044 – Yining
The stab wounds on my abdomen and thigh throbbed painfully with every step I took.
When I was fighting the class president, adrenaline surged through me, letting me forget the pain. But now that the fight was over and my body had returned to normal, the pain clung to me like a creditor.
“Namjin, is it alright for you to be moving already?”
As I exited the infirmary into the hallway, Geum Tae-sung was waiting for me. He scrutinized my complexion from all angles before placing a hand on my shoulder.
“I can heal your wounds.”
Geum Tae-sung was our team’s healer. I often wondered how he ended up in that position, but now finally seemed to be the moment to find out.
“How do you heal it?”
“My ability is called ‘Reversal.’ I can exchange conditions with whoever I touch.”
Ssssss—.
A faint light emitted from Geum Tae-sung’s palm, and the pain that had plagued my stomach and thigh vanished as if washed away.
“Che, cool, isn’t it?”
An ability that could transfer wounds from one person to another, or vice versa—a truly fitting use of the concept of reversal.
As I marveled at this miraculous feat, Geum Tae-sung wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
“Ow, it’s more painful than I thought—.”
Thud—.
Geum Tae-sung dropped to his knees.
“Ugh, how do you even plan to move around in this condition?”
“Pain is something I’m used to. Tae-sung, thanks to you, I’ve witnessed something remarkable. But, please, return my injuries to me. I can’t pass off my own pain to someone else.”
“But—.”
“A person needs to affirm and love themselves. Even these wounds and pains are part of ‘me’ that I need to cherish.”
Geum Tae-sung frowned as if he couldn’t comprehend my lofty ideals, perhaps due to the pain. I helped him up by grabbing his hand, and reluctantly, he reversed the pain back to me.
“…Man, you’re really unimpressed.”
“Don’t lose heart. It’s just that I’m too cool.”
Though my stomach and thigh ached again, it was manageable. In fact, the moderate pain felt like it woke up my mind, which had been dormant just moments ago.
“Tae-sung, I have something for you. Someone told me to give this to you.”
I handed Geum Tae-sung the cross necklace I received from the Billernoz girl. As he took it, his complexion turned paler than when he had taken on my pain.
I’ve never seen him this flustered.
“Who gave this?”
“A girl who looks like a mental patient. Tae-sung, you sure attract strange girls. I get it, though. I have my share of popularity with girls, too.”
Geum Tae-sung stood there staring at the cross necklace for a while. Just as I was thinking about leaving him behind, he spoke from behind me.
“Namjin, you made it sound like my ability is extraordinary, but it has many limitations. I can only exchange states between Awakened Ones.”
That concluded our conversation.
I headed to the “Special Detention Facility” located in the basement of Yeongsa High School.
#
“Hanamjin!”
“Friend! Are you okay!”
“…”
In front of the “Special Detention Facility,” my friends who didn’t leave any leftovers were gathered. They came close, encircling me to assess my condition—it seemed like they had much to say to me. Especially Bangdaengi.
“I captured the class president! Pretty impressive, huh!”
They said Bangdaengi had the most significant contribution during this arrest. He was the one who tied up the president with ropes.
Life is full of surprises.
Passing by my friends, I descended into the basement. There, I found a detention area enclosed by a sturdy, transparent acrylic wall. Captain and Chief Gim Jang-dong were having a conversation nearby, but noticing me, the captain spoke first.
“Hanamjin, you don’t have to push yourself.”
“But that guy said he’ll only talk to me.”
I was curious about what the president wanted to tell me.
Thus, I approached the detention area where the president was held and through the transparent wall, I saw him restrained like a lunatic.
From just yesterday afternoon, the president, once popular with everyone, was now being treated like Hannibal the cannibalistic serial killer!
“Hey.”
The president greeted me casually, as if meeting an old friend.
“Hit the power save button on your smartwatch. It’ll disable its functions for ten minutes. Our conversation could cause unnecessary trouble for both you and me before then. No talks until you do.”
Trapped like a rat, yet he asks for much.
Click.
I turned off the smartwatch, and then the president smirked behind his mask.
“Alright. Let me cut to the chase. The school won’t announce that they’ve captured the Judge.”
“What?”
“It’s because I’m young and good-looking; there might be people who sympathize with me. They’re going to bury this. Until everyone forgets.”
Though it seemed the president might be suffering from paranoia, when I thought it through, his words had some truth to them.
The Judge was once an elite and a D-Class president with a face as handsome as Hanamjin, and well-liked by many—
—the son of a high-ranking prosecutor who inevitably became an embodiment of private sanctions. It would be a story that could excite the masses.
“Perhaps they’ll announce some imbecile as the ‘Judge’ to mock. But that’s impossible. I already have the perfect successor.”
“Who?”
“You, Hanamjin. Continue my work. You’re the only one who can. You and I are the same. You’re more than qualified and motivated. With you, I can rest easy.”
President Jeong Yi-seon, the serial killer Judge, must have felt some similarity in me.
We faced each other across the thick acrylic wall.
From our handsome appearances to our eloquence and popularity, there was no point where we didn’t resemble each other. It was as if I were looking into a mirror!
If there had been even one different decision in my life, there would have been nothing strange about me being in his place instead of him, trapped there.
“Hanamjin, maybe now it’s something only you can do. I told you about who benefited the most from the N-Mart fire.”
“Who?”
“The Seonam Group, of course. The fire triggered public fear and gave momentum to the inhumane ‘Awakened Ones Regulation Bill.’ It must have all gone according to the ruling party’s and Seonam Group’s plans.”
“Planned? Are you saying a company intentionally set fire to their store?”
“I can’t tell you the details. If I did, you and I would certainly d*e. Dying isn’t scary, but I still have things to do.”
“Locked up here, doesn’t leave you much to do besides eating and defecating.”
“If you go to my ‘secret hideout,’ you’ll find out various things. Here is the coordinate.”
After providing the coordinates, the president clammed up. The power to my smartwatch soon returned.
“What did you talk about? Can you explain why you did those things?”
When I emerged from the basement, Chief Gim Jang-dong was curious about my conversation with the president. By his side, Officer Jin Ramyeon was standing ominously, watching my lips.
“He was just insane.”
I decided to vaguely make something up. If there was any connection between the Seonam Group and the ruling party involved in this incident, I couldn’t risk revealing it.
“Boy, if you’re lying, I won’t let you off easily.”
“Ryehya, that’s enough. We shouldn’t trouble a person who’s injured and in pain. Go home and rest.”
Chief Gim Jang-dong stood in defense of me against Officer Jin Ramyeon. Because of that, I could return home.
I should probably head to the coordinates mentioned by the president.
“…”
Fortunately, the Judge’s hideout coordinates weren’t far from Moro’s abandoned factory, saving me some time.
A rusty container warehouse.
Inside, there were numerous photos and documents, all containing important information, it seemed.
However, my legs kept losing strength and my vision blurred. When I touched my forehead, it was burning with fever.
“Late.”
Seugal decided not to hold back today.
The male student came home too late.
She was hungry and bored.
When the male student arrives, she’ll scratch him with her sharpened nails.
Making that resolution, she heard the iron gate open.
“Hey, do you know what time it is?”
“Don’t.”
“What? Are you defying me right now, you little—?”
Swish—. Seugal grabbed his wrist but quickly let go in surprise.
“What is it? Why’s your body so hot—?”
“Seugal, you—”
The male student seemed to want to say something, then thud—, collapsed. He must have lost consciousness due to a high fever.
“Hmph.”
Seugal lay the male student down on the mattress and placed the cool Yining on his forehead to bring down the heat.
“Is it normal for a kidnapper to be this negligent? And why do I have to clean up after you? I’ve been hungry since last night.”
Being truly famished, Seugal decided it was time to eat the lunchbox and opened the male student’s bag.
Ziiik—.
As she rummaged through the male student’s bag, Seugal’s face turned ashen like a falling leaf.
“Awakening Information Registration Act: Corporate Estimated Profit Report”
“Second Awakening Variable Control – New Sprouts Orphanage”
Somehow, confidential documents from Seonam Group were in Hanamjin’s bag.
‘Classified 0 Level documents in his hands? Could the company have approached him? No, they wouldn’t just hand over such documents. Then how…?’
Curious, Seugal tampered with the male student’s smartwatch to check the GPS locations he had visited. She discovered he had stopped at suspicious places before heading home from school.
“Close by.”
Crack, clang—!
Seugal used her strength on her restraints, snapping the iron chains binding her limbs with a pang.
After quickly stepping out of the basement without hesitation,
Seonam Group must’ve had limited ‘time’ if they came into contact with the boy, she couldn’t afford to question things now.
Whoosh—.
The smell and the wind of the outside world were unusually refreshing after so long, but Seugal didn’t let herself indulge in that feeling. She ran towards the GPS coordinates.
Soon, she found an abandoned wrecked car depot and a decrepit container warehouse.
Klink, creak—. Entering the warehouse, numerous documents and pictures were scattered around. Among them, Seugal’s eyes caught an oddly familiar photo.
“N-Mart Parking Lot: Mysterious Woman, 1 hour before arson.”
The photo was of a woman exiting the large mart’s underground parking area. It was unclear as if printed off CCTV footage; she wore a cap that obscured her face with a mask too, but Seugal recognized her instantly.
‘I should destroy this picture right away!’
After about an hour had passed,
Seugal returned to her basement, restoring the chains on her hands and feet through the concept of ‘Restoration.’
As if nothing had happened.
As if she’d never left this place.
Throughout this entire process, the peculiar cloud creature, Yining, hovering nearby, emitted a curious wail towards Seugal.
—Yiningyaying.
“Yining, you didn’t see anything. If you tell Hanamjin what just happened, you know the consequences, right? If you understood me, say ‘Ing.'”
044 – Yining
END
