I had vaguely suspected that the girl was not an ordinary existence. Because when the moonlight she received turned into liquid, it became the very poison that killed Jeong Sanghyeop and Han Miyeon. But I never thought it could go further than that. She was thin, a young girl. A small and insignificant, innocent child who couldn’t even be considered a late elementary school student yet.
A child. That word was accurate. She was someone who should be protected by adults. How was the girl able to create gates? Could there even be an esper with such tremendous abilities at such a young age in the first place?
I had to struggle to organize my confused feelings. My finger wouldn’t move toward the scroll.
“These sons of bitches. What the hell are they doing with a child?”
To me, they were bastards who deserved to be beaten to death. If she wasn’t really an esper, but became such an existence because of drugs or experiments… I couldn’t forgive them. No matter what, they should have left children alone. Children were not to be touched.
Was that abandoned hospital where the child who said the moonlight was beautiful stayed? Perhaps nothing was as beautiful as moonlight to that child. Thinking that made my heart ache. Even though I didn’t know the girl’s exact identity yet, I didn’t want to consider that child an enemy.
The reason truly evil people are bad is because they don’t carry out their work with their own hands alone. There are always those who are used by them. Children, people who’ve lost family, people who have loved ones, people who have something they want to protect, and so on. They cruelly threaten as if to gouge out such things, making them stain their hands with blood.
Reading the novel was painful. I wished the parts about the girl would just end. How could I keep reading? After hanging my head for a while, I finally logged back into the novel application.
The Pamundong people are flustered. Because the diameter of that gate was blocking the only passage they could use to exit the secret base.
{Hurry up! Go eliminate the gate!}
Wang Feng, Pamundong’s action leader, said. He was currently leading the executive organization. However, everyone hesitantly backed away.
“It’s Wang Feng, not Heo Juan?”
I stopped scrolling in puzzlement. Naturally, it should have been Vice Chairman Heo Juan leading Pamundong. Although the Chinese government hadn’t announced it, everyone tacitly thought he was the most likely next chairman.
He was Suo Weiqian’s first disciple and the one who most resembled Suo Weiqian. Suo Weiqian took such meticulous care of him that there were rumors he might be his hidden son.
That didn’t mean Wang Feng wasn’t impressive. He too was a representative figure of Pamundong whose name appeared only in heinous crimes.
“But why was it Wang Feng? There should have been quite a few people capable enough?”
Unable to hide my puzzlement, I scrolled down.
Wang Feng flew into a rage, but everyone shook their heads.
{We’ll, we’ll die. We’ll end up dead. We’ll die like Chairman So.}
{The Alliance Leader must have ordered it! He must have sent it in that brat’s hands! To kill us all! To take over Pamundong!}
{You idiot! Don’t speak carelessly of the Alliance Leader!}
Wang Feng, furious, struck the cheek of the person who had brought up the Alliance Leader. Then he kicked their rear and pushed them into the gate. The executives all cowered in fear, pressing their backsides flat to the ground. So that Wang Feng couldn’t kick them.
But Wang Feng pushed all those who resisted into the gate. He kept the Alliance Leader’s ring found in the deer’s eye close to his chest. There was no one in Pamundong who could refuse his command.
{Die for Pamundong!}
Wang Feng remained alone in the secret base and shouted. No sound could be heard from inside the black gate.
“What kind of power does the Alliance Leader’s ring have?”
This chapter felt like it was raising more questions than giving hints. If the ring had enough power for Wang Feng to be that confident, why didn’t Suo Weiqian bring it with him when boarding the plane? No matter what Wuxin said about being able to subdue him alone, Suo Weiqian’s body had been greatly weakened. And from the moment he stole the plane, he must have known that a collision with an SS-class esper was unavoidable.
‘Is that why he tried to return to the secret base quickly? Because he could have greater power if he possessed the Alliance Leader’s ring? What the hell is that?’
This author had a habit of omitting only the most important things. Of course, if they described it all, I wouldn’t be curious about what comes next, but they could be a bit more generous. Feeling disappointed, I organized the situation so far in my head.
Anyway, there might be a gate at the entrance to Pamundong where we’re going. In coordination with the Chinese government, the girl would visit that place before we arrived, so it would be today or tomorrow.
Couldn’t we bring the girl back? Such a hopeless thought occurred to me. Even just entering Pamundong two days from now involved many diplomatic issues. Moving up the timeline would be completely impossible.
“International diplomacy is the absolute worst. Really.”
I clicked my tongue and focused on the novel again. After that incident at Pamundong, the events before Kim Haewon came to visit me at the hospital and we reunited were unfolding.
Haewon mobilized every information source he could to investigate Garam. He was an utterly ordinary C-class guide. There were no troublesome people among his family and siblings either. Although he did get into frequent fights within the Association, they were just small scuffles between men.
Even those were mostly cases where they apologized to each other and smoothly moved on. There was nothing that would create deep resentment, and he had never harbored such things.
The point was that he was just an ordinary guide. Most of what he said also seemed to be true. Haewon showed no particular reaction. Perhaps he had already believed from some point that Garam must have told the truth, not lies.
And he soon felt relieved. Because I had now eliminated all possibilities for suspecting Garam. Of course, that didn’t mean there was proof he could be trusted either, but Haewon decided to move in the direction his heart leaned.
“He really is worrying like Kim Haewon would.”
It was a thought process he would have. Especially the part about “eliminating all possibilities for suspicion” really seemed like it could have been written by Kim Haewon himself. It must have been that difficult for him to trust me. That might be why I was even more grateful.
After that, Kim Haewon visits the Diplomatic Management Bureau for my sake. A disciplinary committee and investigation regarding me were scheduled to be held because of my remarks. There, Kim Haewon brought up the story that his information sources and Garam were sharing information. Along with fabricated materials.
“Guide Park Garam seems like a nice person but is sensitive. There’s no way he didn’t notice that he’s still being treated as a C-class guide. He must have been frustrated since I told him to never speak of it for the informant’s personal protection.”
At Haewon’s words, Director Kim Jeongseon of Diplomatic Management Department 1 nodded. Since she had made her own slip of the tongue, she didn’t nitpick. She simply said she would handle it at her level along with the materials. Haewon told her to do so and headed straight to the hospital.
To meet Garam. However, before even leaving the Esper Department, he encountered an unexpected unwelcome guest. It was Nam Ihyeon.
“Hey.”
“I didn’t think we were close enough to exchange greetings.”
“I thought the same thing. I heard only you can visit Park Garam? Why is that? Even if it’s for national security, isn’t that too much?”
At Nam Ihyeon’s words, Haewon’s expression crumpled instantly. Who are you. Why do you care. He looked exactly like he was asking that. Nam Ihyeon continued without care.
“Why don’t you talk to Hyeonseok hyung. We’ll just grab a meal together real quick and come back. Wouldn’t he get tired of constantly eating that hospital food that has no taste at all?”
Nam Ihyeon seemed to think Haewon would naturally allow it. With a stiff expression, Haewon passed him while saying:
“Mind your own business.”
“What?”
“I’ll take care of my own guide.”
“You’re talking like you take great care of him. I heard you haven’t even visited once until now? Isn’t that right?”
There were good reasons for that. But there was no reason to explain them to Nam Ihyeon. Haewon revealed his hostility toward Nam Ihyeon. Blatantly.
“Your interest is excessive.”
“Hey, Kim Haewon.”
“You’re nothing.”
Haewon ignored Nam Ihyeon widening his eyes and spewing curses and left. He didn’t want to see him any longer.
I cleared my throat at the BL-style psychological description that started again. Kim Haewon and Nam Ihyeon fighting was something that happened just from running into each other. But this description made it seem like the two were having some kind of love rivalry over me.
Without realizing it, from the position of having become the center of this cringeworthy narrative, I was utterly perplexed. And moreover, the fact that such descriptions seemed like they would continue from now on. Reading this writing made my feelings oddly flutter for no reason. Kim Haewon probably wouldn’t feel anything about it though.
After that, it depicted Kim Haewon and me reuniting at the hospital. Kim Haewon thought it was fortunate that I softened quickly even at small things. However, the problem was what I said.
When given trust, Garam quickly softened. At his appearance like a sulking small animal, Haewon felt relieved. Because he had thought they might really have a big fight in China and no longer be able to stay together. Kim Haewon realized he had been afraid.
He was afraid of growing distant from Garam, of losing Garam.
While Haewon was inwardly accepting that fact calmly, Garam, who had been continuing the conversation, suddenly asked in a flustered voice.
“Esper Kim Haewon, do you perhaps like me?”
At the expression that said he absolutely must not answer ‘yes,’ a strange defiance arose. Kim Haewon twisted his lips and said:
“Get a grip.”
It was something said out of defiance because of his pride. In truth, it wasn’t that, and he wanted to say something different.
It’s different from the actual content. I had never heard Kim Haewon tell me to get a grip. And the next paragraph gave me a huge shock.
In truth, he wanted to say, “I don’t like you yet.” That he wasn’t sure about his feelings yet. That he felt he could say it after removing all these many ‘reasons I cannot love you’ that arose in him.
I recalled what I had heard from Kim Haewon.
[I don’t like Guide Park Garam. In that sense. Not yet, it seems that’s how it is for now.]
It felt like I could vividly hear the voice in my ear. I felt my face flush bright red.
