Identity Exposed

A Distortion Entity with a human body from the neck down, and a single gigantic eyeball perched above it.

He strode confidently over to where I sat, introduced himself as Kim Dalgyal — Special Interrogator of the Bureau, and a Grade 5 Distortion Entity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— and held out his hand.

I blinked up at him.

What was this supposed to be?

Grade 5? Distortion Entities had ranks?

No — more importantly, he was with the Bureau? The Bureau employed Distortion Entity agents?

Questions and speculation swarmed through my mind. I didn't let any of it show. I was keeping my composure.

"Will you not return the greeting?"

Kim Dalgyal still had his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hand extended.

I took it, albeit reluctantly. Ignoring a handshake would have been rude. Even as we shook, my thoughts didn't stop.

Geum Bitnari had just said they'd finished determining whether I was an ordinary human or a Distortion Entity. And Kim Dalgyal had welcomed me to my Naturalization.

Naturalization... so they've already decided I'm a Distortion Entity?

I decided to ask, calmly, what that word actually meant.

"You said you welcome my Naturalization. What does that mean, exactly?"

"Exactly as it sounds. I welcome you for having left the Distorted World and naturalized into the real world."

Confirmed. This eyeball-monster bastard was certain I was a Distortion Entity, just like him.

How did he figure out I'm a Distortion Entity?

Without losing my composure, I kept turning it over. Maybe he was testing me. I couldn't rule out the possibility this was a bluff to identify Distortion Entities posing as Escapers — a screening process, in other words.

The Distortion Entity named Kim Dalgyal standing in front of me might actually be a person in special-effects makeup.

I took another look at him.

Hmm......

...Or not.

Even up close, it looked real. Far too realistic to be makeup.

"You appear curious as to how I knew your identity, Yeoul... no. There is no change in your expression at all."

Especially those lips attached beneath the eyeball. They moved naturally every time Kim Dalgyal spoke. There were teeth inside the mouth, and a tongue besides. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't convince myself it was fake.

"At any rate, I imagine you have such questions?"

"My identity? I still have no idea what you've been talking about this whole time."

I stuck to playing dumb. Even if Kim Dalgyal really was a Distortion Entity, it was too early to relax. Being a Distortion Entity didn't mean he was on my side. Who knew if he was a Bureau stooge used to round up others of his kind.

"Yeoul, there is no need to hide it."

I withdrew ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my hand from Kim Dalgyal's. Geum Bitnari, perched on the edge of the desk, spoke up offhandedly.

"The moment Kim Dalgyal revealed himself, your identity as a Distortion Entity was already a confirmed fact. His eye can see the flow of reality and of twisted Distortion. Of course, that could not be determined through a broadcast screen."

What was that supposed to mean? That he could identify Distortion Entities just by looking? If that was true, it was impressive. So that eyeball wasn't huge for nothing.

Anyway. Deny it again.

"I'm not a Distortion Entity, though?"

"Frankly, it does not matter whether you admit it or not. Kim Dalgyal has confirmed you as a Distortion Entity. That is the end of it."

"I'm really not. Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

"...There is no need to be so wary. Our Bureau welcomes the Naturalization of Distortion Entities such as yourself — those with whom we can communicate, who are cooperative, and who are not aggressive."

When Geum Bitnari finished, Kim Dalgyal walked around the desk and sat in the chair across from me. Then he plucked his enormous eyeball right out of his neck with a wet pop.

What, it detached? He wasn't a Dullahan, so what was with...

Anyway, that made it even more certain this wasn't special-effects makeup.

"Hmm. Perhaps this is a case in which the individual is unaware they are a Distortion Entity."

Kim Dalgyal set the eyeball carefully down on the desk. Its gaze was still fixed on me.

"Yeoul, I will ask one question. Do you perhaps believe that you are truly human?"

"Yes."

"Very good. It seems you are clearly aware of the fact that you are a Distortion Entity."

"Excuse me?"

"Now then, let us have a slow conversation, you and I."

"No, wait a moment. I said I think I'm human."

"And Agent Geum Bitnari, please wait outside for a moment."

"......"

This eyeball-monster bastard. Couldn't he understand what a person (not) was saying? If he was going to interpret whatever I answered however he liked, I didn't know why he'd bothered asking.

The interrogation room was brightly lit. For a long time, questions of every kind poured from Kim Dalgyal. It didn't particularly feel like I was being interrogated — maybe because his tone was so gentle. Time kept moving, and the questions kept coming.

The one he posed this time was as follows.

"I will ask one question. Do you find yourself overcome with anger for no reason?"

"Not at all."

"I will ask one question. Do you ever feel the urge to kill someone?"

"Not at all."

I could roughly grasp the intent. He was assessing violent tendencies, I supposed.

Ah. And I found out later that Kim Dalgyal had another special ability.

If he prefaced a question with the words I will ask one question, he could determine whether the other person's answer was true or false.

"I will ask one question. Do you possess a Distortion Phenomenon?"

"I don't know."

"That is a lie. Knowing that you do possess one — I will ask one question. Is the Distortion Phenomenon you possess Internet Communication?"

"I don't think so."

"That is correct. I see."

For the record, I wasn't being uncooperative. Uncooperative types would have kept their mouths shut. Answering every question, in itself, was a sufficiently cooperative attitude. Kim Dalgyal would be able to extract truthful information no matter how I answered... no. He would extract it.

...I should stop lying here.

After answering countless questions, I eventually decided to come clean. Kim Dalgyal's ability to determine truth was the real deal. Might as well be more cooperative. The fact that he'd figured out I was a Distortion Entity was genuine too, and he was currently showing a considerably friendly attitude.

"I will ask one question. What happened to the real Yeoul?"

"She died."

"...It seems you have decided to stop lying now."

"It doesn't work anyway."

"A wise decision. I will ask one question. Did you — the other Yeoul — kill the human Yeoul?"

"No. She killed herself."

"That is the truth... Do you happen to know for what reason she committed suicide?"

"She probably died because living was too much of a hassle?"

"Pardon? Hmm... why is this the truth..."

"Beats me."

Several more questions followed after that. Once they were all finished, they even ran psychological tests of some kind — every variety they had. An MBTI assessment? They did that too.

Afterward I left the interrogation room and submitted everything I was wearing, along with all my belongings. Of course, I was given clothes to change into.

"Is it over now?"

"No. You will also need to undergo a physical ability test."

"That sounds like a hassle..."

"I must ask this of you."

I had no choice but to take the physical ability test as well. And even that wasn't the end. I was told I'd have to stay at the Bureau for a while and receive education — education for Naturalization, apparently. They'd welcomed my Naturalization, but I was still only a provisional naturalized person, they said.

The education wasn't anything special. I was told it was merely meant to help me adapt to society.

Time passed, and it had already been three days since I'd started staying at the Bureau. Contrary to my worries, I'd been receiving ordinary education the whole time and living without a single problem. The days were more peaceful than I'd expected. The Bureau people all treated me kindly, too.

Maybe it was special treatment. I am pretty, after all.

"Yeoul, I have brought it."

I was resting after today's education had ended when Geum Bitnari returned with a file I'd asked her for — a compilation of Distortion Entity grades. They didn't cover this in the education, so I'd decided to get the information through her. Why did I need it? I was just curious.

"Distortion Entity grades consist of two types: Distortion Grade and Isolation Grade. First, this is the Distortion Grade."

"Distortion Grade is assigned higher the more difficult an entity is to respond to. To put it simply, the stronger they are, the higher the grade they receive."

Geum Bitnari added that even a Distortion Entity possessing a remarkable Distortion Phenomenon could still receive a low grade.

"Even Special Interrogator Kim Dalgyal, if he had only possessed those two Distortion Phenomena — perceiving Distortion flows, and determining truth through questions — would have been assigned Grade 0. They are remarkable abilities, but they are not abilities that make a physical response difficult."

I see. So Kim Dalgyal must possess additional Distortion Phenomena as well. Quite the Distortion Phenomenon tycoon.

Finished with that explanation, Geum Bitnari turned the page.

"This is the Isolation Grade. It is a classification that evaluates an entity's stability."

"Both Distortion Grade and Isolation Grade may be adjusted at any time. Ah, and... your profile happened to come out today, so I brought that as well. Would you like to see it?"

"My profile? I've been assigned a Distortion Grade and an Isolation Grade too?"

"That is correct."

"...Let me take a look."

Geum Bitnari flipped to the last page. A profile appeared, with a photograph of me attached.