SOG Ch 69

Fortunately, the hostages were all concentrated in one place. The bullet had the property of rapidly losing rotational power in water. Water attribute Espers took advantage of the river near Universal Park to create a huge shield.

No matter how much water he borrowed from the river, Esper Chae Seong-hwan’s breathing became heavy because he had released all the energy he had concentrated for a moment. It was somewhat excessive to build an underwater barrier. It felt like a tremendous waste of energy.

As soon as the water barrier collapsed, they attempted to enter from the side with the Mobile Strike Team.

– Wait! Hold on!

The team leader’s voice flew into the in-ears. The Mobile Strike Team on the opposite side also hesitated, possibly receiving the same command.

Go Woo-jin, who was attempting to enter from the frontmost position on the side wall, which would be hidden from view from the theater, also stopped. Chae Seong-hwan turned around the path and quickly ran to his side.

“What the hell is—”

Chae Seong-hwan was about to ask when he noticed Go Woo-jin’s sharp gaze fixed on the inside of the theater. Chae Seong-hwan immediately shifted his gaze, and he let out a curse.

“These damn bastards!”

One of the hostage-takers, a particularly small one, was already holding a hostage—a child who seemed to be no more than kindergarten age.

How did they manage to…

“Ugh… Keugh…”

The kid held hostage burst into tears. Mom, mom… The child’s small face was wet with tears.

Meanwhile, the leader of the hostage-takers was looking quite uncomfortable with the kid and Won Seong-il, the man who had captured the child. His lips twitched, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so he raised the loudspeaker in his hand.

– I thought I had said that we were going to blow the hostages’ heads off when the special forces were sent in?

The voice that passed through the trumpet-shaped opening spread clearly throughout the area. For a moment, even the noise of the helicopter was drowned out.

Chae Seong-hwan also clearly heard the leader’s threats. At that, Chae Seong-hwan’s eyes twitched again. It seemed a bit stiff, but that was because the criminal’s voice didn’t contain much tension.

The criminals, who were supposed to be running around in confusion, were surprisingly regaining their composure at an astonishing speed. Some of them even appeared relaxed. Despite having let go of the hostages and now having only one child in their hand, they seemed incredibly nonchalant.

What. What did he miss?

However, Chae Seong-hwan, who wrinkled his nose, could not deepen his thoughts. Suddenly, a figure came into view, going against the tide of hostages towards the criminals.

“I-Isn’t that your guide?”

Chae Seong-hwan was so taken aback that he even stammered for a moment while looking back at Woo-jin. At one time, Chae Seong-hwan was recruited by Chairman Go Young-chang and took charge of the young Go Woo-jin’s Esper training for three years. In other words, he was both a teacher in the past and a comrade in the same unit in the present.

So, after spending so much time together, there was something that only he could feel. A very subtle change in Woo-jin’s facial expression. Others might have perceived him as indifferent. but Chae Seong-hwan could see the agitation in Go Woo-jin’s eyes.

‘Isn’t that the face he makes when pretending to remain calm in front of the Chairman?’

However, Go Woo-jin was unaware that his old mentor was staring at him. His attention was solely on Seon Jae-chan, who approached the criminals voluntarily.

Undoubtedly, Jae-chan was a person who thoroughly prioritized his own safety and well-being. However, the person who was supposed to be protecting himself voluntarily became involved in a hostage situation. Woo-jin felt that his heart was not only sinking but that his heart was literally falling and rolling around.

He would have rushed out if it hadn’t been for Chae Seong-hwan’s watchful eyes. “Woo-jin. Woo-jin!” His former mentor held him tightly and shouted once more before Woo-jin finally regained his composure.

“It’s too late, it’s a lost cause!”

Chae Seong-hwan shouted firmly while holding onto Woo-jin. Guide Jae-chan was already very close to the criminals.

“I can save him.”

Nevertheless, Go Woo-jin said that. His gaze, which was locked in on the criminals approaching, and the firm set of his jaw were extremely stubborn.

“Of course, you can save him! But what about the little kid they’re holding? Is the kid just for decoration?”

Chae Seong-hwan shouted once again. Surely, with the Guide standing a few meters away from the criminals, Woo-jin would be able to pull them out in an instant. But what if the criminals were provoked in the process? An Esper who had approached them closely could become a trigger for them, and they didn’t know what would happen to the little kid who had been pointed by a gun.

Only then did the iron-like body he was holding on gradually lose strength.

Chae Seong-hwan let out a short sigh of relief. Fortunately, a multi-purpose armed helicopter was soaring through the sky, so no one noticed Woo-jin and Chae Seong-hwan’s commotion.

“…”

Meanwhile, apart from almost getting into trouble, Go Woo-jin was still in shock.

Seon Jae-chan was in danger.

He had never even imagined it before. The guy who used to find the safest place automatically, even without thinking about it. What had happened to him in the past year?

In fact, it wasn’t the first time he had felt this anxious because of Jae-chan. 

Around August last year, when he found him at the kidnapper’s hideout, he had felt the same way. At that time, even though he was on the verge of detaching himself from Jae-chan’s selfishness, the concern he felt overwhelmed the resentment he had been harboring for some time. The same thing happened on Mentosa Island. His heart sank when he found Jae-chan in a bunker full of bombs.

If Jae-chan was going to worry him like this, he would have been better off staying in the back.

It was a hundred times better when Jae-chan only cared about himself to the point of being obnoxious. It was a ridiculous thought, but it was what it was.

– Everyone stands by. Stand still until further orders!

Team Leader Jin’s voice continued to ring through the in-ears. The planned operation had been temporarily suspended due to the child being caught and Seon Jae-chan acting unexpectedly.

Dududududu. The intense sound of helicopters roared overhead once again. The large beam spotlights procured by the theme park were gradually adjusted into the collapsed wall and inside the theater.

The well-lit stage could be seen clearly from the audience, but the dimly lit audience seats were barely visible from the actors’ perspective.

Leaving behind all the attention, Seon Jae-chan was only looking straight at the hostage takers in front of him.

His throat twitched briefly as he stared at the gun pointed at him. The distance from the criminals was about 10m.

It was the minimum distance at which he could block a shot with his Esper ability. I believe you, E-SOF. Seon Jae-chan cautiously opened his mouth with somewhat one-sided trust.

“Take me as a hostage.”

It was a warm early summer day. The lukewarm outside air, combined with the bright lights, made his sweat-soaked skin tingle.

A complicated thought flashed in Seon Jae-chan’s eyes for a moment.

Although the gunfight was repeating like the past, the outcome was different. Unlike the time when more than ten people were killed, there were no casualties this time. It was a relief.

But in the end, the child had been taken hostage. It was inevitable that he would choose this way

“Take me hostage instead.”

Seon Jae-chan repeated again. He emphasized his harmlessness by raising both hands above his head. There was not the slightest tremor in the fingertips.

“Children don’t make good hostages. They tend to be uncooperative.”

It was a bitter truth. Most kidnapped children became uncertain of their fate, which often led to uncooperative behavior.

Strangely, the criminals seemed to waver at his words. Their fleeting glances shifted towards the sobbing child who was saying, “Mom… mom…” while wiping away tears, frustration was evident in their eyes. 

The corner of the leader’s eyes also twitched slightly.

They had no more time to think. Although they had bought some time by taking the child as a hostage, they didn’t know when the Esper and military forces would launch their attack. They had to make a quick decision.

“Come here.”

Finally, the leader shouted.

Won Seong-il had taken the child as a hostage, and even in the leader’s opinion, the child was not a good hostage. It just so happened that the Jungle Family fanatic chose to become a hostage instead. But considering the circumstances, he seemed like a better choice than the child.

Won Seong-il, who was holding the gun to the child’s head, raised his head suddenly. Despite the persistent gaze, the leader spoke again.

“You come here first.”

But even the Jungle Family fanatic was unusually stubborn.

“Let the child go.”

“Fine, just come over here!”

The distance between them was only ten steps. The leader was nervous because he didn’t know when the military force might change its mind.

“Let the child go first.”

Jae-chan couldn’t retreat either. It was time to stand his ground until the end.

Poof! Blink disappeared at that moment.

No, he didn’t disappear—he moved at such a speed that he seemed to disappear.

Like a projectile, Won Seong-il appeared next to Jae-chan. He grabbed Jae-chan and, at the same speed, returned to his colleagues.

…!

In a situation where it was clearly revealed that he was a special type Esper, the gun was quickly moved to Won Seong-il, but that was all. To shoot him, they have to pierce the hostage first. Furthermore, the superiors had been continuously flustered since earlier, leaving no room for them to issue orders.

All that remained in the bewildered field of view of the military police was an empty theater and a child with confused, tear-soaked eyes.

The criminals who captured Seon Jae-chan suddenly disappeared in the blink of an eye.