Chapter 107 (1/2)
Episode 107
“Is there a problem?” Yoo-seong now broke the silence.
“No…”
At this, Yoo-seong smiled. The Superintendent was obviously flustered.
“Then, I think I’d like to eat alone. I know you’re very busy,” Yoo-seong added.
The Superintendent’s lips trembled with humiliation and shame. It was clear Yoo-seong was sending him out because he was disturbing his meal.
“It’s not your responsibility to deal with me, right?” Yoo-seong added.
The Superintendent’s face hardened.
Yoo-seong stared at him before speaking. “I can see on your face that you’re very upset about this.”
The Superintendent felt the same as Oda. After all, he had only been sent here, by someone higher ranked, to entertain Yoo-seong until the real person-in-charge arrived.
If the Superintendent had felt friendly to Yoo-seong from the start, Yoo-seong wouldn’t be in a detention cell in the first place.
“You’re obviously uncomfortable, and you must have a lot of work to do. I don’t care; it doesn’t matter to me if you leave,” Yoo-seong told him.
As he spoke, Yoo-seong continued to eat gracefully with his chopsticks.
At this point, the Superintendent didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t engage Yoo-seong with small talk. After all, Yoo-seong was busy eating, and besides, there was nothing to talk about.
He couldn’t go and leave a guest alone either. And so, he just sat there, watching Yoo-seong eat, like a waiter watching a customer.
More time passed.
Slurp-!
Just as Yoo-seong slurped the last of the soba noodles, the Superintendent’s redemption came.
“Ah… Mr. Kodama…!”
The door opened, revealing a short man standing at about 160 cm. His thin hair was gruesomely oiled, and he was wearing a suit that looked too big on him. To finish off the typical Japanese office worker look, he had thick eyeglasses on.
“Thank you.”
Kodama politely bowed his head to the Superintendent.
Like a person escaping from a hot place, the Superintendent rushed out of the prison cell. Kodama sat in the seat he’d left.
Yoo-seong stared at him, then spoke. “Shall I call you Mr. Kodama?”
“Call me whatever makes you feel comfortable,” Kodama laughed coyly. “My name is Yasuhiko Kodama. The Director of the Disaster Management Bureau.”
Disaster Management Bureau.
Unlike most countries where the term ‘special defense’ was used to describe the institution handling crack management, Japan used its existing Disaster Management System to respond to cracks.
In other words, the man in front of him was Japan’s Yang Chang-guk.
“Oh, you’re the director…”
Kodama touched his forehead. “I often hear I don’t look like one.”
Compared to Yang Chang-guk, who appeared authoritative, he looked insignificant.
However, his appearance didn’t matter at all to Yoo-seong.
‘This person,’ he thought. ‘He has CE.’
Yoo-seong could feel it.
Unlike Oda and the armed forces who had deliberately displayed their Aura to him, Kodama’s CE release was natural. Unintentional, even.
It was as if the trace of his CE Yoo-seong had felt was nothing but a drop of water that had fallen from a moving bowl full of water. Perhaps, considering the amount of CE this person had, he could match the top hunters Yoo-seong met so far.
“I don’t know how to apologize for this,” Kodama began. “You’ve just arrived in Japan, and despite that, you prevented an accident and saved civilians. To get this kind of treatment here…”
Kodama got up from his chair and bowed ninety degrees. “It was very wrong of us.”
Yoo-seong was pleasantly surprised by the gesture. “I was just there. I did what I had to do.”
“In that case, we must compensate you for your contributions. First off, do you already have accommodations here?”
“No…” Yoo-seong responded without thinking.
“Then, the first…”
“Sorry,” Yoo-seong cut him off. “I won’t be here for long. Just a day or two. I’m on vacation, but I’m also a hunter. I need to be available to protect people.”
“Sure, that’s the right mindset!”
“So you don’t need to worry about special accommodation. I’ll be out of this place in no time at all.”
“Then… may I know what your business is here?” Kodama looked at Yoo-seong from behind his thick glasses before adding, “Because we may be able to help you.”
Yoo-seong looked as if he had found an unexpected shortcut. “I need to meet with the Leto group because I have something to talk about with them.”
“Yes? Do you have an appointment set already?”
“No. I was going to visit without prior consultation…”
“I see… okay. Thank you for speaking openly.” Kodama nodded.
“If it’s okay with you,” he then continued, “it seems like a problem we can help you with. Because the current chairman of Leto is my friend…”
“Oh my. It would be great if you could do that,” Yoo-seong almost yelled with delight.
“Then, shall we go?” Kodama stood.
Yoo-seong felt stunned. “Right now?”
Kodama was already up and holding the door open for him.
“I’m glad that your problem is something I can help with right away.”
Somehow, strange confidence seemed to have sprouted from the timid-looking Kodama.
“But of course, we can do it anytime you want.”
Yoo-seong found this strange.
Even Yang Chang-guk wasn’t this powerful or influential. Was it this easy to connect with the giant Leto’s current chairman?
Nevertheless…
“The sooner, the better,” he told Kodama and went out the door.
Following Kodama’s lead, he walked down the hallway. After walking for a few minutes, he felt a harsh gaze directed towards him.
Oda.
He mouthed a curse word at Yoo-seong just as they passed by. However, it only made Yoo-seong smile.
They continued walking until they reached Kodama’s limousine in the parking lot.
Once inside, Kodama began talking more confidently.