Chapter 27 Part 15: Adaptation.

Time passed quickly.

I remembered going to the academy, attending classes, and coming home.
But when I came to my senses, it was already Friday night.

It left me feeling quite strange.
I thought I had completely cut off ties with them after that incident.
No, I thought I would never be involved with them again.
I thought I could finally live a normal life, but who knew this would happen.

Just thinking about it makes me sigh.
Once you get involved with them, you’ll be involved forever.
Rumors will spread that the best test subject, who disappeared after the incident, has reappeared.

It was obvious what would happen after that.
My desired daily life would be completely shattered.
I’d die like a dog, not remembered as a hero or a hunter.

To avoid that, I needed to make this date a success.
…A successful date. My aunt would laugh if she heard that.
She’d laugh, saying she didn’t know when Yeji had changed so much.

Anyway, I needed to get what I wanted without any trouble.
And worrying like this wouldn’t solve anything.
So, I stared at the dark ceiling for a while and closed my eyes.
I had to be busy from tomorrow morning, so I had no choice.
If I couldn’t sleep, I needed to sleep even if I had to resort to sleeping pills.

Fortunately, I seemed to have fallen asleep without the aid of sleeping pills.
When I came to my senses and opened my eyes, sunlight was shining into the room.
Considering the alarm I set last night didn’t go off, I must have woken up quite early.
So, I thought my aunt might still be sleeping.
I went outside to wake her up, but a familiar scent filled the air.

“…Aunt, are you drinking coffee again?”
“Yes. Honestly, I have to.”

I had a lot to say, but I didn’t.
It’s been a while since my aunt contacted those people.
She must be very anxious. One wrong move could cost her her life.

…I thought maybe my aunt was worried about something else.
But I didn’t point it out.
I didn’t want to feel bad by pointing it out.
So, I slowly sat at the table and ignored the glass window appearing around my field of vision.

Surely, the reason my aunt is worried… couldn’t be that.
That she might lose the masterpiece she’d been managing to someone else.
She couldn’t be worried about such an arrogant reason.
Yes. It must be another reason. It had to be another reason.
If not, my relationship with my aunt might become strained.

While I was thinking about this, my aunt started preparing breakfast.
Bacon cooked until golden brown, fried eggs.
With buttered toast and coffee, it was a great American breakfast.

As always, it tasted great.
It would have been even better if it weren’t for the coffee, which was a bit disappointing.
But what can you do? I couldn’t stop her from drinking it because she was anxious.

After breakfast, my aunt started washing the dishes.
There was still more than an hour left until the time we were supposed to leave.
She probably planned to do some housework during that time.
So, I opened my mouth to talk for a bit.

“Aunt.”
“Yes?”
“It’s been a while since you drove yourself, hasn’t it?”
“…That’s right.”
“We’re in Busan, will a dormant license be enough? Besides, we have to go to the outskirts.”

Even as I said that, I wasn’t too worried.
My aunt doesn’t talk much, but she always has a hidden plan.
She probably found a way without telling me.
And I was right.

“So I called someone.”
“Is it someone we can trust? Aunt and I need to keep our identities hidden.”
“Of course, it’s someone we can trust. Do you know Uncle Choi Tae-soo?”
“…That uncle is coming himself!?”
“No, he’s busy. He said he’d send a subordinate. You’ll know the face.”

A face I know.
I had no idea who that person could be.
Still, I wasn’t worried.
That uncle cared for me a lot.
He would definitely send someone helpful.

So, I finished preparing for the date with peace of mind.
Long-sleeved hoodie, jeans, a mask, and dark sunglasses.
I disguised myself so well that no one would be able to recognize me.
I felt relieved only after I was armed like a celebrity sneaking out.
Honestly, I didn’t care if I was discovered, but I did care if my life was ruined.

“Um, Aunt?”
“Yes?”
“The person Uncle sent, they won’t try to find out my identity, right?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already explained it roughly.”
“How did you explain it?”
“I said that a congressman’s daughter accidentally got involved with drugs.”
“…Is that right?”
“So, I’ll ask for their cooperation because I need this ingredient for treatment.”

I had a lot to say, but I didn’t.
No matter how much I thought about it, there seemed to be no better way.
So, I didn’t say anything and linked arms with my aunt and went outside.

When we went outside, the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar car.
The car was all black, and the tinting was quite dark.
At least if I got in that car, there would be no chance of my identity being revealed.

Perhaps because they had already talked to each other.
My aunt got into the car without hesitation.
It was good that I followed my aunt into the car, but I had a bad feeling.
There were two men in suits in the driver’s seat and the passenger seat.

And I knew both of those men.
No, it’s more accurate to say I know where they work.
It was one of the organizations that cooperated with the Foundation when I was a test subject.
It’s like a gray-area detective agency that does anything for money.

Of course, I didn’t have many good memories.
They weren’t helpful during that incident either.
They focused on preserving their strength, saying they hadn’t been paid enough to risk their lives.

So, I didn’t feel very good.
I could tell just by listening to my uncles and aunts complaining.
So how could I have good feelings?
Still, I knew it couldn’t be helped, so I didn’t say anything else.

That wasn’t the important thing.
The important thing was to meet people who deal in illegal drugs and narcotics in the underworld and get the drug.
It wouldn’t help to vent old feelings, so I just stared out the window.
I couldn’t see anything, but it was good for sorting out my emotions.

The car drove quietly on the road.
And a heavy silence fell inside the car.
The two men. My aunt. No one said anything, and each just stared at one place.

I didn’t want to break the silence.
I don’t know what everyone is thinking, but my head was complicated too.
How long did I try to settle down like this after that incident?
How much blood and sweat did I shed to pretend to be normal?
I didn’t want the daily life I gained after that effort and hardship to be shaken again.

…If I could, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to ignore the hallucinations.
As if I couldn’t see the hallucinations. As if I couldn’t hear the auditory hallucinations.
It wouldn’t be impossible to live like that, constantly brainwashing myself that I’m normal.
It’s one of the things I repeatedly did when I was a test subject.

Yes. All problems would be solved if I just didn’t say anything.
I was used to not confiding in anyone and holding onto my worries.
But I didn’t want to run away anymore.

There’s no one to stop me like back then.
I can face the problem and deal with it properly.
So, I decided to tell my aunt the truth… but I couldn’t understand why I regretted it so much.

No, it would be strange not to regret it.
It’s the daily life I finally found. I finally became able to overcome the wounds.
I finally became able to talk to other people and I finally became able to be recognized…
How could I accept that the daily life I gained could be destroyed by that damn past.

…So, this date had to be successful.
If necessary, yes. Yes. If necessary, I was willing to use force to succeed.
Even if I had to get blood on my hands again, it couldn’t be helped.

I remembered what my aunt told me.
For someone to achieve their goal, someone else must fail to achieve their goal.
The world is always fair, so if there is someone who gains, there must be someone who loses.
Yes, if I was always the one losing… now I have to be the one who gains.
Even if my hands get too bloody… I have to be the one who gains.

As I thought that, I saw the car entering a parking lot.
The two men didn’t say anything until they parked.
My aunt, who was watching them, sighed once and spoke to me.

“…It seems we’ve arrived. Don’t say anything. Aunt will take care of it.”
“…Okay.”
“Just in case, do you remember that?”
“I remember.”
“Good. I hope we don’t have to use it.”

I knew what my aunt was talking about, but I didn’t want to think about it in detail.
It was obvious what it meant.
So, I just nodded slowly, got out of the car.
And I started walking down the parking lot, linking arms with my aunt, hoping that nothing would happen.