KEG 76

My mind went completely numb as he rubbed his lower body against me and let out a slow sigh. I could feel his swollen, hot crotch pressing against my thighs and buttocks.

Only then did I realize the position we were in.

My legs were draped over his shoulders, and my stomach and chest were completely exposed as we faced each other.

It wasn’t enough to just hide my face. This bastard acted like shit even when I didn’t look a middle schooler.

“Even all grown up, there are no scars here…”

The flesh at the innermost part of my thighs, and my groin are vital points that are hard to injure in most fights.

Having something hard rubbing against those areas sent shivers down my spine.

“This side is definitely more erotic.”

I kicked his chest and flipped my body over. It was a move driven by my survival instinct.

But the moment I flipped over, I realized it was a mistake.

I’d turned my back on him.

Thud!

My head slammed into the ground. Baek Yejun was holding down the back of my head down.

If he locked me in a rear naked choke like this, I’d be dead. I had to throw him off balance and counterattack–

“Are you done playing?”

My boxers were being pulled down. I could feel them being dragged down by his fingers.

This is dangerous. Not for my life, but my chastity.

“Just say it.”

Forget the rear naked choke, I was about to be raped.

If talking would work, I had to try to reason with him first.

“Then please answer my question.”

There was no time to think otherwise.

First, I’d show a cooperative attitude to defuse the tension.

“Ask away.”

I barely managed to hold onto the last shred of my sanity.

If logic and force didn’t work on an opponent, all that was left was quick wit and improvisation.

“What was that earlier?”

“Because of a request I took on my appearance from when I was in ninth grade.”

“Who hit you?”

“It was probably my adoptive parents back then.”

It was an out-of-the-blue personal inquiry, but at least the aggressive stance that had threatened to take me out right then had softened.

But I couldn’t let my guard down. I was still pinned to the floor, and my opponent was still worked up.

Damn it, all these Esper bastards should be turned into eunuchs.

“Why were you beaten?”

I missed my chance because I’d been lost in thought for a moment, so I fell silent. As I hesitated, Baek Yejun pressed his body against my back and kissed my neck and back. It tickled, making my body shiver.

“I was beaten because I was useless.”

Baek Yejun paused for a moment.

Did I say something that got under his skin?

If I push any further, he might pull away.

“I got hit because I’m stupid, because I didn’t live up to expectations, because I’m not worthy of being a family member.”

The family that adopted me just because I did well on an IQ test.

My adoptive parents were wealthy people steeped in an elitist mindset. I never lived up to their expectations, and I would beg for forgiveness while being punished.

“What did you think about while you were being hit?”

Baek Yejun asked.

I answered without hesitation.

“It hurts.”

“Is that all?”

“It sucks.”

“Anything else?”

I didn’t know what he wanted, but he seemed to have calmed down a bit.

I kept talking about the emotions I felt back then to buy time.

I felt wronged, lonely, I wanted to run away…

“So you ran away?”

“No, I was put up for adoption.”

Baek Yejun chuckled.

“You were abandoned. Because you were useless.”

I felt a slight deflation.

That’s how it felt when I thought back to that time.

Maybe it was because I’d gotten so angry back then, but it felt like I’d used up all the anger I’d have in the future. I was still angry now, but it didn’t boil over.

“Did anyone come looking for you after that?”

I couldn’t answer.

Because no one had come. I was alone the whole time until I turned eighteen and left the facility on my own.

“Poor thing.”

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

To think that the life I’d managed to endure all this time could be summed up in two words like “poor thing.” A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me, and all the strength drained from my body.

“You were someone nobody wanted.”

Baek Yejun leaned his head against my back and chuckled.

I had no idea what was so funny.

Actually, I wasn’t not even sure if he was laughing because he was happy.

I was just guessing that was the case because I heard him laughing.

“That’s right.”

An Esper’s weight is the same as a human’s.

“No one even glances at someone like me. They don’t even know I’m alive.”

Someone like Baek Yejun, who weighed less than 100 kg, was no trouble to flip over while carrying him on my back.

Thud!

Immediately after flipping him, I turned around and mounted Baek Yejun, who hadn’t yet grasped the situation.

If there’s a weakness in an Esper’s hand-to-hand combat, it’s their split-second judgment, which is dulled by their superior physical abilities. Someone wearing high-durability armor isn’t as desperate as someone unarmored.

“So what’s your point?”

A knee-to-stomach strike, driving deep into his abdomen.

I used my full weight. I could hear the sound of internal organs and bones cracking.

“…Cough!”

A cough burst from Baek Yejun’s mouth. It must be because his lungs were compressed. An ordinary person’s ribs would have broken by now, he was tough.

“Whether anyone wants me or not, what does that have to do with me?”

Smack!

I grabbed Baek Yejun by the collar and slapped him.

“I’m the one who fucking wants to live.”

Smack! Whack!

Still not satisfied, I hit him a few more times. Baek Yejun didn’t even think of fighting back; he just took the blows meekly.

Seeing him like that took the fun out of hitting him, so I stopped after a short while.

“…Aren’t you going to hit me anymore?”

When I stopped punching him, Baek Yejun asked.

I spat on his face. He grinned like he loved that too.

He probably didn’t even feel the pain when I hit him. That was what it meant to be an Esper.

“You pathetic little bastard.”

I dusted myself off and stood up. Baek Yejun was still lying on the floor.

As I opened the bathroom door to wash up, a faint voice came from behind me.

“Hyung like pitiful things.”

This time, he really looked like he was enjoying himself.

Is he crazy?

***

Today is February 5th, the day of the closing ceremony.

I asked Lee Yuksam to cover for me at the ward for the day. I met Park Suheon and Kim Yiyun and received my school uniform.

“Seongho-ssi, if any trouble comes up, just run away.”

Kim Yiyun offered an irresponsible solution.

I would have bailed anyway if things went south, but hearing it made me realize just how hopeless this project was.

“What happens if that school bully, Lee Sangwoo, doesn’t cause any trouble today?”

I was asking if I’d still get the full 2 million won daily fee.

“That’d be great. The school bully staying quiet… it’s like a dream.”

Park Suheon, who called himself a “nerd,” said with a smile.

What are “school bullies” and “nerds” that they can lower people’s intelligence like that? Just as I was about to rephrase my question regarding the fee, Kim Yiyun quickly interjected.

“How about 500,000 won for every piece of evidence we have that’s good enough to hand Lee Sangwoo over to the police?”

Kim Yiyun was someone who knew how to negotiate.

“1 million.”

And I was a bastard who didn’t know how to back down at the negotiating table.

“The tail’s wagging the dog here¹. The original fee was 2 million won.”

“So, do you have anyone else in mind besides me?”

Kim Yiyun let out a groan. As time dragged on, Park Suheon stepped in and said to me,

“It’s not like we’re dealing with something dangerous like a gate or a dungeon, so the pay is way too high.”

It sounded reasonable. Investigating school violence wasn’t difficult enough to warrant a hazard pay bonus.

But he’d picked the wrong person to argue with.

“Suck it up.”

What could they possibly do about it?

The two of them agonized over it until I came out wearing my school uniform, my face altered by the spell. It wasn’t until it was almost time for school that they finally spoke up.

“Let’s make it a success bonus.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If you succeed in handing Lee Sangwoo over to the police, I’ll pay you 70% of the value of all the evidence we collect.”

A 40% increase in the success bonus.

“No need. I’m guaranteed to succeed, so let’s go with 1 million won.”

I made a risky proposal that eliminated the possibility of failure.

It was an offer I could make because Park Suheon and Kim Yiyun were high-ranking Awakeners, so they could certainly afford it.

I’m not about to bite off more than I can chew.

“Please don’t view my 1 million won offer as a simple pay raise.”

Park Suheon looked dumbfounded. Kim Yiyun nodded and met my gaze.

“Please consider it a performance bond to ensure certain success.”

“Are you confident you can bring back solid evidence?”

“Yes.”

Kim Yiyun hesitated at my brief reply.

Kim Yiyun was rational, but also a compassionate person who took a stand for a bullied student.

The way to win over someone like that was obvious.

“We have to make sure the perpetrators are punished.”

People like Kim Yiyun are easily swayed when you emphasize the goal.

I didn’t really care whether Lee Sangwoo or Lee Sangchu got punished. I had little interest in school violence, nor did I harbor any ill will toward the perpetrators. Since I was the one who ended up amounting to nothing despite being a kid with an uncertain future, I felt that way all the more.

“Don’t you want to prevent any more victims?”

I could say things I didn’t mean to sway the other person without a shred of guilt.

After my repeated remarks, Kim Yiyun accepted the terms of 1 million won per piece of evidence.

That’s how I secured a contract with a base salary of 2 million won and a hefty performance bonus.

“I feel like it’d be a disaster to get on Seongho-ssi’s bad side.”

Park Suheon muttered as I headed toward school. Without even looking back, I replied to him.

“I don’t take sides with anyone.”

I’m on my own side. The whole world is against me.

I only get close to people when I need them; once I’m done with them, they’re all strangers.