Chapter 419: War on Crime(1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 419: War on Crime(1)
“Guys, I think I have to go.”
Back at the library.
Returning inside, I gave the three girls a brief explanation of the phone call I’d just had with Chan-woo.
“Ugh, Jeong Chan-woo.”
Yoo Ah-rin, Chan-woo’s childhood friend, immediately clutched her head and stood up.
“Let’s go. Do you know where that bastard is?”
“I’m going, but you aren’t.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder and firmly pressed her back down into her seat. I wondered if she’d resist, but she surprisingly let herself be pushed back down.
“I called Senior Ju-hee since her exams are over, and you know the Bald Man, right? The one who’s incredibly good at fighting. I called him separately, too.”
“…….”
“You still have exams left. So just stay here and study. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Once I said that, Yoo Ah-rin didn't seem to have any further rebuttal.
She’d promised her parents she would do well on her exams so she could continue her Neutube channel, so this exam period was quite important for her.
“What about me?”
Seo Ye-rin asked with a bright smile.
But of course, she was out of the question.
“I can barely protect myself; how could I possibly take you there?”
Besides, she was an actress.
Getting mixed up in something like this wouldn't be good for her image at all.
Choi I-seo listened to my story calmly before offering a brief opinion.
“Why don’t you just tell your father or your brother?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
“Uju Group to the rescue!”
“I thought about it, but… I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Naturally, my first thought had been Uju Group.
In fact, I’d even told Chan-woo as much.
However, Uju Group was currently going through a period of massive upheaval.
With my big brother taking over the reins, many things were in flux.
If some unnecessary scandal rubbed off on the company because of me, it could hinder my brother as he tried to establish his foundation.
When you’re in a high position, there are always people looking for any excuse to pull you down.
It’s a world where even things that aren't flaws can be packaged as such.
“Besides, I’m taking two people who are basically the strongest beings in this world’s setting. So don’t worry too much.”
I spoke playfully with a smile, as if I were just going on a trip, and the expressions of the three girls finally softened.
They all knew very well just how strong Senior Ju-hee and the Bald Man were.
“I’ll be off then. I’ve finished all the exams I had for today.”
“Don’t get hurt. We still have to go on our trip.”
“Right, of course.”
“Woo-jina! In a desperate situation, remember what I taught you! Swish! Swish-swish! You little sh*t!”
“…….”
“Don’t fight, just run away. That’s the right move. Got it?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Do you want to die right here?”
She didn't mind when Yoo Ah-rin teased her by calling her 'Mom' earlier, but now…
Anyway, after a quick goodbye, I stepped out of the library to find Senior Ju-hee waiting for me, her baseball bat resting on her shoulder and her Dragon Padded Jacket thrown on.
She looked thoroughly excited.
“Where are we going? Who do I need to crush?”
“Didn't you say you hated fighting, Senior?”
“……I don’t get many chances to show my usefulness.”
I thought she’d shown it plenty already, but apparently, that was nothing to her.
I could still vividly see the image of her neutralizing President Hwang in an instant.
“First of all, put that thing somewhere. People are staring.”
If she were just holding a bat, it might be one thing, but wearing that Dragon Padded Jacket on top of it made her look like a literal gangster.
In the end, Seo Ye-rin came out and offered to look after the bat for a while.
“Sniff, sniff. I think I smell blood on this!”
“No way. I cleaned it with bleach.”
“Whoa, has it actually been covered in blood before?!”
“…….”
“Woo-jina, it suddenly feels really heavy!”
“Just go back inside.”
“Hehe, I am Min Ju-hee! I am Captain Ju!”
Seo Ye-rin pranced back into the library, brandishing the baseball bat.
I heard later that she was immediately subdued by Yoo Ah-rin for acting up like that.
“So, where are we headed?”
Feeling empty-handed, Senior Ju-hee shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her Dragon Padded Jacket and asked.
“I need to find Chan-woo, but he hasn't been answering his phone for a while.”
“Then what? Is there a way to find him?”
“There is. From what I heard, he didn't go to the karaoke bar yesterday because he wanted to; he was dragged there by seniors from the Department of Architectural Engineering.”
“Aha.”
The grin that spread across Senior Ju-hee’s face suggested that they’d picked the wrong person to mess with.
“I’ve been looking for a chance ever since those 'Anonymous 300' bastards started polluting the Bamboo Forest.”
“Wow, what a coincidence.”
I felt the same way.
Our footsteps toward the Department of Architectural Engineering were incredibly light.
* * *
The Department of Architectural Engineering.
On the Bamboo Forest, they were relegated to the 300s, but with the arrival of the freshmen, those numbers hadn't meant much since the start of this year.
The previous manager had organized the numbers meticulously, but I hadn't bothered because it was too much work.
Because of that, CE students were often seen in the 400s lately.
Anyway.
They were the bastards who would spam the Bamboo Forest with announcements whenever Popo started her broadcast.
The so-called Circumcision Squad.
Popo’s fandom actually had a separate name, 'Porori,' but on the Bamboo Forest, they were usually called the Circumcision Squad.
As in, a bunch of guys who’d been circumcised.
“No, I told you, we can’t do that.”
We were currently in the CE teaching assistant’s office.
The TAs, busy because of the exam period, seemed flustered by our sudden intrusion.
“Why not? Just do it, quickly. You must have a group chat for CE announcements. Tell everyone who went to the karaoke bar yesterday to come here immediately.”
“No, that’s—”
“And add that those beta males who played around with girls at the karaoke bar should hurry up and get their asses over here.”
Despite my simple and concise request—as if I were ordering at a restaurant—the TA looked troubled.
“For a student from another department to suddenly show up and demand something so out of the blue……”
“You know Jeong Chan-woo, right? He’s involved in this.”
“I’d like to verify that too, but we can’t get a hold of him.”
“Well, if we could get a hold of him, we wouldn't be here. Why are you being so difficult?”
“Sigh, I’m frustrated too. It’s weird to ask the department group chat who went to a karaoke bar and played with girls yesterday. People have their privacy.”
“Well, then they should have lived their lives without doing things they’re ashamed of.”
The conversation was going in circles. He clearly didn't like a student from another department barging in and making demands.
“…….”
Senior Ju-hee stood behind me with her arms crossed.
Her menacing gaze was doing its best to instill some manners into the man.
If I’d been alone, I might have been kicked out long ago.
Senior Ju-hee looked ready to growl and use force at any moment.
“Fine. I guess I’ll have to do it myself.”
I hadn't wanted to go this far.
I pulled out my phone and made a call.
“Hey, yeah. Where are you now? No, it’s nothing major.”
“If you’re going to be on the phone, please step outside.”
“Geez, how rude.”
“Hey, keep it down. That’s him.”
I heard muttering from the people around me. Ignoring them, I finished the call, and a moment later…
“E-Excuse me!”
The TA who’d been saying no earlier hurriedly called out to me and showed me his phone.
“Was that Popo you just talked to?!”
“Yeah.”
What appeared on his phone was the CE department-wide group chat.
And there, Popo—that is, Bae Ji-hye—had posted the following:
Naturally, the impact was massive.
The CE men were practically cult-like followers of Popo.
To have her directly mention a karaoke bar and playing with girls must have been a huge shock to them.
“Ah, no…… Sigh.”
The flustered TA sighed repeatedly before pouting and speaking up.
“Yesterday… I mean, I was hanging out with Chan-woo too.”
“So that’s why you were being so prickly? A TA going to a karaoke bar with students during finals week?”
“…….”
The TA lowered his head even further at my words.
Senior Ju-hee looked like she was ready to pounce and kill him right then and there.
“Where did you go?”
Senior Ju-hee’s voice dropped to a heavy, low tone. The atmosphere suggested that if he didn't answer, her fists would start flying.
“Ah, well…… actually—”
In the end, the TA began to explain in detail what had happened yesterday.
After hearing the whole story.
“And you guys.”
Senior Ju-hee pointed a finger at the CE TA and warned him.
“Stop spamming the Bamboo Forest. I’ll kill you, seriously.”
As expected of Captain Ju.
She’s terrifying.
* * *
“Hah, I can’t believe this.”
It was an entertainment district far enough from Gahyeon University that we had to take a taxi.
We arrived only after it had grown dark.
Seeing the rows of host bars and clubs nearby made things complicated in many ways.
It was like a street I’d only seen in Yakuza games was unfolding right before my eyes.
“I didn't know a place like this existed in Korea.”
As I marveled at the sight, Ahn Hyun-ho, who had come along, spoke up.
“Hey, you know what? I heard Senior Jin-ho and Senior Han-gang used to work here.”
“They worked here?”
“I heard they ran away after three days of being waiters. They were too scared.”
“Idiots.”
Those guys were really something else.
I hope they become decent human beings after going to the military.
“Aren't they both about to be assigned to their units soon?”
“They’re probably still at the training center. I got a letter asking me to come to their completion ceremony.”
“Why would you go there?”
“No, they asked me to bring a lot of girls. They want to show off to the other trainees.”
“I guess it’s too early for them to become decent humans.”
It seemed they hadn't fixed their old habits yet.
“Man, I don’t want to go to the military.”
“……Me neither.”
While Ahn Hyun-ho and I were venting our frustrations simultaneously, my phone rang.
It was Senior Ju-hee.
— Have you arrived?
“Yes. What about you, Senior?”
— Yeah, I’m here too. I’ll be there as soon as I park.
“Got it.”
Since she’d come on her bike, she needed to find a place to park.
We’d taken a taxi, so we didn't have that problem.
“Phew.”
As I hung up, I heard a heavy snort from behind me.
Turning my head slightly, I saw the Bald Man, already finished with his combat preparations, breathing like a bull.
“Seriously, he’s terrifying.”
“Is he going to suddenly drop his pants and ambush them?”
“Then you’d better spread your cheeks.”
“Shut up. You do it.”
“Eh, I’ll just run away. I’m faster than a chain-smoker like you.”
“Oh, you bastard. I’ll just trip you and run. You can’t do anything once I hit you with a leg sweep, right?”
“And what if I counter your leg sweep? I’ve been learning how to fight from Senior Ju-hee; I can brush that off easily.”
“Try it then.”
“You little sh*t.”
“Boys.”
The Bald Man grabbed our shoulders.
We both flinched, and the image training we’d been doing until a moment ago became completely meaningless.
“Where did you say it was?”
I’d never seen him this serious.
Completely intimidated, I immediately began to lead the way.
“W-We have a lot of places to go. First, it’s this way.”
An angry Bald Man was roughly three times stronger.
And if his opponent was a man, he was invincible.