23 – A Gift Just for Her (3)
It was baffling.
My mind was filled with nothing but question marks.
If I were to express this with text, it would be filled to the brim with “??????????”
She, of all people… The Ex Machina who the whole world was curious of…
“You’re far from being an old person
Behind her, numerous monitors emitted light, casting a shadow over her shaded face.
“Unfortunately, I’m not as young as you all seem to think.”
“So, a legal loli…?”
“Handler, was this your original character?”
X Makina slightly furrowed her small face, as if encountering something unpleasant.
But it couldn’t be helped.
The X Makina in my mind was either a sophisticated man with rimless glasses or a seasoned old man who ruled the cyber world, despite his age, depending on the perspective.
“She’s been helping us as a hero for a while now.”
An abrupt interjection from Team Leader Lee Taeseok.
X Makina nodded, clenching her fist.
“We were able to apprehend Ruina, all thanks to her.”
“Is that so, Ruina?”
“Surely you didn’t say, ‘Catch me if you can,’ right? But when I felt like getting caught, Team Leader and the gentlemen in suits suddenly showed up.”
“When Ruina was captured, I immediately tracked her with all nearby electronic devices.”
“I see.”
Indeed, the world now is filled with CCTV, black boxes, and security cameras everywhere.
For X Makina, each of them was nothing but eyes.
“…………Hmm?”
Just a moment.
Immediate tracking if Ruina is caught?
Does that mean the method is still effective now?
“Um, Exmachina?”
“Drop the honorifics, I’m not someone being honored.”
“Then Exmachina. Have you been tracking Ruina recently?”
“Hohoho. So, you’re asking about that. Clever.”
Exmachina gives a gleeful smirk.
“It must have been strange, right? There were no strategic crisis response teams in the bank, but as soon as Ruina started doing something, they swarmed in.”
“Ah! I knew it!?”
I definitely thought it was strange.
There’s no way they could see inside the bank from the outside.
It’s about the time when agents came in with good timing, just as Ruina was about to destroy the villain’s head.
“There are lots of high-quality CCTV cameras in the bank. Some of them even have voice recording. A real plus.”
“So the agents could keep following Ruina’s movements…”
“It’s all thanks to her.”
Team leader Lee Tae Seok firmly reiterated it.
“I’m just asking just in case… Did you keep spying on us at our home?”
“Unfortunately, that’s incorrect. You asked for respect of your privacy, didn’t you? Then it must be respected.”
I don’t exactly know why it’s disappointing, but anyway, that’s the case?
Just till this morning, Ruina and I were about to make love.
The heavy uneasiness welling up in my chest was effortlessly washed away.
“What are they talking about? Our house?”
Ruina squeezed in between me and Exmachina, smiling mischievously.
But the atmosphere coming from her was the same heavy one I felt when I met Si-eun.
No matter how tough the opponent may seem, if it’s a woman, you have to be cautious and watchful…….
“I asked if our daily lives are being monitored.”
“hehehe. Is it because of the adorable sight of us lovey-dovey lovebirds?”
Ruina snuggled up against my arm, wiggling around.
“I’m sorry, but we’re not kids, and we don’t have those kinds of hobbies. Your lovey-dovey, which doesn’t even involve having s*x, seems quite dull to me.”
“Se, s*x!?”
W-What, what is this sudden nonsense!
Didn’t they confidently say just earlier that they weren’t spying on our house!?
Caught between surprise and embarrassment, I stammered, like a golden fish, and Exmachina placed their chin on the back of their hand, giving me a solemn look.
“Based on the electronic commerce records, there have been zero purchases of adult items including condoms. Just by looking at this result, it’s clear, so don’t act so self-important, handler.”
“C, condoms….”
“Or what else? Are both of you into extreme thrills?”
“No way!!”
Without realizing it, I blurted out a heroic line, like a powerful and noble hero in my mind.
Ah, the image of the heroic figure in my head.
Little did I know that I would end up being a straightforward and sarcastic little rascal…….
From Noble mtl dot com
Following Luina, it was another moment where imagination shattered.
“Let’s slowly get to the main point.”
The ambiguous atmosphere tinged with a bit of eros was subdued by Team Leader Lee Tae-seok.
“Ex-machina. Get ready.”
“Roger roger. It’s tiring dealing with humans after such a long time.”
His tone suggested that he found computers more familiar than humans.
Ex-Machina swivelled the central office chair, facing the array of monitors.
No matter how one looked at it, it was undoubtedly an astonishing sight.
Dozens of monitors each displaying different information and images in a complex manner.
This scene was like a futuristic secret base right out of famous old hero comics.
Even though the hero herself was far from the classical image of a hero, the space she was occupying made the heart of a hero-otaku flutter involuntarily.
“Have you been living here all this time?”
“No way.”
As soon as the question was asked over the backrest of the big chair, Ex-Machina was tapping the keyboard rapidly in response.
“Even I would be tracked down if I stayed too long in one place. Since I’m a hero who uses electronic warfare, maintaining security is a matter of life and death. So, I have several safe rooms scattered around.”
“There are several such places ……”
Top-tier heroes were said to earn an amount that makes the ten million won I would be paid laughable.
Judging from this cutting-edge scene or Ex-Machina’s words, it appeared to be true.
“Okay, multiple roundabout connections to the communication network have been set up.”
Ex-Machina, clicking the enter key with a triumphant tap!
At that moment, the monitors combined into one large screen, displaying the English word, “COMPLETED.”
“Team leader, what exactly have you prepared?”
“As I told you, it’s a means of communication even when you’re apart.”
I think it’s better not to ask him anything.
If we ask, we only incite more curiosity.
“Alright, let’s redistribute.”
In the meantime, Ex Machina had turned to face us again.
In her petite hands were a single silver ring and a pair of earrings.
“Accessories?”
“Is this a gift?”
Luina and I spoke simultaneously as we peered down at the items.
“Yes, that’s right. These are custom-made products just made for you — the only ones of their kind in the world.”
It was clear that the ring was for me.
The earrings seemed to be for Luina.
In Luina’s case, she couldn’t really adorn anything else with her hands.
“Are these accessories by any chance a communication means?”
“Correct for now. Try wearing them, and then we can talk more.”
“Honey, let me put the ring on for you.”
“Ah, alright.”
Luina, holding the ring, takes my left hand.
Sure enough.
Her delicate hand, now adorned with a ring, wore it on the fourth finger.
It was as if the ring had been made to perfectly fit my ring finger.
“Ahahahaha. It would have been better if it were a couple ring.”
Ruina reddened her cheeks with delight, although there was an undertone of bitterness in her words.
“Look at it. It’s so cute. Isn’t it?”
She then asked, her earring shimmering in silver.
Ordinarily, it would be the accessories that would enhance one’s appearance.
However, the beautiful girl before me doesn’t really need any accessories to accentuate her beauty.
That is to say, the cute one here is not the earring, but
“You are the cute one.”
“Ah, eh, ehehehe♡”
At that, Ruina let out her unique giggle and leaned into my embrace.
And then, beyond that.
Whether it’s true that we don’t really care for each other’s sweet moments.
Ex Machina made a perplexed expression that seemed to imply ‘stop fooling around and hurry it up.’
“So what is this?”
“Seeing is believing.”
Someone once told me a proverb, and Ex Macina said it again, snapping her fingers.
And at that moment.
I felt a brief tingling sensation, as if being electrocuted.
Was Louisna also feeling the same in her arms?
She quickly averted her face from mine and blinked her eyes.
“What… Did I just get shocked…?”
“Huh, huh?”
“!?!?”
“Huh…. Right now, your voice is in my head….”
It was certain.
Louisna’s thoughts were reaching me.
And my thoughts were being transmitted to Louisna.
Like telepathy.