Liar Paradox - Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

When Hanseo looked up, he saw a man with glasses standing beyond the entrance. Dressed in plain clothes, he was an ordinary-looking young man, the kind you might see anywhere.

The man asked Hanseo, "Are you alright?"

Hanseo, who was staring intently at the man, belatedly stepped back.

"Who are you?"

"I'm..."

"Ugh, fuck."

Park Jintae, who had been lying on the ground, squirmed as his words trailed off.

Thwack! Hanseo instinctively kicked him hard.

"Ugh!"

Park Jintae, struck squarely on the head, collapsed again. But Hanseo knew his attack couldn't have seriously harmed an A-Class Esper. He also knew he couldn't stay here any longer.

The moment he made up his mind, he bolted out the door.

He didn't get far. The moment he stepped outside, the familiar shape stopped him in his tracks.

A black car.

Click! The car door swung open.

As if he'd been following all along, the bespectacled man sat in the driver's seat called out to Hanseo, "Get in, Mr. Yeo Hanseo!"

"......!"

"There's no need to be wary. I'm—"

Before the man could finish, Hanseo's body moved on its own.

"......"

The man's face flickered with something akin to surprise as Hanseo hastily climbed into the passenger seat.

But the moment passed quickly. The man calmly started the car, and the sudden acceleration pinned Hanseo against the seat.

The scenery outside the car window changed rapidly. At this rate, even if Park Jintae regained consciousness, he wouldn't be able to catch up immediately.

Hanseo finally turned his gaze to the driver's seat.

"Excuse me, what was your name again?"

"Esper Kim Youngsoo, from the Center's Inspection Team."

"Kim... Youngsoo."

Hanseo's lips trembled slightly, but fortunately, the man was focused on the road ahead and didn't seem to notice. Even if he had, he might have just assumed it was from Hanseo's nervousness.

The man calmly explained, "We received reports of suspicious activity from Esper Park Jintae recently and have been monitoring him. Then I saw you trying to jump out the window. It's fortunate we stopped you before anything serious happened."

Hanseo gazed at him with a peculiar glint in his eyes before breaking into a faint smile.

"You saved my life. Thank you."

"Are you injured anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little shaken. But... is Brother Jintae alright? I kicked him without thinking, out of shock..."

"You're worried about Esper Park Jintae?" the man asked, his tone incredulous.

"Esper Park Jintae could probably survive a gunshot without a scratch. You don't need to worry about him. What you should be concerned about is yourself, Mr. Yeo Hanseo."

"Hmm, you're right. Oh! But Esper Kim Youngsoo knocked Brother Jintae out in one blow! You must be an A-Class Esper too!"

The man didn't ignore Hanseo's attempt to change the subject.

"...No, I'm B-Class. Esper Park Jintae was caught off guard, which allowed my surprise attack to succeed."

"Ah, I see."

Hanseo suppressed a smile.

"By the way, where are we going? This doesn't seem to be the way to the center."

"We won't be going to the center. A place Park Jintae wouldn't expect is safer for now."

"Ah, okay."

Hanseo nodded without further comment, and the man fell silent again. This time, Hanseo didn't bother initiating conversation.

"Mr. Yeo Hanseo," the man finally broke the silence. "Why do you trust people so easily?"

"Huh?"

"What if I was a bad person?"

"Uh, but you're not, right?"

The man sighed, clearly displeased with Hanseo's answer.

"Park Jintae, you probably thought the same thing."

"That's..."

"In situations like this, you should at least ask where exactly you're going. And check their ID."

"Ah."

"An 'ah' isn't enough."

Nagging again, Hanseo thought, shaking his head inwardly. But outwardly, he nodded repeatedly, pretending to listen attentively. Even that didn't seem to satisfy the man.

"Mr. Yeo Hanseo, you need to be more cautious. Guides often deal with powerful, unstable Espers. Didn't they teach you any safety precautions during your training?"

"I was taught to maintain a personal distance from Espers..."

"Then you should follow what you were taught."

He felt like a child being scolded, but the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant. Hanseo hesitated before blurting out, "But if it weren't for Jintae-hyung, I wouldn't really know anyone. And I get lonely being home alone..."

"......"

"I... I haven't had much experience interacting with people. That's probably why I'm not good at judging character. But I'll get better with experience, right?"

After a moment of silence, the man said, "There's no need to learn through bad experiences. There are simpler methods."

"Simpler methods?"

The man nodded.

"Just think of all Espers as lunatics."

"...?"

"Because it's true."

Hanseo blinked, realizing the man wasn't joking. His sincerity was unmistakable.

"But... Esper Kim Youngsoo is an Esper too, isn't he?"

"That includes me."

"Still, I don't think that's right. There are good Espers in the world, like Esper Gu Jei."

The man paused at the mention of Gu Jei's name. It was a subtle hesitation, barely perceptible except to Hanseo, who had been secretly observing him the entire time.

But the moment passed quickly. The man soon regained his usual detached expression.

"Gu Jei is the same. He's an Esper after all."

Hanseo opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

They drove in silence for several more minutes before the car finally came to a stop.

"Get out."

The car had stopped in an underground parking garage. Not a single person was in sight. It was to be expected; the car's display showed the time was nearly 3 a.m.

"This way."

The man pressed the top floor button in the elevator. Hanseo, who had been silent the entire time, could no longer contain his curiosity.

"Where are we?"

"This is an apartment that an acquaintance of mine isn't using. It's very secure, so you can stay here for the time being."

The man entered the password, and the door clicked open. The lights automatically switched on, as if triggered by a sensor, even before he pressed the button.

The living room, with its wide floor-to-ceiling windows, offered a panoramic view of the city's nightscape. The interior was furnished with warm-toned wooden furniture, creating a cozy atmosphere.

This looks like something out of a drama, Hanseo thought, struck by the complete absence of any signs of being inhabited. It seemed the man was telling the truth—the apartment was indeed left unused and neglected.

Hanseo glanced around the apartment before asking, "Can I really stay here? Is this also part of the center's support?"

"...Yes, something like that," the man replied vaguely, his gaze fixed on his wrist. "It's late. You must be tired. Get some rest. I'll be going now."

"Wait, just a moment!"

Hanseo called out to the man, stopping him.

"What will happen to Jintae-hyung now?"

"We probably won't be able to punish him. My intervention prevented him from completing his actions."

"I see."

Hanseo lowered his head. Despite having answered all his questions, the man hesitated, eventually stepping closer to him.

"You don't need to worry. We'll ensure you're kept safe Mr. Yeo Hanseo."

"...Still, I'm scared."

Hanseo reached out and carefully grasped the man's sleeve.

The man could have easily avoided his touch, but he didn't.

Hanseo slowly lifted his head, making sure his frightened expression was clearly visible to him.

"What if Jintae-hyung finds me here?"

"That won't happen."

"But he came all the way to my house. He knew my number even though I never told him, and he seemed to know a lot about me. Jintae-hyung has so many connections and so much money... he might even find me here."

Hanseo trembled slightly, and the man sighed softly.

"I'll stay here tonight. You can rest easy and get some sleep."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Wow, thank you so much."

Hanseo smiled shyly.

"Then, can I take a shower? I was so nervous earlier that I sweated a lot..."

"All the toiletries are in the bathroom. It's over there."

"Okay."

Hanseo nodded and turned around.

After entering the bathroom, Hanseo looked at his reflection in the mirror.

The shy, embarrassed smile was nowhere to be seen. Reflected in the mirror was the face of a hunter watching a prey about to fall into a trap.

Kim Youngsoo? I never thought I'd hear that name again in this lifetime.

To be fair, "Kim Youngsoo" would never have imagined anyone recognizing his face or name.

But why Kim Youngsoo? It's strange—it's the name of that potbellied middle-aged man from the drama. Couldn't he have chosen something cooler?

'It's my father's name. Gu Youngsoo.'

'......Your father has a cool name.'

......That conversation never happened in this life.

But because Hanseo remembered memory from that time, he knew the truth.

Kim Youngsoo.

It was the alias Gu Jei used.

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