What It Means to Be Police in This World(5)

Consciousness returns along with a stiff pain. And what I recognized even before the light piercing my pupils was the pain.

My head is dizzy. After tossing and turning for a while with a sensation similar to the motion sickness I felt when riding a roller coaster in the past.

Because of the alcohol smell stinging my nose and the white ceiling, I realized that the place where I opened my eyes was a hospital.

First, this is a police hospital. Looking out the window, it seems to be about the 5th floor. It’s a private room, and there’s a television too.

After checking my surroundings like that, I forcibly moved my stiffened body to turn on the public television in the room.

The incident at Jongno was—naturally not something that could be simply covered up, and I don’t know how much time has passed, but it wouldn’t be strange if the news talked about it noisily for at least a month.

The reason I’m turning on the TV isn’t because I can’t remember what happened. The events of Mina being defeated by Sai and kidnapped are as clear as if I could draw a picture right now.

What I want to check now is what happened after I fainted.

When I turned on the news channel, I saw a reporter with a familiar face that I’d seen on TV several times. And that reporter was making a solemn expression against a familiar street as background.

“[A week ago. The scars from the battle between supervillain Sai and superhero New Hope on Jongno Street have not yet healed.]”

“[Thanks to the efforts of New Hope, a superhero belonging to the Special Task Force, the supervillain group ‘the Chosen Ones’ at the scene were all arrested. Additionally, the injured supervillain Sai, who controlled them, is currently missing.]”

“[In the process, Special Task Force leader Detective Sergeant Lee Munsu was injured and is currently recovering. Thanks to his efforts, Seoul’s safety has been secured!]”

“[The government is reportedly doing its utmost to recover the destroyed city, and with the city’s safety secured, the Special Task Force has been disbanded. The investigation into Sai will be carried out jointly by the Special Investigation Team and the military—.]”

The reporter on the news calmly told lies that Sai had been defeated and we had won.

We won? Secured Seoul? With so many uncaptured supervillains still out there, how can they spout such nonsense?

How can they so brazenly tell such bullshit on a nationwide terrestrial broadcasting station, not even a third-rate gossip channel or internet news?

Rubbing my face dryly, I looked at other news channels, but they all described what happened in Jongno similarly to what I saw.

Looking at the content of those news reports, I want to ask what the hell the higher-ups ate while I was unconscious, but let’s organize this slowly.

About a week has passed since I injured my head and fainted. And Sai is missing again.

The Special Task Force has been disbanded, the government didn’t announce that Mina was kidnapped, and they’re not even mentioning the supervillains that still remain.

To sum it up, it’s that. That.

“This is fucking ridiculous.”

The police who were at the scene would have seen Sai leaving intact and taking Mina with her.

But what does it mean that the news came out like that?

Do they think that since even Mina couldn’t win against Sai, she can’t be defeated? So they’re putting on this show, abandoning Mina just to save themselves?

They’re real idiots. Sighing deeply, I checked the pockets of my clothes. And I headed out of the room with the cigarette pack and lighter that were inside.

Whether it’s bones or muscles, my body doesn’t move well as if something’s broken, but I felt like I would die of frustration if I didn’t smoke a cigarette in the cold breeze, so I ignored all hospital procedures and opened the door, but—

“Ah.”

“Oh.”

As I left the room, I made eye contact with several people. Yuna-ri and Dokkaebi. And Dokkaebi’s sister, and the captain. A situation where only people who have relatively deep connections with me are gathered.

I stared at them blankly for a moment. Then, feeling bothered by the absence of one person, I clicked my tongue and asked:

“…Why are you all here? Waiting for someone?”

“We’re waiting for you, you bastard.”

If that’s the case, why are you acting like this in front of the hospital room? Even if this is a private room, standing in front of the door like this is inconsiderate in various ways.

Therefore, I rubbed my chin and opened the door of the room, saying:

“Wait inside. I was going to smoke a cigarette and come back!”

“It’s unbelievable that a patient would confidently say he’s going to smoke as soon as he wakes up. For now, let me just ask one thing. Would something bad happen if you didn’t smoke that?”

I tried to go smoke a cigarette, but Yuna-ri grabbed my patient’s gown, preventing me. As my collar pulled my body, a strange “Uck!” sound came out, and I couldn’t escape.

She’s stronger than I thought. Well honestly, she wasn’t that strong, but I didn’t want to blush over something like this, so I just followed them to the room.

If they were waiting in front of the hospital room of a patient who had been sleeping for a week like that, they must have something to say.

---

“Have you seen the news?”

“Yes.”

The first one to speak after I was half-dragged into the room was the captain. That man was chewing gum instead of the cigarettes he usually smoked.

It seemed like he made that choice because it was a hospital. Or maybe he was trying to quit smoking, which didn’t suit him.

After answering, I looked at the people who had entered the room together. Dokkaebi and Yuna-ri, and the deputy chief.

They didn’t just happen to meet and come here. There must be a reason.

Ah well, since the captain mentioned the news, it’s easy to predict what that reason might be.

They probably came to talk about why there’s no mention of Mina at all, and what happened to Sai.

Since the news also said that the Special Task Force has been disbanded, it must have been a real mess during the week I was asleep.

But considering Sai’s purpose, she wouldn’t just go into hiding like this instead of destroying everything. Why did she take Mina? What are the higher-ups thinking?

—Alright. Let’s just quit being a police officer right now.

Various possibilities spin around and reach one conclusion.

The only reason I stayed as a police officer even in this state was honestly because it gave me the highest probability of survival.

Having chosen to be a police officer as my profession, I did what needed to be done and tried my best, but honestly, it was a bit tough.

The higher-ups are idiots who think they’re gods, the work is dangerous. And my colleagues and juniors revere me who barely survived Sai’s schemes as if I’m something special.

If it weren’t for Sai, that damn woman, I would have already quit long ago due to stress. I endured despite how shitty it was because I didn’t want to die, but has the police really surrendered to Sai?

If so, why do I need to look back? I’ll quit right away. There was no hesitation in summoning the resignation letter I always kept in a corner of my heart and throwing it.

Whether that woman harbors whatever emotions towards me, or I capture Sai, or I die—that path remains unchanged.

But seriously, why did that crazy woman kidnap Mina? I took a nicotine gum from the captain with a gesture and put it in my mouth.

…This tastes like shit, damn it.

“— If you’ve seen the news, you probably know already. The Special Task Force is gone too. The commissioner who was backing us died. Sai is missing, and the higher-ups seem to have gotten scared preemptively.”

“Fuck… They’re also trying to create some weird law called the Social Stability Special Act, and if we leave things as they are, it looks like we’ll end up letting Sai go without even catching her.”

The captain looked at me with a face as if he had bitten something bitter. He had a face that showed he was embarrassed by this situation and couldn’t help it.

I’m sure that for him, a police officer who is incomparably more diligent than I am, this situation must really suck.

They say they’re handing over the investigation of Sai to the Special Investigation Team, but is there anyone who doesn’t know how the Special Investigation Team has gone crazy?

What was the reason for deliberately creating the Special Task Force? But now even the Special Task Force, which was supposed to replace the Special Investigation Team, has been dissolved, so it’s no different from the police declaring that they’re completely letting go of Sai.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I’m quitting the police.”

“Hey Lee Munsu. You……”

When I answered honestly to the captain’s question, he trailed off and looked at me. It’s funny that this person, who would have known I’d act like this, is reacting like that, so I snickered and said:

“If the police are giving up on catching that woman, I have to leave. For me, it’s either catch her or die, and you know that, which is why you came all the way here to tell me.”

“…You bastard.”

The captain shrank his shoulders as if giving up. I turned my gaze to look at the two superpower users and the child who had been silently listening to the conversation between me and the captain.

“So, those of you over there. What brings you here? It seems related to the news completely sealing their lips about those damn criminal bastards that haven’t been caught yet.”

“Even though you said you’re quitting the police, you still care about such things??”

Yuna-ri said in response to my question. I was annoyed by her probing like this even though I had already said what I would answer, plus she was grinning—

But come to think of it, this person, like me, is someone who’s screwed if she doesn’t do something about Sai.

Having shown that she can create the neutralization drug, Yuna-ri’s chances of keeping her life after Sai achieves her goal are almost none.

And the same goes for Dokkaebi. Once Sai has tried to deal with him, Dokkaebi will surely die someday.

In other words, they’re people who are screwed for different reasons than me. So it wasn’t strange that she would speak in a confirming tone like that.

But why am I envious of their situation where they’re going to die?

Living as a human, I never thought there would be times when I’d think it’s better to die. Holding back a rising sigh, I answered:

“If I leave it alone, it would be better to just die, so whether I’m a police officer or not, I have to at least try to nail her, right?”

“I was thinking you’d say that, so that’s why I came. Feel free to speak.”

Fortunately, Yuna-ri responded readily to my words. I looked at Dokkaebi. This guy’s abilities are practically essential for this plan.

But is it okay to ask him to risk his life together, with his sister beside him? Feeling my mouth going pasty as I was choosing my words—

Dokkaebi, as if reading my gaze, patted his sleeping sister’s back and said:

“Until now. I’ve been thinking while watching you, Detective. If I had met you before, I would have made different choices. I thought it would have been nice if there were just one more police officer like you, that kind of person.”

“After this incident, that thought has become even stronger, and I’ve also realized how… pathetic I am. How shameful a brother I’ve been to my sister.”

“So now I want to be a brother my sister won’t be ashamed of. I’ll help with anything. Please tell me.”

The eyes of Dokkaebi, who spoke like that, were shining more clearly than I had ever seen. Alright, a person with eyes like that is really burdensome, but isn’t it good to have good things?

I told them what items were needed for the operation I had in mind when facing Sai, plus how they should use their abilities.

Yuna-ri and Dokkaebi said that they could easily prepare what I told them, but they asked why I wasn’t explaining what the operation actually was.

To explain this, I would have to explain why Sai is doing all this—

Which meant explaining that this whole incident is happening because Sai fell head over heels for me and is setting up the board so that I can’t reject her confession.

Mina believed my words for now, but if I told the truth, normal people would ask if I was crazy or send me to a mental hospital without question.

Therefore, after thinking for a moment, I decided to tell a lie.

“…Because I’m the person Sai cares about the most. I’m trying to use that in reverse. I’ll be moving alone, and it’s a matter of risking my life—so be careful not to let it leak out anywhere.”

When I said it’s because I couldn’t be sure that Sai’s clutches hadn’t reached this hospital building itself, they nodded as if they understood.

I was relieved that I had managed to gloss over it successfully, but only for a moment. The captain, who had been listening to our conversation, addressed me with a deliberately hurt expression.

“You little bastard. I’m still a police officer, isn’t there anything I can help with? It’s hurtful that you’re excluding only me from the conversation.”

“…Captain, just keep suffering as you are. At least one person like you needs to remain among the police for the world to keep turning.”

This is my honest true feeling. Captain, this man has a dirty personality, is petty, and is a foolish person. But still, he’s a decent person.

“Stay alive, Captain. You have to live. You’re on the verge of retirement.”

By the way, I’m going to quit being a police officer and open a chicken restaurant. When I get my retirement money, I’ll go to a culinary academy and take out a loan to set up a small shop.

Plus, I can receive quite a juicy performance bonus for working as part of the Special Task Force this time, can’t I? If I can just rescue Mina and somehow deal with that damn Sai, there would be nothing scary in life.

Sai kidnapping Mina means she has a purpose. Given that, she probably won’t kill her—but I’m really worried about whether she’ll feed her well.

With such worries, I looked at the sky outside the window and then looked forward again, but the captain was biting his lip and lowering his head.

Dokkaebi and Yuna-ri had serious faces like soldiers about to go to the battlefield right away.

…Wait a moment. Did my words just now sound like I’m going to sacrifice my life to kill Sai?

I was about to clarify to them that I had no intention of dying and that’s not what I meant.

But with perfect timing, the doctor entered the room and thundered that they should have notified him immediately when I woke up, what kind of nonsense is this, causing me to miss the timing.

Damn it? When things are going to go wrong, they even go wrong like this.

With this mess from the start, can the operation succeed properly? In a situation where all I can do is wait for now after making preparations, I sighed.

In the middle of a city full of people who don’t even question the disappearance of New Hope and are satisfied with today’s temporary peace.

Spring was approaching, but it was still a cold winter that exuded chilliness.