[What's life, anyway? You just live as you live]
[What's life, anyway? You just live as you live]
No matter how I think about it, the feeling of going to work on a Sunday is just not good. Once a week, I get Saturday off, but the blow of knowing the next day is Sunday is quite significant.
Of course, since the weekend is when people eat the most chicken, it can't be helped if I want to run the business, but... it's a hassle, should I just take Sundays off too?
Later, once Baek-ri can fully replicate my recipe, I'll hire another part-timer, leave the shop to them, and take a break. It should take a few years for them to get proficient.
Even now, they're decent at seasoning or prepping the chicken, but their frying skills are still lacking. The passing grade is in the 90s, but Baek-ri is in the 80s.
As they say, it's easy to get up to 80 points, but getting into the 90s is tough. I'm thinking in terms of years, too. That's how much time is reasonably needed to master a dish. If anything, since Baek-ri is a Force User, they have better conditions than an average person, so it'll be shorter.
"I'm off to the shop. Take care of yourself today."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, just a bad feeling."
Since yesterday, an ominous feeling has been slowly creeping up my spine. It's not that I can't use Precognition, but I can roughly grasp what's about to happen. Even if it's not accurate, it's better than nothing.
"Try not to go out if you can. You don't have any reason to go out today, right?"
"I don't have any particular reason to go out. I was thinking of just cooking with what's in the fridge today, so I don't even plan on going grocery shopping."
"Then that's fine."
The house has a decent security system, so it's fine. Since Sion installed the system herself, it can repel most intruders.
In the first place, my wife is stronger than that, but isn't there always a 'what if'? In this world, there's no such thing as absolute, so there's no 100 percent and no 0 percent. There only exist probabilities infinitely close to those.
"Have a safe trip."
Sion waves goodbye as she sees me off. I lightly kiss her lips and head to work.
There's definitely going to be something. I'm so anxious, damn it.
Even though I'm driving my Lamborghini to work in a good mood, I feel uneasy. I'd like to spend at least today at home together, but of course, today is Sunday, when there are lots of customers.
Honestly, on days like today, there are many customers who take out chicken because they want to eat it while preparing for Monday. Plus, there are many customers who come for a second round, half-drunk, acting like tomorrow won't come just because it's Sunday.
"Ah, hyung, you're here? You're a bit late."
"Things have been ominous in various ways today."
It's impossible for any being to deceive my Sense unless they are a Transcendent superior to me. Even if it were an opponent on par with me, it's absolutely impossible for them to launch a surprise attack on me.
That's why my Sense links with my intuition to warn me about what's about to happen. I just don't know what that thing is.
People who know about this have called it a fraudulent ability that integrates known information to derive only the result, but honestly, I'm no genius, so how would I know that?
I only reached this level because I have experience as a Reincarnator; my talent is ordinary. It's better than having no talent, though.
Among the things I have, the only exceptional one is... hmm, the 'Singularity of Possibility', I guess. I've managed to live well so far because of that.
"Ominous? Did something happen this morning?"
"Just a feeling."
"Eh, then it must just be your imagination."
"No, Transcendent senses already exceed human common sense, but thanks to my ability, mine are even more so. If I feel ominous, it's a sign that something is going to happen."
My intuition is enough to even mimic freezing-type abilities by partially controlling molecular activity. In terms of delicacy, it's rare to find someone who can control their power more precisely than me.
It would be an idiot who ignores such an intuition when it sounds the alarm.
"Let's finish early today and go home. Even if there are ingredients left, I think we should finish and head back around 6."
"I'd love to go home early. But are you that anxious?"
"I rarely get this restless, you know? I don't care if I get ambushed, but if it involves my wife, it feels like an ant is crawling all over my back."
"Ugh! That must feel awful."
"Right? My wife wouldn't get beaten up anywhere, but it's still better not to experience it..."
Just then, my pocket vibrated. The ominous feeling intensified.
The screen of my phone, which was ringing, showed 'My Wifey' as the caller. Ah, how long has it even been since I got to work?
".......Hello?"
[Ah, I'm sorry to call when you've just arrived at work.]
"Is something wrong?"
[I've been kidnapped.]
"Fuck."
Every time things like this happen, I realize that life doesn't always go the way you want it to.
After running the vacuum cleaner and tidying up the house, Sion refrained from going out as much as possible. It was Sunday, after all. The mart was closed, so she would have to go to the market to shop, and since she had no intention of going far, she planned to stay home.
After Choi Ak left for work, she was watching TV when she suddenly remembered. Today is the last day to take out the trash.
She had tidied up, but there were piles of trash still in the house. In particular, since Sion and Choi Ak's stamina exceeded that of normal people, the tissues and toilet paper used for cleanup filled a 10-liter Standardized Garbage Bag to the brim. And that was just from one week of collecting.
Honestly, it would be fine to leave it, but given the purpose for which it was used, if left for a few days, it would get moldy and even start growing mushrooms. Especially in the summer weather, even more so.
She could wait until Choi Ak returned in the evening to throw it out, but Sion's conscience pricked at the thought of asking someone who just came back from work to take out the trash.
Sion earns all the money, but in terms of the effort required to earn it, Choi Ak is far superior. So, couldn't she at least manage to collect and throw out the trash?
"It's just a quick trip out... nothing will happen."
It really is just right in front of the house. The neighborhood trash sorting area is only a 2 or 3-minute walk from the house. She didn't think anything would happen in a 5-minute round trip, let alone if she were going far.
Sion grabbed her phone just in case and picked up the collected trash. Even though her frame is small, she possesses the physical capabilities of an average adult woman, so she can easily lift objects that look heavy.
Sion scanned the surroundings just in case, realized no one was there, and decided to go and come back as quickly as possible.
There were no problems on the way. She didn't meet anyone, and there was no one in sight. It was just Sion alone.
At the recycling area, since she had already done some sorting at home, she quickly threw them away by type and was on her way back.
Something grabbed her wrist.
"Ugh?!"
Sion turned her head to identify who had grabbed her hand.
But there was no one there. Only the sensation of someone holding her let her know that something was there.
It lifted her up with immense force, and a strange power she had never felt before enveloped her body. Then, as if she had melted into the surroundings, her figure also became invisible.
Sion realized and understood it. The opponent was the culprit of the elementary school serial kidnapping case she had heard about from Inspector Lee Yu-seong the day before yesterday, and a Force User. And this was the reason she couldn't find a single trace even after searching all the nearby CCTV footage.
Because of a Force Trait that allowed it to assimilate with the surroundings like a chameleon and completely hide, it was impossible to find any trace of the guy.
The kidnapper fled with Sion. It ran at high speed and headed somewhere.
".........Hmm."
Sion could have escaped right now. She just had something to think about.
If Choi Ak fought seriously, Sion would lose, but even so, in terms of destructive power, Sion is a step above. There was no way Sion couldn't defeat a mere Force User.
But the problem is the other kidnapping victims.
There were a total of three kidnapped children. One of them was found murdered, but the other two haven't been found yet. There's a possibility they're dead, but conversely, there's still a sufficient possibility that they are alive.
After thinking it over carefully, Sion decided to let herself be kidnapped quietly. If the opponent is a Force User with this kind of stealth-type Trait, you could search CCTV for a hundred days and never find them. There might be ways to find them if she wanted to, but there is no better way than this.
Sion is also selfish in her own way. She considers her own safety first. But if that is guaranteed, she is given the leeway to think about other things.
If it were a truly dangerous situation, she would have used everything she could to escape from this spot. But now, her safety is guaranteed, and considering the other kidnapped children, Sion's conscience was too human to ignore them and think only of herself.
She chose to be kidnapped quietly. And not long after, the kidnapper took her into somewhere deep in the woods.
"Where is this.....?"
Sion thought about where there might be a forest nearby.
She had crossed a river on the way, so it was clear she had crossed the Cheonggyecheon. Then, where could there be a forest in that vicinity?
In the middle of Seoul, it's rare to find a place with trees dense enough to be considered a forest. Even if it's a park, unless it's of a considerable size, she wouldn't think of it as a forest.
If it's a place that feels like it has great scenery, Sion has a place in mind.
Countless people passed by, but no one discovered Sion and the kidnapper. Most people just thought the aftermath of them passing by was just a strong wind and actually thought it was a good thing in the hot weather.
And in the middle of the forest, far from the paths where people walked, there was something like a hut made small with rotten branches. It was made so crudely that it wouldn't even serve as a ceiling if it rained, and it looked like it would break at any moment.
The kidnapper set Sion down next to the hut. And with a small sound, its presence disappeared.
Looking around, Sion was a little surprised by the kidnapper's stealth, which left no footprints. Even for Sion, who is vulnerable to supernatural abilities, the fact that it could deceive her with human techniques trained for at most 20 years is proof that its ability is quite excellent.
Sion decided to first grasp the surroundings. It is important to check on the kidnapped children, which is the most important thing.
"Leftover trash, water bottles, various plastics, etc..... mainly remnants of daily necessities, huh."
Sion saw the trash scattered around and realized they were mainly basic necessities for survival. And she gently peeked inside the hut.
There, two little girls were huddled together, covering themselves with a few pieces of clothing as a blanket.
"........."
For a moment, Sion thought of the worst-case scenario, but fortunately, seeing the clothes rising and falling regularly, she felt relieved. She had heard that the first kidnapped child was found in a gruesome state, so she had been worried, but she was glad it ended as just a premature assumption. No matter how long Sion has lived, one never gets used to seeing dead children.
She decided to ask for help first. It would be easy for her to escape alone, but if the children are involved, she cannot guarantee their safety. Her power is specialized for destruction, not for protecting others.
She took out her phone and called Choi Ak. He answered before the first ring had even finished.
[Is something wrong?]
"I've been kidnapped."
[Fuck.]
She conveyed the current situation with a concise conversation. Choi Ak quickly grasped the situation with just one word and began asking questions in order, starting with the most important one.
[Are you safe?]
"I'm fine. Didn't I make preparations in the first place?"
[I don't believe in words like absolute or perfect. I always think about cases like my name.]
"There are two other children who were kidnapped here besides me."
[Are they alive?]
"Yes, they are sleeping right now, but they seem relatively healthy."
Sion looked at the faces of the children sleeping quietly. They weren't old; they were in the lower grades of elementary school. They were young children who looked at most like 2nd or 3rd graders.
No matter how precocious children in modern society are for their age, this is not a good thing for a mere 10-year-old child to experience.
"I will hack a satellite and pinpoint the exact location for you. Please come as quickly as possible."
[Got it. I don't know who the bastard is, but I'll grind them up, so don't worry. If the kids wake up, reassure them.]
"Understood."
Sion hung up the phone.
They can track each other's location through a couple's service, but hacking a satellite to pinpoint the exact location is faster and more convenient. Also, the accuracy is different between using a phone as a medium and using herself as a medium.
Invisible radio waves ride her will and reach the satellite in orbit. It might have been a US satellite, so the firewall was quite sturdy, but it was just the difference between a sheet of paper and foam board.
She sent the location to Choi Ak's phone. He would arrive in 10 minutes at the latest, or 5 minutes at the earliest.
"Who.......?"
Perhaps the sound of the conversation woke them up, one of the sleeping children woke up.
Now that she thinks about it, the dead child and the currently kidnapped children have something in common: they are all girls.
However, their condition was relatively okay to suggest they had been subjected to sexual assault or similar acts. They looked a bit dirty from not washing for a long time, but at least they didn't look like they had been starved or beaten.
"Are, are you kidnapped too?"
"I'm not young enough to be called 'you'...... hmm, since I'm much older than you, you can call me 'ajumma' (auntie)."
"Ajumma? But aren't you around my age?"
In appearance, Sion looks about 1 or 2 years older. At most, that's upper elementary school age, definitely not enough to be called 'ajumma'.
However, Sion has been treated like a child so much that she gets offended when she hears that even from someone who looks around her age. She's determined to be called 'ajumma' out of spite.
"My name is Sion. And you?"
"......Yoo Su-jeong, this is Lee A-ram."
Sion heard various stories from the child who introduced herself as Yoo Su-jeong.
There was a one-week gap between the two being kidnapped, but Yoo Su-jeong was kidnapped first. Then, a week later, Lee A-ram was kidnapped.
"Didn't you think of asking for help by phone?"
"I would have if I had it. I was walking while looking at my phone when I was kidnapped, so I must have dropped it on the street."
In this day and age, it's rare for an elementary school student not to have a mobile phone. That was the same for both Su-jeong and A-ram.
But unfortunately, Su-jeong dropped her phone while being kidnapped, and A-ram's phone battery died. If either of them had a working phone, things wouldn't have ended up in such a dead end.
"Did you think of escaping?"
"I tried a few times. But I was caught again. Sometimes I heard people's voices and tried to shout, but it seems they couldn't hear me because they were further away than I thought."
Running away, hiding, shouting to ask for help. She tried everything a child could do, but she couldn't escape.
In the first place, the opponent is an invisible monster. She thought it was an opportunity and ran away, but she was caught again from somewhere she didn't expect and brought back here.
When the escape attempts exceeded ten times, Su-jeong gave up. The fortunate thing is that the kidnapper didn't cause any harm.
The act of kidnapping is usually divided into two categories. Kidnapping committed for acts like sexual assault, rape, or murder, and kidnapping committed to extort money.
This case is neither. Other than the first kidnapped child, there are no dead children, nor have they experienced anything rough. And it doesn't seem like the kidnapper did it for money.
It seems to be a more instinctive reason.
"Wait, come to think of it, do you have a phone? If you do, call the police quickly!"
"I have already requested help."
"Really? Thank goodness....... Now we can go home, right? Right?"
She pretended to be mature, but a kid is still a kid. It was a commendable thing to have endured for 2 weeks without knowing if her safety was guaranteed or not.
"Please let me go home. I want to see my mom......."
A sobbing sound is heard. Sion quietly hugged her and patted her back. How scared they must have been, just the two of them in a place like this. Thinking about that, she feels pity and admiration.
Sion has never given birth to a child, but it's not that she hasn't had children. Even if not biological, she has adopted and raised children while living with Choi Ak. Just because she looks like a child doesn't mean she lacks maternal love.
When she calmed down the trembling Su-jeong, she stopped crying with a much more comfortable face. Sion wiped her face, which was a mess with tears.
"It's okay now. It will surely be fine."
That's why she deliberately called Choi Ak instead of the police. Even if Choi Ak can't do things like maintaining public order like the police, he is an expert at solving these kinds of things. In addition, he can reduce casualties.
"How many police officers are coming? Are a lot coming?"
"They will come in large numbers on their own. Since a special investigation team has already been formed, at least one or two teams will......"
"That's not enough!"
Sion lied on purpose, saying the police were coming, but Su-jeong shouted and reacted violently.
"They need to come in huge, huge numbers. The kidnapper is invisible and isn't human.......!"
"......What do you mean it's not human?"
Sion asked back at the unexpected story. And Su-jeong muttered while trembling slightly.
"There's no way a normal person would have horns growing out of their head......."