TS 018
by Aoi“What the…”
Kim Hye-na couldn’t help but gape. To think she’d witness such a sight in her lifetime! She regretted leaving her phone behind, preparing for the Center’s surveillance. A photo opportunity wasted.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
Han Suryeon only offered a tight smile, his swollen cheek throbbing. It was an artificial expression, reminiscent of someone forcing a grin after heartbreak. Kim Hye-na sighed, shaking her head.
Despite his younger age, she had a certain level of respect for him as a team leader. But at times like this, she couldn’t fathom what was going on in his mind.
“There’s a rumor going around that you fought with the Team Leader of Team 1. Is it true?”
“Let’s just say I hooked up with our Team Leader.”
“…You do understand what ‘hooked up’ implies, right?”
Kim Hye-na, about to pull out a cigarette from her coat, frowned, taken aback by his choice of words.
She was the one who had taught Han Suryeon Korean. And she prided herself on being a decent teacher. She had taught him everything, from slang to nuanced expressions; she had done a commendable job.
Yet, here he was, using a phrase out of context. Han Suryeon, of all people, wouldn’t make such a basic mistake, unless it was intentional.
“Of course I do.”
“Then please elaborate. Others might misunderstand.”
“Let them.”
True to his nature, Han Suryeon didn’t care in the slightest about dragging someone else into the rumor mill.
“The other teammates heard too.”
The man, who had been gazing at the Seoul nightscape, turned and leaned against the railing. Kim Hye-na withdrew her hand from her coat pocket, her craving for a cigarette suddenly gone.
“What exactly did you say?”
“Let me see… I said that Team Leader and I were hooking up in the panic room?”
“Did I forget to teach you the word ‘sparring’?”
“It’s not exactly inaccurate. Hanna always interprets everything in a suggestive way…”
His voice trailed off, feigning embarrassment. Kim Hye-na chuckled at his blatant attempt to shift the blame. Knowing Han Suryeon’s speech patterns, she knew exactly how his words would be perceived.
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Don’t you know how that sounds coming from you, the Leader, in that tone of voice? Especially since Korean spoken slowly sounds even more suggestive.”
“Ah, you caught me.”
His flippant response made her blood boil. She desperately needed a cigarette. Once again, she considered giving in to the urge, her gaze fixed on the man so much younger than her.
He looked a little worse for wear, but his swollen cheek and slightly bloody lip gave him a pitiful air. The combination of his delicate features and the touch of vulnerability, enhanced by his signature playful smile, was quite a sight.
‘Honestly, his personality…’
Kim Hye-na knew that no one was more cunning than Han Suryeon. His use of his mother’s delicate features and soft-spoken manner to charm people was part of his cunning nature. Just like his habit of deploying his charms whenever it suited him.
‘No wonder the Guild members think the word that best describes him is ‘crow’. ‘
She reminded herself of the darkness that lurked beneath Han Suryeon’s charming smile and gentle demeanor. He might seem normal now, but he was far from it. She had to choose her moments carefully.
“Found him.”
At last, getting down to business, the man straightened up from his casual pose against the railing.
“Where is he?”
“See that building over there?”
Gray eyes followed the line of her outstretched finger.
“You found him quickly.”
“Well, I came in with some idea of where he might be. We could have found him even faster if you hadn’t, you know…”
“I didn’t think he’d die so easily.”
Kim Hye-na recoiled, her nose wrinkling in disgust at his casual tone, as if he were completely innocent.
“You practically butchered him and you’re saying you didn’t think he’d die?!”
“Espers don’t die easily.”
“Anyone would die if you hack their body to pieces.”
“So, he died quickly because he wasn’t an S-rank…”
He sounded like a child who had crushed an ant, devoid of any remorse. The problem was, Han Suryeon wasn’t a child, and his victim wasn’t an ant; he was human.
About a month ago, one of their Guild members had been murdered in Russia. An ant, who had infiltrated their ranks, killed the Guild member and fled when his cover was about to be blown. The news reached the Guild Master, and Borein, the head of the Enforcement Unit, was dispatched to deal with the situation.
Even with stringent background checks, it was near impossible to completely weed out ants from the Guild. But the Guild Master’s son had managed to pinpoint the ant.
He had not only found out that the murderer had fled to Korea, but also that his purpose was to contact Monomorium.
Of course, the process of obtaining this information had involved… certain methods that were less than humane.
“Just thinking about it makes me sick.”
Feeling nauseous, Kim Hye-na covered her mouth.
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“…How could the Vice Guild Master name him Liliya?”
Han Suryeon’s mother had chosen his name. She had apparently said that he was so small and delicate at birth that she thought he was a girl. But no one had expected her to name her son after a lily.
It was even rare in Russia to use flowers as names.
“And his Korean name too.”
His Korean name, Han Suryeon, was derived from his father’s surname and the scientific name for water lilies.
She had to admit, he was a beautiful man, but the names Liliya and Suryeon, with their connotations of purity and innocence, felt at odds with the overwhelming scent of blood that clung to him.
“Because he has a pretty face.”
“….”
She had no retort to that. It was true.
“Why are you alone? Didn’t he say he’d meet us here?”
Lost for words, Kim Hye-na looked around for Yoon Taehwa. They had found the runaway ant’s hideout, but they were in Seoul. They needed the man’s help to capture their target alive.
“Our Team Leader is quite popular, you know.”
Our?
“He got called in by the higher-ups. We could’ve spent the night together… What a shame.”
It was strange to hear him use the word “our,” but judging by his comment about spending the night, he was probably talking nonsense.
‘Surely not…’
Kim Hye-na quickly dismissed the thought that crossed her mind. He seemed to have taken an interest in Yoon Taehwa, constantly bringing him up.
‘This doesn’t feel good…’
It felt less like romantic interest and more like possessiveness. One of Han Suryeon’s hobbies was recruiting useful people to his team, so it wasn’t out of character. But no matter how she calculated it, the probability of Yoon Taehwa joining their side was practically zero.
‘Well, not my problem.’
Whatever his interest, there was nothing she could do if Han Suryeon had set his sights on someone.
“Don’t tell me he got called in because of the … incident with you in the panic room.”
“I don’t think so. It sounds like he treats other espers the same way.”
“You mean using force to keep them in line? Just like you. You two are quite similar. You’ll get along well.”
“What’s the Korean phrase for that? Meant to be?”
Kim Hye-na doubted Yoon Taehwa would appreciate that. She kept her thoughts to herself.
She turned away, unable to respond to his ridiculous statement. The city lights twinkled before her, a vast, unending expanse of urban brilliance. The continuous stream of light was a stark reminder that they were in Seoul.
“Now that you’ve found the location, you’ll move right away, right?”
“It would be easier to handle this with just the two of us, but… we have to consult with the Center. We’re the ones who requested their assistance.”
“True.”
“They’ll want to move quickly too, so you don’t have to worry. They know that the person I want is involved with Monomorium.”
“You’ll be working with Team 1 then.”
Kim Hye-na looked at Han Suryeon as if to confirm. She could see the bruise on his cheek.
An esper’s regeneration abilities were monstrously fast, but they usually only kicked in for serious injuries like stab wounds. Broken bones were a different matter, but bruises didn’t disappear that quickly.
Even so, it was the first time she had ever seen Han Suryeon bruised, especially one inflicted by a human. It felt strange.
‘It would’ve been more believable if he’d gotten it from a monster.’
Kim Hye-na casually brought up the topic.
“Who do you think would win in a one-on-one fight?”
His gaze snapped towards her at her question. The corner of his eyes crinkled slightly, betraying his amusement.
“Hmm…”
Han Suryeon thought back to their encounter a few hours ago. He didn’t need to think hard. It was the first time he’d ever been beaten like that.
His ability had manifested at a very young age. And when it manifested in children, regardless of their rank, there was a high probability of fatality. Their bodies couldn’t handle the surge of energy, making them prone to losing control.
‘Fortunately, my father was an S-rank esper.’
He had trained under a skilled esper for years, learning to control his abilities. And his father wasn’t the type to resort to violence, even towards his own son.
More importantly, as a close-range ability user, he rarely had to worry about being hit. He could stop an attack before it reached him.
Even when he started learning hand-to-hand combat, as a precaution, he had never sparred with anyone for this long. Having his ability nullified, their body heat and breaths mingling chaotically… it was all a first for him, thanks to Yoon Taehwa.
“Who knows.”
He snapped out of his thoughts, sensing an irritating presence. Han Suryeon raised an eyebrow and beckoned with his finger. Kim Hye-na, familiar with his habits, quickly turned around.
“What’s that? Do you know him?”
A man was dangling mid-air, his face turning blue from lack of oxygen.
“I don’t know anyone in Korea.”
The man, clawing at his throat as if being choked, was suddenly dropped to the ground.
“Gah! Cough! Cough! Cough! P-Please… Don’t kill me!”
His face was smeared with tears and snot. He scrambled backwards, his body trembling.
“H-He… Cough! Gasp! He sent me!”
“He?”
Han Suryeon’s eyes narrowed.
“What should we do with him, Leader?”
“If he’s someone I know… we’ll find out soon enough.”
His gentle smile was at odds with the chilling glint in his eyes.