I’m Not That Villain

51 – The Main Stage

A large workforce is moving. Quickly remodeling the existing building and moving in a new organization.

Agent ‘Baek San’ of the enforcement agency, who was watching from a distance, put a cigarette in his mouth.

Ironically, he thought. Seoul was like the standard point of a lawless city, so he didn’t expect there to be a designated smoking area…

But there is.

A smoking area.

“What a peculiar neighborhood.”

He lights the cigarette. After deeply inhaling the smoke, he sweeps his surroundings with his eyes.

He saw it on the way. There were no direct attackers…

But there were many eyes among the crowd.

There were quite a few watchers. Even if he didn’t know exactly how things worked inside Seoul, he had to do preliminary research before acting. Otherwise, he might end up with a hole from a blind knife.

“…Phew.”

He had been to many sites so far…

But it was his first time in Seoul.

Baek San fiddled with the cigarette pack for no reason. From foreign dispatches to dealing with multipurpose mercenary companies, and even catching the world’s worst criminals, he had done it all…

A living, breathing crime city.

It was his first time coming here.

A city where only those who agreed with insane plans came. A city so broken that there was no room for public power to squeeze in.

Outside, at least things like murder and crime become ‘problems’. But here, they don’t at all.

The logic of power. The logic of money.

And that’s all there is.

“…….”

Thud.

Something touched Baeksan’s cheek, who was spacing out. When he looked up, he saw his junior.

“Senior. What are you thinking about?”

“…I’m thinking that there’s no turning back now.”

Yui.

A new recruit who joined a few months ago.

Now, it’s been almost half a year since they started working together. Having gotten to know her to some extent, Baeksan held her in high regard.

Diligent and kind. Righteous and compassionate…

A person who perfectly fits the role of the people’s protector.

Baeksan sipped the canned coffee she handed him. Even though he didn’t smoke, his junior sitting next to him also sipped her canned coffee.

“…I’m feeling nervous for no reason. Somehow… it doesn’t feel real.”

“What doesn’t?”

“When I came here, I saw that the overall living standards were much higher than in Busan. There were rows of unbelievably tall buildings, and the people didn’t look poor at all. Everyone was wearing stylish clothes, living their lives just like in any other city. It felt like I had come to a well-off foreign country…”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Are you saying this city is more advanced? Better, more livable?”

“Looking at Seoul is like looking up at the moon.”

Yui blinked.

“The moon… The one that rises at night?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“The dazzling things you saw on the way here are nice. But we can’t see beyond that. No one on Earth can observe the far side of the moon.”

“……”

“The point is, to see properly, we have to stand on the same stage as them. Junior. Don’t be dazzled by the neon lights. If you think of it as a livable city, you’ll get hit hard from behind.”

“…Yes! Senior! I’ll keep that in mind!”

Baeksan crushed the empty coffee can and threw it into the trash.

“What about the phone that was supposed to connect to Seoul’s internal network?”

“Uh… well… they didn’t… activate it. No telecom company would. They said they might die if they did…”

“A city where even a public official can’t activate a phone. Since the investigation is blocked, we have no choice but to blend in with the moon.”

Baeksan took the last sip and stood up.

“Let’s go. To become criminals.”

“W-what are you talking about!? Senior!? C-criminals!?”

“We need a source of information to do anything, right? But it seems impossible with the identity of an enforcer, so let’s disguise ourselves.”

Without waiting for his junior, Baeksan took a step forward.

“Let’s see if there’s a way to get a fake identity.”

“A f-fake identity is illegal…”

“I’m not usually one to give advice…”

Baeksan threw out his words to the sound of hurried footsteps following him.

“Enforcers are always like this. They just pretend they didn’t do it. If you want to survive in this field for a long time, you need to be at least this cunning.”

. . .

“It’s an honor to have you with us, senior!”

“Ah. Yes. Sure.”

The enforcement agency entered the Jung-gu area of Seoul. The reason it had to be Jung-gu was simple.

The center of Seoul. If they set up a base in the middle of the criminal organizations within Seoul, they might have a geographical and tactical advantageor so the government thought…

Affiliated with the Shark Tooth Major Fixer Office.

To Choi Yeseo, it was nonsense.

“…Tsk.”

Politicians don’t understand the field. This is literally like walking into isolation in the middle of a battlefield.

She knew best, having sent several juniors to Seoul. Those who went and died were all killed by criminals.

Inside and outside of Seoul.

The quality of both sides is so different that they might as well be different creatures.

“Nameless junior.”

“Y-yes?”

Choi Yeseo glanced at the hopeful nameless junior. A few fixers who came in with the enforcement agency to manage the branch in Seoul.

She smiled at the person who was like the branch manager.

“From now on, we are complete strangers, okay?”

“…Yes?”

“Just keep that in mind. I have a special mission assigned by the director. I can’t provide any practical support. So, just consider me as non-existent. Got it?”

“Ha, but still, to some extent…”

“Junior. Junior. What’s the motto of our office? Survival of the fittest, right? Basically. You got here because you have the ability, right? Let’s handle our own work ourselves. But since we belong to the same office, if things really go south, I’ll come to see you. Until then, you must not mention even a single letter of my name. Got it?”

“…For now… I understand…”

“Yes. Good.”

With a sociable smile, Choi Yeseo walked out of the building and soon sprawled on a nearby bench.

Her direct junior followed her and stood beside her.

“Sis, you look especially tired today.”

“With juniors who can’t read the room laughing, isn’t it normal to be tired? Minjun, go get something to eat. I’ve been in the car without eating anything since morning, and my mouth is dry…”

“It’s not Minjun, it’s Handojun, sis.”

“Oh. Yes. I know. Right. Dojun, go get something. And while you’re at it, get a sense of the surroundings.”

Choi Yeseo lowered her voice.

“Act like an ordinary person. Be careful not to get recognized. Don’t cause any trouble. You need to blend in. If you get recognized here, you’ll be treated just like the enforcers.”

“Yes, sis.”

Handojun disappeared. Choi Yeseo leaned back on the bench and popped a lollipop into her mouth.

It’s not a lemon candy. It’s not particularly necessary right now. Awakening is something that only needs to happen at crucial moments.

In everyday life, this sweetness is enough… but.

Choi Yeseo half-lay on the bench and looked up at the sky.

This is really Seoul.

It’s really Seoul.

A dazzling city. A scene as if ‘wealth’ had materialized.

Information about Seoul, you see, is strictly prohibited by the government. It’s illegal to look it up, and anyone who tries to find out gets caught by the enforcement agencies.

The government’s most shameful past. The government chose to face that past through ‘control’.

It was extremely difficult to obtain information about Seoul from a city other than Seoul, and even to get to Seoul without passing through Incheon, one had to break through the ‘border safety line’ set by the South Korean government.

A city that’s hard to enter and hard to get information about.

That’s Seoul. Yes, indeed.

But it’s much better off than I thought. No, I should say it’s ‘beyond imagination’.

On the way here, I saw that the number of foreigners was no joke. It seemed like the facilities to accommodate a large number of people were properly set up, as if it were a city-state.

Isn’t it a city of crime and freedom? This. It seems like a more intricate city than I thought.

“Sis. There was a sandwich shop nearby, so I bought some.”

“…El… Verito? It’s a brand I’ve never seen before.”

“There was quite a line. So I got it. It contains ham, pickles, lettuce, and various sauces.”

Choi Yeso looked at the sandwich with suspicious eyes and took a big bite.

Her half-closed eyes suddenly opened wide.

“A violent… taste…!”

This is Seoul, after all.

I can’t let my guard down. My taste buds have already been conquered.

Choi Yeso, who was licking even the dripping sauce, carefully put the last bite into her mouth.

“Let’s get the phone activated first. Then let’s chase. Viper. This slippery eel.”

. . .

Seoul.

The city of crime.

Teresa stared blankly at the night view of Seoul from the top of a building.

Somewhere here is Viper.

…Or maybe abroad.

But she felt a strong conviction. That person is somewhere here.

“…Hmm hmm hmm…♬.”

From now on, I have to move diligently. There may be few clues, but surely there is something to follow.

Humans are such creatures. No matter how perfect they try to be, they can never be perfect.

Viper.

Viper.

In these shining lights, where are you hiding?

Humming a tune, Teresa suddenly looked down at her clothes. Wearing a nun’s outfit would inevitably attract attention…

Let’s change.

It’s Seoul, after all.

It’s different from before. Unlike the places where there were only weaklings who didn’t care what I wore…

Here, there are a few picky ones who don’t want to attract unnecessary attention.

“…Shall I buy some suitable clothes?”

I’m on my way to meet my beloved master’s spouse.

It would be good to pay attention to the first impression.