DP Episode 88
by BrieDeep Pivot Episode 88
“…He said he needs a sample from you, too.”
Colonel Jin pointed to Seo-joon’s arm as he spoke.
“What? From where?”
“From your arm. …Just a small bit.”
It took a few seconds for Seo-joon to understand, then he looked down at his own arm.
“What kind of research needs my sample as well?”
With a wry smile, he sat beside Colonel Jin.
“Dr. Kang should be doing this himself. There’s no reason to trouble you, Colonel.”
“…I know, right? He must be really busy these days.”
Colonel Jin brought over sterilized scissors and a vacuum pack for the sample. Seo-joon placed his hand on the table, which quickly transformed. His blackened, elongated fingers split into dozens of strands.
“…I’ll just cut a little, Lieutenant Ji.”
A single thin nerve strand was easily snipped off by Colonel Jin’s scissors and placed in the vacuum pack. Seo-joon’s sample was placed neatly next to the gate sample in the cooler.
He quickly reverted his hand and stood up, smiling casually. “Can I go now?”
“Yes… You did well, Lieutenant Ji.”
Colonel Jin, who had looked uneasy the entire time, now had beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Why did he feel so guilty about taking a sample? It wasn’t that difficult.
As he observed the colonel, Seo-joon suddenly recalled something. “By the way, did you receive records from Captain Jin on Cha Yeon-woo’s father?”
“Huh? Oh! Right, that.”
Colonel Jin nodded. “I did receive them. You mean to protect your assigned guide.”
“Yes.”
With the conversation shifting entirely, Colonel Jin finally appeared more relaxed, leaning back in his chair. “Let’s discuss it in detail later. I’ll start the paperwork review.”
“Understood.”
According to South Korean law, it’s impossible to sever ties between parents and children completely. Even if one dies or changes nationality, their mutual obligations persist. In unavoidable situations, adjusting the manner of their obligations is the best that can be done.
“At any rate, the father shouldn’t have access to Cha Yeon-woo’s personal information. Both need to be declared dead and given new identities, which is a complex process. There are also loan issues under both their names.”
On top of that, Cha Yeon-woo had a brother, Cha Jeong-woo, so it required changing the identities of all three.
“We’ll figure something out.”
“Thank you.”
Colonel Jin nodded with a faint smile.
“Lieutenant Ji, why don’t you and your partner come over sometime? I’ll cook something nice.”
Despite his tired expression, a warm kindness showed on his face. However, Seo-joon sensed a subtle shadow behind his smile.
After exchanging farewells, Seo-joon left the site.
He saw Yeon-woo standing by the parked car. Instead of waiting inside, he anxiously stood there, clearly uneasy. Seo-joon couldn’t help but chuckle as he called out to him.
“Yeon-woo.”
The moment their eyes met, Yeon-woo rushed over to Seo-joon, who couldn’t stop laughing as Yeon-woo circled him, checking him thoroughly.
“Worried I got hurt?”
“Yes.”
After Seo-joon finally got into the car with Yeon-woo, Yeon-woo asked.
“Why did they call you in?”
“…Nothing special, really. Just… talked.”
If I say I collected a gate sample, he’ll be so worried. Seo-joon tried to brush it off while starting the engine, but Yeon-woo suddenly grasped his hand and pulled it toward him.
“….”
He inspected Seo-joon’s hand thoroughly, examining the back, palm, and even between the fingers. Not stopping there, he leaned in to sniff.
Seo-joon wore a bewildered expression. What are you, a puppy?
“What are you doing, Yeon-woo?”
“I smell blood on your hand.”
Yeon-woo said with his lips pressed against Seo-joon’s palm. Seo-joon was taken aback. Ah, I should have washed more thoroughly.
“What were you doing?”
“….”
He struggled to find a convincing excuse. In that moment, he felt the guiding energy flowing into him from Yeon-woo’s grip. His entire arm tingled, and the pain faded away.
Since Seo-joon didn’t respond, Yeon-woo rolled up his sleeve to inspect his arm.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Where are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt. I didn’t do anything to get injured.”
“Liar.”
“….”
Am I getting scolded by Cha Yeon-woo again? He couldn’t shake that feeling.
“I knew this would happen. I should have gone with you…”
Turning to face forward with a pout, Yeon-woo firmly declared, “Next time you go on-site, you’re taking me with you.”
“Today was different. You want Colonel Jin to catch on to our relationship in broad daylight?”
“And how do you plan on handling cohabitation then?”
Now he’s talking back too. Seo-joon stared at him, amazed. His annoyed profile was,
“I’m sorry.”
…so cute that he was willing to let it slide.
“I was wrong, so forgive me, Yeon-woo.”
“I’m not mad.”
“What are you talking about? You just lectured me.”
Turning to meet Seo-joon’s gaze with a bewildered look, Yeon-woo calmly said, “I’m just saying that I’d like you to take your assigned guide whenever you go on-site.”
Seo-joon silently gripped the steering wheel. His adorable partner always did this—saying all the right things in such a gentle manner that he left him speechless.
When he didn’t reply, Yeon-woo squeezed his pinky tightly. It was his way of showing a hint of frustration.
“Ouch, that hurts.”
Seo-joon spun the wheel with one hand, putting on a half-hearted whimper.
“Promise me, Lieutenant. Don’t leave me behind next time.”
“…Alright, now let’s go eat.”
Turning to meet Yeon-woo’s gaze, Seo-joon gently shook his held hand and smiled.
“I’m hungry.”
The sleek black car smoothly slipped out of the parking lot, and Yeon-woo didn’t let go of Seo-joon’s hand for the entire drive to the restaurant.
✽✽✽
Darkness fell over Hee-min’s personal study, filled with academic journals and thick textbooks. The desk under the lamp light was cluttered with documents and files, while a shadow of worry as deep as the night loomed over Hee-min’s face, which should have been relaxed with the leisure of the weekend. In the quiet study, only the busy sound of typing echoed.
◈ Sergei Onopko
Nationality: Russian
Age: Estimated to be 28
Found: December 24, 2000, on a street in the entertainment district
(Record of being taken to an emergency treatment facility)
Temporarily unable to communicate due to complications from prolonged exposure to severe cold. Permanent memory loss.
◈ Luiz Pimenta
Nationality: Federative Republic of Brazil
Age: Estimated to be 29
Found: Around 2000 at a restaurant street in Paraty
Exact date unknown but presumed to be the end-of-year season.
Unable to recall parents and never found a guardian.
Entered a child protection facility on December 26, 2000.
Adopted in March 2001.
◈ Dieumerci Mbokani Bezua
Nationality: Ivory Coast
Age: Estimated to be 28
Found: Around December 2000 in a park, taken to a hospital
Unable to communicate, identity unknown
Diagnosed with memory loss due to trauma
Date of birth on driver’s license: December 24, 1995
(Date submitted by adoptive parents upon his initial discovery)
◈ Noel Kruse
Nationality: Australia
Age: Estimated to be 27
Found: 2000-2001? At a landfill in Brisbane
Unable to communicate
Could not find a guardian due to permanent memory loss
(Content based on local newspaper records at the time)
Adopted in June 2001
Called “Baby Santa” by adoptive parents in childhood.
A brief document was created, filling less than a full page. It contained birth-related information for a few non-named individuals, gathered from countless sources and official records over the last ten years.
Of the twelve non-named worldwide, only four had their origins outlined here. To compile this simple information, Hee-min had to trace back hundreds of intelligence reports to verify their authenticity.
He resumed typing.
◈ Ji Seo-joon
Nationality: Republic of Korea
Age: 29
…Estimated.
He lingered on the two letters he had just typed.
Having known Seo-joon as a close neighbor long before he was identified as an esper, Hee-min was familiar with much of his life story. The nun who first discovered Seo-joon estimated his age to be six years old. While Seo-joon is now 29, the precise age remains unknown.
Found on December 24, 2000, beneath the Christmas tree at a cathedral…
Hee-min’s typing stopped abruptly. A chill ran down his spine.
“….”
How could none of these people have been born from their mother’s womb?
Five of the twelve non-named individuals had been found on the streets, and all at nearly the same time.
Even if it was just a partial sample, this seemed to be a significant pattern.