Chapter 42
The next day, on Friday, a campus holiday.
I headed to the Hall of Justice, the main building of the Investigation Division. This was for the Mystery Club's activity, which had been belatedly announced. After Lee Eunho's withdrawal application, the Mystery Club's activities had been temporarily suspended, but as per the original plot, a message from advisor Yun Jeongseop had just arrived.
“Unless there's a major anomaly...”
The purpose of this club activity would be to find the exposer of the Countdown. I entered the Hall of Justice building and opened the door to the designated lecture room. At that moment, I made eye contact with Lee Eunho, who had already arrived and was sitting there.
“...”
“...”
Greetings were a luxury. He quickly averted his gaze, ignoring me, but that brief look contained enough hatred to resemble the Lee Eunho from the original story. The kind of hatred one would see when mercilessly slaughtering opponents.
Lee Eunho's attitude toward me was two-fold. When others were present, he was as kind as ever, no different from before. However, when we were alone, he ignored me, treating me as if I were less than air. Don't they say it? That you don't even speak to someone you truly despise. That was precisely the case.
I briefly considered stepping out to hit the vending machine, but luckily, I felt Cha Yeri's presence approaching.
“You're both here already.”
Cha Yeri entered the classroom with Student Council President Yu Hyeonjeong. The two naturally went near Lee Eunho, and I sat on a nearby desk, maintaining a suitable distance.
“I apologize for the intrusion. Instructor Yun Jeongseop advised us to seek help from the Mystery Club. But who is the club leader...?”
Yu Hyeonjeong looked from Lee Eunho to Cha Yeri. Soon, when their gazes turned to me, Yu Hyeonjeong frankly frowned.
“Haa...”
Yu Hyeonjeong's sigh carried various meanings. Cha Yeri, who had been controlling her expression next to her, gave a sneer with just the corners of her mouth. Had she already forgotten why I was the club leader? I shrugged nonchalantly and spoke.
“What can I say? It just so happens that I'm the one with the authority over club activities.”
It was a threat, not a threat, that if they were going to be sarcastic, they shouldn't expect help or requests. Yu Hyeonjeong immediately rephrased her words.
“I'm sorry. Just consider it a slight lingering resentment from the deliberation.”
“If that's the end of the resentment.”
“...I'll try.”
“Haa... Never mind. Just tell me why you're here.”
Yu Hyeonjeong began to explain her request. The content, as expected, was to find the exposer of the Countdown. She also added that she had come to us as a representative of the other victims. If the victims moved together, it could be seen as admitting the rumors were true, she said.
But if she was the representative of the victims, why didn't she give me any prior notice?
“...Both of you are also victims of the exposure, so you understand the seriousness of the situation, right?”
Of course, we do. Before I could nod, Cha Yeri replied.
“It's vulgar, base, and low-grade.”
“That's exactly what I mean.”
“If we are acceptable, we would like to help as much as possible.”
“Really? That's a great relief.”
Oh, for crying out loud. The club leader hadn't said a word, but the two of them were making all the decisions. But before I could intervene, Cha Yeri subtly shot me a glance with a faint smile. As if telling me to cooperate quietly.
Lee Eunho, who had been listening silently, chimed in.
“I will help without hesitation. The longer this matter drags on, the more victims there will be. Do you have any clues you've found so far?”
“Rather than a clue, there's one unusual point. The messages are anonymous.”
Anonymous. Cha Yeri reacted to that word.
“The manufacturer of the smartwatches is Hyeonseong Group. The smartwatches supplied to Hero Prep were custom-made to order. Structurally, it's impossible for a user to remain anonymous once recorded. I confirmed this morning.”
Lee Eunho asked, “Cadet Cha Yeri, what about the possibility of hacking?”
“If one has the skill, it's possible. If their skills surpass Hyeonseong Group's talents, that is.”
Cha Yeri emphasized the word "talents." Was this the pride of the Hyeonseong family?
“President, have there been similar incidents before?”
Lee Eunho's sharp question. Yu Hyeonjeong, who had been organizing her thoughts, quickly widened her eyes.
“Ah...! There was a similar incident two years ago. It was an incident where someone accessed the campus server and posted cadets' point statuses on the bulletin boards of each building. The mastermind at the time was a senior named Park Chaeshin, a third-year from the Support Division, who confessed immediately and managed to graduate safely.”
“What's his current status?”
“I only know that he's still in Seoul...”
Cha Yeri interjected. “Wait a minute. It's unlikely that a graduate cadet would be involved in this. Furthermore, all graduate cadets' smartwatches are discarded, and their components are all returned to Hyeonseong Group.”
Lee Eunho calmly shook his head. “No, what I'm talking about is his hacking ability. As you say, someone on campus might have commissioned him.”
“Isn't that too convenient a guess? Hacking Hyeonseong Group's technology is almost impossible.”
“In other words, it is possible.”
“Are you just rolling dice?”
“Then Cadet Cha Yeri must have a better idea, I suppose?”
“I think finding the exposer's motive should come first, at least.”
“That sounds like you're saying we should wait until the count reaches 1.”
This was a sight not seen in the original story. Lee Eunho and Cha Yeri were engaging in a war of nerves. According to the original plot, they would have already ended the meeting and started looking for the Support Division senior.
The fact that Lee Eunho and Cha Yeri hadn't grown closer, unlike in the original... Was this also a result of the intervention rate? No, the relationship between the characters was likely a snowball effect I had started.
In any case, I had to follow the original plot. I felt sorry for Cha Yeri, but for now, moving according to Lee Eunho's suggestion was the best option. I clapped my hands once, as if to break the tense atmosphere.
“Alright, let's deal with what's at hand first. President, is there any way to find out that senior's whereabouts?”
“Of course. After all, I lead the Student Council.”
“Then let's move as soon as we find his location. Given the nature of the incident, time is pressing.”
A very clean summary of opinions. However, Yu Hyeonjeong stared at me for a moment with an unreadable expression. Was she still unconvinced that I was the club leader? Yu Hyeonjeong soon assented to my decision and left the classroom. Lee Eunho followed Yu Hyeonjeong, as if to avoid me and Cha Yeri.
Cha Yeri, meanwhile, remained in the classroom with her arms crossed, and from her expression, it seemed her usual facade had already dropped. I subtly closed the classroom door and made the first move.
“I have no intention of going back on the promise we made yesterday.”
“Don't misunderstand. I won't ask you to go back on it. Anyway, if I hadn't cooperated with you, you would have approached it with a lukewarm attitude, wouldn't you? As if it were someone else's business.”
“There's nothing more dangerous than confidently believing you know someone.”
“Then why don't you tell me? I'm genuinely curious about what you're thinking.”
“Ah, what I'm thinking, you mean...”
The reason she was showing such displeasure was because I sided with Lee Eunho. Lee Eunho, who was shortsighted in wanting to solve the immediate problem. Cha Yeri, who tried to achieve clear results with rational judgment. If you asked me which side I was on, unfortunately, it was neither.
I would overturn this situation and force the exposer out. That was the fastest and most rational way to gain an advantage.
“If it were me, I wouldn't do anything and would just be working on next week's assignment.”
“What?”
“Just in case, have you ever considered that we might be playing right into the exposer's hands?”
“You're saying that chasing the exposer is actually part of their plan?”
“Yeah, simply put, we're being trolled. You shouldn't feed attention seekers like that. They'll reveal their purpose when the time is right, of course, even if it means the count reaches 1.”
“...The problem is that the cadets are taking the rumors at face value.”
“Rumors? What rumors? You're not thinking that all of this is just a rumor, are you?”
Suddenly, her expression soured.
“Are you saying I'm in a private relationship with you?”
“You can't say it's not. We had a private transaction with MA6, we resolved the exhibition incident well, even though it was during a club activity, and... we also met privately at the arcade.”
“We ran into each other privately, by chance.”
She was drawing a very harsh line.
“Anyway, moving hastily isn't a good judgment. The exposer will likely see through our moves. You probably don't like being played by someone else's intentions, do you?”
“...Cut the extra words, will you? More importantly, why didn't you express that opinion a moment ago?”
“Would you have listened if I had? My decision was to refuse in the first place. I have nothing to say if you mistakenly thought I was a great enough man to control Lee Eunho and the Student Council President.”
“Tch... For now, I understand your intention, so just cooperate diligently. Although the situation might change drastically if the level of exposure escalates.”
“Let's just go with the flow for now. Lee Eunho also needs to realize his opinion is wrong before he'll listen...”
At that moment, a vibration ran through my wrist.
The fourth exposure, Count 6.
-Count 6: ‘71226’ was extorted by local delinquents a while ago.
71226.
A pathetic individual who, despite being admitted to Hero Prep, was extorted by local delinquents.
“...”
It was me. The situation from when I first woke up in Seoul's District 2 was being brought up. So, they dug this deep, huh? The immersion was increasing. I subtly glanced at Cha Yeri. As expected, she was already parting her lips in a spiteful smirk.
“It seems you're finally willing to move properly?”
***
Yu Hyeonjeong contacted us in just two hours. We immediately left Hero Prep with her and headed to Seoul's Outskirts District 27, where Park Chaeshin was last known to have stayed.
Park Chaeshin was promising, having built a career at a successful alchemy guild immediately after graduation, but he abruptly left the guild after just one year. Afterward, he dedicated himself to programming, his usual specialty, and had been virtually out of sight for the past few months.
Yu Hyeonjeong had contacted graduate cadets to gather information about Park Chaeshin, but ultimately couldn't find out why he had gone into hiding. She only confirmed repeatedly that he was likely staying in District 27.
“Ah, I think this road is right...”
Eventually, following Yu Hyeonjeong's guidance, we arrived at the area where Park Chaeshin was located. The scenery here could be described in one word: shantytown. The slumification brought about by uncontrolled development and dilapidated facilities in Seoul's outskirts. From a glance, the security was far removed from Dispel. I even wondered if it was the most remote and complex neighborhood in Seoul's outskirts...
“I'm sorry. I didn't realize the address system was so complicated...”
Sure enough, we got lost in the middle of a labyrinthine alley. It was amusing for an Investigation cadet to be unable to find an address, but it wasn't incomprehensible. After all, this vicinity was the territory of the Psychic Mafia, which even Dispel had given up on. We could only walk around here because we were wearing cadet uniforms.
We struggled through roads too narrow for even small cars and old buildings connected like spiderwebs for a long time. Eventually, we reached a certain spot, and Yu Hyeonjeong pointed somewhere with her finger, but her fingertip wavered subtly, as if she herself wasn't sure.
“According to the address, that location is correct, but... the building has already collapsed.”
“Shouldn't we go one more block? Or maybe the address is wrong...”
“That can't be. It's a source that I cross-verified directly with Dispel and graduate cadets.”
Lee Eunho, Cha Yeri, and Yu Hyeonjeong concentrated on the map, their brows furrowed. It felt like I should help somehow. But since they weren't showing me the map, there was nothing I could do. They probably thought my reputation as the lowest-ranked in practical skills meant I wouldn't be much help.
But at this rate, wouldn't it take all day...? Reluctantly, I casually looked around and cautiously opened my mouth.
“If it's hard to find, why don't we just call him out?”
At that, all the furrowed brows simultaneously focused on me.
“What do you mean by that, all of a sudden?” Yu Hyeonjeong asked.
I calmly explained. “So, we should consider the possibility that the address is fake.”
“What?”
“As I came up the neighborhood hill, I noticed several utility poles were disconnected. That means there are very few residents here.”
“I confirmed that too. But if it's the place he was staying, we have to find clues. At least as the Investigation Division.”
“Clues... Then you must have seen this too.”
I touched a nearby electrical wire with my fingertip. Following the wire with my finger, I soon pointed to a camera cleverly hidden between bricks.
“W-why is there a camera between the bricks...?”
“It's a trap. To find out who is coming to the address he leaked.”
Given the current setting, Park Chaeshin was likely being hunted.
“He's probably watching us right now. So, all we need to do is prove that we're not dangerous people.”
I made a note on my smartphone and held it up to the camera. About 20 seconds later, Yu Hyeonjeong's pocket vibrated.
“...!”
VIBRATE.
An anonymous sender. Given the situation, it was clearly Park Chaeshin. He had hacked Yu Hyeonjeong's personal information in that short moment.
“...C-cadet Ji Seokhyeon, what exactly did you do to the camera?”
“Well, just that we are who we are, why we came...”
“...?”
“And that if he doesn't respond, I'll cut all the visible camera wires.”