Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Find Bora
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Na Gang-in had wrapped up the final action scene filming for the drama Blue Sky completely.
Choi Jin-wook, the PD, said to Na Gang-in,
"Gang-in, you've worked hard. Haha."
Choi Jin-wook had been in high spirits lately. The viewership ratings, which had been flatlining, had clearly started climbing after Na Gang-in joined. It was now topping the charts in its time slot.
"No wonder Director Son Tae-min praised you so much."
"You've met Director Son?"
"Oh, no. I just heard the rumors."
The drama's writer, Do Ju-hee, approached with a smile too.
"Having you join our drama was truly a stroke of genius, Gang-in. With you around, the story just flows effortlessly when I'm writing the script."
"Didn't you say you didn't like Gang-in at first, Writer Do?"
"When did I ever say that? I just said we should judge carefully."
She flashed Na Gang-in a bright smile.
"Next time, I'm planning a full-on action youth drama. You'll help out then too, right?"
Choi Jin-wook PD jumped in quickly.
"Gang-in, the three of us teaming up again. You saw it this time—we can nail an action drama."
Na Gang-in replied,
"We'll talk about that when the time comes. I tend to have a lot of unexpected stuff pop up, so who knows what'll happen."
Choi Jin-wook PD only knew Na Gang-in as a martial arts director. He had no idea about the new song recording at SAH Entertainment, or even that the Dragon Plate bulletproof vest existed.
Of course, he was clueless about Na Gang-in resolving the Gangnam Jackal case or the Nakgwi Pirates incident.
So, with a light heart, he said,
"Hahaha. If something comes up, I'll adjust the schedule. I'll make sure it's flexible."
"Ah, sure."
"Oh, we're doing the wrap party in four days. You'll come, right, Gang-in? I'll secure a fat budget for the afterparty drinks. Hahaha."
The drama was still airing, but the wrap party had been scheduled early.
Four days later, Shin Eun-ha stood with her closet open, pondering.
"I've got the wrap party tonight, but there's nothing to wear in here."
Her mother said,
"You have tons of clothes at home."
"Nah, I need to stock up here too."
"Fine. I might borrow some anyway."
Shin Eun-ha laughed.
"Heh. Mom, I'm an actress. Think you can pull off my clothes?"
"Who do you think you got your acting genes from? Your dad?"
Shin Eun-ha conceded immediately.
"True. If I'd taken after Dad, I'd look like Young-seok. Horrifying just to think about."
Shin Young-seok, sprawled on the sofa scratching his belly while watching TV, protested.
"What? Why's this stray bullet hitting me? What's with the arrows flying my way?"
"Curious? Want a mirror?"
"Buzz off."
Her mother asked,
"By the way, have you heard from Bora?"
"Bora? She'll be at the wrap party later. Why? Something to tell her?"
"Not that—her mom called. Said she can't reach Bora."
"Huh? Since when?"
"This morning."
"Where'd she go?"
"Said she was going for a drive to clear her head, took the car this morning, but she's not picking up. So her mom asked if you could check."
"How would I know where she's driving?"
Shin Young-seok sidled over slyly.
"Noona."
"Yeah? What's with the sudden closeness?"
"Try contacting Bora noona. Just in case."
Shin Eun-ha narrowed her eyes at Shin Young-seok.
"What? You still crushing on Bora?"
"It's not a crush! I'm a fan!"
"Fan my foot. You've always had a thing for her since way back."
"Back in middle school, a third of our school's kids were Bora noona fans! I was just one of them!"
Shin Eun-ha tossed her hair.
"Hey, half your school was my fan back then, right?"
"That's some next-level delusion."
"Should I call or not?"
Shin Young-seok surrendered instantly.
"Mercy, Your Majesty! This lowly one has committed a grave sin!"
"Be good from now on."
Shin Eun-ha smirked and fired off a message to Bora.
No reply. Not even read.
"Well, if she were responding right away, her mom wouldn't be worried."
She tried calling this time. After a long wait, a voice answered.
"Huh?"
Shin Eun-ha tilted her head.
"That's weird. She ignores calls plenty, but she never turns her smartphone off..."
Shin Young-seok fretted.
"You think something really happened to Bora noona?"
Shin Eun-ha felt uneasy too.
"Any other day, maybe, but today's the wrap party—she'd be glued to her phone. Battery dead?"
Shin Young-seok asked anxiously,
"Bad vibe. No detective friends, noona?"
"No detectives I know, but I do know someone better suited."
"Huh? Who?"
Shin Eun-ha said to her mother,
"Mom, I'm heading out."
"Didn't you say you had wrap party prep? Just going like that?"
"It's close. Party's tonight—I'll be back in time!"
She called Na Gang-in to ask where he was. He was at his production base.
It wasn't far from her family home to his base by car.
She met Na Gang-in and explained the situation.
"Bora's dying to star in Director Choi and Writer Do's next drama. So no way she'd let go of her phone today, with the party and all. What if the venue changed or something came up—she might need to reach out."
"But her phone's off, so something happened to Bora?"
"Just a bad feeling."
Na Gang-in asked,
"How well do you know Bora?"
"Well..."
Shin Eun-ha explained her relationship with Bora.
"Bora and I grew up in the same neighborhood. We were in daycare and elementary together. We were super close back then."
"But now you fight whenever you meet?"
"In middle school, we were the top two campus queens in our area. Prettiest girls across all the nearby schools."
"Hence the acting careers."
"Starting around second year? That's when we began competing over who was hotter."
"With fists?"
"No! Stuff like who got more chocolates on Valentine's."
"Wasn't that girls giving to guys?"
"Guys gave to us. Oh, Eun-seo was the one tallying whose chocolates were more back then. She lived in the neighborhood too."
Cha Eun-seo still lived in the area.
"We kept bickering through middle school, into high school, still competing. Then in our senior year, we signed with different agencies."
Na Gang-in started grasping their dynamic.
"So both famous local beauties from childhood, debuted around the same time, rose at similar paces in the industry."
"Yep. Then I blew up big with Sunny Days. She must be jealous. She got a boost from this drama too, but not like mine. So yeah."
Shin Eun-ha looked slightly anxious as she said,
"She's gunning for Director Choi, Writer Do, and Oppa in their new drama. No way a girl like that turns off her phone on party day when all three are there."
"I haven't said yes to that drama yet, but I get it. Phone battery dead?"
"She drove off this morning. Can charge in the car."
"Phone broken?"
"Possible, but breaking today? Suspicious."
Na Gang-in stared straight at Shin Eun-ha.
"You two really on bad terms? You seem worried."
Shin Eun-ha shot back,
"It's just the bad feeling! Cops won't do much for a turned-off phone anyway!"
Na Gang-in asked AI Jeon Ji-in,
"Ji-in, suspicious, right?"
"Let's find Bora first. Need more info. No time—gotta scrape her personal data online."
"I know. Not hacking Bora—just running a missing person rescue op. Civilian rescue is Earth Union basic protocol."
"Personal info's all over the net these days. First, scour the web for everything Bora's leaked."
AI Jeon Ji-in used the high-performance computer at the production base to scrape all publicly available info on Bora from the internet.
Bora had posted on SNS today too. AI Jeon Ji-in pulled up those photos first.
"Gather sightings by others, posts, accidental photos—everything."
AI Jeon Ji-in swiftly handled the task through Na Gang-in's hands.
Na Gang-in explained to Shin Eun-ha while monitoring info popping up on four screens and his personal AR Lens overlay.
"Bora posted a photo from Yangpyeong Dumulmeori this morning on SNS. Someone else's pic has her car in the background. Road shots show... Hm? She left Yangpyeong heading this way?"
"Huh? Here?"
"Probably."
Shin Eun-ha fumed,
"Whoa. How'd Bora know this address? Coming to target you directly, Oppa? That sly fox! I worried for nothing!"
"Doesn't feel like nothing."
"What?"
"Photo's from three hours ago. I've been here all day. She should've arrived by now..."
"Huh? Huh?"
Na Gang-in said gravely,
"Ji-in, factor in crime scenarios. Track everyone whose path crossed Bora's today. Pull recent online interest too. Flag kidnapping types separately."
AI Jeon Ji-in identified people at the same locations as Bora today, those posting minor details on SNS, recent commenters or posters about Bora.
Na Gang-in's base had a high-spec design computer and four large monitors.
Suspects with even minor red flags on Bora scrolled across the four screens.
Na Gang-in read each as AI Jeon Ji-in flagged them, isolating the shadier ones.
Better to split the workload than him soloing four monitors.
Shin Eun-ha handled two screens, sorting suspects.
"Not this one. This one's iffy—hold. This guy's super sus!"
Then a photo of Shin Eun-ha appeared on Na Gang-in's monitor.
She reached over quick.
"Hold up! Why's my pic on the suspect screen?"
"Uh..."
Na Gang-in muttered,
"Ji-in's got a sense of humor. Exclude."
Shin Eun-ha's photo vanished from the screen.
Shin Eun-ha squinted at him from the side.
"What? You suspected me?"
"Nah. Slippery finger, hit wrong."
"Doesn't seem like it! Looked intentional!"
Na Gang-in pointed at the screen.
"Oh? This guy's sus."
"Changing subject?"
"No, real talk—this one might be stalking Bora."
"Huh? For real?"
AI Jeon Ji-in displayed related data on one monitor.
"Photos?"
Twelve photos appeared across the other three monitors.
Some showed Bora passing in the distance. Others had her amid crowds. Back views while walking.
Bora wasn't centered, appeared small. Hard to spot her unless you knew.
Yet twelve such photos.
Shin Eun-ha jabbed the screen.
"Here, here, here—all Bora?"
"Yeah."
"Why all so tiny?"
"Saves close-ups privately. Posts these hard-to-spot ones online for his thrill."
Shin Eun-ha rubbed her arms.
"Ugh, goosebumps. Total pervert stalker! He's the guy!"