Ch.195195. The Tonkin Gulf Incident

Another two weeks have passed since my imprisonment. To talk about what’s happened during these two weeks, first, there’s someone who wakes me up every morning.

“Are you awake?”

Eun Serin is more diligent than I expected. Whenever I wake up, she’s always already awake.

Well, she feels like both a parent and a wife, which leaves me with mixed feelings.

“You’ve at least spoken to Ariel, so that’s great progress. Well done.”

But above all, she was a beautiful woman.

Beautiful enough to drive someone crazy. That’s why I was incredibly uncomfortable.

However, Serin says she’s putting herself last and is maintaining a nun-like(?) attitude until the other two are resolved.

“I understand how you feel. You’re a young man in your prime. Instead… lean on your big sister.”

Getting help in other ways is all there is. Then Joonhoo detected an “unusual sign” and came to inform me. And one more thing.

[Well… your love life isn’t really my business, but please work things out with my sister somehow. I just want to see my sister’s happy face.]

“No, she’s rejecting me. Can she take my call?”

[No. It’ll be difficult for a while. By the way, I found that girl.]

According to adult Joonhoo’s information, they’ve spotted that fox-eared girl.

But the details gave me a strange feeling.

[She was hiding well until now, but this time she was spotted openly. Someone who can control people’s emotions is moving through crowds. Don’t you think this is suspicious?]

“You mean they’re openly inciting people?”

Thanks to Joonhoo, we quickly figured out their next move. They’re planning to incite ordinary people.

I mentioned I’m waiting for trial, right? They’re trying to negatively influence that.

[But they’re being too obvious about it. They might not know my identity, but it’s like they’re asking to be discovered.]

“Why would they deliberately want to be exposed?”

But we can’t just ignore unusual signs. Yes, we need dialogue. Dialogue is necessary.

I needed to inform Cho Sunghee and the Association about this first.

So I relayed this information to my handler.

[How do you know this?]

“This call isn’t for show.”

[Do you have an accomplice?]

“…Don’t make assumptions. Anyway, just keep it in mind.”

This is my basic approach—using information to counter the enemy’s tactics.

And not long after, they put me to use.

“Monster break! SS-class!”

They called me when a powerful monster break occurred.

Especially if it was labeled SS-class but actually had even greater power, I was summoned without exception.

Yes, I’m called in like a mercenary to fight.

This is what I’ve been doing lately.

Not often, but now I can transform openly without worrying about others’ reactions.

Last week it was a wolf, this time an insect.

I deal with the monster, return to human form, and go back with the Jaegers.

But today was different.

“Monsters must die!”

“Death to Do Jonghyun who deceives humans!”

“Don’t be fooled! Kill him!”

Suddenly, a crowd of protesters rushed out.

“…”

People who were negative about me had gathered to shout at me.

“You bastard! Do you think we’ll be fooled?”

“Die! Just die!”

They were trying to rush at me recklessly. The Jaegers around me would stop them anyway.

As expected, while the Jaegers were blocking them, I tried to move away quietly.

But then I heard a commotion, and a woman was rushing toward me at incredible speed.

Thinking she might be a Jaeger, I tensed up, and she headbutted me.

There was a momentary shake but no major damage, but the problem was her next action.

“Aaaagh!”

She let out a piercing scream and started rolling on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

Just as I questioned her, I heard cameras clicking.

“Assault! Assault!”

“He hit someone!”

At that moment, I began to understand the enemies’ purpose.

*

Eun Serin was exercising until I returned.

I don’t know much about it, but it was probably yoga or pilates. I relieved my fatigue watching her.

“It seems they’re trying to mess up public opinion about me.”

“I heard. A protest group attacked you?”

“They’re putting on a show about being injured.”

This definitely rings a bell. It’s something often seen in fights between labor unions and corporations.

As soon as there’s a hint of conflict, someone lies down to make the other side look bad.

“You’re a thorn in their side. I passed on the information about that emotion-controlling child, but they haven’t caught her yet?”

“What was her name again?”

“Morgan. She’s a foreigner. Her animal ears were quite cute though…”

Right. Those fox ears. She manipulates emotions to create strange situations.

“She’s walking around openly? And think about this protest incident. They must be connected.”

“Even if they control people to drive me out, I’ll still be fine.”

“They could break the causal relationship entirely. It seems simple, but think about it. Why would they use such an obvious tactic?”

At my sister’s words, I pondered deeply. Deliberately revealing themselves? Being so obvious?

My mind suddenly lit up with the answer.

“Ah… are they trying to make me suspicious instead?”

“No matter how much Morgan controls people, she can’t control everyone in the city. By revealing herself openly, she makes you suspicious of people. The more distrustful you become, the more resentment builds up, and how will people view you then? Conversely, wouldn’t those who are suspicious of you be pleased?”

“It’s bait. These guys are smart.”

They really can’t be underestimated.

“The enemy is simply trying to separate me from the human side.”

“Whatever happens, things would be easier for them if you weren’t around. So think calmly.”

“Of course.”

The help and advice from those around me save me. I won’t fall for their tactics.

From this point on, I started being careful.

I was trying to be cautious until the trial, but Heo Minwoo was the problem.

“Hey, you’re suspicious! These people are being controlled!”

He claimed to be protecting me, but suddenly started wildly searching people around us.

“Wait. You don’t need to do this!”

“Your safety is my responsibility. So mind your own business!”

This guy who wouldn’t listen was searching people around us indiscriminately and causing trouble.

In a situation like this?

I’m suspicious. What if this is also the enemy’s tactic? Plus, Heo Minwoo is my handler with a twisted personality.

In this case, I had to go up the chain of command.

I contacted Cho Sunghee again. Currently, she has the highest authority except for Park Taesang and Dokgo Jun.

“I understand your concern. But emotional manipulation is different from simple brainwashing. The person is fully conscious and acts as if it’s their own emotion, but their emotions explode, causing unexpected incidents.”

“But we can check if someone has become strange, right?”

“If your handler is like that, he’s already been affected. I’ll have everyone checked right away.”

Cho Sunghee immediately took Heo Minwoo away. This way, I’ve preemptively removed a potential threat.

That evening, as expected, it was confirmed that Heo Minwoo was not in a normal state.

Naturally, he was removed as my handler, and the cause of his condition was to be investigated.

That was all.

Now the Association officially assigned me a lawyer.

“But exactly what crime am I being tried for?”

“Strictly speaking, there’s nothing in criminal law. It’s just that you transform into a monster. If you had harmed humanity as a monster, that would be different, but you’re helping humans, right?”

The bespectacled lawyer asked me while looking at me.

“Of course. I was originally human. But am I being judged on whether to kill me or not because I’m a monster?”

“This is unprecedented and will likely remain so. There’s no precedent for trying someone who transforms into a monster. So let me first tell you about how you should behave and the etiquette you should follow in court.”

As the lawyer said, I received behavioral guidelines like not wearing a hat, not getting angry at the judge or arguing with them to avoid contempt of court, and so on.

After the lawyer left, I was heading down to the Association’s underground monitoring room.

At the bottom of the stairs, at the beginning of the corridor, someone was standing in front of the underground surveillance camera.

A half-bald head with an irritable face turned to look at me.

Heo Minwoo.

“You got me fired because you were suspicious of me.”

“Yes. Has your emotional state improved thanks to that?”

“Let me be clear. I was brainwashed and now I’m free. Cho Sunghee vouches for this. I’m perfectly normal.”

Something feels off.

“But I can’t forgive you. While investigating you, I found out how you’ve been deceiving us!”

“Sorry, but you don’t seem like the brainwashing has worn off. Am I right?”

“I’m perfectly normal. You just need to disappear!”

As I reached for my card, this madman lunged at me.

*

Ariel was staring silently at the mirror. Her red hair and bright red eyes reflected her gloomy expression.

“Damn bastard.”

She recalled her conversation with Do Jonghyun. How could a man be so shameless?

In all her life, she’d never encountered someone who openly declared he was two-timing.

And to boldly ask her to come to him on top of that.

“So annoying!”

It was natural for her pride to burn.

‘This is ridiculous.’

“Idiot, trash, player. A real scumbag!”

All sorts of curses spilled from those beautiful lips.

But at the same time, his words about liking her kept swirling in her head.

‘Right, I won’t even think about a guy like that.’

Ariel had no intention of being equal to others.

First place, only first place. That meant she had to be the absolute best woman for the man she liked.

So coexistence with others? Impossible, even in normal circumstances.

‘Does he not know me at all? Such things…’

But if that’s the case, she should naturally give up her feelings. Yet she couldn’t.

Ariel felt upset for another reason.

Given her personality, she naturally couldn’t tolerate an equal existence, especially Seol Yuhwa.

‘And I need to apologize to her first, but I can’t.’

In this frustrating situation, hearing shocking news from the man she liked made her heart unsettled.

“Ah, so annoying. So annoying.”

Ariel then looked at the Dol Hareubang doll that Jonghyun had bought her.

Seeing it hanging nicely on her bag only made her feel more depressed.

‘If I had spoken up boldly, would things have been different?’

It’s too late now. Besides, that was something the man decided unilaterally.

Ariel naturally had the right to refuse.

“…”

Ariel lay back down on the bed.

“Damn bastard. Isn’t one enough? He should be grateful I like him! Do Jonghyun!”

Ariel fidgeted and then picked up her phone.

She saw the news articles that appeared.

[Handler Murdered? Human Monster Do Jonghyun Attacks and Kills His Handler]

[Association in Chaos! The Truth Behind Handler Heo Minwoo’s Death and Do Jonghyun’s Fight?]

[Revealing His True Nature! Human Monster Do Jonghyun Kills Handler Heo Minwoo]

“!”

Ariel sat up abruptly.

[Bereaved Family Requests CCTV Footage Release and Autopsy!]

[Negative Impact on Trial? Do Jonghyun’s Trial Now in the Spotlight!]

“That’s impossible.”

Ariel’s heart pounded heavily.