“Excessive force…? Reporter, you’ve seen the footage, haven’t you? Then let me ask you, if a giant black fireball capable of literally melting the ground was flying straight at you, would you just stand there and take it?”
“……”
“That mutant was dangerously powerful. From what I’ve looked into, the government had repeatedly tried to subdue him, but he always managed to escape, and every time, there were casualties.”
“But still…”
“I’m not finished. From what I’ve heard, the government had even issued a kill-on-sight order for that particular mutant. So I ask, could you have subdued someone like that without killing them? If I hadn’t stepped in, innocent citizens could’ve been hurt or killed. And so could the agents who went in to stop him.”
The reporter fell silent.
Of course they did.
Trying to provoke me without even having solid facts, there’s no way they could come up with a proper rebuttal.
All they knew was that he was dangerous, not just how dangerous.
And I was basically speaking on behalf of the government at this point.
“Ms. Seo-hyun, earlier you said you wanted to prove through your actions that you’re not a threat to others. What kind of actions do you have in mind to demonstrate that?”
“Some of you might’ve already picked up on it, but I’ve been dropping hints about the government this whole time, haven’t I?”
“…Don’t tell me…”
“Yes. I’ve been appointed as the head of a soon-to-launch government agency. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it will be responsible for handling all mutant-related crimes.”
Murmurs rippled across the room.
The shock was understandable.
A current university student—one still in her early twenties, was going to lead a government agency?
It was a jaw-dropping announcement, even to me.
When they first offered me the role, I’d been just as stunned.
I waited for the noise to settle, then leaned in toward the mic again.
“I imagine a lot of you are surprised. Giving a leadership position in a government agency to a college student? You’re probably thinking, ‘That’s nepotism taken to the extreme,’ right? But the truth is, my actual role is simple, to take down mutants who commit crimes. The administrative work will be handled by someone else. So really, I’m just a kind of… mascot. Not that it’s any less weird calling myself that, but what can you do? That’s exactly what this role is.”
The reporters fell quiet.
It seemed like they wanted to ask questions, but were still reeling from what I’d just said.
So I figured I’d just keep talking freely.
“Even with all this, I know it won’t be enough to completely ease the public’s fears.
If the situation were reversed, I’d be scared too.
I mean, what kind of lunatic wouldn’t be worried when there’s a 50-meter dragon who breathes fire and controls lightning attending college in the middle of Seoul?
But still… I’d really appreciate it if you could trust me.
I have no intention of hurting anyone.
I just want to live as a member of this society.”
Then came one last question, from Ahn So-young.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“People fear individuals who wield uncontrollable power. Governments do, too. You’ll likely face intense scrutiny and suspicion. Do you think you can withstand it?”
“Uncontrollable power… Yes, that’s probably how a lot of people see me. But as long as no one touches my family or the people I care about, I have no intention of misusing this power.”
“…‘Touching your loved ones’? Then, are you saying—?”
“Yes. If someone tries to use the people around me to control me— if someone maliciously targets my loved ones… Then I won’t just sit and watch. I know there will be people who try to use me for their own gain. But I truly hope they don’t make such a foolish decision. Because if they do, they’ll be watching the world burn.”
That was my warning.
My way of saying.
Yes, I will serve the people.
No, I will not use my power for selfish reasons.
But if someone with malicious intent comes near the people I care about, or tries to hurt them, I won’t stay silent.
Honestly, if I don’t issue a warning like this, there’ll be plenty of people who’ll think they can take me lightly.
So this is where I draw the line.
“There may be people who feel even more uneasy after what you just said.”
“I understand. But this isn’t something I can compromise on. You understand that everyone has something they hold most dear, right? For me, that’s my family. That won’t ever change. If someone tries to harm what I care most about, I won’t tolerate it. There’s a lot more I’m capable of than you might imagine.”
The mood in the room suddenly dropped.
I looked out at the reporters.
I could feel them flinch as our eyes met.
Maybe… maybe I didn’t have to say all that.
But if I didn’t spell it out clearly, there would definitely be people foolish enough to try something.
So what I said just now, it was to shut down any of those ideas before they could take root.
“The atmosphere’s gotten a bit heavy, huh? Well, as long as no one crosses that line, I’ll be your friendly neighborhood mutant. Whether it’s a rogue mutant incident or a disaster, I’ll do what I can to help. Ah, and that last part, that was directed at the government. I said it publicly, so I trust no one will try to twist my words.”
After that, I stepped down from the podium.
The next person to take the stage… was the Director of the NIS, Park Ki-tae.
“I’m Director Park Ki-tae of the National Intelligence Service. There will be an official announcement soon regarding the agency that mutant Yoon Seo-hyun will be leading…”
It seemed even he was a little flustered by my statement.
Well, I’ll take responsibility for that.
[That Press Conference Was Wild]
That, and her old interview too, you can tell there’s some kind of principle behind the way she acts.
Didn’t really get that usual chaotic mutant vibe from her either.
And I like that she’s not trying too hard to look harmless or like some pushover.
Usually when someone that strong tries to suck up to the government, they end up snapping and burning everything down—that’s the cliché.…but it doesn’t feel like she’ll go that route.
Honestly, that part where she said she’d turn the world into a sea of fire… that was kind of scary lol.
Thought it was a line from a video game character.
But like, it didn’t feel impossible;;
Doesn’t it seem like even nukes wouldn’t work on her?
– In that leaked video from last time, she just absorbed the demon-type mutant’s attack like it was nothing, so nukes might be nothing to her too.
– Still can’t believe she gained that kind of power in just three months.
[Not gonna lie, I am a little uneasy.]
Honestly, I get the feeling that last line didn’t need to be said…
Could’ve just gone with a clean, positive image, right?
– If she only showed the good side, there’d be people lining up to try something shady.
– Yeah like, what if someone tried to take her family hostage or something? She’s got literal world-ending power.
– Imagine someone threatening her, trying to use her in a war of conquest. Who’s gonna stop that? Before they even launch a nuke, the government’s top brass would be ash. I think what she said was exactly right.
– Besides, people who want to find fault will always find fault, with or without that statement lol
[Ugh, here comes the drama queen 🙄 “Friendly neighborhood mutant,” give me a break.]
That’s just textbook fake-hero garbage.
Makes me sick.
Probably has some “good girl” syndrome or something.
The nicer they seem, the more skeletons they’ve got in the closet lol
– Did she punch your dad or something?
– Lol knew someone like this would show up 🙄 What are you even gonna do if she does have skeletons in her closet?
– Like, she doesn’t even need to scheme—she could just breathe fire and people would bow on their own lol.
The public’s reactions were all over the place.
Some viewed me positively.
Some were anxious.
Some were calling me a hypocrite.
It was all understandable.
I said what I said knowing full well how it would be received.
But in the end, as long as no one messes with the people I care about, none of those fears will ever become reality.
“You wrapped up the press conference safely,” said Agent Choi Jeong-ho.
“Was it really okay? Director Park’s expression didn’t look great earlier.”
“Haha, he was just caught off guard, that’s all. Honestly, it’s a good thing you were that firm. The higher-ups probably got the message loud and clear.
They’ll be doing everything they can to protect the people around you now.
That was already part of my plan, but thanks to your statement, we’ll probably be able to assign higher-level security personnel.”
“Higher-level personnel?”
“Yes. We’re planning to place some mutant allies of ours near you.”
“Oh… so there are others besides Si-ah?”
“There are. We’re really grateful to them. I’ll introduce you soon.”
“What kind of mutants are they?”
“One is a vampire-type mutant, and the other is a fairy-type mutant. They’re both very kind people, so I think you’ll get along well with them. When we asked if they’d be interested in officially joining the agency, they said yes right away.”
“A vampire…? Are you sure that’s safe?”
“To be honest, I’ve never seen a kinder mutant than that one—aside from you, of course.”
“Wow, that’s unexpected. I thought vampires would have bloodlust or something.”
“We regularly supply them with blood packs. They’re completely satisfied with that and have helped us out in various ways. I think we’ll be able to introduce you as early as tomorrow.”
“And the other one?”
“Ah, as the name suggests, she’s a literal fairy. She’s a bit different from an elf, but in many ways, she’s probably the perfect pick to help protect your family. She has a very unique ability.”
“Ahaha…”
“We’re counting on you, Director.”
“Haha… even if you say that, I’m really just a figurehead, aren’t I?”
“Figurehead? Not at all.
Subduing mutants as easily as you do?
There’s no one else who can manage that.
Just your existence acts as a powerful deterrent to some of the worst mutant offenders out there.
You really shouldn’t downplay your role by calling yourself a figurehead.”
“…You think so?”
“Absolutely.
Let us handle the small stuff.
As for your compensation, most of it will be reallocated from existing budgets.”
“I never thought I’d end up living off taxpayer money. Though… doesn’t that mean the pay won’t be great?”
“Oh, it’ll be plenty. Honestly, there’s already a lot of shady money being pocketed up at the top. If we redirect some of that toward you, I doubt anyone’s going to complain.”
“…That really sounds illegal, you know.”
“They were just bloated funds going to people who weren’t doing anything useful anyway. We’re talking about shady citizen groups, corrupt lawmakers… All we’re doing is redirecting that money to someone—you—who’s actually serving the country. And really, considering how much you’re saving the government, I doubt many people would object.”
“…Oh, is that so?”
“Yes.
Just the amount of money saved by having you subdue mutants is massive.
Take the cost of deploying special forces, for example, like when they tried to take down that demon-type mutant.”
“Oof…”
“And then there’s the property damage caused during mutant apprehensions and all that… Just your presence alone saves us a fortune. So really, you don’t need to worry about it too much.”
“You know, I’ve been noticing, you really don’t have much faith in the people up top.”
“…I’ve seen too much behind the scenes. Which is exactly why I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be working with someone like you, Ms. Seo-hyun. Not to mention, I’ll finally have less work to do.”
“Well, I guess I’ll be in your care from now on, then.”
“Haha, same here. Looking forward to it.”