Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Owls
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Na Gang-in spent three hours drilling the five of them relentlessly, forcing them to repeatedly experience attack, evasion, and counterattack techniques.
Having one person go through that nonstop for three hours might've killed them. Fortunately, by rotating through the five one by one, no one bit the dust.
To keep a training session that long going, they needed energy refills midway. Na Gang-in handled them while chowing down on burgers, scarfing kimbap, and chugging sports drinks in between.
Once training wrapped up that day, he asked the utterly exhausted group,
"When works best for the next session?"
Bodyguard officer Choi Nam-su replied, his face drained white.
"Master Na, you must be incredibly busy..."
Somewhere along the way, Na Gang-in's title had upgraded to "Master Na."
"Nah, I'll make the time somehow. It's the least I can do for folks handling national affairs."
"W-We might need to align our days off or vacation time. We'd have to check if that works for you too, Master Na..."
"Sure, just give me a call once you've got a date."
Shin Eun-ha and Yoon A-reum had watched the entire three-hour session with rapt fascination. Midway through, Yoon A-reum handled snack runs.
Na Gang-in left the gym with the two women in tow.
One of the sprawled-out police agents griped at Choi Nam-su.
"Nam-su hyung, shouldn't we be getting backup or something? He was trying to kill us!"
"What's your deal? Didn't you say you really wanted to learn Gun Kwon Do?"
"I only did it 'cause our chief was so damn curious."
The special forces soldier chimed in.
"Dude, I used vacation days to learn Gun Kwon Do, and it went all the way up to the brigade commander. She called me personally and ordered me to learn exactly what this martial art is all about."
The intel agency guy nodded in agreement.
"Our chief said pretty much the same thing."
Choi Nam-su asked,
"So coordinating vacation days for the next session won't be easy for everyone?"
The agents replied,
"No need for vacation. Bet we can get it approved as official training trips from now on, no questions asked."
"Oh, I should apply that way too. Ours'll get approved if we submit it."
"Thanks for the tip on saving vacation days."
Choi Nam-su turned to Min Young-hee, the only female agent—and the only civilian among the five.
"Why so quiet? Schedule not work?"
She panted,
"You're the first guy to handle me like this."
"Huh?"
"My heart's pounding."
Choi Nam-su was dumbfounded.
"Come on, your heart's racing 'cause you got rolled so hard you're out of breath. Didn't you see Master Na show up with Shin Eun-ha? You think you're in his league?"
Min Young-hee wouldn't let it go.
"Shin Eun-ha's a big-time celebrity. No way she'd date some regular joe."
"Does Master Na look like a regular joe to anyone?"
"Well... yeah, you're right."
"Look at that stamina. He drilled all five of us for three hours straight and he's fine, while we're laid out like this. Guy even human?"
"Is that the point right now?"
"Then what is?"
Min Young-hee complained,
"I was just planning how to raise two kids and send 'em to college, and you had to ruin my dreams, Nam-su oppa."
"She's lost it from all the rolling around."
"Young-hee's always been a bit off."
"Let's grab some cold beer and chicken to snap out of it."
"Hell yeah. After a grind like this, gotta eat meat to build those muscles."
Na Gang-in asked,
"What do you wanna eat?"
Yoon A-reum asked,
"Gang-in oppa, do you know how to make chicken by any chance?"
"Yeah, I can make it."
"Whoa! Oppa really can do everything!"
"But chicken? Always buy it. Way tastier that way."
"Aw. I was so curious how good oppa's chicken would be."
Shin Eun-ha chimed in.
"Bet it'd be delicious for real."
Na Gang-in pointed to a shop up ahead.
"Chicken's at that place. Got paid for training today, so I'm buying."
They downed spicy chicken with ice-cold draft beer.
Shin Eun-ha took her first bite of chicken, chased it with beer, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Kyaah! Beer with chicken is the best!"
She grabbed another piece.
"Gotta wash down that spicy, greasy goodness with beer—that's how chicken hits different."
Yoon A-reum marveled,
"Whoa, unnie's a total pro, even down to her constitution. How do you keep that figure eating like that?"
"I'm naturally skinny. Still gotta put in the work, though."
Na Gang-in chuckled.
Shin Eun-ha asked,
"Why the laugh?"
"Nothing."
"'Cause I'm cute?"
"Nope."
"Then 'cause I'm pre... "
"Cut it out."
Five new customers walked into the chicken joint.
They'd come for chimaek but froze at the sight of Na Gang-in. Two even turned to bolt.
Yoon A-reum spotted them and waved enthusiastically.
"Oh! Over here! Here!"
One agent whispered,
"Should we pretend we didn't see and dip?"
"She knows us and calls us out like that—ignore her and see how the next training goes."
Female agent Min Young-hee waved back.
"Oh my! Master Na's here too. Mind if we join?"
Choi Nam-su asked the police agent,
"Yo, ever heard Young-hee say 'oh my'?"
"Not only no, never even imagined it. Heard plenty of her 'kyaack!' screams though."
The other four were government agents, but Min Young-hee was a freelancer. She took gigs for the government or private companies as needed.
Still, the hotshot rolled hard today. Especially the first 20 minutes—she couldn't land a hit and kept collapsing.
Min Young-hee asked Yoon A-reum,
"How do you know Master Na?"
Part-timer Yoon A-reum answered,
"Gang-in oppa's our PC bang chef."
Min Young-hee brushed that off and lobbed the real question.
"So, Shin Eun-ha—business with Master Na as martial arts director?"
It was a subtle probe, hoping for more.
Shin Eun-ha declared boldly,
"We're super close."
Min Young-hee hadn't expected a celeb like Shin Eun-ha to own it outright.
"Oh, uh, I see."
Shin Eun-ha hadn't said it without thought. If this hit SNS, heads would roll.
"But you're all government agents, right? Gotta keep tight lips? Ohohoho."
The police agent replied awkwardly,
"Y-Yeah, of course lips sealed. But if ordered from above, we might have to file reports..."
Shin Eun-ha panicked.
"Huh?"
Min Young-hee said,
"Not me, though. I'm freelance—gov work or private. Not officially public servant, so my lips are looser."
Shin Eun-ha forced a laugh.
"Hohoho, that was a joke. Gang-in oppa's our movie's martial arts director."
She straightened up, jabbing the table with a finger.
"Put it exactly like that in reports. Spread weird rumors, and I'll tell oppa to double your training intensity."
The special forces agent quickly said,
"No need to report that far. Our unit only cares about Gun Kwon Do."
The other four glared at him.
He defended himself.
"What? Gotta survive somehow. Avoiding total wipeout in combat's basic common sense."
That day's chimaek was on Shin Eun-ha—to buy silence.
Five days later, the drama aired.
The PC bang trio watched it online from the bang.
Owner's niece Cha Eun-seo marveled,
"Whoa, Gang-in oppa's great on a bike too."
Part-timer Yoon A-reum asked,
"Why's that bike rolling back on its own? CG?"
College hacker An Seong-hwan bluffed,
"Bikes don't tip as long as the wheels are turning. Steer at the right angle with precise push, and it'll trace a big circle back like that, probably?"
"For real?"
"Nah, no idea."
"Huh?"
"Just messing with you for fun..."
Yoon A-reum smacked An Seong-hwan's back with her palm.
"Hey!"
"Ow! Wait, Eun-ha unnie's on!"
The drama showed Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora bumping into each other at Han River Park.
Yoon A-reum explained,
"Eun-ha unnie's a cameo."
"A-reum, you pulling the same bluff as me?"
"Wanna die? I'm not you—I heard it straight from her."
An Seong-hwan changed subjects.
"Acting feels so real, though. Looks like they're actually fighting."
Cha Eun-seo said,
"They are actually fighting."
"What?"
"Those unnies fight like that even on air. Not acting."
Cha Eun-seo checked forum posts while watching.
Na Gang-in met Shin Eun-ha at a café.
She grinned while scrolling forum posts on her smartphone.
"Look! They say I look prettier next to Bora."
"Plenty disagree on looks, though."
"Whose side you on, oppa?"
Na Gang-in smirked, placing a large paper bag on the table.
"Found this on the way. For you."
"Huh? What's this?"
"Something you wear under clothes."
Shin Eun-ha's face flushed beet red. She yanked the bag under the table and whispered fiercely,
"Crazy? Why hand over underwear here?!"
"Uh... not underwear, something under clothes?"
"That's underwear..."
She realized the bag was too heavy for undies.
"But it's kinda heavy? How many did you buy?"
No matter how lightweight the Dragon Plate, it couldn't match real underwear.
She peeked inside.
A metallic shirt-like thing gleamed. Unlike cloth, it wouldn't fold flat—hence the big bag.
She pulled it out a bit.
"Oh. Not clothes..."
She'd seen something like this when the Rogue Pirates attacked.
"That bulletproof vest you wore on the ship?"
"Yeah, same thing."
She fanned her face.
"Phew. Thought it was actual clothes."
"Wear it."
She beamed.
"Thanks a ton. First gift being a bulletproof vest is kinda extreme."
"You keep getting dragged into fights."
She waved it off laughing.
"Psh. Like that'll happen to me again."
She touched the Dragon Plate curiously.
"This from Iron Man Supplies? Or..."
"Stitched it myself, stitch by stitch."
"In that workshop?"
"Yeah."
"Whoa... must've been tough."
She preferred handmade gifts over store-bought.
Her good mood soared higher.
"Feels great! I'm splurging today!"
"Reserved at Penelope. Dinner's free anyway."
"Ack! Gift and reservation for me?"
She grinned inwardly.
Na Gang-in said,
"Chef Oh wants you to taste-test new menu and rate it. Dinner's comped regardless."
Penelope Restaurant had new dishes in development. Owner Oh Kyu-chul knew Na Gang-in was a top-tier chef, so he asked for his input.
Obviously free.
Shin Eun-ha clicked her tongue.
"Tch! Just 'cause it's free. And here I thought..."
Na Gang-in's phone rang. Blue Sky drama writer Do Ju-hee.
"Hello."
Na Gang-in's expression hardened slightly.
"Attack?"
"Pardon?"
"Like Sunny Day?"
"Doable."
"Talked to PD Choi?"
"Hm... Lemme think. Got my own stuff going on."
"I'll get back today."
Call ended.
Serious-faced, Shin Eun-ha asked,
"What? Adding action to 'Blue Sky'?"
"Yeah."
"Like our movie?"
"Pretty much."
"Then Bora blows up as supporting again?"
"Dunno? Gotta see the script for who gets the shine."
Na Gang-in gave a quick rundown of the call.
Shin Eun-ha got it instantly.
"Bora's definitely riding your coattails then."
Na Gang-in asked,
"Should I pass?"
"Why? Do it. Back-to-back in movie and drama cements your rep."
"Not like I have to do that drama."
"No, do it. Please."