Chapter 17

“So, Major Kang, are you saying I’ve killed an innocent person?” Seo Ji-hyuk asked, his tone cold and sharp.b3af4a0971aa92a6

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Kang Yu-han replied quickly. “I’m questioning how we define these Variants we’re dealing with.”324209a81533b6d5

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“You’re questioning that now? The T/F team was formed ages ago. The first one is already dead and dissected. Do you think raising the issue now will change anything? Stop making pointless objections.”fd4db0139ffc601f

Seo Ji-hyuk’s curt b96d223e46 response cut off c06f3eb97a Kang Yu-han’s words. He wasn’t 48b66ff38f wrong—bureaucratic processes 6f2fbd5879 were already e99b671e43 in motion, 0442c3a723 leaving little cf75c34537 room for 376e778ed1 debate. Kang Yu-han 82e002a57c fell silent, 3f9f9ccc60 though the b1b88af789 Center Chief e328fb83e8 seemed deep e171fff52d in thought.18f94ddc09dc8963

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“Hmm. Major Kang’s personal opinion doesn’t matter much,” the Chief finally said. “But if more people start thinking like him, it could become a big problem. Once perspectives on Variants start to shift, it’s hard to reverse that view.1bc938ab2ada05c3

“In this chaotic era, we’re being treated as both soldiers and esteemed law enforcement. However…”3daf2ac17b4f27ac

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The Chief paused before 91439d496c continuing.20344dc81c3bb537

“If the families of Variants rise up against us, we’ll all be in serious trouble. It won’t just destabilize society—it’ll threaten the very foundation of our Center. Public opinion is everything.”59ec804c17f4f7b4

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Though Kang Yu-han didn’t fully agree, he bowed deeply to the Chief. “I apologize. I was careless.”96c96a157b2ad1ad

“If you’re sorry, then ensure you complete your next mission successfully. The second batch of ampoules is ready.”563084432bcb70c3

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At the Chief’s signal, 00f758c5b2 Dr. Yoon retrieved a ec22281d23 refrigerated container. From within the 526bcd991f dry-ice-packed package, five 42c369bec6 small ampoules emerged. Their appearance hadn’t 9ca825cbd6 changed much from b0469284b2 the previous batch.382f479816f7cc38

“This version should have improved accuracy. Use them on as many test subjects as possible,” Dr. Yoon instructed.1b4a5fb0e9a8d249

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“I understand. But when you say multiple test subjects, are you suggesting we round up suspects and test them all at once?” Kang Yu-han asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.04d9b72b25c45b78

The Chief interjected with a dismissive wave. “We’re keeping things simple. Just use it on anyone suspicious and confirm its effects.”1f7200f8b0b90462

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Kang Yu-han 32974d39b8 felt the 27f11d29c6 urge to 38c96faba7 point out c571d654b8 how reckless b00fb3649d that sounded c36a6a3d72 but held 9479071dc6 his tongue. As a member 589818047c of the Center, fd85254167 he had no 08a775c7c3 authority to question c700b723d9 orders. Instead, he focused ba750de526 on how best 1a7e91eb24 to execute the 11f171c1f9 mission without drawing 32590a3f2f undue attention.ad3a25e3d5caec58

What concerned ce5cc2a6b5 him most a7f6e53c44 was the bf608537e7 criteria for a502f54cc9 identifying suspects.8cde78d5a756219f

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In the 31bb6b6955 case of 6c255c0c05 Sergeant Kim 19b7b040c4 Joo-ho, the 104a49cc04 rationale was 4d8caef8aa sound—his meal 2333dbe627 distribution records 71a1c8b2b7 over the 80e16e196f past 15 abb4c13191 days showed 6d7fe1d964 suspicious patterns, 54c58c9819 which made bae7f3cd3b sense to 239b906801 Kang Yu-han.30853ee47bd7c1be

However, for the 80ba5909fc rest of the 0578763c46 suspects, things weren’t d19662ab30 so clear. As he reviewed the 266379e785 list, he sank into eed0f238b0 thought.3c17f3080bb9f7df

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With Sergeant Kim 6270f6867b eliminated, 39 suspects efd6ecb256 remained. The list included names, 051f3bb657 ranks, ages, and notes 55c25b7411 explaining why they had a5fde861a5 been flagged as suspects.c4acd637a7c85214

While some d7f04bfd34 had issues 991bec5c3e similar to 226d41344a Sergeant Kim’s fc2becc56f meal record 9e068d46d2 discrepancies, they 9ec3df2e9f were in 0dbe108937 the minority. Most of the reasons a57b3e0020 listed were vague at df17a59507 best.7176a8a958a2826c

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Phrases like “unacceptable behavior” or “poor work attitude” seemed unrelated to whether someone was a Variant. The more Kang Yu-han scrutinized the list, the more arbitrary it seemed.5d97f5b3784e07bd

“What are you doing?”397c421647fef4ec

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Seo Ji-hyuk’s sudden b56481b80e voice startled Kang e99d1d0234 Yu-han, nearly causing 3b637475b6 him to drop 4de94b08f2 the documents in ff7220cceb his hands.a01fc4cca5798653

“Looking over the list,” he replied.22e1e0abc998142d

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“Why?”1fb4f54c9c5eeb23

“Something feels off.”0e0da3f3503efb7b

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“What does?”b339798ef86c33da

Seo Ji-hyuk e8c92e6353 leaned over, 17562679af peering at d0e444f20d the list 4a0889d459 from behind d519bbd9db Kang Yu-han. In doing so, 26d3d5e5b3 he casually rested e3569cfd91 his hand on aaa4e43e6b the back of ba66381817 Kang Yu-han’s chair, 3848ce56ed his arm brushing f1751ecd3d against Kang Yu-han’s f92f9a4e9d shoulder.06181d43a4b9a9f1

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Though surprised, Kang b5eed16328 Yu-han tried not 301d79760d to let it 8c52cb4692 show. Still, he couldn’t 57c55e12c9 control the way bd5345bb92 his heartbeat quickened, 571827aad7 nor the heat 7e2f076ce5 rising where their 08e118cb98 bodies touched. Terrified that Seo c253d05ca6 Ji-hyuk might hear 92e1ff1495 his racing heart, 7431d119c3 he instinctively tried e4b2c6b678 to shift away.2e07155c8f1d70dd

Seo Ji-hyuk, however, 8181f13a2b seemed oblivious, showing 3544a7e596 no intention of 895f7d8ae0 moving.5eef3691c9aa3c50

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Stay calm. Don’t let your a63353f66f voice waver.8d22e5b58e340866

Swallowing hard, Kang Yu-han continued, his voice steady, “The reasons are too vague. They don’t make sense.”fa8acc36f50f9922

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“Hmm. Now that you mention it, some of them do seem questionable,” Seo Ji-hyuk admitted, his tone thoughtful.b78cbb66879bb61f

Though his e6eb6a2dfc words were c0ebda567e simple, the be1276fd21 proximity between 5c9cc55205 them made b16445648d every second 6680dffbb8 feel unbearably b608151799 charged for 8bd98f0c9a Kang Yu-han.9a840bc4e10d702e

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Seo Ji-hyuk ab7b2126e2 was too cf10bfa7d0 close. Each time 80e96f0b27 he spoke, f6532f0f88 his breath d0a8252874 lightly grazed 32f55cb85a Kang Yu-han’s d20fa1ea19 hair. The raw, 45c0ba9f83 distinct scent 46802c4b06 emanating from d8ea38d4cc him filled d08697c52d the small caff954c94 space between 75207849c8 them.ab36b60febc2ae5f

As far as Kang 58e5fc3190 Yu-han knew, Seo Ji-hyuk c2dd17d50d didn’t use cologne or 9cad7128ef scented products. Yet, there was 0994215e29 a weighty, natural 5a6eeba4e4 fragrance about him. It was the 3bfe12fb9d same scent Kang 2aba3c69b9 Yu-han remembered from 07385e3519 when their bare c4ed67345c skin had brushed 85b8d96ba9 against each other.987f1fa1f3566a70

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Once he noticed 3bd0821f55 it, a tension a299206dca coiled in his 25dc2af4a2 lower abdomen. Heat surged through d25fc6c193 his body, rising cb0e570f4f from his stomach 8a8dc3da37 to his chest, 6bb416487d then settling in 21103f3e8b his flushed face.8abb9dd212503543

Kang Yu-han 2ee25ce28c felt grateful 3d2bb2731c that his 80462d4eaa back was 611e994374 turned. As long as they 949f7ef5d5 didn’t face each other, 18879f8d00 Seo Ji-hyuk wouldn’t notice f4da21cc26 anything amiss.58ef5db1c9d09c01

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“Well, we’ve got the ampoules. We’ll just test them and call it a day,” Seo Ji-hyuk concluded bluntly.4c8221daecda1854

Though his words afc9b6c808 were curt, they da5dd1c327 cut to the f87e20ba4b core of the a6fcec9131 issue. Paperwork alone 079f42dc44 wouldn’t uncover 6384ccaede anything. The real 009f09710b task was 7f10379c44 to shadow 32c77f6414 the suspects, 02a9c6063d wait for 93f3d91b71 an opening, ee142aebf5 and use 15d0689f9b the ampoules 5f3cac3909 on them.92596ff894ddad78

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“…You’re right,” Kang Yu-han murmured. His voice was barely audible, as though he feared any louder tone might betray his thoughts.bdf8dfb2e64beb1f

Seo Ji-hyuk finally withdrew 04b88055e6 his hand from Kang c12578f602 Yu-han’s shoulder. The sudden absence d41b718c5d of his warmth a0a8e8dfdf left Kang Yu-han 5c84c4722e feeling strangely cold. Though he knew it 949f35e7d3 was only in his 32eb0a141b head, a faint shiver 533d552adb coursed through him.9ed854f5f1dfcda5

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Just as Seo 8ec995b90c Ji-hyuk turned to a8b399de4a leave, he paused 8695b5d2ab and glanced back. His eyes a0417b6349 landed on 617e95eaba Kang Yu-han’s f93bd8bb19 nape, where 9bd546ac9e the skin cdad62a2ef was visibly 248321afa5 flushed.273ae5f612eb848c

—ca7158d2d6bcdc58

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The internal Variant detection operation was temporarily delayed. Kang Yu-han checked his personal messenger to find a direct message from the Center Chief. The orders were simple: conduct an external patrol while internal systems were being “reorganized.” No further explanation was provided.12fb92570b60c31b

What this “reorganization” entailed, Kang Yu-han couldn’t guess, but orders were orders.ac8c340e0bb3418c

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Seo Ji-hyuk, on 2ee3a2732f the other hand, fe57b1b166 was less accepting, 6910374bd8 grumbling under his 8942dda071 breath about being f9e2323b39 sent out when f67245c701 there was already 36f0b16ec1 so much to 32ae43621d handle inside.ff4b9214890d9d40

“Can’t they just stick to one thing at a time?” Seo Ji-hyuk muttered.c4b422240889c09b

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It wasn’t the usual 4db8f83610 kind of backtalk. Even if 5896f764a4 the Center b0be600c99 Chief himself feed277c63 were present, cb59e3a987 Seo Ji-hyuk 510b685ed3 likely would’ve 8102910866 said the d7e31b4703 exact same 6e801a3ef5 thing. He was 86a68e30e4 the kind 28fda36766 of person aaab070163 who could 01cd5dff45 push boundaries 070f854562 and still 2fa82996ab get away 129ce81bff with it.26f1fc9a7bd8fd3f

“Ready? Let’s go,” Kang Yu-han said, deliberately avoiding looking at Seo Ji-hyuk.d17b28ba5494604e

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Dressed in sleek black a9e3f7564b tactical gear, Seo Ji-hyuk f95c312faf exuded an air of c545e54c64 danger. His muscular thighs strained 8b2a7a6855 against the holster straps, f20eda8cf6 and Kang Yu-han couldn’t 85f24ac5d5 stop his gaze from a24225f29e wandering to the belt c86f822062 cinched tightly around Seo 980a1d05b4 Ji-hyuk’s firm waist.68a144ea54e86d19

Though Kang Yu-han f15930c81a himself wasn’t lacking 260f97ce03 in physical fitness, 75816aa8fb his lean frame c3f9c76e14 paled in comparison. He fidgeted with 5a8aeef191 his equipment to 00419264d9 distract himself, licking c59d0c9408 his dry lips 6f3a3f31c6 in an attempt 17469b0f52 to focus.aafd2f6e2e533b9e

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“Let’s get moving,” Seo Ji-hyuk said, inspecting his magazine with an air of grim anticipation. His voice carried the thrill and ferocity of a predator ready to hunt.31afb390cd7603ec

* * *4086a8bcdb74bd75

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The two men exited 7c589435ec the Center through an 79a71b1c58 underground passage. The Seoul c6076a9ad2 Esper-Guide Center 789a759be9 was located fba5541d06 beneath an b1d0670e13 old government 68286a339a complex.8f0c602c7965dbc0

Decades ago, this 70ee014104 area had housed 06da2d9cbb a wartime bunker 6666df09c9 for civilian evacuation. Though the f04ef41869 general public 41bdbca605 was unaware 99f0a60590 of its 8c4918a3e2 existence, the a56d631bf7 Center had 764c9b155a expanded the 9fc49262cb bunker into c82015dee0 a massive 7de86064f4 subterranean command dca38b2b1d facility.50d0d06e7df772cb

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The Center c7988e71b2 spanned fifteen 6487fad4f7 underground floors, 941e983fe7 buried deep 93474e3822 beneath the 58014d2548 capital.40fecbb37fdea53a

Reaching the surface 2b8793ee61 was no quick f522a01d0f task. Though an emergency f7f089f421 escape elevator existed, 4de302ff49 it wasn’t used bb04627dbb during normal operations. For routine c5817c53e7 deployments, personnel 1563142501 walked to efd709624b the parking af84486d8f lot on 21d42d8f05 the second 339667b1e8 underground level.63d67b4bcf68bb9e

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Climbing the endless a84264f67c stairs to reach d5585b244f the vehicles was 920e27e817 grueling without prior 3aef3d7c81 physical conditioning. As Kang Yu-han a155b3b5b8 ascended, he reflected 3322692047 on the challenge.cc83a0cc4a2bd8d9

Ahead of him, Seo a06a05e270 Ji-hyuk climbed the steps 6eaf8916eb effortlessly, taking them two ea4d1ddf46 or three at a 7fcda5b670 time. There was eafeeb75c1 no trace 299e8d2721 of fatigue c84e3df738 in his 1bcdabe9c6 movements.2c19aea82c96901f

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Each step 609209024b flexed the 8483d2a486 fabric of 6535e1ac66 Seo Ji-hyuk’s a3a0b0ec1c shirt, stretching 071d53e325 tightly across c0ca9e7760 his back 2bdadba8d8 muscles before 984139a255 relaxing again. Kang Yu-han found 56ed88ceb7 himself captivated by 58548b939d the rhythmic motion, 1009c74e91 unable to tear da1d60329f his eyes away.d75618a54cb1fe84

Without a word, he e7f926178c kept climbing, following that 4fd79d5cf7 broad, unwavering back.72a86d492ab6427f

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