I Became a Police Officer in a Superhero Genre

I looked at the blue USB in my hand.

According to the testimony of the suddenly appeared schoolgirl, Shin Yu-mi, this contained information about the ‘reason’ why superpower users keep appearing and the person who is the ’cause’ of it.

I don’t know why Shin Yu-mi, or rather, the missing suspect Kim Yun-sik, who was said to be her brother, had this, but.

If by any chance, no, even if it’s one in a billion, if this is real, what I’m holding in my hand has a level of danger that can’t be underestimated even if you try, no less than the detonation button of a nuclear bomb.

But that’s in my hands right now.

In my heart, I want to get some holy water and burn this key to hell while praying to God, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

There are two reasons. First, one is that poor child who came looking for me, asking to at least catch the culprit even though her family member died.

The other is the problem of whether Sai would really leave me alone after I get rid of this.

Someone might ask what I mean by getting rid of a USB containing her identity. Of course, that’s right.

If what’s in here is real evidence, normally, just pretending not to know and getting rid of it would be the only way to save both me and the reporter, student Shin Yu-mi.

Since I said I don’t know the contents, that should be enough, right?

‘Normally’, that is.

Right now, I’ve committed the unprecedented crazy act of beating up a sitting mayor and been reinstated without any issues,

and in the news and communities, I’m being focused on as the only clean police officer in Korea. The one who seems to have orchestrated all this behind the scenes is none other than my junior partner, Sai.

In other words, this means. The reason she deliberately pushed achievements onto me until now was for this. To lure this poor girl.

If a story of a clean, brave police officer who helps victims ignored by ordinary police reaches a child who has lost family and is being chased by unknown dangers, what thoughts would that child have?

They would hope that person could help them, right? Even if they couldn’t trust me, how long could an ordinary child endure alone in the face of the fear of being chased by someone?

Probably that child came to someone like me, trembling but having no other choice.

Immediately after handing me the USB, Shin Yu-mi said she was currently using her superpower to escape in a place no one knows.

It was like she was making a threat that even if I betrayed her, she couldn’t be found, and then she gave me a number and left.

She didn’t talk about how she awakened her ability or what kind of ability it is, but seeing that she’s still alive safely despite being in Sai’s sight, it must be quite a strong ability.

Of course, mere strong ‘superpowers’ can’t evade Sai’s tracking. And the one reason I’m certain all this is Sai’s plan despite other things that don’t make sense common-sensically is just one.

It’s because acting somewhat irrationally for the ‘fun’ of trampling on the heart of a trembling girl is behavior befitting the mastermind ‘Sai’ of this world setting.

Therefore, if I recklessly destroy this USB, that would disrupt Sai’s plan in its own way, and she’s highly likely to kill me saying I’m no longer needed.

Conversely, if I spread this on the internet – I’d still die horribly. I can’t trust the police, can’t trust the media, and there’s no one trustworthy in the Special Investigation Team either.

No, to be precise, there’s no one with the ability to solve this case. Let’s say we somehow find evidence of crimes she committed and go with a warrant.

Would Sai, the unique superpower user in this world and the strongest superpower user who the author said couldn’t be harmed even if the army was sent,

say ‘Oh my, I’ve done wrong. I’ll quietly accept the handcuffs and go to prison-‘ when she sees the warrant, or would she kill everyone there and leisurely escape?

In this sense, the only one I can trust is New Hope – but the New Hope, Mina, that I’ve seen with my own eyes currently isn’t stronger than Sai.

If this world had flowed exactly like the novel, I would think to endure until then, believing it would end in a happy ending where strong evil is eventually defeated by justice just like in the novel, but-

Can we really win? Against Sai? Even if Mina wins, that’s because she gradually becomes stronger as time passes and she accumulates experiences,

asking for help from me now is like throwing a level 10 protagonist in front of a level 100 final boss and telling them to win. It means let’s just die together.

“- Damn it.”

Curses come out. The shoulder-brother who was acting unusually friendly to me wasn’t approaching me because she liked me after all, and although I’ve found out what she’s plotting, there’s no way to counter it.

The most I can do is probably drag out time as much as possible?

… No, should I first check if the USB is real? If the contents are fake, all the worries above become pointless.

I carefully turned on my laptop at home with trembling hands and connected the USB. Seeing that something so dangerous isn’t even locked, I had hope that maybe Kim Yun-sik was just suffering from paranoia-

“… It’s real?”

I quickly pulled out the USB, threw it on the floor, and sprinkled salt on it.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, fuck!!”

About 5 minutes after throwing salt while trembling in fear and despair, a white snow field was created in the living room. Fuck.

Morning dawned. Faced with a crisis beyond when I realized this world was the world in the novel, I couldn’t sleep a wink and could only blankly watch the sun rise.

Now that I’ve even bought duct tape and stuck it in my inner pocket in case a burglar breaks into the house and takes the USB, I felt like crying at how funny and pathetic my cautiousness is.

To think that the guy who put the notebook with the original novel contents, that is, future events and culprits, in a gap in the corner of the room would even buy duct tape to fix this USB in his inner pocket.

I’m not reassured, just unnecessarily anxious, the sky is so clear it seems to be mocking me, and my dissatisfaction with the world just keeps growing to the skies.

Why the hell do I have to go through this? What sin did I commit in my past life?

I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly wrong except stealing the chicken leg my younger sibling was trying to eat and eating both myself.

“Deputy Chief, you don’t seem to have rested- well. Hmm.”

As I was pondering what life is, what existence is, what a chicken leg is while standing in front of the station, I heard the voice of the person I absolutely didn’t want to hear right now.

The moment I heard that voice, my head that had been dull with fatigue instantly woke up and a chill like cold ice touching my whole body rushed through.

Sai with her eyes half-closed as if she hadn’t woken up yet. She seemed to have slept in the duty room without going home last night, her hair was messy and foam was dripping from the toothbrush in her mouth.

It was a sight commonly seen when meeting in the morning for single detectives who live far away or are too lazy to go home and sleep in the duty room, but

to me, even those half-closed eyes were terrifying as it seemed like she had been waiting knowing who I met yesterday and what I got.

Of course, on the outside, I exchanged formal greetings with Sai while pretending to be as calm as possible.

After talking about whether there’s work, if she ate, and so on – I can’t think of anything else to say. As I’m fidgeting with where the USB is over my coat due to anxiety, Sai asks in a puzzled tone.

“What’s wrong? You look like someone who needs to pee.”

“… I really do need to pee.”

“Ah, forget it. Don’t say it. People should still hide some things as they live.”

When I blurted out some nonsense, Sai made a disgusted face and went back into the station.

I watched Sai walk away, and once she was out of sight, a sigh of relief came out on its own.

As I rubbed my chest feeling the tightness in it after sighing in relief, suddenly my appearance seemed quite ridiculous. Isn’t my curled-up figure like a hedgehog, all scared?

I know what situation I’m in now, but I can’t keep living scared like this in the future, and I can’t survive Sai’s clutches in this state. Then it’s time to steel my resolve.

The choice between fighting against a monster who manipulates public opinion, politics, and prosecution at will, or kneeling and begging for my life.

Whichever I choose, I’ll suffer greatly in the future, but shouldn’t I choose the option with a higher chance of survival?

I don’t think Sai would keep me alive even if I choose the latter. No, she definitely has no intention of keeping me alive. Why would she keep an insignificant detective like me alive because she likes me?

If I have to choose between a future where I’ll definitely die and a future with a slight possibility of survival, I should choose the latter for now.

My situation is really pitiful.

As I’m cursing and getting annoyed while pondering how to catch this world setting’s final boss. Suddenly a scene from last night flashed through my mind.

[‘Detective. I beg you. I’m not asking for anything else. Please… look at what’s inside this. And, if this is helpful to you, Detective, when you have time, please find my brother……’]

Although I’m a lazy police officer far from diligence, and a bastard who only thinks of catching the world setting’s worst criminal when my life is in danger and I can’t escape.

As long as I’m wearing the police uniform and have decided to do work befitting this uniform. I should do what needs to be done first.

I picked up my phone and sent a message to Shin Yu-mi, which I had saved yesterday.

The first thing I did after sending a message to Shin Yu-mi was to check for any wiretaps or tracking devices attached to me.

I had thought several times that that crazy woman might have attached a listening device to me after Yagi appeared at the place where I was eating with the captain before,

and I actually checked several times, but nothing came up each time.
But because the person I’m going to talk to this time is who they are, I had to search more carefully and cautiously, and it was an essential action.

After checking everything including phone apps, it’s confirmed that currently, no tracking device or listening device is attached to me.

Although I’m not being tracked in real-time, they probably have ways to find out if I show suspicious movements. It’s natural, even I would keep an eye on someone I’m trying to use.

So now – how can I take off the eye that might be attached to me, even for a moment?

After thinking for a long time, I came up with a brilliant method. It’s to say that an acquaintance got involved in a case and I’m going to overlook it a bit, as other detectives do, and go to a place out of sight.

Anyway, I don’t have any papers to wrap up today, and isn’t this country a world of school ties, blood ties, and regional ties? If I say I’m helping an acquaintance who got involved in a case, even the police family would let me go-

“You have an acquaintance? Hey, isn’t it someone who came to sell your organs?”

“Do you perhaps want your remaining hair to disappear?”

Anyway, I told the captain I’d be going out for a bit and got permission. After that, I was about to go straight to the location, but I decided to tell my junior partner Sai as well.

Because if I disappear without saying anything, that could make her suspicious. So I told Sai, but-

“Deputy Chief, you, have an acquaintance? Deputy Chief. That person isn’t trying to sell you something, right…?”

“Have I done something wrong to you guys?”

What the hell do they take me for.

I considered whether to kill these bastards who react like they can’t believe I have acquaintances, but I swallowed my anger and drove the car around aimlessly.

It was an action to check one last time if anyone was following me, but as expected. No car following me or anything suspicious was visible.

The fact that there was nothing actually made me more anxious, but. Thinking that what’s good is good, I changed my mind and turned the car towards a familiar place.

Where I was going was a common alleyway in the neighborhood where I live, but it was characterized by no trash visible on the ground and being strangely clean.

This place that comes out after walking a bit has few people, no CCTV, no cars – and most importantly, even those common thugs don’t wander around much.

The biggest reason is because it’s the route New Hope uses for going to and from school – but now it’s past school time, so it’s a time when no one will come.

I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it for the first time in a while, inhaling the smoke. Because it seemed like it would be hard without even a cigarette right now.

Suspect Kim Yun-sik who failed to rob a bank near Cheonho Station. Afterwards, he attacked the police, fled, and went into hiding.

I knew this man had been killed by Sai, and because I was afraid of her, I had made the judgment that he was missing without properly investigating or inquiring.

As a result, Kim Yun-sik, who was somehow trying to find out about Sai and trembling in fear, is coldly frozen somewhere without even his body being found,

and Shin Yu-mi, the only blood relative left under heaven, is still looking for her family member today because I didn’t do my job properly, and furthermore, has become in a situation of being chased by unknown guys because of one USB.

Because their surnames were different and the initial investigation result said there was no family, I checked more deeply just in case and found out that Shin Yu-mi and Kim Yun-sik were actually half-siblings.

Wondering why we couldn’t find this out in the initial investigation, I looked into it more and it seems Kim Yun-sik’s family register was completely dug up and the relationship was cut off quite a long time ago, so it wasn’t found in the first investigation.

Or maybe the situation room bastards are idiots. No, in this case, it’s my fault for not investigating more when it could have been found out with just a little more investigation.

Yeah, what I need to do is apologize and protect this victim.

Even if I had done something, I don’t think anything would have changed, but that’s not something a person wearing a police uniform should say.

Damn it. I swear to God I’ve never once thought of myself as a special or outstanding police officer, but.
Looking at myself who did such a shitty thing was just embarrassing.

I really look pathetic. Feeling disgust at my own appearance, I inhaled, feeling the sensation of cigarette smoke filling my lungs. Along with a deep sigh rising from deep inside, the smoke-

“Oh, Detective?”

“Hack!”

As I was about to exhale the sigh, I heard Mina’s voice. Why is she here when she has no reason to pass by this area at school time?

“Well… I just felt like it would be good to pass by here? It was just that kind of feeling.”

When I glared at Mina, she trailed off and scratched the back of her head. A face as if she really was here because of that feeling.

But she’s late for school because of that feeling? Kids these days are really something. I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“… Aren’t you late for school now? Go.”

“Okay~ Ah, but why are you here, Detective? Playing hooky? Can the symbol of integrity do that?”

“You’ll get scolded.”

The words ‘symbol of integrity’ seemed to mock me especially today, but I kept my mouth shut as I couldn’t show such things to that kid. But for some reason, Mina’s expression was strange.

“… Are you meeting someone?”

It’s hard to say how it’s strange. Her face is smiling, but her red eyes seemed to be shining brighter. Standing at the entrance of the alley, it might look that way because of the backlight.

“It’s because of a case. A kid like you shouldn’t hear about it. Go quickly.”

“… Okay.”

Mina nodded at my firm words, looking displeased, but left. After confirming that she had left the alley and completely gone out to the main road,

It’s time. After checking that there was no one around, I turned on the power of the prepaid phone. Then I slowly dialed the number I had received, that child’s number.

Ring ring

“[Hello, good morning. Detective. Have you checked the contents of the USB?]”

The call connected even though the ring tone only sounded once. What was contained in that voice mixed with electronic sound was a bit of expectation and fear, and.

Hearing that voice, pain was felt in my chest as if to let me know that conscience existed within me too.

“- Yeah. I have something to say about that.”

“[… Something to say?]”

The girl’s voice repeating my words was suddenly thickly tinged with suspicion and wariness.

I looked around for a moment to confirm there was no one, and then slowly started speaking for the reason I came here. To apologize.

“I checked the contents. What your brother said is true, and I also found out that there is a person who is arbitrarily causing the awakening of superpower users happening across the country right now.”

“[Then are you starting the investigation? My brother-]”

Shin Yu-mi’s voice tone rises. I could feel the expectation in her voice meaning if we could catch that person and find Kim Yun-sik, but I shook my head.

“No. The reason I came like this today isn’t simply to let you know the investigation has started.”

“[What?]”

“The reason I came today is to tell you that there’s a high possibility your brother is already dead and that I can’t start the investigation right away.”

“[What… does that mean.]”

I could feel the voice trembling over the phone. Damn it. Curses came out automatically.

That kid probably reported to the police thinking I was her last hope, but the police is saying ‘There’s almost nothing I can do and your family is probably dead’?

If I were Shin Yu-mi, I would have tried to kill me first. Really. But I’m saying such things! Fuck.

“The one who killed your brother and is causing the superpower awakening incidents is dangerous. The prosecution, police, National Assembly, and even the media are all under that bastard’s hand.

If we try to do anything using the contents of the USB, it’ll be buried in an instant, and both you and I will die without being able to do anything.”

The silence over the phone hurts more as my words continue. I know how scary this content is. I’m fucking scared too.

But because of that, I hurriedly continued with what I had been trying to say before this child hung up.

“So, please wait. I’ll definitely find a way to catch that bastard.”

“[… What?]”

Although there’s no way yet, as the major events she planned continue to happen, Sai’s existence will inevitably surface, and if that happens, there will be some way somehow.

… Honestly, I hope so.

“If I can’t catch that bastard, I’ll die. So I will catch them… and I’ll definitely find out where your brother is too. So… I’m sorry I can only say these things.”

Only at the very end did I put an apology in my mouth.

I should listen silently whether she curses or does whatever next. And let’s find a way to protect this child. I waited for the child’s words with a cigarette in my mouth. What I heard next was-

“[Ugh… sob…!]”

“…?”

Cry, ing sound? The kid is crying. I thought she would get angry, but suddenly she’s crying.

Is she crying unable to hold back her emotions welling up? I tried to somehow comfort the child, but she started crying even louder.

While I was flustered like that – I saw a pitch-black shadow flying up over the tall buildings forming the alley.

Mina, that kid, not going to school and what is she doing here? I frowned.