Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Kim Chun-bae (1)
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"I-It was the Diamond Club that ordered me to do it! I really don't know anything!"
"So what exactly did the Diamond Club tell you to do?"
"They told me to secretly buff Ju-seong from behind while he was fighting! Th-they said they'd bribed the judges too, so don't worry about it! They promised a ton of money once it was over, and even a spot in the Diamond Club. They said I'd be dead if I didn't do it! I had no choice!"
The recording abruptly cut off.
Kim Chun-bae was huddled in the corner of the room. Across from him sat a Diamond Club hunter, cigarette dangling from his lips as he tilted his head slightly, glaring at Chun-bae. A recorder sat on the table between them. The hunter let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Hey, Chun-bae. After everything I've done for you. Huh? You fucking stab me in the back like this? You little shit. You thought I was a pushover because I was nice to you?"
"N-No, that's not... Th-they said they'd kill me if I didn't talk...!"
"You think they'd actually kill you, you moron! Look at me—am I dead? Did I go blabbing my mouth like some retarded dog like you? This fucker didn't just run away—he spilled everything!"
"N-No, that's... "
"You thought you could confess once and slip away nice and clean, didn't you? You bastard. Huh? You think anyone's gonna give a shit if you disappear? I snapped out of it and you were already gone, you fuck. Not an ounce of loyalty in you. If our big boss hadn't shown up, my head would've been on the chopping block, you piece of shit."
"N-No... That's...!"
"You fucking dare spread this story anywhere else, and you're really dead. Got it? No one's gonna believe you anyway, right?"
"Y-Yes... "
Chun-bae nodded. A glimmer of hope that he might live flickered across his face. The hunter stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said,
"Get out, you punk."
Chun-bae hesitated for a moment. The hunter's neck veins bulged as he bellowed again.
"I said get out! Fuck!"
"Yes, sir!"
Only then did Chun-bae leap up like a deer startled by gunfire and bolt out the door. The cityscape outside was peacefully indifferent to his panic. As soon as Chun-bae was gone, the hunter sighed. He wanted nothing more than to kill the guy right then and there, but it wasn't that simple. Ever since they'd offed that popular streamer not long ago, the police had been watching the Diamond Club closely.
So their plan was to quietly visit Chun-bae at home after he returned and make him "disappear."
The hunter scrolled through the names on his phone and paused at Kim Ju-seong's. He too was on thin ice over this mess. They'd taken all the risks to prop Ju-seong up to the finals, but he hadn't won.
No matter the unfortunate "accident," Kim Ju-seong hadn't claimed victory, and Jeong Su-hyeon had scooped up all the Rookie King Tournament buzz.
The only reasons the hunter still had his head and Ju-seong was riding high on Diamond Club expectations were because the hunter had pinned all the blame on Kim Chun-bae.
He'd conspired with his boss to bury the recording of the Black Dragon Clan deal so it never reached the higher-ups. For the loss, he'd claimed Chun-bae had suddenly stopped buffing mid-finals and demanded more money, throwing a tantrum. According to him, Chun-bae had threatened midway through the match to expose the buff-rigged win if they didn't pay up. Ju-seong had lost his buffs abruptly and buckled under the withdrawal effects.
It was a match they could've won, ruined by Chun-bae. The guy had bolted from the scene right away, and since he'd come to his senses sooner than expected, it made for a convenient frame job.
The higher-ups had held off on punishment until the next operation and ordered him to "shut Chun-bae up."
Runner-up wasn't a total failure—the plan hadn't completely derailed.
It was solid spec, and guys like Ju-seong—good-looking, talented, with a compelling backstory—weren't easy to find. The "accident" had thrown things off a bit, but if the year-end training camp op succeeded, they'd be fine.
Right now, the hunter was laser-focused on eliminating Kim Chun-bae while under immense pressure to nail the year-end training camp plan.
Kim Ju-seong had to become a hero there. Otherwise, the hunter figured he'd be the one disappearing next.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I woke up in the academy infirmary, face-to-face with the championship trophy. My weary, half-lidded eyes stared back at me from its gleaming gold surface. I chuckled at the sight, then lifted my head.
"You're awake?"
Yu-jeong sunbae's voice reached me. I quickly pulled my head off the pillow. She was grinning. On my other side, Ichie was resting her face on the mattress, looking up at me. She waved and said,
"Good morning."
"Oh, yeah... H-How'd it go?"
Yu-jeong sunbae nodded toward the trophy.
[Rookie King Tournament Championship Trophy]
I couldn't help but smile at the sight. In disbelief, I tapped it a few times with my fingers and traced the cup's rim. After touching it over and over, I let out a deep breath and flopped back onto the bed. Yu-jeong sunbae said,
"The reporters are going nuts. Good thing press isn't allowed here."
I glanced out the window. Reporters were camped outside. Just seeing them gave me chills. Someone pointed at the window and yelled, triggering a flash frenzy. I hurriedly dropped the blinds and lay back down.
Ichie was poking my cheek with her finger. Every time she did, I puffed out my cheek or twitched my lips to play along. Staring at me, she asked,
"Su-hyeon oppa. You got first, so grant my wish."
"Your wish?"
Ichie nodded. Come to think of it, we'd made that bet. But I'd never considered what to ask of her, so I was stumped. What should I have her do? A talent show? Ichie was shaking her head while waiting for my answer. Yu-jeong sunbae watched me intently, then grinned. I said to Ichie,
"Then how about we all go out together?"
I didn't really have anything specific I wanted from Ichie. She was already great to me. Ichie looked a bit surprised. Her eyes went wide as she stared at me. Yu-jeong sunbae looked shocked too. She asked,
"All three of us?"
"Yeah. The three of us. I realized I don't really want anything from you specifically. So it seems fair to do what you want."
Ichie seemed thrilled. If she had a tail, it'd be wagging furiously—her shoulders were bouncing, lips twitching like it was. She asked,
"Where to? Anywhere you want."
Yu-jeong sunbae laughed and said,
"Ichie, Su-hyeon needs rest right now. We have some time after the tournament, so think it over slowly. You're discharging tomorrow, right?"
"Then tomorrow. Let's all meet at Su-hyeon oppa's place for a meeting."
"The three of us?"
Ichie nodded. Yu-jeong sunbae seemed a little flustered. She glanced at me. I nodded and said,
"Sure."
"Player."
Yu-jeong sunbae muttered under her breath. But there was no helping it. I couldn't plan a trip alone with just Ichie. My place was the best spot anyway.
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"If you don't tell the truth from here on out, I'm freezing your ankles and wrists solid and smashing them. Understand?"
Chun-bae recalled that day. The silver-haired hunter scowled fiercely, threatening him. Her hands radiated cold, and the Diamond Club hunter who'd seemed like his protector lay pathetically sprawled on the floor. Beside him, Ichigaya Ichie wiped blood dripping from her sword, then plunged it back into Misaki's corpse. Blood from the floor soaked into the blade like a straw sucking it up.
"Spill it straight. What did they tell you to do?"
"I-It was like...!"
At that moment, Chun-bae had no choice. The metallic stench of blood filled the air, and Seong Ha-yeon looked ready to kill him any second. With Misaki gone in the chaos, what could he do?
"Fuck! Fuck! What the hell did I do so wrong?!"
He slammed the pillow in the corner of his room, spewing curses. The room was empty, save for a camera he didn't know about, spinning silently.
"Fuck! Fuuuuck! You bastards! Fucking bitch! Cunt!"
In his own mind, Chun-bae had done nothing wrong. If anything, he'd given his all, so he felt utterly wronged. Seong Ha-yeon hunter had immediately sent the recording she'd extracted from him to the Diamond Club, apparently striking some deal related to the incident.
He had no idea what the deal was, but the doping scandal hadn't gone public, and neither he nor Ju-seong faced punishment. Ju-seong had a broken arm, and Chun-bae had lost his summon Misaki once.
Chun-bae remembered going to the academy right after the tournament.
No one was by his side. Kim Ju-seong, who at least pretended to be friendly at the academy, ignored him, and the other students trashed him as "the disloyal punk who didn't even show for the finals."
When he was getting flak, Ju-seong completely stonewalled him. Instead, he smirked and said,
"Hey, Chun-bae. You should've at least cheered me on. Look—my arm's broken because of you."
That set Chun-bae off. He hated how Ju-seong dismissed his sacrifices as nothing and mocked his silence unilaterally. The cold joke from someone he'd thought was a friend stung deeply.
"Y-You got that helping me!"
So Chun-bae exploded right there. The students all looked at him in shock. Ju-seong's face hardened. Sweat beading on his forehead, Chun-bae trembled and yelled,
"You couldn't come 'cause you were buffing me! So why are you doing this to me?! Huh?! How can you?!"
"Hey, Chun-bae, it was just a joke. Why you flipping out?"
Ju-seong laughed, trying to defuse it. But Chun-bae didn't stop.
"Th-That was a joke?! You make me feel like shit, then call it a j-j-joke?!"
Ju-seong's face turned to stone. He stood, shoving Chun-bae. Chun-bae suddenly realized how big and intimidating Ju-seong was. Glaring down with a savage face, Ju-seong said,
"Hey, Kim Chun-bae. Watch your fucking mouth. Say that again. You saying I buffed you during the tournament? Huh?"
Chun-bae whipped his head around, searching for Jeong Su-hyeon. Su-hyeon was giggling with Ichie over a game. Would he defend me? His blazing anger cooled instantly. Returning reason chilled his body.
"N-No, I mean... Like... "
"What 'like'? Speak up. Did I really buff you? Huh?"
Ju-seong's arm nudged him. Chun-bae couldn't bear the humiliation and fear. He didn't want to imagine the future his words would unleash. He squeezed his eyes shut and bolted from the classroom.
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The Diamond Club, whom he'd trusted to hook him up, had cut off contact, and the 10 million won they'd promised never came. Chun-bae pounded the pillow until he collapsed onto the floor. Sweat poured like rain. He hated the world, felt shitty, and was utterly aggrieved that his life seemed to be spiraling downward.
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, a knock sounded.
Kim Chun-bae lifted his head and looked at the door.
"Wh-Who's there?"