NOVEL WEB C16
#16. The Villain is Good at Being Behind -1-
“So, about a month ago, something went wrong with the completed ground elevator in Cheongang, and monsters will pour down in the near future, right?”
“That’s right.”
Chae Yu-ha said while squishing Nazha’s cheeks.
-Stretching.
With her cheeks stretched like rice cake, Nazha tilted her head in confusion. She wasn’t curious about why her younger sister was being affectionate to her older sister.
As far as Nazha knew, Chae Yu-ha didn’t have the ability to read the future. Actually, she didn’t have any abilities at all. In the laboratory, Chae Yu-ha was just a small girl who always followed Jin-hyun around with a bright smile.
However, it was unsettling to completely dismiss Yu-ha’s words, as Cheongang was indeed a city with many internal defects.
Perhaps it was the sorrow of a rapidly growing corporation. It was common for incidents that seemed suspicious to anyone—like electricity suddenly being cut in specific areas of the city, or all CCTVs in certain buildings going dead—to be quietly buried by the judgment of a single employee.
Nazha could be certain of this fact because she herself had reached the highest position in the Cheongang Group. So there was a sufficient possibility that the construction of the ground elevator, which was critical to the city’s survival, could have been completed sloppily.
But whether Yu-ha could have thought of this fact was a separate issue.
It wasn’t that Nazha was dismissing Yu-ha. This was clearly a matter of background knowledge. The process by which Yu-ha could infer the future that the ground elevator would collapse. If that could be understood, Nazha was willing to help Yu-ha.
So, Nazha decided to test Yu-ha.
“Sawol. Can I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“How did you know that the elevator would collapse?”
Upon hearing the question, Yu-ha’s expression faltered. Nazha didn’t miss that small change.
“Is there something you can’t tell me?”
Yu-ha’s expression gradually became troubled at Nazha’s follow-up question. Indeed, was it an unfounded leap? Nazha sighed at her cute sister’s prank.
And at this moment, Yu-ha’s mind was, as Nazha suspected, burning black. Had she underestimated her too much? In the original work, despite her exceptional intellect, Nazha was a “family-lover” who couldn’t help herself when it came to family matters. So thinking that she could fool her with a simple explanation was a big mistake.
‘Indeed, with my meager intellect, a battle of wits against Nazha is impossible.’
At this point, Yu-ha was desperate.
Yu-ha composed her troubled expression and carefully acted as if she was controlling her emotions. Hoping this method would work.
“Actually, I don’t have my memories.”
It was the so-called memory loss strategy.
Nazha was shocked by Yu-ha’s words. Those confused emotions were wildly expressed through her hair standing on end and grabbing her clothes.
“What do you mean, Sawol…?”
“To be precise, I don’t remember my childhood. When I opened my eyes, I was abandoned in an abandoned factory in the city, with nothing around me. The fact that I’m alive alone like this would have been impossible if I weren’t an enhanced human.”
“T-then…you don’t remember anything from the laboratory either?”
“Laboratory…?”
“Il-wol oppa who was stoic but secretly took care of us, Samwol who always stuck to you like glue, Owol who was angry and irritable but had a kind heart, all of them! You don’t remember any of it?”
Yu-ha nodded her head as if in pain at Nazha’s continuous questions.
Nazha’s face gradually filled with despair. Yes, it was nonsensical to think there wouldn’t be aftereffects from that incident. But did it have to be in this form?
“Then…how did you recognize me?”
When Nazha asked, Yu-ha answered with what seemed like a resolute expression.
“Let me ask you instead. How did you recognize me when my face and voice all changed?”
At those words, Nazha’s lips firmly closed.
How did I recognize you? I couldn’t possibly not recognize my sister. That’s what she wanted to answer.
But Nazha had, for a brief moment, failed to recognize Yu-ha. Because she thought she must have died. Because so much time had passed. Because her appearance had changed a lot. Because her voice had changed.
But in the end, she was able to recognize her.
‘How?’
Confronted with this question, Nazha racked her brain countless times, as was her specialty. But no matter how much she thought about it, Nazha couldn’t prove how she was able to recognize her sister.
However, she could understand with something warm in a corner of her heart.
Only then did Nazha have to admit. Though she didn’t usually like unscientific myths, this time she had no choice.
‘Connection.’
That thing, so beautiful yet impossible to prove, was what made them recognize each other.
As her thoughts reached that point, Nazha felt her nose tingle again.
“I understand what you’re trying to say.”
Nazha hugged Yu-ha tightly.
You recognized me despite not having memories. But this big sister didn’t even know that…
Sniff, tears fell from Nazha’s eyes.
But Yu-ha, who was actually holding her, felt bewildered.
‘Why, why is she like this…?’
Here, Yu-ha had only said two things. I don’t have my past memories, how did you recognize me?
And Nazha, after hearing just those few words, was running simulations in her head and shedding tears.
This is why I hate dealing with smart people.
Yu-ha inwardly sighed and said.
“I occasionally see what will happen in the future. And I intuitively feel what I need to do to avoid that future.”
“…Did you awaken your ability belatedly? Well, I guess it doesn’t make sense not to awaken abilities after being in that x-like facility.”
Belatedly?
Yu-ha ignored Nazha’s muttering for now and continued.
“Meeting you again like this is surely due to this unknown power. So, I want to believe in it.”
“……”
Nazha again began running simulations in her head, trying to piece together the plausibility of the situation.
How were she and her sister able to reunite so dramatically?
It wasn’t luck. It was all thanks to her sister’s invisible efforts.
Nazha’s heart began to overflow with love for her sister.
Our precious sister…When she was young, she would just smile, trying not to show her worries…And with a weak body, she would lose consciousness for about a week every time she had regular drug experiments…
Now she’s grown enough to make plans and execute them on her own…
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
Such words came out of Nazha’s mouth.
The corners of Yu-ha’s mouth widened greatly, then fell again. Now for the last part…She was at a loss for how to explain about Jin Hyun.
TLN: In the raws the same message was repeated in Japanese and Chinese so I left it as it was.
“Whoa…”
Though it wasn’t new, my mouth opened wide.
In the original work, there was this description of Minos City:
‘A city of science wrapped in eternal light but submerged in eternal darkness.’
Looking at the city after regaining my composure, I finally understood what that feeling was like.
Skyscrapers soaring high as if to pierce the sky, electronic displays of various sizes covering the walls of the skyscrapers, neon signs shining brilliantly as if competing to shine brighter. But on the other hand, there were people walking around emotionlessly as if life was tedious, half-burned cigarettes discarded throughout the ground, and pedestrians armed to protect themselves.
Cheongang Station is the largest station connected to all autonomous districts within Cheongang Special City, and the only station with lines connected to other cities that could be considered foreign countries, such as Unhwa and Nago.
Nazha and I were at Cheongang Station to go to the ground elevator installed in the outskirts of the city.
According to Nazha, access to the ground elevator is strictly prohibited except for the time when enhanced humans are taken for ground exploration once a month.
But Nazha is the director of Cheongang’s research laboratory. With her, we should be able to enter the elevator without much trouble.
My heart was pounding for a thousand reasons. Actually, I had nothing to do from this point on. If there’s something wrong with the elevator, Nazha will fix it. Even the existing financial issues can be resolved without much problem by using her position. But if things go wrong for some reason, terrible things will happen. My tension was due to such anxiety.
“Let’s go, Sawol.”
Nazha took my hand and led the way. That small hand, what was it about it, it was very reassuring.
It’s probably related to the original owner of this body. After all, I’ve learned through this opportunity that memories are stored not just in the head but in the body as well.
“Okay.”
I steeled myself and followed Nazha into Cheongang Station.
It felt like the prologue was finally over.