It meant that MK had taken the ring. But for some reason, I felt strange. It was like they were too clearly pointing out that MK was the next target. Even in novels, when the plot develops like this, there’s always a mastermind behind it. I didn’t hide such suspicions and spoke them aloud.
“Something’s strange. We were already heading to San Francisco anyway, and now the evidence is even pointing to MK. Plus, the situation makes Akutagawa Yu even more suspicious.”
“It’s better than being scattered all over the place. It would be even better if we could get an opportunity to dismantle them like Pamundong.”
“Pamundong is being dismantled?”
When I asked in surprise, Kim Haewon continued as if it were obvious.
“There’s no choice. All the candidates who would become the next chairman are dead, and division is starting from the bottom. Espers with decent grades are moving to MK or other minor organizations.”
“Heartless bastards. But still, how can they just leave like that as soon as it’s sorted out? What about the people who settled down and live there?”
“They’ll somehow find a way to survive. Pamundong is a criminal organization. We shouldn’t sympathize with them. No matter who the target is.”
“Yes. Yes.”
I almost forgot this guy was also heartless. I thought to myself while answering half-heartedly. Kim Haewon seemed not to care much. I picked up my phone. There was a message from Nam Ihyeon.
ㄱㅊ?
What’s ㄱㅊ? After staring at it for a while, I screamed “What?” Kim Haewon asked what was wrong, but I waved my hand. Then with a face turned bright red, I moved my hands.
Are you crazy?
What are you talking about…?
Why are you suddenly looking for a pepper?
?
Nam Ihyeon sent a single question mark, then didn’t reply for a while before calling. I didn’t want to answer, but thinking I should immediately scold him for this sexual harassment, I forced myself to answer.
“Hello.”
At my stiff voice, Nam Ihyeon’s laughter continued for a long time.
― Hey, you’re really a crazy bastard.
“What? Who’s the one to talk?”
I raised my voice slightly while pressing my body close to the window side. I glanced at Kim Haewon, but he didn’t seem particularly interested. Nam Ihyeon’s laughter was too loud so I lowered the call volume.
“You know messages like this are enough evidence to turn you in, right? I’m letting it go because of our past relationship.”
I scolded him sharply while trying not to say the word ‘sexual harassment.’ Then Nam Ihyeon’s laughter grew louder. I was annoyed by his attitude showing no reflection, but I held it in. Nam Ihyeon kept laughing for a while. He acted up saying his stomach hurt from laughing so much, then suddenly blurted out.
― How does ㄱㅊ read as pepper? Are you really a pervert?
“Then what does it read as?”
― You don’t know ‘gwaenchun’? I’m asking if you’re okay.
“What?”
At my flustered voice, Nam Ihyeon burst into laughter again. Nam Ihyeon muttered “This is completely crazy, really” while cackling. My face turned red enough to burst. Because I hadn’t even thought it could be an abbreviation for “are you okay.”
While guys talk a lot with such abbreviations amongst themselves, I had mainly conducted formal conversations with people I met officially at the Guide Bureau, so I’d never conversed with such abbreviations.
― What on earth are you thinking about me that that word immediately pops out?
“What are you talking about! What kind of thoughts would I have!”
― See. See. People who feel guilty always raise their voice first.
Nam Ihyeon teased me as if he’d caught something. I smacked my forehead and continued.
“No, I mean, who told you to send it like that? You confused me first.”
― No, who gets confused by this?
“Me, me.”
― That’s why I’m saying you’re weird.
“Ah, what do you want me to do. Did you call to tease me? I’m on a mission right now. I’m hanging up.”
Embarrassed, my words got faster too. I spat out rapid-fire rap and tried to hang up. Then Nam Ihyeon asked why I was like this while laughing again. Back then he left while frowning all kinds of ways, but now his mood seemed better.
― So is your body pepper and okay?
“Hey!”
When I screamed loudly, Kim Haewon looked at me once. I bowed my head slightly as if apologizing, stuck to the window, and continued the call.
― Seems like you’re not pepper okay. That’s serious. You should be pepper pepper.
“Let’s meet when we get to Korea, really.”
― What, my ㄱㅊ?
“Ah, really!”
Having caught something to tease about, Nam Ihyeon kept teasing me. I completely lowered my voice and whispered.
“Can you really strip someone’s pants on the main street?”
― Well, I’m confident.
“Crazy bastard! You’re just betting, aren’t you?”
At Nam Ihyeon’s voice showing no embarrassment at all, just as I was about to pour out something in a rush, the phone in my hand moved away. Before I could go “Huh?”, the phone was at Kim Haewon’s ear.
“It’s guiding time. I’m hanging up.”
He hung up the phone, then pressed and held the power button. The phone company’s logo appeared and it completely turned off. I scratched the back of my head while reading the room. Kim Haewon placed the phone on his side and looked at me.
“I-I’m sorry for being noisy. Nam Ihyeon Esper was playing a prank…”
“Why would he play such a prank?”
“What? You heard?”
“Did you forget I’m an esper? Or are you pretending to forget? No matter how much you lower it, everything is audible at this distance.”
Kim Haewon said in a voice full of displeasure. And rightfully so. In a hair-trigger situation where war could break out between countries, it could look like I was giggling about peppers. I had nothing to say even with ten mouths.
“Well, it wasn’t on purpose… Nam Ihyeon Esper asked about my well-being, and there was a brief error in communication so that word…”
“Why did you say you’d strip Nam Ihyeon Esper’s pants?”
“Th-that’s because he kept teasing me, so I was threatening him too.”
“Nam Ihyeon Esper reacted as if he’d been waiting for it. Do you usually have calls like this?”
At Kim Haewon’s interrogating tone, my shoulders narrowed further. I mumbled and continued.
“No. We don’t usually have such vulgar conversations. But he sent a message with only initial consonants first, making it confusing…”
“Isn’t it a problem that could be solved by not contacting him in the first place?”
“What?”
The direction the conversation jumped to was strange. Of course, I was sorry for having such a trivial conversation in this situation, but it wasn’t a reason to cut off contact. I scratched my head again and opened my mouth.
“I’ll be careful from now on. Especially in front of Kim Haewon Esper, things like phone calls… I forgot that espers are sensitive to senses. Especially Kim Haewon Esper has a high grade so you’d be even more sensitive…”
“So there’s no problem as long as you’re careful in front of me?”
Despite me speaking with consideration, Kim Haewon answered in an angrier voice. Now even I was starting to not understand. Was there a need to be this angry?
‘It’s not like Kim Haewon chartered this private plane alone! Can’t I make a phone call?’
When I opened my eyes defiantly, Kim Haewon looked at me with an expression like he couldn’t stand it anymore. His rather fiercely opened eyes were scary enough to make me avoid his gaze. I looked at the side of Kim Haewon’s hair while opening my mouth. Still, I had to say what needed to be said.
“No, I can make a phone call with a friend. Just because you heard it a bit doesn’t mean you should catch me like catching a mouse, right?”
“Friend? Since when were you friends with Nam Ihyeon Esper?”
“When you work on missions together like this and that, you become colleagues and friends.”
“I don’t.”
So what about it? I met the gaze I had slightly avoided out of fear again. As the top of my head started to slowly spin, the scared feeling was disappearing.
“What do you want me to do? Not everyone can be like Kim Haewon Esper. At least I’m not!”
“Even though I dislike it this much?”
“If I look closely, you tend to try to remake me to your taste, and that’s very dangerous. While coordination for work is necessary, it’s a bit much to interfere with private relationships too!”
I completely regained control of the conversation and spoke confidently. Kim Haewon’s eyes were colder than ever.
“So, you’re going to continue this vulgar contact in the future?”
“Vulgar? Today’s content was a bit like that, but… sometimes friends play rough pranks.”
“Friend? Do you even know how Nam Ihyeon Esper sees Park Garam-ssi?”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Is Nam Ihyeon Esper going around talking behind my back?”
I said while refining my sharp question. There must be a reason for Kim Haewon’s rampage. Of course, if it was the Nam Ihyeon I’d seen until now, he would curse openly to your face rather than talk behind your back.
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“No… I’m asking because I don’t know?”
Isn’t asking when you already know too infuriating? I raised both hands as if to show my innocence. I really didn’t know. There was no way for me to know what the Esper Department people were chattering about amongst themselves. At my expression, Kim Haewon went “Ha!” as if dumbfounded, then stood up from his seat.
“C-can you just stand up on the plane like that?”
I slightly shrank my body, startled by Kim Haewon’s suddenly much larger height. Then Kim Haewon looked down at me and said.
“Nam Ihyeon Esper is interested in Park Garam-ssi.”
“He would be. After all, our matching rate is high, and we’ve experienced several incidents together.”
“Are you stupid?”
“What? Why are you suddenly cursing?”
“Not that kind of interest, but a different kind of interest.”
Interest. Different interest. Interest? Having gained enlightenment, I opened my eyes wide and looked at Kim Haewon. Kim Haewon let out a hollow laugh as if absurd.
