# Chapter 23
“Hey! That’s blackmail. You’re making us look like real criminals!”
“So it was kidnapping after all.”
As Iyeon jumped up, Jin Heesu’s hand extended outward.
Jin Heesu’s superpower, dissolution, literally melts anything. Just by looking at the scenes where he used his ability, which were always a mess, one could clearly understand his combat style.
Setting everything else aside, this is an amusement park. There’s a child here, and ordinary people too! Are these people in their right minds? Iyeon, appalled, tightened his grip on Mirae and began cautiously backing away toward the employees when:
“Excuse me.”
A calm voice cooled the atmosphere. Everyone’s gaze turned to one place.
Two men in suits who stubbornly maintained their black sunglasses even on a moonlit night. Among them, the tall woman stepped forward.
“Attacking Mr. Sano like this, Director, is highly problematic. Are you alright?”
It was Sano’s secretaries, Jongchan and Jonghee.
These people have been seriously stalking us? Astonishment appeared on Iyeon’s face as well.
“How dare you attack Mr. Sano! We will formally protest this to the Superpower Management Office.”
Jin Heesu frowned at Jongchan’s words. Irritation spread across his dignified face.
“How will your Mr. Sano take responsibility for taking my niece? Can I consider that an intentional action?”
At that question, even Jongchan kept his mouth shut. Despite following them all the way to the amusement park to watch them, it seemed he didn’t know exactly what was going on. It was Jonghee who mediated the atmosphere that was turning fierce again.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. You know our Mr. Sano isn’t that kind of person.”
“You’re telling me to believe that despite catching them red-handed.”
“It’s not too late to talk and then make a judgment.”
The monotone voice politely bowed.
“Let’s resolve this through conversation.”
At those words, Jin Heesu, who had been glaring at Sano for a while, looked in turn at Mirae, at Iyeon holding the child, at the snack bar employee, and then at Jongchan and Jonghee. Taking a deep breath as if to calm his anger, Jin Heesu slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“Send the child first.”
The eyes once hidden by his eyelids were still fierce, but they had softened somewhat compared to before.
Iyeon carefully put Mirae down. Mirae, who had been hesitating in the tense atmosphere, kept looking back at Iyeon before going into Jin Heesu’s arms.
“Uncle.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yup! It was fun.”
Jin Heesu, who stroked his niece’s head with an affectionate voice, confirmed that Mirae was safe and picked her up. After checking Sano and Iyeon standing blankly, Jin Heesu gestured with his chin.
“Let’s sit and talk.”
While calming and sending away the startled employees, Jongchan and Jonghee disappeared on their own. The remaining four people sat around an outdoor table set up on the outskirts of the amusement park. Jin Heesu didn’t say anything while Iyeon explained the whole story. In fact, there wasn’t much to explain. He just played with D.S’s daughter at her request, that’s all.
“…So that’s how we ended up playing with Mirae.”
“I see. My sister…”
Jin Heesu let out a light sigh. Looking at the circumstances, it didn’t seem like D.S had instigated them to kidnap a child she didn’t know. If that was the case, then indeed Jin Heesu and D.S were…
“I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Iyeon shook his head. Considering how Jin Heesu must have been frantic searching for his niece who hadn’t returned home from school, he must have gone through quite an emotional ordeal today as well.
“I knew that my sister and the child were supposed to meet, but she’s never kept her this late before.”
“Because we asked her for work, we were trying to keep her as long as possible…”
Even if they had contacted her, D.S would only have shouted at them to come quickly since she’d finished her work. How could they have thought that suddenly a rank 4 uncle would appear?
“Mirae is my second cousin. Due to circumstances, I’ve taken on the role of her guardian.”
Iyeon’s eyes rolled slowly. If she was a second cousin, then Heesu was Mirae’s paternal uncle. Is it normal for such a distant relative to take on the role of guardian when her mother is still alive?
“Doesn’t Mirae live with D.S?”
“It’s a family matter.”
Jin Heesu’s face was closer to that of Buddha compared to when they first saw him, but his voice drawing the line was firm. Iyeon shrugged and backed off. It wasn’t something to pry into when meeting someone for the first time.
“Is your sister okay?”
“What do you mean?”
Jin Heesu hesitated a little.
“You know, her situation, her life, that kind of thing.”
This too wasn’t something to ask when meeting someone for the first time. Iyeon tilted his head curiously.
“I’m just a customer, so I don’t know much about that.”
“I see. So you’re saying she entrusted her daughter to just a customer.”
“…”
He was a tiring type to deal with. Suspicion seemed to be growing again as wariness lingered in Jin Heesu’s eyes. Under the gaze that looked at him as if he were a notorious villain, Iyeon laughed lightly.
“I guess a customer was more trustworthy than her cousin brother.”
“…”
Jin Heesu’s complexion became gloomy at the cutting remark. Only after a long silence did Jin Heesu glumly spit out words.
“I’m sorry. It’s just, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.”
“We’re going to D.S now, would you like to come with us?”
It was an offer with some goodwill, but he shook his head without even thinking.
“No.”
Mirae was already dozing off, leaning against her uncle. Her peaceful sleeping face was as cute as an angel’s. The voice muttering while patting the child’s back contained a faint trace of regret.
“She wouldn’t like it much.”
Mirae stirred in her sleep, briefly glanced at her uncle, and then burrowed into his embrace. Jin Heesu, holding the sleeping child, gave a light bow and moved away. Iyeon and Sano also stood up. It was finally time to go to the final destination.
“You’re late.”
“Whose fault is that?”
It was the middle of the night when they arrived back at D.S’s workshop. D.S, who had been leaning crookedly against the wall, confirmed the two people trudging in and turned her back toward the inside of the workshop.
“It’s all made, so take it.”
“Aren’t you going to ask where Mirae is?”
At Iyeon’s question, D.S stopped, still showing her back. After a moment of silence, a blunt voice flowed out.
“Jin Heesu would have taken her, I’m sure.”
He couldn’t ask Jin Heesu, but D.S was different. Iyeon promptly asked.
“Did you fight with your family? Why don’t you live with Mirae?”
“We didn’t fight. We just have differences of opinion, so we’re living separately.”
That’s fighting.
“Well, I guess they didn’t trust me enough.”
That’s quite an unfamiliar vocabulary to use for family. Iyeon’s eyes widened.
“You? Why?”
She might look shabby, but D.S is an engineer, one of the promising professions, and her career is good. It’s an ability that one could never boast enough about, so why treat her like an outcast to the point of taking away her child? Even for parents, it was too extreme.
“I’m a failure.”
D.S briefly frowned along with her incomprehensible words and went straight in. What do you mean, a failure? You’re skilled enough for me to commission work from you. Iyeon chattered, but there was no response.
Everyone’s just so shy. Iyeon pouted and moved his steps into the workshop following D.S. Iyeon’s belongings were neatly placed on the large work table in the workshop.
The Blue Tiger’s toy didn’t look much different from mass-produced products on the outside. It had the form of a string with feathers attached to the end of a long stick. Colorful feathers and decorative beads swayed splendidly with each gesture. The disguise was so perfect that no one would think it was a tool made by an engineer if left lying around.
“I deliberately made it similar to what’s sold in stores. You said you’d use it to play with a mutant anyway.”
But that was just its appearance; the Blue Tiger’s fishing rod had good texture and elasticity when held in the hand. It was truly a work made by a tool specialist.
“Still, I added some functions just in case. Like adjusting the length of the stick or string.”
“Oh.”
As D.S said, when operated, the extension range was considerable. With this, he wouldn’t have to worry about playing outside. Satisfied, Iyeon swung the fishing rod around as if the stick were a baton.
Suddenly, a laser was fired from the end of the stick.
Ziiing.
“…?”
The side table that the red straight laser accidentally touched broke in half with a chilling rupture sound. Iyeon looked alternately at the stick and the remains of the side table with a puzzled face. Papers that were in the drawer were fluttering amidst the rising smoke. D.S finished her explanation with a nonchalant face.
“If you swing it in a certain pattern, a laser is fired. It should be able to cut through most things.”
“Why does a cat fishing rod need a cutting function? I thought it was for playing.”
“It’s also strong against external electrical shocks. I’ve protected it in several layers, so even if it takes electricity directly, it won’t break and can handle it.”
“Handle? You’re going to handle someone else’s pet?”
“You never know.”
“What don’t I know? Your conspiracy is quite clear to me.”
