Chapter 98,,,,
The Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Too Good at Possession
Incheon, Michuhol-gu, Dohwa-daero XX Street, XX.
Kwon Ik-seong sighed as he entered that address into his navigation, the one that seemed to float there as if daring him. He glanced at the side mirror once more.
Then he rolled down the window and spoke.
“How long are you planning to stand there?”
At his words, the shadow hiding in the flowerbed behind Kwon Ik-seong’s car revealed itself.
The shadow belonged to Pi So-won.
Pi So-won leaned her long legs against the open passenger-side window of Kwon Ik-seong’s car.
“Can I get in now?”
“……”
Before Kwon Ik-seong could answer, Pi So-won reached inside and opened the passenger door.
Her movements were as smooth as checking a magazine and pulling a trigger—clearly, she didn’t care about permission.
“You’ve been up to some strange things with my partner. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”
At Pi So-won’s words, Kwon Ik-seong’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Strange things, you say—”
“I thought about it. Did the two of them go out for a meal as a date? Or did you help Lee Yu-ji pull off some bizarre scheme again?”
Pi So-won’s hand brushed along her waist.
A rifle was there.
Of course, there were no live bullets, though she had brought the bullet pouch today.
“You don’t trust your partner.”
Pi So-won chuckled at Kwon Ik-seong’s remark.
“I trust my partner too much. Our partner—”
She glanced at Kwon Ik-seong’s confident face sitting beside her.
She had noticed how Lee Yu-ji sometimes stared at this guy with parted lips.
But if there had truly been something between the two, that gaze wouldn’t be like that.
If someone genuinely liked another, they wouldn’t want to be caught.
Yet Lee Yu-ji didn’t even try to hide it.
And above all, Lee Yu-ji—
“Always causing trouble wherever she goes.”
She had caught the attention of the “Gamer.”
Pi So-won remembered the remains of the spider that Chief Hong had given her.
If the “Gamer”’s skill wasn’t some physical hacking program, but rather a malicious espionage-type skill, then Lee Yu-ji was right under the Gamer’s watch.
And could Kwon Ik-seong not know that?
Did he really not know and still bring that feast to Lee Yu-ji?
Did he genuinely have romantic interest in her?
“No way.”
Pi So-won knew Kwon Ik-seong better than anyone.
Rumors about him were rampant.
Because he had once been part of the Hunter Management Bureau and had been sidelined there, people said he had fallen due to bad connections, that his rigid personality didn’t suit the bureau.
But Pi So-won knew the truth.
Kwon Ik-seong had been transferred here after investigating the Dae-Young Guild.
He had tried to uncover all the collusion between the Hunter Association and the Dae-Young Guild.
Even if he appeared to only follow orders, Kwon Ik-seong was obsessed with investigation.
Not out of justice, but out of a habit of never missing a clue when one appeared.
Pi So-won looked at Kwon Ik-seong’s calm profile.
“And you’d even use someone like Lee Yu-ji for the sake of your investigation.”
“…You noticed that well.”
Kwon Ik-seong released the handbrake and shifted into drive.
“I’m going to meet Investigator Lee Yu-ji now. Will you come along?”
“You think I’d refuse?”
“No. I was just asking. Polite courtesy.”
Pi So-won let out a small laugh at his answer.
The normally stiff man had something oddly casual about him now.
Apparently, it hadn’t been just a simple meal with Lee Yu-ji.
Nor just an investigation.
Pi So-won asked him with that thought in mind.
“You… really like Lee Yu-ji, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
The answer came quickly.
“As a woman?”
Naturally, that question should have followed, but Kwon Ik-seong entered some sort of Dangsang tree into the navigation, and all thoughts vanished.
He was going there to meet Lee Yu-ji?
“I’ll help you. You help me. Let’s use each other. What’s wrong with that?”
Wrong with that?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
In fact, this was roughly the ending I had wanted.
I had one of his weaknesses in my hands, so negotiation was possible.
Normally, this insane time-traveling guy would have quietly killed the rookie investigator who discovered his identity, acting as if nothing had happened—but my case was different.
‘I am Han Sung-ye’s daughter.’
My mother saved him.
That fact would probably provoke him.
I anticipated that.
But why did I feel so uneasy?
His expression was twisted in a way that irritated me.
And he had recognized my identity faster than I expected… which was ominous.
I tried to distance myself from Choi Woo-jin as much as possible.
But with the handcuffs, I couldn’t really go much further.
“How are you planning to help?”
We had only managed to keep barely enough distance so that our breaths didn’t brush against each other.
Choi Woo-jin gave the answer I expected.
“I’ll boost your performance. As you said, I can see and hear anything, even when I’m not there.”
“Any limitations?”
I asked, pretending to be curious about his skill’s limitations.
“Within a 10 km radius.”
A lie.
Choi Woo-jin could unusually hear the voices and see the actions of anyone whose name he knew.
As if an author could control the actions and voices of characters they recognized.
But I pretended to think.
“10 km? That’s quite far. It’s almost like no limitation at all.”
“But if they’re not in the same city, it’s impossible to see. Oh, by the way—”
Choi Woo-jin grinned.
“Are we just going to keep talking like this? Feels like an S&M play, kinda nice though.”
He deliberately fiddled with the handcuffs while saying “S&M play,” creating a teasing atmosphere without any intention to seduce. Fox.
“…Someone might be coming soon.”
“Coming soon meaning—”
I furrowed my brows.
Choi Woo-jin lazily shrugged.
“Investigators. They’re looking for you. Kwon Ik-seong checked your computer before coming here.”
“…!”
Investigator Kwon Ik-seong?
Why?
I was puzzled but quickly guessed the reason.
‘I probably looked suspicious again.’
The excuse about retrieving the death certificate wouldn’t have worked at some point.
Kwon Ik-seong didn’t miss even the smallest clue.
Do you know how hard it is to survive as EX-class among these A-class and S-class people? Do you even understand this struggle?!
I glared at Choi Woo-jin, letting out a sigh as I pulled the key from my pocket.
“If you unlock it, from now on—”
He gently took my hand holding the key.
Light as a cloud, yet I could feel the key slipping from my hand.
“Everything that happened here stays secret. We’ve got a secret now, huh? I also had a big secret with Senior Constable Han Sung-ye.”
He said this with a grin.
Even though I hadn’t felt his hand move, the weight of the handcuffs disappeared in an instant.
I felt goosebumps all over.
It was as if another pair of handcuffs had been placed on me.
The handcuffs of the secret with Choi Woo-jin.
“Let’s talk about that later. Shall we head back?”
When Choi Woo-jin shone his flashlight around, the swarm of spiders huddled in the dark sewer scurried away, their red eyes glowing as they disappeared.
Two weeks later.
“Wow, welcome! Investigator Lee Yu-ji has been specially promoted! Formerly the Hunter Management Unit… now the Hunter Investigation Bureau. The director of that department is here as well!”
For some reason, I ended up on a famous TV talk show.
With the Hunter Management Chief, whose skin had been cared for and face glowing, smiling Director Hong Jae-gyeol, and the sullen Pi So-won.
“…Then tell us about the rebellion of Investigation Team 5, which always ranked last!”
“The rebellion was caused by Mayor Go Chul-won. We just did what we always do.”
And, as usual, Pi So-won caused trouble again.
Ha! Ha! Ha!
