Chapter 36: The Director’s Burden

“Let’s continue to get along frankly, just as we have been. Oh, and the field assignment was a lie, but my intention to leave was genuine. I was planning to go back to the dorms and rest. Since we’ve cleared up this misunderstanding, shall I take my leave now?”

Han Do-hoon placed the water bottle on the table, tapping the slightly empty container with his finger. Contrary to his unhurried movements, his eyes, observing Sa-yoon, were sharp. He scrutinized Sa-yoon as if trying to discern something.

“Back to square one.”

It was a whisper so faint that it would have been difficult to hear for anyone less perceptive than Sa-yoon. No, it was as if the whisper was meant for Sa-yoon not to hear at all.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing at all. My apologies, I misspoke.”

Han Do-hoon replied with a smiling face once more. His expression, unmistakably filled with goodwill, opened his mouth again.

“I apologize for my sudden visit and the inconvenience. Since you, Sa-yoon, also need your rest, I’ll be heading back now.”

“Oh, come on. I’m not that petty. Go on, Han Do-hoon. Let’s both get some rest.”

At the mention of his departure, Sa-yoon’s face brightened, and he smiled, pushing Han Do-hoon’s back. Yes. This was enough. He had managed to hide and deal with his lingering unease. Sa-yoon inwardly praised himself, letting out a sigh of relief.

“You must have worked hard in Busan, so get plenty of rest. There were just too many missions. I’ll contact you first when my health improves. Until then, just rest up properly.”

Emphasizing the need to rest several times, Sa-yoon waved his hand. Only after Han Do-hoon, having exchanged a glance, disappeared into the distance did Sa-yoon lean against the wall.

‘That was a close call.’

Of all the luck, to run into him just as he was about to leave. If only he had left a little earlier, he would have avoided Han Do-hoon. Sa-yoon grumbled, forcing strength into his weary legs.

The Director held a cigarette between his lips, puffing out thick clouds of smoke. Fortunately, a large window directly behind him allowed the smoke to drift away from the sofa where Sa-yoon sat. The smell, though present, was not unbearable.

“Director, you’ll die young at this rate. Though, to be fair, you’re a bit too old to die ‘young’ now.”

“Thanks for the well wishes. Truly, thank you.”

The Director was usually not one to smoke in front of others. He had even maintained his composure when the Seoul terror incident was discussed, but with a special audit and an unregistered Esper case breaking out, he was losing his hair.

“I feel like I’ll die of stress if I keep holding back, so I’m going to smoke a bit.”

“It’s not my health, so do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Sa-yoon said unsympathetically, shrugging his shoulders. The Director exhaled a deep sigh along with the cigarette smoke.

“Indeed, what good would complaining to you do? It’s not your fault. I heard you handled the missions in Busan and Incheon well, though. Good work.”

“They weren’t particularly difficult tasks.”

What he had done in Busan was akin to building blocks with pre-prepared materials, and the Incheon mission was only half successful since the target had died. While it wasn’t Sa-yoon’s fault, it wasn’t something to be heavily praised for either.

At Sa-yoon’s unusually humble words, the Director offered a bitter smile.

“As you know, our country is quite tumultuous these days. Since Air Rain is targeting us, all sorts of riff-raff think we’re an easy mark and flock here…”

The Director stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. For reasons unknown, Air Rain’s next target was Korea. Even after the last bomb attack, they had relentlessly sought opportunities to strike Korea. Amidst the chaos, various incidents, both major and minor, were erupting nationwide.

“Is Incheon Air Rain’s doing too?”

“That’s what we suspect. But what good is suspicion if we can’t capture anyone to extract information? It’s a real headache. The official documents state that a peripheral Chinese organization attempted to reclaim Incheon Port. As you know, China is one of Air Rain’s largest operational bases.”

Korea being invaded from all sides remained constant, whether thousands of years ago or now.

“So, why did you call me here? Should I sweep through China or something? Killing might be tough, but I can certainly split the ground apart.”

“Don’t say such dangerous things. I just called you in to assign you a mission similar to your previous one.”

The Director tossed a thick stack of documents. Sa-yoon tilted his head, recognizing the familiar shape. ‘Why does this feel like déjà vu?’

“What is this?”

“A list of foreign Espers entering the country this time.”

“Huh?”

Sa-yoon let out a foolish sound, then unfolded the documents he had received. His brows furrowed involuntarily. No wonder it felt familiar; the format was identical to when domestic Espers, active abroad, returned home.

Back then, the documents were filled with black-haired Espers who had been exposed to foreign cultures. This time, however, they were entirely filled with ‘yellow-headed fellows.’

“Why are these foreigners coming into the country? And there are so many of them? They say there’s a global Esper shortage, but it looks like they have an abundance of power.”

“That’s hardly the case. They’re coming because it’s necessary. If it were any other matter, we’d handle it ourselves, but Air Rain is involved. We decided it’s better to be cautious, so we requested support for the first time in a while.”

Before Han Do-hoon and Sa-yoon awakened as S-class Espers, there was only one S-class Esper in Korea, close to sixty years old. Because of this, Korea had long been a country receiving support from the International Esper Alliance.

However, that was no longer the case. After Han Do-hoon and Sa-yoon awakened, A-class Espers also mysteriously increased, as if an Esper lode had been discovered in Korea. Now, the country had enough surplus to dispatch high-ranking Espers like Han Do-hoon abroad.

“Air Rain really is terrifying, then.”

“It’s not just because of them. In Busan recently, and for some proper regional cleanup as well… Ah.”

Sa-yoon looked at the Director, who had abruptly stopped speaking. Dealing with Air Rain’s troubles was routine. However, he had understood there were no extraordinary variables in Busan.

“Busan?”

The Director’s face was tinged with dismay. The look of having made a mistake was evident.

“What is it? You used to make me clean up all your messes, and now you’re hiding things from me? What happened in Busan?”

Sa-yoon approached the Director’s desk. As he pressed closer and observed the Director intently, the Director, who had been avoiding his gaze and chuckling nervously, finally dropped his shoulders.

“Ugh. It’s nothing much. A local organization in Busan was secretly receiving young Rain entities from abroad and illegally cultivating them. There was an armed conflict during the arrest process.”

This was entirely new information to Sa-yoon. If a local organization was secretly raising Rain entities, the outcome was obvious. The agents would have tried to stop them, and since the leaders of local groups were also Espers, a battle would have been unavoidable.

“Was the damage extensive?”

“Some buildings were destroyed.”

The Director looked at Sa-yoon with a strange expression. This was the guy who usually showed no interest in others. He would simply process his own missions and then relax, finding it bothersome even when asked to pay attention to current affairs. The Director wondered why he was so proactive now.

Sa-yoon, however, paid no mind to the Director’s gaze, lost in his own thoughts.

As expected, the Esper who handled that mission must have been Han Do-hoon. He had an unscheduled dawn mission and carried the smell of burnt things until early morning. And only Han Do-hoon could cause an explosion large enough to shake a mountain without gunpowder.

“Were many people injured?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. Before we’re the military, we’re a government agency. Even if they’re criminals, we wouldn’t use excessive force against our own citizens. They were safely arrested and will face a formal trial.”

“Hmm…”

“The real trouble was blowing up the related facilities. The organization itself was quickly dealt with.”

So, Han Do-hoon had carried out the mission properly, and no excessive damage had occurred as a result. The shock Sa-yoon felt at dawn must have been the aftermath of dealing with the facilities.

“There really weren’t any casualties?”

“When have I ever lied to you? That area was originally a restricted zone, and all that happened was the arrest of an organization that secretly entered to rebel against the government and attack with Rain entities. Under military law, individual team leader missions cannot be shared, which is why I didn’t tell you.”

The Director, clutching his already aching head, waved his hand at Sa-yoon.

“I can’t tell you anything more. My head already hurts from the manager-level audit, and if a report of leaking classified information comes in, my neck will be on the line. I’m only telling you this much because it’s you.”

While a mere disclosure of a mission wouldn’t cost the Director his job, it was indeed a violation of military law. Having achieved his objective, Sa-yoon took a step back from the Director.

He had heard all he wanted to know. Sa-yoon had only been curious why there was a conflict in Busan and if there were any innocent victims.

The child he had met at the beach came to mind. Since he heard the explosion, Sa-yoon had worried if any innocent people had been caught up in it. With his questions answered, Sa-yoon felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Still, it was strange to worry so much about a child he had only seen once. Lee Rua would have been with the non-combat personnel, and even if she had been arrested, as a minor, she would have been released after appropriate education.

As for the other adults, paying for their crimes was a natural consequence.

‘Was it just my unfounded anxiety?’

From beginning to end, there were no other circumstances. Han Do-hoon had resolved the mission according to procedure and was mobilized for a legitimate reason. Why had Sa-yoon ever thought Han Do-hoon would cause an explosion targeting civilians without cause?

The lingering unease Sa-yoon felt from the dawn explosion was merely his sensitive reaction, and unilaterally avoiding Han Do-hoon had been Sa-yoon’s own self-serving folly.