"We're here. Our house."
"Not our house, but Irina's house."
"Why do you keep correcting me?"
Are you asking because you don't know, or asking with another meaning? If you say "our house," anyone who hears it would think differently. When I look at Irina with that meaning, does she feel my gaze?
"No! It's a Korean characteristic! Saying 'our'! Our mom! Our dad! Our country! And our house! Everyone does this, so why do you keep requesting corrections!"
It is a somewhat logical rebuttal. Yes, it's logical. But if I accept this here, I don't know what that crazy woman might do. At times , it's better for my well-being not to accept it somehow.
"Anyway, that's Irina's house over there."
At Irina's words that we've arrived, I immediately checked outside the window.
'Wait. That's... that's the Special Residential District?'
I had imagined something tremendous, but honestly, it was below expectations.
Looking this way and that way and looking again and even rolling down the window, it just looked like a housing complex or apartment complex.
'Well, precisely, it would need the modifier "premium that cost an enormous amount of money."'
Anyway, I was expecting something amazing because it's called Special Residential whatever. What I saw was just what you'd see in wealthy neighborhoods in dramas or movies.
"What are you looking around so much for? Even rolling down the window."
"I had expectations, but it's a bit different from what I thought."
At my answer, Irina goes "Eh?" and looks around. Then she muttered "Isn't this good enough?"
"Did you expect something like a palace?"
"Not a palace, but I imagined a residential facility with cutting-edge technology."
"What's that? It's not like it's a sci-fi movie."
Saying that, Irina extends something through the window. It seems to be an access card to enter this place.
The man who received it attaches the card to a machine he's holding. After a moment, when the machine says "S-rank, Irina," the reaction is...
...He greets with a tense voice, looking so pitiful. Irina, barely acknowledging the man's greeting, drives the car inside again.
"...That person standing in front just now seemed like B-rank."
"Hmm. Probably right."
"Isn't someone of that level supposed to be in the field rather than a place ?"
It's like a violent crimes detective who should be catching criminals doing traffic control. When I asked with slight disbelief, Irina shrugged once.
"There are tons of B-ranks now. They use them because there are extras."
That's true. Since it's still before the great change, ability users are abundant.
"And that's all something they want to do themselves. They're even people selected after screening and filtering. Of course, the pay is good too."
Until this late hour, they want to stand in front managing entry like that? Not even D-rank ability users, but B-ranks who get above-average treatment anywhere?
"What are you looking at me like that's so absurd? Do you not know where this is? This is a Special Residential District."
"No. Seojin oppa doesn't seem to know at all. The people who can stay here are at least competent A-rank ability users. And S-ranks. Finally, their families."
"Not 'so,' you should realize. I'll be disappointed if you don't get it even with this."
I briefly racked my brain at Irina's words. And the answer to her question came faster than expected.
"...It's a kind of networking."
At my answer, Irina smiled and said "Correct."
Even though they could raise their value more by working in the field, if they're doing such work in a place , especially voluntarily not by force, there must be benefits equal to or greater than field work.
And in this Special Residential District are South Korea's most important strategic assets. Meeting them and somehow breaking the ice and exchanging greetings. They probably think there might be times when they benefit from that coincidentally.
Whether my guess was right, Irina smiles while turning the car.
"You're quick to catch on. As expected, Seojin oppa. I like it."
It's bitter. B-rank ability users doing that.
Of course, from the government's perspective, deploying people of that level gives peace of mind. They also want to do it themselves, so there's nothing particular to say. But doing that, they'll unknowingly lose the path they should be taking.
"Were you disappointed that B-ranks are guarding it?"
Irina seems to have misunderstood my inner thoughts. The evidence was her asking if I was disappointed.
"You don't need to be. Those people are just for show. Or for protecting families? They'd stop petty villains, but if an Elder came like earlier. No, even if just an A-rank villain came, they'd just get wiped out, right?"
"Looking at it that way, isn't it the most dangerous workplace? There could be villain ambushes or terrorism since important strategic assets are here. And they volunteer for positions here?"
It's a bit questionable. A-rank villains aren't numerous but they're not extremely rare either. They'd also plan and execute attacks on the Special Residential District. B-rank ability users volunteering for such dangerous places doesn't add up.
Did she notice my doubt? Irina clicks her tongue.
"Seojin oppa. Know this for sure. Even villains who treat others' lives carelessly value their own lives very preciously."
I wondered what she meant by saying this suddenly. But soon, thanks to Irina pointing to herself with a grin, I immediately understood.
Who are the people staying here? At least A-rank or higher powerhouses. Even among them are S-ranks called 'demigods.'
It's not just Irina but other S-ranks too. Would they touch such a place?
Villains who value their own lives above all would have extremely low probability of doing that. Only a few with rolled-back eyes might, but at most they'd be cut off at A-rank level. In summary, how could they touch a place where residents are stronger than the security personnel?
They'd rather commit various crimes against relatively easy B-rank or lower ability users. Or powerless civilians.
"Intoxicated by their own abilities, wanting to swing them around somehow. Yet they don't even appear before ability users stronger than themselves, only picking on the weak to bully. That's what villains are."
Irina, who finished parking somewhat roughly, continues while turning off the engine.
"That's why I beat up all the villains... ahem. Catch them a bit roughly. If they'd rather act crazy and attack me, I could at least say 'Wow! Amazing!' and compliment them. But that's not the case, right? It's always powerless, unrelated people who get hurt. Or relatively weak ability users."
I never expected I wouldn't be able to refute Irina's logic at all. I thought she was just a purely crazy woman, but she has her own reasons and justice.
"...But Irina also caused a lot of damage to others while fighting villains."
At my sharp point, Irina goes "Ahem!" and clears her throat. Right. Where would you go, our Irina! It would be a big problem if you were sane!
Following Irina, I entered inside the Special Residential District. On one side is an apartment complex, on the other side are houses.
Among them, the place where Irina and her parents live is the apartment side.
Is it because I'm used to media? I naturally thought they'd live in a house.
In movies and dramas, all well-off people lived in houses.
I became curious about that part and casually asked about the reason.
Then the answer that came back was truly pitiful content.
"Mom said 'you're careless, so you'll always be banging around, breaking and eating everything. At least if you're in an apartment, on an upper floor with mom on the lower floor, you'd be a little careful, and it's also convenient for monitoring whether anything happens or not.'"
Oh my, mother. You've really suffered a lot.
Just how much of a pain must she be for her mother to do this? I thought she only got extreme when dealing with villains, but apparently that wasn't the case.
"Actually, the soundproofing here is so good that no matter how much banging I do, it doesn't reach downstairs."
Irina grumbled, saying she doesn't understand the reason. Someday there will be someone who wants to marry this thing. I'm already worried. Who could live with that?
"Ah, by the way. You have to be quiet when we enter the house."
"Because it'll be trouble if your parents find out?"
"Precisely, it'll be trouble if mom finds out. I might really get beaten to death!"
I can't imagine you dying even from someone else. The woman who grabs Elders by the collar and beats them up, dying from getting beaten? Isn't this the same as saying a shark would drown?
"...No. In the first place, there's nothing to be noisy about when we go in, right? The plan is to go in, wash up, and sleep immediately."
"Hmm. That could be, but you have to wait and see how things in the world turn out, don't you?"
"What do you mean? What do you mean wait and see?"
"There are things like that."
...Ominous, ominous. What does she mean wait and see? Getting on the elevator, I unconsciously backed into a corner.
I did manage to come here thanks to Irina's kindness. But the danger detector that was forcibly awakened by civil service life is operating. This could get me involved in very dangerous situations if I let my guard down.
"There are two shower rooms, so there won't be any issue about who showers first."
Fortunately unfortunate news. But still, this ominous feeling won't subside.
The elevator door opens with the sound indicating we've reached the floor. I wonder what the inside of the Special Residential District apartment will be like...
"Ah, that startled me! What, who are you!?"
Has this woman gone crazy? Wasn't she worried about her parents finding out? If she screams , her parents downstairs will immediately...
What? Wait. Why are you coming out from there?
The one slowly approaching is definitely Suhyeon. With just a faint smile, different from usual.