The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess - Chapter 144



144 – Stockholm Syndrome? # 2

144 – Stockholm Syndrome? # 2

The kidnapping case of Seo Ga-eul and Yoo Yeo-reum, thought to be closed, has risen from the grave.

Investigator Kim Pan-seo, assigned to the case, was beyond exasperated.

‘The kidnapped women are claiming it wasn’t a kidnapping, and yet the kidnapper is asking for the death penalty himself?’

The problem was that the kidnapper wasn’t just any criminal.

Ha Nam-jin is the most sought-after figure in Korea right now, the very person the current president has personally designated as his successor.

Kim Pan-seo, a veteran investigator who’s weathered countless storms as a guardian of the law, felt like the few hairs he had left were about to fall out.

“Hey, you.”

It was then, as he was just puffing away on a cigarette, that someone came looking for Kim Pan-seo.

It was a woman in a black coat, with bandages wrapped tightly around her underneath.

‘A coat and bandages in this sweltering summer?’

Noticing her unusual attire, Kim Pan-seo recognized the woman as an Awakened. Awakened people loved to stand out like this.

Is it that when a person Awakens, their inner need for recognition becomes particularly inflated?

“You’re Investigator Kim Pan-seo, right?”

The woman inquired about his position.

He couldn’t tell her exact age due to the bandages covering her face, but Kim Pan-seo felt a wave of annoyance at this seemingly daughter-aged person addressing him so casually.

“And who might you be, miss?”

“I’m from the ‘Awakened Management Agency.’ From now on, we’ll be taking charge of the ‘Seo Ga-eul Missing Person Case,’ so take note. Where is the suspect Ha Nam-jin? We’ll be taking him with us.”

The Awakened Management Agency.

The most powerful entity within the 7th Republic.

Wasn’t the current head of the agency Nam Ba-da, Nam Tae-geon’s adopted son?

Kim Pan-seo recalled the rumors surrounding Nam Ba-da.

They said he had engaged in all sorts of dirty and vile acts to gain power.

Then Ha Nam-jin, Nam Tae-geon’s biological grandson, appeared, putting Nam Ba-da in a precarious position, or so they said.

Nam Ba-da’s urgency to secure custody of Ha Nam-jin must be part of his plan to use this opportunity to overthrow Ha Nam-jin and further solidify his own position.

‘A high school girl kidnapper and a dirty contract killer. There’s not a normal one among these guys who are supposed to be the president’s successors. But still, if one of them absolutely *has* to become president…’

After some internal deliberation, Kim Pan-seo decided to stick to the rules.

“Do you think I’d just hand him over to you just like that without any warrants or official documents? The authority to investigate this case rests with us, the police. If you want to take Ha Nam-jin, bring a formally issued warrant from the court. Otherwise, I can’t hand him over.”

“Ugh, you’re being so annoying. Old man, what do you think a civilian can possibly do interfering with the affairs of Awakened? Frankly, if I decided to drag Ha Nam-jin out of here by force, do you think a civilian like you could stop me?”

The bandaged woman in the long coat made her anger quite clear.

Right that instant—

WEEEooo-WEEEooo-!

The siren started blaring, deafeningly.

Police shouted, clearly flustered.

“Hanamjin escaped!”

“Hanamjin is on the run!”

“Catch him! We have to catch him!”

Hanamjin escaped?

Kim Pan-seo was taken aback, but the bandaged girl was even more rattled.

“Hanamjin escaped?! What the hell are you talking about! You civilians can’t even keep a hold of one kid and let the situation escalate to this?!”

Kim Pan-seo felt a strange amusement.

The Superhuman Management Agency, no, Nambada, he wasn’t sure what they planned to do with Hanamjin, but their plan had obviously fallen apart.

Seeing that brat who looked down on police, civilians, and elders get flustered was a bit satisfying.

“What are we ‘civilians’ supposed to do to stop an Awakened from running away?”

# # #

“How was it! My newly developed secret technique, ‘Ripple Technique – Twenty-Two Thousand Flower Needles’!”

Bbangdaengi was frantically throwing chopsticks, disabling the CCTV cameras and the interrogation room’s locking mechanism.

“If the accuracy and power of the ultimate move, Ten Thousand Flower Needles, is lacking, then just throw twice as many! That’s how it becomes Twenty-Two Thousand Flower Needles, which is twice as much as Ten Thousand Flower Needles!”

Or so it seemed.

Anyway, that’s how I ended up escaping.

From a high school girl kidnapper to a fugitive—

It was the moment my charges increased.

“Bbangdaengi, I get it for me, but what about you? If this keeps up, you’ll be chased by the police too. Your mom and dad’s business could be in danger.”

“Mom and Dad… they’re adults! Grown-ups! Adults can figure things out for themselves! But Hanamjjin, you’re not an adult! So I have to help you!”

No, actually, I was an adult.

My body might be a boy’s, but my mind was well over twenty years old.

But Bbangdaengi was headstrong.

“Hanamjjin! This way! This way! Ah! Not this way! Is it that way?!”

“Catch him!”

“Get him! Use live rounds!”

“Live rounds? Even so, they’re still kids!?”

From noble mtl dot com

“A Awakened isn’t a kid! If we’re not careful, *we’re* the ones who’ll get hurt!”

The cops chasing us started arming themselves with live ammunition.

*Bang, bang-*

They were actually firing at us, and it didn’t seem like they were just trying to scare us.

Me and Bbangdaeng hid for a moment behind a corner to dodge the bullets.

Bbangdaeng was breathing hard.

Looking at her stomach, her usual cheongsam dress was stained red.

“Hey, you got shot?”

“It’s just a scratch!”

Bbangdaeng was hurt.

Maybe it’d be better to surrender now.

I’d gone from being a kidnapper to being a fugitive, so President Nam Taegeon’s ambition to make me his successor was pretty much shattered.

But Bbangdaeng tightly grabbed my wrist.

“No way! If they catch you now, you could die! Nam Woo-joo oppa told me. Right now, Nam Bada is after you. He’s planning to get rid of you so that he can be the only presidential successor.”

Nam Bada, huh.

That man, with his overflowing ambition, would definitely do something like that.

Bbangdaeng knew about it, and she came to save me.

“But, if we stay like this, you’ll be in danger too.”

“It’s okay! Hanamjjin, we’re partners! Even though you had so many secrets from me. Honestly, I was really angry when I found out!”

*Whoosh-!*

Bbangdaeng threw a chopstick.

The chopstick bounced off the wall, hit the ceiling, and brought it down with a *crash*—burying the cops under it.

I didn’t understand what the heck was going on even when I saw it.

“Okay! Now’s our chance! This way—*ouch*!”

Then Bbangdaeng tripped over a rock and fell.

That girl sure was unlucky.

But amazingly, the floor gave way where Bbangdaeng fell.

*Splash-!*

Thanks to that, we discovered an underground waterway connected to the first floor.

I don’t know what it was, but I had a feeling that if we escaped this way, the cops wouldn’t be able to chase us so easily.

“How’s that, Hanam-jinn! Told ya I’d carry us!”

Splish, splash-!

And so, we ran through the underground waterway.

“Hanam-jinn, come to think of it, it was in a waterway like this where you first met Yying-yi, right? Our group project.”

Pangdaengi, breathing heavily.

Looks like getting shot in the gut really hurt.

“Back then, I thought you’d actually eaten Yying-yi and was so shocked. Turns out, you were secretly raising her at home. You, even about Yying-yi, you lied to me. Said we were partners!”

Pangdaengi was growling.

Pangdaengi seemed really pissed about the things I’d hidden and kept secret.

That b*stard’s pace was slowing down.

I felt a slight unease creeping in.

“Maybe getting shot is more dangerous than we thought?”

“Ughhh, yeah. It hurts like hell. It’s my first time getting shot, it hurts so damn much. Hanam-jinn, you’ve endured this shit so many times and still made it. You’re…ugh… amazing….”

Thud-.

Finally, Pangdaengi slumped down against the wall of the waterway.

“Hanam-jinn, but I was helpful, right?”

Pangdaengi, smirking with confidence.

His face was deathly pale, probably from all the blood he’d lost.

I nodded.

“Yeah. I’m here because of you!”

Pangdaengi was my lucky charm.

Ever since becoming friends with Pangdaengi, a lot of things had been going smoothly for me.

But Pangdaengi didn’t seem to think that way.

“What if, that day, I hadn’t made a wish on that coin? Then, the fire wouldn’t have happened at N Mart. Hanam-jinn, I’m sorry…. I had a wicked thought…. I wished misfortune on Seo Gaeul….”

“Don’t talk. It’s draining my strength.”

I hoisted Pangdaengi onto my back.

He was heavier than I thought.

Pangdaengi, laughing on my back.

“Hehe, getting carried by Hanam-jinn, I must be lucky today.”

“Just hang on. You know how fast I can run, right? I’ll get you to a hospital in no time. Medicine’s so advanced these days. Getting shot is nothing.”

*Whump-whump-whump!*

I ran with all my might.

As fast as my legs would allow.

I could run faster than anyone, jump higher than anyone, but looking back, I was always late at crucial moments.

I failed to save my parents, failed to save my own life, and even going back in time, I couldn’t stop Old Man Heogi from sacrificing himself for me.

I wouldn’t let that happen this time.

“Bbangdaeng, I’ll save you no matter what. I swear.”

“…Hanamjjin.”

“What is it?”

“…I thought it was stupid of you, clinging to that awful Seogaul. Because I thought it was a kindness that wouldn’t be returned. But… now I think I can understand how you feel…”

“My feelings?”

“Loving someone and dedicating yourself to them is… more satisfying than I thought. Even if… you don’t get anything in return… because you can be true to your heart…”

*Squeeze-*

Bbangdaeng, on my back, hugged my neck tight.

Tight enough to make it hard to breathe.

I carried Bbangdaeng towards the nearest hospital. But the hospital front was already crawling with police, forming a wall, threatening us.

“There they are! Get them!”

“No, wait! Just let her get treated at the hospital!”

“Grab them! Grab them!”

The police were furious, like they’d seen a rabid dog, leaving me no choice but to turn towards another hospital.

But the other hospitals were the same, and I couldn’t get Bbangdaeng treated.

“Bbangdaeng, it’s okay! I’ll get you treatment! I promise!”

“……”

Bbangdaeng on my back had grown quiet.

As if she’d fallen asleep.

Anxious, I gently laid Bbangdaeng down on the floor of a quiet building on the outskirts of D City.

Bbangdaeng’s face was very peaceful while on my back, in some ways, there was an ethereal look of joy.

That stillness was like a meticulously crafted statue.

Touching her cold hand, tears blurred my vision and a sense of helplessness washed over me.

“Waaah! Pangdaeng! You can’t die! You can’t die!”

I finally burst into a loud cry.

It was a cry as loud as thunder and lightning.

A truly unmanly cry.

If Pangdaeng had seen me like this, she would’ve teased, “Hanam-jjin, you’re such a dummy!”

But Pangdaeng didn’t.

Pangdaeng didn’t show any sign of waking up despite my loud wailing.

She was in a very deep sleep.

“Wake up! Pangdaeng! Wake up!”

Slap slap slap-!

I started slapping Pangdaeng’s cheeks hard with the palm of my hand.

Then, Pangdaeng opened her eyes wide and glared at me, angry.

“Grrr, I’m not dead! I was just trying to sleep for a bit!”