The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 69

But the thing that was actually shattering into pieces was my mental state. 

 

Because—

 

A moment later.

 

I found myself summoned to Hong Jaegyeol’s office. 

 

As usual, Hong Jaegyeol greeted us looking less like a high-ranking official of the Investigation Bureau and more like a nosy neighborhood uncle.

 

“My, my~ I hear you caused trouble again today~” 

 

…And this time, the look he was giving was directed at me.

 

Not long ago, he was coaxing me with sweets to film a promotional video, and now he was treating me like a troublemaker!

 

I felt somewhat wronged, but I wasn’t in a position to talk back.

 

Besides, hadn’t the computers throughout the entire HIB building just frozen with my name plastered all over them! 

 

I replied, feeling myself shrinking.

 

“I don’t know anything about it…”

 

“‘Lee Yuji, you are the reason for my life~’ and you still claim to know nothing? It even has a heart attached.” 

 

Hong Jaegyeol pressed me, pointing at his monitor.

 

I really don’t know! I have absolutely no idea why that damn heart is attached to it! 

 

…Just as I wanted to scream that out.

 

Pi Sowon spoke up with a look of annoyance on her face.

 

“Stop teasing our kid and just get to the point.”

 

As she spoke, she subtly stepped half a pace in front of me.

 

Somehow, that felt—

 

‘Reassuring.’ 

 

In my past life, that section chief bastard did nothing but steal credit for my work!

 

I take back calling her a psychopath! I take it back!

 

“If you’re going to fire her, do it quickly. It’s a hassle.”

 

“…”

 

I take back my retraction. This person. She really is a psychopath. 

 

I secretly glared at Pi Sowon from behind.

 

“Uh-huh, look at you taking care of your own.”

 

Hong Jaegyeol smacked his lips and glanced at me.

 

“They say server recovery will take another hour, so whoever did this is quite something, aren’t they?” 

 

He was talking about The Gamer. 

 

“Considering they have the skill to completely wreck a public institution, it seems they’re utilizing a skill, so we’re currently looking into busting all the guys on the production class.” 

 

This was the very reason the HIB had failed to catch Choi Woojin.

 

Because Choi Woojin employed methods typical of a conventional hacker, the HIB had suspected all along that The Gamer’s true identity was a ‘production-class hunter.’ 

 

And that was precisely what he intended. 

 

“Whichever the case, the higher-ups are throwing another fit because of this incident.” 

 

Hong Jaegyeol said tiredly.

 

The ‘higher-ups’ he pointed to with his finger would be the Hunter Administration Bureau.

 

“They’re making a huge fuss, asking how the HIB is being managed…… I thought my eardrums were going to burst. And they even said we should investigate Investigator Lee Yuji, too—”

 

Yet for some reason, his face as he picked at his ear looked entirely relaxed. 

 

‘Why?’

 

Naturally, there was a reason.

 

A faint smile hooked the corners of Hong Jaegyeol’s mouth. 

 

“As you know, our Yuji identified the person who killed the HIB investigator. And with Lamia leather dust, no less.”

 

“…!”

 

Lamia leather powder. 

 

To be precise, it was Choi Woojin’s doing, but it had been reported to the outside as a solo discovery by Team 5.

 

‘Even so, we are supposed to be an investigation bureau that catches villains, so it’s a bit awkward to admit that a villain helped us with the investigation, right……?’ 

 

“When I brought that up, our Director’s face turned bright red and he couldn’t say a single word. Ah, seriously… you guys should have seen his face—” 

 

Hong Jaegyeol clapped his hands like a film director giving an ‘okay’ sign.

 

As if that clap was a cue, a serious expression soon settled on Hong Jaegyeol’s face.

 

“Therefore, I went ahead and struck a deal with the higher-ups.” 

 

“A deal? Let’s use refined words and stick to our own language.” 

 

Pi Sowon nitpicked even in this situation. But Hong Jaegyeol spoke as if he didn’t care.

 

“Be quiet, you. I’m talking about something important.”

 

Something important?

 

I have a bad feeling about this.

 

Don’t tell me I have to wear a dobok and do something in front of the HIB again? Are we preparing pine boards this time? Huh? 

 

“They said if Investigator Lee Yuji catches the Gamer, they’ll promote her to Rank 3. All of Team 5, as well.”

 

“…!”

 

My eyes widened.

 

“For your information, they agreed to raise the salary by three more stacks. How about it? Want to try?”

 

Rank 3.

 

Rank 3……!

 

The salary by three stacks, too……!

 

Since it meant catching the protagonist, I obviously had to refuse, but—

 

“I told them they’d have to put together a special team for that. Mixing Team 5 with a few kids from Team 1.” 

 

At the same time, Pi Sowon’s eyes sparkled.

 

A special team.

 

At those words.

 

Normally in civil service society, if there’s a ‘Special’ this or ‘Special Oversight’ that, you’re supposed to stay away!

 

However, I couldn’t refuse those words.

 

The reason was—

 

[Quest: ‘Catch the Gamer’ (S)] 

– Time Limit: 2 months 

– Reward: Skill Upgrade Ticket, 9,000 Gold 

– Failure Penalty: Sudden Death

 

Because a window like this was appearing before my eyes.

 

This time, it was frustrating because the death wasn’t even specific.

 

Is this even right? 

 

A nameless extra in a novel is supposed to throw the Dark Knight protagonist into the HIB?

 

But before I knew it, these words were popping out of my mouth.

 

“I! Will do my best to catch him! I must! Throw ‘the Gamer’! Behind bars! With my own hands!”

 

Hahahaha!

 

While I was laughing, Hong Jaegyeol smiled contentedly and pulled a bubble tea out from under his desk.

 

“As expected of Investigator Lee Yuji, my reason for living. I’ve always highly valued Investigator Lee Yuji’s passion.”

 

Oh, screw it! 

 

I forced a bow and accepted the bubble tea with an expression that was somewhere between a laugh and a cry.

 

The taste of the bubble tea this time was sweet, yet it wasn’t sweet at all. 

 

Ah, the taste of sudden death!

 

“Thank you!”

 

Whether he knew my heart or not, Hong Jaegyeol glanced at Pi Sowon next to me and asked.

 

“Then naturally, you’re in too, right?”

 

Pi Sowon spoke to Hong Jaegyeol with a face that was burning with enthusiasm for some reason.

 

“Then who will be the special team leader?”

 

“That, of course, would be—”

 

Hong Jaegyeol tilted his head and pointed toward someone in the back.

 

It was Kwon Ikseong.

 

Kwon Ikseong, who had been quietly watching this situation from the start.

 

The one who saw through my EX-rank skill, my favorite character, and my potential romantic interest.

 

‘Wow… awkward.’

 

I have to work with that man from now on? On the same team?

 

The moment I thought that.

 

“Both of them.”

 

Hong Jaegyeol pointed at Pi Sowon and Kwon Ikseong.

 

“Pardon?” 

 

Pi Sowon’s face contorted.

 

For some reason, Pi Sowon was glaring at Kwon Ikseong with a wary look in her eyes. 

 

“It’s a co-leader system. I figured it wouldn’t be easy to integrate them for the time being anyway. Actually, besides Team 1 and Team 5, I’m going to have Team 3 back them up as well.” 

 

* * *

 

And the next day.

 

I was assigned to a new office.

 

The name of that office was none other than the <Special Crime Investigation Task Force>. 

 

For short, it was called the Special Task Force. 

 

Perhaps he was very satisfied with this result he’d bargained for with the Hunter Administration Bureau, because Unit Chief Hong Jaegyeol even hung a nameplate on this office within a single day.

 

‘Oh my…!’

 

And it didn’t take long to find out who had bought that mysterious bubble tea from Team Leader Hong Jaegyeol’s office. 

 

Because as soon as we were assigned to the new office, a man was pestering Pi Sowon.

 

The man placed a hand on Pi Sowon’s shoulder as if they were old schoolmates meeting after a long time.

 

“Ahahaha…… It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Sowon?”

 

[Hunter Investigation Bureau, Team 3] 

[Team Leader Baek Sangjin]

 

This man, who had gone beyond subtly looking down on our team and even tried to frame our Byeon Gudo, was now acting friendly.

 

He was the leader of Team 3.

 

“Oh, Gudo’s here too?”

 

He smiled brightly at Byeon Gudo, whose expression was rotten.

 

I wasn’t sure if I should call him thick-skinned or just bad at reading the room.

 

“Ah, is the one coming in now the rookie? Lee Yuji? You’re that famous Lee Yuji. Huh?”

 

“You saw her just a few days ago too.” 

 

Ma Deokho, who was entering the office with a large box full of cat supplies, made a cutting remark and sat down at his spot.

 

Then he put on his headset before Baek Sangjin could say anything.

 

“Hey, what’s with the atmosphere here? What kind of investigator puts on a headset as soon as work starts—”

 

“Leave him be. He’s the type whose efficiency goes up when he does that.”

 

It was then.

 

Pi Sowon looked at Baek Sangjin with a cold expression.

 

“Leave…… him be?”

 

Baek Sangjin frowned at the sudden informal speech.

 

“Hey, no matter what, I’m still four years older than you and……” 

 

“A year below me in rank. Probably.”

 

“…?”

 

“And I’m the leader of the Special Team.”

 

Pi Sowon flashed a rotten smile at Baek Sangjin.

 

“So don’t talk down to me. Before I kick your ass, you punk.”

 

It was a team with an absolutely terrible atmosphere.

 

In the midst of this, I felt a presence behind my back.

 

It was none other than Kwon Ikseong.

 

“Good morning.”

 

He gave a very brief greeting and pressed a note into my hand.

 

Opening the note with the heart-fluttering feeling of an actual office romance—

 

I will see you in the interrogation room during lunch.

 

It was the beginning of another interrogation date.

 

Argh…!