I Became a Police Officer in a Superhero Genre

Morning came. It was the day of the interview forcibly arranged by the Police Commissioner.

Thinking about it, this interview was truly terrible. The higher-ups had decided to use a criminal bastard for their own benefit, so they were using the police, or more precisely, my fame, to wrap up their dirty work.

At the same time, it was a shitty move that insulted the Special Investigation Team members who had been working hard to arrest Justice, despite the fact that fellow police officers had been killed.

Team Leader Yagi said that if Park Su is selected as an official hero, even if we find evidence that this guy is the criminal Justice, it’s obvious that the higher-ups will cover it up and pretend not to know, considering public opinion.

And as I looked into it more, I found out that the government, or rather those above, seemed to think it would be bad to drag this out, so they were planning to officially appoint him as a hero within two days after the interview.

Perhaps because of knowing this, there was a heavy atmosphere among the Special Investigation Team members who came to the station. Some were gritting their teeth in frustration, and others were looking at me with stern gazes.

They’re probably not looking kindly at me, who got a special promotion and then came to interview that bastard at the Police Commissioner’s request. In a way, I’m the one trying to blow this whole case apart right now.

The fact that I’m trying to overturn the situation is only known to Yagi, who proposed working with me, saying it would be dangerous if too many people knew. So I can understand those colleagues’ gazes, but-

Well, what do I care? There’s something even scarier looking at me right now than those glares.

“It’s an official interview, but you’re not wearing your uniform?”

“I sent it to the dry cleaners.”

Sai approached me as soon as I arrived at work, asking. On the surface, she looked displeased with the situation like the people around, but if you looked closely, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was the expression of a deputy who didn’t know how to react to my shitty situation, unable to laugh or cry. But knowing what I know, the meaning behind that slightly raised corner of her mouth was clear.

She’s enjoying this. That damn bitch. I put a cigarette in my mouth for the first time in a while and chewed hard on the filter. As I forced a smile on my face, Sai’s face suddenly turned blue- fuck, that’s scary.

I quickly turned my gaze away. For a moment, Sai’s face had slowly relaxed like a blooming flower, her eyes glowing blue, and it was scarier than any horror movie I’d ever seen.

“Deputy Chief. There’s one thing I’d like to ask-”

Sai’s mouth slowly opened and words began to leak out. I had a feeling that the end of that question would definitely not be good.

If she’s asking in that state, she’s probably going to ask if I remember. I stiffened my facial muscles to try to pretend I didn’t remember no matter what.

I definitely tried to, but maybe because I was startled earlier, my facial muscles weren’t moving well.

Oh, how should I brush this off? Should I interrupt her? As I was watching her open her mouth while anxiously chewing on the cigarette in my mouth, a familiar old man smell stung my nose.

I turned around quickly and saw the captain approaching from behind, his shiny bald head glowing like a halo under the fluorescent lights.

“Captain!”

“… Did you eat something wrong? Why are you so happy to see me? … Whatever. Hey Sai, I need to talk to this guy for a bit, so give us some space.”

“Yes!”

Sai responded to the captain’s request with a friendly smile. As Sai left, I put my hand on the captain’s shoulder and said sincerely:

“Captain, have I ever told you that I actually respect you?”

“You idiot.”

Even when I say I respect him, this bald old man acts like this.

The small flame of respect that had gently risen flickered out. I clicked my tongue as the captain waved a cigarette, gesturing for us to go smoke. I quietly followed him, as I was really craving a cigarette too.

I lit the cigarette I had been holding in my mouth as usual and took the first drag. Maybe because it had been so long since I’d smoked tobacco, I felt like my lungs were turning inside out for a moment.

“Cough! Hack! Ah, damn it!”

My head was telling me to quit, saying what’s the point of smoking like this, but my body honestly said fuck off and put the cigarette back in my mouth.

I guess my body matches me well since I make a living with my body. As I put the smoke back into my lungs, I suddenly glanced at the captain.

That man wasn’t doing his usual routine of asking for a cigarette or cursing at the higher-ups while lighting up at the smoking area. He was just looking at me with a troubled face. Curious about his behavior, I asked:

“… Is something wrong?”

“Hey Mun-su.”

The captain spoke in a low voice unlike his usual self. I waited for his words, wondering why he was acting like this, and the captain spoke as if spitting out the words while putting a cigarette in his mouth.

“I know what you and Team Leader Yagi are trying to do. Hey Mun-su. It won’t work. The more famous you’ve become among people, the more people up there who hate you.”

“Even among our colleagues, there are many who are jealous of you. If you mess up this interview too, they’ll really try to bury you. The company might even decide to completely sink you. Hey, I’m serious. You’re in a dangerous situation.”

The captain seemed genuinely worried about me. I was puzzled how he knew what Team Leader Yagi had said, but then I figured it’s not strange for someone with his years of police experience to figure it out.

It’s unusual for this guy who usually lives without using his brain. As I looked at the captain with a cigarette in my mouth, he let out a deep sigh and continued speaking.

“Team Leader Yagi is a dangerous woman. I don’t know what she wants. I don’t know what kind of connections she has with the higher-ups, but- I really don’t know what she’s doing.

Even if she works for someone, the way that woman does things doesn’t add up. For such a woman to propose working with you- there must be some other motive.”

“Mun-su. Turn a blind eye. That Justice bastard won’t last long either. No matter what shit the higher-ups are trying to pull, they won’t keep a guy like that around for long. So.

Just pretend not to know, for now, just for a little while. Everyone else is doing it. Everyone’s doing it. Fuck… they say the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, but to survive you shouldn’t get hammered, right?”

The captain gave truly rational and realistic advice. His words were correct. Even I wouldn’t normally think of overturning this interview no matter what the team leader said.

Isn’t it obvious that I’d be taking the fall alone or getting screwed over?

But fuck, the person behind our team leader isn’t a politician, but a terrifying monster. This won’t end with just taking the fall, damn it.

“If I don’t do it, I’ll die.”

I was surprised by the words that came out of my mouth without me realizing, but I confirmed that Yagi, Sai, and other people weren’t visible around us.

I knew our conversation wouldn’t leak outside. Since it had come to this, I decided to vent the complaints I hadn’t been able to express until now to this man.

“If it’s going to be like this, why don’t they just accept my transfer request? Fuck, you think I’m doing this shit because I want to? I’m doing it reluctantly too.

I really feel wronged. I have no money, no car, and fuck, I had to have coffee with that bastard just a day after being discharged from the hospital, but I should at least curse at that bastard, otherwise I can’t live with how unfair this is.”

“……”

The captain looks at me with an incredulous face. Yeah, I’d be incredulous too if I heard someone complaining and then saying they’d go curse and come back even if the result is shitty.

“… You’re really something else, you bastard. Well, I thought you’d do something like this when I saw you wearing your work clothes instead of your uniform. You’re really a tough bastard.”

“I don’t have my uniform because I sent it to the dry cleaners.”

“Bullshit.”

The captain let out a deep sigh and lit a cigarette. He spoke weakly, as if he had given up thinking:

“Then live, you bastard. Hang in there. If a guy like you is a cop- then fuck, I might feel a bit relieved even when I retire and become a neighborhood uncle.”

“Your hair seems to have already gone to the back room though.”

I was just stating a fact, but the captain lunged at me, threatening to burn my thick hair with his lighter. This baldy really has a nasty personality to match his baldness.

I complained while rubbing the slightly singed ends of my hair. I checked the time and saw that the damn interview time was approaching quickly.

With a gun I had secretly taken from the armory with the captain’s help tucked in my chest, I quietly left a message for Mina – no, New Hope.

Now- let’s go wag our tongue a bit. I slowly stretched my neck.

The place where I was supposed to interview Justice, or rather Park Su, was none other than the park right in front of Gangdong Police Station.

The purpose of having the interview in such a place was easy to read.

They probably want to take photos of the official hero candidate frontrunner together with the currently most famous police officer [I want to rip off this damn name tag right now] to somehow sway public opinion in that bastard’s favor.

That’s why they set up the interview in a park where many people walk around.

Evidence of this was that several people with mugunghwa badges came by to give “encouragement” [threats] to do the interview cleanly today before leaving. I pretended to yawn while rolling my eyes to scan the surroundings.

Many people had gathered around the interview site.

In addition to citizens, there were people in uniforms with mugunghwa flowers, gold badge members of the National Assembly, police officers standing guard, and plainclothes police officers with familiar faces among the citizens.

Did they gather all these police officers because they know how dangerous Park Su is and are worried citizens might be in danger, or is it because there are important people here?

I hoped it was for the former reason, but I’d be an idiot to trust those crazy bastards who dragged most of the Special Investigation Team detectives away saying they were going on a trip.

Thinking that, as I rolled my eyes, a familiar flight jacket and someone wearing a hat pulled low caught my attention.

A short girl wearing a black mask as if to match colors and a hat pulled low over her face waved her hand when our eyes met, but when I glared at her, she quietly lowered her hand.

What, is that all she did for disguise – just zipping up her jacket, wearing a hat and mask? Does she really think that counts as a disguise?

I was dumbfounded, but even more dumbfounding was that the people around didn’t notice anything strange about that weird-looking kid.

…Alright, let’s not think about it too deeply. What’s important now is that New Hope is solidly watching my back.

New Hope has gotten even stronger recently. Even if Park Su gets pissed off and tries to kill me, she can move faster than that bastard lunges at me and take down that idiot.

Let’s keep our spirits up since we have such backup. I’ve also prepared a secret move in case of the worst, so it should be fine.

“Hello everyone! Are you feeling anxious these days? Superpower users are committing crimes, and dangerous incidents are increasing. What do we need in times like this?

Yes, that’s right. You all know, don’t you? What we need to defeat supervillains with superpowers is – superheroes!”

“So today! We’ll have a time to learn about the current government official hero candidate, Candidate Park Su, who’s at the center of attention, together with Inspector Lee Mun-su, the symbol of integrity!”

The female host raised her voice as if it was time, and I saw the camera in front of me light up and start rolling.

What? The most important person, Park Su, isn’t here yet, what the hell- Just then, I heard the sound of something cutting through the air, and with a thud! Park Su revealed himself with a superhero landing.

People marveled at his showy entrance, and Park Su responded to their cheers with a seemingly friendly smile.

Ah- looking closely, his face was slightly contorted. The superhero landing might look cool on the outside, but it must hurt the knees.

He’s just putting on airs. Mina often strikes that pose too, but she’s young so her joints are sturdy and flexible, but this guy isn’t.

I snorted at that stupid display and observed the guy’s appearance.

Brown hair and a weasel-like face. Superpower users often undergo physical changes, and in this guy’s case, it seems the change to his body was the unpleasant-looking pattern engraved on his face.

The pattern engraved on his face was slowly writhing in an unpleasant shape, like a snake.

Moreover, I said he had a seemingly friendly smile, but a more fitting description for that smile would be an awkward and uneasy smile.

“It’s nice to meet you! I’m Park Su, the government’s official superhero candidate!”

“Yes~! We heard your energetic greeting! Seeing such an energetic and cool greeting, I can already imagine how reassuring it would be if this person becomes a hero~! Now, let’s have a Q&A session with Candidate Park Su-”

Oh for fuck’s sake. They said they’d interview me too, but they didn’t even give me a microphone and are just patting each other on the back with the host. The microphone they gave me doesn’t even have power?

As expected, you have to give it to the higher-ups for being petty. I watched for a while as the host and Park Su bastard recited a script full of self-praise while smiling, then.

I forcibly snatched the microphone the host was holding. The female host was flustered by my sudden outburst.

There was also a commotion among the higher-ups watching from outside, but I ignored all- those reactions and smiled at Park Su.

“That’s really a wonderful resolution. Candidate Park Su. If someone like Candidate Park Su is chosen as an official hero, our country will surely become safer!”

At my words, Park Su feigned a surprised face, but soon that face changed to one of unbearable joy and excitement.

“Thank you! I’m at a loss for words hearing that from the righteous Detective Lee Mun-su! Let’s protect the justice of this country together!”

“Yes. Let’s work hard together.”

Park Su extended his hand for a handshake. I grasped his hand too. Then I spoke the words I had originally intended to say.

“I’m really glad. Honestly, I’m relieved that someone like you, Mr. Park Su, is a candidate. If that trash – Justice – who was a candidate before had remained a candidate, it would have been a real disaster.”

Flinch. There’s a reaction as soon as I poke him a little. I glanced over to where New Hope was again. New Hope was sharpening her red eyes under her hat, ready to stop whatever might happen immediately.

Has there ever been a time in my life when Mina was this reliable? It’s a cliché that heroes become more reliable as they grow, but why is it a cliché? Because it’s cool, that’s why it’s a cliché.

But didn’t I trust her during the Human Center incident too, only to find out later that she really couldn’t use her powers and we almost went to the afterlife together?

For a moment, anxiety tried to rear its head in my mind, but I still have work to do. I slowly started to sprinkle the bait while shaking hands with Park Su.

“Isn’t that bastard really disgusting? His actions are petty, his strength is weaker than New Hope’s. And what’s with the name Justice? If such a tacky name had been chosen as our country’s official hero, it would have been a national embarrassment, right?”

The guy was maintaining his smiling face, but contrary to that, the strength in his hand was getting stronger and stron- fuck, it really hurts.

I quickly pulled my arm away. Sitting down with a face pretending not to know anything, I continued speaking.

“And you know what? Do you know why that bastard only kills thugs and gangsters? A profiler said that there’s a high possibility it’s because he was beaten like a dog by thugs in the past?”

“How petty is that- if he hadn’t luckily become a superpower user, he would have just been someone getting beaten up by those guys, but now he’s taking revenge as he pleases and babbling about justice while showing off, how irritating~”

“Uh, Detective?”

The host was flustered and the surroundings started to stir.

Hmm, I’m pretty good at speaking in an infuriating tone. I’m doing so well that even I’m surprised. It was very surprising, but there was something even more surprising. This guy. Contrary to my expectations, he didn’t immediately lose his mind and lunge at me.

I thought this bastard would get pissed off and try to kill me just from this much, but this guy was just turning red and trembling, not attacking me.

He attacks tow truck YouTubers every day and uploads videos bragging about it, but considering his personality, I don’t understand why he’s enduring like this-

I continued my train of thought while tapping the armrest of the chair with my finger. What could really piss this bastard off?

A guy with no friends, bad relationships with his family, and no acquaintances. Low self-esteem but a strong desire to be recognized, and violent tendencies.

What words could such a guy absolutely not endure? – Ah, there is one. There’s one thing guys like this absolutely can’t stand.

I dropped my smiling face. Then I leaned forward slightly and looked into his eyes. Facing the brown eyes trembling with anger, I spoke.

“Why? To become a hero, you need to have some class. That bastard – he’s just too petty, isn’t he?”

“What? H-How dare, how dare you! I’ll k-kill you. Unforgivable! How dare you say such nonsense to me!!”

As if his patience had finally reached its limit, Park Su stood up, revealing his killing intent.

The cameras are still rolling and him reacting to these words is like confessing that he’s Justice, so I’ve achieved my goal with this. I can see the higher-ups in the surroundings turning pale and trying to run away. Those cowards running away as soon as that lunatic gets angry look like they’d be less brave than rats, fuck.

I turned my gaze away from that ugly sight. Now, if New Hope just kicks this bastard and slams him to the ground, the case is over.

Thinking that, I leisurely pulled the host towards me and threw her out of the area prepared for the interview. I rolled my eyes to New Hope who was about to rush over immediately- what the hell is that?

Crash! Thud! Bang!!!

“KIIIIIAaaaaa!!!!!”

“What?!”

Suddenly, abnormal beings attacked New Hope. Three bizarre monsters that barely retained human form lunged at New Hope and sent her flying far away.

Right after, a cold ice wall was erected as if to divide the interview site and the other police officers. I and Park Su, and the police officers outside were separated by the huge ice wall.

The situation unfolded so suddenly that even I, who witnessed everything, couldn’t understand what was going on. While I was dumbfounded like that. Park Su, no, Justice approached.

The tattoo-like thing on his face started to turn red and spread all over his body like vines on a wall, and as the red tattoos spread across his entire body, his body looked as if it had been dyed red like blood.

“It’s just as that guy said. Lee Mun-su. I heard that you bastard would insult me and mock justice. And I also heard that the time would come for the execution of justice like this.”

“It’s sad. I thought you were a truly righteous police officer. If you had been a proper policeman, I even thought about accepting you as a sidekick. But nevermind. I need to kill you corrupt bastard and let this world know that true justice has arrived.”

Justice babbled nonsense while laughing. I looked at him. Beyond the ice wall, I could hear gunshots and the sounds of New Hope fighting those mutant-looking creatures.

So. To summarize, it’s this.

“Well, it wouldn’t be my life if things were resolved easily.”

I had expected things to go to shit again from the start anyway. If you spend three years in a village school you can recite poetry, and if you spend three months in the Special Investigation Team you get used to things going to shit.

First thing when I get back, I should submit my retirement application. I thought that while watching Justice approach.