Yoo Seung-ah's Awakening
Yoo Seung-ah wondered, 'Am I... lying down right now?' She was afraid to open her eyes. Where on earth was she lying?
What was I doing before I lay down...? Her memories were hazy, impossible to recall. Good thing I recorded it... Yoo Seung-ah slowly played back the footage from her nano-computer.
One hour, two hours, three... It had been five hours since she closed her eyes. So what had Yoo Seung-ah been doing five hours ago? Beyond her closed eyelids, footage of a narrow alley projected onto her retinas.
Alley... right. While investigating, she'd followed newly discovered traces into the poorly policed Red Brick streets. There, in a deserted alley, she'd spotted four people standing over a body—and the moment she aimed her gun, the recording cut off.
An attack by an unknown assailant! But Yoo Seung-ah didn't spring up right away. She quickly checked her body. Her limbs weren't bound. The pistol and dagger at her waist were still there...
'Huh?' Why had they left her weapons—
“Playing dead?”
The voice made Yoo Seung-ah bolt upright like she'd been shocked. “Hah...! D-don't move! I'm ECPD Investigation Team Leader Yoo Seung-ah!!”
Her voice was pathetically weak, her rising momentum feeble, but she was still an ECPD detective. A team leader at that. She was confident they wouldn't dare kill her outright. Killing a team leader would bring down ECPD pursuit... at least publicly. So even if she suffered some indignity, she'd probably make it out alive, she thought.
“Hands up... uh, uh...?”
That confidence lasted until she saw the girl sitting across from her, eyes wide as saucers.
How can a person be that beautiful...? Is she even human... me?
It was a girl so stunningly beautiful it stole her breath. She had a faintly languid air that only heightened her mystique, making her seem not of this world. Yoo Seung-ah had seen her share of beauties in her ECPD work, but compared to this girl, they'd all pale into mediocrity.
At the sight of her, Yoo Seung-ah's tension melted away. No way this girl had kidnapped her. If she wanted money, she could rake it in hand over fist.
“...Wh-who are you?”
“Hello.” The girl beamed and handed her a glass of water. “I'm Soo.”
“He... hello. I'm ECPD Investigation Team Leader Detective Yoo Seung-ah...”
Yoo Seung-ah took the water and glanced around. The interior smelled of fresh renovation—like a brand-new mercenary office. She didn't drink, just in case. She'd seen too many people suffer after eating food from strangers.
But moments later, she decided it was probably safe.
“Awake?”
The office door opened, and in walked a woman with an impressive chest—no, Angela.
That judgment was enough to deem the water safe, but she still couldn't bring herself to drink. Why was Angela here? Why was she lying in a mercenary office...? Unanswered questions piled up like mountains.
“An... Angela Meyer?”
“Yes, hello.”
“This place, and me... c-could I ask what happened?”
For a split second, Angela's eyes flickered. But Yoo Seung-ah, freshly awake, didn't notice.
“...We found you collapsed in a Red Brick alley and brought you to our office. It's a dangerous area to leave someone. No strings attached—we had to meet anyway, so think of it as a change of venue.”
“I see... Thank you for helping me.”
Yoo Seung-ah bowed her head in gratitude. As a detective, she'd have scrutinized the story if it tied to her work, but she didn't want to doubt pure goodwill.
“Speaking of... looks like you just opened this office. Oh, was that rude?”
“Not at all. I was dying to show it off. Right, Soo?”
“Yeah.”
Soo nodded, her drowsy eyes scanning Yoo Seung-ah. Just as Angela said—no flashy implants, only the basics required for an ECPD detective. She'd felt light carrying her in. Hardly any hidden implants inside. She hadn't even noticed the flowerpot thrown in that alley, so her ocular implants and nano-computer were nothing special.
Others might call her dumb or naive, but to Soo, she shone with upright honesty—like a sparkling gem. How does someone keep their humanity in this world? How can anyone be that straightforwardly honest?
“Seung-ah.”
“...Yes?”
The sudden casual address made Yoo Seung-ah blink.
Undeterred, Soo continued. “I heard you want cooperation on the Martin Etmuller murder.”
“Y-yes. I took the liberty of visiting to ask a few things about it.”
She'd ended up here thanks to Soo and Angela's help, but she'd still sought their cooperation. Yoo Seung-ah straightened her clothes and posture. Time to face them as Detective Yoo Seung-ah.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm ECPD Investigation Team 8 Leader Detective Yoo Seung-ah.”
“Yeah.”
“...First, I heard you're looking into the truth behind the Martin Etmuller murder. My source is special thief Gazelle Casper.”
The car thief's name was Gazelle, apparently. Soo nodded and scooted aside. Angela sat there, placing freshly brewed tea and light snacks on the table.
She'd have preferred burgers, but the vibe suggested the talk would wrap soon. Yoo Seung-ah swallowed a sigh of relief and alternated glances between them.
“Oh, one moment. Just chit-chat, but didn't you say there were three of you?”
“Originally three, but one's out on business. Do we need them for this?”
“Two is plenty. They're a team anyway.”
Yoo Seung-ah wet her throat with tea and spoke cautiously. “If I may ask... have you found Martin Etmuller's killer? Of course, I'd compensate appropriately if you answer.”
“What can you offer?”
“You've just opened a mercenary office, so I could introduce suitable connectors. If ones tied to ECPD are inconvenient, I'd find independent ones.”
“Personal compensation?”
Yoo Seung-ah's eyelids twitched. “...Hard to answer offhand.”
“You answer if we do?”
“Y-yes.”
Being called by name tickled her oddly as she replied.
“But we don't need connector intros.”
“Of course your team has good ones already. But more connectors are always better, if I may say.”
She'd known from the office they had solid connectors. Low-earning mercs wouldn't splurge on a place like this. But one or two wasn't enough for steady gigs. Needed at least five to skip next month's worries. That's what her research showed—and reality confirmed. Local mercs with offices scrambled daily for even one more connector.
Any other merc here would snap up her offer.
“Still no need.”
“...I see.”
But Soo and Angela were different. Freshly renovated, not even registered yet, but they were dead certain gigs would pour in once open.
“Is there... something else you want?”
“Must be important.”
“It is... yes, very important to me.”
“Hmm...”
Soo trailed off, glancing at Angela. No need to drag this out. Soo, Angela, and Enoch had already decided what to tell Yoo Seung-ah.
They'd probed gently to gain the upper hand. And judging by her demeanor, it worked. She was polite enough not to pull ECPD rank.
“Fine.”
Soo nodded readily. “We found the real culprit.”
“Ah! Really?!”
Yoo Seung-ah straightened, eyes wide with shock.
But soon she tilted her head, lips pursing. “If you found them... you couldn't catch them?”
“Group we can't touch.”
“...Group?”
“Curious?”
“Yes, very. Whatever you want, I'll prepare it, so please...”
“Then...”
Soo licked her lips and pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket. “Let's write the request form first.”
“...Request form?”
Yoo Seung-ah's eyes widened as she looked down. A pristine paper request form lay there, to be filled with black pen—not Shad trades or email. Unheard of.
And demanding it upfront, without hearing the job or details? What if they failed or bailed—how to handle penalties?
Skimming clauses: confidentiality, content review, liability. If they signed then revealed the job and backed out, she could claim damages. Sure, special clause for absurd requests targeting megacorps or all Eden—but only for truly impossible jobs. Mercs got the short end.
Why demand this...?
Yoo Seung-ah scanned quickly. No poison pills, all helpful to her now. Then her eyes caught: reward blank. No credit units—empty. Meaning they'd take something else. The clause confirmed it.
Reason enough to demand signing first...
She looked at Soo and Angela, dazed. “What should I put for compensation...?”
“We'll claim it after the job. We'll take a deposit too.”
“Sign this... first?”
Her face screamed: What if you fail or cancel?
“Yeah.”
Soo replied confidently. “We don't fail requests.”
Her ever-languid silver-gray eyes gleamed fiercely. “We only take fair pay.”
Merc-connector-or-client bonds form on trust before contracts. And now, hearing they'd ID'd the culprit, Yoo Seung-ah had no choice but to trust Soo.
Trust for trust. Betrayal for betrayal.
“...Understood.”
Yoo Seung-ah picked up the pen.