novelraw Chapter 167 : Hero Jae-hee (3)
Chapter 167 : Hero Jae-hee (3)
December 26, 2050, the day after Christmas.
Hero Tower, Conference Room.
The Heroes’ Meeting was convened.
“Whoa!”
Jae-hee, stepping into the conference room, nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the man sitting at the head of the round table. It was someone he had never seen at a Heroes’ Meeting before.
The man had long, smooth black hair that looked as if he’d grown it his entire life, tied back at the nape of his neck. He wore sunglasses.
Though the sunglasses hid his eyes, his slender jawline and smooth nose were enough to mark him as an exceptionally handsome man.
“Who… are you?”
“It’s me.”
“Oh.” Recognizing the man’s voice, Jae-hee’s face lit up. “Rain Man bro?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen you without your hood!”
Rain Man always wore coats, robes, or hoodies, with the hood pulled down low to hide his face. But today, for some reason, he had revealed himself.
And beneath that hood was a man with long hair.
And sunglasses… indoors?
“My eyes are bad,” Rain Man added, still reviewing the documents piled on the table. “They’re sensitive to light.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
So he’s been covering his face with hoods because his eyes are sensitive to light.
It was an explanation that somehow fit the man who seemed to bring storm clouds with him wherever he went.
“Hehe. Um, Rain Man, this might sound a little weird, but…”
“…?”
“You look just like a rock star!”
Long hair and sunglasses. He looked exactly like one of the singers Jae-hee had seen at the rock festival he’d gone to with Ghost.
Rain Man looked up from his documents, met Jae-hee’s gaze, and gave a slight nod.
“…Thanks.”
Huh? Jae-hee blinked. Did Rain Man… just smile?
It looked like the corner of his mouth had lifted just a tiny bit.
Then, just as quickly, Rain Man’s expression went blank as he returned to his paperwork.
The other Heroes didn’t seem to mind his appearance, as if they were already used to it.
“He showed us what’s under the hood a while ago,” Death-Medic said, tapping away at her phone as she sat at the table, letting out a long yawn. “You’re a member of the Heroes’ Meeting now, kid. Guess he figured it was okay to show you, too.”
“Hehe…”
I’m someone Rain Man thinks it’s okay to show his face to.
More than the ID card, that simple fact made Jae-hee feel like he had truly become one of them. A foolish grin spread across his face.
The other Heroes trickled in, exchanging greetings as they took their seats around the table.
Once everyone was seated, Rain Man organized the documents he’d been reviewing into a file and addressed the room.
“Looks like we’re all here. Did everyone have a good holiday?”
At his question, everyone turned to smirk at Captain Nerd, who had become part of the group’s newest couple on Christmas Eve.
Captain Nerd, who was present in person instead of via robot, turned beet red as all eyes fell on him.
Death-Medic shot him a sly, suggestive look. “So, Captain Nerd… have yourself a hot night?”
“Shut up, shut up!”
“What? You two were crushing on each other for ten years… no, wait, you’ve been childhood friends since you were babies, right? That means you’ve basically been waiting for each other your whole lives. It’s only natural things would get fiery, right? And you’re both consenting adults~”
“Ji-ye and I don’t do—do crude things like that!” Captain Nerd protested, his voice trembling. He was completely out of his depth in these matters. “We’ve only held hands, that’s all…!”
Chosen One let out a long whistle, while Death-Medic and Miss Never clasped their hands together and cooed, “Aww, that’s so cute!”
Jae-hee, for his part, chimed in with, “That’s amazing, bro! Holding hands already? What incredible speed!” and earned a smack on the head for his trouble.
As the chaotic atmosphere began to settle, Rain Man spoke up.
“It seems everyone had a pleasant Christmas.”
“Yes, sir!” Death-Medic and Jae-hee chirped in unison, like kindergarteners answering their teacher.
Rain Man nodded. “The holiday is over. It’s time to get back to work.”
He then slowly rose from his seat, walked over to Jae-hee, and…
Click!
…fastened a cuff around Jae-hee’s wrist.
It was an Awakening Inhibitor.
“Huh?”
As Jae-hee stared in confusion, Rain Man explained, “This is a necessary procedure. I hope you’ll understand.”
One by one, Rain Man cuffed not only Jae-hee but also Death-Medic, Chosen One, Captain Nerd, Miss Never, and even himself.
The Heroes were taken aback, but their trust in Rain Man as their leader seemed to hold, and they all quietly allowed the inhibitors to be placed on their wrists.
“As for Hunter Mu-gung Hwa…”
“I will be responsible for cuffing and managing her,” Chosen One said with a nod when Rain Man looked his way, as if they had discussed this beforehand. “She is my aide.”
“Understood. I’ll leave her to you.” Rain Man nodded and turned back to the group. “I assume you all know what this is.”
Captain Nerd pouted, shaking his slender wrist. “Of course I know. I made it.”
Jae-hee looked at him, aghast. “Wait, for real? You made these, Captain?”
“To be precise, the original device already existed. I just improved it, simplified the design for mass production, and lowered the cost… though I never thought I’d end up wearing one myself.”
Jae-hee was overcome with a strange feeling, realizing the designer of the cuffs he’d worn for so long was sitting right next to him.
Beside him, Death-Medic was dangling the cuff like a bracelet, checking to see if it matched her nail art. “No matter how you look at it, isn’t this just a handcuff~?”
“It’s an Awakening Inhibitor.”
“What’s the difference…?”
“A handcuff is a device that physically binds both wrists. This is worn on only one, so it has no physical restraining effect. It only prevents the activation of Awakened abilities.”
The Heroes, wearing the inhibitors for the first time, found it fascinating when they tried to activate their powers only to find them blocked.
Miss Never nudged Jae-hee in the ribs with her elbow. “You must be used to this, Boy.”
“Yeah, I’ve been wearing one for the past few months until I was sick of it…”
He had worn the device for his entire sentence as an inmate aboard Paradise Lost. The version used in the prison had a few extra options tailored to Commander Seo’s tastes, but the core function was the same.
“I know this may be unpleasant, but I expect you all to adapt,” Rain Man said, his gaze sweeping over them. “First of all, we, the members of the Heroes’ Meeting, each hold the authority of a national security chief. That means we can deactivate these cuffs at will.”
Rain Man touched his thumb to the cuff’s touchscreen, and it immediately unlocked. The other Heroes found they could do the same with ease.
Jae-hee tilted his head. “Then what’s the point of wearing them…?”
“Well, the intention is to encourage us to conserve our powers in daily life…”
Rain Man glanced out the conference room window toward Yeouido.
“And I suppose it’s also for show.”
The Heroes’ Meeting was currently the only government-sanctioned organization of the Awakened. The government believed the project of cuffing every other Awakened in the country would go a little more smoothly if its members were seen voluntarily wearing them.
“So, are we getting started on that now…?”
“Yes. We are fitting every Awakened in the country with these inhibitors. The project is already underway.”
Rain Man nodded. “The government’s goal is to reach a fifty-percent distribution rate by the end of the year.”
“That’s incredibly fast for a project that just started.”
“They prepared meticulously.”
In the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, they would focus on fitting inhibitors on Awakened in major cities and those of high rank.
Operation Christmas Gift had been launched like a surprise attack and had already succeeded in cuffing thirty percent of Seoul’s Awakened population.
Captain Nerd grumbled, “What a gracious Christmas present. His Excellency the President has made a truly great decision.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“How are we supposed to feel when they treat us like some kind of hazardous environmental waste?”
Captain Nerd looked around at the other Heroes. “We’ve all been to ‘The Door.’ We know we’re not the hazardous material. We’re the opposite.”
A brief silence fell over the room.
Jae-hee’s eyes darted around, trying to read the room. It seemed he was the only one who didn’t understand, having only vaguely approached The Door.
The Door… he must mean that huge gate guarded by the padlock snake, right?
What in the world was it that had everyone so worked up?
“Whatever happens to the world, we are Hunters,” Rain Man said firmly. “Those who kill monsters and protect people.”
“…”
“Do not forget the cause to which we have dedicated ourselves.”
“You say that after cuffing us all? Yeah, I’m not so sure…”
Jae-hee, already accustomed to life in cuffs, didn’t think much of it, but the other Heroes were clearly displeased at being suddenly forced to wear them.
Still, they all understood it was a necessary measure.
To delay the apocalypse, even by a single day…
President San Kim was charging forward like a bulldozer toward that goal, and the Heroes’ Meeting, as the nation’s only officially recognized group of the Awakened, was in a position to cooperate with the government.
The Heroes stopped voicing their complaints and tried to get used to the feeling of the cuffs on their wrists.
“That concludes the matter of the inhibitor distribution project. Next on the agenda.”
Rain Man’s voice grew heavy as he pulled out the next file.
“A villain organization known as the Crimson Poverty Front has been making moves.”
Everyone’s expression changed.
As the air in the room turned frigid, Jae-hee cautiously asked, “Uh, I’ve run into them a few times… Have you all met them, too?”
“…We’ve been clashing with them continuously,” Miss Never answered, her face cold. “But they’re the type to test the waters and then bolt, so neither side has managed to inflict any significant damage.”
“They’re on a completely different level from your run-of-the-mill villains or guilds. Their skills are no joke.”
“…”
“More than anything, those bastards… they have a firm conviction.”
Her uncovered eye narrowed sharply.
“They’re dangerous.”
Rain Man continued, displaying a data screen behind him. “To date, they have stolen three Lord Gate Cores. They’ve continued their attempts since then. We’ve managed to fend them off one way or another, but the situation is not good.”
A list of the stolen Lord Gate Cores appeared.
The first one on the list was the very item from the bank heist that had earned Jae-hee his three-hundred-year sentence. He broke out in a cold sweat and lowered his gaze.
So I helped the Crimson Poverty Front with their big debut…
Rain Man’s explanation continued. “In addition to attempting to steal Lord Gate Cores, they are expanding their influence by contacting Hunter Guilds and warlords in various regions, as well as assassinating and kidnapping numerous Awakened.”
“…”
“Their movements are becoming more and more overt. The government believes that a clash with them, in some form, is inevitable during this period of inhibitor distribution.”
“…”
“From now on, in addition to Gates… we must also prepare for confrontations with villains like these.”
Rain Man met the eyes of each Hero in turn.
“Each of us is a national-level security chief. In other words, we don’t need anyone’s permission to use our Domain Break.”
“…”
“When you encounter these individuals, don’t hesitate to use it.”
A series of photos of the Crimson Poverty Front flashed across the screen. Blurry images of villains in traditional Korean clothing and masks flickered past.
Staring at them, Rain Man spoke in a low, forceful tone.
“If you don’t, even we could end up dead.”
Just then…
BANG, BANG, BANG!
The conference room door shook violently before being thrown open.
“We have an emergency!”
It was Mu-gung Hwa, rushing in.
“The villain organization, the Crimson Poverty Front… has released a statement!”
The Heroes’ faces hardened.
Chosen One spat, “Those bastards couldn’t wait. Speak of them and they appear… So, what did they say?”
“I-it’s… a declaration of war.”
“What?”
As the Heroes stared in disbelief, Mu-gung repeated herself.
“They’ve declared war… on the entire country!”