Chapter 8. This year for sure! (6)
It wasn't just something I saw on the news.
Because Yujin-ajumma is too kind a person to just let a story like this slide.
When I came home like any other day, Yujin-ajumma and Dohyun-ajeossi were already waiting for us.
Recently, Chaeyi had also been joining us for after-school training. Even after everything that happened, Cheong Hwirin still didn't make a big deal out of me, Soi, and Chaeyi hanging out together.
Or maybe she thought it was safer since three Superhumans were sticking together.
Regardless of what anyone says, Yujin-ajumma is the one the Witch fears. And if it's Soi, who has the same power as Yujin-ajumma, she might be a help.
"Right, it'd be good for Chaeyi to hear this too."
Since Chaeyi was one of the parties involved when that happened back then, Yujin-ajumma said that.
Then, she sat the three of us side-by-side on the sofa, hesitated for a moment to catch her breath, and then spoke as if spitting the words out.
"......Seo Arin has escaped from prison."
I wasn't immediately shocked upon hearing that.
At first, my only thought was, 'Oh, I see.'
Because I had heard such an unrealistic story.
I mean, she's a Superhuman.
It's not like the existence of Superhumans roaming this society is a new thing. As far as I can tell, it's been at least several decades; it's become almost 'common sense' in society.
Naturally, prisons for Superhumans are much more carefully managed than those for non-Superhumans. Ones that can't be melted by high heat, can't be smashed by super strength. A prison that is, quite literally, impossible for human power to overcome physically.
Unless someone had the power to turn their body into fluid or pass through matter entirely, maybe. But the Witch wasn't that kind of being.
"Uh......."
And what I felt after that was a slight trembling.
As if my body's reaction was happening before my brain's thoughts. My fingertips started to tremble little by little.
Actually, the reason I know so much about the 'prison' is because I looked it up once after the Witch was caught.
Because I was scared.
Everyone else in this world probably thinks the same way, right? That since they have superpowers, it must be that much easier to escape. There's even a word like 'Superhuman Phobia' in this world. Perhaps taking that into account, the Association was promoting quite a lot of related materials.
"H-how?"
I asked, stuttering, and Yujin-ajumma and Dohyun-ajeossi looked at each other.
"That is...... under investigation."
"But......."
When I couldn't accept just that, Yujin-ajumma hesitated a bit more before nodding.
"As for the method itself, she broke the door and got out."
"Th-then, the, the people."
A prison isn't just made of facilities, is it? There must be people guarding the inside, and people guarding the perimeter.
"......."
Yujin-ajumma was reluctant to answer, but that alone was answer enough. They must have been seriously injured, or perhaps.......
"Maybe the door wasn't made properly, or one of the locks wasn't engaged correctly. That's under investigation...... and since there are many people chasing Seo Arin, I'm sure they'll catch her soon."
Even after hearing the explanation, I don't fully accept it. There are still too many strange parts.
If 'prison breaks' were possible like that, who among the Superhumans in the world wouldn't try to escape? No, in the first place, there's no way that's the only case of a prison break.
Was the reason this story didn't appear in the novel because it was just too obvious? Because stories about villains breaking out and being put back in are just too common and mundane.
"B-but."
It could happen. I know that.
Because even if they aren't Superhumans, it's not like there are zero prison escapees in reality. Maybe it was just a one-in-a-million occurrence, and since the criminal known as the Witch wasn't that big of a deal, maybe she didn't have an impact on the main plot of the novel.
Even so, my head keeps trying to find a reason.
"......Lua."
Yujin-ajumma squatted down in front of me.
Then she reached out and lightly held my hand.
A warm, soft hand.
"......I'm sorry."
I blink at those words.
I shifted my gaze from where it had been bowed low and saw Yujin-ajumma's face.
The apology doesn't seem like something she's just saying to comfort me.
It's a look full of guilt, as if she's truly sorry.
"Wh-why, why are you, sorry, Ajumma?"
I just tried to ask.
But my voice came out sharp. Even though I was stuttering like crazy.
"That's because...... we didn't do what we were supposed to do."
"......."
I bit my lip slightly at that answer.
And I bowed my head low again and shook it.
"......It's not your fault, Ajumma."
Actually, I don't really know.
Maybe it's something that should be criticized. Maybe it really is something that happened because someone didn't do their job properly.
But, if those people fought the escaping Witch. If they fought, risking their lives, and got seriously injured or died.
Would it still be something to criticize them for?
They might have just done their best. What if it was a mistake they didn't even remember? Or if it was because of some truly unfortunate error or something like that.
.......
If, the reason that woman escaped.
What if it's because she wanted to see me?
Then, couldn't I be the reason?
Yujin-ajumma gripped my hand even tighter. As if to hold onto me so I wouldn't fall into deeper thoughts.
"There might be someone who did something wrong."
I heard Yujin-ajumma's voice.
"But, Lua. It is absolutely not your fault."
I lifted my gaze again at those words.
Yujin-ajumma's stern face, which I almost never see.
"So, never let yourself be discouraged."
Yujin-ajumma says firmly.
While holding my hand so tightly it hurts a little.
......It's already been 10 years since I started living in this house.
Yet, even though I can't properly call Yujin-ajumma or Dohyun-ajeossi 'Mom' and 'Dad', this house has always thought of me as a daughter, just like Soi.
Me, who has to be fussed over for things other kids wouldn't even need to worry about, who has to be taken to the hospital regularly, and who even receives the attention of an incredibly dangerous villain.
"......Yes."
If so, at least I want to follow those words.
The words that it's not my fault.
Although I don't really know if I can truly believe it or not.
*
*
*
"Kheu-heuh-heup!?"
With his mouth blocked, a man writhes on the floor, twisting his body this way and that.
The peculiar thing is that what is blocking his mouth is invisible.
The man wasn't tied up. His limbs were just sprawled out randomly. It's just that the number of joints in both his arms and legs looked to be about three times that of other people.
"You're not as strong-willed as I thought? And you said you'd been chasing me for so long?"
Seo Arin said, looking down at the man wriggling on the floor.
"With that kind of spirit, you tried to kill my daughter?"
"Mm, mmm-mmm!"
At Seo Arin's words, the man shouted, tears streaming down his face as if he were aggrieved. Although no sound came out properly because his mouth was blocked by something invisible.
"Oops, sorry, sorry."
She didn't look sorry at all, but Seo Arin said that for now and removed that something from in front of the man's mouth.
"N-no, it's not! If I had known! If I had known, I wouldn't have done that!"
"Huh? Knowing who I am? You went there intending to touch Cheong Hwirin's daughter, so how would you have known it was my daughter, who wasn't even that famous, and just left her alone?"
There's nothing to say to that.
In fact, the nickname 'Witch' was given to Seo Arin only after she stormed the school.
Before that, her reputation, if one had to put it, would have been something like 'a suspect in several murder cases'.
There were a few exceptional cases among them, so she was known as 'a suspect' in her own way, but it wasn't just those cases.
"I only found out later, too. Mind you, I did see it on the news. Back then, I just thought my daughter had bravely beaten up a villain, that's all."
Seo Arin let out a light sigh.
"Pl-please, please spare me......."
"Hmm, if I spare you?"
"If you spare me, I'll do anything—"
"No, no, that's not it. The reason I didn't just break out alone and let you out was to vent my anger like this. Why would I have any interest in you, someone whose ability is nothing special anyway? I was just pissed off after hearing the story in prison. I had no choice with the few others besides you because I was asked separately, though."
"......."
"Sigh, I finally got out, but my only flesh and blood hates me. Hmm, I thought she might hate me, but I thought it would be okay if I took her and raised her diligently, you know? She's my daughter, right? But what kind of wind blew into her head so firmly. This is why you shouldn't leave kids in rich houses."
Seo Arin squatted in front of the man and looked down at him quietly.
"I finally know where my daughter is, and I can even see her clearly. But since I can't even go meet her after coming out like this, I need a target to vent this frustration on, right? But it's a bit awkward to just go around smashing things everywhere. I'm currently an escapee, after all. Don't you think?"
Seo Arin stood up again.
"W-wait! Just a moment!"
The man, knowing what that meant, shouted while desperately wriggling and crawling.
"There's a way! There is a way!"
The color of the man's bruised face changes wildly. It's because he couldn't control it due to the pain.
"A way? What way? A way for me to meet my daughter? You, even if you want to live, aren't you speaking too recklessly? I don't know about one or two, but a dozen or so Superhumans would be tough even for me."
"That's why I'm saying there is a way."
The man said, gasping for breath.
"......Hmm. That's a bit..."
Seo Arin hesitated for a moment, then squatted in front of the man again.
"Well, fine. I'll listen. I'm not expecting much, though."
The man told Seo Arin the method.
As a result, the man lived.
He did live.
Because Seo Arin didn't go so far as to say she would let him go in one piece.
Mind you, she didn't say she would spare him in the first place, either.