# Chapter 214
“I don’t agree with my family’s direction.”
Heesu spoke firmly. His pride wasn’t derived from pretending not to see corruption while covering it up. Heesu had the blood of someone who dedicated everything to protecting and developing the city, and he grew up watching that. He wanted to become that kind of person too.
“I don’t want to live as a member of such a family.”
Everything was much more deeply rooted than Heesu had thought. The once-proud family was not currently protecting the city. They were destroying it.
He couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.
“…Now I understand why D.S-ssi trusted Director Jin so much.”
Even though he was a cousin who had been close, Heesu had lived in the main house, which had a conservative and narrow-minded atmosphere. It was impossible to know what role he might play in the family or what he might say behind closed doors.
Nevertheless, D.S had entrusted Mirae’s guardianship to him. So that was why. As Iyeon murmured blankly, Heesu asked awkwardly.
“Does noona trust me?”
“She entrusted Mirae’s guardianship to you. That’s an enormous amount of trust.”
“That was probably… choosing the lesser evil.”
D.S’s parents, who had brought Mirae to the main house, and his mother, the head of the family, were not people who would treat a child warmly. By process of elimination, only Heesu remained. Even he had been too busy to properly take care of her… This still weighed heavily on Heesu’s heart as a debt. If he had paid a little more attention, Mirae wouldn’t have gone through such things…
“No, D.S-ssi chose the best option.”
A voice suddenly broke through his bitter thoughts.
“D.S-ssi never gives Mirae the lesser evil.”
She knew that even if Heesu was clumsy, he would do his best for Mirae. She believed that he wouldn’t harm Mirae and would protect her. That he was someone who would postpone work and come to the amusement park to look for her if she disappeared, eat out together, help her choose clothes, and take her small hobbies seriously.
“Isn’t it also because Director Jin is a good person?”
“…I don’t deserve that kind of talk.”
Heesu responded hesitantly. Iyeon opened his eyes wide.
“Why not? Even now, you’re standing up to confront the strongest backing you had, all to uphold your principles. That’s really not an easy thing to do.”
“That’s just because it’s my job.”
He was not only a civil servant but also a superhuman with a duty to protect citizens. It was only natural.
“If you were unemployed, would you just ignore it?”
“If I were unemployed, I couldn’t do anything anyway.”
“You said you can’t do anything even now.”
“…”
Iyeon’s teasing voice had a faint trace of laughter. Heesu found himself staring at Iyeon without realizing it, then changed the subject.
“…Anyway, so the investigation into the superhuman bracelets was transferred to another department with no progress, and I got a different assignment instead.”
“Another assignment…”
Iyeon murmured cautiously. Heesu nodded.
“What Jung Iyeon-ssi is thinking is correct.”
That’s right. It was the restoration of the terrain configuration feature.
The malfunctioning terrain configuration feature was currently the Superpower Management Office’s biggest headache and challenge. It was understandable. The only way to restore it to its original state was to find the developer.
Faced with this obvious attempt to shift responsibility, Heesu had filed a complaint at the Mutant Response Department level, but the only response he received was that the battle zones were necessary for variant combat, so his department was not unrelated to the matter.
“I think the high ranks of the Superpower Management Office and my family joined forces to break my spirit.”
At the very least, Heesu’s family knew that Taejin was related to the terrain configuration feature. They also knew that Heesu could never handle it alone.
The core technology of the terrain configuration feature was in Taejin’s possession, and to restore its functionality, negotiation with Taejin was absolutely necessary. It was a subtle move that forced a choice on Heesu while simultaneously making him an accomplice.
Heesu had been trying to hold out somehow to find another way, but if the current situation had continued, he wouldn’t have lasted much longer. The date for Cho Jeonryeok was approaching, and with various interests at stake, Heesu couldn’t cancel the event by himself. At best, he could only delay the schedule slightly. Even then, the Commissioner of the Superpower Management Office had approved it while firmly stating that no further delays would be allowed.
However, knowingly taking this treatment was quite infuriating.
So Heesu had called Sano. The one who had captured Taejin and was in an independent position that even the Jin family couldn’t easily touch.
“Although he did blow me off once.”
In response to the words tinged with lingering resentment, Sano replied with an indifferent face.
“Jung Iyeon is by my side anyway, and Lee Taejin can never restore that thing without Iyeon. There’s no reason for me to get involved in a meaningless game.”
“Then you should have said so.”
Heesu gave him a stern look as if scolding him, but Sano lightly ignored it. Heesu, as if he had expected this, showed no particular reaction and asked Iyeon:
“What do you plan to do with Lee Taejin?”
“I want to prevent him from committing such acts again.”
He was sick of Taejin using the city as a hostage to demand gi-ryeok, and of more people like Sano or Semi appearing. He wanted to stop Taejin.
Heesu fixed his gaze on empty space, appearing lost in thought at the answer that came without a moment’s hesitation. After a while, he straightened his posture and looked at Sano. There was something mischievous about his eyes.
“Then let’s first send Je Sano abroad.”
*
“…So Sano-hyung is going on a business trip abroad?”
Hyegang asked with a furrowed brow. His obvious gaze shifted to Sano, who was frowning beside Iyeon. Iyeon waved his hand.
“No, he’s not really going. It’s a disguise, a disguise.”
As long as Sano was in the country, Taejin would be cautious. Unlike before when he didn’t even know of Sano’s existence, Taejin now clearly knew what kind of person Sano was and how hostile he was toward him. If Iyeon were Taejin, he would never take bold actions while keeping an eye on Sano’s movements.
That was quite a significant obstacle.
“Did you just call me an obstacle?”
Sano growled ominously. Startled at his own thoughts, Iyeon shook his head with an innocent face.
“N-no, what are you talking about? I meant it’s easier for the plan if you’re disguised. I absolutely didn’t think that.”
“It’s written all over your face.”
His intuition is always impressive. But when Iyeon firmly denied it, even Sano had nothing more to say. Seeing his handsome face close its mouth sullenly, Hyegang murmured like a sigh.
“I never thought I’d be glad that hyung is dating Sano-hyung.”
In response to the voice that lacked any enthusiasm, Iyeon awkwardly rebutted.
“What do you mean, ‘again’?”
“At least you’re not thinking about dying anymore.”
Thinking of having your gi-ryeok extracted, are you out of your mind? Then I would have contributed to pushing you to your death? The hollow murmuring contained a weak sense of self-reproach. It seemed Iyeon’s original plan had been quite shocking.
“I told you I wouldn’t die. Last time, all that happened was my hair turning a bit gray…”
“They all say the same thing. Don’t you think that was a stroke of luck? Normally, people die when they have enough gi-ryeok extracted at once to power a city for decades. Does your superpower include immortality or something? Can you materialize immortality too?”
“…I haven’t tried that yet.”
Sano, who had been quietly listening to their conversation from the side, added with an interested face:
“Make sure to try it sometime. It would be good if it works.”
“Hey, if I don’t die, I’ll end up alone later!”
“Then make me immortal too.”
“What are you even saying?”
Iyeon shook his head and turned his gaze from Sano to look at Hyegang.
“Anyway, we’ve agreed to scrap that method, so let it go. I’ve already finished talking with Director Jin.”
Iyeon wanted to stop Taejin, and Heesu wanted to stop his own family. Their interests aligned through the connection between Taejin and the Jin family. They were temporary allies.
“Even though the plan has changed, I still need your help.”
Iyeon examined Hyegang with a slightly tense face. There was still the option of not saying anything, like before, but Iyeon had decided not to hide such things from Hyegang anymore. So he revealed everything.
Apart from needing Hyegang’s help, this wasn’t company business. It was Iyeon’s personal matter, and Hyegang, who had no connection to it, had the right to refuse. The terrain configuration feature, Lee Taejin, Jin Heesu, the Jin family… These were all matters completely irrelevant to Hyegang, who was living a normal life. In fact, it would be much more comfortable not to get involved. A cautious question was added.
“Can I borrow it?”
However, contrary to Iyeon’s expectation, the answer came without delay.
“Of course. I’m the head of information at Chageum. Were you planning to do this without me?”
Hyegang even asked back with an incredulous face. His confidence made Iyeon feel both dismayed and reassured, so he laughed weakly.
These people were all too good. Almost more than he deserved.
