The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 91

The version of me in the video was an enlarged clip from a news segment where I looked like a mere dot, but even in that low quality, the panic on my face was fully palpable. 

 

It even captured the moment I sucked down the rest of my iced vanilla latte and shoved the empty cup into my bag.

 

‘What else was I supposed to do? Throw it on the street? When I’m technically an investigator?’

 

Anyway, the panicked version of me started running, and as I ran, a short-form background track that had been popular quite a while ago began to play.

 

RUN! RUN! RUN!

 

When zoomed in, my sprint looked even more incredible in speed, and the gasping breaths of the reporters interspersed throughout the video almost seemed like an intentional part of the music.

 

Comments

 

—Look at that running speed LOLOLOLOL 

—She looks so blank, but she’s freaking fast XDDDD 

—Taekwondo Puppy ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I feel like I can see a tail wagging when she runs. It’s strangely lighthearted.

 

It wasn’t cheerful! 

 

I was running for my absolute life, okay? 

 

It was obvious that if I got caught, I’d be held back and picked apart, so of course I didn’t want to get caught. 

 

If the Commissioner was the one who leaked the source, he was definitely planning to dump all the blame onto me. In that situation, whether I answered a reporter’s loaded questions with a simple yes or no, or even just made a slight face, it bound to trigger a flood of wild speculative articles. 

 

Unaware of my situation, however, the video of me was reedited and spread as generic short-form content with titles like ‘Taekwondo Puppy’ and ‘National Athlete-level Sprinter,’ with views mostly reaching tens of thousands.

 

‘I wonder if this counts as going according to the Commissioner’s plan, too.’ 

 

Seeing how the perception that the ‘Taekwondo Girl’ had done it again had taken root, it seemed I had fallen right into the Commissioner’s trap.

 

Fortunately, the Commissioner didn’t exert any internal pressure. 

 

For instance, he didn’t nag us to wrap up the investigation into Go Cheolwon as quickly as possible. 

 

While it was possible that Hong Jaegyeol was blocking such external interference in the middle, the atmosphere during the phone call didn’t suggest that.

 

‘Whose side is the Commissioner actually on?’

 

Is he just a pragmatic opportunist? 

 

The type who manages public opinion while simultaneously playing nice with Choi Jungu? 

 

If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be any annoying incidents for a while. 

 

Unless this matter, after tearing into Mayor Go Cheolwon like a hornet’s nest, ends up being settled as something that isn’t enough to actually dismiss a local government head—

 

‘First off, I am definitely going to catch Go Cheolwon.’

 

That is one of my plans.

 

Thinking that, I walked down the hallway with Kwon Ikseong and Ham Ina.

 

“Then, you can go this way.”

 

Ham Ina, wearing a hat and a mask, pointed toward a side door for me. 

 

Meanwhile, Kwon Ikseong handed his car keys over to me.

 

“The parking location is as I mentioned.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

With that answer, I split off from Ham Ina and Kwon Ikseong and headed for the side door. 

 

The two of them headed toward the back entrance.

 

Soon, the sound of a commotion could be heard from the back entrance. 

 

Taking a quick peek, it seemed the reporters saw Ham Ina and Kwon Ikseong getting into a government vehicle and, perceiving the petite Ham Ina as me, began to swarm them.

 

The fact that the reporters weren’t particularly blocked—no, couldn’t be blocked—was due to the lack of orders from above.

 

‘That Commissioner b*stard…. As expected, high-ranking civil servants are not to be trusted.’

 

Thanks to that, leaving work on time was always difficult, but today, leaving on time was an absolute necessity. 

 

It wasn’t because of the certificate of death in the line of duty— 

 

‘I already pulled that.’

 

Turns out you can issue them online.

 

‘All I have to do with the death certificate is leave it at home.’ 

 

So, my leaving on time was for a different reason. 

 

Taking advantage of the reporters’ attention being focused on the back door, I took Kwon Ikseong’s car and leisurely left the HIB. 

 

The newly stationed guard seemed to recognize Kwon Ik-seong’s car and let me pass without even the formality of making me roll down the window.

 

* * *

 

When I arrived home after leaving work early, Lee Yugyeom was waiting for me.

 

“…?”

 

What about your dorm?

 

“The certificate.”

 

“You could have come to get it tomorrow since tomorrow is the weekend, couldn’t you?”

 

“I got an overnight pass.”

 

At my question, Lee Yugyeom merely shrugged and took the file containing the certificate of death in the line of duty that I had placed on the dining table.

 

What’s up with him? 

 

I set my bag down on a chair with an awkward movement.

 

Inside was also the spare key for Kwon Ikseong’s car.

 

‘You can drive it home and bring it back tomorrow.’ 

 

‘Then what about your commute tomorrow, Team Leader?’ 

 

‘I’ll take the bus.’ 

 

‘N-no. I’ll just park it at your place, Team Leader Kwon.’

 

At my words, Kwon Ikseong had hesitated for a moment before answering readily.

 

‘You can park it at the Riposo Officetel. It’s near the HIB, so it won’t be hard to find.’

 

When I actually visited, Kwon Ikseong’s home wasn’t just “not hard to find”… it was a quite luxurious officetel located in the most expensive area of the region. 

 

An officetel…? Do people even call a place like this an officetel? It says ‘Residence’ on the sign.

 

Kwon Ikseong had even pressed a keycard into my hand, but after seeing the flashy interior design of the residence, I found myself walking out of the underground parking lot and leaving.

 

Thinking about it, Kwon Ikseong had started his career as an Administrative Officer for the Hunter Administration Bureau. 

 

It wasn’t particularly strange for him to live in such a place, given the incredible track record he’d built even after transferring to the HIB.

 

However—

 

‘Don’t you find it uncomfortable living so close to work?’

 

What had Kwon Ikseong replied to my question?

 

‘I rarely go home anyway, so there is no discomfort.’

 

…To have a house like this and not go home! Give it to me instead!

 

With that thought, I had left the complex, and now I was in a subtle standoff with Lee Yugyeom, who was studying at the kitchen table for some reason instead of in his own room.

 

“I’m… going out to eat dinner.”

 

At my awkward tone, Lee Yugyeom stopped solving his workbook and slowly looked up.

 

“Why don’t we eat together?” 

 

“Ah, I have plans.” 

 

That was a lie. And I always—

 

“Liar.”

 

…get caught lying by Lee Yugyeom. Always.

 

“Are you really dating that Team Leader?”

 

“No?”

 

“Is he a decent guy?” 

 

Lee Yugyeom asked. I knitted my brows.

 

“I told you, no.”

 

“What do you mean, no. You’re……” 

 

Lee Yugyeom looked up at me quietly. 

 

Every time Lee Yugyeom looked up at me like this, a strange thought kept occurring to me. A thought like, a long time ago, he looked up at me like this once before.

 

“…You aren’t someone who gives their heart easily, Noona.”

 

A hint of hurt bled through his expression. 

 

Watching that, I felt a sense of debt that I had buried for a long time rise up from deep within my body. 

 

Because even though Lee Yugyeom had said it indirectly, I felt I understood the meaning behind those words. 

 

The words, ‘You were going to abandon me too.’

 

I should have said no, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. 

 

Because, perhaps, I was going to abandon Lee Yugyeom again today. 

 

I kept my mouth shut for a moment before sitting down right in front of him. 

 

I looked at him steadily and spoke. 

 

When he wore a hurt expression, Lee Yugyeom just looked like any other boy his age.

 

“Team Leader Kwon is a good person. He trusts others easily. I’m working with him and my partner Team Leader because I trust them.”

 

For a moment, Byeon Gudo and Ma Deokho crossed my mind, but honestly, it was a bit ambiguous to use the word ‘trust’ for those guys. 

 

Thinking that, I hesitated before adding more.

 

“The work… is more fun than I thought.”

 

The moment he heard those words, Lee Yugyeom’s expression became complicated.

 

“Enough that I don’t want to give it up.”

 

Both the job and my life. 

 

I was referring to both, and Lee Yugyeom likely understood both. 

 

Lee Yugyeom relaxed his tense expression slightly and spoke.

 

“Then go ahead. Can I use your card to order chicken?” 

 

“Ah, yeah. And use this card from now on.”

 

I handed Lee Yugyeom a black card. A premium card I had issued by the bank not too long ago.

 

‘Ahaha.’

 

I suppose this is all thanks to the Sun and Moon workshop and the quests.

 

“You’re doing pretty well lately, Noona.”

 

“…”

 

Lee Yugyeom’s expression contorted, but he didn’t refuse the card.

 

* * *

 

And a short while later.

 

I was standing on a small mountain located in Incheon. 

 

The reason I had come to this place—marked on official documents as abandoned land originally meant for a golf course before being hastily designated as a greenbelt—was simple. 

 

[God dammit! To think I’d come back here! It’s so fucking good to see this place!]

 

Because this was where the home dungeon of our Kang Sibang was located. 

 

And that meant—

 

I hid myself behind a large rock, wearing a black raincoat. 

 

Soon, the beams of bright white headlights sliced through the trees of the mountain like blades. 

 

I crouched down further to avoid being hit by those blades.

 

Shortly after, the headlights were turned off, and five rough-looking men climbed out of a large box truck.

 

“Let’s finish this up quickly today and go. We have to hit the other spots tomorrow.”

 

“Okay~”

 

This was the very passage through which Go Cheolwon smuggled weapons—the path leading to an undisclosed dungeon.