NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62
Chapter 62
“Ugh….”
Team Leader Seo came back to his senses when something cold splashed on his face. He opened his eyes to find it was raindrops.
Staring at the falling droplets, Team Leader Seo felt a momentary confusion about the situation. His head throbbed painfully. Frowning, he started to piece together his memories.
He had entered this place to investigate a villa. And just as he approached the inner door… he was ambushed by someone. After that, it seemed he lost consciousness and collapsed.
“Dammit.”
Thud.
With an angry expression, Team Leader Seo clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground. As an A-rank Hunter, when had he ever faced such a humiliating situation? Being knocked out by an ambush?
But there was no time to dwell on his anger. He was worried about the safety of his subordinates who came with him.
He pulled a portable light from his pocket and turned it on. The darkness was so thick that he couldn’t even guess the time, and the rain was pouring down, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.
Shining the light around, he found himself in the very villa where he had collapsed. It seemed the one who knocked him out had just left him there.
Team Leader Seo began searching for the subordinate who had entered the villa with him. After a short while, he was able to find his colleague, who was also unconscious on the floor.
Hastily, Team Leader Seo approached and checked for breathing and pulse. Thankfully, they were still alive, and their pulse was steady. He didn’t know who the assailant was, but it seemed they had no intention of killing them.
Team Leader Seo slapped his subordinate’s cheeks a few times.
“Ugh…?”
The subordinate slowly opened their eyes, blinking in confusion before speaking in a bewildered voice.
“Team Leader? W-What happened here?”
“Well, all I know for sure is that we were ambushed by someone.”
Only then did the subordinate realize they had been hit and collapsed, eyes widening in surprise.
“Ambushed? Who would dare attack an Inspection Bureau staff…?”
“We should investigate it. But probably….”
Team Leader Seo’s voice trailed off as he stood up. There likely wouldn’t be any significant results from the investigation. An opponent capable of ambushing Inspection Bureau staff wouldn’t leave behind sloppy traces. If they wanted to, they could have killed everyone instead. The fact that they hadn’t likely meant they were confident they wouldn’t get caught.
Biting his lip bitterly, Team Leader Seo headed outside the villa to check on the safety of the remaining staff.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun arrived at work early as usual and sat in the break room. However, his mind was unusually blank today. He had been through too much yesterday.
Assassins bursting into his home.
Escape and abduction.
The torture chamber.
Murder.
This wasn’t a movie or drama. It was reality. In fact, it felt like sitting here at work wasn’t real.
It felt as if the moment he left work today, another fight to the death against assassins would unfold.
“Sigh….”
Letting out a long sigh, Si-hyun walked over to the water cooler and drank cold water repeatedly. Feeling refreshed, his mood improved slightly.
How could this happen? He was an ordinary correctional officer. It might have been a bit unusual to participate in raids on weekends, but he was just a low-rank Hunter.
Yet here he was, entangled with the insane organization known as Black Cross. Even more absurd, it all happened while handling inmate order in the prison.
What an absurd twist of fate.
At that moment, the break room door opened, and someone walked in. It was his colleague, Jun-cheol. Their eyes met.
“Oh? Si-hyun.”
Jun-cheol’s eyes widened.
“Yeah, what’s up, Jun-cheol?”
“Why does your face look so bad? Are you sick?”
“Ah, I’m just a bit tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Did you drink?”
“Not really. It just happened.”
“Are you sure you can manage your shift like this? I’m worried.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been doing this long enough; I can handle it somehow.”
“If you’re struggling, delegate a bit to the assistant duty officer. You usually handle a lot, so it’s okay to take it easy sometimes.”
“Oh, I can’t trust Do-yeon, so that won’t work.”
Si-hyun waved his hand dismissively. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he continued.
“Oh right, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Does Director Han I-seol have a younger brother? I saw someone who looked just like him on the street yesterday.”
“Um… I think so? I heard he has a younger brother before. But he looked that much like him?”
“Yeah, well… I might have misseen it, but he sure did. Anyway, thanks, hyung. I’ll be right back; I need to use the restroom.”
As Si-hyun spoke and left the break room, he thought to himself.
So he does have a brother.
The world is small, and connections between people can be so unpredictable.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Hey, Senior! Why do you look so bad?”
People seem to have similar observations. Assistant Duty Officer Do-yeon made the same comment as Jun-cheol.
“It’s nothing serious. Just focus on your work.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“By the way, do you have any news about Jang Hak-ki?”
There wasn’t much information about Jang Hak-ki during the morning checks. Normally, he would have just waited patiently, but given the current situation tangled with an assassination organization, he couldn’t afford to be so calm.
He was naturally curious about any news. He asked a few acquaintances but got no solid information, so he figured Do-yeon might know something.
“I don’t know much. But I’ve heard rumors that his condition isn’t good.”
“Well, that’s expected.”
“Um, do you think he’ll apply for medical parole? He might not come back.”
Do-yeon made a natural guess. For an ordinary inmate, it would be tough to get medical parole, but that was different for someone from a powerful background. A certain CEO was sentenced to four years but only served about 60 days before being granted medical parole, receiving harsh criticism from the media while living it up outside. That was what people called ‘Emperor’s medical parole.’ Plus, since Jang Hak-ki’s condition genuinely seemed bad, if he applied for medical parole, it would likely be granted easily.
“No, I don’t think he will.”
Si-hyun stated firmly. Knowing the reasons behind Jang Hak-ki’s current condition made it clear to him.
“What?”
Do-yeon looked at Si-hyun with a puzzled expression.
“The issue isn’t whether he comes back; he will come back. I just hope it’s today.”
“Really…? But even if he comes back, won’t he go to the treatment ward?”
“That won’t happen. Once Jang Hak-ki returns, he’ll have a private meeting immediately, so take note of that.”
“Okay…”
Do-yeon scratched her head, still looking skeptical.
◈ ◈ ◈
By afternoon, Si-hyun’s prediction became a reality.
The atmosphere in the facility suddenly became chaotic. Si-hyun, who had been resting in the break room during the 30-minute break, sensed the shift in mood.
He was lying on the sofa with his eyes closed when he heard murmurs from behind.
“Jang Hak-ki is coming back now?”
“Really?”
“Of course it’s real! I heard the Security Chief saying it himself! He’s causing a ruckus about coming back.”
“Why would he come back after going through all that? I don’t get it. Was there honey smeared in the cell or what?”
“Well, the warden is probably sweating bullets right now. They would definitely want to prevent Jang Hak-ki from coming back. If anything happens here, who knows how they could be held accountable?”
“Wow, they say the world is unpredictable, but dodging that bullet after preparing so well will just end up with a sucker punch.”
Jang Hak-ki is coming back today?
Si-hyun internally celebrated. It felt like a toothache was finally relieved. The uneasiness that had been bothering him since morning began to lift.
“Is Head Officer Lee Si-hyun here?”
Just then, the break room door opened, and a Security Department staff member called for Si-hyun.
Si-hyun got up and raised his hand.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“The Security Department Head is looking for you right now.”
“Understood.”
◈ ◈ ◈
The Security Department Head gave Si-hyun several instructions. Although the words came from the Head, they were essentially the Warden’s orders being relayed.
Be observant of Jang Hak-ki’s condition. If there’s any sign of trouble, contact the Medical Department immediately. Ensure that these instructions regarding Jang Hak-ki are thoroughly passed on to the night shift personnel.
Si-hyun nodded in understanding. At this stage, those instructions didn’t really matter. Just tying up any loose ends was what mattered now. It was enough to give the impression that they would carefully follow through with Jang Hak-ki’s matters.
Si-hyun’s expression lifted as he returned to the duty room. Do-yeon seemed to notice and asked him.
“Oh? Did something happen?”
“It did.”
“What was it, Senior?”
“Jang Hak-ki is coming back today.”
“What?”
Do-yeon looked at Si-hyun in disbelief. Though Si-hyun had made a definitive statement earlier, she internally thought that there’s no way that could happen.
…But he really was coming back. Today, no less.
“When that guy comes back, I need to give him a rousing welcome.”
Si-hyun said with genuine enthusiasm.
◈ ◈ ◈
Jang Hak-ki didn’t arrive as quickly as expected. Perhaps it was because they were waiting so eagerly that it felt even longer. Si-hyun found himself checking the time more often than usual while working.
Finally, about an hour before the end of their shift.
Do-yeon came out from the duty room and announced.
“Senior! We just got a call. Jang Hak-ki is on his way up now.”
“Oh, really? Got it.”
Si-hyun replied with a bright smile. He was relieved that it didn’t take too long, as he had been concerned it might get delayed.
Si-hyun casually walked back into the duty room. He was planning to leisurely walk out and greet Jang Hak-ki with a worried expression. Of course, that was just for appearances. Since the guards would accompany them, he needed to manage his expression until they arrived.
A short while later, the CCTV in the duty room displayed the ward door opening. Jang Hak-ki was being pushed in a wheelchair by the guard.
He was heading toward the duty room, presumably to hand over responsibilities to the duty personnel before returning.
Si-hyun watched the CCTV and, as they approached a suitable distance, stepped out slowly.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
He greeted the guard first.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The guard returned the greeting.
Looking relieved to be handing Jang Hak-ki over, who was also a high-risk inmate, they seemed a bit tense, given Jang Hak-ki’s delicate condition.
“How’s your health doing?”
Si-hyun also greeted Jang Hak-ki.
He intentionally refrained from using his name in front of the guard, feigning concern for Jang Hak-ki’s condition.
Up to this point, everything was normal.
But then…
“Ugh….”
Jang Hak-ki suddenly burst into tears. Thick tears flowed down his cheeks as he stood up from the wheelchair by himself. It was like witnessing a miraculous recovery from treatment. Then he suddenly threw his arms around Si-hyun.
“Ugh! Head Officer….”
“….”
It was undeniably the most bizarre situation anyone could witness.
Si-hyun froze momentarily.
The guard froze too.
Do-yeon, watching from behind, froze as well.