a peek myself, of course.
At the mention of Je-ha, Geum Na-ro twitched.
–I can’t believe you call the Captain by name like that…
“We’re friends.”
I was just stating a fact, but Geum Na-ro recoiled.
He mumbled under his breath:
–Dear god… All of us were worried it was some kind of affair. But it turns out… you’re just friends?
“What?”
–N-Nothing! I’ll be going now!
…Wait.
What the hell did I just hear?
