TS 007

Yoon Taehwa unconsciously stopped himself from reaching out his hand.

‘What’s this?’

He had instinctively moved to ruffle Han Suryeon’s hair, which was quite odd. He straightened up, dismissing it as insignificant. It seemed like a habit he’d developed after managing countless trainees since their youth, including Seo Sichan.

“Come over here and sit down. Let’s talk properly.”

Yoon Taehwa gestured with his chin toward the sofa slightly away from his desk. Although Director Shin had briefed him on the situation, it would be better to hear directly from the person involved.

Han Suryeon obediently stood up and followed his instructions without protest. He trailed behind him like a baby bird imprinted on its first sight of another creature. Yoon Taehwa sat down on a single-seater couch, suspecting he might otherwise pester him if left unattended.

“…..”

Han Suryeon stared at where he sat and eventually chose to perch on the edge of the couch next to him. Similar to the director’s office layout, three couches surrounded a central table with minimal space between them, close enough that they could touch hands if they reached out.

‘Why did he sit all the way over there?’

Both were tall individuals, so their legs would easily bump into each other even with slight movements. Yoon Taehwa smirked at his transparent attempt; dealing with kids was child’s play for him.

“The fact you requested cooperation from the Center suggests you’ve already identified the target.” 

While traveling abroad as an ability user required strict procedures, it wasn’t entirely prohibited. If this matter could be easily resolved, the guild would have dispatched a few members quietly instead of involving the Center.

The fact that they didn’t take this route meant it couldn’t be easily resolved. If even the leader of their elite team and son of the guild master was directly involved, then it had to be serious business.

“We’ve confirmed he’s hiding in Seoul. He likely has no intention of leaving the area.” Han Suryeon spoke with conviction. They would need to cross-check his information, but he seemed reliable enough.

“What about the possibility of him leaving for another country?”

“None whatsoever.”

Yoon Taehwa leaned back on the couch, crossing his legs out of habit. His toes were positioned just close enough to brush against Suryeon’s knee if he exerted some force.

“There must be something supporting your certainty.”

“Aren’t you curious as to why the ant I’m trying to capture fled specifically to Korea instead of nearby Europe?”

In that instant, Yoon Taehwa had a sudden realization. His gaze instinctively met Han Suryeon’s eyes. His gently curved eyelids gave him an elegant appearance.

“I have someone to meet here in Korea. If I were going to rendezvous elsewhere, I would’ve fled there earlier. The reason why I waited until now is because I needed to confirm their movements.”

“You’re referring to a high-ranking ant?”

The pieces of the puzzle started falling into place for him.

It was true he received assistance from Russia five years ago, but it wasn’t enough justification for bringing him into the Center. It was akin to letting an outsider from another country infiltrate their home turf. He wondered why they’d take such a risk, and now it seemed apparent he possessed valuable information.

“Not just any influential figure…”

From his reaction, it seemed to be significant information.

“It’s Monomorium.”

“Monomorium pharaonis^[1]?”

Yoon Taehwa frowned at hearing that name. It was derived from a specific species of ant, which indicated this individual held a key position within their group.

Not much was known about Ants, the terrorist organization. Their activities were irregular, and very few members had ever been identified publicly. Just when people thought they had gone quiet and disbanded, they would suddenly strike with bombs before disappearing again. Among them, Monomorium was considered one of their top leaders.

“That’s right.”

To think such a prominent figure was present in Korea. Yoon Taehwa snapped his fingers.

“That’s why you accepted the Center’s offer. And that must be why you came here as well.”

The Russian giant was on the move again. Although they claimed to be here solely for revenge against the ants who killed their guild members, Yoon Taehwa knew their true target had to be Monomorium.

Han Suryeon blinked innocently, seemingly confused by his line of thought. “That’s not exactly why I’m here…”

His expression appeared harmless, but he wasn’t naive enough to believe his denial at face value. If they weren’t aiming for a key figure in the terrorist organization, there would be no reason for the guild master to expose Han Suryeon like this.

‘Though ‘expose’ might not be the right word.’

Few people within the Center were aware of Han Suryeon’s original identity.

‘I’m sure he mentioned someone higher up.’

Perhaps only Director Shin, myself, and maybe some higher-ups knew about Han Suryeon’s true identity. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Director Shin to hide information about him while registering him as an Esper at the Center.

Yoon Taehwa narrowed his eyes, slowly scrutinizing his opponent. He was certain he was hiding something, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

“I’m curious why the guild master sent you here.”

Han Suryeon tilted his head again, appearing puzzled by his question. His slightly wavy hair swayed with the movement.

“We know next to nothing about Pakhan’s bloodline. The only known fact is that the vice-guildmaster is his daughter, right? So, what reason could you possibly have for coming here, even at the risk of exposing your identity?”

“Umm…”

“And you claim it’s not related to Monomorium?”

Han Suryeon, who had been looking straight ahead until now, subtly avoided his gaze. There it was. Yoon Taehwa tilted his head towards his direction. Han Suryeon glanced at him as he rested his chin on his hand and then opened his mouth hesitantly.

“I’m embarrassed to say this…”

As he trailed off, Yoon Taehwa’s eyebrows rose higher.

“I came here for my punishment.”

“Punishment?”

Suddenly, what kind of punishment? Was it corporal punishment? Thinking he might have misheard, Yoon Taehwa repeated the question, but Han Suryeon confirmed with a nod.

“While tracking down the runaway ants, I… accidentally killed a few.”

His words were quite shocking coming from such a pretty face.

“You mentioned being scared of blood earlier.”

“What does fear have to do with killing them?”

Yoon Taehwa closed his mouth. Strictly speaking, there was no direct connection.

“I’m here to both seek revenge for my fallen guild members and punish them accordingly. In truth, despite concerns from my mother about public exposure… I personally don’t mind being recognized.”

His mother was none other than the vice guild master of Kasatka.

“If I find the man I’m after, we should be able to locate Monomorium as well… The Center has nothing to lose by cooperating with me. They can’t just sit back and do nothing while a terrorist is roaming the capital, right?”

It seemed Director Shin intended to seize this opportunity to capture Monomorium while he was still in Korea.

‘I now understand why they didn’t give us any prior information.’

It meant that he was to be in charge of Han Suryeon for the time being and hear from him directly. 

“I have one more question.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“You brought along a researcher instead of a guide, correct? Why choose a non-combatant researcher when having a team member would’ve been more practical?”

Of course, bringing along a researcher instead of an ability user would generate less pushback from the Center. However, considering how valuable the information he possessed, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to bring at least one team member with him. Yoon Taehwa was curious as to why he hadn’t done so.

“Well, not many of my teammates speak Korean… And he’s also part of my team. When you first mistook him for a researcher, Team Leader, I think it might have been partly because he was covered in blood.”

By now, the woman should be with Kim Dohee. He naturally recalled the first time he saw her.

When they met near the entrance of the dungeon, the woman had been covered in blood, giving off the impression that she’d just endured some brutal ordeal. When asked if she was injured, she insisted she wasn’t, indicating that it likely wasn’t hers. This contrasted sharply with Han Suryeon’s pristine appearance, devoid of any bloodstains.

“It seems like the researchers here have it rough.” 

Yoon Taehwa questioned whether he was truly a researcher with his statement as Han Suryeon raised his eyebrows while placing his hand on his face. His upper body naturally bent forward slightly, causing his feet to slip just enough for the tips of his toes to touch Yoon Taehwa’s knee as he floated in mid-air.

When Yoon Taehwa asked if she was really a researcher, Han Suryeon just covered his face with his palm, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His upper body naturally leaned forward, causing his feet, hanging in the air, to slide just enough for the tips of his toes to brush against Yoon Taehwa’s knee.

“In Russia, unlike Korea where the government officially handles things, private guilds take care of business. Large-scale conflicts between powerful guilds are inevitable in this world where dungeon entry rights equate to money.”

Yoon Taehwa stared intently at him. Although he intended to cooperate due to orders from higher-ups, it was challenging to gauge how much trust he could place in Han Suryeon’s words.

“Oh.” Suddenly, Han Suryeon’s reddened lips parted open.

“It reminded me of something you mentioned earlier about espionage……”

It felt odd to bring up a topic from their previous conversation.

“You don’t know what my team is called?”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested.”

Yoon Taehwa’s apology sounded insincere. Although he knew the names of all Kasatka’s elite teams, he was unaware of Han Suryeon’s squad. It made sense since information regarding the strike squad leaders was classified.

“How about showing some interest now?”

“I already planned on it.”

Regardless of his apparent plea for attention, Yoon Taehwa intended to keep a close eye on him anyway.

“That’s good… What intrigues you most about me?” Despite knowing full well his intentions, Han Suryeon smiled nonchalantly.

“My preference?”

The unabashed question widened Yoon Taehwa’s smile even further, deepening his dimples. He was starting to understand his conversational style.

“Well… let’s start with your team.”

As if expecting this query, Han Suryeon straightened up from resting his chin on his palm. His knee brushed against Taehwa’s leg as he shifted slightly.

“Its name is Voron (Ворон)…” Their eyes met, illuminated by the evening sun streaming through the window and casting shadows upon their long eyelashes.

“It means ‘crow’.”

A grim name emerged between parted red lips, blending seamlessly with the cunning reflected in his softly curved eyes. It felt like revealing the dark depths hidden beneath his beauty.