episode_0163

I spent the whole night on the border between dream and reality. Maybe it was because I was under the influence, but everything was hazy.

To the point where even the memory of a voice I heard in a dream became blurry.

“It looks better than I thought.”

And as soon as the sun rose, an unexpected person came to see me.

“Branch manager?”

The captain’s cradle colleague and Muyeong’s superior. And one of the few people who knows my true identity.

A handsome man with a dark beard, Mok Jin-woo of the Information Bureau, waves to me from across the partition.

“Oh, I told you to call me hyung.”

“… What is that outfit?”

He was wearing a strange, sluggish, protective suit-like outfit. It was very similar to the ones worn by the so-called spacemen I had seen in books. They were said to have existed before humanity lost the sky.

“There is still a possibility of biological contamination. I was only able to gain permission to visit as the branch manager of the Information Bureau.”

“Biology… contamination… ?”

“Well, that means there’s a possibility of that. You don’t have to worry too much. As far as I know, the quarantine will be lifted soon.”

Come to think of it, the hospital room looks like it’s closed off like an isolation area.

I looked down at his chin. His abdomen was wrapped thickly in bandages.

A large wound that was still oozing blood, and a terrible, stabbing pain that persisted despite painkillers.

Memories of the past come flooding back vividly. A nightmarish city covered in orange smog, nuns, people with blank eyes, monsters with dozens of tentacles that look like they came from another world…

“… Where am I? And how long has it been since I collapsed?”

“It’s called the Cradle Intensive Care Unit. The date is… Today is exactly the third day.”

At the same time, a certain face flashes before my eyes.

“Excuse me, branch manager. Was that the girl that was with me… ”

“Ah, if it’s that girl, there’s no need to worry. She only has minor cuts and bruises, and she’ll recover quickly after a few days of rest. Unlike you, there’s no risk of biological contamination. ”

“Is that so… ”

I feel a little relieved by his nonchalant attitude. Fortunately, I guess nothing bad happened.

But after hearing that, a question arose. The saliva and the tingling sensation of my tongue still remained on my lips.

Looking at this, it’s clear that Peanut has come and gone. Where on earth did he come from? A place that is so thoroughly isolated.

Even for a cat, it has been very elusive since long ago. On the day when a disaster struck our village, it even came out of the room it was locked in and accompanied us on my birthday.

Cats are naturally flexible animals, and considering that Peanut is particularly small among them… Did he somehow squeeze in and get out?

I really don’t know…

“Yeah. So you just have to worry about yourself.”

Mok Jin-woo shook his head and shivered.

“You bastard, do you know how surprised I was when I heard the news? It seems like you cause trouble wherever you go. And only big ones. Jinryung too, and this one too… ”

His evaluation feels a little unfair. I didn’t start the incident. Rather, I was forced into it.

“If those women find out about this, how much will they pester me… Oh my head… ”

The man touches his forehead as if he has a headache. Those women… Are you talking about my sisters? I guess they were told to take good care of me. My sisters always tend to be overprotective…

“Well… I’ll explain it to you.”

“Okay, please take good care of it. But… ”

“?”

Mok Jin-woo’s expression suddenly changed and he stared at me. There was an unpleasant sinisterness in his smile.

“Why… are you like that?”

“That’s pretty good, really. Huh?”

His sly smile deepens.

“Even if that’s true, Miss Red, I never thought she would extend her hand to the Young-ae of Paecheon and Baekgwang.”

“… Yes?”

“You’re much better than Jaehyuk. No? This is an idea that even he didn’t dare to think of. Who would have thought that he would try to seduce the opposing faction with a handsome man… Even with a fiancé… ”

His unexpected words make me dizzy. A demon? A handsome man? A bewitched man? Who is talking to whom?

“You managed to set up a three-family home without getting caught by the principal. You’re brave, aren’t you? I told you, Jaehyuk didn’t bring you into the cradle for nothing.”

“… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re just being sarcastic. I saw that girl’s longing eyes with my own eyes. Do you know who carried you and transported you to the capital in one go? It’s none other than Baek Seo-yeon Young-ae.”

Mok Jin-woo’s mouth showed no sign of closing.

“That’s not all. I heard that he willingly offered to transfuse his blood for you. You woke up after three days, right? You were in critical condition. In a way, you were like a savior to him.”

His voice, which had been talking excitedly, gradually becomes muffled. A sense of sadness, as if I had sunk to the bottom of a deep pond, envelops me.

Then those eyes back then… I really wasn’t seeing things wrong.

If that’s true, then that kid… me…

“… ”

The bizarre situation is just absurd.

Mok Jin-woo doesn’t know about my past and that girl’s. This is because he didn’t tell the captain or his older sisters about it.

Probably no one in this world would know. There’s no way that kid would go around telling people about his ‘nightmare’.

Mok Jin-woo seems to think that I did something to gain her favor… but I have never tried anything like that, not even for a moment.

But what a loving look. And a blood transfusion…

An unresponsive child from a remote village and a member of the five Black Lotus families.

Are their values that different?

“… It’s not what you think.”

“Yeah, well, I guess that’s what you’ll say. It’s just how it should be on the surface. Of course, it’s between Heukryeon and Paechon… ”

“Not really… ”

“Okay, I got it. You don’t have to worry. I’ve been controlling everything since I came to the capital. There’s absolutely nothing new, so don’t worry and enjoy yourself from now on. You little shit… ”

The voice, which did not know the speed of others, was still overflowing with joy.

This old man. It seems like he has no intention of listening to what I have to say…

“Let’s see, even so, it’s already widely known that the Youngae of the Fallen was the first to respond to your urgent rescue request. In that case, it would be better to make an official appearance.”

“Face… is it a show?”

“Yeah. Even if you’re enemies, it’s better to do that thoroughly. After all, wouldn’t it be better not to do anything that would get you caught?”

“… ”

Come to think of it, that kid also gave me a defensive magic tool under the pretext of apologizing for the communist incident.

This time, after much thought, I decided to leave it behind… but does that mean I have to show that kind of appearance too?

“… First of all, thank you for the advice. I’ll keep that in mind. ”

Just thinking about it makes me feel damp. For now, I don’t really want to think about it.

“What exactly brings you here?”

I asked, changing the subject in a different direction. I can guess the general idea.

The first city, one of the seven major cities directly connected to the capital. I later heard that 70% of the Republic’s industrial capacity was concentrated in that city.

It would be quite shocking to see unidentified monsters nesting in the basement of such a place.

And now there are only two people who can testify about the whole story.

Beyond simply asking after their well-being, this is also an issue that he must personally address as the branch manager of the Information Bureau.

“… Now, the first city is said to have lost almost all of its functions as an industrial city.”

Mok Jin-woo answered in a slightly more serious tone.

“Well, thanks to you, we were able to avoid the worst outcome. You did a great job. Perhaps Black Lotus’s position in the Supreme Council will be further strengthened by this incident. But the two of you seem to be more concerned about your well-being… ”

He said, looking at the ward across the window.

“Actually, I heard the testimony from Baek Gwang’s Young-ae before coming here. But there were a lot of things that I couldn’t easily believe. That’s why I came here to… cross-examine.”

“… I think what he said is almost right.”

I explained to Mok Jin-woo what had happened in as much detail as possible.

And the part that caught his attention the most was the story about the nun.

“Even if his limbs are cut off, he can regenerate, even if his heart is stabbed, he can move, and he has unidentified abilities… ”

Suddenly, there was no playfulness left in his voice. I watched him mumbling in deep thought.

But soon a strange sense of discomfort enveloped me.

All that happened in the first city.

If I had heard it from someone without experiencing it myself, I probably wouldn’t have believed it easily.

But now, his expression shows no distress or fear of the unknown enemy, or doubt about the testimony.

Rather, I should say that it feels like a concern about a difficult situation that I have clearly experienced.

Maybe it’s my imagination…

“… ”

And there are still some things I haven’t told Mok Jin-woo yet. If you think back on what the woman said, there are more than one or two suspicious points.

The woman observed my movements and then asked about my relationship with the being known as the adversary.

It was the first time I had heard of this term, but it was clear that the movements she had seen of me were based on the predictions the captain had taught me.

That feeling of being very close to him. The way he was shocked the moment he felt my power. And even mentioned the word ‘Polaris’ that I had clearly heard in my dream.

The answer is clear. She was clearly aware of this mysterious ability implanted in my body.

Just like the captain.

“… By any chance… Did the principal go south too… ”

Mok Jin-woo was still engrossed in his thoughts. He was a close friend of the captain, and he helped me in both material and spiritual ways, and he was also a member of the Information Bureau that oversaw almost all of the Republic’s secrets.

Suddenly, a doubt arises. Perhaps this person also knows the identity of my power. If not…

“… ”

The captain said he would tell me the truth when I graduated from the cradle and came back, but I can’t just wait around for that moment to come.

I don’t know how many other beings like him there are.

“… Branch Manager.”

“Huh?”

After much thought, I finally opened my mouth.

Maybe he could answer my questions.

It’s worth a try.

“Have you heard about my abilities?”

“… If you heard?”

The counter-question was more calm than I thought, which made me a little embarrassed. And I could tell for sure. It wouldn’t be unusual for someone as much as the branch manager of the Information Bureau to ignore such a question.

But the fact that you are asking a question like that… means that you have already considered that situation to some extent.

Or maybe you were told in advance.

“That woman, no… that creature knew about my abilities. I never told anyone except the captain and my sisters. ”

“… ”

He had a very worried expression on his face. After a long silence, he finally opened his mouth.

“Haa… I didn’t know something like that would happen… If this happens, then that guy was right… ”

A voice full of unexpected agony is heard.

“Don’t say anything to Jaehyuk. He left a little message for me because he was worried about you.”

“I don’t have any complaints. I also truly trust the branch manager.”

“What? Hehe, this guy… He’s already grown up… ”

He opened his eyes slightly wide and gave a hollow laugh. Soon after, a crackling guidance sound began to be heard from the amplifier installed on the ceiling.

-Chijik… Chief Mok… The visiting hours will be over soon… Please proceed with the checkout procedure…

“Tsk, time goes by so fast already… ”

He looked up at the ceiling and clicked his tongue lightly.

“I told you last time that I was curious about what a witch was.”

As he was turning around to prepare to leave, he suddenly brought up a topic.

“Have you answered all your questions?”

“… Roughly speaking. I read the data booklet that Muyeong brought me. ”

“Yeah? How was it?”

“It’s not as bad as I thought. Isn’t it obvious that there are more women among the most powerful criminals? After all, women often have more magical talent than men. But is it really necessary to call them witches? ”

“It’s probably natural to feel that way. The material you saw was probably exported after going through a lot of censorship… ”

He said as he left the isolation room.

“It’s hard here… When you get better, come to the Information Bureau branch. Then I’ll tell you everything you want to know. ”

And then he adds one mischievous word.

“Just bear with it even if you’re bored. The quarantine will be lifted soon. You’re going to have a hard time. Being stuck among those hot-tempered girls… Hehe.”

***

True to his word, the quarantine was lifted after just one day.

It was originally a precaution in case of an emergency, but the quarantine period was already over when I lost consciousness.

And early in the morning on the day the quarantine was lifted.

-bang!

The door opens with a loud noise, as if it were going to break. As soon as I turn my head, the first thing I see is a familiar female student.

Two eyes filled with red particles, and a complexion that looked unusually haggard.

“Senior?”

“… ”

There was no answer. He just glared at me with cold, pitiful eyes.

A prickling sensation on her skin. I could clearly tell that she was extremely angry at the moment.

What is it that that girl doesn’t like that makes her so angry?

Isn’t this a bit too much? If you think about it, it’s like I was investigating the Red’s work and ended up in that cave.

I didn’t really expect praise for this, but… I still feel a little disappointed.

“Senior. Long time no see… ”

-Thump, thump, thump.

He walked toward me roughly without listening to my words of pity. He didn’t show any sign of stopping even though he was right in front of me.

-Pok

“Senior?”

He buried his head in my chest as if he was feeling sorry for me.

“… Uh.”

And then she mutters something. She clenches her slender hands into fists and strikes me repeatedly.

-Thud, thud, thud.

It was a punch that didn’t feel like there was any strength at all. Rather, it was shaking so badly.

-Thud, thud.

“Die. Just die.”

“Senior?”

-Thud, thud.

“Die. Die. If you’re going to worry me like this… Just… Just… ”

… I guess he wasn’t angry after all.

“Die. I don’t even want to see your face. Just die… ”

“… ”

I could tell that no words would reach her now.

I raised my hand and gently stroked her back.

So that a little bit of that warmth can be conveyed.

***

Outside the hospital room.

A girl with black hair stood leaning against the wall in the hallway.

“… Ugh.”

A man caresses a female student in his arms as if she were a precious work of art.

When she sees this, she cringes.

I clutch my chest, which is filled with a sharp pain.

The girl who had been standing like that eventually started to walk outside with staggering steps.

What remained in that empty space was the unmistakable scent of forget-me-nots.