Chapter 146: The Poppi Rescue Team

If it were the old days, I would’ve opposed forming a suppression force altogether.

X was practically invincible, with almost no attacks working on him.

But unlike the past, when most attacks were completely useless, quite a few agents had actually managed to deal damage to X this time.

If that’s the case, then forming a suppression force isn’t such a bad option after all.

To be honest, my thoughts didn’t fully align with Jaeyul’s.

Or rather, two opposing opinions were clashing violently inside my head.

One told me never to participate in such a dangerous operation.

The other insisted that we had to go, if only to save Poppi.

Either choice had more than enough justification.

And no matter what I chose, I knew I’d regret it.

If Jaeyul got hurt, how could I live with myself.

If I didn’t save Poppi and something happened to her, how could I be okay with that.

Either way, regret and self-reproach were inevitable.

Yet, as if my worries were laughable, Jaeyul rejected participation in the suppression force outright.

Not only was his reaction cold, he even said something blatantly amoral, claiming he didn’t care if other people died.

I like how he doesn’t let himself get dragged around by others, but…

Using them to draw X’s attention away wouldn’t have been a bad idea either.

Why didn’t he even consider it?

Still, since direct combat would fall on Jaeyul anyway, I had no choice but to follow his lead.

“Y-you’re refusing?
Are you insane?
People are about to die!
At this rate, the entire country could vanish from the map!”

“I’m no longer an esper affiliated with the Center.
I have no reason to follow orders, and no obligation to protect people.
Well, if it’s a request, I might consider it.”

Poppi is still on my mind, but his blunt attitude makes my chest feel oddly clear.

In my past life, I was always dragged around, swallowing my dissatisfaction in silence.

Jaeyul, younger than I was back then, is instead trying to steer the situation to his advantage.

“…Damn it.
What do you want?”

I feel a bit sorry that it’s Team Leader Oh Seonggyu on the receiving end.

He didn’t do anything wrong, yet somehow ended up speaking on behalf of the Center.

Perhaps because Jaeyul was making too much sense, Oh Seonggyu clenched his teeth and asked while struggling to keep his composure.

Even I could tell Jaeyul had something in mind.

“First, I won’t take on any position within the suppression force.
I’ll form my own team with the people I choose and move separately, like a rapid-response unit.”

“What?
An SS-class esper with no role at all?
Does that make any sense?”

“Don’t like it?
It was nice meeting you.
Take care.”

He even bows his head politely, as if he has absolutely nothing to lose.

But in reality, Jaeyul had probably already decided to join the suppression force.

Using them to get close to X was the safest option available.

From the suppression force’s perspective, getting an SS-class esper was a huge win.

And for Jaeyul, the chaos would buy him time to rescue Poppi.

Everyone benefited.

He clearly intended to join anyway, while making sure he got everything he wanted first.

My clever kid.

He’d probably sell ice to people in Alaska.

“N-no!
Th-that’s not something I can decide on my own, so let’s talk about that later.
If you say you’ll join, I’m sure they’ll agree to conditions like that, so don’t worry.”

“And I won’t do any work outside of suppression.
No guarding anyone, no standing in front of cameras.
Make someone else do that kind of crap.”

“That’s fine.
Anything else?”

“And lastly… once this is over, don’t come looking for us again.
We won’t fight anymore.
Not me, and not hyung either.”

That condition hadn’t been discussed with me beforehand.

To be honest, I didn’t think he truly meant to quit the Center for good.

He’d been an excellent special agent.

I assumed that once things settled down, he’d eventually return.

He could renegotiate his contract for better terms.

Or, if he didn’t feel like it, move to another country.

“…Are you saying you’re quitting as a special agent entirely…?”

“Yes.
That’s the plan.”

Then why suddenly declare retirement?

He was throwing away his entire career.

Well… he must have his reasons.

I should trust him and wait.

“Just because.”

“…What?
Just because?”

“Because it’s a hassle.”

“So you’re telling me you’re quitting as a special agent just because it’s annoying?”

“Yeah.”

After Oh Seonggyu left, I asked him why he’d declared retirement, and that was his answer.

I nearly smacked the back of my precious Jaeyul’s head.

The way he said it made him look exactly like a troublesome teenager who causes nothing but accidents.

“You can’t just quit like that!
Your entire career is working for the Center!
If you stop being a special agent, what are you going to do for a living?
Raid gates with Poppi or something?”

Quitting as a special agent meant refusing to work in any related field, whether state-run or private.

Would there even be anything Jaeyul could do outside of that?

Sure, he’s smart enough to prepare for anything, but there was no need to take such a difficult path.

“Anything’s fine.
I don’t want a comfortable life.
I want a life where I’m with you, hyung.”

…What is this.

That kind of sudden, direct hit is cheating.

The corners of my mouth, which had been stiff with anger, start twitching again.

I’m hopeless.

But what can I do.

That’s exactly the kind of thing I want to hear.

“Now I finally understand why you hated the Academy so much, and why you didn’t want to work at the Center.
I was young back then, but still… I feel stupid for begging you to go to the Academy with me.”

“Did you say all that because of me…?”

Crackle.
Crack.

For a while, the only sound was the firewood burning in the campfire we’d lit to warm the cold night air.

“It’s not just that.
Honestly, I’m not as good a person as you think.
I don’t really care about saving people I’ve never met.
And being a special agent isn’t that fun either.
Besides, do you really think I wouldn’t be able to feed you and Poppi, no matter what I do?”

“…What are you talking about.
I can earn my own keep too, you know….”

“I know.
Of course I do.
You’re Jin Sehyun.
Let’s just live a normal life.
Go to all the restaurants you like.
Go on picnics when the weather’s nice.
No Center, no special abilities, no connection to any of that.”

There he goes again.

Jaeyul really is unnecessarily deep.

Even without knowing my past in detail, he’s this considerate of me.

A long-forgotten wish resurfaces.

The ordinary life I never truly got to live.

A life I thought was already too far out of reach.

“So… could you tell me about the old you?
The Jin Sehyun from a time I never knew.”

Maybe even that dream could come true.

Despite the countless obstacles ahead, Jaeyul makes it feel possible.

“Of course.
Once we rescue Poppi and make it back home, I’ll tell you everything.”

• Currently, habitable areas worldwide have been reduced to less than 30% of their previous levels, and a masked monster has been confirmed to be controlling the others.
  The suppression force’s top priority is the masked mon—

“Why do bastards like that always live so long.”

Na Dongchan stood with a microphone, briefing the Seoul Center agents who would be joining the suppression force.

Watching him, Jaeyul muttered in a crooked tone.

“Seriously.
And he’s the Vice Director of the Second Center now.
The world’s really gone to hell.”

I can’t even describe how shocked I was when I heard the news.

The former Vice Director of the Second Center had been promoted to Head of the Support Bureau.

Na Dongchan, who had loyally supported his line, inherited the Vice Director position.

There wasn’t even a Center building left, but still.

A Vice Director is a Vice Director.

It makes me want to return to the Center even less.

While passing the time talking with Jaeyul, the large screen at the front caught my eye.

“Huh…?
That….”

Footage shot up close to X was playing on the screen.

More precisely, beside him as he continued launching light bomb attacks with his mask still on, there was a monster.

“That’s Poppi.”

“It’s Poppi….”

The monster guarding X in her true form was Poppi.

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