Kidnapping the Doctor #2
After leaving the bustling airport, the Doctor and Yuria climbed into a taxi. Their destination was Yuria’s house. Sehwa’s officetel was out of the question, and there was a chance Jihyeok might be at the Doctor’s own residence, so this had been their only real choice.
The Doctor leaned her head against the seatback and rubbed at her sunken eyes. Yuria, noticing, asked gently, “Are you tired?”
“My eyes are just a little sore. My mind isn’t tired at all.”
“Let’s rest at my place for a bit before we move on. There are plenty of rooms, so please don’t worry.”
“Thank you. Now that I think about it, your father should be there, shouldn’t he? I ought to greet him properly.”
Yuria felt a jolt of panic inside. Her father—Glen Elenar—had died long ago alongside her mother. He had shared the fate of their ruined kingdom and vanished without so much as a handful of ashes left behind.
The Glen Elenar the Doctor knew, the one who had reincarnated on Earth as Kim Taegon, was nothing more than the Master wearing a disguise. A person who had never truly reincarnated and no longer existed at all.
Quickly inventing an excuse, Yuria answered, “I’m living separately from my father right now.”
“Really…? Why?”
“He mainly works out of Daejeon. The commute is terribly long… and he’s been quite busy lately.”
“Ah… You mentioned he was in real estate, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“That’s a shame…”
It was indeed a shame, but not for the reason the Doctor assumed. What Yuria regretted was being apart from her Master, not the absence of a father. To her present self, Glen Elenar was not a useful person. The mere fact that they had once shared blood sent a shiver of revulsion through her. Had he still been alive, she would have hunted him down and killed him herself.
“It is a little disappointing. I’ve even considered moving to Daejeon later.”
“Such a dutiful daughter. How sweet. Ah… Yuria. Didn’t your father partner with Jihyeok on some business?”
“Yes. I believe they’re still working together, though I don’t know the details.”
“By any chance… it’s probably impossible, but…”
The Doctor trailed off, hesitating. Yuria easily guessed the rest.
“You’re wondering whether he’s been influenced by Jihyeok, aren’t you?”
“Yes… I was just wondering if there had been any changes…”
It was an utterly irritating delusion. To think schizophrenia could be this pathetic. Still, the time to utterly shatter the Doctor’s mind was not far off, so Yuria would endure it a little longer. She put on a serious expression.
“I know my father’s personality better than anyone. If something had changed, I would have noticed immediately. But whether we spoke on the phone or met in person, there was never any sign of it. My father is a wise man. I can guarantee he would never fall for anything.”
“That’s a relief. I’m sorry. I must have worried over nothing.”
“Not at all. Anyway, once we’re home I should arrange a meeting with Sehwa. Would you come to the meeting place as well, Doctor?”
“Me? Are you telling me to tail her?”
“I’m still young and not very perceptive… I’ll try to probe for anything strange while talking with her, just as you suggested, but given my relationship with Sehwa, I’m not confident I can stay completely objective. Besides, seeing is better than hearing, isn’t it? I think observing her expressions and gestures would be helpful.”
Yuria did not actually agree that she lacked perception. She was far more mature than the mentally ill Doctor and could render much colder judgments. But she did agree with the latter part. Observing expression, gesture, and tone would certainly aid in making an objective assessment.
“All right. Then let’s do this. I’ll give you a phone. I’ll connect a recorder to it, so just leave it running. I’ll listen to your conversation and watch her behavior.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you, Yuria.”
I’m the one who should be thanking you. For trusting her so easily. Yuria answered with a bright smile, reinforcing the Doctor’s sense of security.
Inside a hop house on Handae Street, Sehwa and Yuria were deep in conversation. The Doctor, pretending to be a lone customer, sat at a distance. She pressed her cap down firmly, adjusted her wireless earphones, and listened intently.
“How was the Maldives?”
“Not great. It rained almost the whole time.”
“I told you it was the rainy season. Why didn’t you go somewhere else?”
“I just stayed in the hotel and rested. What about you? How have you been?”
“Same as always. University, studying… It’s boring.”
Ordinary, everyday talk. Nothing suspicious. Yuria would begin subtly steering the conversation soon, so the Doctor waited patiently.
Yet even after the pair finished their beer and chicken, even after they paid and left the restaurant, nothing questionable emerged from their dialogue. In the end, the Doctor rose from her seat with nothing to show for it, paid for the untouched side dishes, and followed after them.
The two women entered a convenience store along the lively Handae Street, bought canned beer, and strolled along the sidewalk of the main road. As pedestrian traffic thinned, the Doctor was forced to tail them from a considerable distance.
Before long, a small park beside the road came into view. Sehwa, laughing brightly with Yuria, pointed toward it.
“Unnie, want to drink over there? The atmosphere looks nice.”
“The park…? Hmm…”
Yuria seemed to hesitate for a moment. The Doctor realized she was worrying about her. A park… It was now fully dark. Compared to the open main road, the park would make it far easier to hide. The Doctor sent a single signal to the transmitter attached to Yuria’s back.
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Feeling the faint static, Yuria nodded. The two entered the park and sat on a bench, then began drinking their beer in apparent peace.
“It’s so quiet… Everything’s been too noisy lately. And those horny bastards haven’t shown up either.”
“Horny bastards?”
“Even though I have a boyfriend, there are guys who keep pestering me to drink with them. Every time it happens, I just end up hating humans altogether.”
Hiding among the carefully arranged shrubs, the Doctor swallowed a groan. Though she couldn’t see clearly, under the streetlight Sehwa’s face was filled with unmistakable disgust.
Honestly, she could understand the sentiment. Even the Doctor found it irritating when those moths came fluttering toward her. But the part about hating humans themselves could not be ignored.
The Doctor clearly remembered her first meeting with Sehwa. When the horse-headed monster appeared and demolished the one-room building, she had been trying to evacuate the people inside and had discovered her. Sehwa had been trembling beside her boyfriend, Yu Seunghyeon, yet even then she had been running around trying to warn citizens to escape.
A person who thought of others even when her own life was in danger. That was the kind of righteous spirit Lee Sehwa possessed.
She also remembered the first time Sehwa charged her Aether. Even though she had been dating Yu Seunghyeon, after engaging in sexual acts with Jihyeok and drowning in guilt, the Doctor had told her that justice and personal morality were separate things. She remembered how depressed Sehwa had looked, as if it had happened only yesterday… so why had she changed so drastically?
Her modest clothing had been replaced by a miniskirt that boldly displayed her bare legs. High heels were now standard, and whether from makeup or something else, even her eyes had grown sharp. She looked unbearably seductive. It was as if she had transformed from a puppy-like face into a fox-like one.
Maybe her new boyfriend preferred that style?
“I understand.”
Yuria offered empathy to the complaining Sehwa. The Doctor was slightly startled. Understand? What was that supposed to mean?
Ah, of course. Yuria was acting right now in order to draw information out of Sehwa. That was an attempt to induce sympathy.
“Doesn’t it make you furious? They don’t even know who’s protecting them…”
Listening to Sehwa’s unrestrained reply, the Doctor let out a sigh. It was certain. Sehwa had changed completely. And the longer she listened, the more aggressive the girl seemed to become. There was no longer any need for discussion or debate.
The Doctor considered the identity of Sehwa’s boyfriend. It clearly wasn’t Yu Seunghyeon again. He was a good person; he would never have allowed Sehwa to change like this without intervening. So it had to be someone new…
Surely that person isn’t Tyrat… or a spy that Tyrat planted…
It could be dismissed as mere delusion, but the possibility existed. A change this extreme suggested influence from someone close by, and the only person in a position to exert that kind of influence was her boyfriend. Yuria would surely agree.
“Sehwa, can you cool off for a minute? I need to use the restroom.”
“Okay.”
Yuria stood, glanced around, located the public restroom, and disappeared inside.
Now the park held only Sehwa, Yuria, and herself. The silence was oppressive. The Doctor tried not to make even the slightest sound of breathing when a strange feeling suddenly came over her. She tilted her head.
Wait… why isn’t there a single person here…?
Handae Street was nearby with heavy foot traffic; people should have been passing through. Yet the only sound was the chirping of insects. Unease bloomed in the Doctor’s chest. Just as she pressed her back firmly against a well-tended tree—
Clack!
The distinctive sound of high heels rang out. Then—clack clack clack clack!—the footsteps approached at a rapid tempo, and Sehwa suddenly appeared right in front of her.
“Doctor, hello?”
“Huk…!”
The Doctor’s heart nearly stopped. She sucked in a sharp breath. There had been no sound of grass rustling—how had Sehwa known? Moreover, she was wearing both a hat and a mask, and it was dark enough that her face shouldn’t have been clearly visible, yet Sehwa had addressed her directly. Even with a familiar face shape, recognition should have taken time.
As the Doctor could only breathe raggedly, Sehwa smiled softly and took her wrist, pulling her out from the bushes.
“You’ll get your clothes dirty if you stay there. Let me brush them off for you.”
The casual way she brushed dirt from the Doctor’s clothes was even more horrifying. Her heart hammered violently. It felt like she had become the protagonist of a horror film.
The Doctor stammered, “Th-thank you… I was just out for a walk and saw you and Yuria, so…”
“Then why didn’t you just call out to us? Why were you hiding?”
That relaxed, confident attitude made it clear—she had been completely exposed. Had Sehwa noticed during the tailing? Or had she known from the hop house? Either way, it was over. The Doctor had prepared for the possibility of discovery, but she had been overpowered from the very first moment and couldn’t find her voice.
She gripped her left hand tightly with her right. It was partly to conceal the tiny transmitter, but mostly because her hands were trembling with fear. Forcing herself to calm down, she apologized.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean anything by it…”
“It’s fine. But Doctor, it really has been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”
“Y-yes. It has been a while.”
“Shall we hug? I’m so glad to see you.”
Sehwa stared at her with unreadable, emotionless eyes. The Doctor swallowed hard. Why did such a chill run through her?
“I’m not really the hugging type… Did Yuria go to the bathroom? She got up earlier and went somewhere…”
“Doctor, you already know, so why are you pretending you don’t?”
“What are you talking about…?”
“You have an earphone in your ear. And you’re holding some strange device in your left hand… Isn’t that a wiretap?”
Her observational skills were terrifying. How could she notice that in this darkness?
“This…? It’s just for listening to music…”
“Is that so? Then would you let me listen to one side?”
Sehwa held out her hand. She was clearly toying with her. Yet the Doctor could neither get angry nor argue. Not because she was flustered at being caught tailing, but because she was simply afraid.
When the Doctor remained silent, the corner of Sehwa’s mouth slowly curled upward.
“You can’t seem to keep your left hand still. You must be pressing that device, right? If it’s not a wiretap, perhaps it’s a signal transmitter? Are you trying to call for help?”
She had been completely read. The Doctor felt cold sweat trickle down her cheek and gather at her chin.
“…Sehwa… calm down.”
“I think the one who needs to calm down is you, Doctor.”
“Y-yes. You’re right… I’ll calm down. So let’s just talk…”
“Talk? Is someone threatening violence? That really hurts my feelings.”
The Doctor’s vision swam for a moment, but she forced her eyes wide open. It was all or nothing now.
“You… has something happened to you recently?”
Sehwa ignored the question and changed the subject.
“Doctor, you really are clever. But… you’ve guessed wrong.”
Guessed wrong? Was she saying the Doctor herself wasn’t even a suspect?
The Doctor tried to discern the true meaning behind Sehwa’s words. But suddenly—
Grab!
“Ugh!”
At some point Sehwa had circled behind her. One hand clamped over the Doctor’s mouth while the other arm locked around her throat, cutting off her airway. The Doctor thrashed wildly.
“The joke ends here. I’m sorry.”
Sehwa’s voice was crystal clear in her ear. As her vision darkened, the Doctor became certain: Sehwa had completely sided with malice.
The only person she could trust was Yuria, but even though she had frantically pressed the signal device during their conversation, the girl still hadn’t appeared. It seemed she was in trouble as well.
This park was a trap!
The Doctor struggled desperately to break free from Sehwa, but her strength was steadily draining away. It was an overwhelming power. She hadn’t even transformed, yet she was this strong…
“I’ve prepared plenty of methods, so please endure for a long time. Then, when you truly submit, your power will grow stronger too, Doctor.”
The gentle tone reached her ears, but by then the Doctor’s mind was too clouded to register the words.
Soon the struggling Doctor’s strength gave out completely. Her body only twitched intermittently. Her eyelids fluttered palely, her pupils rolled upward, and the world before her flashed bright yellow before turning dark.
She could hold on no longer.
No…
What would become of her now? With that final thought, the Doctor’s vision went completely black.