Chapter 13 : Do You Know What a Leech Is? (5)

“Wait a moment.”

The man turned his head at the voice calling him. There stood a young man he had seen in the files. Blonde hair, blue eyes. The calm-looking young man was the Guide of the Esper Ha Yuaan, who they were keeping a close eye on.

“…What is it?”

“Did you think you could just get away with trying to steal someone else’s confidential information?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We have all the evidence, so don’t even think about denying it.”

“Ha-!”

The man let out a disbelieving laugh. Today was a day where everything went wrong, layered one on top of the other.

“So, what are you going to do about it? If you’re thinking of making an international issue out of it, you’d better stop. Unless you want to break the ROK-US alliance.”
(TL Note: ROK means Republic of Korea.)

“It was the US that broke it first, so blaming Korea for it seems a bit tyrannical.”

The man smiled and shrugged at Sunwoo’s words.

“That’s just how it is. Being powerless is like that. In the first place, a small country in the East making a fuss won’t have any effect on us.”

“Bill Hurt.”

“…!!”

Bill Hurt’s pupils dilated at the mention of his name. As he stared in alarm, Sunwoo smiled sweetly.

“Born in 1990, became the head of the US Esper Management Association at a young age. This much is commonly known… In the background, you’ve been collecting information on S-Rank Espers from various countries in exchange for money and position, and once your purpose is served, you quietly dispose of your trading partner. And the CIA is helping with that. Right?”

“…”

“A small country in the East making a fuss might be useless, but if all the countries that have been victimized so far attack the US… even for the US, the damage would be quite significant, wouldn’t it?”

Bill Hurt’s brow furrowed. He clicked his tongue and then raised one corner of his mouth and said.

“Guide Kim Sunwoo, I know you have a mixed Korean-American ethnicity, but your nationality is American… There’s no need to go this far for another country, is there? Especially when it means turning your own country into an enemy.”

“Isn’t it a natural action as a citizen of a democratic country to raise an objection to illegal activities? I believe other American citizens would think the same.”

“…Your parents live in California, right?”

“…”

“You wouldn’t want to lose your family for the sake of others, right?”

Sunwoo’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and then opened his mouth.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay.”

“What?”

“Just talking to myself. And that threat, I’ll return it to you. Mr. Bill Hurt’s family lives in LA, right? Living a life of luxury… But, does your family know? That it’s from embezzled funds?”

“…!!!”

Bill Hurt was so shocked he couldn’t even speak. Sunwoo smiled sweetly at his trembling lips.

“If this fact is revealed, you’ll lose not only your position but also your wealth and everything else, and you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison.”

“…Is that a threat?”

“You started it, the threatening.”

“…So, what do you want? You didn’t come all this way just to ramble on… what do you want?”

Sunwoo smiled beautifully at Bill Hurt’s words.

“I like that you’re quick on the uptake.”

Thanks to Jisung’s efforts, the murderous mission schedule was adjusted, and they were granted a vacation. There was a lot of talk about the Center Director’s sudden change of attitude, but since Jisung and Yuaan kept their mouths shut, everyone just assumed that the persistent leech-like nature had finally broken the Center Director.

Crash!

“Ugh!”

Jisung, thrown by Sunwoo in a judo move, lay on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

“Sunwoo, I’m getting old, can’t you go a little easy on me?”

“Do you know what the Center Director might do? He knows your weakness, he won’t just sit still. So don’t be complacent and train your body.”

“…Alright.”

Jisung had a look of resignation on his face. What’s the point of adjusting the schedule if he’s just going to be put through hellish training to make up for the lost time…

“Are you okay?”

Hyunwoo smiled at Jisung. ‘Seriously, that beauty should be illegal.’ Jisung nodded and sat up. His back throbbed where he had fallen. He swallowed a sigh and was about to drink some water when he had to put the bottle down again as Hyunwoo clung to him.

“Are you tired?”

“Mmm…”

Hyunwoo shook his head and hugged Jisung tightly. As Hyunwoo buried his face in his shoulder, Jisung gently patted his back. Jisung was brushing back Hyunwoo’s fluffy hair, unlike his own, when his eyes widened as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“Ah.”

“Hmm?”

“Wait a moment…”

Jisung dashed to a chair and took out a small box from his bag. It was tied with a pretty red ribbon and looked like a gift.

“Here, a present!”

“…Uh…?”

“It’s perfume. I thought it would suit you, so I bought it. Do you want to smell it, just in case? If you don’t like it, I’ll use it and buy you something else.”

“…”

“Hyunwoo?”

Jisung, flustered by Hyunwoo’s frozen state, called his name. Hyunwoo then snapped out of it and looked up.

“What’s wrong? Do you not like perfume?”

Hyunwoo quickly shook his head at Jisung’s question.

“No, I like it! I like anything you give me.”

“Hey, but still, there’s such a thing as taste…”

“…Thank you for the gift, Hyung. I’m really happy.”

“…”

Jisung was momentarily speechless at Hyunwoo’s genuinely happy face. He hadn’t expected him to be so happy over a simple bottle of perfume.

“…Do you want to try it on?”

Hyunwoo nodded. He hesitated for a moment before untying the ribbon, then carefully untied it and put it in his pocket. He opened the box, took out the perfume, and stared at the bottle for a moment. His sparkling eyes seemed to hold a multitude of emotions.

“You can spray it on your wrist or body.”

Hyunwoo sprayed the perfume on his wrist and then, mimicking Jisung’s action, dabbed the perfume on his wrist behind his ears. It was a simple action, but Jisung watched him, mesmerized.

‘He’s so handsome, even a simple action looks cool.’

“Like this?”

“Hmm? Uh-huh…!”

Jisung, startled, replied to Hyunwoo who was asking with a tilted head. Hyunwoo chuckled softly. Jisung’s face felt hot for some reason.

“Thank you, Hyung. I’ll cherish it.”

“Don’t cherish it, use it generously.”

A musk scent wafted from the now closer Hyunwoo.

‘It really suits him.’

“You’re really amazing, Hyung.”

“Suddenly?”

“Thanks to you, I have more and more precious things. Things that didn’t matter before are changing.”

Jisung opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“…Even this place, which has never changed, is slowly changing. Because you’re here.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but this time I was just really lucky~”

It was possible because he had managed to catch the Center Director trying to sell out the country. If not for that, it probably would have taken more time. Of course, Jisung wouldn’t have given up even then. But the fact remained that he was lucky.

“…Still, you’re really amazing.”

Hyunwoo looked up at Jisung. At the eyes staring straight at him, Jisung made an awkward expression. “You’re overestimating me,” Jisung muttered softly. Hyunwoo smiled. He hugged Jisung tightly for a moment, then released his arms.

“Next week is vacation, is there anywhere you want to go? Let’s take this opportunity to relieve our fatigue and enjoy a lot!”

“Shouldn’t you be resting to relieve fatigue?”

Sunwoo tilted his head at Jisung’s words.

“We have to play and rest! It’s a vacation, after all.”

Hyunwoo watched Jisung clench his fists cutely and then opened his mouth.

“But, Hyung.”

“Hmm?”

“What exactly is a vacation?”

“…Huh?”

At Hyunwoo’s innocent expression, Jisung gripped the water bottle tightly. ‘Right, free action was strictly forbidden, so of course they wouldn’t have been given a vacation.’ Jisung looked at the phone on the chair. ‘Should I just spread it? Just flip everything over?’

Jisung tried to suppress the rising urge.

“That, insolent…!”

The Center Director swept everything off his desk. Glass cups and papers fell helplessly to the floor. But his anger still wasn’t appeased, and he slammed his fist on the desk.

Thump!

“How dare a rookie who just joined the Center make such insolent demands of me?”

The Center Director ground his teeth, expressing his fury.

“You little brat. Dealing with someone like you is nothing to me!”

The Center Director took out his phone from his pocket and made a call somewhere, a twisted smile on his lips.