― If you can hear my voice, tap the radio mic once with your hand. Don’t speak.
I looked once toward where Director Kim Jeongseon was, then tapped the mic once and released it. I removed the simultaneous interpreter and focused only on Kim Haewon’s voice.
― Only Guide Park Garam can hear this radio. I set the reception settings that way. However, I couldn’t touch Guide Park Garam’s radio, so transmissions coming this way could leak to the other side. Speak only by tapping with your hand.
I tapped once again with my hand. Then Kim Haewon continued speaking.
― Do you know what will happen to Esper Liu Xiqiang from now on? Tap once if you know, twice if you don’t.
I don’t know for certain. I tapped the mic twice consecutively. I glanced around cautiously. Director Kim Jeongseon was still busy calming down the two espers who were raising their voices.
Kim Haewon steadied his breathing and continued his questions.
― Will Pamundong chase after Esper Liu Xiqiang? Tap once if yes, twice if no, three times if you don’t know.
Pamundong would chase the white box. Because they need to take back Liu Xiqiang. I tapped the mic once. Kim Haewon was silent for a moment. He said this was his last question and continued speaking.
― Can you explain to me how you knew all of this? Tap once if yes, twice if no.
I held the mic and pondered. Could Kim Haewon understand the explanation that a real-time serialized novel only I could see allowed me to deduce this? No. He wouldn’t. I could be certain.
Kim Haewon tended to think logically. He wouldn’t try to understand something illogical. No matter how much I insisted. Besides, I didn’t have that level of trust with him.
Yet I hesitated. More incidents would remain ahead, and Kim Haewon and I had to fight together. It meant we needed to combine our strength, and I could provide hints like this time. Even if they weren’t crucial information.
Wouldn’t it be better not to discuss the source of this information? While it could make him suspicious of my identity, it would be better than making him distrust the information I provided.
And most importantly, even if he suspected me, there was nothing to dig into about me. Even if they investigated my range of activities and everything about me, I was clean. The only people I met were all from the association. Since the novel application wasn’t visible to their eyes, they couldn’t find anything.
Yet I hesitated until the very end. Should I muster the courage one more time to reveal the novel’s identity? No matter how I thought about it, that didn’t seem to be the answer. I slowly tapped the mic twice.
Kim Haewon had no answer for a while, then continued speaking.
― I’ll ask once more. Can you explain to me or not?
This time I tapped the mic twice without hesitation. Kim Haewon briefly said “Understood” and terminated the radio.
‘Don’t tell me he just hung up like that?’
He didn’t tell me any of the information I wanted to know, only said what he wanted to say, and then cut the connection.
What a bastard! I tapped the mic several times. But there was no response from Kim Haewon. In a situation where I couldn’t speak carelessly, I turned my gaze away.
They still had no interest in me. The two espers had barely calmed down and were communicating with each country, and Director Kim Jeongseon was correcting information that could go wrong in the relay process. She was pointing out in real-time parts that could be diplomatically disadvantageous for our government.
I let go of the radio and leaned back deeply into my chair. A sharp pain was felt in my stomach, which had been tense the whole time.
What would happen to Liu Xiqiang? Just as Kim Haewon was curious, I was curious too. But I decided not to worry about Kim Haewon’s safety anymore.
‘No, can’t you at least share the situation to some extent? Yes or no. Is this the military or what?’
I was an idiot for worrying about that bastard even for a moment. Let’s see if I guide him no matter what happens. This time I really won’t do it even if he begs. Huh? Just go berserk. Go ahead and rampage. I hurled curses inwardly.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak. Given Kim Haewon’s tendencies, it was obvious he wouldn’t believe me. He might make me undergo psychiatric evaluation or try to hospitalize me long-term. Perhaps I could be excluded from operations and unable to fulfill my role, or he might unconditionally distrust information I provide going forward. Considering all those possibilities, it was a decision made after careful deliberation.
Kim Haewon’s attitude seemed to say, ‘I don’t care about your thoughts. All that matters is whether you can explain to me or not.’ Even in this situation, he needed a route of information he could understand.
“The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.”
It wasn’t subtly irritating—I was just openly annoyed. Anyway, he was a guy who infuriated me in many ways. All the cool moments I saw on the screen earlier now felt unpleasant.
‘Only he’s great. Only he’s great.’
I snorted with my arms crossed. Though I had no choice but to borrow the power of him as an SS-class esper to handle the problem, I thought he was someone I absolutely couldn’t develop any fondness for. Somehow, whenever even a bit of affection tried to form, he would detect it like a ghost and shake it all off.
The plane no longer shook dangerously and moved along its proper trajectory.
I closed my eyes, a bit exhausted from the urgently progressing situation, but couldn’t fall asleep. Because the two espers beside me were fervently debating with esper associations and governments of various countries. Though it was a language I didn’t know, the intermittently agitated voices were enough to disturb my sleep.
“This is serious!”
One Diplomatic Management Bureau employee stood up from their seat and came to where we were. It was the cabin with Director Kim Jeongseon, the two espers, and me.
“Speak in English.”
As soon as Director Kim Jeongseon instructed, I plugged the language translator into my ear. The management bureau employee hesitated briefly then continued speaking.
{An, an explosion occurred at Pamundong’s negotiation site. Six casualties occurred among the negotiation team.}
{Wasn’t the Chinese government in charge of security?}
When Emily asked, the employee quickly answered.
{That’s correct. All the soldiers in charge of security died.}
{They would have divided security into internal and external, so all dying means they knew the location information of the security personnel accurately. What about Suo Weiqian and the executives?}
At Gabriel’s words, the management bureau employee wiped his sweat and continued.
{They disappeared.}
Suo Weiqian tried somehow to reclaim Liu Xiqiang. It seemed like he thought that was Pamundong’s only way to survive. I immediately stood up from my seat and continued speaking.
“Who’s guarding the white box?”
“The US government is doing it. Esper Akutagawa Yu, who was on standby, will join soon.”
Akutagawa Yu was an SS-class esper who had naturalized from Japan to America several years ago. Since he was guaranteed a free lifestyle as a condition of naturalization, he had fewer gate deployments compared to other espers. It meant he rarely stepped forward unless it was a major incident like this.
Though having little deployment experience didn’t represent that esper’s thoughts, for some reason Akutagawa Yu seemed like he would take care of himself rather than move for others in dangerous situations. I couldn’t judge whether that was right or wrong. Because I too would try to take care of myself first when faced with such situations. But now was not such a situation.
“Pamundong will definitely try to take Esper Liu Xiqiang.”
“How can Guide Park Garam be certain of that?”
Anyway, this guy and that guy, always harping about certainty. They just never believed me. I could persuade them on this level without bringing up the novel. Because it was too obvious.
“Because if they don’t have Liu Xiqiang, Pamundong is finished.”
“……”
“Soldiers died during negotiations, and government officials and association people were injured. Meanwhile, Pamundong’s representative disappeared. Do you think esper associations around the world will just sit and watch the Chinese government leave Pamundong alone?”
“But having Esper Liu Xiqiang doesn’t solve everything.”
Director Kim Jeongseon said. I didn’t think so.
“That would be true if Esper Liu Xiqiang’s condition were normal. But what if he doesn’t regain consciousness even after waking up and remains controlled? If they can make him rampage at any time.”
“……”
“Wouldn’t the story change a lot?”
At my words, Esper Gabriel first reached out and blocked between Director Kim Jeongseon and me. She also had an interpreter in her ear.
{His words are logical. We need to contact Akutagawa. We have to protect Haewon and Xiqiang.}
{He only became S-class recently. His field experience is also limited…}
{Oh, Kim. That’s not important at all in the field. Do you think Xiqiang was caught because he lacked field experience or had a short career?}
Emily pointed out that Director Kim Jeongseon’s thinking was wrong and immediately contacted the US government directly. Director Kim Jeongseon looked at me quietly. I didn’t avoid that gaze.
{We also need to move to the vicinity of the white box. Suo Weiqian and his executives’ power is strong. We need a joint attack.}
At Gabriel’s words, Director Kim Jeongseon reluctantly nodded. Her gaze still hadn’t left me.
“We’re changing course. Tell the captain to go at full speed to the white box.”
“Yes, Director.”
The Diplomatic Management Bureau employee quickly ran toward the front. Director Kim Jeongseon looked at me for a long while, then bowed her head slightly and spoke.
“Please forgive my rude words and actions. My judgment was clouded by my desire for the situation not to escalate further.”
It was a quick change of attitude, as if she had cooled her head with ice in an instant. While I accepted her apology, I felt it wasn’t sincere.
Kim Haewon would be the same. Though unavoidably keeping me, who became an S-class guide, by his side and using me, he didn’t acknowledge my value. That fact made my mouth taste bitter.
