Evading the Sniper
The bullets flying toward me were crystal clear. Even in Bullet Time, they moved fast, packed with enough force that deflecting them would've been impossible—but dodging? Piece of cake. I slipped aside lightly, then ducked behind the car just as Bullet Time was winding down. The distance to the vehicle had narrowed to 50 meters in that one burst. I could've pushed it and sprinted the whole way, but no need to overdo it.
Thwang—!
Maybe the sniper figured out he couldn't track my speed easily and was predicting where I'd pop out next. But I had zero intention of playing into such obvious guesses. Amid the gunfire echoing around me, I steadied my breathing and waited out the cooldown on Bullet Time.
"Three, two, one... Alright, ready. Now."
Thwang—!
The instant a bullet slammed into the car I'd been hiding behind, I bolted out and started running. Right as I hit full speed, Bullet Time kicked in. I tilted my head just a bit, and a bullet grazed my whipping hair. Feeling that graze, I surged forward.
Tat-tat—!
Dodging two more bullets like that, I closed the remaining half of the distance and finally reached the car.
"Hoo...!"
I let out the breath I'd been holding as Bullet Time ended the moment I took cover. After catching my breath for a second, I glanced at the driver slumped beside the vehicle.
"Man, you went out looking pretty relaxed."
The driver's face was peaceful, like he hadn't even realized he'd been shot. I closed his still-wide-open eyes and picked up the car keys that had fallen near his hand.
Beep—
Pressing the fob unlocked the doors. I yanked open the driver's side, leaned in quick—
And sure enough, Bullet Time triggered the second I poked my head in to climb aboard.
I knew it.
But anyone could've predicted they'd shoot the moment I tried getting in the car. I dodged casually and slid into the driver's seat. The instant I slammed the door shut, bullets hammered the window.
Thud—!
Seeing not even a scratch on the glass, I sighed in relief and adjusted the seat.
This body's great in every way, but damn, it's short.
Compared to the original driver, I was pretty petite, so tweaking the seat was a must. Just as I finished, Bullet Time ended right on cue.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
Post-Bullet Time, bullets kept pinging off my window, but knowing they wouldn't penetrate, I wasn't worried.
"First time driving this body..."
Back in my old world, I had a license and plenty of experience. Here? No license, no practice. But luckily, even in 2046, cars hadn't gone full sci-fi. A few unfamiliar buttons, sure, but it was a classic automatic. I fired it up quick.
Vroom—!
The engine growled to life with a heavy rumble. Flooring the accelerator, I aimed straight for where Jin Yeon-ah and the other four were holed up.
"Ugh, what the hell's this feel like...!"
Maybe because it was a custom rig with different materials—the acceleration felt weird and sluggish at first. But I got the hang of it fast and whipped back to our original hideout. Parking sideways to block the sniper's line of sight, I flung open the passenger door and yelled,
"Miss! Hop in!"
"Got it!"
Jin Yeon-ah hurled herself toward the car at my shout. The second she was in, the other four broke cover from the back and sprinted over. Gunfire cracked late, the sniper targeting them, but the angle was bad—his shot just grazed Jeong Yoon-hyuk's arm.
"Gah!"
The four piled into the back seat however they could, slamming the door.
Thud—!
"Everyone's in! Punch it!"
"Your arm okay?!"
"Yeah! Just a little blood! No biggie—go, go!"
"Alright, hold on!"
Only after hearing Jeong Yoon-hyuk insist he was fine did I swing the car around and stomp the gas. We plowed through the parking barrier blocking the exit.
Krunch—!!
Sorry to the lot attendant, but getting sniped left no time for polite payments. Out on the road at last, the rear window pings finally stopped, and I could exhale.
"Phew... We made it out in one piece."
"Yeah, seriously lucky. Never thought we'd get openly sniped in Korea of all places..."
Jin Yeon-ah nodded, slumping against the window. She looked totally drained—the tension release had sapped her strength too. I got it, so I gave her a moment to rest and checked the back seat.
"Jeong Yoon-hyuk, you said it just grazed your arm? Everyone else good?"
"Yeah, all fine. 'Cept this back seat's cramped as hell."
Kwon Ji-yul grimaced in response. Not the most helpful comment, so I shot back with a smirk.
"Hah, that's the price of survival, right?"
"Fair enough. But damn, pulling up in a car right under that sniper's nose? Balls of steel."
"I knew I could dodge."
"Confidence to dodge a sniper? Where does that even come from...?"
Kwon Ji-yul pulled a hilarious face, like she couldn't process it. The other three wore the same expression, double-checking their sanity. Fair reaction, honestly. Nobody reacts to sniper rounds in real time. Even charging out to evade them screamed lunatic.
Of course, I could do it thanks to Bullet Time, but no point explaining. Better to let it slide. As I shut up and focused on driving, Lee Kang-woo piped up from the back.
"Speaking of, you're only 20 and already licensed? Must've been a pain getting one in the Back World—broker hookup? And you're handling the car like a pro. Got some miles under your belt?"
He seemed impressed by my skills despite my age. Blinking at his license question, I answered,
"Nah, no license. First time driving, actually."
"...What?"
"Oh, while we're on it—anyone know how to turn on the nav? I'm flooring it, but no clue on this thing."
"..."
No response. Glancing back, all four stared at me wide-eyed. Even Jin Yeon-ah, leaning on the passenger window, gaped. That's when it hit me what I'd just said.
"Oh..."
A 20-year-old unlicensed girl, zero driving experience, hauling five people down the highway. For passengers, nothing scarier. I realized my screw-up too late.
And yeah, it was already too late.
"You crazy bitch—pull over right now, you maniac!!!"
"Fuck—check the side mirror when you merge, idiot?! Safe lane change!!"
"Baek Se-rin, are you insane?! No driving experience and you take the wheel...?!"
They lost it worse than during the sniper attack. But realizing yelling while I drove was riskier, the five switched to coaxing a kid—politely guiding every move.
Finally, amid all their fretting, I pulled safely onto the shoulder. And naturally...
The second we stopped, the barrage resumed.
"You...!"
Jin Yeon-ah led the charge, unleashing nonstop profanity. Hands over my ears or not, I endured a solid five minutes before they let up. Stripped of the wheel, I got shoved into the cramped back.
Click—
"They got away."
Mid-levels of a building not far from the Special Agency Administration Office. Watching the car peel out of the parking lot, the sniper who'd taken the hit job slung his rifle.
Four men approached him. Footsteps steady—
Thud. Thud—
They were his partners on the job, the ones who'd scouted and reported Jin Yeon-ah—the Baek Ya-seong heiress's—escort details from the Special Agency Administration Office.
One might expect rage at the failed shot, but their vibe was chill. Everyone here had signed up ready to die.
One of the approaching men asked calmly,
"Bust?"
"Yeah. Some crazy bitch dodged it. First time I've seen someone spot a sniper round and evade."
"...Spotted it with her eyes and dodged?"
The man raised a skeptical brow—what kinda bullshit?—but the sniper was just as baffled, no explanation to give.
Instead, he pulled a few small bombs from his coat and said,
"Anyway, sniper op's a fail. Head to Baek Ya-seong HQ. If we flop, we terrorize and suicide, per orders."
"Right. Chopper's hijacked—let's roll."
Last op, lives on the line. Time for the suicide bombing.