[Chapter 4]
'…10:40 AM.'
Hyeon-yul checked the time, and checked again.
How could they tell him to come in by 11 AM on his first day?
'Was it possible to start work at this hour?'
Hyeon-yul was moved once again by the dawning realization.
Unlike when he brought Shin Dae-ho's head, he stood before the building called the Nest.
It felt different.
'This is the place I'll be working from now on.'
Hyeon-yul stood still and gazed at it.
The Nest was located on the outskirts of the city.
Given its considerable size, it seemed deliberately placed there.
There was no subway, but there was a dedicated bus, so this time he arrived comfortably.
Seeing it again, it still felt strangely like looking at a regular company building.
There were other buildings on both sides, but he didn't know their purpose.
"Mr. Seo Hyeon-yul."
At the familiar voice, Hyeon-yul turned his head.
As soon as he saw the woman with the long, fluffy hippie-perm, he knew it was Hae-ryeon.
"You're 20 minutes early?"
"Appointment times are important. Thank you for coming out to meet me."
At his respectful 90° bow, Hae-ryeon smiled awkwardly.
He looked as if he were rigidly disciplined.
"You don't have to bow like that."
"It's a habit. I will correct it going forward."
It sounded as if he were deliberately holding back his words, making Hae-ryeon think for a moment.
'…Did something difficult happen if he didn't act like this?'
Hyeon-yul had worked at a company run by a villain.
This single fact sparked many imaginations.
Could actions like beatings have occurred?
"Team Leader."
At Hyeon-yul's call, Hae-ryeon was slightly startled.
She soon nodded.
"Was there chaos in the meeting?"
Hyeon-yul couldn't help but ask, seeing Hae-ryeon's dazed expression.
That day, he became a Black Eagle by majority vote.
Even though it was a formal procedure, there were always those who harbored dissatisfaction.
"Ah, it's okay."
Hae-ryeon smiled, but the meeting she had just endured flashed through her mind.
It was very, very noisy.
—No, even if you gave the authority, this isn't right!
—Are you suggesting we accept someone who worked for a company run by a villain? There's a chance he's a spy, does it make sense to accept him so easily?
'Why did they give the authority in the first place, causing such a fuss.'
If they felt it was unfair, they should have stayed that day.
'…Ah, just thinking about it makes me angry for no reason.'
Hae-ryeon felt like letting out a hollow laugh.
It was a formal procedure, with no violations.
It would be strange if it got overturned just because someone protested.
"I expected that much."
Hyeon-yul read Hae-ryeon's expression.
As expected, it wouldn't pass smoothly.
"You could face unfair treatment if hired. Didn't you say that, Team Leader?"
It was simply that warning coming true.
It wasn't anything particularly special.
"Still.... Anyway, I understand."
Hae-ryeon started to say something more but stopped.
Seeing Hyeon-yul's expression, which truly seemed unfazed, she felt like she was the only one making a big deal out of it.
'Still, what's wrong is wrong.'
Even if Hyeon-yul didn't seem bothered, this was something she, as the team leader, had to prevent.
'Right. I have to protect my team members. Who else will?'
Hae-ryeon put strength into her steps and entered the building briskly.
"I'll explain the simple things first."
After entering the building, Hae-ryeon spoke again.
"First, we operate on a 4-shift system. 1 AM to 6 AM. 6 AM to 12 PM. 12 PM to 7 PM. 7 PM to 1 AM. Each team works one specific time slot continuously for a week, and then switches to a different time slot the following week."
"So a 4-shift system actually exists…?"
Hyeon-yul asked with a sense of wonder.
The company he had worked for operated as if the concept of shifts had vanished, running people ragged constantly.
It felt incredibly unfamiliar.
"It exists. It's just rare."
"Then, why is the dawn shift shorter?"
"Because dawn is tiring."
Hae-ryeon stated the obvious, but Hyeon-yul felt the shock of being hit on the back of the head by her subsequent answer.
'Is this a dream?'
Hyeon-yul slapped his own face.
There was a sensation.
'…It's not a dream?'
Dawn is short because it's tiring.
To think he heard those words correctly.
He felt like even the corners of his mouth were trembling.
"And if you work additional hours, it converts to paid leave. Other than that, it's exactly as posted in the notice."
"Why… Do you do it like this?"
Hyeon-yul felt like his body was floating.
It didn't feel real at all.
"What do you mean, why like this?"
"Not making people work long hours, giving paid… leave even for additional work. Does it even run properly?"
"Of course. We are civil servants. We're somewhat special civil servants, so there's a bit of a public corporation feel to it."
"Are you doing it like that to be mindful of the nation's scrutiny?"
Hyeon-yul was genuinely curious.
"That might be part of it, but it's because we exist to deal with villains who commit acts that threaten the nation. Basic crimes are handled by the police, but you can consider us responsible for heavier and more dangerous crimes."
'Is that why the term Black Eagle is more familiar?'
Hyeon-yul thought for a moment.
When he worked at the company run by villains, the phrase he heard most often was 'damn unlucky eagle bastards'.
"We have to take on a lot. The responsibility is also great."
It meant that just as the benefits were many, the corresponding penalties were also significant.
"…Of course, very occasionally, times come when we unavoidably have to work extra."
Hae-ryeon started to speak and met Hyeon-yul's eyes.
His gaze instantly turned hard.
"Even with paid leave, I desire a reasonable amount."
At Hyeon-yul's chilling words, Hae-ryeon put on an awkward expression and threw out a joke.
"Or what, will you cut off my head?"
"That is my intention."
"...Wow."
At the unexpected reaction, Hae-ryeon's shoulders stiffened slightly.
She had no intention of letting him easily get his way, but to think there was sincerity mixed in.
"…Um. You're quite intense."
"I have no intention of denying the truth."
"You do understand emergency situations, right?"
"That, I understand."
"Then that's fine. If you cooperate with me to the best of your ability, such things won't happen."
Hae-ryeon was full of confidence, so Hyeon-yul felt relieved for the time being.
Relaxing his body, Hyeon-yul stopped walking and felt eyes pouring onto him.
Compared to reacting to the conversation just now, the gazes of the people passing in the corridor were sharp.
They were not Black Eagles.
The sparrow emblem he saw before caught his eye.
'Looks like rumors about me have spread in the meantime?'
This speed suggested someone had intentionally spread them.
"That applies to me as well."
Quietly looking at them, Hyeon-yul raised the corners of his lips.
He could still endure more.
"By the way, Team Leader. Who are the people wearing the sparrow emblem?"
Hyeon-yul asked, looking at the nameplate that read 'Team 3' on the door.
"Ah!"
Hae-ryeon stopped turning the doorknob as if she had just remembered and looked at Hyeon-yul.
"They are the ones who assist us. The official name is 'White Sparrow'. You can just comfortably call them Manager. They are the people who investigate cases received through the police before we go out to the field, handle administrative work, and help us with various things."
"Then, if those people dislike me, does that mean I'll have to do everything myself?"
Work shouldn't be disrupted, so Hyeon-yul couldn't help but ask.
At his question, Hae-ryeon stopped opening the door and stood stock-still.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Coming here, the gazes directed at me weren't favorable. Rumors related to me have spread, and I wonder if information might be intentionally withheld..."
"Which bastard is doing that?"
A loud voice suddenly came from inside.
Hyeon-yul shifted his gaze.
A tall man walked over. Tall enough that Hyeon-yul had to look up.
"Who's bothering our new recruit?"
"…What, you were here? What about the mission?"
Hae-ryeon reacted as if it were surprising to see the man.
"Just finished and on my way back, Team Leader."
The man treated Hae-ryeon respectfully.
"Then you should go home, why are you here?"
"Didn't you say the new recruit is coming today?"
"Anyway, you're uncannily quick with things like this."
"I rushed over, but what is this! Who's withholding information from our new recruit?"
A man he didn't even know was getting angry as if it were his own problem.
His dark brown hair, slightly covering his neck, caught the eye first.
'…What do you call that kind of hair.'
Hyeon-yul simply watched.
"Okay, Mr. Shin-woo. Let's be quiet. Mr. Hyeon-yul, please come in too."
Hae-ryeon gestured inside.
Before Hyeon-yul entered, the man named Shin-woo stuck his head out.
"We're Team 3. Nice to meet you, recruit. This big brother is Baek Shin-woo."
Shin-woo confidently held out his hand, and Hyeon-yul stared blankly at it.
At Shin-woo's words, Hyeon-yul stopped reaching out his hand and just looked.
"Shin-woo. Do you want him to run away again?"
As Hae-ryeon smiled, Shin-woo immediately lowered his hand and just smiled brightly.
"Who's running away?"
Hyeon-yul asked, blinking.
"Because we're strangely… a team lacking members."
Hae-ryeon trailed off.
Right now, the Team 2 Leader, Yang Do-jin, was eyeing Hyeon-yul.
"Why is only Team 3 short on members?"
"Each team has its own atmosphere, right?"
Shin-woo suddenly interjected.
"It does."
"We usually, at the welcoming party..."
"Ah, it's nothing. It's really nothing, so don't worry about it! No, please don't!"
Hyeon-yul sensed something suspicious in Hae-ryeon's stammering tone.
'Is it a welcome ceremony where people kill each other?'
Having changed companies many times, he had attended countless welcome ceremonies.
One of those companies had a rule to keep only 5 new recruits alive, making them fight each other.
He didn't know why they did it, but seeing them laugh heartily while new recruits died during the welcome ceremony was truly unpleasant.
This was the welcome ceremony he knew.
"Speaking informally just now was a mistake. It's just, um..."
"Team Leader. You can speak comfortably to me. Isn't one person already treating me comfortably?"
Hyeon-yul subtly glanced at Shin-woo.
"So, were you offended?"
Shin-woo asked, and Hyeon-yul shook his head.
"I was just wondering why you called yourself 'big brother'."
"Because I'm older than you."
"…Ah."
Hyeon-yul nodded as if he understood.
"Right. It would be a bit strange for me to be too formal with Mr. Hyeon-yul here, wouldn't it?"
Hae-ryeon readily accepted Hyeon-yul's suggestion.
It seemed she might have wanted to do so from the beginning.
"I am Seo Hyeon-yul. Did you also hear where I came from?"
Hyeon-yul asked Shin-woo.
"I heard. You came through special recruitment, right? Team Leader. Where did you find such a great recruit?"
Shin-woo said joyfully.
Until now, few people had become Black Eagles through special recruitment.
Hyeon-yul was one of them.
To think such an amazing person was a team member.
Hyeon-yul didn't avoid Shin-woo's sparkling gaze.
He was just suspicious.
'What is he trying to dig up?'
That kind of gaze and smile reminded him of the villains who used to scout him.
'I won't be fooled anymore.'
"It wasn't me who brought him, Mr. Hyeon-yul came voluntarily, didn't he?"
Hae-ryeon shrugged.
"A lucky charm rolled in, huh? So, what deed led to the special recruitment?"
Shin-woo was eager to hear the next words.
"Mr. Hyeon-yul brought Shin Dae-ho's head. The Shin Dae-ho we missed."
Hae-ryeon emphasized it twice.
There was internal opposition, but it was scheduled to be resolved soon.
Hyeon-yul knew about the company run by none other than Shin Dae-ho.
They wouldn't be able to ignore this information even if they saw it.
"His head? This head?"
Shin-woo didn't know about the other things, but the word 'head' bothered him greatly.
"That's right. The severed head."
"...Wow. That's amazing?"
Shin-woo looked like he was about to clap his hands together any moment.
Having decided not to be fooled, Hyeon-yul simply voiced the question lingering in his mind.
"Is there something about Shin Dae-ho? Why are you looking for him so desperately?"
What was so special about that alcoholic?
Shin Dae-ho died drunk, unable to even resist him.
"The possibility arose that one of the major corporations is run by a villain. While pursuing this possibility, the name 'Shin Dae-ho' came up. We needed Shin Dae-ho to catch that corporation."
"If it's Shin Dae-ho's business contacts, I remember them. Do you need them?"
"Need them! Desperately!"
Hae-ryeon looked as if a long-standing blockage had been cleared.
It seemed they had been chasing him for a long time.
'Was Shin Dae-ho that big of a deal?'
Hyeon-yul remained puzzled.
Whether he knew many people or not, many were looking for Shin Dae-ho.
Because Shin Dae-ho used him like a bodyguard, he had to see their faces even if he disliked it.
To think this would be helpful.
"Ah. I should give you this first. Just a moment."
Hae-ryeon walked straight to her room.
She took a box from her desk and walked back to Hyeon-yul.
"Open it."
"Yes."
Hyeon-yul opened the box with a blank expression.
The smartwatch that Hae-ryeon and the team leader wore came out.
It had a design no different from a regular smartwatch.
"It doesn't have a name, but it's called an Alert Watch. It's used for various purposes like mission assignments, location directions, communication between team members, etc. It has magic applied to lower recognition, so it's best to wear it continuously."
"So that magic really existed?"
"That's right. If you want to cover your face, you'll have to get a mask made. Do you want to?"
"Is it a choice?"
"Surprising, right? Long ago, some villains tried to hack us to reveal the identities of Black Eagle agents. It caused a huge incident, but funnily enough, we ended up finding flaws in the villains' systems and hacked them back. Since then, even the villains..."
Jiiiiiing.
Suddenly, the smartwatch rang.
Hae-ryeon's expression, who had been talking excitedly, hardened.
The timing was impeccable.
"This means a mission has arrived."
After briefly explaining, Hae-ryeon operated it familiarly.
<30 minutes ago, a mass murder incident occurred.>
Even at the words 'mass murder', Hae-ryeon wasn't greatly surprised.
She was used to it.
"Anything special?"
"Understood."
Hae-ryeon replied and raised her gaze.
Shin-woo happened to be there.
It seemed like a good opportunity to experience a mission.
"It might be sudden, but we start with practical application. It'll mostly be observing from the side, but that's how we initially filter people out."
"…Then am I not fully hired yet?"
Hyeon-yul's expression turned serious.
Was it okay to lie like this?
"No. You're hired. You are hired, but they tend to run away during actual combat. I know Mr. Hyeon-yul won't do that, but you need to know, right? Even the information that we learn theory after practice."
Hae-ryeon explained thoroughly.
Saying they do theory after practice was still a funny thing to say, no matter how many times it was explained.
"Anyway, is it okay? I hope you can handle seeing gruesome things well."
"I handle them well."
"I really like that attitude. Mr. Hyeon-yul already has practical experience, so honestly, I could just send you, but since it's your probationary period, you must be accompanied by someone."
Hae-ryeon pointed her finger at Shin-woo.
Far from being surprised, Shin-woo smiled as if he expected it.
"He'll be quite reassuring."
Hyeon-yul glanced briefly at Shin-woo.
"Rest assured, I'm at least capable enough not to hold you back."
Shin-woo pointed at himself with his thumb.
"I will go."
Hyeon-yul calmly accepted the task.
Honestly, it didn't matter who was beside him or what kind of villain came; taking them down remained the same.
Missions had to be accomplished, and cutting throats was exceedingly easy.