Chapter 7 - Recruitment

* * *

* * *

"..."

Haeryeon was briefly speechless at Sinu's report.

They had rescued the hostages on the mission before they became test subjects. Not only that, they had even captured the person responsible.

She swept her hair back.

'... Hyeonyul did all this?'

Haeryeon forced her mouth shut. No Black Eagle had ever completed a first mission so perfectly while still on probation.

"He says we need to get the second location out of the villain he captured."

"Why? We've rescued the hostages."

"He says the second location brings us closer to the testing facility."

As he spoke, Sinu recalled Hyeonyul's words.

["They can't relocate the testing facility immediately. Usually, they'll destroy it or move. If there's a gas explosion or suspicious activity suggesting a move, focus your attention there."]

"Is that really true?"

"Yes. Hyeonyul told me. He says to watch for gas explosions and suspicious moving activity starting today or tomorrow."

"That's good information. Anything else to report?"

Haeryeon turned to look at Sinu. Whatever he wanted to say, he seemed quite hesitant.

"About Hyeonyul."

"What about him?"

"Is he physically fit to do this work?"

Sinu thought of the medication Hyeonyul had taken and the syringe. Test subjects were one reason villains were unwelcome everywhere.

How could anyone treat people like animals? Just thinking about what those bastards had done was sickening and horrifying.

"Hyeonyul met the special recruitment requirements, and..."

Absurdly enough, someone had proposed another vote today. She hadn't intended to agree, but now she thought she ought to use the opportunity to settle the matter once and for all. The results of this mission alone were enough.

"Today's work alone proves his strength. Was there some problem during the mission?"

"None. If anything, he was so quick it was hard to believe he was a rookie."

"Hyeonyul worked for companies run by villains. In a way, he's, hmm... a rookie with experience. The kind of candidate companies love, I suppose."

Sinu's gaze grew grave at her answer. A test subject working for a company that might have made him that way.

"Was he gaslighted?"

"First and foremost, it was probably for his medical bills. And this is only my guess, but he likely has a personal grudge, too."

"So that's why his methods were different."

"As you know, Sinu, the Black Eagles aren't here to rehabilitate villains. We're not heroes."

Some might call the Black Eagles heroes, but an organization created to erase villains from this land could never truly be heroic.

"Do I look like I'm criticizing Hyeonyul?"

"Some people will."

"The state left handling villains to individual discretion in the first place. It tolerates killing them and lets it pass, so criticizing him is ridiculous. Maybe those people need to lose their families to villains before they come to their senses."

"Still, there are lines, aren't there? Even we can't do things no human should do, like torture villains to death or use them as test subjects. We'd face even worse penalties."

The many benefits came with restrictive rules whose penalties were severe.

Sinu's eyes softened, and he nodded. The consequences were worse than one might imagine: legal repercussions as well as material compensation. Some Black Eagles had even fled to escape them.

"Even so, Team Leader, I think we should keep a close, consistent eye on Hyeonyul's health. We want him to be able to work for a long time. I'll help him, too."

Sinu spoke quite seriously. Missions mattered, but so did looking after Hyeonyul's health. If only for the sake of his medical bills, they ought to accommodate him so he could keep working longer. That was part of being a teammate.

"Of course. Do you have any idea how excited I am right now?"

Haeryeon couldn't stop smiling. She was immensely relieved that she hadn't lost Hyeonyul to Yang Dojin, Team Two's leader.

"My heart's racing, too. I can't wait to see what astonishing things he'll show us."

At Sinu's agreement, Haeryeon looked at him and held up her palm.

SMACK!

Sinu slapped his palm against hers. They understood without a word. Rookies were precious—and strong rookies were even more precious.

Smiling in satisfaction, Haeryeon and Sinu headed outside.

* * *

The moment Sinu went to report to Haeryeon, Hyeonyul used his power to eavesdrop. He thought he ought to know what they were saying, too.

There was nothing particularly unusual, but why did they keep talking about his health when they knew nothing about it? The word "long" was especially irritating.

["You'll have to work with us for a long time, won't you?"]

They reminded him of the villains who had recruited him.

Hyeonyul closed his eyes briefly and exhaled slowly.

'Don't get oversensitive.'

However hard he looked, there was no workplace better than this one. Whatever they said, he had to endure it. He had to keep enduring it here.

When Haeryeon rose from her seat, Hyeonyul lowered the hand covering his ear. He turned his head as she came outside.

"Great work, Hyeonyul."

Haeryeon gave him a friendly smile, then clapped her hands together. Smiling faces were something to be wary of, so Hyeonyul offered a faint smile in return.

"I've never seen anyone do this well on their very first mission."

"Not at all. I only did what I should."

Hoping to look dependable, Hyeonyul made his gaze as firm as he could.

"The people you and Sinu rescued are being examined now. If there's nothing wrong, we'll send them home. And I'll make sure we get that second location out of the villain you brought in."

"I don't have to do that myself?"

Hyeonyul asked in puzzlement. He had brought the man in. Surely he was the one who should take responsibility.

"That's the managers' job. There is one thing you need to do, though."

"What's that?"

"Clock out."

Haeryeon's lips curved upward. Hyeonyul's face filled with shock, as though he'd been struck by an arrow.

"Go on home first, Hyeonyul. No, let's go together. That would be better."

"... Pardon?"

"I'll show you the way."

Barely processing the rush of words, Hyeonyul lowered his gaze.

2:51 p.m.

Even looking again, he couldn't believe it.

"I'll come along, too. Time to clock out."

Sinu volunteered.

["The looks people gave me on the way here weren't friendly. Rumors about me have spread, and I wonder if people might deliberately be withholding information..."]

What Hyeonyul had said a little earlier left Sinu oddly uneasy. He intended to make it openly clear that they were both on Team Three.

When Sinu smiled, Hyeonyul looked away slightly.

'... What are they doing?'

He knew the way. Couldn't he just go back the way he'd come?

'Or is this how it's supposed to work?'

Hyeonyul swallowed his rising irritation.

There were plenty of annoyances, but a single phrase dissolved them all.

Clocking out.

For now, that was enough.

* * *

Perhaps because Team Leader Haeryeon accompanied him, the trip was so uneventful it was almost disappointing. He'd been ready to kill anyone who crossed him.

Hyeonyul sat in the empty bus, gazing out the window.

["... You took a taxi here? It's a wonder you made it. This bus is for us, so make sure you take it to and from work. Otherwise, you won't be able to get in."]

Before getting off, Sinu had explained a number of things.

["And thanks to the magic on this smartwatch and the uniform you're wearing... Oh, you've returned the uniform now. Anyway, your face appears different from your actual face, and people see things like 'Team Three' or 'Team Two.' So you don't have to worry about your real face being exposed. Oh, teammates do see one another as they really are, though."]

Learning things about the Black Eagles that he'd never known while working for villain-run companies felt like spying on their secrets.

The bus stopped. It really had brought him all the way home. Was this what employee benefits were?

'... How strange.'

How could he know when he'd never enjoyed any?

Hyeonyul got off the bus.

"Thank you for your hard work."

After greeting the driver, he looked up.

He lived in what was known as a "moon village." As he understood it, the name came from these neighborhoods usually being on hills, closer to the moon.

His medical bills were so high that paying rent as well was quite difficult. There had even been times when he'd gone hungry for days because he hadn't received the wages he was owed.

He was all right now. After killing Shin Daeho, he'd taken what he was owed from the man's account.

Hyeonyul removed his smartwatch, put it in his pocket, and thought as he followed the familiar route.

'They say Shin Daeho was such a big deal, but the villains are strangely quiet.'

The Black Eagles had been pursuing Shin Daeho. They had said he was a lead that could reveal the identity of a villain running a major corporation.

Shin Daeho had used Hyeonyul as both a bodyguard and a general errand runner, so he knew the businesses the man operated, his partner organizations, and even the people he'd met.

'There are an awful lot of them, though.'

BZZZZZ.

Hyeonyul frowned as soon as his phone buzzed. Expecting more spam, he checked it and found a text.

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Hi, Hyeonyul. Surprised to hear from me out of the blue? I wanted to give you some good news.]

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Come in the day after tomorrow, not tomorrow.]

She'd sent a dancing squirrel emoji along with it.

'...?'

For a moment, Hyeonyul felt as though everything had stopped.

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Take it easy tomorrow and just organize the information about Shin Daeho at your own pace. Submit it the day after tomorrow, and it'll count as working from home.]

Hyeonyul squeezed his eyes shut. He truly felt as though he might go mad. Did this make any sense?

'Rest? But I only started today.'

He covered his eyes for a moment. He wasn't easily shaken by most things, but this was different. He was genuinely moved.

'... She really is a good person, isn't she?'

But Hyeonyul barely managed to hold on to his reason.

'No. Are you going to get fooled again?'

He'd been just as happy the first time someone recruited him. You weren't supposed to repeat the same mistake, yet he'd repeated it so many times that he deserved to be called an idiot.

[Thank you for being considerate. I'll send it as soon as I've organized it.]

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Sure, haha! Have a great day!]

She sent a waving squirrel emoji. Hyeonyul considered what to say in reply, then gave up. He had nothing else to keep the conversation going, and this sort of exchange felt awkward.

'Do I need to... develop my social skills?'

They hadn't been particularly necessary at companies run by villains. But things were different now.

Lost in these thoughts, Hyeonyul reached a point near the top of the hill. He wasn't even out of breath. He opened the door as usual, then stopped as he stepped inside.

Of course. As if that lot would stay quiet.

"... Who are you?"

Hyeonyul turned his head back.

"Excuse me."

A man stood there.

"What do you want?"

Hyeonyul asked impassively.

"My master has taken an interest in you. In particular, my master described the way you killed Shin Daeho as absolutely magnificent."

"Ah, have you come to recruit me?"

Hyeonyul's lips curved upward.

He'd wondered where he'd seen this before. It was a very familiar sight. He also wondered how they'd known to find him here.

'Has word about me not reached them yet? Or do they know everything and they're just that shameless?'

That part left him slightly confused.

"Please contact us using this business card."

"If I do, can you honor everything I ask for?"

Hyeonyul didn't take the card the man offered. The number on it belonged to a phone registered under a false identity anyway.

"Of course."

"After being deceived several times, I've learned one thing."

The man looked at him questioningly. For the waiting man's benefit, Hyeonyul put emphasis into his voice.

"You shouldn't have anything to do with villains."

The man chuckled lightly. It sounded almost like a sneer.

"I know you've drifted from one piece of trash to another, including that scum Shin Daeho. But my master is different."

Hyeonyul considered that for a moment, then smiled. It was utter nonsense. What could possibly be different?

"All right. I suppose I can trust someone one last time."

Taking the card in his hand, he looked at the man. The corners of Hyeonyul's eyes lifted.

"Go tell your master. If it's a lie, that head is coming off."

"Thank you."

The man stepped backward with his head bowed. Watching him quietly depart, Hyeonyul looked at the card.

Ha. He felt a sigh coming on.

'Pathetic. Coating it with poison and calling it a test.'

It was ridiculous. Anyone other than him would have died from that poison. Its effects began on contact with the skin.

Hyeonyul shifted his gaze and turned toward the man who'd just visited him.

"Stop."

"Yes?"

Hyeonyul walked up to the man and grabbed him by the neck without hesitation.

"Since I didn't die, you'll have to die instead, won't you?"

He squeezed hard, tightening his grip.

"... Wh-why..."

CRACK!

With the sound of something breaking, the man went limp before he could finish speaking. Hyeonyul looked ahead. He threw the corpse aside, his lips curling upward.

"You'll have to tell your master instead. Tell them I received their poison."