The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 67

* * *

 

I’m screwed.

 

“…So you are telling me this was all resolved through possession?” 

 

What? What do you mean? 

 

That was what I wanted to say, but I lacked the courage to actually utter it. 

 

“I-I don’t know what you are talking about. Ah, it’s almost lunchtime! I’m in charge of my team’s meals… I don’t know if you know, but our team doesn’t get a food allowance, so we always play Go-Stop to secure the funds…” 

 

It was a lie. These days, our food allowance was more than generous, so there was no real need to split the bill, and we could even add plenty of extra blood sausages to our soup. 

 

“The Cheonho-dong illegal fighting ring incident.”

 

Ikseong read down the text written on the document with a calm gaze. 

 

“The Geumho-dong illegal arms trade investigation.”

 

“…”

 

“The bus terror incident in the city center.”

 

“…”

 

“And even the bomb removal inside the HIB building.” 

 

“Excuse me! I wasn’t the one who removed that one, though?” 

 

“Yes. You only discovered it. I’ll correct myself. The bomb discovery.”

 

I, who had spoken up with sudden confidence for no reason, shriveled up again.

 

“So, you resolved all of these through ‘possession.’ The slime’s bizarre behavior that day, Seo Gilsu suddenly turning quiet during the terror incident, and Lulu working so hard to find the bomb in the HIB.”

 

As he spoke, he showed me a video taken at the Geumho-dong warehouse.

 

The investigators were trembling in fear as a giant slime emerged from a subspace keychain.

 

In front of them, the slime suddenly vomited out ‘Lee Yuji,’ Choi Woojin, and Kang Ilyeon.

 

Then, it returned to its original cute form.

 

…Haha.

 

“The Seo Gilsu terror incident was also strange, so I looked at it again. I analyzed the dashcam footage from inside the vehicle. There was a part that captured the driver’s side clearly.”

 

He soon brought up the video of Seo Gilsu on his laptop… No, to be precise, the video of me possessing Seo Gilsu. 

 

“I had them analyze the lip movements.” 

 

No.

 

Don’t do that.

 

I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, but I held back because that would be as good as a confession.

 

On top of that, I couldn’t even run away right now because Ikseong and I were sharing these special handcuff rings. 

 

Damn it.

 

‘Ooh, Team Leader Kwon, are you finally dating someone?’

 

‘…?’

 

I should have known something was up a while ago when Kwon Ikseong was suddenly waiting in front of Team 5.

 

Pi Sowon’s expression as she looked at Kwon Ikseong wasn’t exactly bright.

 

‘Dating, my foot. What’s the age gap between the two?’ 

 

‘It’s only a five-year difference, though.’ 

 

‘That’s a lot! When Lee Yuji was a middle schooler, that dark, gloomy guy was already working at the Hunter Administration Bureau!’ 

 

To call him dark and gloomy, Ikseong was actually way too pale… 

 

For some reason, I had to stand there feeling like a husband caught between his mother-in-law and his wife, glancing nervously at both of them.

 

Pi Sowon glared at Kwon Ikseong and spoke in a low, growling voice.

 

‘I warned you. Don’t you dare lay a finger on our youngest.’

 

…?

 

I was a bit taken aback by her gaze, which was like a predator marking its territory.

 

‘Huh? Is that how it is?’

 

Upon hearing that, the expressions of Ma Deokho and Byeon Gudo stiffened similarly.

 

Since everyone was glaring at Kwon Ikseong with faces like wildcats baring their fangs, I quickly led him out to the lobby.

 

But then, at some point—

 

Kwon Ikseong grabbed my hand.

 

‘Eh…?’

 

An awkward gasp slipped from my throat.

 

It’s my first time holding a man’s hand!

 

Excluding the time I touched a civil petitioner’s hand while trying to pry myself free from being grabbed by the collar! 

 

While my heart was pounding helplessly, Ikseong slipped something cold and hard onto my frozen finger. 

 

‘Please excuse me.’

 

…And that was this very handcuff.

 

Dammit.

 

I should have bolted before the handcuffs were put on. 

 

If only I had run then……!

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

…Please.

 

“Please raise me well. Feed me beef. And make sure to pet me twice a day.”

 

If only he hadn’t had to listen to the lines I said while I was hallucinating!

 

To make it even more humiliating, Ikseong’s voice was incredibly dry.

 

Ikseong spoke calmly.

 

“I didn’t think those were words Seo Gilsu would say.”

 

“Aren’t those words a normal person wouldn’t say either?”

 

But he only looked at me silently.

 

I didn’t want to continue this conversation. 

 

Just as I thought that, Ikseong played the video again.

 

And soon, the me in the video was smiling with tears in my eyes.

 

“…Seon-ah.”

 

My face stiffened instantly.

 

“Who is Seon-ah?”

 

Ikseong stared directly into my face.

 

I replied with a stiff expression.

 

“If this isn’t an official interrogation, I prefer not to answer.” 

 

At that, Ikseong’s expression softened slightly.

 

…It was the moment I thought I might have escaped.

 

“If you don’t explain it to me, I have no choice but to report this to the higher-ups.”

 

“W-What do you mean?” 

 

“As a suspected case of re-awakening.”

 

“…!”

 

I slammed my hand onto the desk at those words.

 

Then, I grabbed Ikseong’s collar and……

 

…Far from that, I quickly went back to lying flat on my face.

 

“Well… you see… the thing is…”

 

“Civil servants are punished if they fail to report a re-awakening.”

 

Would I just be punished? I’m an EX-rank!

 

“Are you saying you’re going to report me?”

 

My voice trembled, sounding pathetic even to me.

 

“Still, we’ve built up some camaraderie while working joint investigations all this time… I’ve helped you quite a bit in my own way. I even pushed the Geumho-dong incident, which almost became Team 5’s achievement, over to Team 1!” 

 

Is that all? I really pushed a lot of achievements to Team 5? 

 

You just don’t know it because you weren’t there! 

 

There’s a limit to repaying kindness with enmity…! 

 

I tried appealing to his humanity, but when Ikseong’s expression showed no change at all, I got a bit desperate and did something Byeon Gudo might do.

 

I proposed an under-the-table deal!

 

“I’ll continue to help you under the table in the future, so if you could just keep the secret this once…” 

 

“You mean the fact that Hunter Lee Yuji is a possessor?” 

 

My shoulders trembled at the word ‘possessor.’

 

It felt like he knew I had possessed a ‘novel’!

 

“It’s an intriguing skill. In my estimation, Hunter Lee Yuji’s ‘possession’ skill is at least A-rank… No, I judge that it might be even higher than that. Am I wrong?” 

 

Is it a relief, at least? That only the skill was discovered. And that he thinks an EX-rank is an A-rank…?

 

‘Relief, my foot!’

 

I just got caught with a massive secret by a named character from the novel!

 

“But you’re asking me to keep such a massive secret? And by trading achievements, no less?” 

 

“I suppose so…?” 

 

I answered quietly, looking like I was about to cry.

 

An unjust law is still a law.

 

He is a person who fits perfectly with phrases like ‘the end does not justify the means.’

 

There was no way an Ikseong like that would trade achievements……

 

“Very well.” 

 

…Or would he? 

 

“Very well?” 

 

“Instead, let’s change the conditions slightly.”

 

“I’ll do whatever you…”

 

“Join Team 1.”

 

Oh. I love that.

 

Are you scouting me?

 

“…Ah, I can do that anytime……”

 

But then, Byeon Gudo’s voice came to mind.

 

‘After Investigator Han passed away, it didn’t feel bad that there was a vacancy in Team 5. It just felt like a bit of the guilt was being lifted. So when you joined, I don’t think I was very fond of it.’

 

Shall I be honest?

 

I think I made a vague resolution at that moment.

 

That I want to find out the secret regarding that man, Han Sueop.

 

Because for some reason, it feels like Choi Jungu is connected to his death.

 

And therefore—

 

I want to personally lock up all those b*stards responsible for Han Sueop’s death.

 

All those b*stards who left Pi Sowon, Byeon Gudo, and even Ma Deokho with those kinds of expressions… 

 

‘I want to be the one to catch them.’

 

At that moment, for some reason, a line from the original work came to mind.

 

I want to catch them with my own hands.

 

The inner thoughts of the protagonist, Choi Woojin.

 

Was Choi Woojin feeling this way too? 

 

I replied with a bit of hesitation. 

 

“…But I’ll have to discuss it with my Team Leader firs……”

 

“I have another condition.”

 

“What is it?”

 

He has so many conditions.

 

“Let’s date.”

 

“I’ll have to discuss that too…… H-huh?”

 

A bizarre sound escaped my mouth. But Ikseong, who had just dropped a bombshell, remained as expressionless as ever.

 

He raised an eyebrow and asked.

 

“Are the two of you the kind of people who discuss things like that?”

 

“Uh, no? What did you just say……?”

 

“I told you to come to Team 1.”

 

“After that.”

 

“I said let’s date.” 

 

There was no change in Kwon Ikseong’s handsome features.

 

‘He doesn’t look at all like someone who just proposed ‘dating’….’

 

No, and in the first place, what does going to Team 1 have to do with dating?

 

Could it be….

 

Our Ikseong….

 

“Ah…… could it be that you’re the type who enjoys a thrill? Do you have some kind of kink where you have to date a team member and have a secret office romance…”

 

Do you have some strange hobby?

 

At my words, Ikseong’s expression stiffened completely.

 

I thought you were a forever-single guy!