Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Perfect Reasoning (8)
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“No, chasing after them is kinda dangerous…! Uh, what do we do? Call the police first? Or Serika’s parents? Arghhh…!”
Unlike Yumi, who was fidgeting and stamping her feet in anxiety, Hwayoung had her priorities straight. She calmly pulled out her phone and made a call somewhere. After nodding and exchanging a few words, she pocketed the phone and looked at Yumi.
“What do we do, what do we do! We don’t even know where they went, and if something bad happens to Serika in the meantime…!”
Yumi was full of worries. She fretted that her precious friend might get dragged off by villains and end up in serious trouble, stamping her feet all the while. Her trembling hands fumbled for her phone, and she nearly dropped it because she couldn’t even dial a simple three-digit number.
“W-We gotta report it quick! It’s a crime! A crime!”
Hwayoung calmly patted Yumi’s shoulder and said,
“Please calm down. For now, we need to chase after that wicked man. He looks like a lowlife delinquent with bad intentions. I don’t know how Miss Serika fell for someone like that, but we’re her friends, so we have to help.”
“H-Help?”
Yumi’s eyes went wide as she stared at Hwayoung. Ignoring her question, Hwayoung extended her hand toward the road. Just then, a black sedan leisurely rolled up from the distance. It had complicated kanji characters plastered on it—stuff Yumi didn’t recognize.
While Yumi was distracted staring at the car, Hwayoung opened the back door and said,
“Get in. We’re going to rescue Miss Serika from here on out.”
“...Huh? We’re not calling the police?”
Hwayoung tilted her head at that, then ran a hand through her hair with confident flair, like something out of a TV commercial. Amid an air of bravado that didn’t quite match her refined looks, she declared,
“Miss Yumi, have you forgotten my introduction? I possess a very dangerous ability. I didn’t want to use it in a place like this, but to save my friend Miss Serika, I have no choice but to show it off.”
“...You’re not just excited to get a chance to use that ability, are you?”
Hwayoung averted her eyes at the question. Yumi usually spaced out, only chatting about fashion or trends, but she had a sharp side in the oddest places. Hwayoung mumbled with her lips for a moment before shaking her head firmly and shoving Yumi into the car.
“No. We need to save our friend first, so get in the car. Even now, that scumbag’s red sports car is dragging Miss Serika off to some unknown place. We have to chase them at full speed.”
“Oh, okay. Got it.”
Yumi, looking bewildered, followed Hwayoung’s lead and climbed into the car.
“...This car is amazing.”
The moment she got in, she let out an exclamation at the plush ride and luxurious interior. The driver shrugged his shoulders as if taking the praise personally. Hwayoung said,
“From now on, we track the red sports car that kidnapped Miss Serika. It headed into the industrial complex, and the license plate is…”
Yumi was shocked that Hwayoung had memorized the license plate in that short time. The driver nodded at her instructions, turned on the navigation, and displayed the industrial complex. Pointing at a spot on the map with his white-gloved finger, he said,
“If they took your classmate into the complex, they probably went to the abandoned factory area inside. But it’s a big region, so even with the clue of a red sports car, it might be tough to find… I’ll contact someone on that side for this part…”
Yumi alternated between listening to Hwayoung and the driver, then suddenly shot her hand up. As both turned to her, she blushed slightly and announced it like a class presentation.
“I-I can find them once we get close.”
Hwayoung let out an exclamation at her words.
Everything was going perfectly.
Staying on top of Shinsuke’s reports and check-ins had apparently boosted my favorability just right. The Prophets’ higher-ups must’ve figured it’d be a waste to let an obedient, ruthless, high-potential elementary schooler like me slip away.
Honestly, texting and talking with Shinsuke was fun. It felt like I’d become the spy or special forces agent I dreamed of as a kid.
That’s why getting the message [Final test time.] left me a bit disappointed, even as I played along.
“We’ll reach the test site soon. Steel yourself.”
Fallen for my perfect acting, Shinsuke was now speeding toward the industrial complex for the final interview. He wanted to test my skills one last time somewhere out of sight. He still wore those star-shaped sunglasses, and amid the smoke-belching factories, the red sports car stood out garishly.
Looking on the bright side, if I got into the Prophets, I’d probably get my fill of infiltration missions and reporting protocols.
“Haven’t been to the industrial park in ages.”
I struck up a conversation with Shinsuke while eyeing the smokestacks outside. My dad’s company, Iwamoto Industry, used to be in this complex. It moved out during some messy business expansion.
Thanks to that, I’d visited here when I was younger than now. Shinsuke glanced at me sidelong and said,
“Your dad’s company was around here back in the day, right?”
“Yeah. A bit further ahead, there’s an old factory site inside the complex.”
I pointed straight ahead to indicate the spot. My memories from way back were fuzzy, but a right turn down this road should lead to the factory grounds.
“Huh?”
Before I could finish, the car veered right. As we pressed on, the dense smokestacks thinned out, giving way to overgrown weeds. The sun was still high, but somehow, this area alone seemed shrouded in shadow.
Rusted walls and faded signs evoked an eerie vibe, and the road grew rougher ahead, jolting the car with every bump.
With no people or buildings in sight—just empty fields—it was the perfect backdrop for a horror flick or thriller.
A fitting choice for an evil secret organization.
As the car lurched violently, scraping the ground, Shinsuke grimaced and pulled over.
“Can’t go further by car from here. That’s the test site up ahead.”
I followed his pointing finger. A short distance away stood the old Iwamoto Industry site. Seeing it again after so long, the grand building from my childhood memories was now a crumbling skeleton, barely holding its ground.
The rusted, battered sign reading [Iwamoto Industry] dangled precariously atop the structure, while its exposed frame looked grotesque.
It even seemed like a safety hazard, giving the whole thing an unsettling appearance.
What kind of test required coming here?
What did he want to do, dragging me all the way to this factory lot?
“Scared?”
From behind me came Shinsuke’s taunting voice. He’d plopped down in front of the car, grinning at me in a way that was seriously annoying.
I flashed him a grin in return, then turned and headed for the factory.
I blinked. I scanned the interior over and over, looked around the surroundings.
Just in case, I glanced up—the sign still hung there precariously.
“...There’s nothing here?”
I’d braced myself coming in for some test, but there was absolutely nothing.
Was it a guts test or something?
Or was there a hidden code I’d missed?
Footsteps echoed from behind me. Slow, deliberate steps spread through the factory grounds.
“After Iwamoto Industry handed over this site, another company tried to develop it for business. But in a recession, they overextended, went bankrupt without demolishing the building, and the land ended up as this abandoned mess with unclear ownership.”
I turned around.
Shinsuke lit a cigarette.
The red glow briefly lit his face before fading fast.
Like a beast’s glinting eyes, only the cigarette ember remained, flickering. He smiled in its faint light.
“Funny, isn’t it? Iwamoto Industry’s sign still lords over this lot, but no one knows who really controls it.”
I blinked at him. I had no idea what he was on about, dragging me here.
“...What’re you talking about?”
Shinsuke tossed the cigarette to the ground. The still-smoldering butt cooled slowly on the dirt mound, puffing white smoke.
“Plan B.”
Shinsuke rolled up his sleeves. His solid forearms and sleazy grin flashed.
Something felt off. Really off.
“When you catch a loose end, you beat ’em till they spill everything they know about their superiors. I call that Plan B.”
...What the hell? Superiors? Like I have bosses above me?
What’s he saying?
Even as I stood there confused, Shinsuke just stretched.
“Don’t worry. I go all out, even against an elementary kid.”
This guy’s insane.