The Hearing (2)
On the morning of the hearing, Cheon Yooshin’s house was bustling. In stark contrast to the sunlight streaming through the window, Yoo Insook’s heart felt heavy, as if covered in thick, dark clouds. "I really don't understand. Why on earth is my son being called to a hearing?" The shadow of worry for her son was etched deeply into her eyes. Usually, people only attended hearings when something had gone wrong. And more often than not, those who attended ended up being humiliated. Yoo Insook was simply worried about that. She feared that her son, who knew nothing of the ways of the world, might go there and get hurt. So, as she straightened Cheon Yooshin’s collar, she spoke in a voice laced with anxiety.
"Yooshin, please. Don't do anything rash, and listen carefully to what the assemblymen have to say. You understand?"
"Oh, Mom, come on. Do I look like a kid to you? I’m not a toddler anymore; I’m twenty-five. I’m at an age where I can tell right from wrong."
Watching Cheon Yooshin overflow with such nonchalance, Yoo Insook let out a sigh. Before he was hit by a truck and fell into a coma, he hadn't been this reckless. Ever since he woke up, he felt like an entirely different person. On the outside, he looked perfectly fine, but inside, it was as if someone else had moved in to live there. 'What on earth am I thinking, standing right in front of my own son?'
"I got it, Mom. Don't worry."
Cheon Yooshin patted Yoo Insook’s shoulder in return. Unlike the playful glint in his eyes from a moment ago, he was calm now. "I haven't done anything wrong. There's no need to feel intimidated. So, please, don't worry so much. Besides, it’s just a simple chat, so what is there to be so concerned about?"
Yoo Insook looked into the eyes of her son, who had grown up so quickly. In those eyes, she felt a solid sense of will and confidence. It was just like her late husband, Cheon Hoyoon...
Team Leader Park Haesu gripped the steering wheel with a tense expression. "Did you have a meal?"
"Yeah, I had a big one. You too?"
"Oh, don't even mention it. I've been so nervous since yesterday, I haven't been able to eat a single bite."
Cheon Yooshin chuckled. "Anyone listening would think you were the one attending the hearing."
"Ugh... if they had asked me to attend a hearing, I would’ve fled in the middle of the night."
"Hahaha. Why are you so nervous? What did we do wrong?"
Park Haesu’s expression turned slightly more serious. "The world doesn't always run on common sense, sir."
Before long, Cheon Yooshin and Park Haesu arrived in front of the National Assembly hearing hall. As soon as they stopped the vehicle, camera flashes erupted, and the noise of reporters shouting mixed together, instantly filling the interior of the car. Park Haesu swallowed hard and said, "Shall we go in?"
Cheon Yooshin opened the door and replied, "I've come all this way, I might as well see the faces of the people who called me, right?"
"Mr. Cheon Yooshin! What is your stance on the Sudden Gate incident?"
"There have been countless victims and massive property damage. How do you intend to take responsibility for that?"
The questions were strange. This feels disgusting. Instead of offering praise, they were demanding he take responsibility? Cheon Yooshin’s mood began to sour at the reporters' questions, which were framed as if he were the one at fault. Ignoring their questions entirely, Cheon Yooshin stepped into the hearing hall.
Instantly, countless gazes were fixed upon him. Feeling the hostile atmosphere, Yooshin walked toward the seat with his name tag on it. The sound of his footsteps seemed to echo with unusual loudness. Yooshin sat down with a thud, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms.
'So, you don't like me?' Yooshin smirked at the glares of hostility coming from the assemblymen.
'How dare he laugh in a hearing?' Park Taeseok’s brow furrowed deeply as he watched. This was a sacred place, a solemn venue where National Assembly members, elected as representatives of the people, gathered to discuss and decide on grave matters. Yet, this young hunter was acting as if he were on a playground. What was even more displeasing was that attitude, overflowing with ease. 'Let's see how long that composure lasts!'
Yooshin’s attitude caused a stir among the assemblymen. Their expressions were a mixture of displeasure and bewilderment. Park Taeseok tapped the microphone a couple of times and opened his mouth.
"We will now begin the hearing regarding Hunter Cheon Yooshin in relation to the Sudden Gate incident."
The first question flew in immediately.
"Mr. Cheon Yooshin, your reckless battle with the Trolls caused massive damage to the property and lives of the people. What are your thoughts on this?"
A smile spread across Cheon Yooshin’s lips. It was, unexpectedly, not a sneer or a mockery, but a calm smile.
"Respected Assemblyman, let me ask you a question in return. In that situation, what do you think was the best course of action I could have taken?"
Assemblyman Woo Hyeongseok, who had been asked a question in return, frowned. "Ahem! This is a place where National Assembly members, the representatives of the people, ask questions! It is not a place to be asked questions! So, answer only the questions I ask!"
Cheon Yooshin tilted his head slightly. "Well. But I think the answer to my question will be my answer to your question, Assemblyman."
The tension in the hall thickened at Yooshin’s brazen response. Some assemblymen could not hide their discomfort.
"Don't play word games, answer my question immediately!"
"Ha! Man, you really don't get it, do you?" Cheon Yooshin’s mutter echoed through the hall via the microphone. "Oh, my mistake!" Cheon Yooshin winked with a playful expression. Eventually, the chairman, Assemblyman Park Taeseok, grabbed the microphone again.
"Hunter Cheon Yooshin, this hearing is being watched by the entire nation. Please maintain the decorum of the hearing."
However, Park Taeseok’s inner thoughts were quite the opposite. 'Yes, keep acting like a wild, uneducated brat.' The public hated those who lacked manners. Perhaps, because of such an arrogant attitude, the public would come to hate Cheon Yooshin as well.
Cheon Yooshin’s eyes sparkled. "So, you there, Assemblyman?" He pointed a finger at Assemblyman Woo Hyeongseok. "You want to frame me as the one who did something wrong, right? For dealing with the Trolls that came out of that Sudden Gate?"
Yooshin caught his breath for a moment and then infused strength into his voice. "But let me tell you. That day, every single second, countless lives were being threatened by monsters—by Trolls. Do you understand? Every. Single. Second!"
Cheon Yooshin emphasized every word. His gaze sharpened. "If I had hesitated, some of the people watching this broadcast right now might not have been able to watch it. No, perhaps even you, Assemblyman, might not be here."
The hall stirred at his words. But Cheon Yooshin didn't care and continued.
"So I want to ask. If you had the power to defeat those things, what would you have done in that situation? Would you have sat still, watching monsters kill people and buildings collapse, just waiting with your hands tied?"
Assemblyman Woo Hyeongseok’s face flushed red at Cheon Yooshin’s provocative question.
"That's it!" Inside the car, Park Haesu, who was watching the hearing in real-time on his phone, clenched his fist. That was a perfect uppercut.
"He really is an amazing person." This had to be his first time in such a setting, yet he maintained such composure. Even with training, when standing in a place like this, one’s mind usually goes blank. It was never easy to keep one’s sanity among people who were desperate to pick apart every mistake and find fault. But that was only because they didn't know Yooshin. Cheon Yooshin was a man tempered by the murderous gazes of hundreds, thousands of monsters and demons. To such a man, a hearing was nothing more than a casual chat. Naturally, he would be overflowing with ease.
Meanwhile, inside the hearing hall, the assemblymen were visibly flustered by Cheon Yooshin’s unexpected counterattack. Assemblyman Woo Hyeongseok, who had been countered, had a face flushed red, and the other assemblymen were busy glancing at each other. They were supposed to carry out the attacks they had prepared in advance. But because Cheon Yooshin’s response was unexpectedly excellent, they hesitated to open their mouths, fearing they might end up making a fool of themselves in a hearing watched by the entire nation.
'Ugh! You idiots!' Chairman Park Taeseok grabbed the microphone again.
"Hunter Cheon Yooshin, we are not trying to criticize your actions. We are merely asking for moral responsibility for the damage that occurred in the process."
His gentle voice echoed through the hall. However, it grated on Cheon Yooshin’s nerves.
"Wait a minute? You’re saying something strange. Why are you asking me for moral responsibility? A monster appeared, I caught it—what is wrong with that?"
Park Taeseok smiled triumphantly and said, "Then are you saying you have absolutely no moral responsibility for the victims who lost their lives that day, or for the fact that buildings, the property of the people, collapsed?"
"No, what does that have to do with me? Asking for moral responsibility right now sounds like you’re trying to make me a scapegoat."
"I don't know how you could interpret that as trying to make you a scapegoat."
"I just did my job. I have no reason or need to feel any moral responsibility whatsoever." Yooshin was confident in this moment. "Could you check that video once?"
Park Taeseok pointed somewhere and said. A video featuring Yooshin was playing. In the middle of the city, every time Yooshin and the Troll’s fists clashed, the concrete floor cracked and buildings crumbled. The scenes where he saved people whose lives were hanging by a thread were conveniently left out.
"..."
Park Taeseok spoke in a voice full of righteous indignation. "The damage is more serious than expected. Countless families have lost their homes due to the collapsed buildings. Some are even shivering in the cold at temporary shelters because they can't find a place to stay right now. That’s not the end of it. The damage to small business owners is also significant. Those who were operating in the destroyed shopping districts have lost their livelihoods, and the surrounding commercial area has suffered a huge blow. Even so, can you not feel any moral responsibility, Hunter Cheon Yooshin?"
Park Taeseok gradually raised his voice. Every word he emphasized was filled with justice and anger. Of course, it was a thoroughly calculated act to create a dramatic situation.
"Hunter Cheon Yooshin! Do you know how much the people are suffering because of your reckless actions?"
The entire hearing focused on Park Taeseok’s words. He slowly stood up from his seat and walked toward Cheon Yooshin.
"Collapsed homes! Destroyed livelihoods! Children who can't go to school!" His voice grew as if he were howling. "Look! That frozen video—that is the scar you left behind!"
His finger pointed at the frozen video. The scene, which was no different from ruins, was vividly captured there. Park Taeseok’s voice trembled. "Can you still claim you have no responsibility?"
As soon as Park Taeseok’s long, long impassioned speech ended, an assemblyman jumped up from his seat and began to clap. Soon, other assemblymen followed suit, and in an instant, the entire hall was filled with thunderous applause.
"Park Taeseok! Park Taeseok!" Someone began to shout, and soon that roar engulfed the hall.
However... they were soon forced to shut their mouths. Because Cheon Yooshin, sitting in his seat, was bursting into laughter as if he found it hilarious.
"A-are you laughing right now, Hunter Cheon Yooshin?"
At Park Taeseok’s question, Yooshin slowly stood up. He had come to hear what they had to say, but they were only spewing utter nonsense.
"What a load of crap."
"Y-you, in this sacred hearing hall, such profanity..."
Cheon Yooshin shook his head. Material damage can be restored, but lost lives cannot be brought back. Yet, they didn't even know what was important. Stronger, more cunning monsters would pop out in the future. Should he have to endure this kind of treatment every time? That was a hard no. Besides, he had no intention of doing so anyway.
Cheon Yooshin, standing straight in front of Park Taeseok, said clearly.
"It was self-defense. I caught the Trolls that were trying to attack me, and in the end, I survived. But does that make me a criminal? If someone on the street comes at you with a knife to kill you, are you just going to take the hit and die?"
A chilling coldness began to settle in Cheon Yooshin’s eyes. At the same time, he took the microphone off and whispered into his ear.
"So, shut your mouth and stay quiet. Don't go around bothering people who are minding their own business. You understand?"
Anger began to boil up little by little. But his opponent was lucky. If this had been the Abyss, Park Taeseok’s head would have already been separated and rolling on the floor. The desire to stay here any longer had already vanished.
Meanwhile, Park Taeseok could no longer overlook Cheon Yooshin’s insolent behavior. 'How dare a mere hunter spout such words at me, a representative of the people!?' For Park Taeseok, who had eaten the rice of politics for decades, there was a method he used most often to control this situation—a method he was most familiar with. It was personal attacks.
He had lowered the approval ratings of his rivals in National Assembly candidate debates through covert personal attacks, and last year, he had won the party primary by maliciously spreading rumors about a competitor’s family history. Even now, dozens of cameras with red lights were operating all around.
'All of this will serve as evidence.' Hearing the whisper to him just a moment ago, he realized. Unlike the slippery snakes he had dealt with, the Cheon Yooshin in front of him was very hot-blooded. That meant he was very easy to deal with. For him, that is.
Park Taeseok, his cunning eyes gleaming, whispered to Cheon Yooshin, who had already turned his back, making sure the microphone couldn't hear.
"I pity the mother who ate seaweed soup after giving birth to a bastard like you. Or perhaps she’s regretting it? Hehehehe."
At those words, Cheon Yooshin, who had been walking away, slowly turned his body.
"Say that again."
Park Taeseok flinched at the chilling sensation. However.
'He’s fallen for it.' Park Taeseok, having detected that Cheon Yooshin was on the verge of exploding, whispered again.
"A bastard like yo—"
THWACK! CRASH!
"Whoa..."
"W-what did I just see?"
"Heh heh heh..."
The assemblymen stared at Cheon Yooshin with blank expressions, unable to process the unrealistic turn of events. In a situation being broadcast live nationwide, he had kicked a sitting National Assembly member. Park Taeseok, who had fallen to the floor, also couldn't understand the situation he found himself in for a moment.
'D-did I just get hit? Or is this a dream?' Getting hit while at a hearing? Perhaps this was a first in history? The chest area where he was kicked throbbed. He hadn't expected him to resort to violence. He had only expected him to lose his temper and curse at him. That was what he had been trying to induce.
At that moment, Cheon Yooshin looked down at Park Taeseok and sneered.
"Hey. What is it you want to say? Don't beat around the bush, say it straight. You son of a bitch."
This time, he didn't whisper. He didn't even need a microphone. Cheon Yooshin’s voice was echoing through the hall. No, it didn't just echo through the hall; it was broadcast nationwide through the microphone.
Park Taeseok was dumbfounded, and just as he hardened his expression and was about to open his mouth,
"No, you don't even have the right to open your mouth. Just take the beating. You idiot."
And once again, Cheon Yooshin began to trample Park Taeseok.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
'Y-you crazy bastard!!!'