THE VILAIN
: Strange Villains
W. Geuppeum
- WARNING!The author thinks of and portrays the protagonist as a rather immoral person.
The pungent smoke stung his nose and eyes. His eyes stung, tears welling up in his eyes. Jungkook raised his hand to rub his eyes. He might have done the same if Jiwon hadn't grabbed his hand and pulled it down.
"Hold on a little longer, your eyes will hurt."
Jeongguk flinched and trembled at the sight of Jiwon's cold, hard face, which didn't match the affectionate tone he'd known her before. Fear made him cringe. Jiwon rose from the grass where he'd been hiding, brushing the grass off his head and the soot off his clothes. "Ahhhh," he said. Then, he raised his hand in greeting toward someone. Jeongguk turned his head in the direction Jiwon's gaze met. Someone was leisurely leaving the lab.
"You got out okay, kid? You even took that one back safely."
"Of course, who am I? Did you bring that?"
"There's no reason not to bring it."
Jungkook couldn't help but gape at the man. Dangling from his ear were earrings, unmistakably a pair Jiwon had. But why? Why? Jungkook swallowed hard as he opened his mouth.
“…C, C ...
At that small voice, Jiwon and the man's sharp gaze turned to Jeongguk. "Ah," said the man—no, the director of the research institute.
"The polymorph hasn't been solved yet? I thought it would have been solved a long time ago."
"Not at all. Since you've noticed, why don't you turn back into your original form? Just seeing that face makes me vomit."
"Oh my, that won't work-,"
No, it wasn't the director. Jeongguk's face paled as he watched the man's face begin to melt, as if flowing down his face. The man grimaced at the unpleasant liquid running down his face. He roughly brushed the liquid off his face and grumbled.
“This is why I hate polymorphs….”"You must be foolish. Are these the end of the documents?"
"Yeah, the rest were already disposed of."
"It's more useless than I thought. I should have just let it burn."
“What? I went through so much trouble to get that…!”
"It's all just trash."
“It’s some pretty advanced information….”
"I guess it's just trash since it came from a garbage dump."
Jeong-guk was momentarily stunned by the conversation between Ji-won and the man, who were both engrossed in their paperwork. … Documents? A dump? A research lab? He looked at the lab, already engulfed in red flames and collapsing. … No way,
“…Did you do that, Jiwon?”
Jiwon raised his head. He glanced at the direction Jeongguk's fingertips were pointing at, then, seeing the research lab burning away, he replied halfheartedly, "Ah." "I guess so," Jeongguk's face paled at that reply.
“…You set the fire? Are there people inside?”
"Well, if you survive that level of fire, wouldn't you be a god? Or just damn lucky."
“Th, those… test subjects, test subjects?”
"I don't know. I told them the escape route, but it's up to them to use it or not. If they had listened to me, they would have lived."
"...Then what about Dr. Sung? What about the director of the research center..."
"Why should I save those scumbags?"
Jungkook, who had been talking while looking at the floor, raised his head. Jungkook inhaled sharply at Jiwon, who was looking down at him sharply. Jiwon sighed. "If things were normal, you should have been there too," he said, pointing into the flames, causing Jungkook's expression to worsen. It was no wonder that the question "Did I keep him alive for nothing?" lingered in Jiwon's mind. He was slow to grasp the situation, weak, and even that kind of thing was called an esper. Jiwon narrowed his brows. Even now, look at how the situation was unfolding, he couldn't even tell friend from foe, and he didn't seem to have any intention of using his supernatural powers... Should I just kill him? Jiwon's eyes gleamed sharply. No, no. I kept him alive because he was clearly useful... Jiwon, who was shuffling through the stack of documents again, pulled out a few sheets of paper.
"Hey, young master."
“…what all of a sudden…,”
"Jeon Jeong-guk, the second son of Jeon Ji-hwan, the director of the Esper Management Bureau."
“…! That, that, how…?”
"I'm not a fool, so how can I not see something so obvious?"
What seventeen-year-old in the world could be that innocent? Even one who volunteered as a test subject? Jiwon scoffed. He looked at Jeong-guk with a cold gaze and said, "Let me ask you something. Your life is on the line here, so you'd better answer carefully."
"Do you know who the actual operator of the Esper Ability Development Institute, other than the director, is?"
"…no."
"Then do you know where and how the test subjects who were trapped in this lab were gathered?"
"…I don't know."
"So, lastly, how was the 'superpower' you were given in the experiment created?"
"……."
"You don't know anything? So, you came to this lab just because your father told you you could become an esper? Stupidly excited by the thought of becoming stronger."
"……."
"It's so pathetic. I thought he might be able to act like a human being, but I guess I was wrong."
Time was running out, and Jeongguk couldn't say anything to Jiwon's words. Everything Ga-ga had said was true. Who owned this lab, where the test subjects came from, why it was founded—he knew nothing. Even his own blind participation in the research, simply because he'd been told he could become an esper, proved Jiwon's words were right. Just getting excited—
Jiwon pulled a few papers from the stack and threw them at Jeongguk's head. Jeongguk watched them flutter and fall over his head. Jiwon's cold, hard face was visible through the falling papers.
"It's a parting gift. Let's consider it compensation for the year of trusting and nurturing our friendship, only to be hit in the back of the head. How you use it is up to you."
"……."
"This is your last chance to walk, so I hope you make a wise choice, Young Master."
"Let's go," Jiwon said to the man. The man, who had been watching Jungkook and Jiwon's conversation with great interest, nodded. Jiwon's face, turning her back on him and walking away without any regrets, entered Jungkook's sight. "...There's still so much I want to ask you. Why did you plan this? What does the question you asked earlier have to do with me? Why did you save me?" Jungkook forced his mouth open. Hesitantly, he uttered the name of the person walking confidently in front of him.
“…Kim, support!”
I saw him turn around. "Oh no," Jeongguk's mouth opened at Jiwon's expression, which was fixed on him. He couldn't find the words. And Jiwon wouldn't wait for Jeongguk like that.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my name is Han Yeo-ju, not Kim Ji-won."
"…what?"
"Kim Ji-won is my mother's name! If you're curious, take a good look through the documents I gave you."
"Well then, really, hello!" It was a greeting too cheerful for the building engulfed in flames. Jungkook sat there, transfixed, until they vanished from his sight. The sound of sirens wailed deafeningly. Picking up the scattered pieces of paper, one by one, Jungkook meditated on the woman's name.
Han Yeo-ju,
It was a name that would never be forgotten in Jeon Jungkook's life.
⚒
5 years later,
[Breaking news: Director Jeon Ji-hwan of the Esper Management Bureau has reportedly nominated his second son, Jeon Jung-guk, as the next director. This unprecedentedly quick successor nomination has caused outrage not only within the Bureau but also in the media…]
"Phuhat-,"
Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, a place so peaceful it belied the fact that it was at war, was filled with laughter and the sound of news. Seokjin, wondering what was going on, lifted his head from the sofa. He noticed the woman's gaze fixed on the dull TV, and followed her gaze to the TV. He wondered if there was any interesting news. As soon as the news began to flow, a familiar name came through, and he shook his head and burrowed back into the sofa.
"Wow, you've made it big, young master?"
The female protagonist giggled. "Uh-," Seokjin said halfheartedly, letting her words slip by. In retaliation for his halfhearted response, the female protagonist kicked Seokjin's butt with her foot. With Seokjin's screams as the background, she recalled a memory from several years ago. The young master who had walked into the lab because he thought espers were cool was now preparing to lead all the espers in the country. The female protagonist burst into laughter again. "Puhaha-," she said.
"Why are you laughing like that? Is something funny?"
Taehyung, who had crawled into the living room, startled by the sound of Yeoju's laughter, loitered around her. Even he quickly lost interest when he heard the words "Esper Management Bureau" appear on the news.
"What, are you talking about the center?"
"Yeah, it's been a while since we've talked about the center, but I heard some interesting news."
"Why? Do you know her?"
At Taehyung's words, Yeoju trailed off, her face filling the TV screen. "Well..." Taehyung's interest completely waned at her half-hearted reply. "Sister, aren't you lacking in guidance? Should I guide you?" Just looking at her flirting, clinging to Yeoju, it was clear.
"Kim Taehyung, don't harass the female protagonist-,"
"Oh, bro! When did I ever bully you?! Where did you go?"
"In front of here. I think someone came in, so I'm going to check."
The comfortable atmosphere suddenly chilled at Namjoon's single words. "Coming in? Who?" Taehyung asked in a subdued voice, a stark contrast to the coquettish tone he'd been giving the female lead just moments before. Namjoon gulped down some water and spoke.
"Two espers. One is tracking, and the other doesn't use his powers, so I don't know. Anyway, I think we've definitely caught their tails."
“…How far did you get? Not a single bomb went off.”
"You planted it near the house, hyung. It couldn't have penetrated that deep. How easy is it to penetrate my special ability?"
Namjoon said with a grin. It was a playful laugh. Seokjin, relieved, let out a deep breath. "Tracking," Yeoju slowly sat up from where she had been lying on the sofa.
“It’s about time we moved somewhere….”
His voice was limp and languid, his annoyance palpable. It had been a month and a half since he'd finally found a decent place to live. Compared to their situation, where they moved once a month, or even once every few weeks, it was certainly a long stay. Taehyung grumbled and got up at the woman's suggestion, "Let's pack." Despite his mouth agape, "How annoying," the woman simply told him to hurry up and pack, shoving him back into the room. It was best to run away while you could still catch them, for those fugitives.
Even outside of the current state of war, there were countless espers desperately trying to escape the Bureau's control. Most were fleeing, horrified by the Bureau's brutal and repulsive underbelly. Now, as they waged war with another nation, the number of espers fleeing the Bureau only increased, never decreasing. The Bureau lumped together espers who refused to comply with its control and classified them as "fugitives." As their numbers grew, they established a dedicated fugitive team within the Bureau to track down espers who had escaped their control, in order to recruit them for the war effort. Some espers managed to avoid detection and remained on the run for extended periods, like Yeoju, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Taehyung, who came together to create the group BTS. This wasn't a common occurrence. It was only possible thanks to the fortunate arrival of Kim Taehyung as a guide within BTS. Without this, they might have met a different fate, like the "esper outbursts" that were occurring across the nation. There was no way to explain it other than that I was just lucky.
"What about Yeonjun and Soobin?"
"I decided to go down to Busan, so I left in the morning. While you were sleeping."
"Really? I sent you away without even saying goodbye."
The female protagonist clicked her tongue in regret. "Let's pack our bags and leave right away," she asked. "Namjoon oppa, is that enough guidance?" Namjoon simply reached out through the crack in the door and gave an OK sign. "What about Seokjin oppa?" she asked. After confirming that she heard a "It's okay," she entered her room.
What could be luggage when you're being chased? The heroine, who had packed only the bare necessities for her escape, left the living room with a backpack so large it almost seemed embarrassing to call it a moving bag. She saw three people already packed and leaving. "Are you done?" Seokjin asked, to which the heroine nodded, casually draping her backpack over her shoulder.
"Shall we depart?"
Everyone nodded at Yeoju's words. Except Namjoon. Namjoon's face suddenly began to pale. His guiding score was plummeting. For the first time in a long time, the word "warning" popped into Yeoju's mind.
"Damn it, Kim Namjoon is pierced!"
Boom! Kwakwang! An explosive sound was heard. It was the sound of the bomb Seokjin had planted in the front yard of the house exploding. The spatial barrier surrounding the house was lifted. It was a signal that Namjoon did not have enough guiding power left to maintain the barrier. Jump! Yeoju shouted, lifting Namjoon, who was on the verge of fainting. Seokjin and Taehyung, who quickly grasped the situation, quickly moved their feet to find a space that could be used as an exit.
"…this,"
“…I’m a step too late….”
Taehyung muttered, "If it weren't for the knife at his throat, he would have jumped without hesitation over the collapsed wall." The woman sighed. "That's right," she muttered, glaring at the blade, which was perfectly positioned to slit her throat. She put Namjoon down. She sighed as she watched countless figures emerge from the dust, breaking through the rubble of the collapsed house.
"Oh, shit."
The man smiled a charming smile. The man who had filled the shattered TV screen just moments before was now standing before the woman.
“…I found it, Han Yeo-ju.”
The center's successor stepped forward to capture Han Yeo-ju.
⚒