I Became a Police Officer in a Superhero Genre

Consciousness slowly surfaces.

What follows is a floating sensation as if drifting in empty darkness.

As I blankly enjoy this strange sensation of comfort and freedom, sensations return as if a light bulb turning on, and the pleasant floating feeling soon changes to terrible pain.

It hurts. Have I ever felt pain this bad before? I don’t think it hurt this much even when I was stabbed with a knife.

Oh damn. This fucking hurts quite badly?

“Shi-”

The curse that reflexively escaped is bounced back into my mouth by the wall of pain.

Arm, my arm hurts. I looked around while cursing fuck fuck.

A lamp illuminating only the bed and the stinging smell of disinfectant. The beeping electrocardiogram machine, various tubes and machine wires connected to the IV drips hanging all over my body.

Is this place a hospital room? I blankly stared at the things I’d seen in medical dramas connected to my body, wondering what they were, and only then did I recall what had happened to me.

I failed to block the crazy spider monster’s attack with my cast and got poisoned. I got goosebumps remembering that I was poisoned by venom that could even melt concrete,

but I recalled that thanks to losing consciousness at the moment Mina was about to reveal that she was New Hope, I was able to avoid that terror.

“Thankfully I got poisoned.”

Yeah well, what’s a little pain when I’m still alive? It’s better to be in a bit of pain than to hear New Hope’s coming out.

An extremely faint feeling of gratitude towards the spider monster arose. As much as the patriotism I have for this country? Of course, my patriotism is zero.

Ah it hurts, damn it. What the hell should I do about my arm.

I looked directly at the condition of my arm that I had been desperately ignoring. It’s strangely swollen, looking not like a living person’s arm but like the bloated corpse of a drowned person.

Despite that, it’s purple, with several catheters stuck in, and a terrible pain like it’s being burned keeps stabbing my brainstem from the fingertips.

It was a sight incomparably more horrific than the wounds of people bitten by venomous snakes.

“Why isn’t the doctor coming?”

The hospital room seems to be a private room with just one bed standing alone. There was no one else besides me. Looking out the window, the sky beyond was pitch black, appearing to be late dawn.

I thought it was too quiet, but was it night? I was thinking of just going back to sleep, but because my arm hurt quite badly, I decided to call for a doctor.

Shouting is amateurish, and I, with a double-digit number of hospital admissions, know there’s a nurse call button in the room.

If you press it as a joke, the nurses’ glares turn scary, but it should be fine since I’m using it for its original purpose now.

Thinking that, I groped around to find the nurse call. After a while of pressing around randomly to search for something like a button.

I finally found what looked like a button under the bed and pressed it. But it felt somewhat strange, different from the nurse calls I’ve pressed until now.

The nurse call button usually presses more smoothly, but this one feels a bit stiff, like pushing something away?

Even after waiting a bit, neither the doctor nor a nurse came, so I traced the end of the button I was holding in my hand. What I saw then was a strange container.

Ah- this is that thing, it looks like that painless syringe that puts in narcotic painkillers.

A machine with the number 1 floating up along with sloshing contents inside. Hmm, somehow the pain seems to have lessened.

Alright, this isn’t my fault. I put down that painless injection and properly found and pressed the nurse call. Then not long after, the doctor and nurses came rushing in.

“Patient! You’re awake! My goodness, this is really amazing. To think you’d wake up after just 1 week when you were poisoned by such venom!”

So I was asleep for 1 week. How toxic was that poison, damn it. – No, I honestly thought I would die, but is it a miracle to wake up after a week?

As I was chewing my lip, not knowing how to think about it, the doctor came over and started examining my condition while looking at my swollen arm.
He poked my right arm with something like a needle, but thanks to the painkiller I had just injected, it didn’t hurt much.

The painkiller effect is killer. While I was admiring that, one of the nurses discovered the painless syringe I had left out and made an “Oh!” sound, then gritted her teeth and muttered to another nurse nearby.

“Nurse Kim…! I told you to collect the painless syringe, why didn’t you…!”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

“I told you to wipe the inside with saline solution but you stopped halfway through…! The saline solution is just left as it is!”

“I’m sorry…!”

The doctor ‘pretended’ not to hear the conversation behind and continued explaining to me about unknown poison and antibiotics or something, but I was puzzled after hearing the nurses’ conversation earlier.

I’m sure I pressed that and the pain subsided a bit- Oh, no. It’s starting to hurt again. It fucking hurts.

Is this what they call the placebo effect? I thought as I watched the back of the nurse taking away the painless syringe. I really am a fucking simple-minded bastard.
But damn, is it okay to act like that in front of a patient?

I kept my mouth shut as I realized once again that this world is a really crazy place.

After undergoing various tests from blood tests to whatever else for several hours, I was told by the doctor to rest comfortably until the test results come out.

But even though he clearly said to rest comfortably, this doctor sat down next to me and started explaining how I ended up here.

Mina, who was the kidnapping victim, carried me on her back to the hospital in an urgent situation, and because the venom of that vicious spider monster was toxic and spread quickly, I was in danger,

but when they investigated the components, it was similar to the hemotoxins that ordinary venomous snakes possess, so they were somehow able to create antibodies and administer them.

But I wondered how the venom could melt cement, and given how toxic it was, plus the fact that ‘similar’ ultimately means different, whether antibodies could be created so easily,

but I’m a detective, not a doctor. I just nodded along with what the doctor was saying, thinking “I see – that could be possible”.

To summarize, all the doctor was saying was that I survived thanks to Mina urgently transferring me to the hospital, so there wasn’t really anything I needed to focus on.

The thought that I should thank Mina when I meet her later flashed through my mind for a moment, but I pushed that thought aside for now.

Mulling over the situation before I lost consciousness, the problem was how to react when I meet her next time.

No matter how crazy this world is, it’s too strange to pretend not to know when she blatantly showed power that only New Hope could do, with just tights and an eye mask hiding her identity.

Most importantly, since that kid tried to reveal her identity to me directly! If I pretend not to know that! She’ll definitely come to tell me on her own, damn it!!

“By the way – do you have any other abnormalities? Do you feel dizzy, or have any numb areas? Are your memories unclear? There could be aftereffects since it was such a strong poison.”

In the middle of pondering while shaking my legs [though on the bed], I saw the light at the doctor’s words.

“Well – my memories are a bit hazy.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t remember well what happened at the scene.”

“Oh my, so there were aftereffects after all. Let’s keep observing your condition a bit more.”

The reason I can’t pretend not to know when Mina reveals that she’s New Hope is because I can’t play dumb since I directly saw her fighting at that construction site.

If we consider that I didn’t see her fighting because I don’t remember, even if Mina says “I’m New Hope!”, I can just leave the place after saying don’t joke around.

You say that’s really underhanded? I know. But adults are supposed to be underhanded, you know.

“- Still, I think it’s really fortunate that there are no major aftereffects. I heard from other detectives that you’re getting a special promotion by 1 rank for this incident, it would be a shame if you were badly injured before such a joyous occasion, right?”

“What?”
While I was inwardly giggling, I put a question mark over my head at the doctor’s next words.

What nonsense is that? Why am I getting a special promotion? The promotion exam is still far away, why?

Suppressing the desire to grab the doctor’s collar and demand what he means, I politely asked for an explanation, but before the doctor could continue speaking, a familiar bald head entered the room, opening the door.

“Yeah, congratulations you son of a bitch. It’s your 1 rank special promotion. You always got screwed over by those above, but for the first time you’re receiving something good?”

He’s talking shit as soon as he comes in. Is he doing this to piss me off? Yeah, it seems that’s right, he’s doing this to piss me off.

Seeing the captain babbling with a sly smile, the desire to stab the IV in my arm into his reversely shining scalp rose up, but as a more rational adult than that person, I calmly asked.

“Cut the crap. What do you mean by special promotion?”

When I asked, the captain looked at the doctor and told him to leave for a moment. The doctor nodded and left the room.

Inside the hospital room with just me and the captain left. The captain sat on the edge of my bed and continued speaking while rudely taking out and drinking a beverage from the room’s refrigerator.

“You just woke up a little while ago, right? Then should I tell you what happened after you were taken away. Tsk……”

“Well, after you caught that bishop bastard and went to the hospital, we locked up that stupid bastard.

Then when we investigated the shattered drugs inside that bastard’s clothes and the spider that had collapsed in the empty lot, it turns out the contents in the syringe that bishop guy had was a fu-cking drug that makes superpower users?”

The captain laughed carelessly, saying we finally found out why things like superpower users appeared. I quietly closed my mouth, anticipating what would come next based on the facts I already knew.

No matter how you look at it, I’m probably getting a special promotion for catching the bishop and finding the superpower awakening drug, damn it.

As I sat with an expression like I was chewing on something while holding back a sigh, the captain continued with words containing the content I had expected.

“The higher-ups seemed surprised when they heard that too. At first they tried to keep quiet since it’s such a sensitive matter, but then they said we should reduce victims and even held an official press conference.”

“So you ended up getting a special promotion unavoidably. Well – think of it as good luck. Detective Lee Mun-su.”

The captain speaking with a mischievous voice, calling me Detective. I frowned at the captain’s words that I should think of it as good luck.
I know. Getting promoted is certainly a good thing, but can this be considered good in my situation? Fighting with paperwork really doesn’t suit my nature at all.

While grumbling like that, thinking about it suddenly, I recalled that if I become a superintendent, I’ll have to work at the city or provincial police agency.

Huh? Is this perhaps a chance to escape the Special Investigation Team?
For a moment my heart swelled with expectation – but I’ve already learned from experience that if I have such expectations, I’ll surely be betrayed. It’s a vain dream, damn it.

“Oh right. Come to think of it, that little kid you rescued this time, Mina was it? You know, that kid you’re close with. The kid who was kidnapped. Was she a superpower user? Did she perhaps take down that spider?”

As I was shaking my head and throwing hope into the trash can, the captain asked.

Come to think of it, I had reported Mina’s kidnapping and requested support, and if it was Mina who moved me to the hospital, they would inevitably know that the scene and Mina were somehow related.

It’s a natural progression but I didn’t think of it. I put a lie in my mouth for my own sake, and for the sake of Mina’s secret identity.

“No. My memory is hazy right now, but it wasn’t Mina who took down that spider then. She is a superpower user but

she’s not a kid who fights well enough to take down something like that. To take down something like the spider I saw, wouldn’t it have to be someone like New Hope?”

“Right? Hey but aren’t you embarrassed to receive help from such a pervert in tights while being a police officer?”

“Not at all.”

My life is already too sinful to feel embarrassed about such things.

While laughing shamelessly, suddenly the items I picked up at the crime scene came to mind.

The white syringe. Mina had said directly that she was affected by that syringe and her power was sealed. If it worked even on Mina, wouldn’t it work on Sai too?

Since it’s a drug made by Sai herself, it’s highly likely she prepared something like an antibody or made preparations against it,

but anyway, if I have such a useful item in my hands, wouldn’t it be at least a trump card to protect me when threatened by superpower users other than Sai?

Is it strange that this feels better than the special promotion?

But wait a minute. I think Mina said she was affected when explaining about the drug? The moment I recalled her words, my body stiffens at the cold sensation stabbing the back of my head.

Could it be that at the scene back then, Mina wasn’t unable to untie the rope because there was a camera, but because she really had no strength-? I thought.

…Did I almost die without any discount? A chilling sensation runs down my spine, but since the incident is already resolved, I decided to just let it go and composed my emotions before asking the captain.

“Captain. Did you perhaps not find anything else besides that drug?”

“Huh? Oh. There wasn’t anything else when we investigated the scene.”

“I see-”

It seems no one discovered the syringe and plastic case thanks to me putting them in my inner pocket along with the USB.

I could get caught if that bishop guy suddenly spills everything – but saying my memory is vague could be an excuse.

“Damn. It’s late at night too. You rest too. What’s with that arm of yours? It’s glowing purple.”

“Yes.”

The captain yawned lazily and left. Come to think of it, the fact that he came so quickly when not much time has passed since I woke up means he must have rushed over as soon as he was contacted.

Let’s buy him hair loss medicine later as a sign of gratitude. He’d probably like that the most no matter what I buy him.

After the captain left, the doctor also said the test results are taking longer to come out so I should sleep well tonight and left.

Now left alone in the hospital room. I blinked blankly for a moment and then lay down on the bed.

I want to sleep as the doctor said, but my arm hurts so I can’t close my eyes. I wish they’d give me painkillers.

Of course, they did give me regular painkillers, but the pain doesn’t subside. I wish they’d give me more medicine or even narcotic painkillers because it hurts so badly, but that’s not feasible in my current state.

What was it again? They were able to figure out that the spider monster’s venom was hemotoxic and create antibodies, but there were many strange things the doctors had never seen before so they couldn’t properly use painkillers, I think-

I really want to kick that spider bastard just once before it’s transferred.

As I muttered angrily, the light that people didn’t turn off when leaving started flickering. Damn it, is even the light acting up now?
While I was getting annoyed, covering my face with a pillow – another voice was heard.

“- You’re awake. Deputy Chief. Thank goodness. I was worried something terrible had happened to you.”

Ah damn. Is it Sai?

How shameless of the cause of my arm ending up like this to visit so brazenly. I was curious about why she didn’t come with the captain, and how her face could be so thick, among other things, but.

I was too busy suppressing my irritation at the pain in my arm and the flickering light to think deeply, so I just answered.

“You came. Have you eaten?”

“Yes. I ate well!”

Sai answers in a light tone. The sound of the pointed tip of high heels hitting the floor along with the sound of the stainless steel chair in the room being dragged across the floor was heard approaching the side of the bed.

If you came to ask how I’m doing, can’t you just leave, damn it? While inwardly grumbling and pressing the pillow deeper to cover even my ears, it was strange.

The sound of high heel tips hitting the floor? Why would a guy wear high heels?

I slightly lifted the pillow covering my face to look to the side. Feeling my heart trembling and my breath catching with an ominous premonition, I turned my gaze there – and there was a woman.

“Good evening, Deputy Chief Lee Mun-su.”

A thin voice characteristic of women calls my name. The room’s lights are off with only moonlight illuminating the interior, and the being in front of me was shining as if absorbing the falling moonlight.

I swallowed my breath in tension and looked at the being before my eyes. The Sai I had seen until now had messy black hair and was a somewhat thin-lined male, but.

The being in front of me now has long blonde hair and blue eyes, and is a woman, not a man. No, this expression is wrong. The being before my eyes was currently in the midst of changing from male to female.

The skeleton and face itself changes. The hair grows longer while conversely the height shrinks, causing the pants size not to fit so the pelvis is fully exposed,

and the shirt containing breasts so huge they should be described as overwhelming even compared to ordinary women looked like it would burst at any moment.

The transformation from man to woman. I lose my breath at the beautiful appearance and figure that doesn’t even register the alienness of that sight.

No, no. This isn’t losing my breath at beauty or anything, but my breath being blocked by overwhelming fear.

I’ve never met this woman before, but I know her. This woman is none other than Sai’s true form.

I should pretend not to know. I must pretend not to know. Even if she just spoke to me earlier in the Sai voice I know, I fucking don’t know anything.

As I helplessly just opened and closed my mouth, unable to even grab my pounding heart, Sai smiled fiercely enough to reveal her canine teeth and said.

“Should I say nice to meet you for the first time? Or I’m glad you’re safe, Deputy Chief- which should I say? What do you think, Deputy Chief?

Ah! It’s okay to pretend not to know – but if you try to run away like usual, something terrible will happen to you.”

Isn’t it a bit too much to not even let me pretend not to know, damn it… I squeezed my eyes shut.