Chick SS9
by CristaeThe Chick Class Hunter Is Making Amends! Side Story 9
Standing on the beach, On Ijo smiled as he watched the blonde woman approaching him.
“Mr. On Ijo, why are you here?”
It was a sea beyond the boundary that Chloe normally couldn’t cross.
Since On Ijo rarely moved beyond the radius in which she could not act, Chloe found his presence here to be more than a little unusual.
“I was waiting for you.”
“Here?”
At her prickly response, On Ijo calmly smiled and continued.
“Shall we leave from here now, darling?”
“…?”
Chloe’s brow furrowed tightly.
“My body could crumble away into sand…”
“But you’re complete now.”
“How did you…?”
“When it comes to you, I know everything. I thought you’d be fully restored by today.”
Just then, a dark tide began surging over the horizon.
At first, it looked like a densely packed flock of birds, but it was rushing swiftly toward the island.
Chloe stood still, watching it closely.
It wasn’t birds. It was an enormous swarm of drones.
“All of these… what are they?”
With the drones at his back, On Ijo gazed up at the sky.
Above, a satellite was blinking. It was likely that someone above was already reporting on the sudden influx of drones.
“I know someone who loves exposing classified information. Level-1 confidential documents, government secret projects—those sorts of things. These drones were sent by that person.”
“You mean… Gego?”
Gego.
An anonymous hacker, renowned for exposing all sorts of ugly truths hidden by the government, under the conviction that “the truth belongs to no one.”
He was friends with someone like that?
“How did you get in touch?”
“He simply came looking because I went off the grid. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s scoured half the planet looking for me.”
For a moment, Chloe seemed dazed, then grabbed On Ijo by the collar.
“On Ijo! What are you plotting this time?”
“Our daughter wants to be with her mother.”
On Ijo’s face turned a little sad.
“What are you talking about?”
“They won’t let you go just like this. But since Gego has found me, those above won’t be able to do nothing.”
As the drones drew closer, portals began to open.
It was exactly as expected.
Realizing from the satellites that drones were approaching the island, the monitors had opened a portal.
A supervisor crossed through the portal, followed by several armed agents with guns drawn.
On Ijo raised his arms as if in surrender.
“Mr. On Ijo. Do you understand the situation you are in right now?”
The agents shot down one of the drones with their guns.
But the relentless horde of drones continued closing in.
Clicking their tongues, the agents waited for their superior’s orders.
“Mr. On Ijo.”
“I think my friend is on his way to find me.”
On Ijo smiled, pulling Chloe to his side.
“I’ll cooperate with anything you ask, as long as you send this woman to my family.”
“Mr. On Ijo, I don’t think you understand your situation—”
“Or,” On Ijo interrupted with a laugh, “I could always just shout out the access codes for the data archives I’ve been keeping hidden all this time.”
He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.
There, a drone had already drawn close.
“My friend loves things like that.”
“…That’s how it happened.”
Having finished his explanation, the national security chief let out a subdued sigh.
Listening in silence, On Joorim and On Suhyeong each released a deep breath of their own.
That he had bargained for Chloe’s release with the Korean government at the risk of his own life.
And that he’d done it using the hacker, Gego.
Everyone was astonished at what a man, who had lost his strength and was imprisoned on an island, had managed to pull off.
He had done it all for one woman.
All eyes turned to a single spot. Chloe, quiet until now, offered an awkward smile.
“Mr. On Ijo is a damned bastard, you know.”
A moment of silence passed. Everyone nodded as if in agreement.
Out of the hush, On Suhyeong spoke first.
“Has Ijo been transferred, then?”
Since On Ijo’s location had now been discovered, it was reasonable to infer that he had been moved to a different facility.
“Yes. Once his security is assured, you’ll be able to visit him again.”
Su-hyeong and Joorim nodded in acceptance.
The government was surely considering the confusion On Ijo’s exposure could cause in society, and the negative aftermath from Gnosis followers.
Not that they would bother to tell them, but it was more than easy to guess that numerous groups were still searching for On Ijo.
Gathering his thoughts, On Suhyeong asked,
“Then may we take Dr. Chloe Han?”
“There will be a few examinations. As long as those go well, yes.”
“Examinations?”
Joorim looked to Chloe, seeking her consent.
Chloe nodded, as if to say she was prepared for at least that much. Ultimately, she couldn’t expect to be let go quietly anyway.
“And we’ll be assigning one of our own as her senior guardian.”
Joorim nodded with a calm face.
She had expected as much. Guardian, or perhaps more aptly, monitor.
‘Those hidden archives… To think he’d still keep such things lying about.’
As the conversation neared its end, Joorim folded her arms, sinking into thought.
Thanks to her brother’s sudden maneuver, she now had a new task before her.
That was to explain to Groo that his mother might be able to come home.
In a dark room.
Countless monitors featured close-up images of On Ijo, captured by dozens upon dozens of drones.
Smiling, On Ijo winked, and then vanished through the portal alongside the monitors.
“On Ijo, you bastard. Using me again?”
Gego let out a laugh and propped his feet on his desk.
Before going into hiding, Ijo had said, “If you find me, I’ll give you access codes to the Gnosis files.”
He’d gone to enormous trouble, deploying all his resources and his vast information network, just to locate him—and now, just like that, he’d slipped away.
With his feet still on the desk, Gego carelessly tapped the keyboard, then straightened his posture.
He could not just let this go.
He now knew under which agency Ijo was being held, and he had a good guess as to where to dig next.
“Well, that’s half the battle won.”
With a pleased expression, Gego replayed the previous video.
On Ijo, standing on the beach as a horde of drones gathered. And then—the blonde woman running toward him…
Wait, a woman?
Now that he thought about it, why was there a woman with him?
Gego scanned her face and ran it through his program.
Soon, the program produced an unexpected name.
“Chloe Han?”
The very woman who had been a key figure in ‘Project Wilderness.’
“Looks like digging into this side will be a lot more fun from now on.”