Chapter 11 : Do you know what a leech is (3)

Episode 11. Do You Know What a Leech Is? (3)

“Hyung, wait a moment.”

Sunwoo stopped Jisung, who was about to leave immediately. When Jisung turned with a questioning look, Sunwoo said, “Let’s go together.”

“Together?”

“Yes.”

“You just got back from a mission, you must be tired. Wouldn’t it be better to rest a bit?”

As much as Jisung had persistently followed the Center Director, Sunwoo had covered for him as a Guide. Of course, he wasn’t a compatible match for Hyunwoo, so he couldn’t provide proper care, but that didn’t change the fact that he had worked hard.

Having cared for two Espers, Sunwoo’s fatigue level would also be high. But Sunwoo shook his head, his face impassive.

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you going alone, Hyung.”

“I’m fine.”

“The Center Director is a slippery and dangerous person, like an eel. There’s no telling what he’ll do if things go wrong.”

Jisung finally nodded at Sunwoo’s determined gaze.

‘I feel sorry for dragging him into something I started.’

“You don’t need to feel sorry, Hyung.”

“Huh?! Did I say that out loud?”

Sunwoo replied, “No,” to the startled Jisung.

“It’s just all over your face.”

“Ah, really?”

Jisung touched his cheek. ‘Is it that obvious on my face?’ He frowned, pouting his lips, then shrugged. What mattered now wasn’t maintaining a poker face. Jisung looked at Hyunwoo. Worry still filled Hyunwoo’s eyes. Jisung smiled brighter than usual to reassure him.

“I’ll be back!”

“Okay, take care.”

Hyunwoo smiled faintly and waved.

“Should I call a taxi?”

“I already called one.”

As Sunwoo said, a taxi was parked in front of the Center. Jisung’s eyes widened. Since when? It was Yuaan who answered his bewildered look.

“I called it. It would take time to catch a taxi.”

“You’ve got good sense, thank you!”

“Seeing as he went to his regular place, it seems like he’s meeting someone important… Are you really going to be okay? He’s going to be furious.”

“The more furious he is, the more effective it’ll be. Even people who usually don’t know shame and act out get embarrassed in these situations, especially in front of their lover. It’s from experience, you can trust me.”

Yuaan looked incredibly reassured by Jisung’s thumbs-up and smile.

“Well then, we’re off!”

“Hyung.”

“Hmm?”

Hyunwoo grabbed Jisung’s hand as he was about to leave.

“If you think it might be dangerous, be sure to contact me. I’ll come running right away.”

Espers’ free actions were strictly controlled. This was even more severe for higher-ranking Espers, and Hyunwoo, an S-Rank Esper, was prohibited from any free action outside of missions. He could only go out with a Guide and with the Center Director’s permission.

Despite this, Hyunwoo was saying he would ignore such rules and come running to Jisung immediately.

“Okay, I understand.”

Jisung squeezed Hyunwoo’s hand. “I’ll definitely contact you, so don’t worry.” Hyunwoo also smiled gently at Jisung’s bright smile.

“Please take us here.”

Sunwoo, settled in the taxi, showed his phone with the destination displayed to the taxi driver. The taxi started immediately. Through the Center’s glass window, they could see Hyunwoo and Yuaan watching them. Jisung waved his hand to reassure them.

‘I will definitely get a normal schedule!’ Jisung clenched his fist. He vowed to get them a sufficient vacation to make up for how unfairly they had been overworked.

The taxi, which had been driving nonstop, came to a halt. After paying the fare and getting out, they saw a Japanese-style building. Jisung lowered his gaze to the sign placed in front of the wooden door. ‘Tokyo Sashimi.’ The words were written in both Japanese and Korean.

‘It’s Korea, but it’s Tokyo…’

“Well, it’s possible.”

“What is?”

“Oh, nothing. More importantly, it seems like this place is reservation-only.”

Jisung frowned, watching people check reservation details at the door. ‘I guess I can’t just sneak in and eat sashimi. Do I have to wait until he comes out? Then the impact will be weaker…’ Jisung stroked his chin with a disappointed expression.

“Aren’t you going in?”

“Huh?”

Sunwoo strode confidently towards the restaurant.

‘We don’t have a reservation, though?’

Jisung, flustered, scurried after Sunwoo. A restaurant employee spotted them and greeted them with a smile.

“Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, Kim Hosung.”

‘Who is Kim Hosung?’

Sunwoo uttered a name he had never heard before. The employee checking the reservation list then smiled and nodded.

“Reservation for two, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Please come in.”

As the two entered the restaurant, another employee appeared and guided them. Following the employee, Jisung whispered to Sunwoo.

“Who is Kim Hosung?”

“It’s an alias. I just used whatever name came to mind.”

“When did you make the reservation?”

“I asked Yuaan-hyung.”

“To make a reservation?”

“To hack in.”

“…I see.”

‘That’s possible.’

Yuaan’s ability was to freely manipulate networks. It wasn’t a combat-specialized ability like Hyunwoo’s, but he could access anything from trivial information to state secrets in the vast ocean of the internet, hack into systems, and cause chaos if he put his mind to it.

It was thanks to Yuaan that they had found the Center Director’s location. With the location tracking system planted on his phone, they could easily track his real-time location.

Yuaan’s ability was the most advantageous and dangerous in the current era, so only the S-Team members, the Center Director, and a few high-ranking officials knew about it. It was kept secret externally because there was nothing to gain from other countries knowing.

It wasn’t particularly suspicious, as Yuaan wasn’t the only Esper who hid his abilities.

“Being with you, Hyung, I feel like I’m doing things I never expected.”

“Hmm?”

“I never dreamed I’d be tailing the Center Director.”

“Well, it’s not really tailing… it’s tracking. Yes, tracking. Like police and criminals. Of course, we’re the police.”

Sunwoo chuckled softly at Jisung’s words.

“This is the third time Yuaan-hyung has used his ability of his own will.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Yes. Other than using it because of me, he’s never used it for personal reasons.”

Sunwoo nodded.

“Yuaan-hyung… Hyunwoo-hyung too, they’ve been at the Center since they were little, you know.”

“Yeah…”

“So they got used to receiving orders. They followed everything they were told to do, everything they were forbidden from doing. Because those things were normal to them. The Center strictly forbade Yuaan-hyung from using his ability for anything other than orders, fearing he might rebel. If he was caught using his ability…”

Sunwoo’s expression darkened. Anger flickered in his eyes. His tightly closed lips opened after a moment.

“They punished him horribly. For a young kid, that memory became a source of terror, and he couldn’t even use his own abilities as he wished.”

Fingernails dug into palms. The more he learned, the more outrageous it was. The Center that committed such acts without a second thought, and this country that condoned it. And he, people, had been continuously protected without knowing any of the suffering these individuals endured.

The media taught nothing. The news always portrayed Espers as heroes and made their fight against terrorists seem like a matter of course. And all the Espers’ achievements were claimed by the state. All thanks to the state’s systematic management of Espers, they said.

‘Is this really enough? Just adjusting the schedule, getting a vacation, making such a fuss about it… The really important problems are separate…’

“What you’re doing isn’t trivial, Hyung.”

“Huh?”

“What you’re trying to do is correct the injustices committed by the Center. It’s not trivial. It’s a big deal.”

“…I didn’t say that out loud, did I?”

“It’s all over your face.”

Jisung touched his cheek.

‘No, no matter how I think about it, I don’t think I’m the problem. Could Sunwoo be a Sentinel too? Like a mind reader?’

“I don’t have telepathy.”

“Liar!”

“Shh.”

Seeing Jisung about to shout, Sunwoo brought a finger to his lips. Jisung’s brow furrowed. He felt wronged somehow, but he closed his mouth.

“…So, where is the Center Director?”

“Just a moment.”

Sunwoo looked at his phone. Soon, a message arrived from Yuaan.

“He said it’s the room straight to the right from where we are. Second to last.”

Jisung peeked his head out of the room they were guided to.

“That way?”

“Yes.”

Confirming there were no staff around, Jisung came out of the room. He put his shoes back on and slowly walked in the direction Yuaan had indicated. Second to last on the right… As he got closer, he felt the surroundings becoming quieter. It seemed they had deliberately chosen an inner room with fewer people.

Jisung’s steps halted. He confirmed the shoes neatly placed in front of the door and looked up. Those shoes were the ones the Center Director was wearing today. When Jisung gestured that this was the place, Sunwoo nodded. “What are you going to do?” a small voice asked. Jisung, keeping an eye on the situation inside the room, replied in an equally small voice.

“Of course, we have to join them. Very naturally, as if the Center Director invited us.”

Jisung grinned mischievously. He was about to go straight in. But at that moment, the Center Director’s voice from inside made his body freeze.

“This is Ha Yuaan’s confidential information.”

What?