A Father's Wish
A week had passed since Gwanggeom had been revived as a Kaijin. May 22nd. Saturday. In place of President Seon Ui-cheol, who had been bedridden at home with no visitors, Prime Minister Baek Se-jun had unexpectedly handled the aftermath of Gwanggeom's death quite well as acting authority. Seon Ui-cheol, now back on duty, decided to spread the good news from Seoul far and wide, even through tears, to quell the citizens' unease. Though Gwanggeom had died, Seoul had been reclaimed. The villain alliance in Seoul had uploaded footage of conquering the Snake of Seoul City Hall to the black market network, hailed as a model for a highly successful monster raid, and views had already surpassed ten million. Government, Association, Shin Seoul, villains, Seoul, and Busan. In the eerie calm before the storm, everyone threw themselves into preparations according to their assigned roles.
<Shin Seoul, Government Building.>
Crash! A porcelain vase shattered against the wall. The secretaries standing by the wall darkened their expressions.
"Still haven't found her?!"
Seon Ui-cheol huffed and fumed, his tie loosened, one lens of his glasses dangling loose. He looked utterly wrecked, far from his usual polished image.
"Just give us a little more time..."
"Shut up! You incompetent fools! How can you not find one person?!"
"The Pine Tree Unit is starting to disobey orders bit by bit. We can't find Cheongsong on our own—"
Thwack! An ashtray from the desk smashed into the secretary's head and broke. Red blood trickled from the secretary's forehead.
"Find her! Find her no matter what! Track down where that damn bitch vanished to right now!!"
Knock knock.
"Mr. President, it's Baek Se-jun."
"Come in!"
A portly man with a kindly face opened the door and entered. He was Prime Minister Baek Se-jun, currently managing state affairs in place of Seon Ui-cheol, who was publicly reported as gravely ill. Despite being much older, Seon Ui-cheol spoke bluntly to him—a sign of how mentally cornered he was.
"Found her?"
"...Mr. President. The Pine Tree Unit isn't the issue right now. Inquiries and problems are piling up through the Foreign Ministry. You need to decide on a stance—"
"I put ministers in place to handle that! What the hell is that guy doing?!"
"He's basically given up."
Baek Se-jun listed off the Foreign Ministry issues he'd compiled.
"Response to the Association's official support request, international investigation into Gwanggeom, willingness for Round Table dispatch, joint international response to the Pyongyang monster, alliance with the villain coalition in Seoul, and dispatch requests for S-rank heroes Fire Fist and Snow Flower Princess..."
"Why those two?"
"Japan requested support. An S-rank monster appeared in Okinawa; they want it handled swiftly..."
"Ignore it. Absolutely do not."
Seon Ui-cheol's mind had calmed somewhat. Nicknamed the reincarnation of Heungseon Daewongun, he pathologically dreaded foreign dealings.
"Dispatch two S-ranks to Okinawa? Ridiculous. I told you last time, right? They'll start a war while our S-rank spots are empty."
"Surely not even in the 21st century would they commit such barbarism...?"
"Aren't they the type to commit barbarism? Look at Russia. The moment they abandoned the Far East, China and Japan swooped in claiming it as their land. It ended up a no-man's-land because of the monsters, though."
"Understood. We'll ignore that one."
The prime minister swiped to the next screen and asked for his opinion. The president responded one by one, setting the direction for state affairs. Even if he showed severe mania without Cheongsong, his political instincts hadn't died. The real blow was the hole in his media and public opinion control network.
"Secretary. Approval rating today?"
"84%. Still high."
Seon Ui-cheol slammed the table with his fist.
"Still? It hit 95% when we stopped the dimension gate crisis! Down 11% already!"
"...The failed Seoul reclamation and Gwanggeom's death are the direct causes. At this rate, it'll keep dropping."
"...Damn it! Public opinion?"
Another secretary nearby took over.
"Public broadcasting is still airing with our input. But fully blocking internet stations or personal channels is impossible."
"Tch. Can't move the Pine Tree Unit, driving me insane. No way around it?"
When Seon Ui-cheol asked for ideas, the ability-user security chief shook his head.
"Even for one A-rank, you need at least three of equal skill for safe takedown. Since Gwanggeom died, not just captured villains but the existing Pine Tree Unit is rebelling bit by bit. The brands haven't vanished, so Cheongsong seems alive..."
"Exactly! So who kidnapped Cheongsong, damn it! What does the NIS say?! Yuseong after all?!"
"...Excluding Eun Yu-ha, whose movements were suspicious, everyone has alibis."
"That spoiled brat?"
Once suspicion started, everything seemed suspect. Seon Ui-cheol stroked his chin, then thought of a radical measure.
"Invite her officially. What's her business sector?"
"Food service and space industry. She mainly runs Yuseong's 'Starlight'."
"Then drag in a few from that area."
"Mr. President, why that spoiled brat...?"
The prime minister looked flustered. Seon Ui-cheol adjusted his glasses with a sinister smile.
"Looks like I need to take a hostage."
<Shin Seoul, Yuseong Group.>
"Thank you, Prime Minister. Appreciate the heads-up."
Eun Jae-min replied with a benevolent smile. On the screen, the prime minister looked anxious.
"Of course. If there's a position you want, just say the word. You're Yu-ha's lifesaver, after all?"
Beep. After some pointless chit-chat, Eun Jae-min ended the call with the prime minister. At the same moment, the golden glow in Eun Jae-min's eyes vanished.
"Prison death row inmates should do the trick."
Lying down while manipulating other puppets, Eun Yu-ha sat up. A computation aid helmet on her head flickered as it controlled the other puppets.
"Phew."
Eun Yu-ha switched the mechanical puppets to autonomous patterns and got out of bed. The person she was about to meet wasn't someone she could persuade while multitasking puppet control.
"Time's up, miss."
"Thanks."
Eun Yu-ha straightened her clothes and followed the butler down the hall. Unlike her dimly lit inner sanctum, the sunlit reception room made her take a deep breath upon arrival.
"......Success."
With iron determination to succeed, Eun Yu-ha opened the reception room door. Amid thick grape scent, the blond man held red wine in his right hand and white in his left. Drinking straight from the bottles without glasses irked her, but she forced understanding.
"Time's up, sir."
"Is it? Already?"
The man stroked his golden beard and chugged both wines. Emptying them like cheap grape juice, he plopped down at the table.
"Then begin. Tell me why I should help you."
Gwanggeom, Heo Yun-hwan. Revived as a Kaijin at Eun Yu-ha's proposal. After losing to Phoenix, he'd been handed to her and occupied a guest room. Eun Yu-ha happily continued the conversation, painting a rosy future for Gwanggeom and Seok Ha-rang with all sorts of incentives, but he laughed and refused.
"Found what I want now?"
"...Yes, I have."
"Last chance. Miss this, and our contract ends. I'll go kill that bastard again, and naturally die again. Still challenging?"
"Of course."
Eun Yu-ha handed over the approval pad from her waist. Gwanggeom took it and asked,
"That confident it's right?"
As leader of the secret PMC Knight Order, Gwanggeom had rejected every proposal from Eun Yu-ha and Yuseong. Money, honor, women. Despite offering everything, he called the terms unsatisfactory and bet her: If you can't figure out what I want in a week, I'll leave. For Eun Yu-ha, closing the deal was crucial for multiple reasons. And today, after nine losses in nine tries, one chance remained.
"I believe this is what you want, sir Gwanggeom."
"Oh? Let's see."
Gwanggeom opened the pad. His face hardened coldly.
"What does this mean?"
"Exactly what it says."
Eun Yu-ha smiled, pointing at the paper.
"Give me your daughter."
Husband: Eun Yu-ha
Wife: Seok Ha-rang
Eun Yu-ha met Gwanggeom's gaze steadily and continued. Every blank on the fully filled form awaited only Seok Ha-rang's signature.
"Until Ha-rang marries the one she truly loves, I'll be her breakwater."
"You mean same-sex marriage?"
Eun Yu-ha shook her head.
"I have the Puppet Master ability. We'll use the scandals you know from society. I'll register marriage publicly with my brother Eun Jae-min to mark Ha-rang as taken."
"You think true love will come to a girl already married?"
"To win love against the wife of Korea's top conglomerate chairwoman, number one in business? That's the spirit needed. Otherwise, I can't hand Ha-rang over from my ship!"
"...Ah, I see?"
Gwanggeom folded the form in half with a lukewarm expression. Despair flashed across Eun Yu-ha's face.
"Seems I've troubled you too much."
"......Pardon?"
Gwanggeom pocketed the folded form and extended his hand.
"Just help our Ha-rang well by her side. As family."
"...That's what you want, sir?"
In that moment, cracks formed in Eun Yu-ha's world—born into chaebol life, believing everything a transaction of profit. Gwanggeom looked at her like she'd asked the obvious.
"What more could a father want than his daughter thriving?"
Gwanggeom laughed and waved. Eun Yu-ha nodded dazedly.
"But one request. Protect my daughter from that damn monster."
"Yes, naturally."
Eun Yu-ha gripped Gwanggeom's hand firmly, showing resolve.
"If Phoenix customer has a child with Ha-rang or such a future? I'll stake my entire fortune to stop it."
Eun Yu-ha's eyes sparkled like stars. The Kaijin Heo Yun-hwan became her subordinate.
<Shin Seoul, Hero Association HQ.>
The Jijeonggwan had revived. After losing Team Leader Kang So-yeon and wasting away without food or sleep, he sprang back like a soaked sponge the moment she returned. Kang So-yeon told Yoo Yeong-ho a twisted truth: The government kidnapped ten heroes to turn them into the Pine Tree Unit, but they escaped with Yuseong's help. She'd been caught as an accomplice and tortured harshly but luckily escaped. ...The facts were heavily distorted, but Kang So-yeon was back at Yoo Yeong-ho's side. The Jijeonggwan hid her return with all his power.
"Jijeonggwan, I'll step out briefly."
"Huh? How long? Where to?"
One issue: His newfound clinginess to So-yeon. She blushed and cleared her throat.
"Just washing my hands."
"Hands? That's easy..."
As he started to speak, So-yeon clutched her stomach, turning his head. She excused herself and hurried to her private room.
"This, it's rotting."
Her lower belly growled fiercely. Below her navel burned like fire.
"Haa, haa."
So-yeon panted roughly, entering a stall. She quickly pulled down her skirt and stockings; a heart-shaped blue brand marked her lower abdomen.
"Ngh, huuuh...."
Suppressing lewd urges, So-yeon activated her smartwatch and connected to the network. The masked woman waited.
So-yeon bit her lip, voice trembling.
"Sudden, what, business!"
At Phantom's blunt words, So-yeon slammed the bathroom wall. Luckily, the next stall was empty.
"Joking, like this...!"
At Phantom's threat, So-yeon shut her mouth. Phantom fiddled with her brush and smiled before ending the call. Truly just a check-in—So-yeon was dumbfounded, but the intensifying heat drove her from the bathroom straight to bed.
"Ahh, haa. Haaang."
Fingers grazed the tattoo, satisfying the urge. Amid anger and shame, So-yeon bit her lip and surrendered to sensation.
"Huuuaaa, Jijeonggwan, haaaang!"
Squelching sounds and scents filled her room. It took 30 minutes for So-yeon to return to the Jijeonggwan. He noticed nothing, but her stockings were a different color from before.