Chapter 43 - Unlocked

* * *

Jeongmin felt a strange, oppressive weight bearing down on him.

In a world where most people possessed some measure of power, great or small, the Black Eagles were practically a symbol of strength. The best of the best. That description was hardly wrong.

Then what sort of person would a Team Leader of the Black Eagles be?

"I'm here. What brings you here?" Hyeonyul answered.

Juhyeon, who had been peering inside, spoke as soon as she spotted him.

"What? You're hurt?"

Jeongmin tactfully stepped aside, and Juhyeon smiled at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced. It was urgent."

"Not at all."

Jeongmin shook his head, and her smile lingered.

Just as there were people who praised the Black Eagles, there were also people who feared them. Countless complaints had been filed, asking how they were any different from villains and why they alone received special treatment.

But the fear Jeongmin displayed before her was different. It was fear born of wanting to protect someone.

"Doctor, there's no need to be so frightened. I'm not here to scold Seo Hyeonyul or find fault with him."

As though she had guessed correctly, a relieved smile appeared on Jeongmin's lips as soon as she finished.

"Is he badly hurt?" Juhyeon asked him.

"No. It's only..."

"Yes. He's suffered some injuries."

Jeongmin cut Hyeonyul off. The patient ought to sit quietly. What was he chattering for?

'... Hmm. The Bomber's bombs really are different. They even managed to injure that recruit.'

Juhyeon found the situation rather remarkable.

Who was the Bomber? A completely deranged villain. Unlike other villains, the Bomber had no interest in expanding a power base, only an obsession with playing games with them.

Judging by the behavior, there was no word for it other than play. The consequences, however, were another matter.

Whenever the Bomber appeared, countless casualties followed. An entire apartment complex had once collapsed.

They did not even know what the Bomber looked like, and with no organization to trace, pursuit was all the harder. The goal was always to play, and nothing else.

'They said there were no casualties this time.'

Juhyeon gazed steadily at Hyeonyul. Perhaps this incident had caught the Bomber's fancy. From that villain's perspective, it might seem like finding an entertaining doll.

Whatever else happened, she hoped nothing so dreadful would come to pass.

"The Poison King's phone has been unlocked."

"It's unlocked?"

"Yes. Tell Haeryeon Unni when your treatment is finished. I'll come over."

"Oh..."

Hyeonyul remembered something he had forgotten.

"Oh? You... Don't tell me you haven't told Unni you're hurt?"

"I haven't."

Hyeonyul rubbed his eyebrow. He did not understand why he needed to tell her he was injured. He simply could not get used to procedures like this.

"... Do you know how scary Unni is when she's angry? Tell her right away."

"I will."

"And get well soon."

"Thank you."

"I say that to plenty of people besides you, so don't be too touched."

"I won't."

At his reply, Juhyeon gave a brief laugh and turned away. She immediately began fiddling with her phone, then lowered it for a moment to say goodbye to Jeongmin.

"I'll be going, then, Doctor."

"Yes, yes. Take care."

Juhyeon gave him a bright smile. Only after the door closed did Jeongmin rub his chest in relief.

"What's wrong? She wasn't showing any killing intent."

"... Well, you don't often get to see someone at Team Leader level."

"I see one every time I come to work."

"She's your Team Leader. I mean the others."

"There's the leader of Team Two, Yang Dojin. Wherever I look, he's there."

"What? Wait, a Team Leader is... following you around?"

"Not quite. I don't see him when I go home. He seems to want me on his team."

Hyeonyul smiled ever so slightly. Seeing his quiet pride, Jeongmin was about to laugh in disbelief when something suddenly occurred to him.

"... Home!"

"Yes?"

"You said you found a place? Are you sure it's a good one? Why didn't you call me?"

"The Team Leader assigned someone to help me. I simply followed them, looked around, and listened to the explanation. It seemed fine, so I chose it."

It sounded a little as though he had been swept along, but Jeongmin was relieved to hear that his Team Leader had assigned someone to help.

Hyeonyul was not particularly good at managing everyday life. For instance, he paid little attention even to something as basic as needing to buy clothes. He knew it intellectually, but it always got pushed aside by things that interested him or took higher priority.

Perhaps it was inevitable, given that indifference was his default state.

"As long as you like it. When are you moving? I'll help."

"It's all right. I can do it myself."

"I want to see the place."

"... I'll let you know when the date is set."

"Good. Make sure you do."

Jeongmin set up an IV in Hyeonyul's arm and rose from his seat.

"Doctor."

"What is it?"

"There are still many things I don't understand."

"If you don't know, you can start learning now."

Hyeonyul smiled at his answer. Drugs had damaged the circuitry in his brain. Jeongmin knew better than anyone that, no matter what he did, he could not think the way other people did. Yet he never said so.

"This will sting."

Jeongmin showed him a thick syringe. The needle went into Hyeonyul's abdomen, leaving a strange, lingering sensation.

"Doctor."

"What is it?"

"During a mission, when I have to choose between two people, whom should I choose first?"

"So that's why you've been looking glum."

"I don't know what feeling glum is."

"All right, let's say that's true. Usually, at times like that, you just do what you feel like doing."

"Why?"

"Because you'll get criticized no matter what you choose. So doing what you want gives you a little more peace of mind."

Hyeonyul furrowed his brow. Do what he wanted? That was far too difficult a suggestion.

"Then choose the one who speaks more politely."

"Is that allowed?"

"I told you, you'll get criticized anyway. If you're going to choose, you might as well choose whichever benefits you."

"Then may I pretend not to know about the situation at all, so I don't have to make a choice?"

"... Hmm."

Jeongmin considered it for a moment. The complexity of emotions was difficult for Hyeonyul. He preferred dividing people into those he should kill and those he must not kill.

"... If you don't get caught?"

"Understood."

Only then did Hyeonyul nod, as though he had found a solution. Seeing how relieved he looked, Jeongmin hesitated for no particular reason.

'... It'll be all right, won't it?'

After all, Hyeonyul was a clever boy.

* * *

BANG!

Hyeonyul stopped halfway into the room, startled by the sound of a hand slamming onto the desk.

"Oh, Team Leader, calm down. You're startling Hyeonyul."

Sinu tried to restrain Haeryeon.

"Hyeonyul. Why did I have to receive your report later than Team Leader Juhyeon?"

Haeryeon held her breath for a moment.

"I'm sorry. It was my oversight."

As Hyeonyul bowed his head, Haeryeon pressed a hand to her forehead. The back of her neck tightened.

"You don't have to bow your head."

"I don't?"

"Of course not. I nearly assigned your next mission without even knowing what had happened."

"That would be fine. There's still time before my shift ends—"

"Hyeonyul. No."

Haeryeon was firm.

People were not tools. If they were injured, they needed rest.

The mission he had just completed had not been easy, either. Not only had it required specialized skills, but his opponent had been no ordinary villain. It had been the Bomber. And now she learned he had even been injured, without her knowing.

She had been relieved to hear he was back. Since Hyeonyul always visited Jeongmin after missions, she had assumed today was no different.

"I'm sorry if I startled you by hitting the desk earlier."

"I wasn't startled."

His expression did not change.

"He certainly doesn't look it."

At Sinu's remark, Haeryeon narrowed her eyes. Suddenly feeling the menace directed at them, Sinu turned to Hyeonyul.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"Hyeonyul. I receive reports, you know."

Haeryeon sounded incredulous. She knew his condition perfectly well, yet his face did not so much as twitch.

"It's not serious enough to require a blood transfusion."

"It does say you lost a considerable amount of blood."

"That's because my bleeding doesn't stop easily. I'll be fine again tomorrow, so..."

"... Team Leader. I think we need to send him home right away."

Sinu's expression changed completely. Injuries, large and small, were routine, and Sinu had assumed that if he could walk, it couldn't be too serious. That assumption had been wrong.

Why was there even talk of a transfusion?

"I'm so pleased to be getting to know you better and better, Hyeonyul."

Contrary to her words, the corners of Haeryeon's eyes angled upward.

She had wondered why Jeongmin had added that note at the end of the report. It really had been necessary.

—P.S. Hyeonyul prioritizes missions over his own health. Please keep a close eye on him.

Haeryeon wanted to let out a sigh right then. She had known it was a difficult mission, but she had not expected him to be injured.

This was her fault.

"Hyeonyul, would you like tomorrow off?"

Shouldn't he rest? But judging by how he was still insisting he was fine, she wasn't sure he would. He had also said he didn't need time off to move, since he had no belongings.

At her question, Hyeonyul's eyes shifted.

After all this, you want time off?

That was how it sounded to him. Was she disappointed?

"No. I'm fine."

'... He's refusing to rest, just as I thought.'

Haeryeon pondered what to do.

"Then I'll assign you different missions starting tomorrow."

"...?"

Hyeonyul's eyes widened. Was he being sidelined?

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Sinu reacted strongly in turn.

"Am I being sidelined...?" Hyeonyul asked hesitantly.

"Sidelined?"

Haeryeon was startled. What on earth was going through his mind?

"No. That's not it, Hyeonyul. It's only temporary. I'm switching you to easier missions until your injuries have fully healed."

"There's no need to do that."

Haeryeon's actions themselves seemed strange to him. Wasn't assigning him easy missions beneath his abilities the very definition of sidelining him?

How was it any different from what people did after working someone hard, just before throwing them away?

BANG!

Hyeonyul reacted to the sudden sound and looked at Haeryeon.

"Don't spiral into dark thoughts, Hyeonyul. You're a person, not a tool. When you're hurt, you need rest. That's how it should be, but since you don't want to rest, I'm moving you to easier missions for a little while. Do you understand?"

"... Yes."

He answered hesitantly. It felt rather like being scolded by Jeongmin.

Only at his answer did Haeryeon smile.

"I'm glad."

"It's all right, Hyeonyul. It happens. This is all new to you, so it can happen."

Sinu comforted him while holding back laughter.

Apparently, because this was so different from what Hyeonyul had experienced before, his thoughts had gone in quite the wrong direction. Very wrong indeed.

How often did he spiral into thoughts like that? For some reason, the idea made Sinu laugh.

"Hyeonyul. The Team Leader isn't giving you special treatment. She does this for all of us. You don't have to feel burdened."

"... She does?"

"Yes. This is just the basic standard."

Sinu nodded and looked at him. He still seemed not to understand.

Still chuckling, Sinu rose.

"Then I'll head out on my mission. See you tomorrow, Hyeonyul."

After saying goodbye to Haeryeon and Hyeonyul, Sinu left the room.

"I'd like to send you home right now, but Team Leader Juhyeon apparently has something to tell us. Could you wait a little?"

"She said she'd unlocked the Poison King's phone."

"... The Poison King's phone?"

"Yes. That's what she said."

"... That's big."

Haeryeon let out a long breath. How nice it would have been if this were something minor, so Hyeonyul could go home with peace of mind.

"Yes, Juhyeon. You can come over."

Haeryeon contacted Juhyeon.

* * *

"... Unni. I unlocked the Poison King's phone."

"I heard."

At Haeryeon's reply, Juhyeon immediately glared at Hyeonyul.

"Team Leader Juhyeon, that's a nasty look you've got there."

"I didn't think he'd blurt it all out like that."

"You didn't say it was a secret."

"... Pfft."

Haeryeon burst out laughing.

"... Unni."

"Hyeonyul's right about that. You should have told him it was a secret."

As Haeryeon spoke, struggling to contain her laughter, Juhyeon narrowed her eyes.

"Anyway, we found records of his business contacts."

"Can you trace them?"

"We're tracing them now."

"There were plenty of conversations, too, but this is the most suspicious one."

Juhyeon held out the phone.

[... Yes. You must do as you wish.]

[You must. I will give everything I have to help you make it happen.]

[I am yours.]

Everyone fell silent after reading the messages.

"I don't know who he sent them to. I suppose you could say the data's corrupted. It'll take some time to restore it, but this is what matters."

Juhyeon tapped the message.

"... There's someone behind the Poison King?"

Juhyeon nodded at Haeryeon's response.

"That's right. Someone ranks above even a major figure like the Poison King."

"That's impossible," Hyeonyul denied.

"Right?"

The corners of Juhyeon's lips rose. She had been thinking the same thing.

"It makes no sense. That villain, the Poison King, serving someone else."

As she spoke, Juhyeon looked at Haeryeon. Haeryeon's expression hardened.

"... This isn't good."

This was something that could shake the entire villain ecosystem. With the Poison King gone and all manner of villains flooding in from every direction, it was clear he had ruled this area.

Fortunately, Hyeonyul's abilities had been a bad matchup for him. Otherwise, they could never have captured him. Dozens had died even while he was being transferred to the special prison for criminals.

And someone ranked above a man like that.

"May I go and see him?" Hyeonyul asked quietly.

A villain following someone else? Such a thing should not be possible.

Just as Juhyeon and Haeryeon feared, something strange was happening.