Chapter 75: The Unspoken Truth

“You’re quite impatient, aren’t you? I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

“We’re hardly in a position to exchange pleasantries. If you know something, just say it.”

“Then let me ask you one thing. What will you do if I don’t cooperate?”

“Nothing will change from now. We’ll continue to live like strangers, never knowing when one might stab the other in the back.”

“And once your cards are gone, you’d best be prepared for what comes next.”

Jin Jung-woo had always been wary of Sa-yoon leaving him. While he held a crucial weakness over Sa-yoon, that was the extent of his leverage.

The only card Jin Jung-woo could play was Sa-yoon’s mother.

It was a somber truth, one both men acknowledged. Sa-yoon’s mother wouldn’t hold on much longer; ten years at most.

No, even five years couldn’t be guaranteed. When that time came, Jin Jung-woo would have no way to control Sa-yoon.

“This is my first offer to you. I’m suggesting we cooperate. You’re not foolish enough to let such an opportunity slip away, are you?”

Jin Jung-woo gestured to the butler waiting outside. The quick-witted butler closed the door and dismissed the surrounding staff.

Exhaling a deep sigh, Jin Jung-woo lowered his head and spoke.

“The fact that you’ve come all this way to ask that means you’re not just inquiring about Airain’s identity.”

“Let’s not waste time on things we both already know.”

“You insolent brat.”

Jin Jung-woo’s nose twitched as he glared at Sa-yoon. After a long moment of staring, his gaze utterly devoid of menace, he clicked his tongue.

“You seemed so docile, but you truly are my blood.”

“If you’re going to insult me, do it gracefully.”

“Don’t be so sensitive. It’s not like I’m thrilled about this either. Simply put, I need your position. There’s still a long way for me to climb.”

Neither Sa-yoon nor Jin Jung-woo found the other’s presence welcome. Theirs was a complex relationship, one of mutual necessity for survival, yet fueled by profound hatred.

“Airain is the largest anti-Alliance terrorist organization. They are also designated as a primary enemy because they use Rains to attack human settlements.”

“If what you want to know is merely about Airain, then I have nothing more to tell you. That’s all I know.”

Considering he had asked Sa-yoon to sit back down, Jin Jung-woo’s words were utterly trivial. This time, Sa-yoon sat patiently, waiting for him to finish.

“I’m not affiliated with the Alliance, but with the Korean government. Information regarding a terrorist organization’s secrets isn’t meant for me.”

“Moreover, it’s not the kind of information that would even reach a mere minister.”

Jin Jung-woo had always taken pride in his position. For him to use the phrase ‘a mere minister’ indicated his sincerity.

Furthermore, his comment about it not being information for a minister implied that he *did* know information that came through other channels.

Sa-yoon adjusted his posture. For the first time, he focused intently on Jin Jung-woo’s words.

“Alright then. Let’s not ask for information that the Minister of Finance knows, but for information that Jin Jung-woo knows. What are the higher-ups hiding?”

He didn’t need information from a minister; he needed what Jin Jung-woo knew personally. The information Jin Jung-woo kept hidden away.

At Sa-yoon’s pressing question, Jin Jung-woo reluctantly opened his mouth.

“When I was young, I was once deployed on an overseas mission while serving in the military. I was young and full of spirit back then.”

“I’m not interested in hearing about your past recollections, old man.”

“You rude bastard.”

Jin Jung-woo scowled, glaring at Sa-yoon before letting out a sigh. His eyes, hazy with memory, traced back to the past.

“Once, when I was separated from my unit during a mission, I encountered a Rain that had also been separated and was alone, just like me.”

“And when I tried to eliminate that Rain…”

Jin Jung-woo paused again, looking directly at Sa-yoon.

“The Rain spoke.”

“What?”

“Just like a human. No, it spoke to me with a voice clearer than any human’s.”

Rains were grotesque creatures. They were monsters without intelligence, their forms often indistinct. While it was known that some older Rains developed sentience and special abilities, speaking was an entirely different matter.

“Are you saying Rains have self-awareness?”

“I don’t know that. But what’s certain is that Rains are not the simple lifeforms we believe them to be. And Airain, who uses them, must also be different from what we know.”

Jin Jung-woo took out a cigarette and lit it. Insisting on his old-fashioned rolled tobacco, he took a deep drag and exhaled.

“This organization called Airain. The ignorant public might view any terrorist group as dangerous and警戒 them, but the truth is, there are many strange aspects to it.”

Jin Jung-woo’s eyes gleamed cunningly. It was the look of someone who could pierce through another’s weakness when plotting schemes.

“Airain has never stated their objectives. There’s no way a terrorist organization would attack civilians without any benefit. Doesn’t it seem like something’s fishy?

“For instance, perhaps they hold secrets that the current powers-that-be cannot tolerate, or perhaps they’re being framed as a terrorist organization.”

“……”

Upon hearing this, a single speculation arose in Sa-yoon’s complex mind. It was a faint suspicion that had surfaced when Jin Jung-woo first mentioned Airain being unfairly accused.

If Airain’s words were true—if Airain hadn’t committed terrorism and was simply framed, becoming the public’s main enemy—who would benefit the most?

It would be the International Esper Alliance, the very organization created to counter Airain.

Noticing Sa-yoon’s reaction, Jin Jung-woo chuckled and continued.

“You, who are ignorant of the ways of the world, wouldn’t know how much money is being made at the top, all under the pretext of Rains. There’s no easier way to move wealth than by threatening lives.”

Just when it seemed like he was making sense, Jin Jung-woo reverted to his vulgar pronouncements. Sa-yoon instinctively frowned in disgust.

“That’s precisely why I want to know. How much of a sweet deal are they hoarding and monopolizing among themselves? I couldn’t bear not knowing, and now you’ve taken an interest in that very thing. Indeed, even if you deny it, you are my blood. Tsk, tsk.”

All that mattered to this man was power and money. He had no regard for those who suffered unfairly or sacrificed themselves to save others.

Were there truly so many like him among the powerful?

Han Do-hoon had been saved by his adoptive parents and trusted them implicitly. However, the only powerful figure Sa-yoon had ever encountered was Jin Jung-woo.

It seemed this disparity would be difficult to bridge.

“Stop saying such disgusting things.”

Sa-yoon had now gleaned all the information he could from Jin Jung-woo. He had probed out of curiosity, and the scale of what he uncovered was far greater than expected.

It wasn’t merely the identity of a terrorist group; it was a narrative that fundamentally negated the very meaning of Rains as people understood them.

“In any case, you’ve been helpful.”

Sa-yoon stood up without hesitation.

“Take good care of my mother. Then I’ll come when you call, just as you wish. If I feel like it, of course. From now on, if you want to call me, it will have to be cooperation, not coercion.”

“…You insolent boy.”

Ignoring Jin Jung-woo, who seemed to have much more to say, Sa-yoon exited the room. Though he didn’t appreciate it, Jin Jung-woo’s words had been useful to Sa-yoon.

In return, he would play along with the man a few times, but anything more was out of the question.

Sa-yoon burst out of the door, snatching the jacket the butler held as if ripping it from his hands. He didn’t want to stay in that musty mansion for another second.

Sa-yoon’s life had remained unchanged for years. He was always constrained by his identity, burdened with countless problems to resolve.

The bottomless swamp had relentlessly swallowed Sa-yoon up to his neck for a long time, refusing to let go. Yet, over the past two or three months, the long-stagnant swamp had begun to shift.

A path to escape his terrible biological father became visible, and the elusive shadow of Myeong-ah, whom he could never find, slowly started to materialize.

After meeting his biological father, Sa-yoon’s goal became clearer. To find Myeong-ah, the final adversaries he would have to confront were the government and the Esper Alliance, who had captured him.

Their power was so formidable that, until now, he hadn’t even been able to determine a direction to probe. But it seemed their tails were finally appearing.

He had discovered what they wanted to hide, the dark underbelly of those who wore righteous faces while secretly capturing and experimenting on people.

Sa-yoon resolved to investigate Airain, and moreover, the shadow of the Alliance intertwined with Airain.

The situation remained daunting, but compared to the past when he couldn’t even set a direction, it felt like a dream. The dying ember in Sa-yoon’s chest slowly began to grow.

Everything had changed after he met Han Do-hoon.

Han Do-hoon’s hand, which Sa-yoon had taken as a gamble, had become a lifeline for him. What began as a casual relationship had brought a significant turning point into Sa-yoon’s life.

‘…The problem is I can’t tell the person themselves.’

Lying on his bed, Sa-yoon stretched out his hand. He couldn’t say a word to the grateful Han Do-hoon.

It was because of Han Do-hoon’s past. He respected his adoptive parents, the Commander and his wife, and had been rescued by them as a child.

He would accept even arduous missions without complaint, as if it were only natural. Moreover, he had lost his biological parents to a terrorist organization.

Tell such a person that Airain might be innocent? No matter how much he thought about it, it was impossible.

Beep, beep, beep.

The alarm sounded, marking the time. Sa-yoon sprang up from the bed. It was the day Chae-jun, who had been away for several days, was returning, meaning Sa-yoon’s self-imposed holiday had to end.

Scratching his disheveled hair, he shuffled into the bathroom.