Chapter 40: What the Agency Truly Wants

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

I forced myself to react like an ideal guardian as I stepped into the house.

Inside, my real emotions — anxiety and irritation — churned violently, but I played the role of a normal, protective adult as naturally as possible.

How did they find our home?

And how did they already suspect the culprit behind that explosion?

There was no way they came for any other reason.

For five years since returning to the past, I hadn’t had any contact with the Support Agency, the Center, or the Academy.

So my anxiety spiked.

And the fact that they approached Jaeyul while I wasn’t home… that lit my irritation on fire.

“Oh! Mr. Jin Se-hyeon? Hello!
We’re from the Special Ability Support Agency.
We’ve heard so much about you!
There’s a huge rumor about your guiding skills!
We’ve been dying to meet you!”

The woman smiled brightly, clapping her hands as if delighted to see me.

A face without even a speck of shadow.

Which only meant one thing — they had already dug up everything about me.

“How exactly did you come here?
And speaking alone with a minor without his guardian is extremely inappropriate.”

A typical reaction any parent would show if strangers entered their home and chatted with their child.

I stepped between them and Jaeyul, separating them.

Of course, given how far they’d already come, it was probably meaningless.

“Please sit.
We’re here to help regarding the recent incident.”

Help.

They always said it like that.

Despite calling themselves an organization that “supports ability users,” they used them as disposable shields.

Pretending to protect Espers and Guides, but discarding anyone who wasn’t useful.

And this time was no different — they were here because there was something massive to gain.

“I have nothing to say regarding that.”

“The media already has evidence linking Student Seon Jaeyul to the incident.
The Agency is barely keeping things under control.
If we make a mistake, he could easily be labeled a terrorist who attacked civilians.”

The man who came with her spoke with heavy authority.

The classic pattern — good cop, bad cop.

The woman approached kindly, while the man delivered the threats.

And even knowing their methods, I couldn’t ignore them entirely.

Whatever the reason, Jaeyul had caused the incident.

And things really could escalate that way.

“…Fine. Please sit.”

Eventually, the four of us sat facing each other on the living room floor.

I didn’t feel like offering so much as a glass of water.

“Let’s not pretend the evidence doesn’t exist.
Under the Special Ability Law, we can forcibly detain Student Seon Jaeyul for awakening examinations.”

“No need to explain.
I know.”

Absolute power.

Individual ability users had no rights, yet the organization wielded total authority.

Despite being only an “Agency,” the director held a minister-level position.

“We’re simply confirming facts so we can match statements.
First… we plan to classify the incident as a gas explosion.
If Mr. Jin and Student Seon agree, everything will end quietly.”

“…What?”

Impossible.

There were multiple witnesses.

Multiple deaths.

They were really going to bury it as a gas leak?

And make sure neither Jaeyul nor I took any blame?

“Oh! Don’t worry about the media!
If we fabricate a few pieces of evidence, it’ll definitely be classified as a gas accident!
Witness-only stories won’t air anyway!
Really—there’s absolutely nothing you need to worry about!”

…How touching.

Such warm-hearted people.

They would shoulder all responsibility, falsify evidence, and protect us?

Truly generous and merciful—

“What’s the reason?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m asking why.
Why would the Support Agency help us?”

The woman blinked at me in surprise… and then burst into a cheerful laugh.

“Oh, isn’t it obvious?!
We help because you’re fellow ability users!”

If a normal person heard that, they would have cried on the spot.

How could you not be moved by such kindness?

But I knew too well what these people really were.

They never do anything without profit.

If they were taking such a huge risk, they wanted something enormous in return.

Helping fellow ability users?

Please.
Even calling it nonsense was generous.

“…Hyung, are you okay?”

A hand squeezed my thigh gently.

My anger — which had been rising dangerously fast — cooled at once.

Memories of the unfair treatment I suffered from the Support Agency and Center kept making my emotions flare.

I placed my hand over the back of Jaeyul’s, letting his warmth calm me.

“Is that so?
Then please take care of it.”

I wasn’t new to this game.

Even if I hated them, if there was something to gain, I’d take it.

“We’ll proceed then—”

“Right now, if you could.”

“…Excuse me?”

“The sooner we clean this up, the better.
Honestly—how is this our Jaeyul’s fault?
You must know from your investigation already.
This was caused by former Center ability users who, due to the government’s incompetence, turned into a criminal organization.
Our Jaeyul only awakened in a life-or-death moment and lost control.”

A long speech, but the core was simple:

We are not the ones with a weakness — the government is.

The mercenary group had grown unchecked in the shadows.

Their crimes had already started becoming public.

If someone killed them, society would celebrate.

Meanwhile, the government’s approval rating — already in the gutter — would plummet into the Earth’s core.

And as for Jaeyul’s ability?

We’d just call it “accidental runaway during awakening.”

All the witnesses in that warehouse were already ash — no evidence remained.

“…Tell them to release the official report.”

The woman’s cheerful smile disappeared.

She fell into thought for a long moment before responding.

As expected.

“Team leader… before that, the consent form—”

“Shut your mouth.
Clean up the mess first.”

So she wore a mask all along.

Only now did she drop the act.

“Student Seon Jaeyul, why don’t you step inside for a moment?”

The female agent forced a smile, speaking kindly to Jaeyul.

He didn’t move.

He stood silently behind me, head tilted away, clearly unwilling to leave my side.

“Go on inside, Jaeyul.
I’ll walk them out and follow.”

They were about to leave, but apparently had more to say to me.

I didn’t want to keep talking to them, but since they had handled the incident for us — and since I needed to hear what else they wanted — I stayed.

Only once Jaeyul stepped past the entrance did the woman finally speak.

And all traces of her earlier smile vanished.

“I didn’t expect you to try blackmailing the Support Agency.”

“Blackmail?
Isn’t barging into someone’s home and calling their guardian a potential terrorist the real blackmail?”

“…We genuinely intended to help.
It’s disappointing you saw it that way.
Still — we’d like to offer you another form of help.”

The man beside her handed me a white envelope.

I had a guess what was inside, but I checked anyway.

“…New Ability User Registration Guide, Academy Admission… Application?”

Of course.

These bastards never help anyone out of kindness.

This was what they wanted from the beginning.

Registering as an awakened ability user was mandatory.

But entering the Academy or Center afterward was optional.

“We’re not interested in applying.”

“Think carefully, for Jaeyul’s sake.
If he completes the Academy and is assigned to the Center, his path will be secure and successful.
Why clip his wings?
Or is it because… he’s not actually your blood relative, Mr. Jin?”

…What kind of bullshit was that?