Survival of the Fittest (2)

This was the devil's whisper. A whisper from someone other than the person ranting as if she had become the agent of vengeance. Ji-soo stopped her retreating steps.

"Exactly."

"That person is no different. So vulgar...."

"But why you?"

"...."

"What right do you have? Yes. In your heart, you've killed my father a thousand, ten thousand times. And every day you imagine it and fall apart."

Her face twisted.

"Still, the revenge is mine. It's not for you who pretends to know everything—it's something I have to do! Not by crudely killing them off, but by succeeding in a way that proves it to the world. That the pathetic one is you, Father."

That axe-like glare. Those eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"I hate it when people resort to force the moment things don't go their way. They've solved everything with power their whole lives, so they live that crudely. Who are they to criticize anyone?"

I didn't mind those words that criticized me.

"Miss, that's enough."

From between the lights in the fully settled darkness, a tall man walked out.

"The team leader is softer-hearted than he seems, so if you say things like that, he takes them all to heart."

Wearing a suit with his hair neatly combed back, he had a face that easily inspired favor.

"Uh, uhh."

Numerous men in suits silently encircled the area.

They armed themselves with personal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠firearms, the metallic clicks ringing out. Then, as if she alone were special, a woman in a pure white suit with white hair stepped forward with sharp, clicking heels.

What stood out was how, amid backgrounds painted black all the way to their ashen pupils on pale faces, she alone seemed robbed of all color—pure white from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She came right up to my nose.

"Master. No—Lee Han."

"..."

"Look into my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes."

The ashen pupils flooded with red. Between the haze spreading like spilled red ink, an illusion appeared.

The old domestic abuser that had clung to my mind and gnawed away my reason was being punished. And Ji-soo was laughing. I was laughing too. Beyond the illusion, a dream unfolded. A bright field. You and that child standing beside a giant windmill visible in the distance. The fluttering breeze carried the thick scent of flowers, and laughter blanketed the land. Toward you, smiling brightly and waving at me, toward that child with her pouty expression, I took one step.

Whoosh—

The illusion was only an illusion. Had you taken it back? Or would you not permit even a single step?

"Yena..."

"Have you come to your senses?"

"No... I didn't hear anything."

"Don't act spoiled."

Yena smiled faintly and stepped back.

"We will now begin cleaning up the scene."

The likable young man was still a cut above the rest here.

"Team A will prioritize restoration of the destroyed site. Team B will focus first on identifying witnesses."

At a single word from him, the men in suits moved in a rush.

"The handling of [001] and all personnel who made contact with him will be managed by myself and the Chairman."

In that chaotic situation, Yena took my hand while the young man took Ji-soo's and pulled her along.

"Uh, w-wait a moment."

Ji-soo, who had been standing with her mouth hanging open, bowed deeply to the young man in apology before approaching me.

"Um, that is, uh..."

"You haven't forgotten that we agreed to keep it a secret, right?"

"Huh? Y-yes."

"Then that's enough."

"Um, Lee Han. I'm sorry. That was, uh, a side effect? Something like that, right?"

"Heh heh heh. Well, something like that."

"At first I was... a bit flustered, and it was my first time in a situation like that so I got scared. It's absolutely not that I was afraid of you or anything—it was the situation."

"It's fine. It happens all the time."

Ji-soo couldn't lift her head, looking embarrassed. It wasn't the first or second time humans had feared and rejected me. I wanted to give her high marks simply for speaking her mind so candidly within the domain of my blood aura.

"And thank you. Aigoo... I don't know how many times I've said sorry and thank you in just the last few days... Thank you for coming to save me."

How far could that head of hers bow? She lowered her already dipped head even further in a final bow of gratitude and left.

I hoped your withered flower would bloom once more.

"Hey. You conscious now?"

Unable to wait any longer, Yena grabbed the fallen truck driver by the hair and hauled him up. Beside him, the personnel assigned to site restoration stood around awkwardly, unable to even speak.

"Uh, are you people from the government? Oh my, thank you so much. That, that crazy bastard suddenly attacked me when I did nothing wrong..."

"Shut your mouth. Who do you think you're spitting at and raising your voice toward? Before I rip out your insolent tongue and strangle you with it, how about offering an apology for your rudeness first?"

Yena's eyes gleamed with an eerie light once more.

"Hii, hiiik. S-sorry..."

Leaving behind a dying apology that might have been aimed at me or at Yena, the man's eyes grew cloudy and unfocused. It was rare for Yena to erase memories herself.... She must have been quite angry.

"Um... Yena, that man didn't really do anything that wrong...."

"Master, please come with me for now. We can talk while we move."

She approached and whispered in my ear.

"Why did you cause an accident like this after showing up for the first time in twenty years?"

I could only tremble and follow behind her.

In a sealed room that could have been an interrogation room or a questioning room, Jung Ji-soo felt, for some reason, like she ought to confess to some crime. She carefully read the mood. The person who had brought her here was the man standing before her—the same one who had been commanding the scene earlier. He was busily flipping through a file, deeply lost in thought.

"Ah, would you like some tea? It's rare for us to bring innocent people here like this."

"...."

So the creepy atmosphere wasn't just my imagination!?

"You are Jung Ji-soo, correct?"

"Yes...."

"In most cases where civilians survive inside an anomaly that harbors ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an entity, we implement memory deletion procedures."

She swallowed hard.

"In your case, Ji-soo, your ego is quite strong, which makes memory erasure difficult. And above all..."

The man drooped his shoulders as if troubled.

"You made contact with the former team leader."

"Former... team leader?"

"Ah, the person who saved you is our former team leader."

...Didn't he say he was unemployed? So he had sold out his old job after all?

"Hmm. Following the manual for civilians whose memories are not erased in such cases~."

The strange rhythmic lilt at the end of his sentence made Jung Ji-soo suddenly question the man's actual age. He looked young on the outside.

"It specifies recruitment as an intern in the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department...."

"Whaaat?"

"Our department isn't one you can join so easily. Congratulations."

W-wait. She couldn't follow the flow of the conversation at all. So—

"Huh? We're part of the Hyeonhwi Group, so the benefits are excellent and it's a pretty good workplace. Does it not appeal to you?"

"Ah, n-no. That's not what I meant."

The Hyeonhwi Group! There was no way she wouldn't like it!

"Um, I don't even know what kind of work it involves, so I was worried I'd just be a burden."

I-I have to be careful. The Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department... they might use people as bait to trap monsters... No no. There's no way that's true. I said something stupid for no reason. I'm sorry! Please don't cancel it!

"Aha, so that's what it was. Let's see~. To make it easier to understand, I'll use your case as an example, Ji-soo."

"My case?"

"You went missing six weeks ago—exactly forty-five days ago."

Was that... right?

"The type of harmful anomaly is a maze-type entity. Identification number [E31-037]. Temporary designation: Venus Flytrap."

The man pulled out a new file and flipped through it lightly.

"This anomaly traps people inside and positions its maw where the exit should be, then simply waits. It waits for victims who have despaired at the lack of any escape route to throw themselves in with whatever faint hope they might still hold. That's why—"

"Venus Flytrap..."

"Yes, exactly."

A chill ran down her spine. The bizarre snout and teeth that had taken the place of a door flashed in her mind. She had... thought about it too. If Lee Han hadn't come and that much more time had passed... she probably would have...

"When the observation team gathers information like this, the information collection team organizes it in this manner."

The man turned the file around and slid it across to her.

"Based on information like this, the support team prepares a rescue plan."

"What does p-privacy have to do with r-rescue!"

The man stared directly at Jung Ji-soo.

"Anomalies dig into the psychological voids in humans."

He drew a thick circle on the margin of the document with his pen.

"While you were living as a shut-in, Ji-soo, you must have thought something like this at least once."

"What...."

"Ah, I want to disappear like this. I want to vanish while everyone only remembers the confident version of me online."

"...."

The man drew a rough line straight through the center of the circle.

"The anomaly interpreted that wish however it pleased and stole your existence."

Because she had in fact thought something like that, she couldn't open her mouth.

"In that case, the solution is simple."

He extended the line even longer so it pierced straight through the circle.

"We correct the wish and prove that the anomaly was wrong."

"Standing on your own two feet without relying on a computer...."

"Yes. We prepared various mental health clinics to help you in that direction and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tried to reach you through emails and algorithms, but we kept failing."

"I-I'm sorry."

At those words, the man approached and patted her shoulder.

"Haha. I'm very pleased to welcome someone who has been struggling with job hunting into the family. I look forward to working with you, Intern Jung."

"In...tern?"

Come to think of it, it wasn't a full-time position?

"Please don't misunderstand. We simply use the term 'intern' instead of 'probationary.' As long as you don't cause any incidents, this is a job for life."

Whew. That was a relief. Then what about that other person? He had let her escape on her own, which was a little strange, but he seemed skilled.... It must be some kind of superpower, right?

"Th-then, b-boss?"

"Please call him Team Leader Han."

"Ah, yes. Team Leader Han. Then why did Lee Han..."

The team leader's face hardened quickly.

"He left of his own accord. Said he wouldn't be any help... He's always been rather melancholic. It's not an organization one can simply leave on a whim, but given his past contributions..."

He let out a heavy sigh.

"And he has a close relationship with the Hyeonhwi Group Chairman."

Eek. L-Lee Han was close with a conglomerate chairman? M-maybe I'd get some crumbs too...?

"Ah, and just so you know, the person who appears in the media is a fake. The beautiful white-haired woman you saw earlier is our real Chairman."

"...Pardon?"

"She doesn't usually come out to the field, but since it involved [001], she came in person..."

The embarrassing scene from earlier flashed through her mind, and the voice grew increasingly distant. What was she going to do about her image now....