22) Chapter 5. Oh, Come On. (2)

“Soi’s late.”

“Did she lose something?”

After about five minutes of waiting, the kids started talking out of boredom.

Soon enough, chatter filled the area again. This group… how should I put it? They can’t stand being bored. If it’s quiet for even a moment, they immediately get loud again, almost like a reflex.

“…Rua.”

“Hm?”

While I was zoning out, lost in thought, Chae‑yi spoke to me.

“I just felt like calling you.”

“O-oh. Okay.”

Her shy, soft smile is bad for my heart.

Well, Soi is just as dangerous for my heart, but in a completely different way.

Soi is dangerous because of how close she gets.

She never hides how much she likes me and just approaches without hesitation. It sounds weird to say it like this, but she’s kind of like a puppy.

She comes right up to me with that pretty face, smiling brightly and chatting away, and I never know where to look. If she brushes against me, I get flustered, and… yeah.

Chae‑yi, on the other hand, keeps a little distance, but she never gives off the feeling that she dislikes me.

It’s more like she stands one step away, waiting for me to talk to her.

But she doesn’t pressure me. Even when I forget to speak, she doesn’t get upset—she just talks to me first, like now.

“Oh, right. Did you hear? A villain showed up.”

“A villain? Haven’t there been almost none lately?”

The word “villain” in my previous life just meant a bad person, but here it’s different. Just like “hero” can mean a normal hero or a superpowered hero who fights supervillains, “villain” in everyday conversation usually means a supervillain.

If someone says, “I heard a villain appeared,” it means a psychopath with superpowers showed up.

“Yeah. They say the heroes caught almost all of them recently, so they rarely appear in the city. The place was secluded with no witnesses, but still—it was right in the middle of Seoul.”

The girl who brought it up showed us her phone.

It was an article.

A story about a corpse. Found right in the middle of the city.

“They say the culprit is probably a superhuman. No weapon was found.”

“They could’ve hidden it.”

“No, apparently the wounds looked like they were torn.”

Another kid added details.

“The skin from the chest to the face was peeled off. Not cut—torn. And the limbs were broken. Bent the wrong way.”

“Super strength?”

“No, they said it wasn’t that. There were no hand marks. If someone grabbed that hard, there should’ve been marks.”

“That’s seriously scary.”

One friend shivered.

“There hasn’t even been an alert yet.”

“They’ll probably send one soon. They’re being careful in case it’s something else.”

Just like missing-person alerts or emergency alerts, this world has villain alerts.

If a violent crime caused by a villain occurs, the area is put on high alert until the villain is caught. In severe cases, they even lock down the area.

I don’t remember it ever going that far. Villains and heroes have been fighting for decades. The government wanted stronger control measures, and after years of tightening, they managed to keep things under control.

Not with devices that suppress powers or anything—just pure force.

Because that’s the kind of world this is.

…A villain.

Who knows how much of the article is true. Usually, articles don’t describe things in that much detail.

So the gruesome parts are probably rumors.

Still, I felt a chill. Even though it wasn’t cold.

I know it’s not something I personally need to worry about.

But just knowing something like that is out there makes me wonder—could that happen to me too? With superpowers involved, I wouldn’t even be able to resist.

I’ve already encountered villains twice.

Maybe because my memories from my previous life are still so vivid, the idea of “villains” feels absurdly dangerous. I can’t understand how normal people in this world live without constantly being terrified.

“Rua.”

I blinked at Chae‑yi’s voice.

The kids were now basically telling ghost stories, but Chae‑yi was looking only at me.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah… yeah. I’m fine.”

Thankfully, the scary conversation didn’t continue.

“Guys!”

The classroom door burst open, and Soi came in cheerfully.

The brightness around her seemed to increase.

She was smiling so brightly it almost looked like she was glowing.

“What, did you go to the bathroom or something?”

“No!”

Soi blushed at the teasing.

“I just… thought I lost my phone, but I found it. It was at the bottom of my bag.”

Then she looked at me and smiled even brighter.

Yep. Soi’s face is definitely dangerous for my heart.

She’s only a middle schooler. What happens when she’s in high school? Am I going to develop heart problems?

“Let’s go eat!”

At her words, the kids rushed out.

“Let’s go.”

Chae‑yi tugged my hand.

I let out a small breath of relief that the scary topic was over.

  • *

On the way home.

Watching Soi looking unusually cheerful, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity.

“Did something happen?”

“Hm? No, nothing happened.”

“It’s just… you seem really happy.”

“Oh, well… sometimes you’re just in a good mood for no reason, right? Today’s like that. The weather’s nice too.”

“I see…”

That was true. Soi’s default expression was always cheerful. Seeing her frown was actually rare.

But we’ve known each other for years. That happiness definitely had a reason.

“Oh.”

Before I could ask, we noticed something strange near our house.

Cars were parked out front. A black sedan… and a police car?

Soi and I looked at each other, then ran.

“Mom!”

Soi shouted as she rushed inside.

My heart pounded as I followed.

Did something happen at home?

Did something happen to Auntie Yujin or Uncle Dohyun?

Thankfully, both of them were fine. Sitting calmly on the living room sofa.

But they weren’t alone. Several police officers and a woman in a suit were there.

I recognized her face. I’d seen her a few times when I was younger.

She was the government worker who had been involved when I was adopted.

“Soi. Rua.”

“What’s going on?”

Soi forgot to even say “I’m home” and asked urgently.

“Well… they need to speak with Rua.”

“It’s nothing serious. Just a required check,” the woman in the suit said kindly.

“Since both Ms. Seo Yujin and Mr. Im Dohyun have already been checked, it’s routine.”

“Oh… okay.”

Soi blinked.

“Will a guardian be present?”

Auntie Yujin and Uncle Dohyun exchanged glances and nodded.

Auntie Yujin stood.

“Soi, stay with Dad for a bit, okay?”

“O-okay.”

I felt bad seeing Soi shrink a little.

This was… that.

A screening for superhumans. Because a superpower-related crime had occurred.

They didn’t know what ability caused the death.

We went into the room I barely used except for storing my things.

Auntie Yujin stood near the door—far enough not to crowd me, but still within sight.

I sat on the bed. The government worker pulled up a chair and sat across from me.

“As I said, this is mostly procedural. When a superpower-related crime occurs, we speak with all registered superhumans in the area.”

“B-but the incident was farther away…”

“…”

She paused, then pulled out a business card.

Lee Sojeong.
Korean Superhuman Association.

Lots of tiny text, but those two lines were the important ones.

“It’s still within Seoul. And the case is quite serious. Many people are concerned.”

There was a lot she wasn’t saying, but it wasn’t something I should pry into.

I nodded, and she continued.

“First, I need to ask… where you were from these dates to these dates, and who can confirm it.”

An alibi check.

She emphasized that she had asked Auntie Yujin and Uncle Dohyun the same questions.

“And… your ability is telekinesis, correct?”

“Yes, but it’s not very strong…”

She nodded.

“Have you noticed anything suspicious recently? Someone following you, or someone unfamiliar in the neighborhood?”

I shook my head.

“I see.”

She smiled gently.

“That’s all I needed. See? Very simple.”

“Ah… yes.”

She stood, and I followed.

“If anything strange happens, please contact the police first. After that, feel free to contact me as well—I may be able to help.”

“O-okay… Um, can I ask one thing?”

She paused.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“T-the case… was there another one?”

She fell silent for a moment.

“Mm… I’m sorry, but I don’t know the details. Only the police have investigative authority.”

“…I see.”

My shoulders tensed.

If it wasn’t just one murder… if it was serial.

If a killer was roaming around.

If they had come all the way here.

That would be terrifying.

…Honestly, when I first arrived in this world, I thought the protagonist of a possession story was the person who got possessed.

But here I am, terrified out of my mind.

  • *

Seeing Lee Sojeong out, Yujin finally spoke in a small voice.

“So… it’s true?”

“The pattern is exactly the same as back then. Fortunately or unfortunately, rumors exaggerated things enough that people haven’t noticed the similarities.”

“No, I mean…”

Yujin’s voice trembled.

“Her birth record. And her ability.”

“…Abilities are often inherited. But not always. There are people who suspect a connection, but nothing is certain.”

“And her birth record?”

“…There is a record that the villain had a daughter. And that she disappeared. Along with the child.”

“And shortly after… a baby appeared at the orphanage?”

“That’s not certain either. It’s not unusual for abandoned babies to be found at orphanages. The timing matched, and the appearance was similar. That’s all. There are plenty of black-haired children in this country.”

“But…”

Yujin hesitated, then spoke heavily.

“Could it be because of the interview I did?”

“…”

Lee Sojeong paused, then shook her head.

“No one knows if the killer acted because of that interview. And it wouldn’t be your fault. Murder is the murderer’s fault.”

“…Yes.”

Yujin sighed softly.

So did Lee Sojeong.

A horrifying murder case with a message left behind.

A case that left both investigators and listeners feeling helpless.

But the one feeling it most heavily… was Yujin.

Edit

Pub: 14 Mar 2026 23:50 UTC

Edit: 15 Mar 2026 01:32 UTC

Views: 36