15
Chapter 15
In a strange world, people are too busy surviving day by day. Saving for tomorrow is a luxury.
Vroom—
First job, first day, and first car.
Lee Yeon-woo drove his tiny compact car with a satisfied smile. He had poured all his company compensation into it; though it was used, it was in great shape. He found himself humming along the entire ride.
He drove along the road happily, albeit clumsily, for a while.
A notification chimed from his mobile phone, where the navigation app was open.
- Turn right in 500 meters.
"Turn right."
Lee Yeon-woo turned the steering wheel, drawing out his words as if singing. The compact car clattered along the asphalt and pulled into a quiet parking lot, sliding crookedly into a rectangular space.
Ding—
- You have arrived at your destination. Navigation is now ending.
"Thanks for the help."
After closing the navigation app, Lee Yeon-woo stepped out of the car and looked around.
It was a wide, secluded public parking lot.
Aside from Lee Yeon-woo's car—which bore a 'Beginner Driver' sticker—there were only two other vehicles: a police car and a sedan.
Looking up, a towering mountain looked down on him, dressed in green with a white cap of mist, as the scent of grass and earth drifted on the breeze.
"I feel like it's been ages since I've been to a mountain..."
Lee Yeon-woo's voice turned sour. He hadn't come here for driving practice or for the joy of hiking. A memory of his phone call with the Chief of the Anomaly Investigation Unit flashed through his mind.
A voice so booming it felt like it would burst the speakers.
'Hey, Rookie! I'm the Chief of the unit you'll be working in! You start tomorrow—you know Mt. Goebaek, right? Be there by 7 AM!'
The slight smile on Lee Yeon-woo's lips vanished. He slowly adjusted the fit of the hiking gear he had bought yesterday. The scent of new fabric and the glaring sheen of the material were a bit overwhelming.
He let out a sigh and muttered to himself.
"I heard it's a nightmare when your boss is obsessed with hiking..."
It was a weekday, not a weekend, and it was a new employee's first day of work. The fact that he was being called to a mountain on his very first day sent a creeping sense of dread through him.
As he walked toward the trailhead, Lee Yeon-woo tried his best to stay positive.
"Surely not. The unit is probably just based on the mountain."
Having to hike every time he went to work was a problem, but that was better than having a boss obsessed with hiking... Or was it? Which one was worse?
While he was pondering, he reached the entrance of the trail.
Lee Yeon-woo stopped in his tracks and ceased his useless worrying. He spotted something strange at the entrance.
'What is this?'
The entrance was blocked off with caution tape.
Two police officers stood before the tape, controlling access, while under the shade of a nearby tree, a male student in a high school uniform and a woman in a shabby tracksuit crouched, staring blankly at their mobile phones.
As Lee Yeon-woo approached cautiously, the police officer stepped forward to block him.
"I'm sorry. There's an ongoing incident, so we're prohibiting hikers from entering."
"...Is that so?"
He had been told to come to Mt. Goebaek, and this was Mt. Goebaek, so this was strange.
'Is this some kind of initiation? Or did an actual accident happen? It couldn't be another test, right?'
Just as he was pulling out his mobile phone to call the Chief, a woman who had been watching him scroll through his call history spoke up.
"You're Lee Yeon-woo, right?"
"Yes, that's me. But, who might you be...?"
"Hmm, I'm Yu Ji-yu from the Investigation Unit."
A colleague. He hadn't come to the wrong place. Although her shabby clothes and the lifeless, dark look in her eyes were a bit concerning.
Brush-brush—
Lee Yeon-woo bowed his head to Yu Ji-yu as she stood up and dusted off her tracksuit.
"Hello, Senior. I'm Lee Yeon-woo, the new hire. I look forward to working with you."
"Yes, it's a pleasure. The Chief hasn't stopped talking about you. An S-class new employee, he said. Let's hope we get along for a long time."
She held out her hand for a handshake, and he shook it a couple of times.
Right then, a male student in a school uniform popped his head into view.
"Mister, are both your parents in good health?"
"What?"
A random comment that sounded almost offensive. Lee Yeon-woo looked calmly at Yu Ji-yu, his eyes asking if this was someone she knew or a member of the unit.
Avoiding his gaze, Yu Ji-yu swung her palm and smacked the student on the back of the head.
Whack—!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me!"
"How many times have I told you not to act out? If you won't listen, you get hit."
"This is assault! Officer! Do something about this lady!"
Whack—!
"Ow!"
"Phew. Anyway, Mr. Lee Yeon-woo. This is Choi Jae-min, and as you can see, he's a bit 'strange'."
"By 'strange,' do you mean...?"
Perhaps because the unrelated police officer was there, she used a euphemism for an Anomaly Entity that the smiling officer wouldn't understand.
Understanding the implication, Lee Yeon-woo's fist tightened. The Director who manipulated reality, Leonardo who led minds into ecstasy—every humanoid Anomaly Entity he had encountered had been horrific.
His gaze toward Choi Jae-min became a mix of caution and hostility. Choi Jae-min felt it too. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked up, his voice excited and angry.
"I'm a human! I'm not some kind of monster!"
Even though Choi Jae-min screamed his lungs out, the two employees of the Anomaly Investigation Unit didn't respond. Keeping a tense eye on Choi Jae-min, Lee Yeon-woo whispered a question to Yu Ji-yu.
"How 'strange' is he? To the point where others are in danger?"
"No. Level 1, if you're counting. He's harmless. At most, he just insults parents—"
"Stop ignoring me and talking like some nerd!"
The police officer, who had been watching silently, chuckled softly. Yu Ji-yu smacked the back of Choi Jae-min's head once more.
Whack—!
"Aaagh!"
"Anyway, it's hard to talk here. Let's chat as we head up the mountain."
Yu Ji-yu said a few words to the smiling officer and then stepped over the caution tape. Choi Jae-min, clutching the back of his head, grumbled as he followed her.
Lee Yeon-woo looked at Choi Jae-min's retreating back with an ambiguous gaze. He could now gauge what kind of Anomaly Entity he was.
'Parent Identification?'
How incredibly trivial. It seemed like something used for tossing out blasphemous insults, not something that could actually kill a person...
While he was thinking, Yu Ji-yu, who had walked a bit ahead, turned around and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Mr. Lee Yeon-woo, you're not planning to quit on your first day just because we called you to a mountain, right? This is part of the job—no, I don't mean hiking is the job. You know. It's because of work. No, that makes it sound like our job is hiking. That's not it—"
Her eyes seemed to shake uncontrollably as she looked at the rookie. Lee Yeon-woo snapped back to his senses.
"Not at all. I'm coming."
He stepped over the caution tape. The officer didn't stop him. Instead, he lifted the tape slightly to make it easier for him to pass.
Lee Yeon-woo gave a light nod of greeting and began the climb up the mountain trail.
***
Climbing a winding mountain path naturally makes you sweat, leaves you breathless, and keeps your heart racing. Especially for a body that had never exercised while living as a civil service exam student.
Huff— huff— huff— huuuuuff—
Lee Yeon-woo, lagging several steps behind, placed his hands on his knees. His arms and legs trembled violently, and his upper body leaned forward like someone about to vomit. Beads of sweat gathered on the tip of his nose and chin before dripping onto the dirt. He was even drooling.
Choi Jae-min, who had stopped halfway, looked back at Lee Yeon-woo and screamed in horror.
"Noona! This mister is about to die! He looks like he's actually dying!"
"His stamina is really poor... This is not good..."
Yu Ji-yu looked down at Lee Yeon-woo with a look of disappointment. Though she was sweating, she didn't seem nearly as exhausted.
Lee Yeon-woo barely managed to jerk his head up and spoke through gasping breaths.
"Let's... just... rest... for a second. Seriously."
"I heard there's a rest area just a bit further up. Let's just go until then."
"Is it... really... a bit?"
"Yes, really just a bit."
"Urgh!"
Lee Yeon-woo let out a strained cry as he forced his upper body upright. Then, with all his might, he pushed his feet forward.
Yu Ji-yu and Choi Jae-min walked slowly. They kept glancing at Lee Yeon-woo as they stayed close to him. Because he looked like he might collapse at any moment, they tossed out a few worried words here and there.
"Mister, want some sports drink? I brought some. But wow, your stamina is really terrible."
"Don't... talk... to me."
Disturbance disguised as kindness.
"Mr. Yeon-woo. Since I'm your senior, I'll tell you this, so please don't take it the wrong way."
"Yes... uh..."
"Our unit involves a lot of fieldwork. If your stamina is this low, it'll be a problem. From now on, you'll need to exercise in your spare time to build up your—"
Disturbance disguised as advice.
As a half-conscious Lee Yeon-woo let the words flow past him like white noise, his eyes suddenly widened.
'The rest area! There it is!'
On a small, flat empty lot, two park-like benches were placed. Right next to them was a large tree, casting a perfect shadow!
"I'm saying this as a fellow member of the unit, Mr. Yeon-woo? Lee Yeon-woo, are you listening?"
"Yes! It really was just a little further!"
"Noona, I don't think he heard a single word."
Squeezing out the last of his strength, he quickened his pace. Being the first to arrive, Lee Yeon-woo claimed a bench. He threw his whole body onto it, lying down as if it were a bed.
"Ah, I can breathe again."
The hard wooden bench felt better than any bed.
Swoosh—
Right on cue, a breeze blew. Morning sunlight scattered through the swaying leaves. Just as Lee Yeon-woo, eyes closed in comfort, felt his breathing slow down...
Yu Ji-yu spoke.
"Mr. Yeon-woo, are you feeling better now? Can we start talking about work?"
"Yes! I'm sorry. I didn't realize my stamina was this lacking."
"Then come over here."
The bench where Yu Ji-yu and Choi Jae-min were sitting. A few sheets of paper were spread between them—articles, photos, and text. Lee Yeon-woo crouched in front of the bench, and the three of them put their heads together.
Yu Ji-yu explained.
"First, our Anomaly Investigation Unit is a department deployed to collect information on strange incidents or cases suspected to be the work of an Anomaly."
"Then, is there an Anomaly on this mountain...?"
Lee Yeon-woo trailed off. His face, which had relaxed while resting, froze. His nerves spiked. Without realizing it, he scanned the surroundings.
The deserted mountain felt unfamiliar.
Swoooosh—
The sound of leaves rubbing against each other in the wind, and the faint rise of mist.
"It's not certain yet, but there are suspicious parts. Look at this."
Yu Ji-yu handed him a few sheets of paper. Some photos and a page containing an interview record. Lee Yeon-woo read the first page seriously, then his expression turned strange.
'Park Sang-jun? Why is this man showing up here?'