Liar Paradox - Chapter 42
Baekgu felt wronged. But even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have reported it. Doing so might reveal his origins from the Laboratory.
He didn't know exactly what the Center did, but he instinctively sensed it will dangerous if it became known that he could guide any Esper. He had no desire to be dragged back to the laboratory and live as a test subject again.
Biting his lip, Baekgu muttered under his breath, "Think whatever you want. Anyway, I'll do as you say. Can I go now?"
As he subtly moved toward the door, the man immediately blocked his path.
"I can't let you wander around alone. I don't know what you might do. You could change your mind and try to take that woman hostage."
"I wouldn't!"
"I can't trust your word."
"...Okay, I get it. Mom—that woman—is probably asleep right now, so we can go together tomorrow morning."
"Go now."
"Now? There's no need to wake someone who's sleeping. Let's just wait until—"
"Now."
The man wouldn't budge. Baekgu had no choice but to drag the man home. As they walked, he muttered to himself, I'll just wake her up briefly while she's sleeping and get it over with. She might even think it was a dream.
But the world never worked the way Baekgu wanted it to.
"Oh my god, Jinyeong-ah! Where have you been all night? Do you know how worried I was?"
The woman rushed toward Baekgu as soon as he entered the house. She must have been searching for him after realizing he was gone. The moment her anxious gaze fell on him, Baekgu froze. He wanted to vanish from the spot.
"Do it."
A cold voice came from the man standing behind her. Only then did the woman's eyes sharpen as she noticed him.
"Why you...!"
"Mom."
"Huh?"
Baekgu opened his mouth, his voice trembling for some reason.
"Listen carefully to what I have to say."
Baekgu's encounter with the woman had been purely accidental.
Having escaped from the Cult Leader, Baekgu was hot, hungry, and exhausted. When he arrived at the village, he couldn't take another step. A middle-aged woman, noticing him sitting blankly at the crossroads, asked if he was alright. Seizing the opportunity, Baekgu used his ability to compel her to take him to her home.
The woman lived alone. She explained that she had divorced her husband long ago, and her only son had died in a marine accident. As Baekgu looked around, he noticed the house was filled with photographs of her son.
Her son was a man who looked nothing like Baekgu. Tall and muscular, he was embracing the woman with a radiant smile. Just by looking at his face, one could tell he had lived a life completely different from Baekgu's.
In that moment, an impulsive desire surged through him.
Ever since awakening as an Esper, Baekgu had used his abilities whenever he wanted something: to gain freedom, to exact revenge on the laboratory, to secure food, shelter, and clothing.
So, as always, Baekgu used his abilities. Not because he wanted to humiliate or torment the woman, as the man's thoughts suggested, but simply because he craved something he had never possessed, something denied to him since birth in the laboratory.
Yet deep down, he knew. Unlike food or clothing, what he now desired could never truly be his.
"I am..."
A fake who would vanish if my powers disappeared.
The woman, now conscious, stared silently at Baekgu for a long time. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression was twisted in a way that made it impossible to tell if she was crying or laughing. After a long silence, she spoke.
"Why did you do this?"
"......"
"...I won't report you to the Center. But never, never show your face before me again."
With that, it was over.
Baekgu obediently followed the man back to their dilapidated motel room. He had originally planned to escape at the first opportunity, but for some reason, he no longer felt the urge. He felt nauseous and drained, like he had taken the wrong medication.
Baekgu crouched in the same spot he had occupied the previous day. After a long silence, he asked the man, "What are you going to do with me now?"
"I'll have to report you to the Center."
"What? You said you wouldn't!"
"I said I wouldn't kill you, not that I wouldn't report you."
Baekgu couldn't argue with that.
"What happens to me if you report me to the Center? Will I go to prison?"
"As an unregistered Esper who used your abilities on a civilian, probably."
"What about you? You used your abilities on me too. Won't you go to prison if you report me?"
"First of all, you're not a civilian. And I used my abilities to subdue an unregistered Esper, so there's no problem."
Despite his words, the man didn't report Baekgu immediately. Something in their recent conversation seemed to have troubled him, as he fell silent, refusing to answer Baekgu's questions. After several unanswered attempts, Baekgu also fell silent.
After a long silence, the man finally asked, "You wouldn't consider turning yourself in, would you?"
"Are you crazy?"
"If you confess, you might get a lighter sentence. It would be more advantageous for you."
"Sentence? Lighter? What are you talking about?"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-five!"
"......"
"How old are you, then?"
Instead of answering, the man looked away, a hint of discomfort in his expression. Was it because of the age question? No... Baekgu's eyes narrowed.
"You can't report me, can you?"
"......"
"Right? That's why you're telling me to turn myself in. Because you can't do it yourself."
The more Baekgu spoke, the more certain he became. Baekgu also worried that reporting this man to the police would lead to his own arrest. Clearly, this man was in the same situation. The fact that he kept threatening to report Baekgu to the Center but hadn't done anything proved it.
No wonder he has such a nasty personality. Mom... no, the woman was right. Maybe this man had committed crimes elsewhere and fled here.
"So there was a reason you crawled into this backwater town where there's nothing to see. You were so quick to criticize me, but it turns out you're a criminal too, huh?"
"This is absurd."
"Just report me then. I'll tell them about you after I'm arrested. Then they might find out who you are and why you're here."
"......"
The man looked at Baekgu like he was a troublesome burden he couldn't abandon or ignore. His eyes behind his glasses were icy.
Baekgu clamped his mouth shut. On second thought, the man didn't necessarily need to report him. Killing him and burying the body would be the easiest way to get rid of the problem.
Fortunately, the man didn't seem inclined to take such drastic measures yet. He simply replied coldly, "Don't lump me in with scum like you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Why should I tell you?"
The man muttered in a voice as cold as his gaze.
"I despise guys like you. Wielding your powers recklessly while ignoring the consequences. That kind of thing..."
He suddenly stopped, covered his lower face with his hand, and stormed into the bathroom. Baekgu watched in bewildered silence before snapping out of it and sprinting toward the door.
But before he could take three steps, his body jerked to a halt.
This damn power again! So annoying!
Dragged back inside, Baekgu found himself hanging upside down in mid-air. Blood rushed to his head, making his eyes feel like they were about to pop out. He frantically began to explain.
"No, I was just in a hurry and needed to find a bathroom. You were in there, so I couldn't use it. You wouldn't want to see someone else's junk either, right?"
"Every word out of your mouth is a lie."
"No, I'm really gonna piss myself! Uh-oh! I'm gonna piss myself! Hey!"
The man sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly indifferent to whether Baekgu actually pissed himself or not. His pale face looked even more tired than before. Baekgu, realizing his act was futile, gave up and pleaded with a hint of resignation.
"Please, just let me go. I'll be good, I promise. Okay?"
"Bullshit."
The man rejected Baekgu's plea with a sharp dismissal. At the same moment, Baekgu was shoved to the floor with a thud. "Ouch!" Baekgu cried, feigning death. The man declared in a low voice, "Stay quiet here for now. Until I decide what to do with you."
Neither Baekgu nor the man knew at that moment how long this "for now" would last—or, conversely, how fleeting it would ultimately be.
The dream continued. For days, Baekgu tried to escape whenever he had the chance, only to be punished by being hung upside down in mid-air each time.
"Do you have no capacity to learn?" the man asked disdainfully as Baekgu's face turned deathly pale. He released him.
"Ah!"
As Baekgu fell from the air, his butt landed on something hard and at the same moment, the TV screen flickered on. Baekgu glanced nervously at the man, having learned over the past few days that he disliked both the TV and loud noises.
Contrary to expectations, however, the man didn't immediately turn off the TV. His gaze remained fixed on the news broadcasted on the screen.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Hah..."
Hanseo's eyes snapped open. He struggled to recall where he had seen this before, and then it finally came back to him.
Miudong Gate.
Gu Zei must not enter it.
He didn't know exactly what the Center did, but he instinctively sensed it will dangerous if it became known that he could guide any Esper. He had no desire to be dragged back to the laboratory and live as a test subject again.
Biting his lip, Baekgu muttered under his breath, "Think whatever you want. Anyway, I'll do as you say. Can I go now?"
As he subtly moved toward the door, the man immediately blocked his path.
"I can't let you wander around alone. I don't know what you might do. You could change your mind and try to take that woman hostage."
"I wouldn't!"
"I can't trust your word."
"...Okay, I get it. Mom—that woman—is probably asleep right now, so we can go together tomorrow morning."
"Go now."
"Now? There's no need to wake someone who's sleeping. Let's just wait until—"
"Now."
The man wouldn't budge. Baekgu had no choice but to drag the man home. As they walked, he muttered to himself, I'll just wake her up briefly while she's sleeping and get it over with. She might even think it was a dream.
But the world never worked the way Baekgu wanted it to.
"Oh my god, Jinyeong-ah! Where have you been all night? Do you know how worried I was?"
The woman rushed toward Baekgu as soon as he entered the house. She must have been searching for him after realizing he was gone. The moment her anxious gaze fell on him, Baekgu froze. He wanted to vanish from the spot.
"Do it."
A cold voice came from the man standing behind her. Only then did the woman's eyes sharpen as she noticed him.
"Why you...!"
"Mom."
"Huh?"
Baekgu opened his mouth, his voice trembling for some reason.
"Listen carefully to what I have to say."
Baekgu's encounter with the woman had been purely accidental.
Having escaped from the Cult Leader, Baekgu was hot, hungry, and exhausted. When he arrived at the village, he couldn't take another step. A middle-aged woman, noticing him sitting blankly at the crossroads, asked if he was alright. Seizing the opportunity, Baekgu used his ability to compel her to take him to her home.
The woman lived alone. She explained that she had divorced her husband long ago, and her only son had died in a marine accident. As Baekgu looked around, he noticed the house was filled with photographs of her son.
Her son was a man who looked nothing like Baekgu. Tall and muscular, he was embracing the woman with a radiant smile. Just by looking at his face, one could tell he had lived a life completely different from Baekgu's.
In that moment, an impulsive desire surged through him.
Ever since awakening as an Esper, Baekgu had used his abilities whenever he wanted something: to gain freedom, to exact revenge on the laboratory, to secure food, shelter, and clothing.
So, as always, Baekgu used his abilities. Not because he wanted to humiliate or torment the woman, as the man's thoughts suggested, but simply because he craved something he had never possessed, something denied to him since birth in the laboratory.
Yet deep down, he knew. Unlike food or clothing, what he now desired could never truly be his.
"I am..."
A fake who would vanish if my powers disappeared.
The woman, now conscious, stared silently at Baekgu for a long time. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression was twisted in a way that made it impossible to tell if she was crying or laughing. After a long silence, she spoke.
"Why did you do this?"
"......"
"...I won't report you to the Center. But never, never show your face before me again."
With that, it was over.
Baekgu obediently followed the man back to their dilapidated motel room. He had originally planned to escape at the first opportunity, but for some reason, he no longer felt the urge. He felt nauseous and drained, like he had taken the wrong medication.
Baekgu crouched in the same spot he had occupied the previous day. After a long silence, he asked the man, "What are you going to do with me now?"
"I'll have to report you to the Center."
"What? You said you wouldn't!"
"I said I wouldn't kill you, not that I wouldn't report you."
Baekgu couldn't argue with that.
"What happens to me if you report me to the Center? Will I go to prison?"
"As an unregistered Esper who used your abilities on a civilian, probably."
"What about you? You used your abilities on me too. Won't you go to prison if you report me?"
"First of all, you're not a civilian. And I used my abilities to subdue an unregistered Esper, so there's no problem."
Despite his words, the man didn't report Baekgu immediately. Something in their recent conversation seemed to have troubled him, as he fell silent, refusing to answer Baekgu's questions. After several unanswered attempts, Baekgu also fell silent.
After a long silence, the man finally asked, "You wouldn't consider turning yourself in, would you?"
"Are you crazy?"
"If you confess, you might get a lighter sentence. It would be more advantageous for you."
"Sentence? Lighter? What are you talking about?"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-five!"
"......"
"How old are you, then?"
Instead of answering, the man looked away, a hint of discomfort in his expression. Was it because of the age question? No... Baekgu's eyes narrowed.
"You can't report me, can you?"
"......"
"Right? That's why you're telling me to turn myself in. Because you can't do it yourself."
The more Baekgu spoke, the more certain he became. Baekgu also worried that reporting this man to the police would lead to his own arrest. Clearly, this man was in the same situation. The fact that he kept threatening to report Baekgu to the Center but hadn't done anything proved it.
No wonder he has such a nasty personality. Mom... no, the woman was right. Maybe this man had committed crimes elsewhere and fled here.
"So there was a reason you crawled into this backwater town where there's nothing to see. You were so quick to criticize me, but it turns out you're a criminal too, huh?"
"This is absurd."
"Just report me then. I'll tell them about you after I'm arrested. Then they might find out who you are and why you're here."
"......"
The man looked at Baekgu like he was a troublesome burden he couldn't abandon or ignore. His eyes behind his glasses were icy.
Baekgu clamped his mouth shut. On second thought, the man didn't necessarily need to report him. Killing him and burying the body would be the easiest way to get rid of the problem.
Fortunately, the man didn't seem inclined to take such drastic measures yet. He simply replied coldly, "Don't lump me in with scum like you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Why should I tell you?"
The man muttered in a voice as cold as his gaze.
"I despise guys like you. Wielding your powers recklessly while ignoring the consequences. That kind of thing..."
He suddenly stopped, covered his lower face with his hand, and stormed into the bathroom. Baekgu watched in bewildered silence before snapping out of it and sprinting toward the door.
But before he could take three steps, his body jerked to a halt.
This damn power again! So annoying!
Dragged back inside, Baekgu found himself hanging upside down in mid-air. Blood rushed to his head, making his eyes feel like they were about to pop out. He frantically began to explain.
"No, I was just in a hurry and needed to find a bathroom. You were in there, so I couldn't use it. You wouldn't want to see someone else's junk either, right?"
"Every word out of your mouth is a lie."
"No, I'm really gonna piss myself! Uh-oh! I'm gonna piss myself! Hey!"
The man sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly indifferent to whether Baekgu actually pissed himself or not. His pale face looked even more tired than before. Baekgu, realizing his act was futile, gave up and pleaded with a hint of resignation.
"Please, just let me go. I'll be good, I promise. Okay?"
"Bullshit."
The man rejected Baekgu's plea with a sharp dismissal. At the same moment, Baekgu was shoved to the floor with a thud. "Ouch!" Baekgu cried, feigning death. The man declared in a low voice, "Stay quiet here for now. Until I decide what to do with you."
Neither Baekgu nor the man knew at that moment how long this "for now" would last—or, conversely, how fleeting it would ultimately be.
The dream continued. For days, Baekgu tried to escape whenever he had the chance, only to be punished by being hung upside down in mid-air each time.
"Do you have no capacity to learn?" the man asked disdainfully as Baekgu's face turned deathly pale. He released him.
"Ah!"
As Baekgu fell from the air, his butt landed on something hard and at the same moment, the TV screen flickered on. Baekgu glanced nervously at the man, having learned over the past few days that he disliked both the TV and loud noises.
Contrary to expectations, however, the man didn't immediately turn off the TV. His gaze remained fixed on the news broadcasted on the screen.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Hah..."
Hanseo's eyes snapped open. He struggled to recall where he had seen this before, and then it finally came back to him.
Miudong Gate.
Gu Zei must not enter it.
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