The Internship Turns Chaotic (3)
This place was somewhere in Central Asia.
It was right after they had raided the hideout of an internationally wanted illegal arms dealer they had been tracking relentlessly for months.
Regal Might looked at the two corpses lying on the floor and spoke.
"Headquarters clearly ordered us to capture them alive, didn't they?"
"They also said we could shoot to kill if necessary. The heads are still intact, so it's fine. Identification should be possible."
Kyo Suhyeon nudged the severed head with his toe.
The head rolled slightly, its lifeless eyes turning toward Regal Might.
"Is bombarding defenseless civilians with aura really 'necessary'? I don't think so."
"Defenseless? Civilians? Who exactly are you talking about?"
Kyo Suhyeon surveyed the ruined hideout as he spoke.
"These are notorious arms dealers. Think about all the innocent people killed by the weapons they've sold. I've considered that too. Isn't that the justice you so desperately want?"
"No. Even so, killing them feels wrong. We could have handed them over to the international court, gone through proper procedures, and used this as a chance to round up everyone connected to them."
"They would have been executed anyway. Whether they die from drugs or get torn to shreds by an aura bombardment, death is death. As for the illegal arms trafficking network, we'll just track them down one by one ourselves."
Kyo Suhyeon pulled a USB drive from a tactical pouch on his suit.
"I found this inside the hideout. It contains their transaction records. Did you really think I acted without thinking?"
With that, Kyo Suhyeon placed his foot on the torso of the corpse missing its lower half and pressed down firmly.
Blood trickled from the severed waist.
"Stop desecrating the dead."
"It depends on what they did while they were alive. And please, spare me the outdated lectures, Regal Might."
Kyo Suhyeon spoke without any change in expression.
"Does dying erase everything? No, it doesn't. Death doesn't wipe away the traces they left in the world. So your demand is unreasonable."
"Grey Steel. There's an unbridgeable gap between you and me."
"That's right. Because the justice you believe in and the justice I believe in are completely different."
Kyo Suhyeon lifted his foot from the corpse and descended from the rubble.
"Let's not argue about whose ideals are more correct. There's no answer anyway. So let's hand the scene over to headquarters and head back. I'll treat you to something good. How about ox head soup? It's cold out."
Regal Might watched Kyo Suhyeon's retreating figure as he patted her shoulder in passing.
Chopping off someone's head and then suggesting ox head soup? He's insane.
* * * * *
"Hero...?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
Regal Might snapped out of her thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I suddenly remembered the old days. I can't imagine Kyo Suhyeon being kind at all."
"But he really is. He always gives me good advice and encourages me. I like Professor Kyo so much... Gah! I'm sorry...!"
Han Min-ha, who had blurted out her true feelings without realizing it, covered her mouth in shock.
"It seems Kyo Suhyeon really does treat you well."
"Ah, yes... But please, absolutely don't tell anyone I said that..."
"I won't."
Returning to the main topic.
"I nominated you, Min-ha, because of your performance in the PVP Combat Evaluation. The way you turned the tables from defense to offense with such an unconventional method was very impressive."
"Thank you."
"Especially the defensive technique you used that day is something our agency needs quite badly. Professor Kyo taught you that, didn't he? The barrier."
"That's right. The professor showed me how to link barriers together."
"I thought so. Suhyeon was a genius when it came to barrier manipulation. Anyway, that's why I invited you as an intern. Depending on how the internship goes, you might even join our agency right after graduation."
"Huk. R-really...?"
"That's the whole point of field training."
"I knew that, but hearing it directly feels different... Thank you. I'll do my best!"
"Nothing's decided yet."
"Aah..."
Han Min-ha scratched her head, and Regal Might chuckled heartily.
"Let's do our best for the next week."
"Yes, understood!"
* * * * *
Song Do-yun wandered through a slum just outside the city center, staring at her phone.
She was currently using a map app to find Goshawk's agency.
For some reason, even though Goshawk was an A-class hero, she hadn't set up her office in a prime location and instead placed it in this remote area.
Song Do-yun didn't think much of it. She simply accepted it as is.
After wandering for a while, she stopped in front of an old building with peeling tiles.
'Goshawk Hero Agency.'
A faded wooden sign hung precariously above the entrance.
When she opened the tinted glass door, the interior was surprisingly neat, unlike the exterior.
If someone saw it, they might think it was the office of a famous IT company rather than a hero agency.
Unexpected. I was imagining something like an underground dungeon.
Song Do-yun thought this as she looked at the cute succulent plants lined up at the reception desk.
"Hello. I'm here for my internship."
The receptionist, who had been fixing her makeup in a mirror, smiled at Song Do-yun.
"You're Song Do-yun, right? The hero is inside right now. Please wait a moment."
While the receptionist made a call, Song Do-yun looked around the agency.
Several employees were working at their desks or chatting freely over their partitions.
It didn't feel like the office of Goshawk, who was known as an anti-hero, black hero, or pseudo-villain.
"Song Do-yun? The hero says you can come in. Go ahead."
"Thank you."
Just then, the agency door opened, and a hero with silver-white hair entered wearily.
Wearing a green skintight suit, she looked like a newly hired sidekick.
"Good work, Ivy Runner."
"Yeah..."
At the receptionist's greeting, the sidekick responded weakly and trudged down a hallway.
Did she just come back from a solo mission?
As Song Do-yun followed the receptionist to Goshawk's office, one of the employees hung up the phone and sighed.
"Two sidekicks from the eastern branch just died."
"I knew it. They sent them on solo missions recklessly, and this is what happened. How many times has it been this year already?"
"Quiet. The boss might hear. Anyway, we have the applicant list, right? Contact the top two and ask if they can start tomorrow."
"Understood."
"Looking at the backlog of requests, a few more will probably die this week, so check with the others in advance too."
"Yes."
The casual way they discussed it, like ordering more stock, made Song Do-yun finally realize she had arrived at Goshawk's agency.
Goshawk's agency operated sidekicks so aggressively to handle numerous requests that their survival rate was significantly lower than other agencies.
However, because they offered higher pay than the industry average, applications never stopped coming in.
"Welcome."
"Ah, yes."
When Song Do-yun entered Goshawk's office, she stood there blankly for a moment, staring at the woman inside.
A woman with a fair, youthful face was smiling at her in her underwear.
She was small and petite.
Her skin was so white and her face so pretty that Song Do-yun's heart trembled for a moment, making it hard to breathe.
"You're here?"
"Are you... Goshawk?"
"If I'm not Goshawk, then who would I be?"
Song Do-yun couldn't answer right away and stared at Goshawk.
The Goshawk in the media wore a pitch-black suit with heavy smoky makeup, but the woman before her looked nothing like that.
"Surprised by this face? I overslept today, so I haven't done my makeup yet."
Goshawk gave a gentle, innocent smile.
"Sorry. I was just about to change when they said you arrived. Can you forgive me for being like this?"
"It's fine."
Song Do-yun answered, forcing her gaze away from the black mesh bra.
"Want to sit there? I'm really sorry, but do you mind if I talk while I get dressed?"
"Yes. Please do."
As she sat on the sofa, Song Do-yun had to admit she was flustered.
The image of Goshawk she had known was completely different from what she saw now.
And that gentle tone of voice.
Was this really the infamous Goshawk?
Goshawk sat at a vanity in one corner of the office and began taking out makeup products.
"So. You chose our agency?"
"Yes. I thought there would be a lot to learn here."
"Hearing you say that makes me so honored. By the way, your professor called me."
"He said he would call."
"Yeah, yeah. He seemed like such a polite and refined person. He must treat you all well too, right?"
Song Do-yun hesitated for a brief moment at the question. But not for long.
"Yes. He's a good person."
Objectively speaking, it was the truth.
She didn't know how the professor saw her, but at least from the way he treated Yoo Hee-won and Han Min-ha, he was clearly a good person.
Once her makeup was done, Goshawk's face became the sinister and decadent one Song Do-yun had seen on TV.
So when Goshawk turned to look at her, Song Do-yun flinched.
Goshawk stood up and opened her closet, taking out a black suit.
"Sorry, but could you help me with the zipper?"
"Understood."
As Song Do-yun approached Goshawk's back, a heavy, dark fragrance wafted over her.
While zipping up the back, Song Do-yun's gaze unconsciously drifted into the open closet.
There, she found strange items.
Translucent paper containing white powder, a small spoon, and syringes.
"What are you looking at?"
Goshawk turned around abruptly, covering Song Do-yun's eyes with a smile.
"Hm? Did your professor teach you that it's okay to peek into other people's closets?"
While covering Song Do-yun's eyes, Goshawk wrapped her other arm around her waist and stepped away from the closet.
Closing the closet door with her foot, Goshawk whispered softly.
"Then I can't use it."
"I'm sorry."
"Those are my sleeping pills. I can't sleep because I see so many horrible things."
"Understood."
"Hmm."
Goshawk made a strange sound and, with a sinister smile, ran her hand along Song Do-yun's waist and hips.
"Your body's firm, and your lines are pretty. I like it. I'm glad I chose you."
Seeing Goshawk's sticky gaze and the way she licked her lips, Song Do-yun asked, slightly flustered.
"...Yes?"
"Shall we continue our conversation then?"
Goshawk pulled Song Do-yun over to the sofa and began looking over the internship plan and personal information form.
She sat with her boots propped up on the table in an arrogant posture.
She had been so docile before the makeup.
Song Do-yun couldn't help but feel tense.
