Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Empty Lot
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Idol Choi Ji-hye used the self-defense technique she'd learned from Na Gang-in to hurl her attacker away. The guy swinging his fist at Choi Ji-hye went tumbling off to the side.
"You bitch!"
The man spat curses as he tried to scramble to his feet.
Park Soon-gi, a fellow gun arts student, charged in, wrenched the man's arm, and slammed him back down onto the pavement. Sprawled out on the road, the man kept cursing.
"Urk. Y-you bastard! Who the hell are you?!"
"Yeah. Police."
Park Soon-gi slapped handcuffs onto the man's arm.
Idol Choi Ji-hye remained in her low stance, arms thrust straight out. She relaxed her form and swung her arms around wildly.
"How long ago did I start learning self-defense, and I'm already this good? Is this the power of talent? Maybe I should've become a fighter instead of an idol."
Another great idea popped into her head.
"No, wait. How about an idol who fights? Hehehe."
Na Gang-in walked past Choi Ji-hye and said,
"Don't. You'll get hurt."
"Yes, sir."
Na Gang-in approached the man and thrust the shattered phone right in his face.
"Why'd Soo-yeon run when she saw you? Must've been a good reason. Did you pull a knife or something? Why? Did she catch you stealing the laptop?"
"Gasp!"
"She didn't have time to grab the phone she dropped because you kept chasing her."
"N-no, that's not it. I just picked it up to give back later."
"The phone's smashed."
"It broke when it hit the ground!"
"You stepped on this phone five times. On purpose, to smash it completely. Didn't want to leave any evidence behind."
Na Gang-in nailed the exact count. The man deluded himself into thinking Na Gang-in had watched the whole thing from somewhere.
"T-that..."
"Yeah. That's not what's important right now."
Na Gang-in lifted his foot. He looked ready to boot the guy if he didn't answer.
"Where's Soo-yeon?"
Park Soon-gi shouted in a panic.
"Master! This guy's not some tough international mercenary. One angry kick from you, and he's dead!"
Park Soon-gi meant it. The man picked up on the cop's alarm. He'd just felt Na Gang-in's terrifying strength firsthand.
Terrified he might actually die, the man finally spilled the truth.
"I-I did chase her! But she vanished around there all of a sudden, so I couldn't follow anymore. I was just trying to get out of the school. It's true!"
Na Gang-in said to police officer Park Soon-gi,
"This creep stole the laptop from the event hall and was trying to slip out of school. Evidence is in his car, so that'll do for arrest."
"We can nab him just for attacking Ji-hye."
"Then he's yours. I'm off to find Soo-yeon."
Na Gang-in bolted to the spot where Kwon Soo-yeon had vanished.
Two buildings stood there. The gap between wasn't too narrow—plenty of room for people to pass.
But something unfamiliar blocked the entrance.
"I had a feeling something like this wasn't here before."
A pillar plastered with signs and sculptures had been installed at the passageway mouth. It narrowed the entry too much for anyone to squeeze through.
"Did the school block it on purpose so students couldn't pass?"
The space between pillar and building was too tight for a normal person.
"No way that thief got through. But Kwon Soo-yeon's skin and bones. Ji-in-ah?"
"If she squeezed through like that, her clothes could've snagged."
Na Gang-in flicked on his smartphone light, shining it on protruding screws midway up the pillar.
"Someone hurried through and snagged their clothes. Matches what Soo-yeon was wearing?"
"Then Soo-yeon came through here."
Na Gang-in gripped the sign-covered pillar and hauled himself up. He crested the top in seconds, then hopped lightly to the far side.
He scanned the alley as he walked. Straight ahead led behind the buildings. No pillars blocking that end.
"Blocked just the one side to stop passage."
The left building was shorter. Midway down the alley, its wall ended, revealing a retaining wall beyond.
A narrow slit separated the left building from the retaining wall—barely person-wide. Something familiar tugged at him from that gap.
"Ji-in-ah. Traces here?"
Na Gang-in slipped into the gap.
The passage widened abruptly into a small empty lot.
Kwon Soo-yeon lay collapsed in the center.
Na Gang-in rushed over and touched her body.
She was ice-cold. Pulse faint. He called her name.
"Kwon Soo-yeon!"
Kwon Soo-yeon cracked her eyes and gazed at Na Gang-in. She managed a feeble smile.
"Gang-in... I knew you'd come here..."
She trailed off, eyes closing. Her head lolled sideways.
"Huh? Soo-yeon? Soo-yeon!"
"Whew. Gave me a scare. Thought she was gone."
Na Gang-in phoned Park Soon-gi.
"Found her."
- As expected of Master Na!
"Victim's in bad shape. No trauma, but send an ambulance."
He shoved the phone upside-down into his front pocket on speaker, explained his position, and carried Kwon Soo-yeon out in both arms. Through the tight gap, he kept her body from scraping the walls.
Clear of the passage, the ambulance rolled up.
"Ambulance got here fast."
Kwon Dong-jin came running too.
"Huff huff. Here's our... Heuk! S-Soo-yeon!"
Kwon Dong-jin had called 119 after police report, so the ambulance arrived right on cue.
Na Gang-in passed Kwon Soo-yeon to the paramedics.
Kwon Dong-jin hovered anxiously.
"Easy! My girl's in pain! Any jolt could be bad!"
"Yes, sir. Taking care."
Paramedics loaded Kwon Soo-yeon aboard, then asked,
"Guardian riding along? One only."
"Damn right!"
Kwon Dong-jin climbed in.
Na Gang-in asked Kwon Dong-jin,
"Nearby hospital?"
"Ah, Soo-yeon's friend. Thanks. I'll call later."
"If close, I'll swing by."
"No, not here—her doctor's hospital. Head there!"
Doors shut. Kwon Dong-jin rode off without the hospital name.
Na Gang-in exhaled.
"Phew."
"Yeah. Made it in time."
Na Gang-in turned back.
The spot where he'd found Kwon Soo-yeon felt oddly familiar. Her final words echoed.
'Gang-in. I knew you'd come here...'
"She knew I'd come straight here. How? Why?"
The path to the lot felt familiar too.
Investigate informant Kwon Soo-yeon.
"Yeah. Gotta ask her myself. But to grill her on that spot's connection to me, she needs to recover first."
"That's the plan. Didn't catch the hospital name, though."
Police officer Park Soon-gi approached.
"Knew you'd find the victim fast, Master Na."
"Luck."
"Haha. I know some of your exploits, Master—ain't luck."
Na Gang-in pivoted.
"Who was that guy? Why snag the laptop?"
"Figuring that out now. Event hall? Must be pandemonium without the presentation laptop."
Cha Ji-hee wasn't the only one—the next presenter prepping also freaked when the presentation laptop vanished.
Middle events wrapped. Time for next speech. First up: Iron Man Arsenal design team lead Cha Ji-hee.
Cha Ji-hee said,
"Can't stall or the whole event tanks. I'll wing it onstage."
Staffer asked,
"How...?"
"Give it my all."
Only onstage did Cha Ji-hee spot another issue.
'Oh. Division head's here. Dead.'
She tensed harder, explaining the research.
"Over the past year, Korea University and Iron Man Arsenal's industry-academia partnership drove this project. Tangible results now..."
Laptopless, she needed visuals to grip attention sans screen.
She paced the stage, demoing. Swept arms wide for graphs, bare-handed rifle aim for gear talk.
Long performance-style pitch. Applause thundered at end.
Cha Ji-hee slicked back sweat-matted hair, eyed Lee Tae-seong's spot. Lights blinded; front row only visible.
'No read on reaction.'
She stepped down.
Next presenter ghost-white. Laptop still MIA, Cha Ji-hee aced it. Direct compare-fest incoming.
Back at her seat, she subtly awaited division head praise.
Lee Tae-seong said,
"What gives? Solo circus sans visuals?"
Cha Ji-hee deflated a bit.
"Someone swiped the presentation laptop."
"Company secrets on it?"
"Nah. Presentation was our firm's commission to the school lab—not steal-worthy. Incomplete research, no core files anyway."
Alum Cha Ji-hee led that collab, so she presented.
Her successor floundered onstage. Script screen-reliant; pure improv bombed.
Lee Tae-seong said,
"That one's toast."
Cha Ji-hee asked,
"Big gap from me?"
"Yeah. You killed it."
Her face lit up.
"Thanks."
Staff rushed onstage, hooked up a laptop. Copied files to a work unit as stopgap. Screen lit normal.
Lee Tae-seong turned to Cha Ji-hee.
"Pulled a one-woman show?"
Cha Ji-hee griped,
"Right? Laptop shows now."
Park Soon-gi nabbed the perp, but local precinct dicks hauled him off.
Ppf Girls skipped straight home, itching for a school stroll. Idle anyway. Post-chaos, Park Soon-gi, Min Young-hee, Na Gang-in stuck together.
Park Soon-gi told Choi Ji-hye,
"I'll vouch for a brave citizen commendation."
"Whoa! Thanks! Cop buddy perks. Heehee."
Min Young-hee cut in.
"No vouch needed—commendation's automatic. Nabbed a kidnapper."
"Hey. Happens not always."
"Idol bags kidnapper sans commendation? Cop peddlin' pills?"
"Yo. Whose team? Beat it."
Lee Tae-seong and Cha Ji-hee exited the hall, spotted Na Gang-in wandering campus.
Design teamer Cha Ji-hee dashed over, bowed.
"Team leader, what brings you?"
"Friends performing. Cheering 'em."
Min Young-hee jumped in.
"Hold up. Team leader? Master Na got a day job?"
Park Soon-gi fielded.
"Iron Man Arsenal design team lead. News to you?"
"Gun arts only."
Lee Tae-seong neared.
"Rare to know that. Who..."
"Er... Master Na disciple. Ha, haha."
Kwon Soo-yeon was admitted to the hospital where Section Chief Lee Jeong-ho worked.
Kwon Dong-jin pulled Lee Jeong-ho aside on the roof.
"Dr. Lee. Our Soo-yeon..."
Lee Jeong-ho said,
"Just exhaustion faint. She's stable now."
"For now."
Kwon Dong-jin glanced around. Clear.
"Set up a meet with Dr. No Name. I'll handle convincing."